Tag: homeschool

My Usborne Family

“The more that you read, the more things you will know.

The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”

– Dr. Seuss

As a child I hated reading! I remember it being hard, I remember being made fun of for making mistakes, and I remember my heart pounding whenever I was asked to read aloud.

It never really became a huge issue until I hit high school and was struggling in my honors math and science classes!

MATH and SCIENCE!

The problem was I couldn’t read fast enough to complete my tests. I eventually took speed reading classes to better improve my efficiency and develop better strategies for tests and note-taking.

After high school I pursed my dream to become an elementary teacher and quickly became passionate about children’s literacy. I took additional classes on phonics as well as studied children’s illustrations, language arts methods, and best practices for teaching in a pluralistic society. After graduation I took my first job in the inner city as an academic specialist. My job: get title 1 3rd and 4th grade students to read at grade level.

The love for literacy only continued to grow as I taught elementary school kids, after school programs, and then eventually my own children.

I was the determined teacher training first graders to read silently for 45 minutes a day.

I was the innovated dance teacher incorporating literature into tap class.

I was the passionate mom reading books to my 1 day old baby in the hospital.

I am THAT homeschool mom checking out the maximum number of books from the library.

I have experienced first hand how reading can actually change your life for the good or bad. I’ve seen the facts, statistics, and testimonies how early exposure to books can build a beautiful foundation for children.

PC: Cherish’s Literacy Corner VIP’s

 

So when I met Cherish, I was instantly inspired by her love for literature and learning! As a past high school English teacher her knowledge of literature is extensive, while her heart for student learning is enormous. As a mom, Cherish has establish a home that invites learning with fun and engaging activities

But her passion for education doesn’t end there, Cherish works to enrich the families around her by helping bring high quality books in their homes through Usborne books.

As an Usborne book consultant, she is passionate about equipping parents with the best resources for raising life long learners!

 

Meet Usborne Books 

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In 1973, Peter Usborne saw TV and comics controlling the attention of kids and wanted to give non-fiction books a fighting chance. This led to the birth of Usborne books and the mission to make both reading and learning fun, not intimidating. The magic of Usborne books is that they break down children’s resistance to reading and learning at home. In return, it opens the door for parents and children to explore and absorb the world of learning together.

Today Usborne books are high quality, innovative, engaging, and educational! There are over 2000 titles to choose from covering a wide variety of subjects and age ranges.

Usborne in my Home

As a past educator, a mom, and homeschool teacher I can’t express the amount of times I’ve been grateful for Usborne products in our home.

It all started with the That’s Not My collection. From a young age my children were drawn to the high contrast but simple illustrations. They loved to feel each new texture as well as look for the silly mouse hiding on each page. We read the same book too many times to count until I happily discovered Usborne had a HUGE collection of That’s Not My books. I honestly did not love reading the same type of book, but I persevered because those books helped open a world of reading to our children. At a young age they were exposed to the wonders of reading and built stamina to sit through 2-3 long picture books each night.

 

Now with preschool aged kids, Usborne’s collection of activities are a real hit. Usborne provides hands-on educational activities for babies to middle school aged kids. My family uses their sticker books for long car trips, water painting books for quiet independent play, and craft books for art projects. 

As a homeschool mama I’ve only just had a tiny taste of how Usborne can enrich and support our curriculum.

Each month we study a different theme that supports and connects to the Core Curriculum standards for preschool age children. Some of the topics include family units, habitats, space, hygiene, and plants. I was delighted to see Usborne’s books align with State Standards and therefore I could find at least one developmentally appropriate book for each of my units.

For most subjects I have a variety of titles and forms to choose from; peek-inside, lift-the-flap, Big Books, wipe-clean, young beginners, and so much more. Cherish even went the extra mile to examine my preschool syllabus and offer book recommendations for my units.

Usborne wipe clean books have also been instrumental in developing my children’s fine motor skills as well as practicing and refining their writing.  The lively illustrations and game-like set up makes handwriting drills a fun reward rather than a frustrating mundane task.

Working with Cherish

Cherish is not just an Usborne consultant that throws parties and sells books. She works almost daily to post innovative ways to bring reading into your home.

I would highly suggest checking out Cherish’s Literacy Corner on Facebook!

Cherish posts fun activities she is doing with her little ones and ways she incorporates reading into her home.

In addition, her literacy corner keeps followers up to date on Usborne new releases! Often when there is a big release Cherish goes live on social media to give followers an inside look into the books. If there is a book you have your eye on but not quite sure, Cherish helps to provide you with a real view video so you can fully see the illustrations, text, and story line.

Last but not least, her page provides insider deals and specials!

Check it out!

I’ve truly only scratched the surface on Usborne’s collection. Their website is a must see when looking for quality literature to bring into your home! To take it the next step further follow Cherish’s Literacy Corner to join a community of families who love and pursue the benefits of reading!

 

A Sound Sleep

My oldest turns two in April. Since birth he’s been the best sleeping baby I’ve known.

Seriously.

The first four months of his life were pretty much spent sleeping. We didn’t know it wasn’t normal until now. Our second baby opened our eyes up a little bit to a more normal baby schedule. Number two is still a great sleeper, but I’m not sure any of our kids will ever compare to baby number one. As for our sleeping, baby number two really test our ability to sleep through anything. My husband even suggested that we visit a site similar to CPAP to try out one of their sleep machines to see if we could get a good night’s sleep. Many parents do struggle to get a good night’s sleep when their baby is trying to settle into a normal sleep cycle, so we’ve been quite lucky really. I do know that some of my friends who have had kids recently have been using gummies for sleep. They contain CBD, which promotes calm and improves rest without sedating them, so they can still get up if their baby needs them during the night. There are countless other things that you can do to help both you and your baby to sleep better at night, such as using lavender oil or reducing blue light emissions. A combination of a few things, therefore, might be the perfect recipe for the perfect night’s sleep.

All that being said, when I found the LectroFan Kinder I was super excited. This sound machine is something you didn’t know you needed for your kiddos. It’ll be interesting to see how it compares against other sound machines as it’s up against some strong alternatives, as seen in this Hatch baby rest review which seems to be a particularly advanced product.

We have a small house and my son’s room is downstairs just off our living room and kitchen. When my husband and I stay up and watch tv you can hear it very well in the kid’s bedroom.

Like I said before, both my kids sleep well, so a sound machine isn’t a necessity – they can both sleep without it no problem. But the noise is seriously such a help. Keep reading to see why we like the LectroFan Kinder so much.

The LectroFan Kinder is so easy to use. Using the Kinder app on your phone with the bluetooth feature on, you can control the sound machine very smoothly. Turn the machine off and on with app the; and if you don’t have your phone with you for bedtime, no worries! Just hit the power button on the sound machine.

Using the app you can set different sleep options and save them so you can reuse them over and over again. You can name the sleep options so no one is confused while using the app; they cross over to any device. That’s the beauty of using the bluetooth feature! Currently our sleep options are ‘Nite’ and Napp’.

There are almost an unlimited amount of sounds with the LectroFan Kinder. Below are just a few. There are six different categories, each with more than nine options in them! Tons and tons of sounds to choose from!

I’m excited to use this sound machine in the future when I’m homeschooling my children. The natural category will be perfect for teaching and learning sounds – especially ones that we don’t hear where we live.

Connect with Adaptive Sound Technologies, Inc.

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There are literally unlimited options to choose from when deciding what color you want the nightlight to be. As you can see in the photo below, you can simply tap anywhere in the rainbow circle for the color you want.

In the photo I am showing the brightness of the nightlight. The top photos are full brightness and the bottom photos are a little less than half of the brightness. These photos were taken during the day time, so in the night the lights will be even brighter!

The LectroFan Kinder is the perfect on-the-go sound machine. My parents live two hours away and we visit them often. I love that there are no cords attached to the Kinder; it will make packing so much easier! I can plug it in any outlet and there are no strings attached – literally!

This weekend we are going on a trip to some friends house, I 100% plan on bringing our LectroFan Kinder with us. It’ll be great because it will help the kiddos feel like they’re at home still, while also blocking out new, unrecognizable sounds.

Newborns, school aged children, and every age in between will have a better nights sleep when sleeping with a LectroFan Kinder.

Parents, seriously check out this sound machine. If you travel a lot with kids, this is the sound machine you want. I bet you’ll love it! The LectroFan Kinder can be used from newborn and beyond! The uses are endless; and the age range is too!

Jammy Girl – Bath Bombs for Fall

Mama’s needs some alone time!

Draw me up a warm bath, hand me a cold glass of water & a good book. Then toss in a bath bomb and I am set for the night.

One of my most favorite times of the day is when the kids are happily sleeping in their beds, my husband is watching some weird TV show I have no interest in and I get to be alone, all alone, in my bathtub. This is like a sacred time for a mom. We work all day and night, giving ourselves to our family, our jobs, our homes, but now, at last, the time is for us. So girlfriend, take a bath and relax, as this may help you relieve some of your stresses after a very long day and/or week. From choosing to make your own bath bombs to buying some on sites like ambarygardens.com, everyone deserves to treat themselves once in a while. And bath bombs are a great way to do just that!

But it is not just us mom’s who love to relax in a fun tub environment, kids love it too. One day my 4 year old daughter came into the rest room while I will soak in a tub with a bomb. She instantly was attracted to the scent and colors the bath bombs provide. I promised if she went back to bed I would allow her to take her own bath with a bomb another day. I held true to my promise and my daughter got her bath bomb experience. She was instantly in love with them.

Bath bombs and fun bath products are not always just for adults, many are safe for children to use too. Parents can get worrisome about the types of ingredients used in products they exposure their children to. All the products should not be used on children under the age of 3. My almost 5 year old daughter loves bath bombs and sugar scrubs. She loves the big kid lifestyle, and feels so grown up when she gets to use products such as those.

Being a bath tub addict, I have used more bath items that you can imagine. I am always searching for fun, new products to try and enjoy. And boy, oh boy, do I enjoy Jammy Girl!

Jammy Girl is special because each product is made my the owner, who is only 12.5 years old!

Zori, age 12.5, is a perfect little girl who is now home-schooled. Dealing with anxiety, we found out that homeschooling was the best option for her learning styles, and is now thriving! As a parent, we want what is best for our children. We strive to give them all we can to help them become the strong, healthy people we wish them to be. Zori’s mother is like you and me, and she works hard to ensure her daughter is moving forward in the right direction.

Knowing she has some social anxiety, Zori decided to help herself work on this part of her by challenging herself to march right into social situations. By attending farmers markets, and other platforms, she works on promoting her businesses while also working on how to handle herself in social situations. Whether she has social anxiety or not, that is HUGE for a 12.5 year old! Were you thinking of how to better yourself, better your growth and how to be a productive person in society at age 12? I certainly did not. Some friends have suggested that using cannabis from places similar to Canada Cannabis Dispensary might help her with social anxiety but I think she is too young for that at the moment. Maybe when she is older if the issue still persists. Maybe when she is older if the issue still persists. [One idea is using bath bombs with cbd and you should consult with your doctor first but especially for adults this is a relaxing non invasive way to use CBD.]

All products are made with natural ingredients. Some include a foaming agent called SLSA, “An excellent soap replacement when sensitivity is present. Derived from coconut and palm oils, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate (SLSA) is a safe, skin friendly cleanser that offers rich lather without the irritation potential of some of the other good foamers.”

Crush Life’s Obstacles with Jammy Girl

Jammy Girl is named such for a fun and real reason. It’s because each product is made by Zori while in her “uniform” of pajamas! Of course these are special pajama’s so she works in a clean environment staying up to code. We use bath products to have fun, relax and just enjoy ourselves. Knowing that each product is produced in a fun and enjoyable atmosphere brings such joy to the buyer. It was made with love, care and thoughtfulness instead of being simply mass produced.

Jammy Girl supports the adoption community but being advocates for loving adoptees. Zori was adopted as a small child and speaks boldly about being a child of adoption. One of her hashtags in life is #AdoptionRocks

After using several of the Jammy Girl products I have a few things to say:

  • They are lightly scented – not over powering, but enough to enjoy
  • They are colored with your tub in mind – all of them have enough color to affect the water in your tub, but not so much that it leaves a ring
  • They have fun added 3D items like flower petal in some – which increases the fun

Jammy Girl offers custom orders as well as special group orders for weddings, baby showers, and other package gift options

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Scent Back to School with Crayola

Do you smell it?

It’s the smell of summer ending. Pools closing. Buses arriving. Kids heading Back-to-School!

My nephew is headed to 1st grade this year! Hard to believe he is old enough to be in the grade I use to teach. Definitely makes this Aunt Haha want to cry and reminisce over old baby pictures.

How about you?

Are you one of those parents bursting with excitement to push those energetic, mess maker, eating machines, out the door to school? Is it just me or does it seem like kids are hungry every second of summer break?

 

Maybe you’re a mama whose heart is breaking watching your first, or last, baby climbing those big bus stairs on their way to their first day of kindergarten. I always love seeing the huge backpacks on their little bodies and wondering what 5 year old has that much homework?

 

Or perhaps you are sitting in a classroom counting desks, rechecking lesson plans, and giving yourself a world changer teacher pep talk? Whether it’s your first or last year teaching, you will always get the first day of school jitters.

 

For me I am super excited to start our first year of homeschool preschool! As a past teacher, I have been itching to build lesson plans with activities, music, crafts, and play.

Yeah. I am definitely one of ‘those moms’ who can’t stop themselves from still being a teacher. I will forever rock holiday theme earrings and make everything and anything into a song.

 

Just like I can’t stop being a teacher, Crayola will never stop being our go to for school supplies!

From their first box of affordable wax crayons in 1903 to becoming the leading producer of hands-on products for creative fun, Crayola has been working hard to inspire creativity in all children…and adults.

 

That’s why parents and teachers trust Crayola to fill those larger than life backpacks with all the needed school supplies.

 

This year Crayola’s new featured product is Silly Scents. These new coloring tools come with the same great colorful quality you’d expect, but with an extra gift for your nose. My son was first drawn to the Silly Scent characters decorating the packaging. He kept telling me he wanted to color with the cool angry guy, aka the roasting marshmallow. The bold silly smells bring laughter and delight to any child’s coloring experience, while making it a multi-sensory activity.

 

From the perspective of a toddler mama, I really enjoy the mini twistables! They are perfect for little hands and are an excellent size for on the go. The durable plastic barrels keep the crayon core safe from constant use or your toddler seeing how many crayons he can break in a minute.

 

As a past teacher, I am in LOVE with the twistable colored pencils! If I could have, I would have made all my students use these. The amount of time students spent sharpening colored pencils was unreal. I used to beg kids to use a different color or borrow a friend’s. Classroom productivity can take a mega boost when outfitted with ready to use and quality products.

As a crafter, I was surprisingly impressed with the chiseled tip and Slim Fine Line markers. When my son and I started opening a pack of makers and I realized they were chiseled edge, I immediately convinced him they were mommy markers and we should try a different kind.

Mama of the year award!

I love typography and card making and I’m always looking for a good marker. I was pleasantly surprised by both the chisel tip and slim fine line markers. They produced great colors and gave me versatility.

 

 

An added bonus is Crayola offers free coloring sheets, including their Silly Scent characters. Its a nice break from my 2 year old’s drawing demands.

So whether you are filling up your “baby’s” first back pack or starting another year of shaping little minds, I wish you the happiest of back to school days!

 

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Usborne Books with Haley – a Review

Usborne Books with Haley – A review

What are you putting in your child’s Easter basket? Candy? Trinkets? Books?

basket

Haley Strong is a mom just like me. She loves her children, and cares about their growth and development. A large part of a child’s development comes from their exposure to books. Maybe I should look into book scanners more and use one to share fantastic books with those who don’t have access to them. But anyway, she recently became a rep with Usborne Books so she can supply her child and other children with amazing, beautiful books. We all have heard that reading to your children, starting at birth, is key to their development. Here are ten reasons why books are pivotal in your child’s life:

  1. A stronger relationship with you.
  2. Academic excellence
  3. Basic speech skills
  4. The basics of how to read a book
  5. Better Communication skills
  6. Mastery of language
  7. More logical thinking skills
  8. Acclimation to new experiences
  9. Enhanced concentration and discipline
  10. The knowledge that reading is fun!

(For more about these 10 reasons please visit here)

easterKnowing the wonderful benefits of exposing your children to books, you are going to want to increase your home library. Books are available everywhere. We see them in big box stores, grocery stores, toy stores…the list goes on and on. When it comes down to it, what matters is content and price. Haley is able to help us get books with both wonderful content and at a great price. Usborne Books and More is a company which holds “book parties” where you can attend a party in person, or the newly popular online party. If you are on Facebook then you have received an invite to some type of party. Nails, candles. beauty products…they are all fun (I mean I know I buy from them) but they don’t fill our children with the knowledge and love that a book can.

“Usborne Books & More is a division of Educational Development Corporation (EDC), a well-established company that has twice been recognized by Forbes Magazine as one of The 200 Best Small Companies in America and three times by Fortune Magazine as one of America’s 100 Fastest Growing Small Companies, and has been in existence for over 20 years.”

truckHaley started selling Usborne just this January after attending a party herself. As a mom and a special education teacher she instantly saw that this business has so much to offer to parents, schools and home schooler’s. Usborne has a great book fair program giving which gives 50% in sales in books, and a grant matching program. As a consultant, you can earn up to 30% in commission, earn free books and other cool prizes, earn trips, and of course get a great discount on the books! If you are looking for a way to make extra income and earn free books for yourself then contact Haley at hrstrong811 @ gmail.com and visit her Facebook page. If you email Haley and mention MamatheFox she will send you a FREE activity card! 🙂

 

You are able to place an order at anytime here. No need to wait for a party to be open. Usborne wants you to get books into easter to doyour child’s hands as fast as possible. One of the best parts about Usborne is their shipping. They have a “5 day” typical turn around, but most people that Haley knows have gotten their books even fast then that. You are now wondering, what is the shipping? Like $30?! Nope, a solid $6 flat! No matter how big or small your order is.

usborne-books

I was given 2 books to sample from Usborne. Secrets Of The Seahorse (Shine-A-Light) and That’s Not My Fox Touchy-Feely Board Book.

Secrets Of The Seahorse (Shine-A-LightDorothy words)

This is such a cool book! I have never, in all my years, seen a book like this. This book has special pages which, when held up to a light, you can see through to the other side. Every page has this feature. The story shows children creatures of the sea, their habitats and the food they eat. My daughter (2 years old) was amazed at the special secrets on every single page. We have a tiny flashlight she uses for comfort at night in bed. We used that because it is small enough for her to hold and control while being powerful enough to reflect the hidden picture. If you don’t have a flashlight you can simply hold the book up to natural sun light or the light from a lamp. This keep my busy, I mean busy, 2 year old sitting still for 10 solid minutes. This is a must for the toddlers in your life.

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That’s Not My Fox Touchy-Feely Board Book.

This is the perfect touch and feel book for infants. We all have seen the touch/feel books before. Most, in my opinion, are lame and fall short of any real ‘touch’ engagement. I have been blown away with the quality of Usborne’s touchy-feely books. Each page has an engaging touch feature which captivates your readers and explorers senses. All are relative to the story, large enough for small eyes to spot and have a significant textile distinction to be considered a true feely experience. The story features the quest to find the readers fox. They keep finding other foxes with different qualities but not ‘their’ fox. Will this elusive fox be found!? Grab a copy for yourself to find out.

With Easter approaching us and baskets needing to be filled, what better thing to fill them with then books! Candy is fun and toys come and go, but a book can leave a positive and lasting mark on a child. With book levels from newborn to middle school you are guaranteed to find what you are looking for. They don’t limit their buyers to books alone, they also offer flash cards, sticker books, drawling resources, puzzles and more! For the inquisitive toddler and pre-tween they have a huge selection of non-fiction books to broaden minds and answer questions. These are books that homeschoolers are eating up.

Click here to see more books from Usborne Books and More.

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Try to win a $25 credit to Usborne with Haley (Open 3/2/15-3/16/15 to US and Canada)