** This is a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions used were my own and may vary from others. This post was not influenced in any way. My family just recently moved to the Pacific Northwest and we are always looking into ways to keep the kids' active indoors on those rainy days. I am always trying to find a ways to keep our indoor activities intriguing, fun and educational all at the same time and it always tends to revolve around music! I am not sure about your kids but my kids LOVE music and anything to do with it. We are either making it or listening to it. There are studies that have proven the fact that music can actually raise math and reading test scores in children! When my kids are writing in their daily journals I make sure to turn on some Bach or Mozart to keep everyone in the right frame of mind and I only do that because when I was in elementary school my teacher would do that same thing. We would listen to classical music … [Read more...]
Top 5 Kid’s Game Websites
As much as we’d all like our kids to be playing outside all the time or exercising their creativity with arts and crafts, sometimes you just have to deal with rainy days and household chores. And that’s where computer games come in. Just like television, you wouldn’t want this to be an all-day activity, but there are plenty of games out there that not only keep kids busy but are educational and can make it fun to learn math, reading and other critical thinking skills. Some sites are particularly nice for parents and kids to play along together. Below is a list five great free game websites for kids. They offer activities for a wide age range, so while some websites can be navigated by children independently, others provide an excuse for parents to sit with their children and to work on concepts ranging from simple arithmetic to sharing and the difference between fact and opinion. PBS Kids (http://pbskids.org/) As the mother of children aged 8 and down, this is my personal … [Read more...]
Making Your Home the Hangout for your Children and their Friends
Making Your Home the Hangout foryour Children and their Friends When you have children, it always is agood idea to have them hang out with their friends at your home.While it might seem like more work on your part, there are many morebenefits to consider. When your home is the central hub, you have theopportunity to meet their friends and ensure that they are notgetting into any kind of trouble. You can make sure they are safe andthat there is adult supervision. You can make your home a place wherechildren and teens want to hang out, if you follow some of these easysteps: Start early – If you are planning to stay in the neighborhood for a while, you need to establish your home as the hub while your children are still young. A good quality play set will help with this, and if you have a large enough indoor space, your children will feel comfortable having their friends over. Invite them – Make sure your children know that your house is an option. If they seem to hang out with … [Read more...]
Top Nutritional Supplements for Females
Top NutritionalSupplements for Females For the female workout enthusiast,nutritional supplements can be an important part of maximizing theeffects of her hard work. Vitamins and minerals can both support andenhance the results of a exercise regime by providing energy, helpingto build lean muscle and aid in flexibility just to name a few of thebenefits. The foundation of any committedexercise program is good nutrition. Before exploring whichsupplements will enhance the results of your workout, it is importantto take a look at your diet and determine if you are eating balancedmeals and are getting your recommended daily intake of vitamins andminerals. First and foremost your workouts are best supported by awell-balanced diet. Websites such as mypyramid.gov contain quizzesand information to help you determine if you have healthy dietaryhabits. Once you have determined if your basic diet can use somesupport from a multi-vitamin, you can begin to explore the advantagesof … [Read more...]
I Survived the Japanese Earthquake Effect
ISurvived the Japanese Earthquake Effect Longdistance relationships can be both exciting and stressful. It isexciting since you don't see each other a lot and when that timecomes, you always make the most with the chance of being together. Itadds to the spice of the togetherness that despite being far, yourare both committed to each other. It is stressful knowing that he'sfar and you will not easily know the things that are happening aroundthe person. You always worry with the safety and health condition. Fridaylast week was a terrible day not only for Japan but in theAsia-Pacific region. There was a reported 9.0 magnitude earthquakebased on the usgs.gov site. It also resulted to a 4-meter tsunamithat devastated the area in Honshu near Tokyo. Myhusband, who was a seafarer, was in Japan during that time. And Iwas not aware of his location right around four in the afternoon whenhe sent me a message with the exact position of their vessel. I wasrelieved when I checked … [Read more...]
CHD
It affects 1 in 100 babies. It kills more babies than SIDS or anyother birth defect. It's the most common birth defect. It kills more children than double allchildhood cancers combined. Congenital heart defects are sadly notrare. Yet, I first heard the phrase from the coroner. My daughterCora was born with an undetected congenital heart defect despite ahealthy pregnancy and a clean bill of health after she was born. Cora died suddenly in my arms while Ibreastfed her. I looked up for a moment and looked back down, andCora was pale, limp and not breathing. Thankfully, most babies live. In fact,over 2 million adults are currently living with a congenital heartdefect. But, many mothers are also blind sided by CHD just like Iwas. I now work to spread the word because I think every pregnantwoman should know about the most common of all birth defects. I wish someone had told me the signsand symptoms of CHD in an infant: trouble breathing, difficultyfeeding, … [Read more...]
Why Americans Still Can’t Use Their Cell Phone to Buy a Soda
Why AmericansStill Can’t Use Their Cell Phone to Buy a Soda Astechnology advances, we learn more about the world, discover curesand treatments for illness, and make living easier. Even when atechnology such as the car, computer, or cell phone is invented, thattechnology is constantly being improved. Cell phones are nowsmaller than ever and can access the Internet and work as a GPS,among many other uses. TheiPhone, one of the most diverse cell phones, has over 350,000 appsthe individual can choosefrom. An iPhone can do things like turning on your car,unlocking the doors, and changing the radio. However, not everycountry has the same technology available or technologicaladvancement available. For example, something most Americansprobably haven’t heard of is the mobile vending machine. Whatis a mobile vending machine? Don’tconfuse this with a vending machine that dispenses cell phones (thesedo exist, though). Essentially, you can use your iPhone to buya coke … [Read more...]
Flashcards as Learning Devices!
Flashcards as Learning Devices When I was growing up my mom liked todrive home important lessons with some big and inevitably creased andcrumpled flashcards. These lessons covered everything from “A isfor Apple” to the right-of-way rules before our driver’s tests.We tended to lose as many as we kept, but little by little, thesesimple tools and this simple process actually helped us learn. Andthere is more and more evidence supporting the idea that flashcardsare still an effective learning device. Why Flashcards? When I’m teaching my own kids, Inotice that they can pick up new ideas pretty quickly, but as soon asthey are in hand they get misplaced somewhere in the mass ofdeveloping neurons. Getting them to hold on to these new concepts orideas was the real challenge. My kids were doing okay in school, butI believed they could do better. And I remembered what it was likewith those old, creased and crumpled flashcards. They worked for me.Why not try it with my … [Read more...]