Promoting Literacy with National Game Week

            It’s Time to Play! Celebrate National Game & Puzzle Week

Tweet For Literacy is promoting playing games as part of the Tweet For Literacy Campaign.

What a great way to teach and reinforce reading.  When it is time to play a game it is best to let your reader read the instructions and then have her teach you how to play.  This isn't always easy if you have been the one to always give the rules.  Take it step by step.  This also encourages independence.  To enter our Tweet For Literacy campaign just click ENTER TWEET FOR LITERACY GIVEAWAYS.

BELOIT, Wis.–The holiday season is rapidly approaching. As family and friends start to gather, why not take a break from the stress in one’s life and revisit a traditional family pastime such as board games and puzzles?

National Game & Puzzle Week™, which is observed the week of Thanksgiving, is the perfect time for families and friends to relax, enjoy one another’s company, laugh out loud and take the Million Minute Family Challenge™. It’s easy! Simply play a game with family and friends and log your game-play minutes at Million Minute Website.

The Million Minute Family Challenge is a grassroots effort encouraging interaction and communication among family and friends through playing games. The goal of the challenge is to reach 1,000,000 minutes of game play now through Dec. 31.

Board games and puzzles make for great leisure activities in these tough economic times as families turn to affordable, fun and family-centric entertainment. Not only are board games making a comeback for families, but they are also becoming a popular craze among college students.

Kevin Zingg, a college student at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, finds board games to be a fun and extremely frugal use of his time when it comes to entertainment.

“My friends and I love board games for their affordability, and that they can offer us a much needed break from our daily lives,” said Zingg. “Board games are a great activity that keeps my mind stimulated during the few hours of down time that I am able to enjoy with the people that I enjoy the most,” he said.

Patch Products along with the Million Minute Family Challenge supporters PlayDate US, KOA®, Great Wolf Lodge® resort locations in the U.S., Blue Harbor Resort™ and Turnoff Week are encouraging families, friends and organizations to spend quality time interacting, communicating and playing a board game. Everyone can participate by logging their game play at millionminute.com. Visit millionminute.com for sign up information, game ideas, party ideas, fun facts, irresistible snack ideas and beyond! So sit back, relax and remember how much fun board games and puzzles can be!

About Patch Products

Patch Products, headquartered in Beloit, Wis., is a leading manufacturer and marketer of family entertainment products. Games, puzzles, activity kits, toys and classroom teaching tools are the core product lines. Top-selling brands include Buzzword^®, What’s Yours Like? ^®, Toss Up!^®, Swap!^®, Smethport™, Lauri^®, Tall-Stacker^™ and Wooly Willy^®. For more information, visit patchproducts.com or call 1-800-524-4263. 

Press RELEASE

Contact                                                                                                 

Jessica Wineke                                                                                                 

Patch Products, Inc.

(800) 524-4263, ext. 246

jessicaw@patchproducts.com

Literacy and Ghostline: A Review

Thanks to Ghostline for asking me to review some of their new product line with our Homeschool. 

Ghostline is celebrating their 13th year Birthday with a contest to give-a-way $500 worth of Carolina Pad Products to 13 classrooms!  I personally love the fun colors and products of Carolina Pad.  When I was asked to do Ghostline I had no clue what their products were until I checked out their site.

Here are the Ghostline products that I got to review: 

• 22 x 28 Foam GL Display board (folds to 22 x 14) – SRP $5.99
• 14 x 33 GL Project Board (folds to 14 x 11) – SRP $3.55
• 14 x 22 GL Poster Board, 3 pack – SRP $1.99
• GL Make a Poster Kit – SRP $5.99

 My girls all chose to make a poster on a subject of their choice.  They found that the very light lines on the poster board were great to help them keep their work straight. This month I am blogging about promoting Literacy. I believe a product like Ghostline is great in promoting Literacy.  Have your students make a poster on something they are studying.  This will give  them practice at spelling, reading, copying, sequencing, letter/number formation,etc.  It also gives them a chance to be creative.  What  a super way  for them to show off something they learned buy putting it on a poster.  You can also use this poster for them to do an oral presentation of what they learned.  I feel that a strong part of learning is being able to share it with someone else. You can also hang up the posters for others to see.

I loved the Music poster.  The Ghostlines were great for making straight lines of the musical staff. 

One girl wanted to make a poster board of some of the multiplication facts she kept forgetting.  She used the stencils provided in the Make a Poster Kit to do her numbers.  She did great for a 10 year old.  The lines on the board did help her.

                                                                                        

The monkey board used the Ghostlines to draw the monkeys and do the lettering. I thought that this was a creative way for her to show what she was learning in biology. 

Last but not least one of the girls had to make a graph for math.   The boxes made it very easy to do! She actually had fun making the graph. 

Thanks Ghostline! This was a fun review.  I can't wait to use more of the products you sent to my school.

Don't forget to visit Ghostline and enter the Happy 13th Birthday Contest Give-a-way!

Join my campaign to promote Literacy for the month of November.

Click the button! 

Tweet For Literacy Giveaway Prize Package 6

Drawing held on Twitter 11/18 (Wednesday) at 6pm. Details to enter below. $116 Value
Our Motto: “The family that reads together has a lot of fun!” Our goal is to empower children and teens, especially girls, who are so often overlooked. We also seek to teach tolerance and self-acceptance through reading and through family interaction.

The Tweet for Literacy Giveaway is a campaign designed to raise awareness of the importance of involving the whole family in a child’s reading activities. Tweet for Literacy will be giving away literacy-related prizes every two days throughout the month of November in honor of National Family Literacy Month. Help a child to read, and let the fun begin!

How to Enter the Tweet for Literacy Giveaways
Step 1: Follow our 7 sponsors on Twitter. This step is required. We will all follow you back!

http://twitter.com/susieqtpies (ME!!!)
http://twitter.com/lindathieman
http://twitter.com/ccmalandrinos
http://twitter.com/cafeofdreams
http://twitter.com/hollyhardin
http://twitter.com/sherikayehoff
http://twitter.com/nicole_odell

Step 2: Re-tweet (RT) any post about the giveaway. Use the hashtag #Tweet4Lit on each RT. Be sure to add the bit.ly URL link for this contest page.
Sample Entry Re-tweets (use these or use your own just make sure you include hashtag #Tweet4Lit and link to my blog http://bit.ly/B8dju )

RT @susieqtpies Tweet for Literacy is giving away 12 prize sets and a grand prize thru Nov Enter here http://bit.ly/B8dju  #Tweet4Lit

Step 3: That’s it! See the Official Rules below.
Prize Package Six
Winner to be chosen Wednesday, November 18, 2009, at 6pm CT. Total value of Prize Package Six is $116.

1) Henry & the Crazed Chicken Pirates by Carolyn Crimi and John Manders for ages 4 to 8. ($15.99 value) This is the sequel to Henry & the Buccaneer Bunnies. Donated by Blue Slip Media. 

CLICK TO READ REVIEW

2) Aurora of the Northern Lights by Holly Hardin (autographed -- an $18.95 value), the delightful Yuletide-themed picture book by one of our Tweet for Literacy sponsors. Donated by the author.

3) Kids Across, Parents Down: Crazy Critters: The Puzzles That Kids & Adults Enjoy Together by Jan Buckner Walker; Ages 9-12, $4.95 value. Donated by Tweet for Literacy sponsor April Pohren.

4) While Shepherds Watched: Stories of Christmas Miracles and Mysteries by Steven Roberts. For all ages. (Value $15.95). Donated by Tweet for Literacy sponsor Cheryl Malandrinos.

5) Across the Pond by Storyheart (Barry Eva), autographed, for Young Adults. (Value $19.99) Donated by the author.

6) Close Encounters of the Third-grade Kind: Thoughts on Teacherhood by Phillip Done ($22.99 value). Donated by Hachette Book Group.

CLICK PICTURE TO READ REVIEW

7) Killer Bunny Hill by Denise Robbins (signed/personalized), a $16.95 value, for Mom or Dad. Donated by the author.

Check back here daily as we will continue to update the list of prizes.

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Official Rules
You can re-enter as many times as you like. Prizes are awarded every 2 days starting on November 8. First day to enter is November 6, 2009. Last day to enter is November 30. A prize package will be awarded on each even day of the month. Each prize package will be a set of items that are literacy related. See below for specific information on prizes.

The name of the winner will be selected at random and will be drawn at approximately 6pm CT. The winner will have 3 days to respond. If we don’t hear from the winner, we will select another winner for that prize package. We will notify our 13 winners by Direct Message (DM) on Twitter.

Whereas you can enter as often as you like, if you are not following all 7 sponsors on Twitter, which will be verified, your entries will be disqualified. All entries that comply with the above rules will be valid for each drawing, including the Grand Prize. The Grand Prize will be awarded on December 1, 2009.

Close Encounters of the Third great Kind Book Review and Giveaway

Thanks to Hachette Book Group for donating  Close Encounters of the Third-grade Kind: Thoughts on Teacherhood by Phillip Done ($22.99 value) for our Tweet For Literature Campaign.  

Full Description (From Hachette Book Group)

A twenty-year veteran of the classroom, elementary school teacher Phillip Done takes readers through a lively and hilarious year in the classroom. Starting with the relative calm before the storm of buying school supplies and posting class lists, he shares the distinct personalities of grades K-4, what he learned from two professional trick or treating 8-year-old boys, the art of learning cursive and letter-writing, how kindergartners try to trap leprechauns, and what every child should experience before he or she grows up.

These charming, sweet, and funny tales of Mr. Done's trials and triumphs as an award-winning schoolteacher will touch readers' hearts and remind them of the true joys of childhood. We all have that one special, favorite grade school teacher whom we fondly remember throughout our adult lives - and every teacher also has students whom they will never forget. This is the perfect book for teachers, parents, and anyone else who is looking for a lighthearted, nostalgic read.

Check out the book!

Enter to win this book as well as others in our 

TWEET FOR LITERACY Giveaway prize pkg 4

 Drawing held on Twitter 11/14 at 6pm. Details to enter below

Our Motto: “The family that reads together has a lot of fun!” Our goal is to empower children and teens, especially girls, who are so often overlooked. We also seek to teach tolerance and self-acceptance through reading and through family interaction.

The Tweet for Literacy Giveaway is a campaign designed to raise awareness of the importance of involving the whole family in a child’s reading activities. Tweet for Literacy will be giving away literacy-related prizes every two days throughout the month of November in honor of National Family Literacy Month. Help a child to read, and let the fun begin!

How to Enter the Tweet for Literacy Giveaways
Step 1: Follow our 7 sponsors on Twitter. This step is required. We will all follow you back!

http://twitter.com/susieqtpies (ME!!!)
http://twitter.com/lindathieman
http://twitter.com/ccmalandrinos
http://twitter.com/cafeofdreams
http://twitter.com/hollyhardin
http://twitter.com/sherikayehoff
http://twitter.com/nicole_odell

Step 2: Re-tweet (RT) any post about the giveaway. Use the hashtag #Tweet4Lit on each RT. Be sure to add the bit.ly URL link for this contest page.
Sample Entry Re-tweets (use these or use your own just make sure you include hashtag #Tweet4Lit and link to my blog http://bit.ly/tCSIM)

RT @susieqtpies Tweet for Literacy is giving away 12 prize sets and a grand prize thru Nov Enter here http://bit.ly/3LyU5v #Tweet4Lit

Step 3: That’s it! See the Official Rules below.

***************************************************

Prize Package Four
Winner to be chosen Saturday, November 14, 2009, at 6pm CT. Total value of Prize Package Four is $105.
This special Gift Package (items 1-4) is being donated by Sourcebooks, Inc.

1) The Tree That Time Built (book & CD, autographed), edited by the Children's Poet Laureate Mary Ann Hoberman and Linda Winston—a cultural anthropologist. This collection of poetry is made to teach kids all about the wonders of nature. There are explanations of scientific terms, as well as an accompanying CD with some of the most recognized voices in poetry. It's REALLY sweet. (Value $19.99) (For ages 9-12; great for the entire family.) Donated by Sourcebooks.

2) Horrid Henry by Francesca Simon and Tony Ross (Value $4.99). (For ages 4-8) Donated by Sourcebooks.

3) Horrid Henry’s Christmas by Francesca Simon and Tony Ross (Value $4.99). (For ages 4-8) Donated by Sourcebooks.

4) Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble and a signed poster of Dreaming Anastasia (Value $9.99). (Young Adult) Donated by Sourcebooks.

5) Aurora of the Northern Lights by Holly Hardin (autographed -- an $18.95 value), the delightful Yuletide-themed picture book by one of our Tweet for Literacy sponsors. Donated by the author.

6) Close Encounters of the Third-grade Kind: Thoughts on Teacherhood by Phillip Done ($22.99 value). Donated by Hachette Book Group.

7) The Bethel Lutheran Cookbook, edited and donated by Tweet for Literacy sponsor Susan Buetow. 700 family-favorite recipes! Take reading outside the box and into the kitchen! ($10 value) (For all ages!)

8) The Unexpected Gift by Michelle Bulmer Atha & Meaghan Gonzales Wagar (Value $12.95) (For Mom.) Donated by Tweet for Literacy sponsor April Pohren.

Check back here daily as we will continue to update the list of prizes.

***************************************************

Official Rules
You can re-enter as many times as you like. Prizes are awarded every 2 days starting on November 8. First day to enter is November 6, 2009. Last day to enter is November 30. A prize package will be awarded on each even day of the month. Each prize package will be a set of items that are literacy related. See below for specific information on prizes.

The name of the winner will be selected at random and will be drawn at approximately 6pm CT. The winner will have 3 days to respond. If we don’t hear from the winner, we will select another winner for that prize package. We will notify our 13 winners by Direct Message (DM) on Twitter.

Whereas you can enter as often as you like, if you are not following all 7 sponsors on Twitter, which will be verified, your entries will be disqualified. All entries that comply with the above rules will be valid for each drawing, including the Grand Prize. The Grand Prize will be awarded on December 1, 2009.

Henry and the Crazed Chicken Pirates Book Review and Giveaway

I'm so excited to bring to you a book review on Henry & the Crazed Chicken Pirates by Carolyn Crimi. Thanks to Blue Slip Media for donating books for the Tweet For Literacy #Tweet4Lit campaign we have running through the month of November. Click here to get details and enter the giveaway!

HENRY & THE CRAZED CHICKEN PIRATES is the silly follow-up to HENRY & THE BUCCANEER BUNNIES (2005). Henry is a bookish bunny surrounded by a crew of fun-loving (and lazy) pirate bunnies. When he discovers a threatening message in a bottle, he tries to warn everyone, but they think he's wasting his time. Will his plan to rescue his fellow bunnies work? This is a great story for very young readers, with lots of pirate words and silly fun.


My take on the book- I love all the illustrations done by John Manders.  The illustrations do an outstanding job telling the story.  My favorite illustrations are on the page where the crazed chicken pirates get sent out to sea in a small, crowded boat.  Thoughtful Henry gives them books on "50 Ways to Cook Coconut", "Survival at Sea" and "Seawater:  It's not for drinking".  The story is very clever.  Where Henry lacks courage he had ten fold in knowledge.  He has a book for everything... if not then he write it!


You can purchase the book anywhere books are sold. If they don't have it just ask and they will order it for you!

Here are a few things about the author that I got from her website! I have to share! They made me chuckle! She has a hobbies and interest in dieting, worrying, obsessing, e-mailing, taking pictures that turn out poorly. Likes unfrosted Blueberry Poptarts and Venti-skim-lattes. She dislikes tail-gaters, horn-honkers, people who don't like her books and critics (unless, of course, they like her books)

Go check out Carolyn Crimi! She has written some funny books! 
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Click to ENTER TO WIN GIVEAWAY

Prize Package Three
Winner to be chosen Thursday, November 12, 2009, at 6pm CT. Total value of Prize Package Three is $109.

1) Henry & the Crazed Chicken Pirates by Carolyn Crimi and John Manders for ages 4 to 8. ($15.99 value) This is the sequel to Henry & the Buccaneer Bunnies. Donated by Blue Slip Media.

2) Aurora of the Northern Lights by Holly Hardin (autographed -- an $18.95 value), the delightful Yuletide-themed picture book by one of our Tweet for Literacy sponsors. Donated by the author.

3) The Crypto-Capers: The Case of the Missing Sock (autographed) by Renee Hand ($12.95 value). Readers help the detectives solve the case by figuring out puzzles! For ages 9-12. Donated by the author.

4) Capital Mysteries #3: The Skeleton in the Smithsonian [A Stepping
Stone Book(TM)] by Ron Roy, for ages 9-12 (Value $3.99). Donated by Tweet for Literacy sponsor April Pohren.

5) Truth or Dare (autographed), Book 1 from the Scenarios for Girls interactive series by Nicole O’Dell. For ages 10-15. ($7.97 Value) Donated by the author, one of our Tweet for Literacy sponsors.

6) 1 set of SnapWords™  List A Teaching Cards by Child1st ($23.95 value). These are the most popular SnapWords™ product and are excellent foundational help for kids who are just learning to read. Donated by Child1st Publications, LLC.

7) Lighting Their Fires: Raising Extraordinary Children in a Mixed-up, Muddled-up, Shook-up World by Rafe Esquith ($24.95 value). Donated by FSB Associates.

Tweet For Literacy Giveaway SNAP WORDS

Thanks to Child1st Publications, LLC for donating 1 set of Snap Words List A Teaching Cards ($23.95 value) for our Tweet For Literacy Campaign #Tweet4Lit.    TO enter the giveaway click here!

SnapWords™ List A Teaching Cards include 59 word cards sized 4.25 by 5.5 inches. The set is best used to teach sight words to a group or class. The cards are very effective with children who are unable to decode, are stuck in the decoding process, or have difficulty remembering words. Sample activities and games to play with SnapWords™ are available on Child1st's blog.

The SnapWords™ cards embed meaningful images into 

words most commonly found in children's texts (sight words). They include a combination of Dolch words and the Fountas & Pinnell 100 frequently recurring words. Multisensory sight words enable all children to learn to read more easily, including visual learners, and other right brain learners, those labeled with dyslexia, autism, Asperger's, ADD, and those who struggle with reading comprehension. CFP's products are also highly effective in teaching beginning readers, building a strong foundation for learning from the very start. The front of each card acts as a powerful aid in reading comprehension, as it shows the child the meaning of the word through an embedded image, rather than just telling the child what the word says. Visual learners snap a mental picture of the stylized word which stays with them as they encounter the plain word in text later on, continuing to lend meaning to the word. The back of each card contains plain text with a sample sentence to say and motion to do while learning the word. The sentence teaches correct usage of the word, while the motion helps the kinesthetic child store the knowledge and then later retrieve it.

Child1st Publications is an educational publisher that produces reading and math materials to help those who struggle with traditional methods of teaching, and to provide a strong learning foundation for those who would naturally succeed in traditional methods of education. We've designed our products to integrate explicit phonics instruction with specific strategies (visuals, movement, storytelling, humor, rhyme, and patterns) to engage children with a variety of learning strengths.

Thanks to Child1st Publications, LLC for donating 1 set of Snap Words List A Teaching Cards ($23.95 value) for our Tweet For Literacy Campaign #Tweet4Lit.    TO enter the giveaway click here!

Lighting Their Fires Book Review and Giveaway with Tweet 4 Literacy

Thanks to Caitlin from FSB Associates for donating a copy of this book for our Tweet For Literacy Giveaway #Tweet4Lit .  Every other day we are giving away Prize packages that includes books and other items to encourage reading with your children.  This book, Lighting Their Fires: Raising Extraordinary Children in a Mixed-up, Muddle-up, Shook-up World by Rafe Esquith is perfect for our Literacy Giveaway.  Most parents want an instant way to make their kids more successful in school.  The author clearly states in this book that there isn't a magic pill.  Just like anything in life it requires work.  Time to work your children without them knowing that you are working them!  He states, too,  that instilling the value of working hard, being motivated without fear or disappointment, is a first step of many that will lead your kids to real success. Your kids are not born successful.  Over time with the right nurturing and encouragement through, school, home, extra activities they learn, grow and glow!  The author also states that "I fear that my children will be mediocre, that they won't live up to the tremendous promise that each of them possesses.  I don't want my children to be mediocre, because I now they are capable of more. "  We want our children to do the best of their ability.  This book gives a lot of great support in helping you do this and encourage this in your children!!! If you think someone has the best kids... just know that they were not born that way. 

Here are five ways to put your kids on the path to extraordinary: (From the book. You'll have to read it to get the specifics!!)

1)Toot Your Own Horn.
2) Be the Example. 
3) Great Books are Great books for a reason.
4) Do Unto Others.
5) Patience, My Dears.

Most of the tips given in this book is for parents.  It isn't a book where you just send it to school with your child and expect the teacher to do it for you.  From the author, "All follows from values and character, and in working to instill these, you'll create kids that you -- and the rest of the community and country -- can be proud of."
©2009 Rafe Esquith, author of Lighting Their Fires: Raising Extraordinary Children in a Mixed-up, Muddled-up, Shook-up World

Author Bio
Rafe Esquith, author of Lighting Their Fires: Raising Extraordinary Children in a Mixed-up, Muddled-up, Shook-up World, has taught at Hobart Elementary School in Los Angeles for twenty-four years. He is the only teacher to have been awarded the president's National Medal of the Arts. His many other honors and awards include the American Teacher Award, Parents magazine's As You Grow Award, Oprah Winfrey's Use Your Life Award, and People magazine's Heroes Among Us Award. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Barbara Tong.

For more information, please visit www.hobartshakespeareans.org 

ENTER TO WIN THIS BOOK

Tweet For Literacy Giveaway Prize Package 3

Our Motto: “The family that reads together has a lot of fun!” Our goal is to empower children and teens, especially girls, who are so often overlooked. We also seek to teach tolerance and self-acceptance through reading and through family interaction.

The Tweet for Literacy Giveaway is a campaign designed to raise awareness of the importance of involving the whole family in a child’s reading activities. Tweet for Literacy will be giving away literacy-related prizes every two days throughout the month of November in honor of National Family Literacy Month. Help a child to read, and let the fun begin!

How to Enter the Tweet for Literacy Giveaways
Step 1: Follow our 7 sponsors on Twitter. This step is required. We will all follow you back!

http://twitter.com/susieqtpies (ME!!!)
http://twitter.com/lindathieman
http://twitter.com/ccmalandrinos
http://twitter.com/cafeofdreams
http://twitter.com/hollyhardin
http://twitter.com/sherikayehoff
http://twitter.com/nicole_odell

Step 2: Re-tweet (RT) any post about the giveaway. Use the hashtag #Tweet4Lit on each RT. Be sure to add the bit.ly URL link for this contest page.
Sample Entry Re-tweets (use these or use your own just make sure you include hashtag #Tweet4Lit and link to my blog http://bit.ly/tCSIM)

RT @susieqtpies Tweet for Literacy is giving away 12 prize sets and a grand prize thru Nov Enter here http://bit.ly/tCSIM #Tweet4Lit

Step 3: That’s it! See the Official Rules below.

Prize Package Three
Winner to be chosen Thursday, November 12, 2009, at 6pm CT. Total value of Prize Package Three is $109.

1) Henry & the Crazed Chicken Pirates by Carolyn Crimi and John Manders for ages 4 to 8. ($15.99 value) This is the sequel to Henry & the Buccaneer Bunnies. Donated by Blue Slip Media.

2) Aurora of the Northern Lights by Holly Hardin (autographed -- an $18.95 value), the delightful Yuletide-themed picture book by one of our Tweet for Literacy sponsors. Donated by the author.

3) The Crypto-Capers: The Case of the Missing Sock (autographed) by Renee Hand ($12.95 value). Readers help the detectives solve the case by figuring out puzzles! For ages 9-12. Donated by the author.

4) Capital Mysteries #3: The Skeleton in the Smithsonian [A Stepping
Stone Book(TM)] by Ron Roy, for ages 9-12 (Value $3.99). Donated by Tweet for Literacy sponsor April Pohren.

5) Truth or Dare (autographed), Book 1 from the Scenarios for Girls interactive series by Nicole O’Dell. For ages 10-15. ($7.97 Value) Donated by the author, one of our Tweet for Literacy sponsors.

6) 1 set of SnapWords™  List A Teaching Cards by Child1st ($23.95 value). These are the most popular SnapWords™ product and are excellent foundational help for kids who are just learning to read. Donated by Child1st Publications, LLC.

7) Lighting Their Fires: Raising Extraordinary Children in a Mixed-up, Muddled-up, Shook-up World by Rafe Esquith ($24.95 value). Donated by FSB Associates.

Check back here daily as we will continue to update the list of prizes.
http://cafescrapper-scrapsoflife.blogspot.com
Official Rules
You can re-enter as many times as you like. Prizes are awarded every 2 days starting on November 8. First day to enter is November 6, 2009. Last day to enter is November 30. A prize package will be awarded on each even day of the month. Each prize package will be a set of items that are literacy related. See below for specific information on prizes.

The name of the winner will be selected at random and will be drawn at approximately 6pm CT. The winner will have 3 days to respond. If we don’t hear from the winner, we will select another winner for that prize package. We will notify our 13 winners by Direct Message (DM) on Twitter.

Whereas you can enter as often as you like, if you are not following all 7 sponsors on Twitter, which will be verified, your entries will be disqualified. All entries that comply with the above rules will be valid for each drawing, including the Grand Prize. The Grand Prize will be awarded on December 1, 2009.

How can your family go Green?

For some reason my mind always wanders to Kermit the frog when I hear someone say that they are going green. Please don't think I'm mocking you if you are the one going green. It is just a childhood mental picture of the cute frog singing and dancing. That image can be used to help us get "more green" as people are saying today. We should be happy, singing, and dancing to take care of what we have been given. I do see nature as a gift from God for me to enjoy.

My family knows that God has given us this planet as a gift. As with any gift or privilege it can be used for good or neglected and no longer holding a value. In our family we love the outdoors. I take pictures of nature all the time. It is a blessing to have such natural colors and objects at our finger tips. I always tell me girls that if you want to know what colors look good together then look to nature. The color palette is perfect.

Last time I was out taking fall photos of my girls we discovered trash. Now, this is not a new thing to find on the ground. I find myself taking pictures of the trash we find. It is ugly and not natural. The colors do not fit in.

This is not a natural part of nature so we pick it up and toss it out. Trash is our human contribution and we need to stop letting it happen. It is ugly and not a gift. Picking up trash that you see can become a habit. If you see trash pick it up. Sooner than later it will become a habit.

All my girls have learned in Girl Scouts that you should leave the place you were in better than when you found it. So picking up trash is just something we do.

IF each family concentrated on a ''green'' task, together we would make the world a better green place to live.

Our Green Living tips

1) Realize that nature is a beautiful Gift. A gift is to be used and respected.
2) Take care of that gift, don't neglect it and remove what doesn't belong.
3)Enjoy and use the outdoors. No matter where you are or what you are doing leave it in better condition than when you found it.


Thanks to Beth at Airwear and TwitterMoms for teaming up to find out what are our families Top Three Green-Living Tips. Go check out LighterSaferGreener.com. Airwear is Lighter, Safer, Greener. I love what this company stands for. Eyes glasses are so important to me. I wouldn't be able to take nature photos without them. I can't wait to give these "green" lens a try!

You too can check them out. You can share just as I did what your family is doing to make the world a greener place. The contest winner will get Airwear for the entire family. Good Luck and thanks for doing your part.



When Tweeting about the contest, please use #Airwear.

Keep track of reading by Mark My Time Giveaway

During the Elementary school days of 5th grade and under my girls had to keep track of how many minutes they read out of school for various reason. Several years they competed in City-wide reading programs. Their class and school won several times with the most minutes read. Other times they had to read x amount of minutes to earn class rewards. I always encouraged them to keep track of their own minutes. This promotes responsibility and independence. It is also great for math. You have to teach about how each second turns into a minute and how each minute turns into an hour. I love how math and reading are used together.

When we started homeschooling I carried over the "read for x amount of minutes" each day. They had a log sheet where they wrote down their time as well as what book and how many pages read. This is our 4th year homeschooling and we no longer use the "read for x amount of minutes" log sheet. All three of my girls are independent readers. They have been for many years. The log was used to make sure that they gave time to reading each day. They have established early reading habits and now that habit doesn't need timed.

The joy of homeschooling is that you can read a novel for 1 hour during the school day if you choose to do so. You can go to the Library for hours at a time instead of 15 minutes once a week. Reading is like learning to ride a bicycle. With books, you start when you are young by your parents reading to you, giving you board books to look at, and books on CD to listen to during play time. This is done over and over. Your parents, siblings, teachers still read to you but you pick up the books on your own and start the reading CD on your own. Before you know it, you are saying the words in the book by memory and by word recognition. You still make up stories by looking at the picture. A time comes where you begin reading all the words around you including the ones from out the window of the car. Over time you still love being read to and still need to be read to but you begin reading to others. This is the time your training wheels get sold in the garage sale or passed down to a younger sibling.

It all starts at the beginning. Take time to foster reading habits with your children. Find out what the school is doing and carry that over into your home. If you homeschool make that a big part of your day.

If you have a kiddo who doesn't like to read then help her find a book on a subject she enjoys. If she loves dogs then find her books on dogs to read. If she loves cartoons then find books on cartoons. Does she love telling jokes? Give her new material by finding joke books. Our policy was that reading had to be done daily. Set a timer for 5 minutes and read. Then increase the timer to 10 minutes. Over time the timer will be forgotten but the reading is being done. That again goes with the learning to ride a bike analogy. The biggest thing you can do as a parent is to make sure you are reading too! Kids follow your lead. It takes time but it will happen.

I'm offering a MARK MY TIME Timer for a giveaway in our Tweet For Literacy giveaway!
Click to get details!

Tweet For Literacy Giveaway Prize Pack 1 WINNER

@sixcents_aw You've won the 1st prize pack from #Tweet4Lit. Please DM me your email addy to @LindaThieman within 3 days to accept! Congrats!

Prize Package One
A Guardian Angel Publishing Gift Pack ($55 Value) with the following titles:
Jamie's Dream by Susan Berger and Christopher Corbin
Color Me Happy! by Sally M. Harris (autographed)
A Horse of Course by Shari Lyle-Soffe (autographed)
Earthquake by Susan Berger
The Sum of Our Parts: No Bones About It by Bill Kirk
Plus, Aurora of the Northern Lights by Holly Hardin (autographed -- an $18.95 value), the delightful Christmas-themed picture book by one of our Tweet for Literacy sponsors.

Click here to see Prize Package Two and enter to win!

Tweet For Literacy Giveaway Prize Pack 1

Our Motto: “The family that reads together has a lot of fun!” Our goal is to empower children and teens, especially girls, who are so often overlooked. We also seek to teach tolerance and self-acceptance through reading and through family interaction.

The Tweet for Literacy Giveaway is a campaign designed to raise awareness of the importance of involving the whole family in a child’s reading activities. Tweet for Literacy will be giving away literacy-related prizes every two days throughout the month of November in honor of National Family Literacy Month. Help a child to read, and let the fun begin!

How to Enter the Tweet for Literacy Giveaways
Step 1: Follow our 7 sponsors on Twitter. This step is required. We will all follow you back!

http://twitter.com/susieqtpies (ME!!!)
http://twitter.com/lindathieman
http://twitter.com/ccmalandrinos
http://twitter.com/cafeofdreams
http://twitter.com/hollyhardin
http://twitter.com/sherikayehoff
http://twitter.com/nicole_odell

Step 2: Re-tweet (RT) any post about the giveaway. Use the hashtag #Tweet4Lit on each RT. Be sure to add the bit.ly URL link for this contest page.
Sample Entry Re-tweets (use these or use your own just make sure you include hashtag #Tweet4Lit and link to my blog http://bit.ly/tCSIM)

RT @susieqtpies Tweet for Literacy is giving away 12 prize sets and a grand prize thru Nov Enter here http://bit.ly/tCSIM #Tweet4Lit

Step 3: That’s it! See the Official Rules below.

Prize Package One (winner picked Nov. 8th 6pm CT)
A Guardian Angel Publishing Gift Pack ($55 Value) with the following titles:
Jamie's Dream by Susan Berger and Christopher Corbin
Color Me Happy! by Sally M. Harris (autographed)
A Horse of Course by Shari Lyle-Soffe (autographed)
Earthquake by Susan Berger
The Sum of Our Parts: No Bones About It by Bill Kirk
Plus, Aurora of the Northern Lights by Holly Hardin (autographed -- an $18.95 value), the delightful Christmas-themed picture book by one of our Tweet for Literacy sponsors.

Check back here daily as we will continue to update the list of prizes.
Official Rules
You can re-enter as many times as you like. Prizes are awarded every 2 days starting on November 8. First day to enter is November 6, 2009. Last day to enter is November 30. A prize package will be awarded on each even day of the month. Each prize package will be a set of items that are literacy related. See below for specific information on prizes.

The name of the winner will be selected at random and will be drawn at approximately 6pm CT. The winner will have 3 days to respond. If we don’t hear from the winner, we will select another winner for that prize package. We will notify our 13 winners by Direct Message (DM) on Twitter.

Whereas you can enter as often as you like, if you are not following all 7 sponsors on Twitter, which will be verified, your entries will be disqualified. All entries that comply with the above rules will be valid for each drawing, including the Grand Prize. The Grand Prize will be awarded on December 1, 2009.

Open to residents of the U.S. only. Must be 18 years old to enter.

If you have any questions or comments about the giveaway, please contact Linda Thieman at blog (at) katieandkimble (dot) com.