Coming to a Nursery Near You

Archive for June, 2008

Congratulations to the winners of my Blogoversary Giveaways that I held last week. 

The winner of the Cool Songs Collection & Times Table Fun CDs by William Avery is Beckie (Spookie) over at spookiez spot.   I hope she & her kids enjoy it!

The winner of the Olive Kids Placemats giveaway is Ginny over at Mom of 2 Dancers!

Thanks to all who participated, and don’t worry if you didn’t win.  I have MORE givewaways coming soon!  Be sure to subscribe to my feed so you don’t miss a chance

arewethereyetmom.com is having a photo contest whose theme this month is “weddings or 4th of July” so of course, I picked a wedding photo I took last week to enter.  So I entered this one:

and yes, I will totally be depending on you guys to go vote for me when voting opens

Summertime can bring lots of fun and excitement to your kids’ lives. There’s so many activities that can keep them (and you!) hopping!

The Mommy Docs @ www.mommydocs.com, together with Clorox, have compiled some really great tips for keeping the kids in your life (whether they’re your kids, grandkids, nieces or nephews) safe this summer and they’re encouraging bloggers to share them with their readers everywhere. They are:

• Have a Sun Protection Strategy: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends sunscreen with a minimum Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15. Look for products that provide “broad spectrum” coverage to protect against both UVA and UVB rays. Use this sunscreen routine with your child–daily application 30 minutes before going outside and reapplication every 2 hours (or sooner if swimming, toweling off, or sweating). Creating a routine will establish good habits for the future. In addition, don’t forget a wide brim hat, sunglasses with 99-100% UVA/UVB protection, and sun protective clothing.

• Keep Pests off Your Little One: In the summer, many insects can bite or sting your child. For pesky mosquitoes and ticks, consider a DEET containing insect repellent. Apply sparingly to exposed skin (avoid backs of hands and around the eyes and mouth) and/or to clothing once a day. As the percentage of DEET goes up, the duration of action increases. To prevent unnecessary exposure, always use the lowest percentage that will last for the planned length of time spent outdoors. Never go above 30% or use on children under 2 months old.

• Keep the Pool Cool and Clean: Small yard pools provide a great way for kids to have fun and cool down when the temperature rises, but they can also harbor germs, such as bacteria. To keep the pool free from unwanted “swimmers,” after each use disinfect it with bleach by cleaning with a solution of ¾ cup regular bleach to one gallon of water, then rinse well and dry thoroughly. Safety must: Always supervise children regardless of age when they are around any water; whether it’s a bucket, a small backyard plastic pool, or the local community pool.

• High Heat Means Hydrate: Excessive heat exposure may cause your child to experience a heat-related illness such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion, or even heat stroke. How to prevent this: take breaks in the shade, avoid playing outside during peak sun exposure hours, and drink, drink, drink! Make sure your child is taking in plenty of fluids before he becomes thirsty.

• Rid Rashes and Relieve Itchies: Running through the yard in bare feet, taking a nature walk on a trail, and picnicking in the park are some of the joys of warmer weather. But all of this outdoor activity can expose your child to a host of plants including those which cause poison ivy, poison oak or poison sumac. If an allergic reaction occurs, ask the pediatrician about an oral antihistamine and/or a topical skin care product such as a steroid cream or calamine. If the rash is extensive, looks infected, or is not getting better, call your doctor right away.

Thanks for reading these great summer safety tips, brought to you by mommydocs.com! Are there any that you’d like to add?

perhaps not a typical interpretation of “bright”, but it worked for me.

Look at how bright my son’s eyes are. I simply can’t wait to see what he looks like when he’s a grown-up. *sniffle* Love me my boys!

note: the variations on the original are courtesy of the awesome new plugins on my Windows Live Writer

I’ve also posted another interpretation of “Bright” over at my photo blog, reflections by dawn. Won’t you visit me there as well?

While you’re at it, go check out all the other cool photo hunter pics

Hey, have you entered my giveaways? They end on Monday!

REMINDER: If you leave a comment, please remember to click the box that says you’re a photo hunter participant, otherwise your link will not show up in Mr. Linky!

Quote of the Day:
So long as you rob Peter to pay Paul, you’ll have Paul’s support.
–Anonymous

That’s the tagline for Yummy English Snack Productions. As a home schooling family, finding anything to help my kids learn is always foremost in my mind. So when I received an email from William Avery, the creator of Cool Songs Collection and Times Table Fun, asking me if I’d like to review it, of course I said yes.

The day the cds arrived, I put the Cool Songs Collection in the cd player during breakfast and we listened to it over pancakes. Mr. Avery’s poems that he wrote while teaching English in Taiwan range from the Chinese Zodiac signs to seasonal and color themes. There’s 30 songs just on that one cd! Very creative and original, they had Zachary be-bopping in his high chair!

The Times Table Fun cd was a bit more challenging to sell, because as it turns out, Anthony has struggled with times table learning this year. He’s got MOST of them memorized, but not all. So when I put this on, he rolled his eyes and wanted to go to his room, but I asked him to please just sit there and listen – that, OMG – he MIGHT learn something.

By the time they got to the 5s, he was singing along. Libby was too, and of course, she has no idea WHAT the times tables are – but she was enjoying it nonetheless.

The music style isn’t what I’d consider “our” style – we’re more into country and/or rock – but the idea behind the songs is what I enjoyed. Making learning fun – making learning DELICIOUS – is what it’s all about with William Avery’s Song Collection. Also, you can listen to a sampling of several of the songs here.

Here is Mr. Avery’s recipe for Yesnack:

YESnack Recipe: 4 cups of creativity and teaching experiences. 4 cups of inspiration. 2 tablespoons of fun. Season with memorable melodies and groovy beats. Add a generous dash of happiness. Put in CD player and play for 70 to 90 minutes.

Here’s the best part! As part of my two year blogoversary celebration, I have an extra double-cd set for YOU! Yes, YOU! All you have to do is leave me a comment. Hmmm… for this one, tell me what your favorite kid’s song is/was. I will pick a random winner on June 30th!

Quote of the Day:
In this world, it is not what we take up, but what we give up, that makes us rich.
–Henry Ward Beecher