Plea for Weekend Votes for Our Son... We Still Need You!

This is the final stretch for voting for my Aspie (Asperger's Syndrome) in the Kumon Success Stories contest and I wanted to let you all know that based on the tallies I've been seeing, it will likely be YOU voting for him that makes the difference between whether or not he wins. It's sooo close! Our son, unlike his younger sister, has never won anything before. This would be such a boost to his confidence! Something we've been working on all Summer. :)

Currently the only thing keeping him in the running for a Nook Color are the entries from this blog! Seriously. Without the 20 votes we've had from you all, we'd not have a chance. With the weekend upon us, I'm concerned folks won't be online like they have been during the work week.

I hope you'll continue voting!

Remember you may vote once every 24 hours! Remember too... if you vote, or if you don't, you'll want to stake your claims to the current giveaway on The Homeschooling Blog! The giveaway currently has just 20 valid entries and it closes at 11:59 PM (CDT). There's still time to enter and your odds of winning a $25 Amazon.com Gift Card (among other things) is VERY HIGH!

If you're not interested in the giveaway but still want to vote... here's how:

"LIKE" Kumon on Facebook, then...

"VOTE" for our son HERE

If you have any trouble voting, please leave me a comment on this blog post and I'll see if there's anything I can do to help you! You must be on Facebook in order to vote... that's the only downside. This is one of the reasons our giveaway is open to those who vote, and to those who don't!

Thanks and GOD BLESS!

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Giveaway Deadline Reminder! Low Entry. We Need Your Votes!

If you still haven't entered our most recent giveaway, I hope you'll reconsider! We only have through Sunday, July 31st to obtain votes for our kiddo who is a finalist in a national competition through Kumon*! He hopped on my computer this morning and made you all a video through my webcam! lol Sweet huh? He's on the autism spectrum, so if he comes across at all quirky that's because he is! lol We love every little quirk though and wouldn't change him for the world. He's an amazing boy and I thought it was pretty sweet that he took the time to create this little video to hopefully generate some last minute votes!

Keep in mind, you can enter this giveaway even if you don't wish to vote for our son, or if you don't have a Facebook account and consequently cannot vote. Simply check out our giveaway link and follow the alternative entry method. Either way, entry will be quick and simple.

If you'd like to watch the video but don't find it (perhaps it's not available through email subscription), simply visit The Homeschooling Blog. Check out my beautiful 10 year old boy and what he has to tell you. :) Win or lose, we're having fun with this competition!

Blessings!

This giveaway is in no way sponsored or endorsed by Kumon. 

Thank you for visiting The Homeschooling Blog!

Lessons on Fashion from My 8-Year Old

The back to school sales are EVERYWHERE and my 8 year old thinks we should live at the mall. I don't remember being a clothes horse when I was her age, but somehow she's caught the fashion bug and she has it bad! Not only is she highly concerned about what she wears and how she wears it, but she's developed an opinion of my wardrobe as well. "Mom, you're not wearing that out of the house are you?"... has been uttered a time or two. Sometimes she's right. lol

To my 8 year old, fashion appears to circulate around layers of clothing that may or may not match in color, or in season. She's all about wearing skirts over leggings, which is cute, but occasionally it's skirts over denim, which makes me hot just to think about. She thinks nothing about wearing a long sleeve sweater with shorts or a tank top over said sweater and then wrapping a scarf around her neck. Indeed, her own personal sense of style is a mix of adorable and hard on the eyes... if that makes sense. Stripes with polka-dots, red with orange and  pink, somehow she finds beauty in each and every masterpiece she creates.

The layering she has mastered in a way I've witnessed nowhere else... she builds her layers with any bit of fabric she can grab onto. Making scarves and shawls from pillow cases, doll blankets, her brother's t-shirts, my yoga pants (my personal favorite, lol) and parades through the house as although she were on the catwalk. I suppose this is just one of many joys of having a girly daughter! lol She's all girl and I have a feeling it's going to cost us deeply when she gets a little older! lol

When she's not dressing herself, she's dressing her dolls, her ZuZu pets, or her brother's favorite stuffed animal. I can't tell you how many times I've found my 10 year old's BuBu (a fluffy stuffed dog) wearing a dress, sitting on his bed. lol Of course my son had no say in the matter. My daughter thought BuBu needed some style. Or perhaps he just looked cold?

Hitting the department stores this time of year is exciting though. I love the sales and it's a lot of fun to refresh a wardrobe. Especially a growing girl's wardrobe. It has to be replaced every season anyway and with the Back-to-School sales in full bloom there's no better time than now to grab some deals. The current styles are sweet too! I love the bright colors we're finding and ruffles are back! Ruffles on tops, ruffles on skirts, and on little girly dresses.

My daughter loves accessorizing her creations too... whether they're store bought or home constructed out of the ready-to-fold and put away laundry pile sitting on the sofa. Necklaces, bracelets, hair bows and ties... whatever she can find to brighten her appearance she calls style. I've seen her wrap necklaces around socks, and somehow make a thick chunky bracelet or hair bow. Yes... it's a bit much and I sometimes wonder if this isn't just her way of getting me to take her to the mall so she can get something mom will allow her to wear when running errands. Then again, she seems to find beauty in anything that she can somehow wrap around her tiny body.

Does any of this sound familiar? Do you have a fashion horse at home and if so, what is the funniest thing you've ever seen her (or him) wear? What's the coolest outfit they've pieced together? I can't wait to see what my girl becomes in a few years and one of the things I'm most anxious about is seeing what her style blossoms into! She's all about bright colors and feeling alive. I don't anticipate that will ever change!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and jcpenney blogging program, for a gift card worth $50. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

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My Amazon.com Giveaway... Super Low Entry!

I'm not too distressed yet (lol), but I do hope I'll see more of my fabulous readers (and new ones too!) enter my most recent giveaway! Deadline for entry is Sunday, July 31st 2011 and we have less than a dozen comments to randomly select our winner from. Pretty low, but there's still time to turn things around! What's more, with such a low turnout for this giveaway, your odds of winning are just that much better.

If you could PLEASE visit the giveaway link and follow the SUPER SIMPLE giveaway instructions that would be truly AMAZING! My son is currently in second place but there are a handful of kids just a few votes behind him. So long as he's in the top 3, he'll win the Nook Color from Kumon which will be preloaded with books for him to enjoy. My son's Kumon Success Story is available here, or you may follow the necessary links in the giveaway post, which is here: Win $80 in Amazon and other cool prizes! 

You may also find the giveaway post by clicking on the "Enter to Win"  button!

If you could share this giveaway with friends and family, all the better! Thanks in advance for your support!

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Book Review... A Kid's Guide to Being a Winner

Are you struggling to teach your children how to reach their true potential? Not just academically, but with people? And with their own self-esteem or self-worth? Sometimes the hardest lessons in life for us to learn (or teach) deal with how to put the needs of others above that of our own desires and interests. I find this to be true even in my own household... watching my children quarrel is probably the most stressful thing we face as a family. Ever been there? Oh, it's been a long week.

Finding resources for teaching children to do the right thing... and for the right reasons are hard to come by. Especially in this self-serving society we find ourselves in.

I suppose that's what makes C.D. Shelton's book A Kid's Guide to Being a Winner so refreshing! It's a quick read and filled with common sense. Remember that? lol It's getting harder and harder to find. Much like a children's Bible which you may use to teach your children how to love others, feel good about doing "right", and what consequences look (and feel) like, this non-fiction book gives you an excellent accompaniment to any devotional or lesson on looking and feeling like a winner. That being... an individual who practices selflessness with a winning spirit and full heart.

I love everything about this book... from the giant apple on the cover to the encouragement and wisdom within it's pages. It's ALL about making the right choices for the right reasons. It's about feeling good about those positive decisions you're making... knowing you are making the world around you a better place for someone else. Above all accomplishments we could hope our children to attain, this should be at the top. Regardless of what they may become "when they grow up", they'll go miles above the competition if they know how to love and care for others... and feel good about doing so!

The chapters in this 40 page easy read include:

• Being A Winner
• Being Responsible
• Being Thoughtful
• Being Respectful
• Having Gratitude
• A Positive Mental Attitude (my personal favorite!)

This book stresses the value to self and to others, through the art of making the right decision, and reminds children they get to make that choice all on their own! I especially love that message! It's a choice they should feel good about. It's about saying no to drugs and peer pressure, about helping others, listening in class, saying please and thank you, and it's about not holding grudges or hanging your head low when things go wrong... but rather learning from our mistakes and the mistakes of others, and moving on.

I love this excerpt:

"Winners show GRATITUDE

when they focus on what is

RIGHT and GOOD 

in their lives.

It's not so much what happens to

you, but how you ALLOW it 

to affect you.

When "stuff" happens, LEARN 

the lesson, MOVE-ON and then 

focus on what is RIGHT and

GOOD in your life."

I've been reading some of the awesome reviews from readers on Amazon.com... so many customers have found the common sense principles taught in this book to be an essential to the health and success of a child's social development. What's more... A Kid's Guide to Being a Winner sells on Amazon for around $10! A great price for a hardcover book and one I can whole-heartily recommend to my readers.

Choice Publishing House has generously provided The Homeschooling Blog with a single copy of A Kid's Guide to Being a Winner by author C.D. Shelton. The following review reflects my honest opinion of this book. The Homeschooling Blog has received no other compensation, in any form, in exchange for this review.

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Homeschool Educational Technology on the Cheap

Guest Post By: Lindsey Wright

Parents who homeschool their children face many unique challenges. They must transform each day from parent into teacher, create a classroom environment within the home, and do their best to  provide their children with multiple learning activities that engage as they educate. As such technology can be a godsend for many parents, since it lets kids learn in news ways while enhancing their abilities as students, learners, and future professionals. However, many others still worry that the technology often used for educational purposes is prohibitively costly. This couldn’t be further from the truth, and there are a variety of programs that are available ─ from  online courses to educational software ─ that will enhance the education opportunities for your students at little or no cost to you. Understanding how technology can benefit your child and learning how to acquire the right technology at the right price is essential knowledge for any parent who homeschool.

Homeschooling and Technology

According to About.com, a recent online survey of homeschoolers found that 64 percent of them used technology everyday in their homes, and the same percentage felt that their knowledge of technology was “intermediate.” Likewise, 87 percent anticipate that technology will be even more important for homeschoolers in the future.

Thus with current research from the U.S. Department of Education showing that students who use technology in the classroom exhibit more self-esteem, increased motivation, ability to accomplish higher-order tasks, as well as improvement in a variety of technical and social skills, it’s no wonder that homeschooling parents are jumping on the technology bandwagon. Thankfully, it’s possible to find plenty of online resources that will help you enhance your child’s learning experience. All you need is a computer.

Software and a Dash of Creativity

Once you have a computer with internet access (broadband connectivity is best for many programs), it’s possible to access a whole world of free or low-cost learning options.

One of the best online programs available for home school students in grades pre-K to eighth is Time4Learning.com. The website includes curricula for science, social studies, language arts, and math classes. All lessons are linked to state standards, and lessons include projects for the student and reports that the parent can access. The program costs $19.95 per month for the first student, and $14.95 per month for each additional student. What’s more, it comes with teaching tools for parents to help you better instruct your child and give you an edge when it comes to using this technology.

The About.com article highlights a number of other ways homeschool students are using technology to learn. Many use their media players (iPods or other MP3 players) to make podcasts as part of presentation projects. This allows students to delve deeply into a subject and use outside research to enhance understanding of the topic. For parents reluctant to assign or encourage podcasts as part of the educational process, it’s possible to learn what a podcast is and how to create one with a brief tutorial.

It’s also possible to enhance your child’s education by allowing them to interact with other students online. This can be as simple as writing a collaborative project via e-mail or as complex as participating in a webcam conference. Most laptops now come with webcams built in, and a service like Skype allows for easy webcam-based calling that is reasonably priced, or even free. Therefore in order to allow homeschooled students to meet other homeschooling families, many states and educational service providers offer homeschool networks (such as California’s Homeschool Network), which connect students from different counties, states, and even countries.

It’s also possible to access new educational content via documentaries posted on such sites as YouTube. For topic-specific, professionally-made documentaries, Netflix offers streaming videos for $7.99 per month. Students can view these documentaries as part of their lessons, and it’s even possible to get them further interacting with technology by having them do research on the Internet and create a web page dedicated to the documentary subject using site-building tools such as Squidoo.

Some students are even taking their technology learning into the realm of foreign language. It’s possible to learn a foreign language online thanks to a plethora of free resources, such as those compiled by the eLanguage School. Additionally, other students are learning computer languages like Javascript to meet foreign language requirements.

Regardless of how much or how little you know about technology, you can use it to enhance your child’s academic growth. As a parent of a homeschooled child, you have a unique opportunity to learn new technology alongside your child, which provides you with the chance to integrate new learning experiences into each minute spent on a computer. With the right tools, it’s possible to create a meaningful learning experience for your child with little out-of-pocket expense to you, and you’ll help prepare your child to enter this technologically-driven world

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Wendy's $25 Amazon Giveaway Plus Additional $55 Prize Pack! ~CLOSED~

THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED.
I sooo love a good giveaway and I believe you'll find mine giveaway especially thrilling! This particular giveaway is my biggest yet... carrying a retail value of $80! I'm throwing this giveaway to celebrate my 10 year-old son, who's a finalist in the Kumon Success Stories contest on Facebook! You'll find a link below to learn more about the success he's had over the past 7 months. : )

So, to celebrate (and to entice, lol) I've gathered a few random goodies from my giveaway closet (oh... and I've thrown in an Amazon.com gift card (for an added dose of motivation)!

Now for the Giveaway. Drumroll Please.....

One Random Winner will win  

EVERYTHING 

listed below 

(retail value $80)

$25 Amazon.com Gift Card

(Just to spice things up a bit!)

ZonderKidz MADE BY GOD series 

(5 books, retail value $19.95)
Check out my book review of this series!

• Barnyard Critters
• Curious Creatures Down Under
• Polar Pals
• Forest Friends
• Jungle Beasts

 

VeggieTunes 4

Featuring songs from The Ballad of Little Joe, A Snoodle's Tale, and An Easter Carol (1 CD, retail value $7.48)

Strawberry Shortcake Moonlight Mysteries 

(1 DVD, $14.98 suggested retail)

 

A Tote Bag for Mom!

Then there's a little something for you too. Enjoy this roomy canvas tote! (retail value $12.50)
This canvas tote offers a snap closure, roomy (bottle-sized) outside pockets at either end, and a small outside pocket on the front.

~~Win it ALL!~~

Mandatory Requirement for Entry  

(may be completed every 24 hours for additional entries!)

1. Like Kumon on Facebook  
2. Vote for us on Kumon Success Stories (if after reading our entry you feel my kiddo deserves a vote)! Note... You must "like" Kumon on FB before you'll be able to vote for us.You can learn more about us by reading the "about us" portion of our blog. If you don't wish to vote for us (sniff, sniff) I understand and have provided you with an alternative entry method (see below)!*
3. Finally... leave us a comment letting us know you voted! Please be sure to leave your Facebook name and an email address so we can verify your vote, and notify you should you be the winner!

Extra Entries (not mandatory):
You may vote daily (every 24 hours) for an extra entry through July 31st! After each daily vote, return to this post and leave us a new comment.  

*Alternative Mandatory Entry (only for those not voting)
If you don't have a FB account (and don't want one, lol) and/or you don't wish to vote for us you may enter this giveaway by subscribing to The Homeschooling blog via email (top right sidebar), following us on GFC (top right sidebar) and Following us on Twitter. You must do all three as the alternative entry and leave only 1 comment below sharing you've done so... along with your email and Twitter name so I can verify your entry.  Fans wishing to enter this giveaway using this alternative method may receive additional daily entries by commenting on another non-giveaway post from The Homeschooling Blog and sharing the name of that post in a comment.

Giveaway begins Monday July 25, 2011 and will conclude Sunday July 31st, 2011 at 11:59 PM (CDT). Eligibility is restricted to adults 18+ residing in the Continental USA (for the sake of shipping costs). The randomly drawn winner will receive everything listed above via mail, with exception to the gift card, which will be sent via email direct from Amazon.com. Our winner will be randomly selected using Random.org's free number generator and will have 48 hours to respond to our email notification before a runner up is selected. I'll share the winner here on this blog once this notification process is complete. Entries not following rules will be deleted. Please be sure you're only completing one of the two options for mandatory entry! Thanks and good luck!

I received no compensation in any form for this post/giveaway. The MADE BY GOD series was generously donated by Zonderkidz for review on The Homeschooling Blog... I decided to give it away! The DVD and CD were in my giveaway closet (hehe) and were purchased by yours truly at an earlier date. The tote bag is one of several I bought for promotional purposes. All items are 100% new and in mint condition. If votes for my son put him in the top 3 of the final 10 contestants, he'll receive a Nook Color which will be preloaded with books for him to enjoy!
Please note this giveaway is in no way sponsored, affiliated, or endorsed by Kumon,  Facebook, Amazon.com, Zonderkidz, or 20th Century Fox.

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ZonderKidz MADE BY GOD Series Book Review

Recently I was provided a full set of the new 5-book MADE BY GOD series by ZonderKidz for review on this blog. I must say, these books are full of brilliantly colored photos of some of God's most amazing creatures. These books were so much fun to flip through... even for a 39 year-old mom like me!

If I'm having fun with these books, you can imagine just how much they'll thrill your 4-7 year-old reader. Especially if you have an animal lover in the house and what child doesn't love learning about animals? The photography in these books makes you fell all warm and fuzzy, much like many of the animals portrayed in them. I really wanted to keep these books for myself, but we have so many books already and my kids are nearly 9 and 10, so I'll be throwing them into my newest giveaway. Tada! Be sure to stay tuned for more information on how you can win the complete 5-book series. I'll be shooting out the details today!

You may already be familiar with other ZonderKidz I Can Read books and know how well they're worded and illustrated (or in this case, photographed) towards children. And as always, the "Reading with Help Level 2" will give you the perfect excuse (not that you needed one) to sit together and learn some interesting animal trivia to impress the grandparents.

I highly recommend this series to anyone with an emerging reader in the house. Preschool through first grade is the intended audience for these awesome reads by ZonderKidz, but even my third grader (who loves animals) is drawn to these books. I have to admit to having a pretty good time with these books  myself (as I confessed to earlier!). I loved reading about my favorite bear... the polar bear and how the momma usually gives birth to twins! Wow... I love my kids, but I'm grateful I'm not a polar bear! Oh, and did you know the arctic fox uses it's big bushy tail to stay warm while sleeping? God gave this particular animal a beautiful gift, wouldn't you say?

For more information on this and other great reads for kids by Zondervan, be sure to visit HarperCollins I Can Read website! You'll find information for parents on this site and activities for children. Go check it out!

Zondervan, a HarperCollins company is a leader in Christian publications. Thanks so much to Zondervan for supplying these books for review on The Homeschooling Blog! I'm sure they'll bless the home of whomever wins my next giveaway!

Here's our giveaway link!
Contest ends on July 31st, 2011 at 11:59 PM (CDT)


I received no monetary compensation for this review. This review reflects my honest opinion of ZonderKidz MADE BY GOD series. My opinion has in no way been influenced by the publisher. HarperCollins sent me the complete set free of charge for review on this blog. The complete 5-book series will be given away in The Homeschooling Blog's next random giveaway.

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Renting Musical Instruments Without Committing

Kids and musical instruments... oh the anxiety it can cause parents on a budget. Will they really take the instrument they are begging to play, or will the enthusiasm wain weeks (or even minutes) after the purchase is made? Will they decide in 6 months that instead of playing the drums what they really want to play is the clarinet? Perhaps they don't have the lips for the trumpet, but seem to have a passion for the sound of the violin and dream of one day playing for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra one day? lol

Ok, so what do you do? If you rent and sign a rental agreement, you're stuck right? Additionally, what if the instrument you're renting isn't good quality? I am thrilled to have found RentMYinstrument.com when I did. My son will be picking up an instrument this fall and he still isn't sure what he wants to play. We want him to have a well-tuned instrument... one that any band director or music teacher would approve of. Two reasons why this service is calling my name. The instruments available from RentMYinstrument.com are all guaranteed to be high in quality and can be adjusted and tuned as necessary. If you're a band director, this service could save your music school or class a whole lot of room too! No need to store scads of dust collecting instruments, why not just rent the instruments you need, while you need them?

Our son is very indecisive (about most things, lol) and I'd love to give him the opportunity to find the instrument best suited for him... and without a lot of unnecessary pressure. Whether it's guitar or trombone that he decides to take up, I want it to be a no pressure situation and not what I experienced as a child... which was, you have to play what we bought you! lol Even if it's uncomfortable or you stink at it! lol Even if it hurts the dog's ears and makes him howl! lol

This site offers you the ability to rent-to-own, or just rent as you go with the ability to cancel at any time and you can change instruments at any time too! Shipping is free, even if you're returning it for a tune-up or repair. It's a little like Netflix for instruments if you think about it. You pay a monthly fee and have the flexibility to decide what instrument to play and for how long you'll keep it, without any pressure... financial or otherwise.

If you love the instrument you're sent and just gotta have it forever and ever, you can purchase that instrument at any time at 50% of suggested retail.Who knew instrument rental could be so simple!

The instruments are shipped via UPS straight to your door. I truly want to try this service for my 10 year old and plan on sharing the site with my husband tonight. We have suggestions for what we'd like him to play, and then he has his own ideas. This service would really save us a lot of hassle and expense!

Music is awesome for building brain power in children. There have been countless studies demonstrating a correlation between music and mathematics.  Students who play musical instruments usually outperform their peers in the field mathematics. Additionally, it might just be another opportunity for a college scholarship when the day comes to send them off to school. Don't underestimate the value of music in your student's academic success story!

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Bracing Myself for an Exciting Day! My Recliner is on it's Way!

A couple months ago I won a recliner from Wholesale Furniture Brokers and tomorrow it's due to be delivered to my garage door! I'm beyond excited and cannot wait to pull it into the house and find the perfect place in my living room to stretch out in style!

This is my first recliner and the most thrilling prize I've ever had the pleasure of winning. Periodically Wholesale Furniture Brokers has a blogging competition (winner is randomly selected) and in May, I was the lucky winner. The giveaway was part of a Mother's Day promotion and I have to say that winning this recliner made this one of the most awesome Mother's Day I've ever had!

I'll be sharing photos of myself in my fancy leather recliner very soon and hope you'll be back to see them! Thanks so much to Wholesale Furniture Brokers out of Canada for being so awesome to me and to all the other fortunate bloggers so blessed as to receive such awesome prizes. You're amazing!!!!

I'm not being asked or paid to share this excitement with you... I just wanted to encourage you to follow this online retailer and if you're a blogger,  be sure to follow their blog too (first link in this post). Who knows, maybe you'll find a giveaway waiting for you? It's worth the time to check... believe you me!


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Upcoming Review: Jump Start and Math Blaster Online

Just a head's up to all my readers who enjoy a good review of an online educational resource. I've been offered a free trial membership to Math Blaster and Jump Start and my kids are all over it. We began our membership yesterday and to my surprise my 8 year-old daughter played on the Jump Start site for a total of 5 hours (not consecutively). Now... just for the record, we normally don't encourage (or even allow) such activity. I like to limit the amount of technology time my kids have... even if it's educational. However, I've never seen her take to anything like she did Jump Start, and since I'll be reviewing the resource... I made an exception. lol It will be interesting to see how she takes to Jump Start long term!

My 10 year-old son just started playing today, but it was short and sweet. We simply didn't have time between scheduled activities to give him free reign over the site. He wasn't happy to have me pull him away from the game, but we had to get to his Tae Kwon Do class!

Tomorrow will be his day to play (hopefully without a fight from his sister), then we'll tackle Math Blaster and see how both kids take to it . My daughter excels in math, my son struggles, so I'm praying he'll fall in love with Math Blaster and allow it to build on what he already knows as well as help him retain all that we've drilled into his developing mind so far this summer! lol

Stay tuned for the full reveiw!


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The Top 64 Best Online Colleges for 2011

Who knew there were so many online colleges to choose from! lol I've written several times about my desire to go back to school and earn my master's degree... online or otherwise, but I never knew there were so many online colleges to select from.

I found Degree Jungle and truly appreciate their ranking system. What a help! They've listed 64 online colleges and ranked them all! What I find the most interesting are the student populations for some of these online colleges. Some of these schools have fewer than a thousand students! lol

In order to make the top 64 the college must be accredited and offer 4-year degree programs. In assigning the ranking for each school listed such factors as price per student, percentage of students receiving scholarships or grants, student to teacher ratios, retention and graduation rates, and other such factors not to be ignored!

I'm hoping to find the best online colleges for 2011 and learn more about what degree programs each school offers, where the top-rated schools are located,  and how they fair in comparison to other schools offering the same degree programs.

One of the online colleges I see advertised frequently is University of Phoenix. Believe it or not, they have over 400,000 students according to Degree Jungle. That's unbelievable! Looks like all their marketing really pays for itself! lol The interesting thing though... they rank number 61 on Degree Jungle's top 64. Check it out!



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10 Tips for Making Life on the Go Easier and More Efficient

So much for the lazy days of Summer! We're on the go morning, day, and night and as consequently have had to get creative, motivated, and organized in order to insure all our boxes get checked day in and day out. Especially when traveling from one activity to another (in the heat no less) while at the same time being sure not to forget those little essentials that keep kiddos (and mom) content and happy.

Here are my top 10 tips for making Summer life on the go a whole lot happier and more efficient:

1. Keep a craft or tackle box in your vehicle that's rodent and insect proof (something that latches closed) to keep store emergency snacks and juice boxes. Oh... and keep it stocked! This will not only save you a lot of money when your hungry children see their favorite fast food restaurant on their way to soccer practice, but will save you time, provide you with more flexibility (if you think ahead) in offering healthy snack options, and since your children's blood sugar won't crash, they're less likely to fight, whine, or be disagreeable. It's all good mom! You should keep a few protein bars or a bag of cashews in the tote box for you too! I've found it to be a life saver.
2. When you know you'll be away from the house for more than 6 hours I highly suggest bringing a small cooler. Again, it will save you time and money. Throw in a few bottles of water for the kids and a can of iced latte for yourself! Are you with me? Mom should be happy after all! We give everything we have to and for our kids. Don't forget to pamper yourself once in awhile. Bring along an extra latte just in case you hit a traffic jam or run into a friend at dance class. You just can't go wrong with this plan. You may be familiar with Seattle's Best Coffee and their canned latte which sells for only $1.49 a can. If not, the time is now! My favorite place to enjoy a latte is in my van.... uh, while driving. It's my escape within an escape... especially if I'm escaping my mom cave (all alone!)... that's sorta my party time. lol  Click here to save $1.50 on a 4-pack of Seattle's Best!
3. Keep an extra bottle of sunscreen in the glove box. Seriously. I can't tell you how many times we found ourselves away from home and my little freckle-faced red head would ask... "Hey mom, do you think I should be wearing sunscreen?". Ugh! Of course, and yet... oh, Wendy. I've gotten smarter though!
4. Baby wipes live in the side-compartment of my car door. They're awesome for more reasons than I have time to share... even if I wasn't a mom, I'd have them!
5. Keep a pillow and blanket in the car for each child. Just in case a day runs longer than you'd planned. Keep the troops comfortable and let those growing bodies get some shut eye should they feel the need.
6. Keep old shoes in the trunk for playing in the parks on muddy days... even for stomping through the puddles. This is a privilege of childhood I firmly believe in! Keep those old shoes available and let your kids get dirty when you're out playing. Keep them in an old box in the trunk and when they're done stomping around throw them back in the box and have them put on the clean sneakers again. No harm and everyone's happy! Grab the baby wipes if you find dirty ankles or knees. Remember those wipes in the door?
7. Consolidate trips. I try to hit all my errands to and from each event we have planned. Saves so much on gasoline and wear and tear on the van. It took me awhile to learn this one!
8. Consolidate play dates... oh, and try and arrange the play dates at a park rather than in your living room. lol Having my children's moms bring them to the park at the same time saves us all kinds of shenanigans and I don't have to clean up before or afterwords! Need I say more?
9. Keep medications in your purse. Don't leave medications in your vehicle where the heat of summer could destroy their medicinal quality. I have to keep pain relievers on hand for both myself and the kids... my son and I both suffer from migraines. Additionally, my daughter is allergic to some dogs, but not all... so we also have to travel with an antihistamine... just in case! I keep bandages, tissues, and bug spray in our vehicle and hope for the best, but the medications leave with me.
10. My final tip for avoiding frustrations and chaos in the business of summer is to have a mom network. Swap sitting services with neighbors you know and trust, run errands for one another when you're out. Share sale circulars, trade coupons, carpool, and be there for one another! Oh, and when you skip across the street to pick up your kiddos who your gal pal watched while you finally accomplished that doctor appointment, be sure to bring her a lovely can of iced latte! Ahhhhh!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Seattle’s Best Coffee blogging program for a gift card worth $30. For more information on how you can participate, click here.


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Finding Cheap Seats for Concerts, Live Theater, or the Big Game

Do you dream of finding a cheap seat to an upcoming concert, big game, or live theatrical event? Sometimes we think we can't afford a show or performance... or perhaps have been told that the show  we're dying to see is sold out.

Before you dismiss the possibility of attending the event of your dreams, visit a professional ticket broker specializing in securing those must sought after tickets, at affordable prices. The BCS National Championship Tickets may have seemed out of reach, but now you may be able call your dad and invite him to join you after all!

Perhaps you have a husband like mine who lives to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra? It's just not Christmas to him if we don't attend. Each year he makes a point of purchasing Trans-Siberian Orchestra Tickets as early as possible. It's great to have found a ticket broker who might be able to help us, should my husband forget to secure our seats!

Whether it's the  Tournament Of Roses Parade Tickets you're hoping to secure or Sesame Street Live Tickets, acheapseat.com seems like a good site to bookmark. I've never used this service btw, but like what I see.

Maybe this year you'll surprise your family with Radio City Christmas Spectacular Tickets! The thing I like most about attending an event with my family or a friend is this... you're buying memories. Seriously... the event might be cool, but nothing can compare with the memories your creating with those you adore.

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