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Find Amazing, Fun, & Free Resources at School Sparks!

All Children Can Start School Prepared to Succeed!

That’s the goal behind a totally amazing website I found today, School Sparks, where you’ll find a ton of really great resources for your child.

School Sparks is targeted towards parents of preschool kids, who are preparing them for school, and wanting to know if their child has the needed skills and development to start kindergarten. It has an assessment you can use to see how your little one is doing, and loads of great resources and activites! It’s also great for those with kiddo’s who have already started school, with fun activities to reinforce the skills that they’re learning each day.

Read More:

This site is run by Renee, who is a preschool and kindergarten teacher, now retired after decades of educating young children. Heather is her daughter, mother of two young boys. This blog is their collective scrapbook, passing wisdom from one generation to the next.

Free eBook:

Get the Free eBook, Stepping Stones for Early Readers, that will help prepare your little one for school, as well as help develop reading skills in kids who are already learning words at school.

Free Worksheets:

Printable preschool and kindergarten worksheets

This site has over 100 different Kindergarten worksheets that you can access and print! There are sections for developing gross and fine motor skills, social and emotional awareness, and fun pages like Alphabet Parade. I love, love, LOVE these printable worksheets! We put some of them into page protectors, so that my little guy can use dry-erase markers to do activities several times.

Free Assessment Test:

This site also has a Kindergarten Readiness Testthat is really easy to use. It asks a few questions in each of the major categories, and you simply click a box for “yes or no”, then get an evaluation of what your kiddo might want to work on to get ready for school. My littlest guy is starting Kindergarten this year, so this was a really cool tool to see where he still needs some help!

Understand How Early Child Development in 8 Areas is Critical to School Success:

Letter and Word AwarenessGet information on Early Childhood Development, including what will be expected of your little one during preschool and kindergarten.

This covers the 8 areas of that are most important:

  • Gross Motor Development
  • Fine Motor Development
  • Auditory Processing
  • Visual Discrimination
  • Letter and Word Awareness
  • Phonemic Awareness
  • Math and Number Awareness
  • Social and Emotional Development

This is just one of the coolest sites, with SO much helpful information and tools, and it’s all presented in such a bright, fun, easy to find layout.

You can find them anywhere you’re hanging out on the web:

{More great kids activites: Sign up for free, educational, safe gaming accounts just for kids: Time Island, and Kabongo, two of our families favorites!}

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FREE Back-to-School T-Shirts!

Make your own FREE Back-to-School T-Shirts!

Yep, that’s right, it’s back! Vistaprint is doing it’s FREE CUSTOMIZED T-SHIRT promotion again:

1 FREE Customized T-Shirt! Choose from a variety of designs and add your own text to make your design unique! These T-Shirts are made of 100% Pre-Shrunk cotton and are available in sizes from S to XXL. The T-Shirt is FREE, just pay for Shipping and Processing! Click Here to get started!

So much fun!

Read the details:

You can choose the slower shipping option to get the cheapest price. It says it will take “up to 21 days”, but trust me, you’ll get it much quicker. About a week, maybe a week and a half tops, is the longest I’ve ever waited for my purchases. If you use that option, you’ll only pay $4 bucks for your T-Shirt. That is a STEAL for a good quality, totally customized shirt!

A few more examples of T-Shirts that we designed for the first day at school…

My nephew goes to Terrace Heights Elementary School, and wanted to show his School Spirit. He is SO excited for this T-Shirt to get here!

 

 

This one is for my other nephew. This year is his first year going to school. I can’t believe he is starting Kindergarten… How on earth did I get so old??

There are TONS more designs to choose from!

Any teenager can find some great designs too- Guitars, sports, abstract, and more. You can also upload a pic, and make gifts for grandparents, or your business logo or blog can be advertised too!

What will YOU make with your free T-Shirt??

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Calling all accessory junkies…. FREE JEWELRY!

Who else is an accessory junkie??

Take a quick, fun, style assessment quiz, then have a stylist put together a package of awesome accessories, chosen just for you! Plus, keep reading to find out how to earn FREE stuff…

It’s free to take the short assessment, and you can see their personalized selections for you for FREE too. Super fun.

If you want to buy the packages they put together, you can sign up and get one new, super discounted, personalized accessory assortment package each month- It’ll have a mix of rings, earrings, necklaces, and bracelets.

If you don’t want to buy, no problem!

It’s still kind of fun to see what they’ll choose for you, and find some cool new stuff! Plus, the prices are so great, and they’re really good at putting together personalized choices… You just might score a perfect new deal!

Earn FREE jewelry too!

Once you sign up, you can get your personalized link, and start sharing YOUR favorite jewelry pieces with your friends on Twitter and Facebook. Then, every time they make a purchase, you earn free jewelry!

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Free Old Navy Flip Flops!

Are you a member of Crowdtap yet?

If not, get on it!! Sign up at Crowdtap, and get a buck in your account just for joining. Then, have some fun and start participating in polls and discussions! The more active you are, the more chances you’ll have to win money, and get to participate in fun product parties and events!

old navy, crowdtap, style council

My Old Navy Parties:

Summer Shorts Party: I got to take 3 friends on a shopping spree… For FREE! It doesn’t get better than that, I tell ya. Each of us got to pick one new pair of Old Navy shorts {loved the selection this year too!}, plus a fun summer top and accessory to match.

Tank Top Party: I got to take another set of 3 friends shopping, and we each got to pick out a fun new summer tank top from Old Navy! I got a super cute pink one, with a ruffled shoulder, and I stinkin’ love it. Fits perfect.

New Fall Denim: I’m doing this one next week- I get to take one of my besties with me, and we each get to choose a brand new pair of Jeans from Old Navy’s great new styles for back-to-school! I’m thinking some new skinnys to tuck into boots…

Now, the Flip Flop product test! Bunches of us lucky Crowdtap ladies will get to try out some new Old Navy flips that haven’t hit stores yet, to give some feedback. I. Love. Flip. Flops. I wear them all year, even in winter. And I live in Washington state, which is NOT a flip-flop-friendly state in the winter! But I love ’em.

What are you waiting for? Get signed up at Crowdtap today!

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Take the -No More Frump Mom- Challenge!

No More Frump Mom Challenge

Who Wants to Join Me in the “No More Frump Mom Challenge” from Rita Reviews?

You don’t have to be a blogger to be facing this problem… Any woman that works from home probably has faced this dilemma at some point. Heck, any mom that does ANYTHING from home, whether it be blogging, running her business, or just taking care of the kiddo’s {which in itself is a darn full time job!} has probably struggled not to fall into the “Frump Mom” category!

From “Fashion Merchandising” to “Fashion Missing”!

In a former life, I worked in Retail Management and Fashion Merchandising. That means that every single day, I got up, got dressed in trendy outfits, with accessories, and stylish shoes. I used eye liner, mascara, lip gloss, and blush. I regularly polished my fingers and toes, and used a curling iron on a daily basis. I even {it’s hard to imagine…} switched handbags regularly to always have a matching purse. Oh, how times have changed.

Working at home as a blogger means that no one {except the kids} see me during the day. Well, the UPS and FedEx guys visit quite often, but although their visits are always appreciated, I feel no need to wear mascara to sign for my packages. Plus, it’s hard enough to find time to take a full-uninterrupted shower on most days, when would I make time for make-up and curls??

BUT…. It’s time for a change!

After reading Rita’s commitment to herself and her family…

I will get up everyday and get dressed and comb my hair. My family will no longer be ashamed when we go out into public. I will treat my blogging as though it is a regular job and attempt to set normal hours. I will take breaks, get up and move around more and generally spend more time engaging with my family.

…I have decided it is about time I get my booty in gear too!

Here are my goals:

  • My first task upon awaking will continue to be the bleary-eyed trek to the kitchen to brew my coffee. BUT, while that columbian-dark-roasted-life-changing-goodness is dripping into the pot, I will spend 5 minutes to do some basic make-up, and another 5 to talk my hair into acting slightly less wild.
  • I will get dressed! No, I do not spend the day in my pj’s. {Ok, sometimes in the winter…} But most mornings, I throw on some cut-off sweat-style shorts, a basic tank, and flippy flops. This is a far cry from the old me who would NEVER start the day without being fully accessorized. So, I will start wearing some of the cute tops that I have. I will layer them with a coordinating tank and maybe even a cardigan. And each day, I will accessorize. Oh yes, jewelry box, how I have missed thee…
  • I will, like Rita, set some “business hours”, and attempt to stick to them. My goal is one block early in the morning, from 6-10am, and another while the baby naps, from 12-2. And maybe one short evening check in. But no more spending the whole day at the computer. I mean, if I’m going to actually start getting dressed, then I need to {at the VERY least} start taking the kids on a neighborhood walk or something, right? SOMEONE needs to appreciate my accessories.

Who else wants {and, admit it!} NEEDS to join us for the “No More Frump Mom” Challenge??

If so, read Rita’s post here, Rita Reviews Challenge, and grab the button code to show people that YOU are going to snap out of your rut too!

The Big-Butt Fairy

I am one of the oldest first-time moms that I know {I had my baby girl last year, at 31}. I don’t FEEL that old, but so many of my friends had their first babies in their early 20’s. That means, A.) they’re skinnier than me. You lose baby weight much easier at 20 than you do at 30. It’s, like, physics, or geometry or something like that. All I know is that it’s a true fact that while you’re a child, you get frequent visits from the tooth fairy. But after 30, you start getting much-too-frequent {and quite unwanted!} visits from the Big-Butt fairy. And B.) when my little girl starts kindergarten, the odds are high that I will be the oldest mom in her class. So, I need to do what I can, and that includes make-up and accessories. Because sometimes, those are the only weapons that you have.

How about you?

If you relate to the challenge ideas, I’d LOVE to have you share YOUR goals and thoughts in the comments!!

{Also, if you understand where I’m coming from here, you’ll also LOVE this book: My Formerly Hot Life: Dispatches from Just the Other Side of Young I’m halfway through, and I SO relate! This is one of those, laugh-out-loud-while-reading, so-your-kids-think-you’re-crazy kind of books! Love it.}

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Apple has more cash than the entire US Government?

Apple has more cash than Washington?

It’s true! That’s the super surprising news in a great new article from one of my favorite sites, LearnVest today.

Read why LearnVest says {only half-jokingly} that Steve Jobs should run for president…

Apple’s cash reserve is about $76.2 billion. And while Congress stalled over the debt debate, the nation’s total operating balance was confined to $73.8 billion.

The comparison isn’t exactly apples to apples (pun intended), but the fact remains that the technology company is holding more cash than the entire government of the world’s largest economy.

Pretty hard to believe, right?

You can read the rest of the article, and learn how other big companies compare, by visiting Learnvest today.

Sign up for their daily emails too, you’ll LOVE the articles and tips that they send each day. Plus, they are just full of fun stuff… Tons of cool tools and features on the site, and they offer free programs for members pretty often too. You’ll love it!

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{8/3} Daily Bit of Sunshine…

Today’s Daily Bit of Sunshine….

“There are those whose lives affect all others around them. Quietly touching one heart, who in turn, touches another. Reaching out to ends further than they would ever know.”
~William Bradfield

My Thoughts:

I love this quote. This is the type of person that I want to be, and the kind of mother I hope to be. Becoming a mother is such an intensely beautiful experience, yet filled with so much worry and stress.

I want to raise my daughter to be a happy, healthy, balanced young lady… And my actions have such a huge impact on who she will become. Such a great responsibility, and I think it’s why we examine our lives, and make so many changes, once a baby arrives. We all want to make sure that we are a person that our children can be proud of.

So, this quote is going on my wall, to remind me that my actions each day have far reaching consequences… And that is a good thing! I can spread some happiness to others every day, and be a positive influence not just to my baby girl, but to every person in my day….

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