The Homeschool Messenger

Where am I?

2010-08-08T06:52:00.000-05:00

Hey Blogger friends!
Just letting you know that I'm still around! You can find me posting over at Scraps of Life, my other blog!
I have a Wednesday Homeschool/Educational Link Up! I will also be reviewing Homeschool Curriculum at that blog, too! If you have a product that you want review just send me a message!

I"m keeping this blog up because of all the resources and links that I have gathered here. I don't have a spot for them on my other blog. The right side bar is FULL of links that I use for homeschooling.

Stop over! Just click the Scraps of Life button!

The origin of Foreign words used in English

2010-03-23T08:56:00.000-05:00

The origin of Foreign words used in English

Free America History The Story of US DVD offer

2010-03-16T10:23:00.000-05:00

I just got this information from a History Channel Update!

School principals, register for your school's free AMERICA The Story of US DVD!*

America The Story of US — premiering on HISTORY™ April 25 at 9pm/8c — is a six week event that provides a fascinating look at the stories of the people, events, and innovations that forged our nation. It will provide you with an unprecedented opportunity to bring our nation's history to life for your students. This 12-hour series will be supported by educational materials tied to curriculum standards and is copyright cleared for Fair Use in the classroom by instructors or pupils in the course of face-to-face teaching activities.
* HISTORY is offering America The Story of US on DVD to every school in the United States. School must be an accredited public, private or home school, for grades K-12 and college. In order to receive your school's DVD, your school principal (grades K-12) or Dean of Students (college) should fill out the request form below. HISTORY strictly limits one request per school. DVD requests must be made prior to July 1, 2010. DVD's will be mailed around August 2010 and free shipping is included in this offer.

Click to get offers:

Free American History: The Story of US DVD
Daily History Updates on Twitter
Daily History Updates on Facebook

Giveaway winner of Katie and Kimble Winner of Moms Choice Award

2010-02-24T11:10:00.000-06:00

Congrats to Kerrie for winning the Katie and Kimble Series!!!!

Katie & Kimble Series by Linda Thieman honored with Mom's Choice Awards Giveaway

2010-02-08T08:52:00.004-06:00

PRESS RELEASE

Mom’s Choice Awards® Names the Katie & Kimble Series by Linda Thieman among the Best in Family-friendly Media

The Mom’s Choice Awards® has named the Katie & Kimble (A Ghost Story) series by Iowa author Linda Thieman among the best in family-friendly media, products and services. The MCA is an annual competition known for establishing the benchmark of excellence in these areas.

When the great flu pandemic struck America’s shores in 1918, it took with it an estimated 675,000 men, women and children.

In her imaginative first book in the award-winning chapter book series, Katie & Kimble: A Ghost Story, author Linda Thieman follows one of the young victims, named Kimble, and her nine-year-old friend, Katie, who just moved into Kimble’s old house.

Though ghostly in its viewpoint, the story does not fit into its genre’s stereotype. Rather, Thieman’s ghost is a funny, adventuresome little girl who not only helps Katie, but receives help from her friend in return.

Written to inspire the 7- to 10-year-old set, Katie & Kimble: A Ghost Story is an educational adventure for the parental set, too, giving insight into the worldwide pandemic, Kimble’s Jewish customs, and even a bit about the supernatural.

Parents, educators, librarians and retailers rely on MCA evaluations when selecting quality materials for children and families. The Mom’s Choice Awards® seal helps families and educators navigate the vast array of products and services and make informed decisions.

MCA judges are bound by a strict code of ethics which ensures expert and objective analysis free from any manufacturer association. The evaluation process uses a propriety methodology in which entries are scored on a number of elements including production quality, design, educational value, entertainment value, originality, appeal and cost.

To be considered for an award, each entrant submits five identical samples of a product. Entries are matched to judges in the MCA database. Judges perform a thorough analysis and submit a detailed assessment. Results are compiled and submitted to the MCA Executive Committee for final approval.

The end result is a list of the best in family-friendly media, products and services that parents and educators can feel confident in using.

Other past Mom’s Choice Awards® recipients have included Meredith Vieira, Founder of Club Mom and Today Show Co-Host (Celebrity Mom of the Year) and O, The Oprah Magazine (Magazine of the Year).

Thieman graduated from Storm Lake Community High School and received a B.A. and an M.A. from the University of Northern Iowa. She now resides in Sioux City, Iowa.

For more information on the awards program and the honorees, visit MomsChoiceAwards

For more information on the Katie & Kimble series, visit http://www.katieandkimbleblog.com

I'm a very excited mom today! My daughter, Emily, loves this book series. What a thrill to have already read this book series and then hear of it honored Award!

Thanks to the author, Linda Thieman, she is offering the two books for a giveaway on my blog! Come enter and get a set your set for that someone special! Don't let the "ghost story" scare you away from wanting these books for your 5-10 year olds. Kimble is not a scary ghost! She is more of a kindred spirit to Katie and helps her on a quest that is very engaging and heartfelt.

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How to Enter: (leave separate comments for each entry)

Visit the Katie & Kimble Blog and have a look around. Then come back here and make a comment on something from her blog. This is your entry to the giveaway.

BONUS entries

1) Follow @LindaThieman on twitter for 5 entries

2) Tweet this blog post up to twice a day for 2 entries each
"Come win Katie & Kimble" honored by Mom's Choice Award @susieqtpies http://bit.ly/boTY7e"

3) Click each of the above pictures of Katie & Kimble to read more from my blog about the books. Comment on those blog post and come back here and get 5 entries per comment!

4) Follow my blog on Google Friend connect and Networked blogs 1 entry each

5) Follow me on twitter @susieqtpies 2 entries

6) Go to my other blog, Scraps of Life and follow on Google friend connect, Networked blogs and fan on Facebook (all in left side bar) Get 2 entries per each one!

7) Go enter FEDDIE GIRL BOOK GIVEAWAY on my Scraps of Life blog http://bit.ly/9wYT8l

Leave a message there and come back here and claim your 10 BONUS ENTRIES!!!!

GIVEAWAY is for US and Canada. Must be at least 18 to enter.

Ends February 22.

WordToons allows you to play with your word!

2010-02-01T19:16:00.001-06:00

WordToons is a fun way to play with your words! Sounds like a NO NO, right? The developer of WordToons use to get sent to his room (imagine that) when he was a kid and when he did he would play with his words, making cartoons. Parents are so silly to think that getting sent to your room is a form of punishment.

UFO

The WordToons ebook is $17 and full of detailed step-by-step instructions on making Word Cartoon. The ebook allows you to print off the pages you want to work with. We had the book up on the computer and worked from it there.

I was very impressed with how easy it was to make these drawings. I would suggest teachers include WordToons into their weekly planning. Have the children make a WordToon for one of their spelling or vocab words. I've always encouraged my homeschooled daughters to make visual drawings when listening to the history lesson. Drawing is a great way to take notes. WordToons enforces this. Thank you!

UFO

My daughter and I used Wordtoons as a creative outlet one afternoon. She loves words! What a fun way to reinforce spelling. My daughter got creative and started making up her own word cartoons. She doesn't consider herself artistic although I consider her to be very crafty. She was able to draw word cartoons without complaining that she "can't draw". She was focused on the word she was working with that she forgot that she was actually drawing a cartoon.

FRUIT

After awhile she discovered that she could make up her own WordToons using words of her own. She wanted to see if she could make up one and teach me how to make it! She did! Below is the octopus she made on her own.

OCTOPUS

What a fun project to use in the car. I recommend taking it along if you know that you are going to be sitting around waiting, too!

WITCH

Would you like to try WordToons before you purchase the ebook? Click WordToons and you can get a free sample of the book.

Thanks to WordToons for givnig me a review copy of this book. The opinions expressed here are mine and my daughter's. We loved the book and plan on using it weekly.

Snow much Fun! Giveaway Wii Winter Fun

2010-02-01T09:15:00.001-06:00

Kids love snow! I like snow if I'm inside my home! Here are fun pics of the girls making me a snowman! I love snowmen! Isn't he cute?

Robyn over at Robyn's Online World is giving away 5 copies of Wii Winter Fun! Now this is the winter fun I want to have! This is one Wii game we can all play together and not freeze! There are 30 games on this disk! One of them is curling!!! I really want to learn how to curl before the Olympics! It always looks very cool!

Top 6 Picks for Homeschool Fun and Learning

2010-01-11T21:01:00.001-06:00

Once a week I'm going to list my top 6-10 items that I have used or items that I know have been used for homeschooling. Have you used any of these? What are some of your favorites??

10 Ways to Get Fit After the Holidays for Homeschoolers

2010-01-06T11:57:00.000-06:00

I think that it is time for these homeschoolers to get into shape now that the holidays are over! haha yeah right! Remember that your kids will not get into shape or get fit if you don't do it too! With kids it is more important to think of ways to get them having fun than saying "we need to exercise".

Here are our top 10 ways to get our homeschoolers fit and to have fun!

1) Make sure that they do their morning workout! Don't let them skip putting on clothes. A good morning workout out includes picking out clothes for the day and taking off the pjs! Don't stop there! Make sure they put their dirty clothes where they belong and even get doing the laundry!

2) Burn calories while brushing teeth! Set a timer for 2 minutes, turn up the music and jam to tunes while brushing away the overnight grime and germs on the teeth! Depending on the music the muscles will get a good workout! I think of this as endurance training!

3) Morning breakfast workout! Get the kids in the kitchen pumping iron! Milk and OJ jugs are heavy and great for resistance training.

4) Time for school! Don't let your kids be sluggards! I know that they might want you to take them to school! Make them walk to school, the long way! haha

5) During school time the kids might be in just one room all day! What a shame! Have school all over your home. Nothing like getting to those 10,000 daily steps by having class in every room of the house! Get all the kids (and yourself) a pedometer. Help them set goals as to how many steps they want to get in a day! You will just see them bursting with energy to meet their step goals!

6) PE time can be difficult for homeschoolers if the weather is bad! Who really wants to go outside and play in the snow or rain??? Your kids do! Let your homeschool get dressed for the weather (this burns a lot of calories) and go outside and play! PE time is a great to walk the dog. While the kids are outside you can break open the Wii and play some tennis! The teacher needs a workout too!

7) Lunch time becomes active time! Don't let your kids think that they can line up and get food! Have them in the kitchen making their own lunch! I'm a lunch lady on strike! They are in charge of lunch! This is not only an active lunch hour but a mental lunch hour! They have to give their brain a workout and make yummy food!

8) Out of groceries? Get those kids to the store! Look at all the muscle toning they can get going up and down the store aisles! They can build muscle mass lifting, stooping, bending and reaching for food items! Go to the self check out lane so they can work on their fine motor movements and pick up each item to scan and bag! Let them lift all the bags into the cart and load into the car! This is a great time for them to look for people to help in the parking lot. Little old ladies love help loading groceries into their car! This will provide a bonus workout!

9) Healthy eating is key to getting fit! Make sure you pick out healthy snacks to have at home for the kids to eat! Get them involved with menu planning for dinner too! Go to the library (walk to get in their step goals) and find books on healthy foods. The library is also a great place to work on muscle fitness! Those books can be heavy!

10) Get fit and have fun as a family! If you have a Wii use it! What a great way to play with your kids and get fit! We do not have Wii Fit or EA Sports but would love one of them! EA SPORTS says "Get inspired, get motivated and get active!" If you don't have one either then use this time to play bowling, tennis,etc with your kids on the Wii. Use whatever you have to have fun and get active!

This blog post was inspired by a contest going on with EA Sports and TwitterMoms. To enter, share your top ten tips for getting fit after the holidays. 5 entries will be randomly selected to win a copy of EA SPORTS Active™ Personal Trainer – the highest rated Wii™ fitness product to date for use on the Nintendo Wii system!

What are you doing to get your kids fit? Post and let me know! If you have something on your blog leave the link so I can visit!

Tweet For Literacy = Reading families

2009-12-29T12:38:00.000-06:00

(Part of this article was taken from Katie & Kimble Blog by Linda Thieman. To see her original article click Katie & Kimble)

In November I was asked to participate in The First Annual Tweet For Literacy campaign with four authors and three mom/book bloggers using the Social Media platform of Twitter.

On Twitter as @LindaThieman, author of Katie and Kimble, and I (@susieqtpies) co-chaired the giveaway events, and ended up with 19 winners who divided up almost $2000 worth of prizes amongst them. The donated prizes consisted of literacy-related items: large numbers of children’s books contributed by authors, publishers and sponsors; books on parenting, reading skills, and building vocabulary; and other items like flash cards, puzzles and more.

We gave away a prize set every other day. These items were all to encourage literacy and reading amongst families.

In the end, we had over 4,400 entries and created a lot of excitement about getting books into the home and making reading together a frequent fun family activity. In January, 2010, Tweet for Literacy will announce the winner of the second half of the grand prize package—one elementary school has been chosen to receive a classroom set of the first two books in the Katie & Kimble: A Ghost Story series for third grade. Free classroom materials can be downloaded from the Katie & Kimble blog by teachers and home schoolers to accompany these books.

In this world full of electronics, we need to make sure that we are continuing to encourage our youth to use their words to describe what their eyes are seeing. You can do that by discussing with your child what they are seeing on the computer. When they play video games take time to ask them to describe what they are playing. Encourage them to write a story about the characters in the game. No matter what they are involved in encourage them to not just sit and watch but teach them to interact and think beyond just seeing.

This post is part of the MAT@USC: Masters in Teaching Hope for the holidays event. Did you have an experience or witness something in 2009 which gave you hope for the future of American education? If so, please see this post for more information on how to share it.

Days 1-6: 12 Days and 12 Facts for This Holiday Season GIVEAWAY

2009-12-10T09:32:00.005-06:00

For the next 12 days I will be listing Fact that you use to know! After you read it you will probably catch yourself saying "I Use to Know That" Thanks to the Author, Caroline Taggart for supplying the article through FSB Associates! Thanks to Caitlin at FSB Assoicates I will have one of these books to offer to a reader as a Giveaway!

GIVEAWAY

To enter: Come read each day for an entry! So you can earn up to 12 entries! Leave a comment each day you stopped in to read! Did you miss a day? Make sure you read the day you missed and leave a comment!! It's that easy!

By Caroline Taggart,
Author of I Used to Know That: Stuff You Forgot From School
Click to read a review on the book

Ever catch yourself saying I Used to Know That?

Each holiday season brings another round of cocktail parties, family get-togethers, and corporate gatherings -- and invariably, lots of small talk. It's easy to feel overwhelmed when discussing politics, literature, and other intellectual "stuff," especially when what is thought to be general knowledge is often long-forgotten. Enter I Used to Know That: Stuff You Forgot From School. From English and Literature to Math and Science, from History and Geography to Religion and Other-Worldly Topics, this book leaves you equipped to handle any topic of conversation.

Here we've cherry-picked twelve fun facts for the holiday season -- one for every day of Christmas (or whatever holiday you prefer!) Quiz yourself to see how much "stuff" you need to brush up on before hobnobbing with the boss or office crush. Check back daily for the next one!!!

DAY ONE

1) On building sentences: Just what is a "clause"? (Not to be confused with Santa Claus.)

Answer: A clause contains a subject and a verb and may stand alone as a sentence or as part of a sentence (when it is often called a subordinate clause): Santa Claus loves cookies but can't eat them without milk.

DAY TWO

2) How many bones is the spine made up of?

Answer: 26 small bones called vertebrae (Be careful lifting all those heavy holiday boxes.)
DAY THREE

3. Acclaimed author Charles Dickens (1812-70) wrote which Christmas classic?

Answer: A Christmas Carol. The miserly Ebenezer Scrooge tries to ignore Christmas and is haunted by the ghost of his former partner, Marley, and by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come, who show him the error of his ways.

DAY FOUR

4. The fist chapter of this famous book opens with "Call me Ishmael." Name the book and author. (Hint: it makes a whale of a gift!)

Answer: Moby Dick by Herman Melville. Melville is also the author of Pierre and the unfinished Billy Budd.

DAY FIVE

5. There's a name for the process of watering your Christmas tree? Who knew?

Answer: Grab the kids and give them this science factoid as they nurture the family tree: Osmosis is a form of diffusion that is specific to the movement of water. Water moves through a selectively permeable membrane (that is, one that lets some types of molecules through but not others) from a place where there is a higher concentration of water to one where it is lower.

Day Six

6. Can you name all 6 wives of Henry VIII, father of the Church of England?

Answer: (Listed in order) Catherine, Anne, Jane, Anne, Catherine, Catherine. They are often remembered as divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. Sure makes you think twice when complaining about bad relatives.

Happy Holidays to all!

©2009 Caroline Taggart, author of I Used to Know That: Stuff You Forgot From School

Author Bio
Caroline Taggart, author of I Used to Know That: Stuff You Forgot From School, has been an editor of non-fiction books for nearly 30 years and has covered nearly every subject from natural history and business to gardening and astronomy. She has written several books and was the editor of Writer's Market UK 2009.
For more information please visit www.amazon.com.

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GIVEAWAY

To enter: Come read each day and leave a comment for an entry! So you can earn up to 12 entries! If you missed a day go to the one you missed and read and leave comment! It's that easy!

Fun with the Ultra FLIP Video Camera

2009-12-07T18:52:00.000-06:00

We are flipping out over our new Ultra Flip Video Camera! (Click camera to check it out on Amazon) This will be great for our homeschool!

This little video camera is so easy to use! Take the video, plug into computer and upload to You Tube! It is preloaded with its own software. It was just that easy! It also holds 2 hours of video! It worked on both Windows and Linux. Enjoy the short video! Can't wait to do more with this!

Literacy can be fun and games?

2009-11-25T14:07:00.004-06:00

Thanks to Beth at PATCH games for allowing me to interview her for National Game & Puzzle Week. I've been promoting Literacy for the month of November so I asked her questions related to that!

TWO games were given away in the Tweet For Literacy giveaway! Thanks Patch!

Beth Muehlenkamp Nateghi

Senior Promotions Coordinator

Interview

1) What games do you recommend for 8 years and under to help reinforce reading skills?

Overall, board games are great for reinforcing reading skills because usually some type of reading takes place in the clues, on the game board, or even in just reading the rules. A rule I always implemented with my nieces and nephews growing up was to require every player to take a turn reading clues and to read them out loud. This is a great way to practice, but kids don't even realize the learning going on because it only last a minute or so.

Specific board games I would recommend are listed below. These are games where education/learning is not the primary focus, but the skills are cleverly built right in:

I See Three™ for ages 4 & Up, is matching animals using 3D glasses. The nice thing is the cards give a brief lesson about the animals that the kids can read out loud.
Can-Do Roo™ is great for ages 4 & Up or even a little younger because it helps kids in recognizing letters in written form and learn the sounds. Plus, you get to hop around like a kangaroo... how can you pass that up!
Buzzword® Junior is a good trivia game for ages 7 & Up and is based on the award-winning original Buzzword® game which has just sold over a million copies. Buzzword Junior is nice because the clues are a little more kid friendly, so children get to be the smarty pants and as they read the clues out loud are reinforcing their reading skills.
100 Really Dumb Things™ is a game of pure silliness for ages 7 & Up, but the great thing is that in order to perform the silly acts, kids have to read the cards! Another great way to get in some reading without the kids even knowing it. We just continue to get rave reviews on this game from kids and parents.
Finally, Now What?™ for ages 8 & Up is a great game in creative thinking and story telling. One player reads a dilemma story (great to practice those reading skills) and then all players have to come up with solutions based on the three props they choose. The key is to be creative and come up with a solution using props that no one else is using. I love the anticipation as each player reveals their story.

If you are looking for more obvious educational based games then try Patch' Lauri brand Educational Center Kits for ages 4 & Up that combine quality materials with an organized and convenient storage box. Check out the variety at: Educational Center Kit s

You can also try Patch's Smethport brand of Get Ready for School games and Language cards. Check out the variety at: Educational Games

2) Besides being fun, what are the benefits of playing board games?

Board games have so many hidden benefits besides just being fun. First and foremost they encourage interaction and a chance to learn about each other. Plato said, “You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.”

I come from a large family and grew up on a farm, so my mother was always busy, but I remember as a child that the thing I loved about storms and losing the power in our house was that then my mother had to slow down and would often sit and play a board game with me. I love that attention and time to play with my mom. Even the American Academy of Pediatrics recognizes that playing active games with children is essential to their development. Play allows individuals to learn about themselves and the world; stimulates mind and body; builds bonds; fosters greater imagination; and supports all states of development.

Other benefits include: turn taking, lessons of fairness, increase vocabulary, open communication lines, learn interesting facts, basic math skills, reveal your personality and kids often learn more about their parents too.

When families participate in the Million Minute Family Challenge™, the comment I hear most is that it gave their family time to spend together or it was one of the rare moments when their teenagers were actually sitting at a table laughing with parents and younger siblings. Buzzword was featured in the Play is Forever: Benefits of Intergenerational Play brochure as one of the Recommended Toys and Games as being intergenerational. They said the game encourages discussion and teamwork. Another of our hottest selling game this season, What’s Yours Like? encourages creative thinking, improves memory, and hones the skill of organizing thoughts and information.

Also board games have been widely recognized as good tools to keep the mind active in older people and to slow down or prevent dementia and Alzheimer's.

3) Who invents your games? Any interesting stories?

We get hundreds of game inventor submissions every year from people all over the world. The inventor of Roll-It Tic-Tac-Toe™ is an elementary math school teacher and a tutor for students in math and science. His interaction with kids has been very useful for the development of games. One day David Feldman noticed a distinguished looking man trying to open a two-pack of saltine crackers. After struggling with his fingers, the man bit open the package with his teeth. At this time he thought “If we can put a man on the moon, why can’t they make a cracker package you can open with your hands?” On his way home, the word “Imponderables” popped into his head to describe these conundrums for which we can never find answers. He started by writing the first of nine books in the Imponderables book series. A fan suggested that he create a game based on the books and that’s how Malarky® was born.

Others ideas come from our own employees. For example: What’s Yours Like? was an idea of one of our employees as it was a something they played at family gatherings and when we first played it in the office, we couldn’t stop laughing.

Still other game ideas come from professional inventor groups whose job is to invent games. For example, Random Games came up with the idea of Toss Up® and Buzzword. The inventors for these games grew up in rural and suburban Michigan. One graduated with a Math degree and was an 8^th grade teacher and then a computer programmer when he started coming up with game ideas. He started Random Games in 1974, but didn’t become a full-time game inventor in 1985. His educational background has been useful in solving many problems common in game design. Another of the inventors had a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering. He is a big fan of “house rules”.

Thanks Beth for answering my questions! So Literacy can be about having fun and playing games!

CurrClick Curriculum in a click!

2009-11-23T11:41:00.002-06:00

Thanks to CurrClick for offering a $25 gift certificate for our Tweet For Literacy (#Tweet4Lit) Campaign. Click buttons to enter the giveaway!

CurrClick is an online company that offers affordable curriculum, lapbooks, & homeschooling resources. Their products are in electronic form. You will find ebooks/PDF, audio, software and Video. I homeschool my 3 girls and we use the internet for a lot of our curriculum. It is so easy to access! I love that you can get the material anytime you are ready for it. No waiting in lines or driving around forever to find what you want. I love too that you don't have to wait for a company to deliver it to you either! You can just go to CurrClick and get what you want with a CLICK!

One of my daughters took a Live Video class on How to Play Beginner Guitar. Click to read the review. We loved it so much that we plan on using this feature on CurrClick again.

The site often had Homeschool pick of the week and Free Curriculum Ebook! Their subjects span from Arts & Crafts to Writing Composition. You can find materials from for Parents only to College Prep.

Is this site just for those who homeschool? No way it is for anyone. The parenting resources are great for all parents. If you public/private child needs extra help in critical thinking, grammar, reading, writing, etc you can easily find something helpful. I would strongly suggest any of the live video classes too! What a great after school activitiy!

Click here to go check out their Black Friday/Holiday Specials!

Promoting Literacy with National Game Week

2009-11-21T13:43:00.000-06:00

It’s Time to Play! Celebrate National Game & Puzzle Week

Tweet For Literacy is promoting playing games as part of the Tweet For Literacy Campaign.

What a great way to teach and reinforce reading. When it is time to play a game it is best to let your reader read the instructions and then have her teach you how to play. This isn't always easy if you have been the one to always give the rules. Take it step by step. This also encourages independence. To enter our Tweet For Literacy campaign just click ENTER TWEET FOR LITERACY GIVEAWAYS.

BELOIT, Wis.–The holiday season is rapidly approaching. As family and friends start to gather, why not take a break from the stress in one’s life and revisit a traditional family pastime such as board games and puzzles?

National Game & Puzzle Week™, which is observed the week of Thanksgiving, is the perfect time for families and friends to relax, enjoy one another’s company, laugh out loud and take the Million Minute Family Challenge™. It’s easy! Simply play a game with family and friends and log your game-play minutes at Million Minute Website.

The Million Minute Family Challenge is a grassroots effort encouraging interaction and communication among family and friends through playing games. The goal of the challenge is to reach 1,000,000 minutes of game play now through Dec. 31.

Board games and puzzles make for great leisure activities in these tough economic times as families turn to affordable, fun and family-centric entertainment. Not only are board games making a comeback for families, but they are also becoming a popular craze among college students.

Kevin Zingg, a college student at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, finds board games to be a fun and extremely frugal use of his time when it comes to entertainment.

“My friends and I love board games for their affordability, and that they can offer us a much needed break from our daily lives,” said Zingg. “Board games are a great activity that keeps my mind stimulated during the few hours of down time that I am able to enjoy with the people that I enjoy the most,” he said.

Patch Products along with the Million Minute Family Challenge supporters PlayDate US, KOA®, Great Wolf Lodge® resort locations in the U.S., Blue Harbor Resort™ and Turnoff Week are encouraging families, friends and organizations to spend quality time interacting, communicating and playing a board game. Everyone can participate by logging their game play at millionminute.com. Visit millionminute.com for sign up information, game ideas, party ideas, fun facts, irresistible snack ideas and beyond! So sit back, relax and remember how much fun board games and puzzles can be!

About Patch Products

Patch Products, headquartered in Beloit, Wis., is a leading manufacturer and marketer of family entertainment products. Games, puzzles, activity kits, toys and classroom teaching tools are the core product lines. Top-selling brands include Buzzword^®, What’s Yours Like?^®, Toss Up!^®, Swap!^®, Smethport™, Lauri^®, Tall-Stacker^™ and Wooly Willy^®. For more information, visit patchproducts.com or call 1-800-524-4263.

Press RELEASE

Contact

Jessica Wineke

Patch Products, Inc.

(800) 524-4263, ext. 246

jessicaw@patchproducts.com

Literacy and Ghostline: A Review

2009-11-20T13:49:00.001-06:00

Thanks to Ghostline for asking me to review some of their new product line with our Homeschool.

Ghostline is celebrating their 13th year Birthday with a contest to give-a-way $500 worth of Carolina Pad Products to 13 classrooms! I personally love the fun colors and products of Carolina Pad. When I was asked to do Ghostline I had no clue what their products were until I checked out their site.

Here are the Ghostline products that I got to review:

22 x 28 Foam GL Display board (folds to 22 x 14) – SRP $5.99
14 x 33 GL Project Board (folds to 14 x 11) – SRP $3.55
14 x 22 GL Poster Board, 3 pack – SRP $1.99
GL Make a Poster Kit – SRP $5.99

My girls all chose to make a poster on a subject of their choice. They found that the very light lines on the poster board were great to help them keep their work straight. This month I am blogging about promoting Literacy. I believe a product like Ghostline is great in promoting Literacy. Have your students make a poster on something they are studying. This will give them practice at spelling, reading, copying, sequencing, letter/number formation,etc. It also gives them a chance to be creative. What a super way for them to show off something they learned buy putting it on a poster. You can also use this poster for them to do an oral presentation of what they learned. I feel that a strong part of learning is being able to share it with someone else. You can also hang up the posters for others to see.

I loved the Music poster. The Ghostlines were great for making straight lines of the musical staff.

One girl wanted to make a poster board of some of the multiplication facts she kept forgetting. She used the stencils provided in the Make a Poster Kit to do her numbers. She did great for a 10 year old. The lines on the board did help her.

The monkey board used the Ghostlines to draw the monkeys and do the lettering. I thought that this was a creative way for her to show what she was learning in biology.

Last but not least one of the girls had to make a graph for math. The boxes made it very easy to do! She actually had fun making the graph.

Thanks Ghostline! This was a fun review. I can't wait to use more of the products you sent to my school.

Don't forget to visit Ghostline and enter the Happy 13th Birthday Contest Give-a-way!

Join my campaign to promote Literacy for the month of November.

Click the button!

Tweet For Literacy Giveaway Prize Package 6

2009-11-16T18:49:00.002-06:00

Drawing held on Twitter 11/18 (Wednesday) at 6pm. Details to enter below. $116 Value
Our Motto: “The family that reads together has a lot of fun!” Our goal is to empower children and teens, especially girls, who are so often overlooked. We also seek to teach tolerance and self-acceptance through reading and through family interaction.

The Tweet for Literacy Giveaway is a campaign designed to raise awareness of the importance of involving the whole family in a child’s reading activities. Tweet for Literacy will be giving away literacy-related prizes every two days throughout the month of November in honor of National Family Literacy Month. Help a child to read, and let the fun begin!

How to Enter the Tweet for Literacy Giveaways
Step 1: Follow our 7 sponsors on Twitter. This step is required. We will all follow you back!

http://twitter.com/susieqtpies (ME!!!)
http://twitter.com/lindathieman
http://twitter.com/ccmalandrinos
http://twitter.com/cafeofdreams
http://twitter.com/hollyhardin
http://twitter.com/sherikayehoff
http://twitter.com/nicole_odell

Step 2: Re-tweet (RT) any post about the giveaway. Use the hashtag #Tweet4Lit on each RT. Be sure to add the bit.ly URL link for this contest page.
Sample Entry Re-tweets (use these or use your own just make sure you include hashtag #Tweet4Lit and link to my blog http://bit.ly/B8dju )

RT @susieqtpies Tweet for Literacy is giving away 12 prize sets and a grand prize thru Nov Enter here http://bit.ly/B8dju #Tweet4Lit

Step 3: That’s it! See the Official Rules below.
Prize Package Six
Winner to be chosen Wednesday, November 18, 2009, at 6pm CT. Total value of Prize Package Six is $116.

1) Henry & the Crazed Chicken Pirates by Carolyn Crimi and John Manders for ages 4 to 8. ($15.99 value) This is the sequel to Henry & the Buccaneer Bunnies. Donated by Blue Slip Media.

CLICK TO READ REVIEW

2) Aurora of the Northern Lights by Holly Hardin (autographed -- an $18.95 value), the delightful Yuletide-themed picture book by one of our Tweet for Literacy sponsors. Donated by the author.

3) Kids Across, Parents Down: Crazy Critters: The Puzzles That Kids & Adults Enjoy Together by Jan Buckner Walker; Ages 9-12, $4.95 value. Donated by Tweet for Literacy sponsor April Pohren.

4) While Shepherds Watched: Stories of Christmas Miracles and Mysteries by Steven Roberts. For all ages. (Value $15.95). Donated by Tweet for Literacy sponsor Cheryl Malandrinos.

5) Across the Pond by Storyheart (Barry Eva), autographed, for Young Adults. (Value $19.99) Donated by the author.

6) Close Encounters of the Third-grade Kind: Thoughts on Teacherhood by Phillip Done ($22.99 value). Donated by Hachette Book Group.

CLICK PICTURE TO READ REVIEW

7) Killer Bunny Hill by Denise Robbins (signed/personalized), a $16.95 value, for Mom or Dad. Donated by the author.

Check back here daily as we will continue to update the list of prizes.

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Official Rules
You can re-enter as many times as you like. Prizes are awarded every 2 days starting on November 8. First day to enter is November 6, 2009. Last day to enter is November 30. A prize package will be awarded on each even day of the month. Each prize package will be a set of items that are literacy related. See below for specific information on prizes.

The name of the winner will be selected at random and will be drawn at approximately 6pm CT. The winner will have 3 days to respond. If we don’t hear from the winner, we will select another winner for that prize package. We will notify our 13 winners by Direct Message (DM) on Twitter.

Whereas you can enter as often as you like, if you are not following all 7 sponsors on Twitter, which will be verified, your entries will be disqualified. All entries that comply with the above rules will be valid for each drawing, including the Grand Prize. The Grand Prize will be awarded on December 1, 2009.

Light Up Your Child's Mind Review and Giveaway

2009-11-15T06:48:00.000-06:00

Thanks to Anna at Hachette Book Group for donating 5 copies of this book for our Tweet For Literacy #Tweet4Lit Twitter campaign. CLICK HERE TO ENTER TO WIN THE GIVEAWAY Value$111 (Click Tweet For Literacy button too!)

The book, Light Up Your Child's Mind, teaches parents how to teach their children, in a way that would encourage enthusiasm and creativity, whether the creativity is driven by the sciences or arts.

From Hachette
Based on the renowned "Renzulli Method," which has been adopted in schools all over the country, LIGHT UP YOUR CHILD'S MIND presents a practical program to help children fire up a love of learning to last a lifetime. World-renowned experts Drs. Renzulli and Reis illustrate the crucial role parents can play in their children's development and address how they can work with teachers to enhance their children's education. They uncover the hidden potential of daydreamers, rebels, and one-track minds, arguing that gifted behavior--basic smarts, high levels of task commitment, and creativity--can be fostered in bright children, even unmotivated ones.

The Authors
Joseph S. Renzulli, Ph.D., is the Neag Professor of Gifted Education and Talent Development at the University of Connecticut and the Director of The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented. He has received numerous distinguished research awards and been named, by the American Psychological Association's Monitor on Psychology, among the world's 25 most influential psychologists.

Sally M. Reis, Ph.D., is a professor and the Department Head of the Educational Psychology Department in the University of Connecticut Neag School of Education. She was awarded the Distinguished Service Award and named a Distinguished Scholar by the National Association for Gifted Children.

If you don't win the book you can click here to purchase! Keep entering to win. Right now the book is in Prize Package #5 with package at Value$111

Close Encounters of the Third great Kind Book Review and Giveaway

2009-11-14T15:48:00.000-06:00

Thanks to Hachette Book Group for donating Close Encounters of the Third-grade Kind: Thoughts on Teacherhood by Phillip Done ($22.99 value) for our Tweet For Literature Campaign.

Full Description (From Hachette Book Group)

A twenty-year veteran of the classroom, elementary school teacher Phillip Done takes readers through a lively and hilarious year in the classroom. Starting with the relative calm before the storm of buying school supplies and posting class lists, he shares the distinct personalities of grades K-4, what he learned from two professional trick or treating 8-year-old boys, the art of learning cursive and letter-writing, how kindergartners try to trap leprechauns, and what every child should experience before he or she grows up.

These charming, sweet, and funny tales of Mr. Done's trials and triumphs as an award-winning schoolteacher will touch readers' hearts and remind them of the true joys of childhood. We all have that one special, favorite grade school teacher whom we fondly remember throughout our adult lives - and every teacher also has students whom they will never forget. This is the perfect book for teachers, parents, and anyone else who is looking for a lighthearted, nostalgic read.

Check out the book!

Enter to win this book as well as others in our

TWEET FOR LITERACY Giveaway prize pkg 4

Drawing held on Twitter 11/14 at 6pm. Details to enter below

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Prize Package Four
Winner to be chosen Saturday, November 14, 2009, at 6pm CT. Total value of Prize Package Four is $105.
This special Gift Package (items 1-4) is being donated by Sourcebooks, Inc.

1) The Tree That Time Built (book & CD, autographed), edited by the Children's Poet Laureate Mary Ann Hoberman and Linda Winston—a cultural anthropologist. This collection of poetry is made to teach kids all about the wonders of nature. There are explanations of scientific terms, as well as an accompanying CD with some of the most recognized voices in poetry. It's REALLY sweet. (Value $19.99) (For ages 9-12; great for the entire family.) Donated by Sourcebooks.

2) Horrid Henry by Francesca Simon and Tony Ross (Value $4.99). (For ages 4-8) Donated by Sourcebooks.

3) Horrid Henry’s Christmas by Francesca Simon and Tony Ross (Value $4.99). (For ages 4-8) Donated by Sourcebooks.

4) Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble and a signed poster of Dreaming Anastasia (Value $9.99). (Young Adult) Donated by Sourcebooks.

5) Aurora of the Northern Lights by Holly Hardin (autographed -- an $18.95 value), the delightful Yuletide-themed picture book by one of our Tweet for Literacy sponsors. Donated by the author.

6) Close Encounters of the Third-grade Kind: Thoughts on Teacherhood by Phillip Done ($22.99 value). Donated by Hachette Book Group.

7) The Bethel Lutheran Cookbook, edited and donated by Tweet for Literacy sponsor Susan Buetow. 700 family-favorite recipes! Take reading outside the box and into the kitchen! ($10 value) (For all ages!)

8) The Unexpected Gift by Michelle Bulmer Atha & Meaghan Gonzales Wagar (Value $12.95) (For Mom.) Donated by Tweet for Literacy sponsor April Pohren.

Check back here daily as we will continue to update the list of prizes.

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Henry and the Crazed Chicken Pirates Book Review and Giveaway

2009-11-11T11:03:00.001-06:00

I'm so excited to bring to you a book review on Henry & the Crazed Chicken Pirates by Carolyn Crimi. Thanks to Blue Slip Media for donating books for the Tweet For Literacy #Tweet4Lit campaign we have running through the month of November. Click here to get details and enter the giveaway!

HENRY & THE CRAZED CHICKEN PIRATES is the silly follow-up to HENRY & THE BUCCANEER BUNNIES (2005). Henry is a bookish bunny surrounded by a crew of fun-loving (and lazy) pirate bunnies. When he discovers a threatening message in a bottle, he tries to warn everyone, but they think he's wasting his time. Will his plan to rescue his fellow bunnies work? This is a great story for very young readers, with lots of pirate words and silly fun.

My take on the book- I love all the illustrations done by John Manders. The illustrations do an outstanding job telling the story. My favorite illustrations are on the page where the crazed chicken pirates get sent out to sea in a small, crowded boat. Thoughtful Henry gives them books on "50 Ways to Cook Coconut", "Survival at Sea" and "Seawater: It's not for drinking". The story is very clever. Where Henry lacks courage he had ten fold in knowledge. He has a book for everything... if not then he write it!

You can purchase the book anywhere books are sold. If they don't have it just ask and they will order it for you!

Here are a few things about the author that I got from her website! I have to share! They made me chuckle! She has a hobbies and interest in dieting, worrying, obsessing, e-mailing, taking pictures that turn out poorly. Likes unfrosted Blueberry Poptarts and Venti-skim-lattes. She dislikes tail-gaters, horn-honkers, people who don't like her books and critics (unless, of course, they like her books)

Go check out Carolyn Crimi! She has written some funny books!
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Click to ENTER TO WIN GIVEAWAY

Prize Package Three
Winner to be chosen Thursday, November 12, 2009, at 6pm CT. Total value of Prize Package Three is $109.

1) Henry & the Crazed Chicken Pirates by Carolyn Crimi and John Manders for ages 4 to 8. ($15.99 value) This is the sequel to Henry & the Buccaneer Bunnies. Donated by Blue Slip Media.

2) Aurora of the Northern Lights by Holly Hardin (autographed -- an $18.95 value), the delightful Yuletide-themed picture book by one of our Tweet for Literacy sponsors. Donated by the author.

3) The Crypto-Capers: The Case of the Missing Sock (autographed) by Renee Hand ($12.95 value). Readers help the detectives solve the case by figuring out puzzles! For ages 9-12. Donated by the author.

4) Capital Mysteries #3: The Skeleton in the Smithsonian [A Stepping
Stone Book(TM)] by Ron Roy, for ages 9-12 (Value $3.99). Donated by Tweet for Literacy sponsor April Pohren.

5) Truth or Dare (autographed), Book 1 from the Scenarios for Girls interactive series by Nicole O’Dell. For ages 10-15. ($7.97 Value) Donated by the author, one of our Tweet for Literacy sponsors.

6) 1 set of SnapWords™ List A Teaching Cards by Child1st ($23.95 value). These are the most popular SnapWords™ product and are excellent foundational help for kids who are just learning to read. Donated by Child1st Publications, LLC.

7) Lighting Their Fires: Raising Extraordinary Children in a Mixed-up, Muddled-up, Shook-up World by Rafe Esquith ($24.95 value). Donated by FSB Associates.

Tweet For Literacy Giveaway SNAP WORDS

2009-11-11T09:26:00.001-06:00

Thanks to Child1st Publications, LLC for donating 1 set of Snap Words List A Teaching Cards ($23.95 value) for our Tweet For Literacy Campaign #Tweet4Lit. TO enter the giveaway click here!

SnapWords™ List A Teaching Cards include 59 word cards sized 4.25 by 5.5 inches. The set is best used to teach sight words to a group or class. The cards are very effective with children who are unable to decode, are stuck in the decoding process, or have difficulty remembering words. Sample activities and games to play with SnapWords™ are available on Child1st's blog.

The SnapWords™ cards embed meaningful images into

words most commonly found in children's texts (sight words). They include a combination of Dolch words and the Fountas & Pinnell 100 frequently recurring words. Multisensory sight words enable all children to learn to read more easily, including visual learners, and other right brain learners, those labeled with dyslexia, autism, Asperger's, ADD, and those who struggle with reading comprehension. CFP's products are also highly effective in teaching beginning readers, building a strong foundation for learning from the very start. The front of each card acts as a powerful aid in reading comprehension, as it shows the child the meaning of the word through an embedded image, rather than just telling the child what the word says. Visual learners snap a mental picture of the stylized word which stays with them as they encounter the plain word in text later on, continuing to lend meaning to the word. The back of each card contains plain text with a sample sentence to say and motion to do while learning the word. The sentence teaches correct usage of the word, while the motion helps the kinesthetic child store the knowledge and then later retrieve it.

Child1st Publications is an educational publisher that produces reading and math materials to help those who struggle with traditional methods of teaching, and to provide a strong learning foundation for those who would naturally succeed in traditional methods of education. We've designed our products to integrate explicit phonics instruction with specific strategies (visuals, movement, storytelling, humor, rhyme, and patterns) to engage children with a variety of learning strengths.

Thanks to Child1st Publications, LLC for donating 1 set of Snap Words List A Teaching Cards ($23.95 value) for our Tweet For Literacy Campaign #Tweet4Lit. TO enter the giveaway click here!

Lighting Their Fires Book Review and Giveaway with Tweet 4 Literacy

2009-11-11T08:33:00.001-06:00

Thanks to Caitlin from FSB Associates for donating a copy of this book for our Tweet For Literacy Giveaway #Tweet4Lit . Every other day we are giving away Prize packages that includes books and other items to encourage reading with your children. This book, Lighting Their Fires: Raising Extraordinary Children in a Mixed-up, Muddle-up, Shook-up World by Rafe Esquith is perfect for our Literacy Giveaway. Most parents want an instant way to make their kids more successful in school. The author clearly states in this book that there isn't a magic pill. Just like anything in life it requires work. Time to work your children without them knowing that you are working them! He states, too, that instilling the value of working hard, being motivated without fear or disappointment, is a first step of many that will lead your kids to real success. Your kids are not born successful. Over time with the right nurturing and encouragement through, school, home, extra activities they learn, grow and glow! The author also states that "I fear that my children will be mediocre, that they won't live up to the tremendous promise that each of them possesses. I don't want my children to be mediocre, because I now they are capable of more. " We want our children to do the best of their ability. This book gives a lot of great support in helping you do this and encourage this in your children!!! If you think someone has the best kids... just know that they were not born that way.

Here are five ways to put your kids on the path to extraordinary: (From the book. You'll have to read it to get the specifics!!)

1)Toot Your Own Horn.
2) Be the Example.
3) Great Books are Great books for a reason.
4) Do Unto Others.
5) Patience, My Dears.

Most of the tips given in this book is for parents. It isn't a book where you just send it to school with your child and expect the teacher to do it for you. From the author, "All follows from values and character, and in working to instill these, you'll create kids that you -- and the rest of the community and country -- can be proud of."
©2009 Rafe Esquith, author of Lighting Their Fires: Raising Extraordinary Children in a Mixed-up, Muddled-up, Shook-up World

Author Bio
Rafe Esquith, author of Lighting Their Fires: Raising Extraordinary Children in a Mixed-up, Muddled-up, Shook-up World, has taught at Hobart Elementary School in Los Angeles for twenty-four years. He is the only teacher to have been awarded the president's National Medal of the Arts. His many other honors and awards include the American Teacher Award, Parents magazine's As You Grow Award, Oprah Winfrey's Use Your Life Award, and People magazine's Heroes Among Us Award. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Barbara Tong.

For more information, please visit www.hobartshakespeareans.org

ENTER TO WIN THIS BOOK

Tweet For Literacy Giveaway Prize Package 3

Our Motto: “The family that reads together has a lot of fun!” Our goal is to empower children and teens, especially girls, who are so often overlooked. We also seek to teach tolerance and self-acceptance through reading and through family interaction.

The Tweet for Literacy Giveaway is a campaign designed to raise awareness of the importance of involving the whole family in a child’s reading activities. Tweet for Literacy will be giving away literacy-related prizes every two days throughout the month of November in honor of National Family Literacy Month. Help a child to read, and let the fun begin!

How to Enter the Tweet for Literacy Giveaways
Step 1: Follow our 7 sponsors on Twitter. This step is required. We will all follow you back!

http://twitter.com/susieqtpies (ME!!!)
http://twitter.com/lindathieman
http://twitter.com/ccmalandrinos
http://twitter.com/cafeofdreams
http://twitter.com/hollyhardin
http://twitter.com/sherikayehoff
http://twitter.com/nicole_odell

Step 2: Re-tweet (RT) any post about the giveaway. Use the hashtag #Tweet4Lit on each RT. Be sure to add the bit.ly URL link for this contest page.
Sample Entry Re-tweets (use these or use your own just make sure you include hashtag #Tweet4Lit and link to my blog http://bit.ly/tCSIM)

RT @susieqtpies Tweet for Literacy is giving away 12 prize sets and a grand prize thru Nov Enter here http://bit.ly/tCSIM #Tweet4Lit

Step 3: That’s it! See the Official Rules below.

Prize Package Three
Winner to be chosen Thursday, November 12, 2009, at 6pm CT. Total value of Prize Package Three is $109.

1) Henry & the Crazed Chicken Pirates by Carolyn Crimi and John Manders for ages 4 to 8. ($15.99 value) This is the sequel to Henry & the Buccaneer Bunnies. Donated by Blue Slip Media.

2) Aurora of the Northern Lights by Holly Hardin (autographed -- an $18.95 value), the delightful Yuletide-themed picture book by one of our Tweet for Literacy sponsors. Donated by the author.

3) The Crypto-Capers: The Case of the Missing Sock (autographed) by Renee Hand ($12.95 value). Readers help the detectives solve the case by figuring out puzzles! For ages 9-12. Donated by the author.

4) Capital Mysteries #3: The Skeleton in the Smithsonian [A Stepping
Stone Book(TM)] by Ron Roy, for ages 9-12 (Value $3.99). Donated by Tweet for Literacy sponsor April Pohren.

5) Truth or Dare (autographed), Book 1 from the Scenarios for Girls interactive series by Nicole O’Dell. For ages 10-15. ($7.97 Value) Donated by the author, one of our Tweet for Literacy sponsors.

6) 1 set of SnapWords™ List A Teaching Cards by Child1st ($23.95 value). These are the most popular SnapWords™ product and are excellent foundational help for kids who are just learning to read. Donated by Child1st Publications, LLC.

7) Lighting Their Fires: Raising Extraordinary Children in a Mixed-up, Muddled-up, Shook-up World by Rafe Esquith ($24.95 value). Donated by FSB Associates.

Check back here daily as we will continue to update the list of prizes.
http://cafescrapper-scrapsoflife.blogspot.com
Official Rules
You can re-enter as many times as you like. Prizes are awarded every 2 days starting on November 8. First day to enter is November 6, 2009. Last day to enter is November 30. A prize package will be awarded on each even day of the month. Each prize package will be a set of items that are literacy related. See below for specific information on prizes.

The name of the winner will be selected at random and will be drawn at approximately 6pm CT. The winner will have 3 days to respond. If we don’t hear from the winner, we will select another winner for that prize package. We will notify our 13 winners by Direct Message (DM) on Twitter.

Whereas you can enter as often as you like, if you are not following all 7 sponsors on Twitter, which will be verified, your entries will be disqualified. All entries that comply with the above rules will be valid for each drawing, including the Grand Prize. The Grand Prize will be awarded on December 1, 2009.

How can your family go Green?

2009-11-10T07:25:00.007-06:00

For some reason my mind always wanders to Kermit the frog when I hear someone say that they are going green. Please don't think I'm mocking you if you are the one going green. It is just a childhood mental picture of the cute frog singing and dancing. That image can be used to help us get "more green" as people are saying today. We should be happy, singing, and dancing to take care of what we have been given. I do see nature as a gift from God for me to enjoy.

My family knows that God has given us this planet as a gift. As with any gift or privilege it can be used for good or neglected and no longer holding a value. In our family we love the outdoors. I take pictures of nature all the time. It is a blessing to have such natural colors and objects at our finger tips. I always tell me girls that if you want to know what colors look good together then look to nature. The color palette is perfect.

Last time I was out taking fall photos of my girls we discovered trash. Now, this is not a new thing to find on the ground. I find myself taking pictures of the trash we find. It is ugly and not natural. The colors do not fit in.

This is not a natural part of nature so we pick it up and toss it out. Trash is our human contribution and we need to stop letting it happen. It is ugly and not a gift. Picking up trash that you see can become a habit. If you see trash pick it up. Sooner than later it will become a habit.

All my girls have learned in Girl Scouts that you should leave the place you were in better than when you found it. So picking up trash is just something we do.

IF each family concentrated on a ''green'' task, together we would make the world a better green place to live.

Our Green Living tips

1) Realize that nature is a beautiful Gift. A gift is to be used and respected.
2) Take care of that gift, don't neglect it and remove what doesn't belong.
3)Enjoy and use the outdoors. No matter where you are or what you are doing leave it in better condition than when you found it.

Thanks to Beth at Airwear and TwitterMoms for teaming up to find out what are our families Top Three Green-Living Tips. Go check out LighterSaferGreener.com. Airwear is Lighter, Safer, Greener. I love what this company stands for. Eyes glasses are so important to me. I wouldn't be able to take nature photos without them. I can't wait to give these "green" lens a try!

You too can check them out. You can share just as I did what your family is doing to make the world a greener place. The contest winner will get Airwear for the entire family. Good Luck and thanks for doing your part.

When Tweeting about the contest, please use #Airwear.

Keep track of reading by Mark My Time Giveaway

2009-11-09T08:28:00.006-06:00

During the Elementary school days of 5th grade and under my girls had to keep track of how many minutes they read out of school for various reason. Several years they competed in City-wide reading programs. Their class and school won several times with the most minutes read. Other times they had to read x amount of minutes to earn class rewards. I always encouraged them to keep track of their own minutes. This promotes responsibility and independence. It is also great for math. You have to teach about how each second turns into a minute and how each minute turns into an hour. I love how math and reading are used together.

When we started homeschooling I carried over the "read for x amount of minutes" each day. They had a log sheet where they wrote down their time as well as what book and how many pages read. This is our 4th year homeschooling and we no longer use the "read for x amount of minutes" log sheet. All three of my girls are independent readers. They have been for many years. The log was used to make sure that they gave time to reading each day. They have established early reading habits and now that habit doesn't need timed.

The joy of homeschooling is that you can read a novel for 1 hour during the school day if you choose to do so. You can go to the Library for hours at a time instead of 15 minutes once a week. Reading is like learning to ride a bicycle. With books, you start when you are young by your parents reading to you, giving you board books to look at, and books on CD to listen to during play time. This is done over and over. Your parents, siblings, teachers still read to you but you pick up the books on your own and start the reading CD on your own. Before you know it, you are saying the words in the book by memory and by word recognition. You still make up stories by looking at the picture. A time comes where you begin reading all the words around you including the ones from out the window of the car. Over time you still love being read to and still need to be read to but you begin reading to others. This is the time your training wheels get sold in the garage sale or passed down to a younger sibling.

It all starts at the beginning. Take time to foster reading habits with your children. Find out what the school is doing and carry that over into your home. If you homeschool make that a big part of your day.

If you have a kiddo who doesn't like to read then help her find a book on a subject she enjoys. If she loves dogs then find her books on dogs to read. If she loves cartoons then find books on cartoons. Does she love telling jokes? Give her new material by finding joke books. Our policy was that reading had to be done daily. Set a timer for 5 minutes and read. Then increase the timer to 10 minutes. Over time the timer will be forgotten but the reading is being done. That again goes with the learning to ride a bike analogy. The biggest thing you can do as a parent is to make sure you are reading too! Kids follow your lead. It takes time but it will happen.

I'm offering a MARK MY TIME Timer for a giveaway in our Tweet For Literacy giveaway!
Click to get details!

Tweet For Literacy Giveaway Prize Package 2

2009-11-09T08:17:00.004-06:00

Prize Package Two

Winner to be chosen Tuesday, November 10, 2009 at 6pm CT. Total value of Prize Package Two is $114.00.

1) Aurora of the Northern Lights by Holly Hardin (autographed -- an $18.95 value), the delightful Christmas-themed picture book by one of our Tweet for Literacy sponsors. Donated by the author.

2) Henry & the Crazed Chicken Pirates by Carolyn Crimi and John Manders for ages 4 to 8. ($15.99 value) This is the sequel to Henry & the Buccaneer Bunnies. Donated by Blue Slip Media.

3) The Katie & Kimble chapter book series by Linda Thieman, for ages 6 to 10. Lexile® measures: 280L and 290L. This set includes Katie & Kimble: A Ghost Story and Katie & Kimble: The Magic Wish. These are stories of love and healing, and are not scary! Donated by the author, one of our Tweet for Literacy sponsors. (Value: $11.90 per set)

4) Lexi by L.S. Matthews (Grades 4-8) ($14.99). Donated by our Tweet for Literacy sponsor, Linda Thieman.

5) Mark My Time, a totally cool digital bookmark/timer
($11.90 value), donated by our Tweet for Literacy sponsor Susan Buetow.

6) Light Up Your Child’s Mind: Finding a Unique Pathway to Happiness and Success by Joseph S. Renzulli, Sally M. Reis, Andrea Thompson ($25.99 value). Donated by Hachette Book Group.

7) And a little something for Mom! The Sidewalk Artist by Gina Buonaguro and Janice Kirk ($13.95 value), donated by Tweet for Literacy sponsor Linda Thieman.

Check back here daily as we will continue to update the list of prizes.

Official Rules
You can re-enter as many times as you like. Prizes are awarded every 2 days starting on November 8. First day to enter is November 6, 2009. Last day to enter is November 30. A prize package will be awarded on each even day of the month. Each prize package will be a set of items that are literacy related. See below for specific information on prizes.

The name of the winner will be selected at random and will be drawn at approximately 6pm CT. The winner will have 3 days to respond. If we don’t hear from the winner, we will select another winner for that prize package. We will notify our 13 winners by Direct Message (DM) on Twitter.

Whereas you can enter as often as you like, if you are not following all 7 sponsors on Twitter, which will be verified, your entries will be disqualified. All entries that comply with the above rules will be valid for each drawing, including the Grand Prize. The Grand Prize will be awarded on December 1, 2009.

The Homeschool Messenger

Where am I?

The origin of Foreign words used in English

Free America History The Story of US DVD offer

I just got this information from a History Channel Update!

School principals, register for your school's free AMERICA The Story of US DVD!*

Giveaway winner of Katie and Kimble Winner of Moms Choice Award

Katie & Kimble Series by Linda Thieman honored with Mom's Choice Awards *Giveaway*

WordToons allows you to play with your word!

Snow much Fun! Giveaway Wii Winter Fun

Top 6 Picks for Homeschool Fun and Learning

10 Ways to Get Fit After the Holidays for Homeschoolers

Tweet For Literacy = Reading families

Days 1-6: 12 Days and 12 Facts for This Holiday Season GIVEAWAY

Fun with the Ultra FLIP Video Camera

Literacy can be fun and games?

CurrClick Curriculum in a click!

Promoting Literacy with National Game Week

Literacy and Ghostline: A Review

Tweet For Literacy Giveaway Prize Package 6

Light Up Your Child's Mind Review and Giveaway

Close Encounters of the Third great Kind Book Review and Giveaway

Full Description (From Hachette Book Group)

Henry and the Crazed Chicken Pirates Book Review and Giveaway

Tweet For Literacy Giveaway SNAP WORDS

Lighting Their Fires Book Review and Giveaway with Tweet 4 Literacy

Tweet For Literacy Giveaway Prize Package 3

How can your family go Green?

Keep track of reading by Mark My Time Giveaway

Tweet For Literacy Giveaway Prize Package 2

Katie & Kimble Series by Linda Thieman honored with Mom's Choice Awards Giveaway