Review: The Old Schoolhouse Magazine Goes Digital! (FREE trial)

I have been blessed to receive encouragement and help from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine for many years now.  It was always with great anticipation that I would await it's quarterly arrival.  So, when they announced last fall that TOS was going digital, I felt like the rug had been pulled out from underneath me!

I like computers and technology well enough but when it comes to books and magazines, I like paper. I like to feel it, touch it, smell it, mark it up, dog ear the pages, swat a fly with it....whatever. I want it in my hands!  I was so disheartened with the change that when TOS graciously sent a complimentary copy of the fall digital issue, I didn't even look at it!  Sometime in December, I actually downloaded it and electronically flipped through a couple of pages, but my heart wasn't in it.

See, the quality of the articles hadn't changed but I just couldn't bring myself to like reading a magazine on my laptop! To be truthful, part of the problem was (is) that during this time of transition in our lives, I can only pick up a wifi signal in one tiny corner of my daughters bedroom (sometimes swinging from my toes like a bat).  Remember back to those days of adjusting rabbit ears for the television and adding tin foil and coat hangers to them in the hopes of better reception and you'll have a pretty accurate description of what it's like around here trying to get an internet connection!

That is not to say that you have to have an internet connection to read the magazine, because you do not.  You need one only to download it, but an internet connection makes reading so much more exciting! The new digital magazine is interactive!  Oooooo!  Ahhhhhh!  Are you wondering what that means?  It means that the articles are laced with links to other articles, products and sources on the internet that further expound upon what you're reading! It means that all those nifty vendor ads are now clickable directly to their websites and free offers!

And the best part is....

...something I only discovered today. Remember my aversion to digital books?  My wonderful husband bought me a kindle fire for Christmas.  Yes, it was thoughtful, but I have yet to use it.   I think it's the old dog/new trick thing.  I discovered today that TOS digital edition can put read on your ereader!  I can take it anywhere!  I can read it anywhere.  It fits in my purse.  Now that trumps the paper version for me!!!  And I can still swat a fly with it if I really want to ;-)  With my kindle, I can mark my pages, add notes and highlight text. Oh happy day!

So, here's me, waving the white flag in surrender.  I'm turning over a new leaf and embracing this new technology.  The Old Schoolhouse Magazine is just as wonderful as ever but now it's portable, interactive AND it's coming out 12 times a year instead of four. Who could ask for more?

Care to give it a try? Click the button below to read the hot-off-the-press (it's not really off the press anymore, is it?) January 2012 edition for free.   Remember, you can read it online, download it to your computer or move it over to your ereader!  Let me know what you think!

© Adorning Grace 2012

Review: For You They Signed

Of all the eras of history, the early American period is my absolute favorite. So, it was with great anticipation that I awaited the arrival of Marilyn Boyer's new book For You They Signed.

I can honestly say that it was well worth the wait! My first thought, upon the book's arrival, was that this beautiful, hard backed book would be well suited to a place on my coffee table. Of course, it is so much more than a conversation piece. From cover to cover, it is packed full of useful and intriguing information as well as lovely artwork.

With the turn of every page, Mrs. Boyer gives a glimpse into the character and the lives of the men who helped shape our nation - the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

For You They Signed is set up so that it can be used in a variety of settings. From personal reading, family devotions, small group study or homeschooling, the possibilities are endless. Purchasers of this book are also given the opportunity to download a companion guide free of charge! As a home school mom, this book has been a welcomed addition to our history curriculum.

The study of each signer is concise enough so as not to be overwhelming, yet packed full of information that will keep the readers interest. In it, you'll discover the answers to such things as:

• Which signer had his house burned due to his support for the Patriots? 
• Who instigated the Boston Tea Party? 
• Which man secretly imported weapons for the army largely out of his own resources? 
• Who was the first signer to die? 

And so much more!

I applaud Mrs. Boyer's efforts in writing this book and her hard work has certainly paid off. The end result? A resource that any person with an interest in history and our godly heritage should not be without.

***If you've enjoyed this review,  I would appreciate it if you'd head over the The Home School Hub and vote for me. They are giving a prize to the review with the most votes.  Thank you!

© Adorning Grace 2010