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Middle School Supplies and Mabel’s Labels

Posted on August 25, 2014 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

While many parents have already sent their kids back to school, my boys are still home until after Labor Day. School supply shopping was finally finished over the weekend when we picked up a few odds and ends. As a parent and teacher, I know how important it is to label items brought into school. When Mabel’s Labels asked me if I wanted to try their Stylish Scholars Combo pack, I immediately said yes please!

Mabel’s Labels are not new to us. We have used them for a few years now and they stay right where you put them. The Skinny-Minis™ are able to go into the dishwasher and microwave, the Tag Mates™ may be washed and dried, and the Round Labels and Teeny Tags™ are waterproof and UV resistant. The labels honestly last the entire school year and beyond. While I knew I could get some for JSL to use in second grade, I wanted to focus on my new middle school student. Yes, I needed something for NHL to take to sixth grade and the start of his new middle school career.

Middle school is a rough time in life for kids, so I wanted to find something that was subtle and not babyish. While a hockey stick or robot may have been fine in the past, you never know what another kid may make fun of. The Stylish Scholars Combo had a dozen choices for patterns. When I saw the Camo, I knew it would be perfect for NHL. It was subtle, masculine, and his backpack also has a camouflage pattern. Rather than put his full name on everything, we opted for just our last name. Everything arrived and looks perfect. We had plenty for the supplies needed now and any that crop up during the rest of the year.

I highly recommend Mabel’s Labels and adore the back to school packages that are available now. There are a wide variety of designs available for young children, Tweens, teens, and adults (talk about a fun teacher gift).

Now please excuse me. I need to figure out how we are hauling the items shown above and more to middle school. Oh and I also plan on cherishing the last few days of our summer before heading back to the hectic school routine.

Happy 2014-2015 school year wishes to everyone as you begin another academic year.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary Stylish Scholars Combo package from Mabel’s Labels in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was given. The opinions expressed in the review are my own.

Categories:
Product review school shopping Uncategorized

Shutterfly Photobooks for the Holidays (#Giveaway)

Posted on December 2, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

I have always dreamed about scrap booking and used to make photo albums for our family. Then reality got in the way and I stopped. I would always be jealous of people that had made beautiful memory books for their children. In September, TechyDad and I spotted a really great deal for a Shutterfly Photobook. It was an 8×8 with 20 pages and you could design it with your own photos and text on the pages.

Late one night, we sat up and pulled photos together to make the books. Our plan was to give them to the boys for a night of Chanukah. The kids love looking at photos and this was going to be a book about our spring trip to Walt Disney World. When the books arrived, I have to admit we almost gave them to the boys. All these weeks later, the books are wrapped and ready to give to the kids. They will be an early Chanukah present left for them when we are away at the New Fantasyland event.

Now that we have made the books and seen what they look like in person, I can not wait to make more. They will make great holiday presents to share family events, trips, and other items. They can be about birthdays, weddings, and anything else you imagine. The books are the perfect size for grandparent brag books and to take away with you to share on new adventures. I also think they would make a fun present to a teacher to remember the school year and celebrations.

Giveaway Time:

Thanks to a Global Influence campaign with Shutterfly, two readers (US or Canada)will be able to make their own twenty page 8×8 Photobook to gift. Please note that shipping is not included, you will receive a code to make the book and have to pay for this on your own.

Check out this video below and then head to the giveaway information.

Rules for Giveaway:

MAIN RULE – Watch the Shutterfly Photo Books: The Best Gift Ever video and comment on what scene in the video reminds you of a memory in your own life.
The following Bonus Entries may also be done. Please be sure to leave separate comments for each that you complete below to make sure you get the right number of entries.
2 bonus entries (leave a comment for each one) – Visit the Shutterfly Photobook page on their website (here) and let me know which is your favorite “style” and who you would make the book for. There are nine different categories in the styles, so have fun browsing.
1 Bonus Entry – Tweet the following about the giveaway: #Giveaway for 20 page 8×8 @Shutterfly Photobooks from @TheAngelForever to celebrate the holidays http://bit.ly/VjoIvv #win #SFLYPhotobook (May be done once a day – leave link to Tweet in comment below for new entry)
1 Bonus Entry – Follow TheAngelForever and Shutterfly on Twitter and leave a comment with your Twitter name below.

Open to US and Canadian residents only – remember shipping is NOT included with this prize.

Disclosure: I wrote this post as part of a Global Influence campaign. As noted, we had already purchased several of their products before, and the opinion expressed is 100% my own. I will be receiving a promo code from Shutterfly to thank me for my time and make another one of their Photobooks.

Categories:
giveaway holidays Product review

Techy Kid Time – Letter Buddies Alphabet Discovery

Posted on November 25, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

It should not be a surprise that I am a huge fan of educational technology. When I had a classroom of my own, I encouraged my students to utilize computers. These days not only do we have computers, but we have iPads with a wide variety of apps for children of all ages.

In the past, I reviewed an app from Cavallo Media called Letter Buddies Alpha Books. JSL was really young and we used the app to help him with speech therapy. It was a wonderful tool and I was instantly a fan of their educational resources. As time went by, they started to spend more time creating apps for the iPad, along with book and other items to go along with the Letter Buddies. When they heard that we had an iPad, we were asked to check out their Letter Buddies Alphabet Discovery app.

Here is a great video that they have to give you the highlights of the app:

Letter Buddies Alphabet Discovery for the iPad is now available on iTunes for $2.99.

What we thought:

JSL helped me to explore the new app after we entered the review code. He immediately recognized the Letter Buddies from the past and wanted to take control of the iPad.

JSL is five years old and in kindergarten. Within a few short weeks, he was a bit beyond the target group for this app. Still, he had fun meeting the letters, listening to the songs, finding animations, and checking out what each letter would reveal. He immediately said he thought that his little cousin (almost three) would probably love this app and I bet he is right.

As a parent and teacher, I really appreciate the attention to educational details that Cavallo Media place in their work. Letter Buddies Alphabet Discoveries is a great way for young children to get to meet the letters of the alphabet in a non-threatening way. They become friends and are cute characters that welcome you into their world. Pushing on the iPad to launch a hidden animation and words create way to introduce new vocabulary and letter/sound recognition (hello phonemic awareness). The pages with each group of letters are not cluttered and are easy for little fingers to explore.

I would recommend this to others looking for an interactive early literacy application for the preschool set just starting to explore their alphabet and corresponding sounds.

Disclosure: Cavallo Media supplied me with a complimentary code for my honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are 100% mine.

Categories:
Product review Technology Techy Kid Time

Tuesday Tales – Marlow and the Monster (#Giveaway)

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

Did you ever have a monster under your bed, in your closest, or in another location in your room? Perhaps you did not, but maybe a child in your life has this fear. Author and illustrator Sharon Cramer’s granddaughter and a familiar Disney monster movie were the inspiration for her latest book Marlow and the Monster.

Marlow and the Monster – Written and illustrated by Sharon Cramer – Talking Bird Books – August 2012 – ISBN 9780983943716 – Hardcover 40 pages – $14.95 (Also eBook of Marlow and the Monster available)

Marlow is a young boy who seems rather annoyed when a colorful monster keeps coming to his room. The monster keeps pestering Marlow and hides when he calls his mother to come help. Of course, nobody sees the monster who continues to bother Marlow. Eventually, Marlow figures out something to do that involves his little sister Sarah. She helps him to see the truth behind the monster and how he is not really that bad.

JSL, 5, and I read Marlow and the Monster together and we both really enjoyed it. JSL immediately was intrigued with the very different style of illustrations from Cramer. Although black and white may seem quite simple, the level of detail in these magnificent drawings are beyond anything I have ever seen in a picture book. You can tell that love was poured into each and every page of this book. JSL was also fascinated with finding a sweet little friend within each picture.

As a parent and teacher, I love that monsters are not portrayed as bad creatures. They are simply misunderstood and will help to ease fears that many children may have. Too many kids are afraid of monsters because of what they may hear from other kids and see within books and television programing. JSL and I talked about the monster and why Marlow may have been upset with him. Then we were able to chat about how it is important not to assume something about a “person” before you really get to know them. There are a lot of lessons that you can take from Marlow and the Monster. Of course, Sharon Cramer also has made a list of pointers to help children with their fear of monsters. We will be using this since JSL has been waking almost every evening with nightmares. Here is Sharon Cramer talking about some of the items during a television interview:

I know that we will now be checking out more of the books by Sharon Cramer, including her award-winning three-book series, Cougar Cub Tales. In addition to this, she is working on a Fantasy series called The Cerulean Star and just released her first full length novel, The Execution.

Marlow and the Monster Book Giveaway:

Author and illustrator Sharon Cramer would like one lucky reader to have a very special copy of Marlow and the Monster for someone in your life. Please be sure to see the rules listed within the Rafflecopter widget and below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To enter, please follow the rules above within the comment section and Rafflecopter. Giveaway begins October 30, 2012 and ends November 14, 2012. You do not have to be a blogger to enter, but must leave a valid e-mail address for me to contact you for mailing address once the giveaway is over. You will have 48 hours to claim the prize. If there is no response, another winner will be selected. Open to US and Canada residents only.

Disclosure: I received the autographed book complimentary of Sharon Cramer and Talking Bird Books in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received and all opinions are 100% my own. This giveaway is sponsored by Talking Bird Books who will fulfill the prize to the giveaway winner. Two Amazon Affiliate links are included in this post for the books in the giveaway. I will receive a percentage of money for the sale should you opt to buy the book through that link.

Categories:
books giveaway Product review Tuesday Tales

Tuesday Tales – Horrid Henry’s Monster Movie (Halloween #Giveaway)

Posted on October 23, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Let me introduce you to a very popular young boy who has quite a lot of fans around the world. His name is Henry and he is actually quite horrid. Yes, Horrid Henry is a boy who gets into mischief and knows how to work around things to get what he wants, even if it means using his little brother, Perfect Peter.

In his latest book, Horrid Henry’s Monster Movie, Francesca Simon shares four new tales about Henry, his family, his friends, school, and many misadventures. This time, we watch as Henry makes a monster movie, has a horrid weekend, utilizes magic grump cards, and hosts his own Olympics.

Horrid Henry’s Monster Movie – Written by Francesca Simon – Illustrated by Tony Ross – Sourcebooks Jabberwocky – September 2012 – ISBN 9781402277375 – Paperback 112 pages – Ages 7+ – $4.99

Prior to receiving this book from Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, I had heard about Horrid Henry, but never read them before. JSL, 5, and I used this as our read aloud book for two evenings. He laughed and enjoyed the antics of Henry. I liked that although Henry’s actions were not so nice, they lead to nice conversations about manners, vocabulary (lots of new adjectives), and how to be a friend. Henry really is loveable and the humor from Simon, along with the illustrations from Ross bring Henry to life.

If you are looking for more information to use with the Horrid Henry series, Sourcebooks has a great resource page. Here you can learn more about Henry, find a downloadable teacher guide, activity pages, and more. Horrid Henry is also a popular cartoon in the UK, so keep your eyes open for details in other spaces and places.

Spooktacular Book Giveaway:

Sourcebooks would like one lucky reader to have a spooky reading festival of your own with four of their books. One person will win the following prize package:

Horrid Henry’s Monster Movie – By Francesca Simon and illustrated by Tony Ross
Horrid Henry and the Zombie Vampire – By Francesca Simon and illustrated by Tony Ross
Picture the Dead – By Adele Griffin
A Bad Day for Voodoo – By Jeff Strand

Please be sure to see the rules listed within the Rafflecopter widget and below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To enter, please follow the rules above within the comment section and Rafflecopter. Giveaway begins October 23, 2012 and ends November 1, 2012. You do not have to be a blogger to enter, but must leave a valid e-mail address for me to contact you for mailing address once the giveaway is over. You will have 48 hours to claim the prize. If there is no response, another winner will be selected. Open to US and Canada residents only.

Disclosure: I received the book reviewed above complimentary Sourcebooks in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received and all opinions are 100% my own. This giveaway is sponsored by Sourcebooks who will fulfill the prize package to the giveaway winner. Four Amazon Affiliate links are included in this post for the books in the giveaway. I will receive a percentage of money for the sale should you opt to buy the book through that link.