We’re in week three of school and clearly the first two threw me for a loop as we get back into the routine. Could you tell from the minimal posts last week and the absence of Weekly Reads during the summer? Weekly Reads is back to bring you up to speed on the things you…
Why We Volunteer in Schools & Volunteering Made Easy with VolunteerSpot {sponsored}
As a former teacher, I know first-hand how helpful it is to have parent volunteers because it wasn’t until my third year teaching that one of the moms signed up to be my room parent and come in every other week for an hour. A recent article in Slate wondered if American parents spend too…
Back to School with Carbonite Twitter Party- Tues. Sept. 10 {sponsored}
So many times we don’t think about backing up our data until it’s too late. With school starting and kids using laptops, tablets, and smartphones, Carbonite wants to help you protect your family’s data. I’ve always been a big fan of Carbonite’s cloud backup solution because it’s affordably priced, secure, and runs automatically to protect…
Getting Lost Shopping for Stationary on Minted
I may have a love for digital devices and technology but sometimes I find myself getting lost in looking at stationary on online sites for way too long. Last night I was browsing for personalized stationary and got stuck on Minted. I pinned a few favorite designs to my new Stationary board on Pinterest before…
Seizing Teachable Moments to Talk About Underage Drinking {sponsored}
I’m a big fan of seizing teachable moments to have age appropriate conversations with our kids as they ask questions about all sorts of topics. One topic that comes up when we go out to eat often involves alcohol. Our daughter who loves to read often peruses the beverage list. Our son looks around at…
From One Second to the Next Documentary Details Devastating Aftermath of Texting While Driving
How can we teach our kids the behavior we want from them if we don’t model our expectations? Whether it’s treating people with kindness and empathy, being a good friend, or putting down our phone when we’re driving, we’re our child’s first teacher. It still shocks me how many people I see holding a cell…
What is HTML5 and Why it Makes Nickelodeon’s New Mobile Gaming Hub Cutting Edge
Adobe Flash has always been a problem on smartphones. Lots of popular web pages and media-rich internet sites are based on Flash. The iPhone has never supported Flash, and there’s limited support on Android. The industry’s long-term fix for this problem is the introduction of HTML5, the newest version of the web page definition language…
8 Ways to Prep Your Home and Devices for Severe Weather {sponsored w. video}
If you don’t start making plans for severe weather until you hear about it, sometimes it’s too late. When bad weather starts to hit the news, a frenzy hits, often resulting in looting of stores for emergency supplies such as batteries, flashlights, and even generators. Smart families know that it’s important to always be prepared…
6 Tips for a Healthy School Year {sponsored}
Our seven year old son has suffered his bumps, bruises, and trips to the hospital when he was younger and just as I sat down to write this post, my husband came inside to tell me that he fell out of a tree while playing outside. We’re fortunate that he’s fine and there’s no trip…
New 5 Little Monkeys App Reinforces Learning for Toddlers and Preschoolers {giveaway}
While the Campaign for Commercial Free Childhood has launched a campaign against app manufacturers who market educational apps for babies, there’s no doubt that apps designed for toddlers and preschoolers can be used to reinforce early learning concepts. The possibilities of well-designed interactive apps to help teach numbers, colors, letters, letter sounds, and even sight…
