GivingNSharing

New years resolutions & teamwork

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 26 Dec 2018 02:49:00 +0000

Are you one of those people who love to make resolutions? Actually keep them for more than a month? I'm sorry to say I'm not part of that group....

Perhaps instead like me you are more the "I'll do my best and be happy with what I can achieve". I've never been a focused, goal oriented person. I'm a creative person who thrives on getting dirty and figuring out how things work. I REVEL in the process of research and achieving the end result. I THRIVE working alone and being solitary - most of the time.

BUT, I think that makes having a resolution harder when you don't have the support of a team. Heck, pretty much everything in life requires teamwork. Parenting, mentoring, most jobs, I even stress at interviews for daycare families that I expect my ALL parents to work with me as a TEAM to care for their kids. There is no "I" in teamwork. Right?

So, I'm thinking this next year I'd like to focus on losing some weight. I know I'd feel better for sure. It would be better for my hips and the periformis & severe lower back issues I'm having. Perhaps I wouldnt fall as much. And hopefully the severe exhaustion I've been struggling with the last 4 months or so would ease up. With fibro tho who knows if that will help. I'm going to need a team for support and encouragement when I'm not walking so well or struggling with pain.

So, I'm thinking SparkPeople maybe what I need. They have a great app for logging food, water and other details. They also have a great bunch of groups and maybe I can find a group for fibromyalgia survivors. One thing they've offered me as a new member is a new 21 day challenge to get started so I think I'll start there. Feel free to join me!

Do any of you use SparkPeople.com or their app for weight loss or maintenance support? What has been your experience?

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Video reviews: Christmas Break In & The Christmas Apron

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 25 Dec 2018 04:07:00 +0000

I'm a bit late posting these darling Christmas family movies - it's not to late to order them and watch them the week of New Years when kids are out of school. They are the kind of adventurous movies that kids love - especially Christmas Break in which sorta has a 'Home Alone' kind of feel. Order them on Amazon and likely you'll have them by the end of the week. Please note the kindle app won't allow me to add the trailer so you can watch on this post. Please click on the link - I promise you won't be sorry! :)

Christmas Breakin
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/302131170
Today was supposed to be one of the best days ever for 9 year old Izzy Rush. But now, on the last day of class before Christmas break, she has been left alone at school. To make matters worse, the biggest blizzard this town has ever seen is blowing and snowing full force. Which is why 3 bumbling crooks on the lamb decide to take shelter in the seemingly empty school. When Izzy discovers that the criminals are holding her friend Ray, the school custodian, she decided it's up to her to save the day. But what can a 9 year old girl do? Your be surprised!

Order Here

The Christmas Apron
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/295637919
The children in Millies family can't wait for Grandma to arrive with her special Christmas Apron. According to tradition, each child will write down the gift he or she wants most in the world and then slip that wish into the aprons pocket.Then on Christmas morning, those wishes for gifts will be magically waiting under the tree. But then 11 year old Millie overheard her parents: the family can't afford gifts for all the little ones. She pictures the disappointment in her siblings faces: nothing to open on Christmas morning. Is Millie willing to sacrifice her own whole-soul wish so that someone else's can come true? Full of tender emotion and delightful surprise, this story reminds us of the miracles that unfold when we think of others before ourselves.

Order here:

Disclaimer: I received a DVD of each movie to review and share my honest opinion. I was not paid to review these movies. All opinions were my own and are not influenced by FB, TW, Pinterest, Instagram, Google or any other platform.This disclosure is done in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. If you have any questions about this event or would like to host a review of giveaway, please email me at wswpub2@gmail.com

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Handmade Christmas Idea - O Holy Night

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 25 Dec 2018 03:20:00 +0000

Every year I struggle with coming up with Christmas ideas for the family. It's like this:

1) I like to match gifts to each persons personality and since I only see my brother & sister 1-2 times a year that gets hard. And of course my sisters kiddo's are growing up and kind of outgrowing the old book presents I've given them for the last 13-14 years. Their interests are changing and becoming more focussed and it's hard to match those interests without knowing them.

2) Money is tight and the family is getting bigger - altho it actually hasn't grown much physically. And the men in the family (namely brother & brother-in-law) are notoriously hard to shop for (I've threatened them with a paper sack if they don't give me ideas).

3) This year instead of doing a gift for each adult in the family I decided to do a gift for each couple but I had a requirement. It had to be quick and easy - between my day-care and my NaturalTherapyPacks business I'm working 18 hours a day and I'm exhausted and my time is at a premium. I needed to be able to do it half asleep lol. Anyway, I thought some of you might be interested in a quick, fun craft for a last minute gift.

O Holy Night picture

Materials needed:
* Wooden plaque: I used #SCH-299 from Sierra Pacific Crafts which is appr 14 3/4" x 14 3/4".

* Peace on Earth scrapbook page (on right) from the O Holy Night series from SimpleStories.com (this is discontinued but you might find it at your favorite scrapbooking or craft shop)
* Paints: I combined the following paints. It wasn't perfect but I wanted to get as close to the red ink on the paper and I got no where near it. I ended up with a very dark red black color. I used: Americana Alizarin Crimson and Apple Barrel Jet Black Matte Acrylic Paint.
* Sandpaper
* Sponge brushes (the cheap ones)
* Mod Podge Gloss #CS11205
* optional: coffee grounds or dark tea to create wash. This would be nice on a red or maybe a light wash. I did not do this step. It was suggested by one of the artists who work at the craft store I shopped at.

Super Simple Instructions:
~ I began by sanding down the wooden frame and then painting it then I wanted it again and let it dry.
~ Then I glued the picture to the frame and put several coats of mod podge gloss over the top
~ That's it. Super simple.

The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 23 Jul 2017 21:59:00 +0000

Hi everyone - how is your summer reading with the kids going? We are currently working on Chapter Book #2 for the summer:

This is the story of two kids, brother and sister, who are staying with their uncle throughout the summer while their folks travel. Peter is imagining a LONG boring summer complete with no TV, a old(er) Uncle who doesn't know what to do with 2 kids and a know it all older sister (only 1 year older but still....). Little does he know that he and his sister are the only ones can figure out the Secret of the Hidden Scrolls!

This year I have 2 kiddos that I'm reading it with. Connor will be 10 next month and still enjoys being read to. He is the same age as both the kids in the book and he is finding something in common with them. He is also connecting with the story and actually remembering what we read the day before and understanding what is happening as I read. Gianna is 3.5 and has been having a very difficult summer with listening and obeying so she isn't to thrilled with having to sit down and listen to the story - but she is doing it. She is actually doing pretty good with comprehending the story and able to answer some of the questions. By and large she is more interested in the pictures in the book though.

What I like about this series:

So far, we are about 2/3 of the way through the first book. We had just finished reading a Magic Tree House book which I personally always have a hard time reading due to the stilted story telling and because the writing is not smooth and easy to read. So, my first comparison with the Hidden Scrolls book and probably my favorite thing about the way the author writes is the fact that he doesn't "dumb" down the story for kids. The writing is smooth, natural and easy to read. It's written like I speak and with proper grammer which is how children's books should be written so they are learning the proper way to speak as they read. Children's books should also provide a challenge to their reading, their thoughts and comprehension so they have a bit of a stretch to understand. They should hear something new to a story each time they read it (I tend to read books over and over and over....). If I learn something new about the story or the characters I count a book as a success. Connor is understanding what the author is saying before I give him the answer in the book and can answer the questions, sometimes with a bit of thought occuring first, before Mike Thomas tells us what is happening. He is using the skill of prediction and sometime that is a very hard thing to learn. At the same time Gianna is learning to listen to the spoken word and beginning to get a picture in her head of what is currently happening. Finally Connor was looking at the book on Friday afternoon and asked the question every teacher, librarian, author and parent wants to hear: "Is there another book?" Yes, Connor there is a sequel. In fact, there is a entire series coming!"

Now, before I answer a question Im sure some of you are wondering - The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls is available for pre-order right now. Go to: https://www.worthykidsworld.com/ and learn how you can order it and also receive some great online activities for your kids to enjoy while you are reading to your kids or use them as a homeschool or book club activity. It looks like the next book coming up is about Noah's Ark.

Now, to answer your question... (off subject, kinda sorta):

I'm sure some of you are wondering why she (Gianna) is listening to a chapter book already? I started reading chapter books with her at around 18 months (she wanted to listen to The Magic Tree House books and actually did better than the older kiddos). As we all know reading books is important for developing language and I find that the books written a century ago have a high quality language and the reading skills required to read them are non-existent in today's books. Usually around age 4 I start reading the Classic books to my kids. Heidi by Johanna Spyri is usually the first book I read and then A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Princess and The Goblin by George McDonald. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett and The 5 Little Peppers (and the sequel) by Margaret Sidney appear around age 6/7 and so on.

These are the books I try to introduce to kiddos between 4-7 depending on attention span and ability to listen. We've also read The Jungle Book, Under the Lilac Tree (this is tough book to read to the younger readers - but it was one of MY favorites in elementary school!!!) and many others. We still also read many many story books as well and I try to have a few fun activities to go with them so she isn't totally deprived of age appropriate books like Curious George and Dora the Explorer which are 2 of her favorite characters right now...

So, that's all for now. Tell me what books are you reading with your kiddos this summer? Remember it is vitally important that you are reading TO your kids AFTER they learn to read as well. Parents need to make a effort to read to them as long as possible - up to and including Jr High. They need to be hearing proper sentence structure, the rhythm of reading, learning to comprehend and understand more difficult passages and they can only do that when you are reading with and to your older child.

Remember - I love comments:

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Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this book to read and share. I was not required to have a positive review or even leave a review. Thanks for reading GivingNSharing!

Scribble & Author Book Review & Blog Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 17:00:00 +0000

SCRIBBLE & AUTHOR

Author: Miri Leshem-Pelly

Publisher: Kane Miller Books

$12.99

An excerpt from the book:

A color spot,

some pencil lines,

and here you are… Scribble!

Hi, who are you?

Hello Scribble.

I’m the author, and I’m here to help you create your journey.

Let’s start at the beginning.

Wow, Author, you’ve created a beautiful beginning!

Where do I go next?

Well, it’s your journey, so it’s up to you.

What would you like to do?

About the book:

Scribble & Author is written as a dialogue between the main character, Scribble, and the author who created her.

Scribble's journey starts on a peaceful shore called THE BEGINNING, continues to the rough, adventurous MIDDLE, and leads finally to the gate of THE ENDING, but it’s not at all what Scribble expected… Scribble is a scribble and Author is an author, but who really gets to tell the tale?

A picture book about finding your own voice, making your own decisions, and writing your own story.

My thoughts:

I wasn't really sure what to expect from reading the blurb about the book. I have been purchasing Usborne Books though for years and love nearly everything they have ever put out (thats the first thing I look for at garage sales & thrift shops - it's like a thrill goes up my spine when I find one!).

The first things I thought when I received the book is:

1) It's not really for younger kids. I tried reading it with my 3.5 year old Gianna and I think we got about 4 pages in before I lost her. She is able to sit through a 18-20 page storybook that isn't fiction but she just wasn't ready yet for a book like this.

2) Now elementary age kids who are learning about the parts of a book and learning to use their writing skills may be able to read it and use it as a lead in to a activity. I'm thinking that Scribble & Author is for kids 7/8 and up.

3) I love the images in the book and I think a fun followup to do with preschoolers or elementary kids would be to have them "write" their own book using thumbprints and lines to illustrate their book. It would be fun to encourage kids to have the creature they create from their thumbprint talk back to them in the book. Can't you just see cute little thumbprint dragons, aliens and Darth Vadar's arguing with the author or planning an adventure?

4) Another neat feature of this book is the use of watercolor in the story. It adds another element to catch the eyes of the reader and the use of the brush and watercolors draw the readers eyes to the movement of the story and the final conclusion of the book. If you've ever seen a post or an article about mixed media journaling the pictures very much remind of that technique.

You can purchase Scribble & Author online @ Usborne Books & More for $12.99.

About the author:

Miri Leshem-Pelly is the author-illustrator of 14 children’s books. She’s also illustrated 14 books for other writers. When Miri isn’t writing she can be found speaking at schools, kindergartens and libraries. She is invited to do more than 200 presentations with her books per year. Miri is also a Regional Advisor for SCBWI (Society of Children’s book writers & illustrators).

Miri is represented by Olswanger Literary Agency. Miri’s works have won awards and her illustrations have been shown on several exhibitions.

Miri lives in Israel with her husband and two children, and loves reading books and going on nature hikes. Her latest book is Scribble & Author.

Find her at:

Website: http://mirileshembooks.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MiriLeshem

FB: https://www.facebook.com/mirileshem

Christmas in July ~ Sale & Discount

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 10 Jul 2017 05:01:00 +0000

Just a quick heads up - several of my Handmade Journey friends and I have all banded together and are providing shoppers with a special discount. Click on the image below and use the code: ChristmasInJuly20 to receive 20% off your order.

NaturalTherapyPacks ~ receive 20% from any order $14.99 and up.

(Sale is July 10-16)

To see the full list of participants go to: https://hjacademy.com/christmas-in-july-sale/

Christmas in July ~ Summer Loves

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 10 Jul 2017 00:52:00 +0000

What are your Summer Loves? Mine are:

Lazy Days ~ Summer Heat ~ Swimming at the Y

Watermelon and Cantalope ~ Sewing in the Summer Rays

Wet Hair and Reading a Good Book

The Kids and I have been reading quite a bit this summer. Arbordale Publishing has a FREE Summer Reading Program where we can read 25 of their ebooks for FREE and once we have Gigi will receive a FREE book to keep. The kids love FREE books! They learn all about different animals around the world, their habitats, what they eat, who their predator is and how they keep safe. Many of the ebooks make the animals sounds when you touch their bodies and well I never knew that the sounds of a zebra aren't anything like a horse or a donkey, or that giraffes make the sound they do. We've truly been enjoying their books.

Some of the books we've been reading:

Garage Sale Fun:

Friday we stopped at a kids & teacher garage sale. It's a good thing I didn't take more than $10. Books were .50 or $1 and there were a few toys too. I gave each of the kids a dollar and told them I had the right of veto. Usually I'll let them buy what they want but I can veto the sale if it's broken or sounds awful. If I see something usually I'll have them check it over in case I missed something that is broken. It works well for us. The car track thing has been our best purchase this year. It was $3 and they have used it as a marble run, a car track, a little people race trace, a water slide and more. They love it. So far, I've only had to confiscate it once because Miss G was throwing marbles....

Swimming at the Y:
We have been making an effort a couple times a week to go swimming at the Y. This year I had the option of raising my daycare fees to help cover the summer expenses & then I had a GREAT brainstorm: Parents can purchase each child a Monthly Youth Membership for $15 and we can go swimming as much as we want. It has been so nice knowing we can go swimming in a clean pool and we don't have the rough kids who plow everyone down at the splashpads nor do we have to deal with huge daycares/schools who bring 20-30 kids who take over. There are usually only about 10-20 people there and it's a wonderful pool. I only have 2 kiddos this summer right now - Connor (almost 10) and Gianna (3.5) so it works out great for us. She has gotten so much more comfortable in the deeper area of the pool and getting her hair wet. Loves to crab walk in the 0 Level entry. It's been perfect for us and it's one of the few places Gianna doesn't throw a fit for me. I do make her take a nap before going tho. Non-Negotiable!

What have you been doing?

Big Cat Little Kitty ~ Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 21 Jun 2017 23:54:00 +0000

Big Cat, Little Kitty

by Scotti Cohn

Pubished by: ArbordalePublishing

$16.95 (hardcover)

$8.95 (paperback)

$7.95 (ebook with auto-flip, auto-read, spanish/english)

Available in Spanish or English

Introduction:

Big cats are fierce predators that roam the world from the mountains to the deserts. How are these wild cats that hunt for their food the same as pet cats that might chase a mouse or ball of yarn? How are they different?

The award-winning prequel to this book, One Wolf Howls, introduces children to counting and the months of the year as they watch the seasons changing. This sequel introduces children to the days of the week as they travel to seven different world habitats to meet the big cats, and then back home to compare and contrast the domestic cat’s behavior to that of its relative. Compare/contrast big cat predators to little kitty cats each day of the week.

The illustrations are beautiful!

My thoughts:

This book teaches how Big Cats & Little Kitties are different in their behavior and the sounds they make as well as the following: big cats, domestic cats, days of week, habitats, math, life science, maps, the senses, tiger, cheetah, lion, snow leopard, cougar, jaguar, bobcat and cat. It's one of Gianna's favorites and she really gets into listening to the sounds.

At the end of the book there is a section called For Creative Minds that she can enjoy. Since she's only 3.5 most of the activities are over her head still but some can be tweaked and she surprised me by being able to talk about the cats shown on the world map and understanding which ones roar and which ones don't. There is also a Teachers Activity Guide available online at the books homepage. With 30 pages of worksheets, math, writing and science activities there is something for everyone to do (click on the title of the book above to see everything available to you). This book has won the Mom's Choice Awards Gold.

About the book:

Scotti Cohn is the award-winning author of One Wolf Howls, the prequel to Big Cat, Little Kitty, and is currently working on a third book in the series about migrating animals. She is the author of eight nonfiction books. Scotti’s short stories and poems have appeared in numerous magazines for young people. She has two grown children. Scotti and her husband, Ray, share their central Illinois home with five “little” cats. For more information, visit www.scotticohn.com

Disclaimer: I wasn't asked to review this book nor compensated for the review. We read it as part of the Summer Reading Program that Arbordale offers.

Arbordale Publishing's Summer Reading Program

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 18 Jun 2017 23:37:00 +0000

This summer Gianna and I have been participating in Arbordale Publishing's Summer Reading Program featuring 25 of their ebooks which they have provided to families to read this summer FREE of charge. She is enjoying reading the stories and I will let her pick the book she wants to read next. Usually she will pick the same one over and over and then I will pick one or two that I want to read. We've been reading the books on my phone and always get an error message that my phone screen is not compatible - but I can click on the OK and still read it aloud to her myself. The books feature animals, habitats and other nature things found around the world and many of the pictures have clickable sound links. Gianna has had a lot of fun touching the animals and listening to the sounds of the animals roaring, making unusual sounds like the clicking of a beetle or the purring of a Big Cat who wasn't made to roar (?!?). I had no idea that a zebra doesn't sound like a horse! and a Giraffe DOES make noise - I always thought they were silent!

They provide you with a Passport and Stamps that the kids (or you) can cut out and then the kids can paste them into their passport. When your child has read all 25 books you can mail in their passport and your child will be sent a book of their very own to keep.

So far we have read:

I also own several of these myself and it's been fun to listen to the noises and read them again!

It's NOT to late to join the Summer Reading Program:
You can read them online or via their Book App. (See the note below)

*****NOTE*****

The Summer Reading Program takes a few clicks to find. You will click here and then you will click on the image that opens up. That will lead you to the Summer Reading Program.
Scroll down on the first page and you will find downloads for bingo, the passport and a link to crafts, etc on pinterest.

Who is Arbordale?
For those of you who aren't familiar with Arbordale - they publish fascinating storybooks (and ebooks) for kids 3+ that are based on the animal world and feature Math and Science concepts. Each book includes a 3-4 page bonus activity section at the end of the book and teachers, homeschoolers and parents with enquiring kids can find another 30 pages of FREE learning worksheets, activities and more online. I've worked with them for about 7-8 years and have we have loved all the books we've read.

All of their books are completely vetted by teachers and all facts and information is accurate and up to date.

Linked up @:

Disclaimer: I wasn't asked to review this book nor compensated for the review. We read it as part of the Summer Reading Program that Arbordale offers.

Summer in the City - Week 1

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 05 Jun 2017 00:10:00 +0000

Lauritzen Gardens

Happy Summer y'all!

Summer has officially started. MrC is now FREE of school till August 17th I think and has made it through the 3rd grade and will be advancing thru to 4th grade this year. He is turning into a kind and thoughtful young man who is really really good with little kids and it's been interesting watching his interest in all kinds of building type things. MissG is on her last FREE year before she enters her school years. She starts preschool in August 2 mornings a week and her schooling will continue for 20+ years if she decides to be a doctor. She has been saying that since last Sept/October before she turned 3! She told my chiropractor she wants to be a doctor of bones.

I thought I'd take a page from The Seasoned Mom and share some of the FUN activities we are doing this summer. Heck this might become a series! Hope she doesn't mind! There is so much that is shared online that is FREE and The Omaha Public Library is the very first place I check starting in April as I plan our summers.Everything else we do is planned around their activities!

So here we go:

Monday I had no kids since it was a holiday.

Tuesday we began our day at the YMCA. MissG still had 3 days of swimming lessons to go. She was so excited about going to lessons and swimming and playing with MrC and then she would get stiff as a board and fight the teacher. It's a simple introduction to water and swimming so it was to help them get comfortable getting their face wet, moving in the water, lying on their back and crawling in the water. She does ok until the teacher asks her to lie back and put her head on the teachers shoulder and then she stiffens up. She did make it through the lesson though. Afterwards I had a chiropractor appointment. We were early about 40 minutes so we stopped at the park to play for a while.

Wednesday ~ MrC got a cool surprise when a former daycare mom stopped by during naptime with a HUGE drawer thing filled with Knex, the motors and even a solar panel to make the motors run. After nap we went to our first library activity & both kids had a blast! M.E.S.S. stands for math, engineering & science stations. This weeks activity involved racing balloons, creating a gas with baking soda and vinegar to blow up a balloon, etc… The kids loved it & I loved that it worked for both kiddos.

Thursday my bathroom was getting painted in the morning. YAY! This has been a 6 year battle with my landlord. His mother was dying and all his time and resources were tied up in her care till about a year ago. My bathroom floor was falling apart and the wall behind the toilet was having issues. My landlord is 70 now and he told me he didn't expect it to be such a HUGE job (It's been over a month and my litter box is still in the living room till the baseboard is finished - hopefully in the next week or so). I love my new padded flooring and the ADA toilet which is higher than most. I have a bad hip and it has helped me with my pain so much! YAY

Anyway, the kids and I went to Lauritzen Gardens on Thursday morning to get out of the house. We wanted to go see The Amazing Stinko which is supposed to be a rare plant that rarely blooms. It's supposed to be the stinkiest too & I wanted a picture of them holding their noses.... Entrance to the gardens was supposed to be free until it bloomed - you guessed it - it bloomed 3 days before we went. I decided to go ahead and pay to get in so the kids could see the trains, childrens gardens, the new observatory which is a huge rainforest. There are bananas and a huge trumpet shaped carniverous plants in there! (It eats bugs!!)

(I will be posting all my pictures of Lauritzen gardens as well as review in another post. )

Friday ~ MrC wasn’t feeling very well in the morning. He seemed very tired and Ms G was doing great (no swimming lessons!). I put her down for a nap because we were going to the farmers market to listen to music that night and so she could dance. You guessed it – the music was over by the time we got there, we went home and her Dora book wouldn’t work even with new batteries…. Friday was a very difficult day & it didn't help that no one got to play with the knex because they were left out the night before. You see we have a little rule - if I have to put them away they are MINE for 3 days.... They'll get them back on Monday.

Saturday night: Mr C and his mom took me to see Peter Pan at The Rose Theater. That was fun and it was nice to actually do something non work related for a change. Review

What did you do last week?

Summer in the City ~ Starts NOW!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 28 May 2017 21:58:00 +0000

Happy Memorial Day Weekend.... This month I've been working on Summer Plans for the kids. For those of you don't know I have a very very small "daycare". OK, it's more of a shared nanny between 2 families. I have a 3.5 year old girl who is FINALLY getting past her tantrum stage and getting better in control of her behavior and will start prek 2 mornings a week this fall. Then I have a 9.5 year old boy who I love as though he's my own. He is a super neat kid (ok, both of them are). This year for the first time in 3 years I have kids who are both old enough to have fun doing the many busy activities I have planned & we don't have to work around a strict nap schedule (I hope!!!).

I thought I'd share some of the activities on the calendar in June/July & you all are welcome to steal some of them for your own family.... Basically what I do is list everything I think they will be interested in and then let them take turns choosing which activity they want to do.

1) Both families are providing YOUTH memberships to the YMCA this summer. Youth memberships are $15/month and right now until 5/31 I believe the $49 registration fee is being waived. Check with your local YMCA to make sure it's still available and take advantage of the opportunity for summer swimming. Otherwise, they have open swimming for $5 most days. We are planning to swim 2 times a week so the Youth Membership is the best option for us. http://metroymca.org/find-my-y/ (search by zipcode to see where a Y is in your area)

2) The library here in Omaha offers an amazing summer program - be sure to check in your area. This years theme is Build a Better World. There are all kinds of STEM related activities - science, math, reading, mazes, robots, building, etc and most of it's for 4 but I think Gianna (3.5) will get to do quite a bit. We also get to go to Shakespeare on the Green and the Planetarium for Storytime & there's stuff for the grown ups too! Activity Guide: bit.ly/2qnWxxa

Also, the Public Schools here have the Sherwood Public Library Program. The kids get to do crafts, electronic learning, storytime, and receive a free book each week. We've done this for the last 5 years and I will call the schools directly if I can't find info on it. The kids love it!

3) Kid's Stewardship has a great Summer Vacation Survival Kit available for $6.99. It's designed by 2 teachers and provides 20 activities for the kids to work on without an adult telling them what to do all the time. I think this is something we'll use on rainy days and those few days I don't have anything on the calendar. Learn more at: http://bit.ly/SumSurvivalKit (Affiliate Link)

New Playground at Hanscom Park, Omaha, NE

4) Lastly: we always take bikes to the playground to ride, find new playgrounds (Omaha has hundreds of them), there's Hummel Park, Zorinsky Lake, Fontenelle Forest, the NEW Hanscom Park playground (above), etc... picnics, free movies at Regal Theatres, both Kids Bowl FREE and Kids Skate FREE programs, and there is so much more!

June Calendar - amazing huh? This just shows the library schedule nothing else!

Coming Soon ~ Scribble & Author Blog Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 14 May 2017 19:40:00 +0000

Coming Soon ~ Scribble & Author Blog Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 14 May 2017 19:40:00 +0000

Happy May Ya'All! A little Update.....

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 12 May 2017 00:12:00 +0000

I'm sure some of you have noticed that I'm not blogging regularly anymore. I'm sure some of you are thinking - "Really?"lol. My life has gotten busy as can be & I thought I'd take a few minutes, say Hi and catch you all up on what I'm doing.

- Still doing the daycare thing. Yeah, only 2 kiddos for now and always open to taking another. Gianna is now 3 1/2 (where has the time gone?) she's like my own - only I get to hand her off and sleep all night without a foot in the face or listen to all the arguments old and new on why she doesn't want to go to bed.
- Still have Connor who is now 9 1/2. What a neat kid he is! He loves math, science and this summer the Omaha Public Library is hosting the Summer Reading Program and focusing on STEM projects and activities for the kids. He will be in his element!

*** Click Here to See Our Summer Calendar ***

- School Ends 5/26 and my NaturalTherapyPacks selling season so far hasn't shown signs of slowing down (usually it ends the beginning of April) so I will be continuing to sell on base and at the Gifford Park Neighborhood Market as well as on Etsy. Just go ahead and click the link (you know you want to!)

- This year I've added a new product to NaturalTherapyPacks - Migraine/Sinus Pillows are for those who suffer from Migraines, Sinus Pain and Congestion, Colds, Flu, Sleeplessness and or just like the smell of Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Lavender and Rosemary all combined into Herby Goodness. These have been selling like hotcakes as have the lapsized rice packs which are unscented and can be used HOT or COLD to help you cool down this summer!
- Kids and I have joined the YMCA. They have this wonderful thing called a Youth Membership for $15 a month! Swim lessons for members are $56 and I can't wait to see Gianna swimming like a fish and Connor jumping off the diving platform. Think he's finally going to do it? We'll see!

You can find me regularly posting on (I'd love to see you more regularly that the few times I make it to my blog):

Stay in touch! Cheers!

Book Review: The Joyful Business Planner

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 10 Feb 2017 23:37:00 +0000

A little background:

The 4th quarter of 2016 my business took off. A few of you may know that I have a small business called NaturalTherapyPacks. I create hot/cold therapy packs, sinus pillows, migraine pillows and kids heat packs loaded with lavender buds. I have a small shop on etsy and also sell locally on the air force base, craft shows, thru 2 chiropractors offices, several shops and also via Facebook. I spent all of last fall sewing like crazy as I kept running out of product at my local shows. This happened 4 times between September and December!

I've come to the conclusion that I need to get more organized and I also need to start considering and praying about the future of my little business. I have for the first time started hearing back from customers that I've helped the last 3 years regarding how much my therapy packs have helped them with their chronic pain, migraines, allergies, etc.

The Joyful Business Planner

A Guesstimating Tool for Organizing your Small Business

by Kate Martin, CPO

ISBN: 978-1539141815

Paperback: $16.95

Recently I was asked to review The Joyful Business Planner by Kate Martin and while it's a small book I'm finding this book is exactly what I'm needing. I am not a organized person at all but the format of this book is carefully laid out with worksheets, calendars, tips and to-do suggestions.

The book is set up in 5 sections:

Part One is your business overview

- Your business plan, yearly goals, business at a glance and policies/procedures

Part Two is Marketing

- How are you going to tell everyone about the services and products you have available?
Part Three is Yearly Tracking

- What is your actual budget for the year?
Part Four is Monthly Calendars.

- Quarterly Reviews, see what went well and what you need to work on.
Part Five is Wishlists & Aspirations

- Worksheets showing customer wish list, my wishlist, website changes, etc...

I loved that I didn't feel overwhelmed and that the information is presented in small chunks that are easy to read and understand even when I'm tired, my mind isn't functioning so well and/or I'm so busy I'm being pulled in 6 different directions. Another thing I liked about the book is that I can see how it would be helpful for tax time since everything will ideally be done at the end of each quarter and organized in a easy to find format.

This book could easily be used for more than the Creative Entrepreneur. It will be helpful for anyone considering starting a business or already in business (and struggling like I am) & it will be useful for a variety of businesses.

Find Kate at: Organized Joy (her website) and on Facebook

Disclaimer: GivingNSharing was asked to review The Joyful Business Planner and provided a copy of the book. I did not receive any monetary rewards or other items. Thanks for reading GivingNSharing!

Fall Produce List and some delicious yumminess.....

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 04 Sep 2016 22:23:00 +0000

Fall is my favorite time of year. It's getting cooler, I'm not sweating like a pig and I can start cooking and crafting to my hearts content.

You can find a great list of Fall Produce Recipes on the Once A Month Cooking website. Don't these look delicious? Click here for a list of recipes you can use to feed your families healthy all fall & winter long! You can use Once A Month Cooking's website & Menu Planner to make planning your menus much easier. And if you use their Pro Members Plan you can actually create custom menus and use recipes you know your family will enjoy. =D

Apples:

Gluten Free Dairy Free Apple Sausage Quiche

Paleo Pumpkin Bread

Gluten Free Dairy Free Pumpkin Overnight Oats

Wild Rice Stuffed Chicken Breast (GF, DF)

And finally....
A recipe from me:
This recipe is based on one of my aunt's recipes for Apple Goodie. I tweaked it so it wasn't so sweet and basically took out about 1/2 the sugar. Feel free to do your own tweaking if you'd like.
=D Happy September!

Apple Crisp: (preheat oven to 350)

3 cups apples, sliced 1 Tb Flour

1/4 cup brown sugar 1 tsp cinnamon (to taste)

1/4 cup honey

Combine and pour into a 9x9" pan.

Note: You can skip the brown sugar and do a 1/2 cup honey instead.

Topping:

3/4 cup oatmeal

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup brow sugar

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup melted butter

Bake 30-40 minutes at 350 in a 9x9" pan. I like to add Carmel drizzled over the top but you could also add vanilla ice cream or whip cream if you prefer. YUM!

I'm linked up at:
Spiritual Sundays
Oh, My Heartsie Girl
One Mother Hen
Flour Me with Love
Mommy Monday @ Squishable Baby

Going back to:
Pluckies_Second_Thought (they are new to me....)

Prince Noah and the School Pirates (kids book review)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 28 Aug 2016 21:50:00 +0000

Prince Noah and the School Pirates

by Silke Schnee

ISBN: 978-0874867657

$ 13.14 (hardback)

About the book:

It’s time for young Prince Noah to go to school. The prince, who starred in the book The Prince Who Was Just Himself, may be a little slower than other students, but he has no less joy in learning. In his kingdom, children go to school on sailing ships. There is a ship for girls and one for boys. There is a ship for children with an eye patch, a ship for children with one leg, and a ship for children who are slower learners. No one knows why there are so many different ships, but it has always been that way.

Then a terrible storm drives the ships into the hands of pirates. The boys and girls realize that they will only escape if everyone does what he or she does best. Through their adventures, they learn that diversity makes us strong and that every person has something to teach us.

My thoughts:

This is a very fun book for children who have the attention span to sit and listen. There are a lot of words to this story and it reads like a storytelling session with Grandpa or Mom at bedtime. It will open up lots of questions like "why don't girls learn math" and "why is there a ship for boys and a different one for kids with one leg". Its a good opportunity for you to discuss how children and sometimes grown ups are treated differently from others and yet each person is able to participate and help with a problem in different ways.

I did try to read this book with my 2 year old but she barely has the attention span yet for a storybook unless it's very interactive. This one doesn't have a lot of rhyming text or sing song passages for her join in the story so it's didn't hold her attention. If you have a 4 year old that will sit for a fairly long story book this will be a great book to encourage thinking about situations and how we can help each other with tasks.

To see more books by Silke Schnee, click here.

To see more books by the publisher Plough, click here.

Disclaimer: I was offered a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. No money was offered for a positive review. Thanks for reading GivingNSharing.

Thrive by Le-Vel: What is it? (Giveaway)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 14 Aug 2016 23:10:00 +0000

For the last several months Ive been using a product called Thrive by a company called Le-Vel. I know most all of you have heard of them on Facebook but today I thought Id share a little about it and what my experience has been using it. I also thought Id post a video showing me unboxing my order and actually doing a bit of a vlog as well.

Why did I start The Thrive Experience?
* I was EXHAUSTED and my thoughts were FOGGY.
* I was afraid if I didn't get help I would have to close my in home daycare as I didn't feel (and I wasn't) that I was giving the children the care & attention they deserve and need.
* I felt like I needed to take a nap daily or else I would be out from 530 - 930 every night and then up until 2 am before I would crash again.
* Due to my weight and sedentary lifestyle that per the tests she was going to run I was likely to need to be on meds...... (this had me a bit worried since I don't have insurance.)

What was the result?
* Thrive gives me the energy, calmness, focus & participation my little ones deserve from me.
* My pain levels have eased most days - going from a 7-8 Pre-Thrive to an average of a 2-3 currently.
* I no longer feel so tired I need to sleep during the day or crash as soon as the kids leave.
* My cravings are gone! I can actually walk past donuts, soda and the hostess cupcake section! I am not drinking 3 32 oz sodas everyday saving me $3 per day just on sodas. The shake truly helps me with appetite control and cravings.
* Even though I'm not trying to lose weight - I have gone down 1-2 sizes depending on what Im wearing. I had to go shopping so my clothes weren't so baggy. Consignment Shops here I come!
* My test results came back with great results!
* My thought process is "I Can DO This!" more than "I cant or I don't feel like it." Most of all - I feel like I WANT to do things & this is an amazing feeling!
* I'm exercising most days! Wow! My support team: Gianna & Heidi (2) and I are using Lesley Sansone's Walking off the Weight videos - Mix & Match Walk Blasters: Mini Walks and Start! Walking. I'm only up to doing a 1 mile walk each morning and my 2 year olds make it through about 3/4's of a mile which I think is amazing! Without my new thought process this would not be happening!

What comes in The Thrive Experience? Watch this unboxing....

Would you like to know more & are your ready to do something positive and helpful for your body?

Are you ready to give your body the 100% Plant Based Gluten Free Premium Nutrition it deserves with No Chemicals?

If so, click the image to the right to start w your FREE account and look over the ingredients for yourself and then place your order.

Have questions? Email me HERE or would you like a ONE on ONE to learn more? You know me - I will give you my honest opinion, will make no claims and will not pressure you.

Disclaimer: I am a promoter and customer of Le-Vel and personally use their products. This review is based on my experience and no one elses. I was not asked by Le-Vel to review their products.

Linked up @

Helping your toddler understand language

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 07 Aug 2016 23:47:00 +0000

We all know how important it is to read to our kids and often I hear from parents "you have to many books" or "she doesn't need any books - she doesn't read them." Well, I always have to bite my tongue because how is a child to learn to love reading if no one ever reads to them? How are they to learn to focus on what they are hearing and start understanding instructions, descriptions, what people are saying to them if no one reads to them?

Today's books are dedicated to the smallest readers. Baby's and Toddlers. Yes, they don't read yet - but their vocabulary is growing 7 words each day. They are learning to pay attention, to listen, to focus and proper sentence structure. Reading is important to all children regardless of their age but especially to the 0-6 year old child.

Ten Tiny Toes

by Caroline Jayne Church

ISBN: 978-0545536011

$7.73 board book

About the book:

Caroline Jayne Church brings her adorable toddler art and lovely rhymes to this joyful twist on the tried-and-true classic, HEAD, SHOULDERS, KNEES, AND TOES. From ears that wiggle to bellies that giggle, TEN TINY TOES is sure to inspire little ones as they learn to celebrate their "mouth, ears, eyes, nose, and a love that grows and grows."

My thoughts:

This adorable book is one of 2 year old Gianna's favorite books. The pictures in the book are of an adorable baby that really connected with Gianna and she will mimic the actions of the baby – one page shows him waving his arms and she will do so, another shows him touching his toes and yet another he’s balancing on one leg. When we are finished we sing the "Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes" song. This would make a really cute book for a baby shower or a first birthday gift.

God Made You Just Right

by Jill Roman Lord

ISBN: 978-0824919764

$7.99 board book

About the book: A bright and cheerful reminder that God made each of us special and unique

Here is a message that every parent will want to share with his or her child: You're brilliantly created and there s no one else like you! With easy-to-understand descriptions and simple, rhyming text, Jill Roman Lord shares the message that God created each of us in just the right way in a manner that even the youngest child will understand. Bright and engaging illustrations from Amy Wummer pair perfectly with the text and enhance the appeal of the book. Ages 2-5.

God made you very special

And I hope you know it’s true.

Your’re brilliantly created,

And there’s no one else like you!

My thoughts:

This book is for the slightly older infant or younger toddler. Gianna still hasn’t really connected with it but I don’t think it will be much longer. The story itself has quite a few more words with each page consisting of 1 long sentence that requires a little more ability to focus on the picture and comprehend what the phrase is saying. The words are a bit bigger too and unless your child is used to you using “bigger” words like brilliantly, perfect, special, blessed they may not understand them till they are closer to 3 or 3 ½. Gianna has been speaking in full sentences since she was just 2 and she regularly uses these kinds of words – but she is not yet sitting to listen to longer passages of words

This is a wonderful book that encourages and shows children that they are special to God. He took the time to plan each child and knew their purpose and needs before they were born. The images in the books are full of joy and emotion and kids can easily see the description of what the text is saying.

I personally think this book is for kids 2 ½ and up – if your child is not ready to sit and listen to lots of words it would be very easy to share the books and talk about the pictures. What is the child doing in this picture? Are they happy or sad? You can also encourage your child to act out what’s happening on that page: He made your two legs super strong (accent the words Super Strong) to RUN and JUMP and PLAY. This is an example of a sentence that you can say to your child as well as your day goes on – it’s great for interaction, practicing word combinations and helping your child understand or comprehend what you are saying.

I received a copy of each of these books to read and review on GivingNSharing. I received no money and was just asked to give my honest opinion of each book. Thanks for reading!

Gettin' some Zzzzz help from ZzzQuil

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 11 Jul 2016 01:08:00 +0000

It happened again. About a week ago my lower back went out - Oh, you want to know where & how? You don't need to know that.... It actually hasn't happened in quite a while. I have issues with my hips not lining up correctly and when it goes out my lower spine tends to twist and my left leg drops and drags and then I trip.

Anyway, after 2 chiropractor visits (the 2nd one was wonderful & then my back went out again the next morning) and a massage visit (which was wonderful as well) I was left very sore and in a lot of pain from my ribs on down through my hips.

About a month ago I was offered and accepted a VoxxBox for ZzzQuil and since I have occasional sleepless nights I thought why not? I try not to take any kind of sleep aid but lately it seems I've been needing it more and more as new Fibro symptoms seem to be showing up. My VoxxBox came in early this week and I decided to take one of the pills after my massage so I could sleep off the worst of the pain.

Details:

1) ZzzQuil is for the relief of occasional sleeplessness, non-habit forming, it's not for cold or the flu.

2) ZzzQuil is only for helping you to sleep & wake up refreshed.

3) You need to make sure you have a 7-8 hour period for sleeping without interruption.

4) You should be ready to sleep within 20 minutes.

My experience:

I fell asleep after I got home from the massage therapist which is normal for me. I find sleep is the best pain reliever with my Fibromyalgia Pain and often I fall asleep for several hours until my body wakes up on its own. The end result is that usually I cannot sleep until early in the morning - anywhere from 2-4 am!

I took ZzzQuil on a weekend so I didn't have to worry about waking up with the alarm. It was Saturday that I had my massage and I slept from 630 - 9:30 in the evening. (This is common with my fibro). I knew by 2 I wasn't going to go back to sleep even though I was tired so I decided to take 1 of the pills. I took it around 2:15 and finally fell asleep around 3:30. I would of probably fallen asleep around 245 but Lily the Cat decided to start yowling at something outside about then so I had to get up, turn on the air, calm her down and shut all the windows so she would quit waking up the neighborhood. (No idea what got into her - this is a new thing lately)

I woke up about 10 am on Sunday morning. Did not feel drugged or nauseous before or after sleeping which is usually the way I feel after taking some medications particularly ones that make me sleepy. I was very impressed. I was also pain free thanks to all the sleep I got after my massage as well as the massage itself. I will definitely keep ZzzQuil for those nights I cant sleep - I love that it's not habit forming and that I wasn't nauseous or dizzy when I woke up.

Disclaimer - I received a sample of ZzzQuil to review on GivingNSharing in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to have a positive review.

4th of July & Old Cars

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 06 Jul 2016 22:28:00 +0000

Hi everyone ~ I hope you enjoyed your 4th of July Independence Day activities! Did you have a family reunion? Go on vacation? Spend a quiet day at home wishing your dog wasn't going crazy from the fireworks (or was that your neighbors dog howling at the moon?)....

I had a quiet day. My folks came down and brought me their 2007 Pontiac Vibe Wagon. My old car wasn't a good car for hauling daycare kiddos around. I'd had it for 10 years, 2 babies and 3 school kids. It was a really really tight fit. But you know, I can't really complain - it was a wonderful car for 10 years, 2 layoffs, 8 years of craft show & Usbourne Book bookfairs, 6 years of daycare living, etc...

Is anyone looking for a nice car? It's a 2004 Olds Alero - it has a bit of a rough body although it isn't terrible. A little rust, a hole in the rear bumper from my aunt backing into it (hey - she paid off the car for me with that little one lol - I'd just been laid off so I was happy), and the 2 side front windows need to be replaced. They aren't broken just don't stay up all the time..... it's been a wonderful car over the years. If you or your hubby know how to work on cars it will continue to be a wonderful car for many years to come!

This is a picture of the car - it's a darling little 2 door 2004 Olds Alero. Just got the oil changed today, got a nice vacuuming and is ready to go to it's new home. It has some power to it but if you have a responsible teen or college student who doesn't text & drive or haul lots of little teeny boppers around it would be a good car for them....

This is Connor in the picture strutting his stuff hauling soil for our gardening activity that day....

If you are interested in a great car ~ email me @ wswpub2(at)gmail(dot)com

Menu Planning?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 04 Jul 2016 22:28:00 +0000

Please note: This is a sponsored post that contains affiliate links.

How many of you actively Menu Plan? I don't. With it just being me and 1 or 2 kids at the most we just eat left overs for a couple of days, sandwiches, GF or healthy chicken nuggets and soup very occasionally. I love it - but Gianna? Not so much. She drinks the broth - forget the filling.

Recently I heard of a new Freezer Planning program called Once A Month Planning. Now, I know it's not NEW NEW but this is the first time I've really looked at the program. Really I just need a couple of meals each week and I can fill in the rest of our menu with what I have on hand. I'm always looking for snack ideas, kid friendly meals and high protein foods & snacks are a huge bonus. Keep in mind I can't have any dairy or soy so cheese and yogurts are out for me. Gianna won't eat most grains at all - no bread, no noodles except spaghetti and MacsNCheese and no veggies usually. Connor? Yeah... he'll eat apples & bananas, oatmeal, meat - but no potatoes or broccoli, he will eat corn, mixed veggies and that's about it. Life is hard.....

Once a Month Meals is a membership based Menu Planning service where you have your choice of 9 different kinds of meals like: Paleo, Traditional, Gluten Free, Vegetarian & REAL FOOD! Lol! There's even a Baby Menu!

They just started a new planning service called: Summer Instant Pot Mini Menu - so if you like Pressure Cooking this menu will be perfect for you! You will find delicious recipes like: Instant Pot Tender Braised Short Ribs, Buffalo Chicken, Honey Pork Chops, Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken & Marinated Steak. Sounds nummy right?

So, now that you've chosen your menu - now is the time to tell the database how many people you are feeding and then you have the option to have a shopping list created for you, prep day instructions & cooking day instructions prepared, labels and more. Another bonus to their program is that if there is something you already know wont work with ultra picky ~~husbands~~ kids you can swap out a meal and create your own custom menu.

Once a Month Meals planning service is $16 a month - or you can purchase a whole year at a time. If you aren't sure if you want to invest in the whole year why not just start with a month and see how it goes? It's very easy to do and I'm sure you'll love the program as much as I do!

Watch to see how I do with my new menu planning adventure. I'm actually going to use it to prepare some yummy deliciousness for the freezer for this fall. Preschool homeschooling starts up this year and it will be so nice to have a few meals in the freezer that I can pull out, pop in the crock pot or the oven and just go about our day....

Please note: I am an affiliate with Once a Month Meals and receive a small amount for each membership purchased through my affiliate link. Each little bit goes a long way toward our budget and is great appreciated. All comments and thoughts above are my own.

Summer 2016 ~ planning for the fall & a prayer request

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 03 Jul 2016 21:59:00 +0000

Well, how has everything been going for you? I've been very busy lately - so busy I haven't been online a lot.

Kids out of school & yes, they're bored. Sort of....

Between car issues, kid struggles, me being down with a 6 week migraine and G being 2 now. Enough said - hmmmm.
We had a 2 week period with 100 temps - but the last week has been very nice. Yesterday 7/2 it was in the high 60's!! Gasp! Tomorrow 7/4 it's supposed to be in the low 80's so it should be a fairly nice day. =D

Anyway,

I am in the process of setting up the first 2 weeks of preschool for Gianna. We will have 2 themes each month and thanks to my friend Cheryl's wonderful website we have lots of fun things to do & my job is MUCH easier as far as planning!

We will also be participating in activities at Fontenelle Forest and Hummel Park. Both have wonderful preschool programs. Fontenelle does a awesome Art Preschool Program. Centers are set up related to a weekly topic such as birds, insects, winter animals, etc. Kids can play with playdo, paint, build with blocks, watch the birds in their birdhouses, go for a walk throughout the forest, read stories and there are also fun art projects where you create your project using parts of nature like seeds, flower pods and more.

Hummel Park Nature Nook is a preschool program for kiddos 3-5 approximately although older kids are welcome to join in the fun too. This program is set up on Friday mornings and moms often take picnic lunches and stay after to play in the forest or with the toys in the Nature Center which will be open till about 5 pm. Gianna & Connor loved going to the Nature Center the one time we got to go last year. Bonus: it's only $1 per child.

My other hope is that I can get her involved in the Yoga Kids activity at the community center. We'll see how that goes....

If you homeschool or are a in home daycare share what your plans are for very young preschoolers. Gianna will be 3 in December so we are going to play it by ear. She LOVES learning - she knows her ABC's, their sounds, recognizes their shape and can answer simple questions about them. She also knows her 123's, sings all the time and loves to do crafts or as she calls it her "artworks". LOL

Hope you all find this to be helpful.

PS: I won't be on as much as I used to obviously. Right now, I'm running 3 businesses, and would love to have prayer as I try to fill a spot for a new daycare child. I am down to one and really need a new family. Please pray that this new family is a great fit - all my families for the last 3 years have been christians and I can't tell you what a nice thing that is to have. Thank you!

Tot School Nursery Rhymes & Fingerplays for March & April

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 14 Mar 2016 01:31:00 +0000

For the last 4-5 months Gianna (2) and I have been working on little songs each month to learn. Sometimes they are picked due to the season, sometimes she'll hear a song that she wants to learn and sometimes like this month I choose what song we are going to work on. So far we have learned the following songs (links to lyrics are in the brackets):

November/December: Frosty the Snowman

January: the "Joy Joy" song (I've got the joy, joy, joy down in my heart!) (click here)

February: ABCDEFG Jesus Died for You and Me! (click here)

March & April: Various Fingerplays and Rhymes.

One of the things I like to do especially with songs that aren't as familiar to me or maybe I don't remember the words 100% from my own childhood is post little posters on the wall so I can see the words at a glance. Carson Dellosa sent me one of the Mini Bulletin Set and I made up a cute display that I can look at it during our lunches & snacks which is when Gianna and I sit and visit while we eat.

In the "display" above I posted our Spring Bucket List using Blank Header so we could refer to a list of activities for Gianna (and Connor/Madison) when they are bored (or driving me nuts) and need to find something fun to do. I also used 4 of the Small Signs to write out 4 finger plays we are learning and several of the little accent pictures with nursery rhymes. It makes it MUCH easier if we can just refer to a card as we are learning these rhymes & songs and Gianna uses the pictures on each card to find a song or rhyme she wants to work on.

I also needed a calendar display near the front door to refer to for playdates, craft shows for my Therapy Pack business as well as a place to put artwork and pictures of the kids. All of the pieces (the watering can, raindrops, umbrellas, flower pot accent piece and flower accent come from the same set and I still have more pieces although not a lot of them to use for other things. I'm thinking about making up a weather display and may use an umbrella and a raindrop for the rainy weather picture and we'll talk about rainy days as well as Sunny Days and appropriate clothes and gear we might need on those days.

I really liked the Spring Mini Bulletin Board Set - it's very versatile and while I am using it for tot school I think you could use it to create a game using the Blank Header for Counting and Alphabet review, use the raindrops and umbrellas for calendar time or perhaps to make up a folder game to review math or phonics problems and so much more. It's only $6.99 too!

The Fingerplays and Nursery Rhymes used in the top display are:

1) 5 Little Green & Speckled Frogs

2) This is my Garden

I'll plant it with care.

Here are the seeds

I'll plant in there.

The Sun Will Shine,

The Rain will fall

The Seeds will sprout

and grow up tall!

3) Mary Mary Quite Contrary

4) Jack N Jill (she LOVES this one)

5) Here are the Bees Hives (and this one)

Where are the Bees?

Hidden away where no one sees (make a fist)

Soon they'll come creeping

Out of the hives

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Bzzzz

(hold fingers up as you count and then go Bzzzz!)

6) Here is a bunny (hold up 2 fingers)

With ears so funny

And here's a hole in the ground. (make a hole with your other hand)

At the first sound she hears

She pricks up her ears (stand fingers up tall)

And pops right into the ground. (pop fingers into the hole)

Disclaimer: I received a package of the Spring Mini Bulletin Board Set to review. I was not required to have a positive review only to share my honest opinion. Thanks for reading!

Calphalon Classic 12" Non-Stick Everyday Pan ~ Incredible Baked Meatballs

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 27 Feb 2016 23:14:00 +0000

My girls check out the new Calphalon Classic Skillet....

How many of you slog through each day dealing with a "non" stick skillet that sticks? I have had my current skillet for over 10 years and absolutely LOVED it until it decided to start sticking. It's a Circulon 12" skillet that I picked up at the outlets in Colorado right after I got laid off. I had gotten a sizeable package from a company I had worked at for several years and treated myself to a vacation and came across this wonderful skillet that was clearanced for $25. I have been a Circulon fan ever since!

Then I started having issues and I'll be honest I've been to lazy to take it to the post office and mail it back to Circulon to see if they can do anything with it. It has a lifetime warranty so really I should just bite the bullet and take the time to do something about it.

So, when I was offered the opportunity to try a Calphalon Classic Nonstick 12" Everyday Pan I said "Heck YES!" I definitely would love to give you my honest opinion on your pan!

I can honestly say that I did (and am) thoroughly enjoying my new skillet. It's big enough to cook 3-4 smallish hamburgers, a 1/2 recipe of delicious Italian meatballs (recipe below), 6 scrambled eggs and I'm sure quite a bit more. We don't cook a lot of fancy foods and my fibro doesn't give me the energy (or want to) to make fancy french dishes anymore (Chicken with 30 cloves of garlic being one of my faves!)....

Pro's:
1) I love the roominess of this pan. It's deep enough to make a nice "stir fry" or pasta dish without worrying about going over the edge (unless my 8 year old gets too into his cooking).
2) I LOVE how easy it is to wipe clean. So far I haven't had any issues with sticking or burning. Granted I've only made a few items with it so far - I do have several recipes in my "too make" file though. This one will likely be coming soon.)
3) It can be used in the oven up to 450 - I like the handles. You do need to use hotpads with the handles obviously but I really like how the weight seems more evenly distributed somehow and not as awkward as my old Circulon pan is. It just seems much easier to carry when it's full of food and needs to be pushed into the oven.

Cons:
1) The lid doesn't have a steam release so if you need to release steam you will need to cock the lid a bit. The lid also doesn't fit down into a groove & can be nudged or knocked off the rim of the pan easily especially when moving it to the oven.
2) The handles do get hot but I use hot pads regularly so it really doesn't bother me all that much. It's just common sense to use pads anyway.

One of our families favorite meals is Meatballs. It seems like whatever I make whether it's actually meatballs or chopped hamburger in a casserole everyone calls them meatballs especially 2 year old Gianna. Sorry, I don't seem to have any pictures on FB or my phone. Meatballs are meatballs though.

Incredible Italian Meatballs
1# hamburger (could also use hamburger/pork mixture)
2 eggs, beaten with 1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup breadcrumbs (I use the Italian seasoned one - hence the Italian in the name)
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup fresh basil, minced

I use the following ingredients to change it up some & directions:
1) breadcrumbs - I use the Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2) onion - I use the frozen chopped ones or the 'Mirepoix' blend from Baker's. I like this way to add extra veggies. =D
3) I mix it all together and fry them up in the skillet. I don't really cook them all the way through just brown them nicely.
4) Pour a can of Contadina Pizza Sauce in a 8x8 baking pan or if cooking all the meatballs use a 9x13 baking pan and use a large (about 16oz?) can of Pizza sauce or use a whole jar of Spaghetti Sauce (I use the HyVee Chunky Garden Spaghetti Sauce for even MORE veggies in my kids).
5) Make golf-ball sized meatballs (or larger if you want)
6) Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Serve with extra sauce and breadsticks or garlic bread. YUM!

You can find the Calphalon Classic Everyday Pan in stores like JcPenny, Bed, Bath & Beyond and Williams-Sonoma. Online you can find it for $39.99 here.

I'd love to hear which pan is your favorite - just share it in the comment section below.

Disclaimer: I received this pan for free in exchange for my honest opinion. I really enjoyed using this pan and though perhaps my readers would as well.

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