shopping | The Angel Forever

Category Archives shopping

Rewarding Summer Reading

Posted on August 26, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Over this summer, I have written about the reading program that the New York libraries were running. I love that each local branch can do things differently to encourage children to read. Thankfully, this summer I have not had to really push the boys to read. Keeping track of the books that have been read, now that is another issue in itself.

While shopping for books at Barnes & Noble, the woman helping us asked if we had taken a Summer Reading Journal for the boys to fill out. While I had heard about the program, and we had done it in the past, I forgot to do it this year. We took two of the forms home to fill out.

What is the program? Basically, Barnes & Noble encourages children to read over the summer. When they read eight books and fill out a form, they are eligible for a free book at their local store. The journal must be completed and brought into a store by September 4, 2012. Then, they may pick from a book on the list features within the journal. This weekend, we took the boys to our local store to select their books.

There were 18 books on the list, but not all of them were still on the section for the reading program. The boys picked out the books above. JSL likes dinosaurs and thought the new chapter book would be fun to start reading together. I can not wait to read LuLu and the Brontosaurus by Judith Viorst with him. TechyDad sold NHL on the quirk in the book Half Magic by Edward Eager.

I thought I would share this with others in case you were not aware of this. To print the reading journal at home, you can go here. The journal lists the books that may be available to select from when you get your reward. In addition to this, Barnes & Noble has an activity kit that teachers and parents may want to look at. It has some interactive sheets that look like a nice resource.

A huge thank you to Barnes & Noble for running this program. As an educator and parent, I love that you are encouraging literacy and introducing children to new books. Enjoy and happy reading with your family!

Categories:
books deals Educational jsl nhl photos shopping summer TechyDad

Tuesday Tales – Shopping for Books

Posted on August 7, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

We have a lot of books in our house. Not a shocking statement when you realize that I am a teacher. Many of our books were from when I was teaching and bought them for the boys. Other books were from my college days when I started to “collect” them.

We often gift books to the boys for special occasions, holidays, and just because. Sometimes, they get to help us to pick something special out. The other day we found some gift cards to the book store that were for the kids. It was a lot of fun wandering around with each of them to see what they would ask for. Much to my surprise, they both focused on the books and not the countless toys (albeit educational ones).

I walked around the store with JSL. He is getting very interested in reading on his own. As he get closer to starting Kindergarten, his reading readiness skills are increasing dramatically. Sure he loves to read the Magic Tree House books with me, but he is looking to smaller early readers. We went up and down the aisles and then something caught his eye. He saw a Jake and the Never Land Pirates book. When I flipped it over, I noticed there were other books listed. We went to someone working in the store to see if they would help us find them.

We located the early readers and he instantly fell in love because Bucky, Izzy, Jake, and the rest of the crew were inside the book. I noticed they were rebus style and although not in love with that, allowed him to put them into his buy pile. In the end, he opted not to get all four of the Jake and the Never Land Pirate books that they had and selected a World of Reading Phineas and Ferb book to round out the day. I know that in no time he will be reading these and others to me!

TechyDad went around the store with NHL. They were looking for a specific book in a series he has been enjoying. He wanted to purchase the second of the Tales of the Sixth Grade Muppets books since he enjoyed the first one so much. They eventually found it and I think NHL would have stopped shopping there.

The boys continued to look around since JSL and I were trying to debate on books. They spent quite a bit of time looking at books in the biography section. TechyDad said that NHL was very intrigued with a few of them. In the end, he narrowed it down to Walt Disney, Benjamin Franklin, Jim Henson (would have been second choice), and Abraham Lincoln. The one he selected was the Sixteenth President of the United States. NHL learned about him in school and wanted to read more.

What type of books would your children select if given time to shop in a large book store? I would love to know. Please be sure to link up to your book posts in the comments below and also let me know what you have been reading recently. Include something you read on your own, with a child, or someone else. Tuesday Tales are all about spreading the love for books.

BTW – If you are interested in the books that we purchased, the following are Amazon links to them. If you decide to buy them we will receive a percentage of the sale.

Categories:
books Disney Educational jsl nhl shopping TechyDad Tuesday Tales

2012 School Supply List – Kindergarten

Posted on August 6, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

If you have looked at your Sunday paper these days, it is filled with ads for back to school like this:

Although a lot of places around the country head back this month, those of us in New York (and some other locations) are in a holding pattern until Labor Day. When NHL finished third grade at the end of June, he came home with his report card, new teacher for next year, and a supply list. I wrote about his big list earlier.

JSL has been itching to get some items for kindergarten. This list had not been sent home yet, but the other day I found it online. Something must have told me to look because there it was waiting for us.

So what does a kindergarten list look like for us? Here it is:

A pack of primary pencils
A large book bag or backpack
5 glue sticks
1/2” or 1” plain black binder
One package large dry erase markers (multi-color)
A 100-pack of pocket protectors
1 Primary Journal (black and white – can be purchased in the Art Section)
1 bottle of liquid glue
3 plastic pocket folders (pockets at the bottom): 1 blue, 1 red, 1 orange

The list welcomes parents and students to Kindergarten and mentions that the list of supplies will be needed and shared throughout the school year. At the end, it starts that a sign-up sheet for parents to bring in additional items like tissues, paper towels, baby wipes, and other community items may be needed. The list seems a lot different than the one that NHL had for kindergarten in another school. I remember we had to buy him many more glue sticks, crayons, and scissors. I suppose they must have sets for the classroom.

So if you did not chime in earlier, what is on your back-to-school supply list this year?

Categories:
Educational looking back photos school shopping

Photos on the Go – Take 1

Posted on August 5, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Although I almost always have my point and shoot camera with me, I often do not have enough time to get it ready. Thanks to my new cell phone, I am able to capture some very nice images that capture memories that will last. Let’s take a glance at some of the items that I did not blog about yet.

Super JSL Buzz Lightyear received a cool new present. He thought it was hilarious that he was wearing his Buzz Lightyear shirt and wanted a photo. This was his idea for the pose.

While watching the Summer Olympics, I was able to get some knitting done. After a few days, I had accomplished quite a lot and was ready for some more yarn.

We went to a CSI style event at the library. The boys learned how to be animal detectives. More about this will be coming soon.

For TechyDad’s birthday, we bought him a few packages of the LEGO mini figures. They are in series and are randomly inserted. Much to our surprise, two that he really wanted were in the ones we got, along with an Olympic swimmer.

The boys went with me to bring something to my old college campus. We parked a distance away and walked in the court yard area. The boys were amazed with how beautiful it was and how I knew my way around. They also had fun seeing tour groups of incoming freshman walking around.

It was just too warm to bake in the house, so the boys helped me to pick out a cookie cake for TechyDad’s birthday. He requested one and the boys had fun selecting the colors and what it should have written on top. It was delicious in case you were wondering.

Nana and Papa’s Goofy now has a friend. He must have been lonely hanging upside down by the plants, so Dopey is hanging around with him

While at Nana and Papa’s house checking on Goofy and Dopey, JSL and I took some time to just relax together. One of the activities we did was make some maps and pictures with the crayons. It was fun to play with 120 Crayola Crayons and watch the little guy color.

On Friday, the Capital Region finally got our first Trader Joe’s. We braved the crowds and went to get some items that you can not get at other locations. Had the crowds been a little less I would have taken more photos of the unique store that others already cherish.

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.

Categories:
animals birthday Disney family jsl looking back photos shopping TechyDad weekend

Poor Perry the Platypus

Posted on August 4, 2012 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

Dear JSL,

This week, we had to head to the doctor to have something checked out. It was not an expected visit. Since we were tossed in right before lunch, I made sure that you took some items with us to keep busy.

I think you may have been a bit upset at waiting for the doctor. I do not remember what the story was with this set up, but Perry was not looking too happy at the time.

Once we were finished at the doctor, we went to Target to look for some presents for Daddy’s birthday. While there, we noticed some new learning games for your LeapPad. We just took it back out the other day and you love using it to really learn your letters and sounds before kindergarten. The best part, the store also had an AC adapter to use so we do not have to fuss with batteries when home.

We immediately bought the AC Adapter, but held off on the games. Later on, you and I went back out to the store to look for presents for Daddy and NHL. We eventually bought the Jake and the Never Land Pirates game for the Explorer as something for the next doctor visit.

It was definitely a splurge, but you really love Jake and need games that are better for you (some DS and Wii ones are so frustrating). This certainly fits the bill and I know it will help to take your mind off of things a bit.