August, 2012 | The Angel Forever

Monthly Archives August 2012

Prev Month( 7th ) Next Month( 9th )

Kindergarten Kid Take Two

Posted on August 31, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

In our part of the country, we do not head back to school until after Labor Day. We have an extra winter break to save on heating, so school does not get out until the June 22. This summer has been a whirl wind for me. There were days that were amazing, and yes there were days that dragged and I could not wait until TechyDad got home. Of course, I would not change the fact that I have been home with the boys since JSL was born.

It’s hard to believe that now, five years later, my little guy is ready to be a kindergarten kid. This may be my second time sending a child to start school, but I think it is more difficult this time around. JSL is my “baby” and he’s been with me all of these years. In addition to this, we are not at the same school that NHL started in years ago. It’s all new to me in this building and I have to admit – it is a little overwhelming.

Thank goodness JSL seems very excited about kindergarten. We went earlier in the week to orientation where he met both of his teachers and was able to explore his classroom. After we took a pile of papers out of his cubby, we sat down by his seat for him to do a little assignment for his teachers.

As soon as I read the instructions, he was ready to go. He wrote his name and got started. He knew exactly what he wanted to draw for his new teachers and when finished I asked to take a quick photo.

As the other children finished, the teachers called them over to the rug in the front of the room. They read The Kissing Hand (one of my favorites) to the group while parents worked on filling out some of the papers given to us. Then, the kids talked about the story, asked questions, and even parents had the opportunity to inquire about things.

As I get ready to send another kiddo into kindergarten, it inspired my question this week:

What kindergarten or elementary school memory is one of your favorites and why? It could be from your childhood or one of your children’s if you have any.

Disclosure: An Amazon Affiliate link for The Kissing Hand is included above. If you use it to purchase the book, I will receive a percentage from the sale.

___________________________________________________________________________

Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the linky there if you are participating.

Aloha #218

Categories:
Aloha Friday Educational jsl milestone photos school

Back to School with Mabel’s Labels

Posted on August 30, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Labeling school items is a sporting event for me. I remember enjoying it when I helped organize my items as a student. Then, it was fun to have fresh items for my own classroom. Now, as the mother of a fourth grader and kiddo going into kindergarten it really gets interesting. I want to make sure that the kids know what is their own and that it stays that way for the entire school year.

A lot of my friends have been raving about Mabel’s Labels for a long time now. I would see their items on websites, and, more importantly, on their personal items at conferences and be impressed. When Mabel’s Labels reached out to me to try some of my own I jumped at the opportunity.

Since JSL was heading to kindergarten, I asked for his name. We received the Ultimate Back-To-School Combo package. This is what it looked like in the package (name obviously blacked out):

JSL does not start kindergarten until after Labor Day, so we have not completely gathered his items to label yet. Of course, he HAD to test them out. So we pulled out a new doodle notebook that he has for practicing his writing in. Here is what Skinny-Minis looked like on there. His name is partially removed, but you can see the easy to read font and great hockey icon (how did they know he liked hockey?):

For a closer look, I went to their website and made a test view of the different items that we received in the combo:

What I love is that Mabel’s Labels are durable. After seeing them used by other children and people that I know, they last and hold up to use. They are waterproof, so they will not run if they get wet. They can go into the dishwasher, so the new thermos for lunch can immediately get a hockey label for JSL. I can also use the tag mates to label clothing without ironing or sewing (bonus points in my book). One of the Teeny Tags will be heading onto JSL’s generic looking lunch bag that you can not write on.

The Ultimate Back-To-School Combo pack is only available until September 28. The items seen above sell for $42. There are also Back to School items including a Tween Pack, Preschool shoe labels, and Book Label packages. Of course, there are many other durable items available from Mabel’s as well. I think NHL is now jealous and wants us to order them. After my experience this time, I am sure there will be an order in our future.

As a teacher, I recommend that you do not skimp on labeling. The better you prepare the items in September, the less likely you are to need to replace them later in the year because they are lost.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary Ultimate Back-To-School Comb package from Mabels Labels in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was given. The opinions expressed in the review are my own.

Categories:
jsl photos Product review school shopping

Disney Letter "D"

Posted on August 29, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

There are Donald and Daisy Duck, but that was too easy for a Disney “D” theme this week. Dragons made with LEGOs with an amazing view. Thinking outside of the box with Disney “D” items was really easy, especially if we consider my Dooney & Bourke Dream. There were many other possibilities, but here are a few that I came up with for the theme of the Disney Wordless Wednesday.

Be sure to stop by Focused on the Magic by clicking on the button above to join in the Disney magic this week.

Categories:
Disney family food glorious food fun travel vacation Wordless Wednesday yummy

Tuesday Tales – Croc Capers

Posted on August 28, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Crikey mate, are you a fan of Australian adventures? What about a book where you learn about life in the outback from a child who grew up at the Australia Zoo? I should probably mention the author is also Bindi Irwin, the daughter of the late Steve Irwin (aka The Crocodile Hunter). One of my first book reviews, when I first started blogging, was the memoir that Terri Irwin wrote about her life with Steve. TechyDad and I used to watch Steve’s show and later our boys loved seeing him (along with Bindi) on the Wiggles DVD where they learned about Australian animals. As you can see in this video below from The Pet Collective, Bindi really has her father’s passion for animals within her zoo home.

As a long time fan of the Irwin Family, I knew that Terri, Bindi, and her younger brother Robert had been working hard to keep the legacy of Steve alive and well. Bindi is now an author, television personality, and clothing designer. We have watched her grow up and take on her role as a nature conservationist. When Sourcebooks contacted me to tell me about her latest book Croc Capers: Bindi Wildlife Adventures, I immediately agreed to review the book.

Croc Capers: Bindi Wildlife Adventures (#7) – Written by Bindi Irwin with Chris Kunz – Sourcebooks Jabberwocky – On sale August 1, 2012 – ISBN 9781402273735 – Paperback 112 pages – Ages 7+ – $4.99

The book begins with Bindi and her younger brother Robert out in the nature reserve. They are there with their family to study crocodiles. While wandering around the reserve and watching cockatoos, they find a campsite with two people. Over time, they befriend the young girl and her father. Bindi and Robert overhear some bad news and it becomes their quest to educate and save their beloved area named for their father. Will they be able to make it happen? You will have to read Croc Capers to find out.

This is the seventh book in the Bindi Wildlife Adventures series. JSL and I decided to read it together. He is about to start kindergarten and loves reading small chapter books together. Even though we had not read the other books in the series, we were able to follow along with no problems. JSL loved that Bindi and Robert were talking about Cockatoos. He could relate to them because Nana and Papa have one of these native Australian birds. The book kept both of us guessing and wondering how Bindi and Robert would save the day. The writing is easy to follow and has a lot of educational tid-bits. I know that the extra “Animal Fact File” was great to continue JSL’s interest. He has actually asked me to look for more of the books and found them in our local book store.

I would definitely recommend these books for fans of the Irwin family, animals, or kids that want to read something a little different. I am sure there will be more of Bindi’s adventures during story time in our house as we get ready for kindergarten.

What books are you reading right now? I would love to know. Please be sure to link up to your book posts in the comments below. Include something you read on your own, with a child, or someone else. Tuesday Tales are all about spreading the love for books.

Disclosure: I received this book complimentary of Sourcebooks in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was given. The opinions expressed in the review are my own. An Amazon Affiliate link is included in this post for the book mentioned. I will receive a percentage of money for the sale should you opt to buy the book through that link.

Categories:
books Educational Product review Tuesday Tales

Photos on the Go – Appreciating Nature

Posted on August 27, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

You never know what may be photo worthy when you are out and about. Often times, I just use my phone quickly to capture something that I want to check into later. Sometimes, I know if I do not get it with my phone , the moment will be lost by the time I get my camera out of my purse. Here are some of those moments from the last week that focus on nature.

On Sunday, it was time to tackle the over grown lawn. Thanks to the dry summer, TechyDad has used our new Black and Decker lawn mower much. It came out and did a nice job shortening the green weeds that make up our lawn areas.

While wondering around, I also noticed a single white rose. This new rose plant came off of one that had previous been died. None of the other buds made it this year, but this beautiful sign of life came out to say hello that morning.

While heading into the library on Monday, the boys and I noticed a lot of activity in the butterfly garden. There were at least a dozen butterflies flying around the flowers. They were amazing to watch and the boys asked me to take out the camera to snap a photo. On the way out, I snagged an extra one with my phone and there was a little bee hanging out as well.

While walking back into the house on Wednesday, a little someone caught my eye. Thank goodness it was nothing too exciting. Just a beautiful little lady that I noted in my letter to the boys.

Then, while getting the garbage cans ready, I noticed the beautiful blooms on the side of the house. These trees have really taken over this summer and the flowers on them have remained for weeks.

No, these photos may not be perfect, but they were taken while on the go. I was able to spend a few moments appreciating nature, her creations, and capture them to look at and smile again later. No doubt these will be appreciated more in the winter months.

What photos have you taken while out and about this week? I would love to know and hear more about how you capture those unique moments while on the go.