Although our school years started at the beginning of August, after a month in it is time for a pick me up and little reminder. ~Kelli

Setting an Example for a Successful School Year

Dr. Susan Bartell

I love the crisp notebooks and brand new, no-colors-missing boxes of colored pencils of the new school year. However, what I enjoy more than anything else is the feeling that this year is another chance for each child to start fresh—with a new teacher, additional friends and another opportunity to show herself that this will be the best year yet!

There are many ways to help your child have a successful year, but one of the most important is to consistently role model the ‘tools’ of success. You are one of your child’s most important and best teachers. Therefore, you play a critical role in helping your child have a truly successful school year.

By taking the following suggestions to heart, I’m confident you will help your entire family have a successful year—let me know next summer!

1. Be on time. Teachers request timeliness, but when parents regularly run late, it reinforces that this is okay. In fact, it sends the message that another’s person’s time (the one waiting for you) isn’t as important as your own. So teach your child to be on time by living this way.
2. Show effort. Of course, you tell your child to work her hardest. But, do you do so yourself? Whether you are completing a work project or cooking a meal, take pride in your own work because it is important feel good about what you have produced, and know that other people will appreciate your effort as well. Your efforts won’t go unnoticed by your child.
3. Plan ahead. The school year includes the completion of long-term assignments, each of which requires careful planning. Life has many of these long term “assignments’ too. When planning vacations, work projects, home renovations or other big ventures, discuss these with your child, helping him see the importance of advance planning.
4. Compromise with friends and family. Kids learn many of their social skills by observing you. Therefore, when you are flexible, compromise frequently, and reduce bickering and fighting to a minimum, your child will do the same!
5. Be polite. You may be frustrated on a long line at the supermarket, or when a telephone operator is rude, but your child focuses only on your behavior. She will mimic your words and intonations in the classroom or on the playground. Thus, be aware of how you speak to people—no matter how aggravated you may feel inside!
6. Listen. Paying attention is one of school’s—and life’s—most important skills. So put down your phone, turn off the TV and really listen to your kids, your partner and anyone that is talking to you. Not only is it a good way to teach your child, but it will improve the quality of your life as well.
7. Organize your workspace. Kids need an orderly space to do their homework and so do parents! If you keep your space organized, your child will be more likely to keep his space tidy too.
8. Be open minded and curious. Approach every situation and person with as little pre-judgment, negativity and ambivalence as you can muster. Be enthusiastic and optimistic whenever possible. Fake it if you must! These are important life skills to role model for your child.
9. Read! Parents who read are more likely to raise children who read. In addition, read to younger kids. Children who read will have better reading comprehension and overall better success in school.

Dr. Susan Bartell America’s #1 family psychologist . Her latest book is The Top 50 Questions Kids Ask. You can learn more about Dr. Bartell at www.drsusanbartell.com

I am really surprised that we didn’t have more people playing.  I am so confused! I really love the Blogger Appreciation post each month and thought others would also.  Am I doing something wrong with it?  Please, leave me a comment telling my why you don’t join in.   I have advertised this thing EVERYWHERE, it has been going for 7 months, but I can’t strike up the interest.

Anyway, out of only 12 players, the winner is – #8

Congrats to GrowMap for winning 1 full month of Ad Space at 3 Boys and a Dog!  You have been contacted.

Blogger Appreciation Day is supposed to go live on the 5th.  Did y’all like the ad space giveaway?  Would you prefer something else?  Talk to me, help me make this great for everyone.

My mother is a BIG Manheim Steamroller fan.  I listen to their Christmas albums, but I am not a typical Classical or Orchestra fan.  I like words to go with my music.  BUT (why does it seem we always have one of those?) I really enjoy this CD.  It has all my favorite songs on it.  I have also purchased one for my mother… although, she reads my blog so maybe I shouldn’t have written that here. 

Classic and Rock… who knew this would be such an amazing combination?

For David Garrett, whose idols go from Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page to his former teachers Itzhak Perlman and Ida Haendel, there shouldn’t be any hierarchy between genres. “Choosing repertoire is very instinctive,” David observes. “For this project, it was quite easy. We had a theme—rock—and we chose things with a very strong rhythmical vibe, whether it was Beethoven or Metallica. The concept of “Rock Symphonies” has been on my mind for a very long time. I’ve always thought that there was a very strong connection between classical and rock; there’s a very strong sense of rhythm and a very strong sense of precision in both.”

The combination of rock and classical music was quite intriguing, and I found myself really enjoying the CD.  The songs are so much more powerful in the “Classical” genre than they ever were in Rock!

I am a child of the 80s and a teen of the 90s… David Garrett brought many of my favorites back in a new form that this adult of the ‘10s can really appreciate!  Songs like:

• Smells like Teen Spirit (our band played this EVERY SINGLE GAME)
• Walk This Way (oh man, this is like the greatest song ever)
• November Rain (you can not go wrong with this one!)

Garrett’s passion is evident in Rock Symphonies, and I think he was able to successfully combine his love of rock and classical music into a memorable CD.

To Buy: You can purchase Rock Symphonies at Amazon and at various other retailers online and nationwide. (ARV $10.00)

*DISCLAIMER:  I was sent Rock Symphonies by Music Moms to help facilitate my review.  Any opinions stated are strictly my own.*

Hasbro has recently come out with some new Toy Story 3 toys, including 4 new Mr. Potato Heads inspired by the hit movie.  When Hasbro reached out to me about reviewing the new Mr. Potato Head Classic, Mrs. Potato Head, Spud Lightyear, or Woody’s Tater Round Up, I couldn’t get Tank to choose the one he wanted.  So, they graciously sent me TWO and will be offering the same 2 to one of my readers!

Since Tank likes to be on “TV”, I did this as a video review.  If you are reading this via a reader, you will need to click through to my site so you can see the video.

One 3 Boys and a Dog reader will win Woody’s Tater Round Up and Spud Lightyear.

REQUIRED: Visit Hasbro, look around, and tell me something you want, like, or learned.

BONUS #1: Like Mr. Potato Head on FaceBook

BONUS #2: Follow Playskool on Twitter and retweet this post.  The easiest way to RT is to click the green RT button at the top right of this post.

I am really surprised that we didn’t have more people playing.  I am so confused! I really love the Blogger Appreciation post each month and thought others would also.  Am I doing something wrong with it?  Please, leave me a comment telling my why you don’t join in.   I have advertised this thing EVERYWHERE, it has been going for 7 months, but I can’t strike up the interest.

Anyway, out of only 12 players, the winner is – #8

Congrats to GrowMap for winning 1 full month of Ad Space at 3 Boys and a Dog!  You have been contacted.

Blogger Appreciation Day is supposed to go live on the 5th.  Did y’all like the ad space giveaway?  Would you prefer something else?  Talk to me, help me make this great for everyone.

Welcome to a new world of endless “Popabilities!”

Spin Master is introducing Pop On Pals – a wonderful world of fun pals, pets, vehicles, and play sets! With endless mix n’ match fun, little ones can be anything they want to be. A fireman can become a musician, a princess becomes a baker, a puppy becomes a ballerina – Pop On Pals encourages imaginative play and helps develop fine motor skills.

I was sent the Pop On Pals Amusement Park Playset to review by Team Mom and I must say, Tank LOVED it.

Pop on Pals is available at Toys “R” Us, Target, Kmart, Sears and other stores and can be seen at  www.poponpals.com.   Retails for #34.99.  Pop on Pals encourages imaginative play and helps to develop fine motor skills.

There are tons of games at the Amusement Park:

• Roller Coaster
• Ferris Wheel
• Strong Man Striker
• Milk Toss
• Dragon Swing

One little man comes with three outfits and there are fun lights and sounds to keep your little on entertained for hours!  Collect more people and more play sets for even more Pop On Pals fun!

Mom Says: This is really a great toy and super fun for little ones.  My niece was a preemie and is a bit behind at her age.  She will be 3 next month, but she LOVES the toys, too!  I am planning to get her some for Christmas and might even set some aside to give her later in the year.  I am a mom of 3 boys from 10 down to 4 (TODAY!).  I have seen tons of new toys in their lifetimes, but this one really impresses me!

Stock up for Christmas with 165 Pop On Pals Results at Amazon!

*Disclaimer:  I was sent the Amusement Park Playset by Team Mom to help facilitate my review.  Any opinions stated are strictly my own.*

I still don’t have my new computer but I have run every virus, spyware, and malware remover I can possibly find.  There are still some things that I can’t do, but I can access comments and random.org right now, so I am closing out contests.  FINALLY!

Take Action File – #45

45 cheryl h // Aug 21, 2010 at 12:38 am

Easy LunchBoxes – #131

131 Kim H. // Aug 21, 2010 at 3:15 pm

Wilton, Lightning McQueen – #137

137 Kimberly // Aug 24, 2010 at 1:02 am

French Toast School Uniforms – #11

11 Tabathia B // Aug 13, 2010 at 11:13 pm

n-fini Shape Men’s Athletic Socks – #1

• 1 Rachael @Tutus and Tantrumns // Aug 15, 2010 at 10:02 am

  I like the Lycra scoop neck tank…perfect as an undershirt under cotton tanks!

All winner have been contacted!  The giveaways page will be updated within the hour!

Monopoly 75th Anniversary

Here is a little known fact about me… I collect Monopoly Games!  I have literally dozens of them and we play most of them.  My husband freaks out every time I open a new one because he thinks I ruin the value of them when I open and play. I don’t care about the value!  I love Monopoly and I want to play with them!  To me, it is more valuable to be able to play Monopoly with my kids than to fill a closet with unopened toys!  But, with all the games, I do not own the plain Monopoly!  How weird is that?  Now, Hasbro and Monopoly have given me the chance to give away the Classic Monopoly Trading Game!

Love to splash the cash? Indulge in a property shopping spree with the classic version of MONOPOLY! Buy streets, houses and hotels and become a respected real-estate mogul. Negotiate and haggle your way to the top. You’ll own this town in no time! Go for the hottest, priciest, most exclusive addresses on the board and watch yourself profits rocket. Wanna be a MONOPOLY millionaire? READY, SET… OWN!

Includes:

• Game board
• 8 tokens
• 28 Title Deed cards
• 16 Chance cards
• 16 Community Chest cards
• 1 pack of MONOPOLY money
• 32 houses
• 12 hotels
• 2 dice
• 1 speed die
• Instructions

For 2 to 8 players. Ages 8 and up.

One 3 Boys and a Dog reader will win the Classic Monopoly Trading Game: value $14.99

REQUIRED: Tell me your favorite Family Game Night Memory!

BONUS #1: Visit the Monopoly Facebook page for more information on the Monopoly Money Makes It Real contest! Be fast, this one ends September 3rd!

BONUS #2: Follow Hasbro on Twitter and retweet this contest.  The easiest way to RT is to click the green Retweet button on the top right of this post.

Other bonus entries:

#1. Spread the word about this review by: email, forums, blogging, twitter, Digg, or putting the link in a meme. (one entry per thing done)

#2. Follow my blog.

#3. Subscribe to my RSS feed.

#4. Follow me on Twitter

#5. Fan Me on FaceBook

#6. Put my button on your blog.

#7. Leave a comment on any other post (excluding giveaways!) Be sure to leave a comment here saying which post.

CONTEST ENDS:  September 8th, 2010

OPEN TO: USA and Canada

*DISCLAIMER:  I was sent nothing by Hasbro -  this is NOT a review.  Any opinions stated are strictly my own. Hasbro will be sending a Monopoly Game to one of my winners at no cost to me*

I have said it before and I will say it again; WE LOVE KNIT-RITE!  I think this is the perfect ending to our month-long Back 2 School Blog HOP Bash!

They Say:

SmartKnitKIDS is committed to producing a quality seamless sock that make sensitive little feet happy and mornings easier.  “We are proud that our product is mentioned as a practical solution in Lindsey Biel and Nancy Peske’s new book. Our goal is to help make kids’ and parents’ days a little better. To be included in such a wonderful resource for parents allows us to reach out to more families”, says Kam Howard, Marketing Director.

SmartKnitKIDS Seamless Socks are perfect for those with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), Autism, Hypersensitivity, or for those who just hate annoying sock seams.  Knitted the same way a caterpillar spins its cocoon, SmartKnitKIDS start at the toe and spun up to the ankle.  This process ensures a one of a kind truly seamless sock.  A form-fitting design gently “hugs” the foot to prevent wrinkles or bunches.  SmartKnitKIDS super soft socks also feature a no heal design that allows the sock to be slipped on easily and with confidence.

Mom Says: My oldest boy is in the Autism Spectrum and certain socks literally reduce him to tears!  The first time I reviewed these, I was in heaven!  They are really a God-Send!  I tried them and must say that I love them, too!  Not only are their no seams to “bug you” but they are so soft that they just plain feel great on your feet.

One lucky 3 Boys and a Dog reader will win 3 pair of SmartKnitKIDS socks!

REQUIRED:  Visit SmartKnitKIDS, look around, then come back and tell me something you like, want or learned from their site.

BONUS #1 – Visit one or all of the other Back  School Blog HOP Bash participants and enter their SmartKnitKIDS giveaway! Be sure to leave a comment here letting me know you did it for each place you visit.  You can really rack up some bonuses during the Bash!  If you win on more than one blog, you can let us know that one of us should draw another winner (spread the love) or give one to a friend or relative!

• Mommie’s Angels
• Jamerican Spice
• Laughing Lindsay
• Debbie’s Homeschool Corner

BONUS #2 – Follow SmartKnitKIDS on Twitter and RT this post.  The easiest way to retweet it is to hit the green RT button on the top right of this post.

BONUS #3 – Like SmartKnitKIDS on Facebook.

Other bonus entries:

#1. Spread the word about this review by: email, forums, blogging, twitter, Digg, or putting the link in a meme. (one entry per thing done)

#2. Follow my blog.

#3. Subscribe to my RSS feed.

#4. Follow me on Twitter

#5. Fan Me on FaceBook

#6. Put my button on your blog.

#7. Leave a comment on any other post (excluding giveaways!) Be sure to leave a comment here saying which post.

CONTEST ENDS: September 14th at Midnight CST

OPEN TO: USA and CANADA

DISCLAIMER:  SmartKnitKIDS sent me 3 pair of Seamless Sensitivity Socks at no cost to me to help me facilitate my review.  Any opinions expressed are strictly my own!

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