My Love Affair with the Homeschool Review Crew!
Yes I am specifically writing this post to link up to the Friday (I know it's not Friday!) Homeschool Blogger Link Up hosted by the Homeschool Review Crew a division of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine. This Crew Blog's post is Homeschool Review Crew Needs You. Yep we want to grow the crew an to do that we need more home educating bloggers. But not just bloggers. We want Vloggers too! Are you an active You Tube Vlogger? We have a section in the 2019 Crew Application just for you!
Now that you know why I am writing this post let me tell about my long term love affair with the Homeschool Review Crew. We meet to speak when it was brand spanking new in 2008. An online friend and co-moderator with me of an online email group for home school support had just embarked on the Maiden Voyage of this new concept of receiving home school product in exchange for a review! Back in those days you didn't have to be a blogger you just had to have a place such as a home school support group newsletter to share your review. It sounded scary and a bit overwhelming and when applications for the 2nd year were open I just couldn't bring myself to do it. BUT! Another co-moderator and good friend from that group applied and was accepted. I spent the next year hearing about how incredible the experience was. Not just with getting introduced to some really cool product but making friends and growing a blog. They wanted to expand for the 3rd year. I had been writing up reviews of sort as responses to questions so I had some experience but I was still so unsure. I had started a blog and then had let it kind of but in the spring of 2009 I was back to blogging. The Crew needed folks with high school students. I had a high school student. I had one in high school 1 in junior high and two in elementary. I gave in to the pressure of "encouragement." and was invited to join the crew for the 3rd year which ran June 2010 to May 2011.
It was the best decision I think I ever made regarding home schooling. We hit some really hard lows financially and if it were not for the crew I would not have been able to give my girls the amazing education they got. God provided for my family what we needed for education through the Crew. I would pray over goals and subjects and then watch as just what we needed (even if I didn't realize we needed it at the time) appear on my list of review products. Math courses, literature courses, electives, just-for-fun, science, history and lots of supplemental things.
But my love affair isn't just related all the amazing products we've received over the years. While I don't consider myself a highly technical person I've learned a thing or two about blogging. I've learned a thing or two about social media. I've learned a thing or two about writing as well so my writing and blogging has improved over the years. I choose not to be a "professional blogger" but I wanted to be there are lots of folks on the crew would be wiling to give me a lesson or two on how to do that.
You see we have the wonderful private forum just for Crew members! On this forum we have boards where you can get technical support for your blog or advice on your home business. There's a board for asking for a great recipe or ideas of lunches. We have a board for homeschooling support. I think my favorite board is the Prayer and Praise board. We support each other through prayer. We rejoice with the praises. And of course the main purpose of the board are the sections with the information crew members need for their reviews. Many folks say the forum is what they miss most when they step down from the crew.
In the fall of 2015 I was offered the position of Crew Leader. As a Crew Leader I join with the other Crew Leaders to make the Crew run as smoothly as possible. I accepted the job because I love the crew and because it gives me a chance to make sure that the crew is there for other folks like me who need the support and who need the products.
I have made friends through the crew. I have found support through the crew. I have received tools to give my daughters an amazing education. I love the Homeschool Review Crew and I'd love for you to join us!
Now that you know why I am writing this post let me tell about my long term love affair with the Homeschool Review Crew. We meet to speak when it was brand spanking new in 2008. An online friend and co-moderator with me of an online email group for home school support had just embarked on the Maiden Voyage of this new concept of receiving home school product in exchange for a review! Back in those days you didn't have to be a blogger you just had to have a place such as a home school support group newsletter to share your review. It sounded scary and a bit overwhelming and when applications for the 2nd year were open I just couldn't bring myself to do it. BUT! Another co-moderator and good friend from that group applied and was accepted. I spent the next year hearing about how incredible the experience was. Not just with getting introduced to some really cool product but making friends and growing a blog. They wanted to expand for the 3rd year. I had been writing up reviews of sort as responses to questions so I had some experience but I was still so unsure. I had started a blog and then had let it kind of but in the spring of 2009 I was back to blogging. The Crew needed folks with high school students. I had a high school student. I had one in high school 1 in junior high and two in elementary. I gave in to the pressure of "encouragement." and was invited to join the crew for the 3rd year which ran June 2010 to May 2011.
It was the best decision I think I ever made regarding home schooling. We hit some really hard lows financially and if it were not for the crew I would not have been able to give my girls the amazing education they got. God provided for my family what we needed for education through the Crew. I would pray over goals and subjects and then watch as just what we needed (even if I didn't realize we needed it at the time) appear on my list of review products. Math courses, literature courses, electives, just-for-fun, science, history and lots of supplemental things.
But my love affair isn't just related all the amazing products we've received over the years. While I don't consider myself a highly technical person I've learned a thing or two about blogging. I've learned a thing or two about social media. I've learned a thing or two about writing as well so my writing and blogging has improved over the years. I choose not to be a "professional blogger" but I wanted to be there are lots of folks on the crew would be wiling to give me a lesson or two on how to do that.
You see we have the wonderful private forum just for Crew members! On this forum we have boards where you can get technical support for your blog or advice on your home business. There's a board for asking for a great recipe or ideas of lunches. We have a board for homeschooling support. I think my favorite board is the Prayer and Praise board. We support each other through prayer. We rejoice with the praises. And of course the main purpose of the board are the sections with the information crew members need for their reviews. Many folks say the forum is what they miss most when they step down from the crew.
In the fall of 2015 I was offered the position of Crew Leader. As a Crew Leader I join with the other Crew Leaders to make the Crew run as smoothly as possible. I accepted the job because I love the crew and because it gives me a chance to make sure that the crew is there for other folks like me who need the support and who need the products.
I have made friends through the crew. I have found support through the crew. I have received tools to give my daughters an amazing education. I love the Homeschool Review Crew and I'd love for you to join us!
The crew is a lovely group of people. :)
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