Homeschooling in the Garden State

Summertime Blues

2014-07-15T11:56:00.000-04:00

Despite this being the rainiest July in quite a while, we have been finding time each week

to head down the shore.

Specifically, Sandy Hook

Hard to feel blue when you are sitting next to the Atlantic Ocean.

Summer

2014-06-24T16:25:00.000-04:00

Summer has arrived, and we have been enjoying the warmer weather in our little corner of the Garden State.

Swimming

Harvesting

Heading down the shore..

Walking around local parks and greenhouses..

Exploring estate sales and yard sales for vintage goodies...

Reading in the backyard..

Have you made a lot of wonderful plans for your Summer? Will you travel, or stay close to home?

Do you stop the "schooling" for the Summer season?

We will be doing the "staycation" thing this year with maybe a weekend away here and there...learning is year round for us so we just keep on doing what we're doing. My girl has lots of plans for sleepovers in the backyard tent and "Camp Katie Days" with close friends which should keep things interesting.

Time flies.....

2014-06-05T17:09:00.001-04:00

whether you are having fun..or not. You might as well make it fun! My girl and I do our best to make it does not mean we never get annoyed with each other or shed a tear. Life can be stressful. Homeschooling can be stressful. Becoming a teen is apparently very stressful. ;-) We had our share of losses this year...our beloved Alley cat died.

Our hermit crab died. A new cat, Miley joined our home as winter became too harsh for her to survive outside.

Our little Pumpkin had a health crisis..

My girl has been growing and learning and changing her likes and dislikes. I like the young person she is becoming.

Life is what happens when you are busy making plans

2013-06-14T09:47:00.000-04:00

Life has been crazy busy here in our corner of the Garden State. Gardening, reading,

painting,cooking,laundry. Oh the laundry! I am de-cluttering over here.
Closet by closet. Box by box.My P. is growing like a weed. Seriously, she is just a hair shorter than I am right now. OK, it should be said, I am only 5'2". But she is ten.

We are in the process of refinishing a couple of antique dressers we found for her room.

We have been doing school outside in or beside the garden

...when it's not raining.

Spiderman Trilogy Blu Ray Giveaway Winner

2012-06-15T13:46:00.006-04:00

Sorry for the delay my computer and blogger were not working together very well.

Thank you all for taking part in the contest to win the Spider Man Trilogy Blu Ray DVD!

We have a winner......Brian!!!

You will be getting an e-mail shortly and once I get your snail mail address I will mail out your prize!! I hope you enjoy it!!! Thanks again to Sony Pictures Home Entertainment,Walmart Stores, and Marvel Entertainment for a Spider-iffic give away for my readers!!

Meet Alex the Lion in Central Park

2012-06-08T14:46:00.003-04:00

For any of my readers in the NYC area...

Alex the Lion will be in Central Park near the zoo today from 3:30-5:30pm and tomorrow he’ll be at The Big Apple BBQ from 11-1pm and then at AMC Empire from 2-5pm giving away fun items and taking photos with kids.

And don't forget:

Attention all families! We will be giving away a family 4 pack of tickets to the NY Madagascar 3 premiere this Thursday for every 25 new likes we receive on our page. Spread the word and you could be rubbing elbows with Alex The Lion and the rest of Europe's Most Wanted gang! Enter to win by emailing your full name and contact information to europesmostwanted2012@gmail.com.

Spiderman Trilogy Blue Ray Giveaway

2012-06-07T11:09:00.015-04:00

Yesterday I told you about the Spider Man truck appearance at the Watchung Wallmart.

In anticipation of the summer’s biggest blockbuster, The Amazing Spider-Man, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Walmart Stores, Inc., and Marvel Entertainment have teamed up to present the ultimate Spider-Man experience at Walmart Stores nationwide. You can have the chance to win the Spider-Man trilogy on Blu-Ray! Sounds good , right? Want to win . . just leave a comment here....yes..you need to leave a comment. I cannot use my "spidey" senses to know you want a copy!!

Just leave a comment any time from today, until June 15th at 9am when we will pick a name out of a hat. Good Luck!!

The Spider-Man truck is making the following stops in NJ. For a full list of locations, check out www.walmart.com/spider-man

6/6/12	4:00pm-	7:00pm	4900 Rt 9 Howell NJ
6/7/12	11:00am-	2:00pm	326 W Main St Freehold NJ
6/7/12	4:00pm-	7:00pm	1126 Rt 9 Old Bridge NJ
6/8/12	11:00am-	2:00pm	1501 Rt 22 Watchung NJ

Calling all Spider Man fans

2012-06-06T15:34:00.005-04:00

The Ultimate Spider-Man Interactive Experience Swings Into

Watchung,NJ on June 8th

If you are a Spiderman Fan, you do not want to miss everyone’s favorite Super Hero

dropping into a Walmart near you!

In anticipation of the summer’s biggest blockbuster, The Amazing Spider-Man, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Walmart Stores, Inc., and Marvel Entertainment have teamed up to present the ultimate Spider-Man experience at Walmart Stores nationwide.

Grab the family for a fun-filled adventure at your local Walmart store and explore the innovative “Secrets Unmasked” Truck Tour that turns a parking lot into a playground of interactive features including*:

 PlayStation3 gaming center with advanced demo of The Amazing Spider-Man video game from Activision available in stores on June 26th

 Demonstrations and giveaways of the new Spider-Man Bonkazonks toys and The Amazing Spider-Man Hero FX Masks from Hasbro

 HP photo center with free photo print to take home

 Sony Electronics Screening center

 Temporary tattoo station

 Samples of Spider-Man snacks from Kellogg’s

 Demo of the “Web-Slinger” augmented reality app from Smart Talk

 Spidey climbing wall (only at select locations)

*activities vary by location

So drop into Walmart Store #5111 at

1501 US Highway 22 Watchung, NJ

Friday, June 8th from 11:00am-2:00pm

More info about the movie can be found here

Chance to Win tix to Madagascar 3 premier

2012-06-05T13:45:00.004-04:00

Live in the tri state area and want to win tickets to attend the Madagascar 3 premier?

Click on this link and "like" the facebook page and follow the directions and you could win a family 4 pack of tickets to the NYC Madagascar e Premier this Thursday!

For every 25 likes they get on the page! Enter to win by emailing your full name and contact information to

europesmostwanted2012@gmail.com

Good Luck!!!

Memorial Day

2012-05-27T11:45:00.002-04:00

There will be a lot of picnics and parties this weekend as folks around here usher in the Summer season.

The beaches will no longer be free, and soon won't be empty either, summer clothes will all go on clearance,

and there will be parades.I hope you all enjoy your weekend however you spend it.

I do feel it's important to remember that Memorial Day is about all the men and women who have died serving this country.We have a few picnics to attend including some fun right here in our own backyard. We will also take some time to remember those who gave their lives, not just for our freedoms and rights as Americans, but for the rights and freedoms of citizens all over the world. In the cedar chest at the end of my bed rests the Purple Heart that was given posthumously to my Grandmother's little brother, Edward.

He was killed in Korea.

Also in the chest are a bundle of letters he wrote home from basic training and the Western Union telegram that delivered the news of his death to his family. My Nana was never the same again. We all remain, as a family, proud of his service.

Winner of the Sesame Street DVD

2012-05-25T11:22:00.004-04:00

Thanks to all who entered.

Princess wrote all the names down, and put them into a bowl.

She pulled one out and

Look who won!

Congrats Sam, e-mail me your address and I will get it out to you asap.

I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine did.

Do you feel bad for my great niece for having to give it up?

Don't...My friends at Warner Home Video were kind enough to send me a copy to review and a copy to give away. Adriana...Zia has your copy for you!

Sesame Street DVD iveaway

2012-05-18T21:10:00.000-04:00

Sesame Street Singing with the STARS

Elmo and the gang love to sing and dance and now you and your kids can join them! With over 15 musical performances by some of the biggest names in music and entertainment, your favoriteSesame Street friends invite you to enjoy the party!

Songs range from classics such as, “Furry Happy Monsters” with R.E.M.to Emmy Award-winning hit “What I Am” with Will.i.am,

and focus on encouraging children to feel good about who they are, boosting self-esteem and confidence. Be sure to check out the DVD trailer at the link below for a sneak peek!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr7wbGcvFts

The DVD bonus features include a karaoke sing along feature, musical activity tips for parents, and a downloadable activity book. Princess's favorite part is always the karaoke!

Like what you see? I sure enjoyed it when I watched with my Great Niece and my daughter.
I don't know about your family, but mine always enjoys Sesame Street! This DVD lives up to the quality we have come to expect from Sesame Street.
My friends at Warner Home Video were kind enough to send me a copy to review and a copy to give away.
Want to win one? Leave a comment here telling me your favorite Sesame character.
You do not need a blog of your own to win. Want an extra chance? Become a "follower" of this blog and leave me another comment telling me you did so.
My Princess will pick one name out of a hat on May 25th. That means you have from now, until
9am (est)on May 25th to enter. Good luck!!

Hunger Hits Home

2012-04-13T08:45:00.002-04:00

Today I am writing to share information about a very special documentary and to ask your help in spreading the word about this important film. In an effort to support and fight against childhood hunger, Food Network in a partnership with Share Our Strength will air a special 1-hour documentary titled HUNGER HITS HOME on April 14^th at 8pm/7c. The documentary offers a first-hand look at the crisis of childhood hunger in America through the eyes of the parents, children, activists, educators and politicians on the front lines of the battle. The program takes us to the heart of the matter with a focus on families from New York to Texas who struggle with hunger and the community leaders who are taking direct action to fight it.

Join me, and watch the documentary on April 14^th , host a viewing event with friends/family/colleagues, using the specially prepared viewing guide to spark discussion and action in your local community.http://nokidhungry.teamdigital.com/No_Kid_Hungry_viewer_guide.pdf

I also invite you to post, tweet, pin and email your network about this upcoming screening – all it takes is a click of a button from the documentary home page:www.foodnetwork.com/hungry

As someone who went to bed hungry as a child, I ask you to help me end childhood hunger in America.

Donate Now.

5 F a c t s A b o u t C h i l d h o o d H u n g e r

i n t h e U . S .

More than 16 million kids in America live in households that struggle to put food on the table. That’s 1 out of 5 kids.
There were also over 16.4 million children in America living in poverty in 2010. That’s almost 1 million more than in 2009.
9.8 million kids get free or reduced-price school breakfast on an averageschool day, more than ever before…but 10.5 million eligible kids go without.
Only 1 in 7 kids who get free and reduced-priced school lunches receivesummer meals.
Almost 45 million Americans used SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly food stamps) during 2011. Nearly 75 percent of these are in families with children and more than a quarter are in households with seniors or people with disabilities.

Happy Easter

2012-04-08T20:46:00.008-04:00

Princess and Farmer Dad dyed the eggs

The Easter Bunny did his part...

He did have a little help from our friend Heather and her boys ...they sent Princess "Easter in a box". She was so happy! We spent the day working in the garden,

here she is with Farmer Dad, "fencing" in her section of the veg garden.

Dinner was just the three of us....

Hope your weekend was filled with special moments too!

Great new resource for Homeschooling Moms

2012-04-02T04:06:00.000-04:00

My real life homeschooling friend, Theresa, is launching a new site for homeschool moms with

her friend, Susan. The site is called Look! What We Did!

Here is their mission statement :

"Look! What We Did!" seeks to be a valuable resource to homeschool moms, allowing them to share their great ideas and learn from each other. We hope to help promote blogs, inspire and encourage homeschool moms and reach beyond the Blog-o-sphere by utilizing Pinterest to pin applicable posts.

Have an idea you've been wanting to share? Pop on over to Look! What We Did!

Be sure to check out their personal blogs as well, you'll thank me later. ;-)

Princess takes a class

2012-03-26T15:41:00.007-04:00

Princess took her first "class" a couple weeks ago.

This may not be a big deal to many of you, but it was epic for me!

The first time I left her anywhere

and allowed someone else to teach her something

without me there.

She has had three art classes so far, I missed last week, because I was away with my Aunt

for some "Girl Time", but Farmer Dad took her and so far she likes the class ok. Her favorite part of it is hanging with some of her homeschool friends and meeting some other kids in the class.

The nice art supplies are cool too, but she doesn't care for the time limit on her art project each week.

Spring Cleaning

2012-03-14T12:15:00.000-04:00

We are doing a bit of early spring cleaning here in our little corner of the Garden State.
The sun is shining, and the air is still slightly cool and filled with the promise of fun days in the sun to come.
What are you doing to herald in the Spring? Fixing up this blog is on my list, along with prepping the garden and changing out the bed linens and curtains. I want to soak up that sunshine!!
Off to throw in another load of laundry and hand wash some of my depression glass.....see you all soon!

Sugarloaf Craft Festival Giveaway

2012-03-05T14:44:00.001-05:00

Thanks to my friends at the Sugarloaf Crafts Festivals, I have 2 tickets for the 19th Annual Spring Sugarloaf Crafts Festival being held March 9,10, and 11th at the Garden State Exhibit Center in Somerset, New Jersey.
I know, they are so good to me! Want to hear even better news?? I have two more to give away !!

The hours are Fri and Sat 10-6, and Sun 10-5.
Children under 12 and parking are FREE.
There will be over 250 artisans displaying and selling their glass,home and garden accessories and furniture,jewelry,fashion,photography,pottery,and sculpture.

As always, there will be live music and children's entertainment.
Just leave a comment by wed at 10 am and I will pull a name out of a hat at 10:30am and announce the winner!!

The Secret World of Arrietty

2012-02-24T11:56:00.002-05:00

Last night we took Princess to see The Secret World of Arrietty.
We are huge Studio Ghibli fans!It was wonderful!

The movie is based on the Mary Norton novel, The Borrowers and tells the story of a young Borrower named Arrietty, who lives under the floorboards of a house shared by a boy with a heart condition and his Aunt. Arrietty befriends the boy, but her family must escape when the Aunt's maid finds them and tries to destroy them.

We went to our favorite theater, The Dunellen Theater and Cinema Cafe.
Located at 458 North Street,Dunellen,NJ 08812
Every other row of seats have been removed and replaced with coffee tables.
They show mostly family oriented and children's movies, giving families a place to enjoy dinner and a movie at a very reasonable cost. Ticket prices are $7.00 for adults and $5.00 for children and seniors.You can order off the Tavern Menu which includes a variety of sandwiches, salads,appetizers,children's menu and more,or take advantage of the Pizza Special which is 1 large cheese pizza and a pitcher of soda or beer for $14.75.We
usually get the pizza and beer and a side order of a small soda, small popcorn and 1 movie candy for Princess which is only $5.00.They do not have 3D, but we don't care for that anyway, so it's fine with us.
They also do Birthday Party packages at reasonable prices.

Once Summer comes they have Summer Movie Wednesdays.
Previously released movies shown on Wednesdays at 10am.
The tickets are $3.00 at the door for adults and children or you can buy a season pass for $22.00 and see all 10 movies that will play through out the summer. The kitchen is closed for the 10 am show, but the concession stand is open.
Here is the 2012 Summer Movie Schedule.

6/27         Justin Bieber Never Say Never
7/4           Monsters vs Aliens
7/11          Puss in Boots
7/18         Madagascar 2
7/25         Despicable Me
8/1           Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked
8/8           How to Train Your Dragon
8/15         Megamind
8/22         Kung Fu Panda 2
8/29         Rio

SOPA STRIKE

2012-01-18T11:20:00.002-05:00

Congress is about to vote on the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). If passed, this bill will allow the United States government to censor the Internet. Please Take Action Now!

Hanukkah Fun

2011-12-21T22:45:00.000-05:00

Happy Hanukkah !!

We had a little Hanukkah celebration with some of our homeschool friends today.
Our contribution was the Sufganiot. Princess read me the recipe, I did the cooking.

They were not too bad for my first try.

Ollie was hoping at least one of the five kids would drop something for him.

They had lots of fun

Possibly learned a thing or two

It was a great day!!

uDraw and Box Tops for Education

2011-11-29T20:48:00.005-05:00

I know a lot of my homeschool friends love using the uDraw tablet from THQ.My Princess certainly does!

My friends at THQ have asked me to let you know that they have teamed up with General Mills to help support America’s schools through its newly introduced eBoxTops® “Click & Earn” Box Tops for Education® program.

From now until December 31, participants who simply view a uDraw commercial and answer a quick survey here

and earn three eBoxTops® credits toward their designated school, no purchase necessary.

According to General Mills,the Box Tops for Education® program has earned America’s schools more than $400 million since the program started in 1996, including $59 million last school year.More than 90,000 K-8 schools are enrolled in the program and each school can earn up to $60,000 every year.

“THQ has always been a proponent of helping children and supporting education,” said Martin Good, executive vice president, Kids, Family and Casual Games at PlayTHQ^®. “We are delighted that uDraw, our drawing and gaming device that encourages creativity and appreciation for the arts in kids, is the first interactive video game product to be featured with the Box Tops for Education® program. This is a great beginning to what we hope to become a long-term partnership with General Mills.”

Check out worldofudraw for more information about uDraw and the current uDraw games.

Stop SOPA Censorship is NEVER the answer

2011-11-17T22:08:00.003-05:00

Censorship .

What an ugly word. To many pf us living in my region, this is something that used to happen.

Not part of our daily lives. Something they do in China. Not in the United States.

Today, Congress held hearings on the first American Internet censorship system.This bill can pass. If it does the Internet and free speech will never be the same.Join us to stop this bill.

Think this won't affect you? Censorship affects us all.

Under this bill it will become a felony with a potential 5 year sentence to stream a copyrighted work that would cost more than$2,500.00 to license, even if you are a totally noncommercial user,e.g. singing a pop song on Facebook.Thousands of sites that are legal under the DMCA would face new legal threats.

People trying to keep the Internet more secure wouldn't be able to rely on the integrity of the DNS system.

How does website blocking sound? Under this bill the government can order service providers to block websites for infringing links posted by any users. Read more here.

I am asking all of you to take action on this.

Out and About

2011-11-03T20:11:00.000-04:00

We have been home since Sunday morning when I woke up sick, but today was Homeschool Soccer,
so off we went.

Princess did not want to play soccer,

but she wanted to play with her friends.

It was nice to be out in fresh air, even if I was freezing for most of the day.

The kids did not look cold.

We had a nice warm lunch when we got home.

Don't Let the Pigeon Run This App !

2011-11-01T15:49:00.000-04:00

This past Friday, Princess and I took the train into New York City

to attend a luncheon announcing the new Mo Willems app...

Don't Let the Pigeon Run This App!

Princess was delighted, because she has been,"waiting her entire life"(yes, all 9 years!)

to travel into New York City .

The luncheon was held at the Magnolia Bakery. It was too crowded to get pictures inside worth
posting. (Sorry my cupcake loving readers)
Held by Disney Publishing Worldwide, we enjoyed checking out the new app as we ate lunch.

Princess was disappointed to see there were no children her age, and had started to complain until she started playing with the app. She loved it!

Then Mo Willems himself came in and told us a bit about the app.There have always been a long list of things the Pigeon can't do- drive the bus, stay up late, eat a hot dog. With this interactive app the list will continue to grow as children decide what the Pigeon will try to do next. Mr. Willems played a lead role in the design,writing,and illustrating of the app.He also gives voice to the Pigeon and, in the app's drawing tutorial, he guides children in the exploration and illustration of their own pigeons.With kids in creative control, the app brings new surprises and an enriching reading and playtime experience each time they play.

Mr Willems talked about putting a lot of thought into finding a way to use the technology as an interactive tool for children.

"Interactivity has always been a key to the Pigeon books," said Mr Willems,

"Don't Let the Pigeon Run This App!" takes that interactivity to the point where the child is not only the audience, but the author as well.. I can't wait to see what awesome ideas kids will come up with.They're going to put the Pigeon through the wringer!"

Features of “Don’t Let the Pigeon Run This App!” include:

A fully animated storytelling experience inspired by the award-winning children’s book series;
A starring appearance by the Pigeon, voiced by Mo!
Three unique storytelling modes so that readers can enjoy limitless one-of-a-kind Pigeon stories;

Read-along option;
Ability to personalize the content with readers own voice;

Shake the Pigeon to start the stories;
A Pigeon drawing tutorial with Mo;

“Favorite stories” section where readers can create their own personal libraries.
Don't Let the Pigeon Run This App is available for $6.99 from the App Store

He took questions and signed books and posed for pictures.

We received some lovely gifts for attending as well. This great tote bag .

It was filled with Mo Willems products (which Princess really enjoyed on the train ride home!)

My only regret at attending? Now Princess knows just how close we live to New York City.

"Now we can go all the time!"

Can't wait. ;-)