Thursday, September 28, 2017

National Coffee Day Deals & Freebies for Tomorrow!!!

Tomorrow, September 29th, is National Coffee Day.  That means lots of free and cheap deals on coffee treats for you!  Take a look at some of the offers made just for you:

Cinnabon: free 12 oz. coffee all day, no coupon required.

Krispy Kreme:  free any size hot coffee or small ice coffee for 3 straight days from 09-29 through 10-01.  Limit one per day per person, but you can get the freebie once each day of the promotion!National Coffee Day

Dunkin’ Donuts:  B1G1F medium coffee.

Wawa:  free coffee of any size!

McDonald’s:  $2 small McCafe coffees all day.

If you know of other coffee freebies and deals local to you, please feel free to share them in the comments!

Enjoy!

Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Enjoy 50-cent Corn Dogs @ Sonic Tomorrow!!!

Enjoy 50-cent corn dogs all day tomorrow, September 27th, at Sonic! 

Sonic Drive-InAmerica's Happy Hour

Saturday, September 23, 2017

Kwik Stix–The Cool Tool for School!

It’s September, and that means it’s time for heading back to school!  Whether your kids are in public or home school, you know your kids will be doing a variety Kwik Stix 12pk pictureof projects throughout the year.  This is the time when most parents stock up on supplies that will be needed for the school year ahead, and kids love new and unique supplies that set their work apart from the rest!  Enter Kwik Stix

For kids of all ages, Kwik Stix are a great way to spruce up any design.  They are solid tempera paint sticks, which means you get all the bright colors and smooth textures without all the drippy wet mess and dirty brushes you know you’ll have to clean up when using traditional paints.  Just remove the cap, twist up, and paint!

They come in regular size as well as thinner Thin Stix for more detailed work.  Because they can be used on a variety of surfaces and not just paper, your kids can think out of the box and use them on wood, canvas, poster board, and cardboard, too!

Just think of all the colorful applications for these beautiful vibrant colors…my daughter used them to make a variety of helpful tools for school.  Here are just a few:

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A colorful frame to pin on the cork board to highlight student work for the week

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A monthly school calendar

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A guide to 3-D shapes for younger students

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A diagram for liquid measurement conversions

The possibilities are endless!  And or course they are amazing for regular art projects and just plain old creative fun, too! 

Whether you’re looking for basic colors, neons, or metallic colors, Kwik Stix has it all!  Pick some up today and add them to your child’s treasury of exceptional school supplies!

Image result for kwik stix logo

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

REVIEW: Homeschool Geography Curriculum by Let’s Go Geography

My 4th grader and I had a wonderful time reviewing this wonderful homeschool geography curriculum by Let’s Go Geography.


WHAT IS IT?:

Let’s Go Geography is an engaging new geography program that allows your children in grades K-4 to explore the globe one country and one continent at a time!

This program provides a gentle introduction to places and cultures using a combination of map work, fascinating video links, full-color photos, simple summary writing, coloring pages, and hands-on crafts.  It also provides book lists for optional reading and additional links for more in-depth facts and information for older students who want to learn more.

Year 1 is currently available, and Years 2 and 3 are still under development.  Take a look at the 3-Year Schedule to see what countries are studied and when.  And also watch this video to understand what’s included and what a typical lesson looks like.

This first year is available for just $21.99.  You also have the option to purchase just one semester or to purchase both semesters in 2 payments, receiving access to only one semester at a time.  They are also in the process of offering single lessons for sale.  Take a look at all the options and see what’s right for your family!


OUR EXPERIENCE:

Let me just say that I was really excited to see this unique product offered for elementary students!  I’ve never really taken my kids through specific geography studies where we got out maps and looked at countries as we studied them.  I’m teaching my third and final homeschool student now, and he’s in 4th grade, so this product came along just in time for us!

I really love this program with its gentle introduction to geography lessons.  It’s just right for elementary students, and perfect for Holden, who is 9, almost 10, and has ADHD.  His attention span for anything school-related is pretty short, and he loses focus after more than a few minutes.  But the setup of this program was perfect for him.  It is pretty flexible.  It’s designed to take about an hour of study per lesson, with one lesson per week.  The assignments are broken up into smaller chunks, as well, so you can either plow right through a lesson in one sitting if your student is up for it (we did that sometimes on Fridays, which are days off from school for us), or you can do it in smaller, more manageable chunks each day that are easy to work into your school schedule.  We do a 4-day homeschool week, and it fit very well with that schedule, as well.

When I first gained online access to the program, I realized I could either access the lessons right from my subscription page, or I had the option to download them onto my computer.  The lesson page times out after a while of inactivity, like when we were busy watching the video links in another window, so we found it flowed better for us if we downloaded the lessons onto our computer and clicked the links from there.  That kept us from having to log back in repeatedly during one lesson if we were planning to do the whole thing at once.

So after downloading the lessons, I also printed the student Passport, which was free for doing one social media share.  It turned out really cute.  I printed the cover on colored cardstock, inserted the pages, and stapled it in the binding so it would work just like a real passport.  There was a place to put his picture and personal data on the first page, too.  The subsequent pages named each continent we’d be studying and gave us space to glue in each country’s flag as we studied each new location. 

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The next step was to print “My Travel Journal.”  This was basically a binder with an insertable cover and printable tabs to create dividers inside by continent.  Then there were picture collages of the countries we’d study on each continent that we pasted on the front of each divider.  Now we were ready to begin!

Before each week began, I’d receive an email reminding me which country to study that week.  Then I’d go ahead and print all the materials from the lesson that we’d be using and insert them in the binder.  $RX59RM5

Each lesson began with a map of the continent where we’d color in the country of the week.  Then there would be an additional map we’d label and color that showed the specific country or region in more detail.  With both maps, we were provided with some questions and answers we’d go over together that got Holden looking more closely at the maps to observe bordering countries and oceans and other bodies of water.

On the next day, we’d color 2 copies of the flag for that country…we’d cut them out and paste one into the passport and one onto a map of the continent, where we’d draw a line from the flag to the location of the country on the map.  Then we’d listen to the country’s national anthem using an online link in the lesson. 

On the t$RAQ3PG3hird day, we’d start off with exploring the country.  We’d learn some quick and interesting facts about the region, and then we’d go sightseeing by clicking the online links to a series of fascinating videos.  Usually, it would show us an aerial view of the country’s terrain and land features, and we might see an example of how people live from day to day in the marketplaces and such.  Then there were additional videos that might tell more about their history or unique features of the area.  We’d often learn about animals in the region, as well.  The videos were very entertaining, and we both enjoyed them very much!  This was my personal favorite day of the week, and I think it was Holden’s favorite, too!  He loves to watch videos, and none of them were too long…just a few minutes each.

On the fourth day, we’d look at photos of major landmarks and unique features of the country, and then we’d use the included journal page t$RB2QCCHo write down things we both remembered learning about the region…the things that stood out in our minds.  Then I gave Holden the printable coloring page for that country, and we’d end the day with that.  There was an additional craft activity for each country, as well, which would be great for day 5.  But Holden’s not big on doing crafts, so we just looked at them and left the option open if there was something he decided he wanted to do.  They were simple projects like constructing a lighthouse out of plastic cups, painting with watercolors over a maple leaf impression, or making a sea turtle paper bag puppet.  They were all things you could make with simple printables and household materials, and all of the instructions and color photos of finished projects were included.

During the review period, we were able to complete 5 lessons over the course of 5 weeks, covering the U.S. Northeast region, Hawaii, Canada, Haiti, and Nicaragua.  As we completed each lesson, we checked the little box on our subscription page to show we’d completed it, and the next time we logged in, there were check marks next to our completed lessons to make it easy to know where to pick up with the next lesson.

The program is designed to have 32 weekly lessons with 4 weeks of breaks built into the suggested schedule, but of course, it’s easy to follow the pace that best suits your own$RUWNVDG interest and availability.  Every 12th week is a review week. 

The review week begins with a map review.  Here, your student finds and colors/labels the countries that were studied so far.  Then they learn some additional map skills like latitude and longitude, compass rose, etc.  Then there’s an activity page where the student can answer questions about the new map skills they learned.

The next portion is a flag review.  Here, the student is given printable pages of the continents with full-color flags printed on them, and the student has to match the flags with the countries on the maps from memory.$RXF9E1S

The third portion is a review of what they explored.  Major facts are summarized for each continent learned so far.  Then the student is given a printable activity where they match photos of key places, attractions, or animals in each country with the name of the country where it can be found.  This is challenging!

Lastly, there are links for additional online exploration, a printable journal page to summarize what they’ve learned, and printable collage coloring pages for each continent they’ve studied during the period.

As you can see, there’s a lot to see and do here!  I love that the review is built-in, making it easy to assess what your child has retained from his or her weekly lessons as they progress through the year.

The bottom line for us is that the lessons are fun, there’s a lot of variety in the daily activities,$RF14RMK it’s entertaining, and we’re both learning interesting things!  I think Holden’s favorite part so far was the videos of the erupting volcanoes in Hawaii!  And he was also fascinated with the videos of Niagara Falls when we were studying the Northeast region of the U.S.  I’ve actually been there, but he hasn’t, so it sparked a fun conversation of sharing what it’s like to actually be there and feel the water spray on your skin and see the frozen wonderland that surrounds it in the dead of January!

The photographs are so vivid, and the videos keep it interesting and entertaining, while the map work, questions, and journal pages ensure he’s learning tangible skills in geography.  In summary, I feel like this is the most interesting elementary geography program I’ve ever seen!  It fits with our schedule, and it keeps his attention well enough that we can actually keep up with it and get it done!  That makes it a keeper in my book.

Check out what other Crew members have to say about Let’s Go Geography by clicking the banner below.

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

International Talk Like a Pirate Day 2017…It’s a Bust!

Today is officially International Talk Like a Pirate Day.  However, the freebies are disappointing this year, to say the least. 

Remember the FREE dozen doughnuts for wearing a full pirate cosKrispy Kreme Doughnut Logotume at Krispy Kreme from past years?  Well, not so this year.  The company has decided not to participate.  Sad smile  They were quoted as saying that you’re still welcome to come in dressed up and enjoy a fun time with your family…they just won’t be giving away any free doughnuts this year, citing that they’ve added other events to their calendar instead.

And rHostess Deep Fried Twinkiesemember getting a free piece of fish or chicken from Long John Silvers in past years?  Well, that freebie is gone, too.  Sad smile  Instead, they’ve replaced it with a FREE deep-fried Twinkie for your best pirate phrase. 

ARGH!

Saturday, September 16, 2017

FREE Queso Day @ Moe’s Southwest Grill

Moe's Southwest Grill Celebrates Free Queso Day (PRNewsfoto/Moe's Southwest Grill)

If you’re a big fan of Moe’s delicious queso, then you will be very excited to know that Moe’s famous annual FREE Queso Day is coming up this next week on Thursday, September 21st, from 11 AM to 9 PM at participating locations.

Enjoy this yummy 6oz. cup of creamy goodness with Moe’s wonderful handmade tortilla chips and free salsa bar.  No purchase required!

It’s a treat worth waiting for, so get in line as soon as you can!

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

REVIEW: If You Were Me and Lived in…Mexico and If You Were Me and Lived in…Colonial America by Carole P. Roman

We really enjoyed our selections last year, so we looked forward to reviewing If You Were Me and Lived in…Mexico and If You Were Me and Lived in…Colonial America by Carole P. Roman.


WHAT IS IT?:


If You Were Me and Lived in…Mexico is part of the Introduction to Cultures Around the World series, which is written with children ages 4-8 and even slightly older in mind.  It’s available for just $11.99.  This is a very light introduction to places, things, and terminology related to living in Mexico.



If You Were Me and Lived in…Colonial America is part of the Introduction to Civilizations Throughout Time series, which is written with children ages 8-15 in mind.  It’s available for just $10.10.  It makes excellent supplemental reading for your history studies, as it gives a lot of detail about what it was actually like for a child growing up in that time period in history.


In addition, I received two other books for much younger children.  Although they were too young for my kids, I enjoyed looking through them. 

I Want to Do Yoga Too is $8.99 and is a delightful story about a little girl wants so badly to go to yoga classes with her mom instead of playing inDSCF4893 the children’s room at the studio.  She soon learns that she didn’t need to be in the class to learn some yoga, too, and it doesn’t even feel like learning! 

Pepper Parrot’s Problem with Patience is $9.99 and is a funny little story of a boy’s imagination that takes him on a pirate adventure.  In the story, he gets to help a friend learn the difference between right and left with a clever little trick, and the friend learns patience in the process.  This story is a great way to help your little pirate learn the same valuable lessons.


OUR EXPERIENCE:

Although my son will be 10 later this year, we were interested in reading If You Were Me and Lived in…Mexico because we just recently made a big cross-country move from Virginia to northern Texas.  There is a high concentration of Mexican residents in this area, and everywhere we go, we hear people speaking Spanish!  So I thought Holden would really enjoy learning a little bit about life in Mexico and the culture of its people.

This book gives a very light introduction to some of places in Mexico such as its capital city, its attractions, its food, and special holidays.  It also uses some Spanish DSCF4894words that children there might use, such as how they would address their parents, what their money is called, and what some typical Mexican names for boys and girls might be.

It has beautiful, full-color illustrations that fill an entire page opposite some simple sentences printed in a large font to create an attractive 2-page spread every time you turn the page.  The illustrations are cute and keep a child’s interest.  Even the unfamiliar foreign words have a simple pronunciation guide in parentheses next to each term so that a child can even read the story for themselves.  It also makes a great read-aloud, which is how we used it. 

Holden got to see that although their culture may be different from ours, life there is also similar in that they have special celebrations, eat their fDSCF4895avorite foods, and go to school just like us.  He is currently studying the Spanish language for school, and when the little map of Mexico showed up indicating the Mexican capital of Mexico City, he blurted out that he recognized it from his current Spanish lesson, where he is learning to map some key locations!  So this book really was a great tie-in for his studies.  I think it would be particularly well-suited to a child in the recommended age range, but we also enjoyed it very much.

I also received If You Were Me and Lived in…Colonial America, which we got to review last year.  We’ve finished our colonial studies and are now studying the expansion into the great American west, so we enjoyed revisiting this book again.  Take a look at my previous review to see just how much we loved this story!  This book lets your child have a glimpse into colonial life.  This historical series is chock full of information and details of what it was actually like for a child to live and grow up in the given time period.  These are truly great resources for your history studies! 

And if you have much younger children, do check out the other two stories I mentioned…they are just so cute!

Take a look at what other Crew members had to say about these and other book selections from Carole P. Roman by clicking the banner below.

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

Sonic Drink Deal Tomorrow!!!

All day tomorrow, September 6th, you can get any LARGE DRINK for just 99 CENTS at Sonic!!!

Come by SONIC and enjoy a large drink for only 99¢

99¢ Large Drink ALL DAY 9/6

Come by SONIC and enjoy a large drink for only 99¢