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SuzanneG
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| Posted: June 01 2007 at 7:47pm | IP Logged
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Meredith wrote:
My dh husband comes home tonight and I'm going to pour him a nice glass of wine  , and then present him with my, ahem, list   |
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Meredith.....I'm thinkin' you should skip the wine, and go straight for the hard liquor! Perhaps some vodka or brandy is in order
Mackfam wrote:
| Whew!!! My computer and credit card are smoking!! I finished my ordering today. |
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Jennifer~
Between your Dansko order and your Montessori order, you have GOT to be one happy lady on this marvelous Friday evening!
Seriously, this is really fun and VERY helpful! I'm learning a lot by lurking and am excited to get things organized when we get back from visiting relatives this summer.
It's like visiting each others' homes!
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Suzanne in ID
Wife to Pete
Mom of 7 (Girls - 14, 12, 11, 9, 7 and Boys - 4, 1)
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SeaStar
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| Posted: June 01 2007 at 7:50pm | IP Logged
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I'm also learning and lurking. I can see that I need to organize myself more and focus on what I want to teach and *then* buy the materials, instead of just saying "oh, that would be great to have!".
Also, I have to get moved to a new house this summer and figure out a set up for teaching. It's frustrating not being able to dive right in. But maybe that is a good thing for me right now
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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Meredith
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| Posted: June 01 2007 at 8:08pm | IP Logged
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SuzanneG wrote:
| Meredith.....I'm thinkin' you should skip the wine, and go straight for the hard liquor! Perhaps some vodka or brandy is in order |
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Oh, Maybe I should pull out the scotch, now that's what I'm talking about!! (I'll stick to wine )
Mackfam wrote:
Jennifer~
Between your Dansko order and your Montessori order, you have GOT to be one happy lady on this marvelous Friday evening! |
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You mean she's got MORE?? You go girl 
SuzanneG wrote:
It's like visiting each others' homes!
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This is why I'm hanging out here tonight before he gets home, and not at the local bowling alley or something
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Meredith
Mom of 4 Sweeties
Sweetness and Light
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: June 01 2007 at 8:20pm | IP Logged
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Ok, Meredith. You're starting to get a little punchy! Maybe you should lay off the laminator for awhile! I think the fumes are getting to you!
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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Meredith
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| Posted: June 01 2007 at 8:43pm | IP Logged
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Well, I'd agree with you, but it's not a heat-sealing laminator  !! See you all tomorrow!
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Meredith
Mom of 4 Sweeties
Sweetness and Light
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SuzanneG
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| Posted: June 05 2007 at 9:01pm | IP Logged
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Maryan wrote:
FOR CGS I'm definitely getting:
A statue of the Good Shepherd (recommendations anyone??)
Moira's 3 -5
A Monstrance (maybe)
A Ciborium
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Just going through these threads again, as I finalize my lists.
Wanted to comment on your CIBORIUM, Maryan. This is definitely worth purchasing. I got it last year, along with the miniature mass kit, altar linens. I made the tabernacle. The girls love it and we use it a lot! Lots of discussion takes place b/c of it.
Here's my wish list:
Knobbed Cylinders
3 Botany Puzzles and Cabinet
Knobless Cylinders
Color Ressemblance ??
Geometric Cabinet ??
Color Tile #3
NA Botany Leaf Cabinet
Geometric Solids
Continent Puzzle Maps
Binomial Cube 25 ??
Squares and Rectangles ??
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Suzanne in ID
Wife to Pete
Mom of 7 (Girls - 14, 12, 11, 9, 7 and Boys - 4, 1)
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Meredith
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| Posted: June 05 2007 at 9:31pm | IP Logged
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Suzanne, what is the "Squares and Rectangles"?? Your list looks good!!
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Meredith
Mom of 4 Sweeties
Sweetness and Light
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Kristin
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| Posted: June 05 2007 at 9:56pm | IP Logged
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This is is only the beginning of the fun, ladies!
My favorite part the first year was sitting on our couch in the front room (with a glass of wine ) looking at the room and dreaming ... scheming ... about what our little classroom would look like. Should the table go here or there? Where would I put the rugs? Where should the picture of Jesus and Mary go? Etc. You will absolutely love working those materials into their own special places to be used by your sweetest children! Congratulations!
BTW, your enthusiasm is downright contagious! Not much buying going on here at this point (other than maybe some bead material) but trying to get things organized and streamlined for the upcoming year seems daunting to me right now, so thanks for sharing the smiles!!!
Being part of the excitement is exactly what I need right now, so thanks for sharing!
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Bunch 'o Honey to my Honey Bunch and Mama to five - Noah 10y  , Rose 8y  , Dominic 2.5 y  , Oliver 16m 
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SuzanneG
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| Posted: June 05 2007 at 11:35pm | IP Logged
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Meredith wrote:
| Suzanne, what is the "Squares and Rectangles"?? |
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Montessori Squares and Rectangles from Alison's. I found them while going through the "Bargain Basement."
The newer, more expensive metal version is here.
But, I'm not sure what their purpose is, as I haven't found any presentation stuff on them yet....I'm still working on that, to see if they make the cut.
Anyone know?
So far, I just think they look neat
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Suzanne in ID
Wife to Pete
Mom of 7 (Girls - 14, 12, 11, 9, 7 and Boys - 4, 1)
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Angel
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| Posted: June 06 2007 at 6:37am | IP Logged
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SuzanneG wrote:
Meredith wrote:
| Suzanne, what is the "Squares and Rectangles"?? |
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Montessori Squares and Rectangles from Alison's. I found them while going through the "Bargain Basement."
The newer, more expensive metal version is here.
But, I'm not sure what their purpose is, as I haven't found any presentation stuff on them yet....I'm still working on that, to see if they make the cut.
Anyone know?
So far, I just think they look neat |
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I think they're part of the fraction material for elementary. Here's a link to the Nienhaus catalog (and if you want to have a heart attack, just look at the price! )
--Angela
Three Plus Two
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Erin
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| Posted: June 06 2007 at 8:21am | IP Logged
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Would it be too much trouble to ask for links to where all these wonderful products come from? I am such a visual person and it would help 
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Erin
Faith Filled Days
Seven Little Australians
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AndreaG
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| Posted: June 06 2007 at 8:26am | IP Logged
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Just thought I'd pass along this link for CGS supplies- I got my ciborium here- it is not nearly as nice as the Our Fathers House one, but it fit my budget!
The Shepherd's Closet
Here is a site for the Good Shepherd Statue:
Exposure Promotions
And while I am typing links here is are a few more CGS ones:
Shades of Oak
WoodCrafters
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Andrea
GrayFamilyCircus
Read Through the Catechism in a Year- For Moms!
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SuzanneG
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| Posted: June 06 2007 at 8:53am | IP Logged
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Angel wrote:
I think they're part of the fraction material for elementary. Here's a link to the Nienhaus catalog (and if you want to have a heart attack, just look at the price! )
[/URL] |
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 $330!!!???? Blah! That's hysterical!
Metal Squares
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Suzanne in ID
Wife to Pete
Mom of 7 (Girls - 14, 12, 11, 9, 7 and Boys - 4, 1)
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Meredith
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| Posted: June 06 2007 at 10:06am | IP Logged
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Alison's Montessori
Montessori-n-Such
Montessori Servies
Montessori Outlet
Kid Advance
In Print For Children
Godly Play
Our Father's House
Montessori for Everyone
Montessori Concepts
There's probably a ton more, but this should link you pretty well for at least a couple of days
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Meredith
Mom of 4 Sweeties
Sweetness and Light
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Kristin
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| Posted: June 06 2007 at 10:44am | IP Logged
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When I've ordered from Montessori Concepts I place the order by phone and the gentleman has shipped out same day or next day. Excellent customer service!
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Bunch 'o Honey to my Honey Bunch and Mama to five - Noah 10y , Rose 8y , Dominic 2.5 y , Oliver 16m
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Meredith
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| Posted: June 06 2007 at 11:02am | IP Logged
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Kristin, have you purchased much from them and how about quality if you've ordered from other similar companies?? Appreciate your input here so much, thank you!!
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Meredith
Mom of 4 Sweeties
Sweetness and Light
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Kristin
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| Posted: June 06 2007 at 12:20pm | IP Logged
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I believe that the quality you get from Montessori Concepts will be basically the same as the others (Alisson's, Montessori Outlet, etc.). They tell me that these distributors are sometimes ordering their materials from the same factories in China.
What I love about Montessori Concepts is the unique perspective and customer service provided by it's owner. He also owns EduAids, which is much more expensive but offers higher quality products. If you have a question about "quality" he will give you an honest answer. He will tell you how the Montessori Concepts' product compares to the EduAids' and does not put any pressure on to buy the EduAids (more expensive). For the Color Boxes, for example, he told me that the Montessori Concepts is the most popular with the schools and while the EduAids is a better quality, it is not really necessary to have the better quality. Another example is the binomial/trinomial cubes. He said that the hinges on the boxes tend to wear out and need replacement on the less expensive version, so that is a problem in the school setting; he did not think it would be a problem in the homeschool setting. If he doesn't know off the top of his head, he will take the time to look at and compare the two different products and give you descriptions of the differences. He even very kindly offered to send me a sample bead stair because I was wondering about the quality of the bead material! I absolutely LOVE this and think that it makes a world of difference with something like Montessori materials where quality is a big factor to be considered.
I have purchased a number of things from Montessori Concepts and a couple from EduAids over the last two years and, as I've said, have had great experience with the customer service. I like working with one person. One person who I know is honest, reliable, and gets things shipped quickly.
I bought my sandpaper letters (lowercase and double) from Montessori Outlet and ran into MANY problems with them. I could not get my order to go through via internet and they did not return my phone calls for nearly a week. They did appologize and say that people had been sick, but it was such a hassle that quite honestly I avoid buying from them if I can. But things may have changed since then, that was a couple years ago. It just left a "bad taste" in my mouth!
In my mind the prices and quality between places like Alisson's, Montessori Concepts, and Montessori Outlet are all more or less equal. For buying something like bead material, I'm being meticulous in my decision about where to buy because I want to make sure that the colors match up for all the beads from one activity to another, to me this is very important. For example, if I buy golden bead material now and sometime down the road want to buy the thousands/hundreds chains or the decanomial box, I want the beads to match up! So far I've found that most of these distributors have a fairly limited selection on bead materials. I've even seen one that doesn't sell a simple BEAD STAIR! How could this be possible? Just a little food for thought ...
Sorry if this hasn't been very coherent --- not a lot of time to sit down at the computer these days! Hope it helps and I look forward to sharing in your excitement as the boxes arrive!
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Bunch 'o Honey to my Honey Bunch and Mama to five - Noah 10y , Rose 8y , Dominic 2.5 y , Oliver 16m
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Meredith
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This makes complete sense and I really appreciate your experiences here, it's very helpful and customer service is HUGE in my book!! I'll give them a call! Blessings and thank you again for your sage advice
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Meredith
Mom of 4 Sweeties
Sweetness and Light
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: June 06 2007 at 1:17pm | IP Logged
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That is good to know, Kristin.
I have had personal contact with Alisons, MO, and M&S. They have all also been very friendly and helpful. It is so nice to know that there are so many wonderful, positive companies to work with.
I have found the quality of the materials to be comparable between Alisons and MO. The stuff I bought from M&S was of a different nature (no beads or wooden materials), so can't really compare them as far as quality.
Just fyi, all of the materials from MO came in boxes labeled from a manufacturer called "Mindspace."
I know what you mean, Kristen about wanting all of my bead materials to be consistent. I think that is important. I think I am going to need more tens bars, so I will need to make sure to get them from MO to match the ones I have.
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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SeaStar
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| Posted: June 07 2007 at 7:11am | IP Logged
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I think I ordered every clearance geography puzzle from Alison's, plus the pink tower. My dc love maps of all kinds- I know they will enjoy these. And what a deal!
But I cheated and ordered the knobless cylinders from KidSurplus. They had that nice Haba set for $24. Each block only has seven knobs (vs ten for a true Montessori type), but I still think the kids will be able to learn and play with them.
Still mulling over other purchases....
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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4Real Forums : Nurturing the Years of Wonder
Topic: What are you ordering?
