Food Fun Family

Get Ready for College with Seventeen: College Goals

Lolli — Fri, 18 May 2018 04:01:35 +0000

Bluestreak Books sent me a copy of Seventeen: College Goals AND is providing a prize pack for one of my lucky readers! Affiliate links are used within this post.

I thought potty training was hard. The toddler struggles have NOTHING on dealing with growing teens. Teaching them how to drive, surviving SATs, preparing them for high school graduation, helping them with college applications, and finding their first apartment away from home.

Two down (almost).

Three to go.

My second daughter graduated from high school last year and has been attending community college locally while she worked as a nanny. She’s currently apartment hunting out west as she prepares to move out and continue her education (and her social life) in a different state.

My oldest son is 17 and finishing up his junior year of high school, which means that things are going to get REALLY busy around our house. Again.

When Seventeen: College Goals came in the mail, my 18-year-old immediately said, “where was this a year ago? I could have used this then!” However, as she flipped through the pages, she found so much helpful information. We both agreed that this would be the perfect book to give to a girl starting her junior year of high school. There are so many things that my kids weren’t thinking about that early in their high school careers, but I can attest that things like SATs and college applications sneak up on you FAST. It never hurts to start thinking and planning early.

About the Book

The only thing standing between you and that college life is figuring out where you might want to go, completing your applications, writing a killer essay, scoring solid test scores, shining in your activities, getting glowing recommendations, and . . . okay, that’s a lot. But even though being accepted into college can seem big and overwhelming, it doesn’t have to be.

That’s where Seventeen: College Goals comes in. This stress-free guide—part-planner, part-journal—will help walk you through the step-by-step process of applying to colleges. There are pages filled with practical cheat sheets, handy life hacks, thoughtful tips, fun quizzes, inspiring quotes from your favorite celebs and leaders, and prompts that will push you to self-reflect. (After all, that’s what college essays are all about!) This way, you can freak out less about if you’ll get in, and actually start thinking about which school’s offer you’re going to accept.

Seventeen: College Goals – An Insider’s Guide to Finding and Getting Into A School You’ll Love

By the Editors of Seventeen Magazine

In Stores April 10, 2018

Published by Bluestreak Books, an imprint of Weldon Owen

Do you have a son or daughter heading to college in the next few years? Then this is the book for you! And good news – one of my readers is going to WIN a copy (plus a fun little Visa gift card too!).

“REWARD THE WORK” Giveaway

Getting ready for college is a lot of work! One Food Fun Family (1) winner will receive:

Copy of Seventeen: College Goals
plus a $50 Visa gift card

Giveaway open to US addresses only. Prizing and samples provided by Bluestreak Books. Giveaway ends June 1, 2018 at 11:59pm ET, after which a winner will be chosen at random and notified via email. Good luck!

Entry -Form

Follow Bluestreak Books on Twitter | Instagram

Follow Weldon Owen on Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Learn more about the book at WeldonOwen.com

Buy the book on Amazon

Creation Crate Technology-Based Subscription Box

Lolli — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 22:04:30 +0000

I received a 3-month subscription to Creation Crate for my 12-year-old son to try out. He fell in love! All thoughts and opinions are our own.

My youngest son is what you’d call a Maker Kid. He was always more interested in taking apart the old VCR to see how it worked than he was interested in typical toys. Instead of coloring, he would create complex, working tools and games with paper. He started learning computer programing (and doing it for fun) while he was still in elementary school.

So when I was introduced to Creation Crate at the beginning of this Fall, I knew that it was the perfect product for him.

What is Creation Crate?

Creation Crate is a educational technology-based subscription box for kids 12 and up. The teacher-designed curriculum uses raw electronic components to give kids hands-on programming experience. Each monthly project builds on the concepts taught in the previous month’s box, and each project increases in difficulty, so that by the end of the 12- or 24-month curriculum, students are “fluent in the language of technology.”

After completing a year’s worth of projects, participants will have more hands on programming experience than 99% of current college level computer science students.

And the best part? They’ll have fun while learning computer programming! I haven’t found other interactive, educational subscription boxes geared towards kids in middle and high school; Creation Crate definitely fills a void, and is perfect for older kids!

Check out AJ’s first impression of Creation Crate as he opened his very first box:

I let AJ go to town and see what he could figure out on his own, and found that the instructions provided with the kits was sufficient for him to get everything set up. I loved that they weren’t 5 minute projects, but that he really did need to think. He also needed to go back and fix things a few times (which is the best way to learn!).

The other great sign for me was that he was eagerly excited to open the second and third month’s boxes and get started on them right away!

Creation Crate Curriculum

Here’s what you’ll get in your Creation Crate box each month. There are new projects every month, and each projects builds on the last:

Month 1: Mood Lamp
Month 2: Memory Game
Month 3: Distance Detector
Month 4: LED Dice Game
Month 5: Optical Theremin
Month 6: 2-Player Reflex Game

Check out what else you can expect from your Creation Crate subscription here.

Do you have a Maker in your like that would love a Creation Crate subscription for the holidays? AJ and I highly recommend trying Creation Crate – and what better time of year to get started?!

After-School Snack Ideas – Delicious Dishes Recipe Party #82

Lolli — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 09:00:07 +0000

I’ve waited ALL summer for this week….and no, I’m not talking about the eclipse, though that WAS pretty incredible!

It’s finally my vacation week (and not a “vacation” where I’m sleeping in a tent and taking care of a couple dozen teenage girls). I’m here at my parents’ house relaxing, taking classes at BYU with my mom and feeling utterly exhausted and totally happy.

My kids still have 2 weeks before they’re back in school, but it’s never too early to make plans for after-school snacks. Especially when they look as tasty as these after-school (or DURING school!) recipes that you guys shared with us.

Welcome to Delicious Dishes Recipe Party! In case you’re new to the party, here’s what you need to know:

Delicious Dishes is a weekly link party where bloggers can share their most delicious recipes while checking out the amazing recipes that other bloggers are sharing.

Each link you share here will be seen on each of the hostess’ blogs listed below >>

Food Fun Family – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

She Saved – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

Walking on Sunshine Recipes – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

5 Minutes for Mom – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

This Mama Loves – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

Clever Housewife – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

Bunny’s Warm Oven –Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

Cooking in Stilettos – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

Each week we will be featuring our favorite recipes from the week before and pinning them to our Delicious Dishes Pinterest board.

We hope you’ll have fun with our party…we know we will!

The Recipes with the Most Clicks Last Week Were…

#1:Homemade Caramel Corn Recipe from She Saved

#2: 10 Starbucks Copycat Recipes from Tuxedo Cats and Coffee

#3: Blueberry Crackle Cake from Simply Stacie

Delicious Dishes Party Favorites from Last Week:

These are the recipes that the hosts loved the most…

I loved Tagalong Cookie Bars from The Skinny Chick Can Bake

Lois loved Homemade Peanut Butter Granola Bars from Cincy Shopper

Brett loved Apple Bars from The Country Chic Cottage

Susan loved White Chocolate Dipped Ginger Snaps from Teaspoon of Goodness

Aly loved Caramel Apple Cups from Eat Move Make

Keri Lyn loved Reese’s Peanut Butter Balls from Joyful Homemaking

Emily loved Chocolate Covered Apple Slices from She Saved

Mary loved No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies from Coupons and Freebies Mom

Follow us along on our Pinterest board. We pin a ton of recipes that are shared to our linky party each week. So get your recipes ready. We can’t wait to see what’s cooking in your kitchen this week.

Now let’s get this party started!

An InLinkz Link-up

It’s Time to Get Your Game On for Back-to-School

Lolli — Thu, 17 Aug 2017 17:00:24 +0000

This post is sponsored by Kohl’s. I received the included back to school clothes and essentials as compensation.

I remember as a kid that I LOVED back-to-school shopping. I was the one time of the year (and often the ONLY time) when I could count on getting a few new outfits. I loved trying on new clothes and finding pants and shirts and shoes that were stylish, crisp, colorful and new.

Starting off that first day of school with a new outfit made me feel more confident and more ready to tackle the new year.

Now I’m on the other end of the back-to-school shopping spectrum, as a mom with 4 kids living at home (and teenagers at that!!). Let’s just say that back-to-school shopping is often NOT on my list of “fun things I am looking forward to doing.”

I love shopping for myself. Browsing the racks of clothes and trying on new styles is still as exciting as ever. But taking four kids out shopping and finding things they like (and I like, equally)? That can be a different story!

I decided to bite the bullet this back-to-school season and knock all of the school clothes shopping out in one trip to Kohl’s. What was I thinking? Taking four teenagers out to shop for clothes….two girls and two boys, all shopping in different departments?

Yes, it was a big undertaking, but we scored some amazing deals at Kohl’s and came home with outfits for each of the kids that they can wear during the first week of school and throughout the school year. And you know what? I actually had fun!

And now my kids are ready to tackle their new year of school, with both of my girls heading to new schools this year (one starting high school, and the other starting college!). They definitely have their “game face” ready to make a great first impression.

Our favorite deals? We loved all of the “two-for” shirt deals! Everyone scored some graphic tees for a great price. It was fun to see which styles “spoke” to each of the kids. I loved that I was happy with each of the things that they picked out, too!

The boys were in desperate need of some new jeans (because boys grow SO fast!) and we were thrilled to find jeans that were a great price and fit. And take my word for it…the boys are not always the easiest shoppers to please!

After we got home, I asked each of the kids to pick out their favorite outfit to take some back-to-school pictures. They definitely don’t want to wait til the first day of school to start enjoying their haul from Kohl’s…and I don’t blame them!

Are you getting ready to do some back-to-school shopping with your kids, too?

Check out Kohl’s Friends and Family Sale from August 17th-20th. Be sure to score 20% off using code SAVER at check out. You can also get $10 off any $50 kids clothing purchase between August 4-20 using promo code BTS10!

Check out the back to school selection here: https://www.kohls.com/sale-event/school.jsp and here: https://www.kohls.com/sale-event/kids-clothing.jsp

What is on your must-have back-to-school list?

My blog may contain links to other websites. I am not responsible for the privacy policies of those other websites. When you click on a link, your information may be collected by those websites so I encourage you to read their privacy policies.
Affiliate links are not associated with Kohl’s.

5 Tips to Be Ready for Back-To-School Season

Lolli — Tue, 15 Aug 2017 03:57:07 +0000

It’s back-to-school season already! Although my kids still have a few weeks left of summer, I know school will be back in session before I know it, and that means a huge adjustment in our schedule. This post is sponsored by Harris Teeter, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

As much as I love the lazy days of summer (Who are we kidding? Summer is a ton of work for us parents!) I admit that I do look forward to the start of a new school year. By the end of the summer, I can tell that the kids are craving routine, even if they THINK what they want is late mornings sleeping in.

We love school, but the adjustment can be tough. I’ve pulled together a handful of helpful tips to make the back-to-school transition smooth and enjoyable, with a little help (and a shopping trip or two) from Harris Teeter.

5 Tips to Be Ready for Back-To-School Season

Plan meals ahead of time – Nothing puts a wrench in the evening like not knowing what we’re going to eat for dinner. It only takes 5 or 10 minutes at the beginning of each week to jot down a quick list of meals that we’re going to eat throughout the week, and then make a shopping list for the necessary items. But it saves a ton of time (and most importantly, headache!) in the long run because we don’t have to think about the classic (and never-ending) question, “What’s for dinner?” I love taking my shopping list to my local Harris Teeter, where I can get private label products for a low price everyday. Harris Teeter has recently lowered everyday prices on a ton of their private label products, many of which are pantry staples.

Make breakfast quick and easy – Whether your kids are old enough to serve themselves breakfast in the morning or not, having a few quick and easy breakfast options is one of the ways that we make our mornings go much more smoothly. I love a hot, cooked breakfast as much as the next person, but I don’t often have the time to cook one every morning. And that’s ok! Having quick and easy-to-prepare breakfast encourages the kids (especially the teens) to eat something before school every day versus skipping breakfast.

Set up a lunch/snack station – Just like the easy-to-prepare breakfast, our family believes in easy-to-prepare lunches! We have sandwich fixings together on the shelf so that sandwich prep is smooth, and all of the lunch snacks, like fruit cups and granola bars, are in a quick-access drawer. Preparing their school lunch is as easy as grabbing a few items from the lunch drawer and sticking it in their backpack. We are stocking up on low-priced Harris Teeter private label items for our lunch boxes.

One of our favorite after-school snacks!

Create a homework station – After school, the kids always need a snack and a short mental break, but that is followed quickly by homework time! The longer my kids are in school, the longer their homework takes! The easiest way we’ve found to stay on task when it’s homework time is to have a homework “station” in a central location, like the kitchen, that is stocked with pencils, erasers, calculators, good seating and lighting. It’s important that we keep the homework area distraction-free (which is tough when their homework has to be done on the computer!).

What are some of your best tips for adjusting to back-to-school season?

Did you know about Harris Teeter’s Together in Education program? It’s simple! When you purchase HT private label items, your local school of choice can earn money. Harris Teeter has donated over $25 million to Together In Education schools since 1998! Find out more about the program here.

Post a weekly schedule – We’re a family of seven (with 6 of us currently at home), which means a ton of moving parts. Heading back to school means starting fall sports and other after-school activities. Adjusting to a new schedule can be rough, but posting the calendar with all of the family’s activities and commitments helps keep everything running smoothly.

About Harris Teeter: Harris Teeter Supermarkets, Inc. is an American supermarket chain based in Matthews, North Carolina, just outside Charlotte. As of January 2017, the chain operates 243 stores in seven states: North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Florida, Delaware, Maryland and Washington D.C.

The Harris Teeter, Your Plus Guarantee applies to all private label items: “Our goal is to keep you satisfied! If you are not 100% satisfied with this product, simply return it for a full refund. Plus we will replace it with a like item of your choice.” Harris Teeter Private Label items are priced lower than other grocer’s private label items, which means that you get a great quality for a low price.

Connect with Harris Teeter

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harristeeter/
Twitter: @HarrisTeeter
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harristeeter/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MyHarrisTeeter
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/harristeeter/

Enter to WIN a Harris Teeter Gift Card

We’re giving away a $50 gift card to one (1) lucky winner. Enter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Care For Your School With Box Tops for Education

Lolli — Thu, 03 Aug 2017 16:30:28 +0000

This is a sponsored post with compensation received from General Mills. As always, all opinions are my own.

Mom confession time: I am the mom who will dig through the recycling bin to snip off any Box Tops for Education that my family has missed. I’ve even been known to sneak a few Box Tops out of the neighbors’ recycle bins before they’re taken away. We even have Grandma collect them for us out of state, and I’ll pack plastic baggies full of Box Tops in my luggage after visiting her.

Box Tops are pretty amazing, if you ask me! I shop for the stuff I would normally buy, and the kids’ school gets 10 cents per Box Tops. It couldn’t be easier!

Box Tops are kind of a big deal in our house.

I’m still in denial that Back to School season is almost here. Didn’t we just start summer break?? There’s no use denying it or trying to avoid the inevitable. School will be back in session before we know it, which means back to school shopping and preparation time is NOW. That means stocking up on school supplies and filling the snack drawers in the kitchen with plenty of goodies for the kids’ lunches.

The Power of Box Tops

What makes Box Tops so incredible? Box Tops for Education helps schools do more for the KIDS. They can help provide more books and academic resources for students; they can help kids be more active with additional gym or playground equipment; they can help fund field trips or field days at school. There are so many ways that Box Tops help parents care for their school and the children it serves.

Did you know that you can search for collection drives from your child’s school, a school in your area, or just find a drive that resonates with you? Check out all of the options here: https://www.boxtops4education.com/clipboard Even though my kids are in middle and high school, I found our kids’ elementary school on the list, and love that they’re gathering Box Tops to help kids attend field trips. But if you’re like us and have kids in middle school or high school, you can still collect Box Tops!

CVS Extra Bucks Offer

While you’re out back to school shopping with your kids this month, be sure to stop by your local CVS. CVS is making it easier than ever to care for your family AND your classroom with everything you need to keep your kids focused, active, and prepared for the new school year. When you shop Box Top items at CVS this back to school season, you help supply schools with the equipment and tools they need to support each and every student!

Special Offer! CVS Extra Bucks Offer (8/20-8/27): Spend $30 on participating Box Tops products, get $10 ExtraBucks reward. So not only are you getting valuable Box Tops for your kids’ school, but you’re saving money on items for your family, too. We like loading up on cereals (my kids eat a TON of cereal!) and lunch box snacks like Mott’s fruit snacks or Fiber One bars.

What are your favorite products to stock up on to collect Box Tops? Is your school listed on the Box Tops site?

Connect with CVS and Box Tops for Education

Be sure to stay connected with Box Tops for Education on the web and social media!

Website: https://www.cvssavingscentral.com/shop-assets/04_GMS_H9273_GenMillsBTS/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/btfe/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BoxTopsForEducation
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/boxtops/pins/

*Offer valid 8/20/17 – 8/27/17. $30 worth of participating General Mills BTFE products must be purchased in a single transaction with CVS card in order to receive 10 CVS ExtraBucks automatically at checkout. Net purchase determined after all discounts, offers and coupons. Each box top is worth 10 cents to redeeming school when clipped from box tops products and sent to the redeeming school. Only BTFE registered schools can redeem box tops. Limit $20,000 per school per year for box tops redeemed through the clip program. See www.boxtopsforeducation.com for program details.

Easy Breakfast Recipes for Back to School – Delicious Dishes Recipe Party #78

Lolli — Tue, 25 Jul 2017 11:00:32 +0000

I can’t quite believe we’re already at the end of the month of July and speaking the phrase “back to school.” How is that possible? I have yet to go on a summer vacation, so I am not ready to even consider the idea of the summer coming to an end.

Regardless of the time of year, cooking up a delicious but easy breakfast is always a good idea. My family’s favorite home-cooked breakfast is my whole wheat waffles. We love to mix up a bunch of extra batter and keep it in a covered pitcher that we then pour out to make fresh waffles every morning. Quick, easy, delicious, and filling! Who could ask for anything better than that?

What are your favorite quick breakfasts to serve or eat? If you’re in need of some fresh ideas, check these hostess favorites from recent parties!

Each link you share here will be seen on each of the hostess’ blogs listed below >>

Food Fun Family – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

She Saved – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

Walking on Sunshine Recipes – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

5 Minutes for Mom – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

This Mama Loves – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

Clever Housewife – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

Bunny’s Warm Oven –Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

Cooking in Stilettos – Blog / Facebook / Pinterest

Each week we will be featuring our favorite recipes from the week before and pinning them to our Delicious Dishes Pinterest board.

We hope you’ll have fun with our party…we know we will!

The Recipes with the Most Clicks Last Week Were…

#1: 25 Make Ahead Back to School Breakfast Ideas from Second Chance to Dream

#2: Almond Doughnut Cookies Recipe from Ann’s Entitled Life

#3: Back to School Sandwich-Less Lunch Ideas from Second Chance to Dream

Delicious Dishes Party Favorites from Last Week:

These are the recipes that the hosts loved the most…

I loved Cinnamon Sugar Cake Doughnut Recipe from Tikkido

Lois loved Nutty Homemade Granola Recipe from 5 Minutes for Mom

Brett loved Raspberry Dark Chocolate Mini Pancake Muffins Recipe from She Saved

Susan loved Ginger Roasted Peach Breakfast Parfaits from Looney for Food

Aly loved Chai Spiced Zucchini Muffins from Premeditated Leftovers

Keri Lyn loved Yummy Blueberry Smoothie from Crafts a la Mode

Emily loved Morning Glory Baked Oatmeal from Cooking in Stilettos

Mary loved Red and Blue Oatmeal Squares from Our Good Life

Now let’s get this party started!

An InLinkz Link-up

Prom and Graduation Season: Communication is Key

Lolli — Wed, 03 May 2017 13:59:37 +0000

This is a sponsored blog post and I was compensated by Anheuser-Busch to be part of the Family Talk About Drinking Program. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recently, my husband and I celebrated our 22nd wedding anniversary. Our oldest daughter celebrated her first anniversary the week before. We have one daughter graduating from high school next month and a son who is learning to drive and is active on his high school cross country and lacrosse teams. Both of my high school aged kids are attending prom this year. You could say that we are well-seasoned parents by this point!

Unfortunately, “well-seasoned” doesn’t mean that I know everything, nor does it mean that parenting is any easier than it was for me 20 years ago.

When the kids were little, I thought that the physical aspect of managing a family of seven was tough, but I never imagined how tricky it would get when they all became teenagers. Now that the kids are older, parenting is much more of an emotional and mental challenge, and the physical aspect of my role as a mom has shifted from hefting heavy toddlers around on my hip and playing with blocks on the ground to spending hours in the car dropping off and picking up for their various activities.

The Tale of Two Proms

Last month, my 16-year-old son was unexpectedly asked to prom (not at his school) by a friend that he’s known for several years. He was instantly excited about the prospects of attending prom – he’s a very social kid and loves to dance.

His older sister, who will be graduating this year, hadn’t shown any signs of wanting to attend her prom…until she was called down to the office about a week ago. She was chosen to attend a special Say Yes to the Prom event, and the next day she came home with a fancy prom dress, shoes, accessories, shawls, and lots of goodies to make her hair look fabulous for the prom.

A few days later, she asked a friend from school to be her date to her high school prom. He said yes, and so plans are in the works for the two of them to go.

Setting Expectations Early

We’ve been very clear about our family expectations and values when it comes to drinking and other similar topics since the kids were little, so bringing up the issue of prom and alcohol was not a new or surprising topic for us to discuss with the kids. Our kids know that we have a firm no drinking policy; there’s no gray area.

We’ve always armed our kids with information and tools that they can use when they find themselves in situations with their peers. When they know what their answer will be when they’re offered alcohol at a party, it’s a lot easier to answer with a quick and firm “no thanks.”

Keeping The Lines of Communication Open

It’s not enough to set the ground rules once and never mention them again. Gentle reminders and thoughtful discussions before they head off to a get together with friends or to a bigger event like the prom are important for keeping them prepared. We’ve found that bringing up a variety of scenarios that they might not have thought about before helps strike up a productive conversation.

As my kids have gotten older, I’ve found that the best conversations with my kids happen naturally, so it’s important for me to “set the stage” for those conversations to happen. Those long afternoons in the car, text messaging, lounging around on a Sunday afternoon, cooking dinner – they’re all great times to start talking together.

3 Communication Strategies for Prom and Grad Season

Family Talk About Drinking, in partnership with parent coach MJ Corcoran, has come up with three communication strategies for prom and graduation season. This is an important topic all year long, but can be especially important around prom and graduation season. It’s this time of year when teens often find themselves in an increased number of situations where underage drinking may be a concern.

Face-to-face communication

I loved the tips in this section – not only should parents find opportunities to talk with their kids face to face, but we should match our teen’s stance. Sit if they’re sitting, stand if they’re standing. “Recognition that they’re listening is important, but eye contact can actually be intimidating to teens and make them feel frustrated.”

The power of place

Some of the best places to have conversations are seemingly unconventional – long car rides and hikes are just two examples. Starting conversations on a lighter note (versus a serious “we need to have a talk” sit-down discussion) can help foster an open, productive conversation.

Communication variety

Although face-to-face conversations are important, it can also be productive to communicate with your teens using their preferred medium – texting, social media, or messaging apps on their phone. Any connection, especially when it feels and happens naturally, is a step in the right direction.

Asking the right questions is also key. Questions like these really get them thinking: “What will you do if your prom date shows up with a bottle of alcohol?” or “What do you think you’d do if you noticed a friend had been drinking at a party and was getting ready to drive himself home?”

What methods have you found that have worked well for communicating with your teenagers? Please add your tips in the comment section below!

About Family Talk About Drinking

Family Talk About Drinking provides support, tools and insights for parents aiming to develop stronger relationships with their children and prevent underage drinking. For more tools and ideas for talking to your kids about drinking at any age, visit the Family Talk About Drinking Website.

Connect with Family Talk About Drinking

Family Talk About Drinking Website

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ABFamilyTalk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ABFamilyTalk

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZKfMmqhQrM

Fight the Summer Slide with Summer Brain Quest Workbooks

Lolli — Wed, 12 Apr 2017 15:17:25 +0000

Summer Brain Quest prizing and samples, along with blog sponsorship, were provided by Workman Publishing. All thoughts are my own.

We’re in the middle of Spring Break, which for me as a parent is like a sneak peek of what summer break is going to be. It’s SO hard to keep kids from wanting to sit on the couch playing on their devices all day. I know I’m not the only mom who worries about the dreaded Summer Slide. It’s hard enough to keep my kids on task during the school year, but during the summer it’s nearly impossible for them to stay in “learning mode.” I worry each fall when they start a new school year that they will have forgotten everything!

Did you know that most students lose about two months of grade level equivalency in math, and many also lose reading achievement, during the summer? That’s kind of scary! Imagine how much further ahead kids would be if they didn’t have to keep re-learning the same things that they learned last year?

The brand new Summer Brain Quest workbooks, available April 18, are perfect for keeping kids learning throughout the summer and prepared for the new school year. The best thing about the Summer Brain Quest books is that they make learning FUN and engaging for kids, and kids actually WANT to pick them up to read through them and fill them out.

There are size Summer Brain Quest books: For kids between K-1, 1-2, 2-3, 3-4, 4-5, and 5-6. Each book includes over 150 full-color pages of learning activities, a foldout summer progress map, over 150 stickers and a thorough answer key to check answers.

Each grade level book includes topics in math, English language arts, social studies, and science. The topics align with Common Core standards and, of course, they’re age appropriate. The Summer Brain Quest workbooks are effective new tools for parents, homeschoolers, tutors, and teachers alike. I wish I’d had these books for my kids when they were in elementary school! Luckily (for my friends, at least!) I’ve got friends with kids in elementary school so even though my kids are a little too old for the books, they’ll be well-loved and utilized.

More about Summer Brain Quest:

SUMMER BRAIN QUEST is notable because it offers a one-of-a-kind learning experience that delivers personalized learning for every type of kid. Personalized learning is an educational method where exercises are tailored to each child’s strengths, needs and interests. Our goal was to empower kids to have a voice in what and how they learn, while ensuring they get enough practice of the fundamentals. It achieves this through our interactive format.

SUMMER BRAIN QUEST is structured like a game; each book includes a pull-out map that guides kids on a learning quest. They fill in their route on the map by earning stickers for completing workbook pages as well as pursuing outdoor activities. The map offers a choice of routes, allowing kids to customize their learning path and pursue what excites them most (extra math problems? more hands-on science?), and also encouraging them to jump around within the book to follow their curiosity.

Original artwork by video game artist Edison Yan makes every book feel fresh and fun. These are the most visually appealing books in the market.

Summer Brain Quest workbooks are available for pre-order on Amazon.

WIN a Summer Brain Quest Prize Pack!

One lucky winner will receive a Summer Brain Quest prize pack with everything listed below! Just enter on the giveaway widget! Giveaway ends 4/25/2017, after which a winner will be selected at random and notified via email. Prizing and samples provided by Workman Publishing. Giveaway open to US addresses only.

One (1) winner receives:

Complete set of 6 Summer Brain Quest workbooks (grades K-6)
Branded colored pencils
Branded Frisbee
Branded swim goggles
Branded drawstring backpack

Entry -Form

Connect with Workman Publishing

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Send Your Kids to College with a Gift that Gives You the Savings

CandyMan — Fri, 06 Jan 2017 20:49:25 +0000

No matter how you slice it, even with a scholarship, college costs a lot of money. Our second daughter is about to graduate from high school this year, meaning that we’ll have more college bills to pay soon. With 5 kids, we have to find ways to save wherever we can. Our oldest daughter daughter taught us several things about frugal college living, including getting as many textbooks as possible on Amazon. Want to know what we’d recommend? Here is the one thing you must get to cut down on college costs.

Prime Student – This is Amazon’s student version of Amazon Prime. It has ALL of the benefits of Amazon Prime, plus a few more that are catered toward saving you money on college purchases. The first six months are free when you sign up, and then it’s 50% of the cost of regular Amazon Prime. By my math, that makes it $49 per year. Not bad.

Now, having said that, let’s clear the air and see why your college bound kids should not miss out on becoming a Prime Student.

In addition to Amazon Prime Student benefits, Amazon can help students save time and money by skipping the bookstore line and visiting the Amazon Textbooks Store where you can rent textbooks for up to 80% less than buying them.

You get all of the two-day free shipping options that regular Amazon Prime offers, you get exclusive deals and Prime Early Access where they sell limited items only to prime members at really low prices.

On the non-shopping side, you get free access to Audible Channels which has tons of original series and material. When you need to expand your brain, relax, motivate yourself or just laugh out loud, you can find a channel that explores everything from spirituality to scientific theory.

If you prefer to read, you get Prime Reading which allows you to read thousands of books, magazine and other titles on any device you want. You don’t need a Kindle to use it, they have a Kindle App that is free. This is one of the best ways to escape the onslaught of junk information that comes across your news feed.

For gamers, you get Twitch Prime that gives you access to free games and discounts on new releases every month.

Lastly, if your kids like to take pictures, Prime Student let’s you tap into Amazon’s huge data storage facility at no cost. You get unlimited photo storage that is all organized and ready to use. So, go ahead, keep taking 432 pictures of the same thing. You can store all those pictures for free. Or, instead of that, refer a friend to use Prime Student and get a $10 Amazon store credit when they sign up.

Just take a look at any one of the features and you’ll see that this is the place to go for all kinds of resources to make college better. It will also save you money on tons of things you have to buy anyway.

If you are not an Amazon Prime member already, then you are either just plain missing out on life or perhaps you haven’t embraced the concept of not having to get our of your pajamas to do your shopping. Either way, get up and make a change for the new year!

How to sign up for Amazon Prime Student:

Go to https://www.amazon.com/gp/student/signup
Click on the button that says “Start Your 6-Month Trial”
Click on “Create your Amazon account”
Follow the instructions on the screen and provide your personal information

Note: When you sign up for Amazon Prime Student, there is no cost for the first six months, courtesy of Sprint and you can cancel at any time. After that, students receive 50 percent off of regular Amazon Prime Membership at only $49 annually.

Find more about Amazon Prime Student and sign up HERE. Find out about the latest deals and promotions by following Amazon Prime Student on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat (add ‘amazonstudent’).

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.