Back To School Food: SNACK TIME

We are a homeschool family! It is our 4th year to homeschool. Lately I've had on my "Back to School" thinking cap! (Bet you all have one of these! LOL)
We usually do not start school until after Labor Day. So I use the month of August to work out what we will be doing up to Christmas Break.

For some reason I've been thinking a lot about FOOD! Teaching at home also means eating at home- ALL DAY! I've always thought that it was important to have easy to grab snacks. A wise mom told me that she has a list on her fridge of snacks that her kids could have anytime. I haven't done this but plan on starting it this year. We do not have a scheduled snack break. When you get hungry and if it is not meal time then you can grab a snack.What snacks are great to have around for a quick grab?

I am the shopper so it is up to me to keep the snack stock full. Each girl gets to pick out one special snack at the store. This helps me with making the decision on what to buy.

I've created 4 weeks of snacks. We can rotate snacks in and out of the schedule. This will allow us to incorporate seasonal recipes. The fruits and veggies will change depending on the season. The schedule will allow some variety and easier for me as I head off to the store!

I want to make sure that my daughters are following recipes and preparing the snacks too! This is a very important to me. I want my daughters to be able to cook for themselves and others.

This year I'm going to work on teaching them how to make something from what you have in your pantry. I love doing this. It takes practice for some!

Here is the first 4 weeks of snacks. Some have links. Others need recipes. I will post recipes in September.

Week 1 Snack options

• Pencils
• Granola bars
• Cheese sticks
• Sea Salt Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
• Fruit snacks
• Bugles
• Apples, Pears & Banana Kabobs

Week 2 Snack options

• Granola (1/2 c each: butter, honey, wheat germ, brown sugar, raisins, 3 cups oats, 1 c each sunflower seeds and other nuts. Melt together butter, honey, sugar. Add all other ingredients. Microwave on high for 4 min. Spread out on baking sheet to cool. Store in covered container or Ziploc bag.) *We are going to try some new granola recipes which are lower in sugar. I will post those recipes results in September.
  
• Apples, Pears and Grape Kabobs
• Whole Grain Chocolate Chip Cookies
  
• Yogurt
  
• Cheese and crackers
• Fruit snacks

Week 3 Snack options

• Sticks and Stones
• Pretzels
• Apples
• Yogurt
• Pudding cups
  
• Rice Krispy bars (make according to box directions)
  
• Soft Pretzels (We will try out a few recipes and post in September)
  

Week 4 Snack Options

• Craisins
• Nuts
• Fruit Leather (Never made it but want to. I have several recipes. We will do these and report back in September!
• Cheese
• Snack crackers
• Yam n Jam Muffins
• Spiders (share recipe later)

What isn't on the list are carrots, celery, ranch dressing and peanut butter. They are staples around our house because the kids love to eat them.

If you have any snack recipes to share please include them in the comments. If you have a blog and want to share your snacks or Back To School Ideas please add your link in the above Back To School MckLinky! That way my visitors and I can come visit you too!

Stay tuned for more Back To School Food ideas featuring those other meals!

About This Post
It’s back-to-school time, and this year Sprite and TwitterMoms have
partnered with bloggers like me to share back-to-school tips and
tricks, advice, stories and more! href="http://spritebts.twittermoms.com">Visit Sprite's back-to-school
channel on TwitterMoms to get helpful ideas, learn how to survive
the back to school rush, seek out advice from other TwitterMoms and
join the conversation. You can bit.ly/UW2GJ">learn more about
donating your My Coke Rewards Points to support your local school, how
to enter for a chance to win some Back to School cash, check out
recipes, or even play some fun games. Here's to a successful and
stress-free back to school season from Sprite and TwitterMoms!

This post has been sponsored as part of a larger campaign.

Book Review: I Used to Know that

I Used to Know That-

Stuff You Forgot From School

By Caroline Taggart

Published by Reader's Digest

March 2009;$14.95US; 978-0-7621-0995-1

Facts from School You Forgot to Remember

(information released by FSB Associates)

Take an entertaining trip back to the classroom with I Used to Know That. Witty, engaging, and fun, this little book will appeal to the student in each of us. A one-of-a-kind collection of hundreds of facts learned long ago, it includes:

• Our Changing World: Test your knowledge of the latest geography.

• Prose and Poetry: From Shakespeare to diphthongs, English class will come alive again here.

• Math and Science: Quotients, phalanges, and protons . . . do these long-forgotten words take you back to high school days?

• History: As Santayana once said so well: "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it."
  

Author Bio
Caroline Taggart has been an editor of non-fiction books for nearly 30 years and has covered nearly every subject from natural history and business to gardening and astronomy. She has written several books and was the editor of Writer’s Market UK 2009.

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This book came in for me to review at a perfect time! I'm preparing for the new school year for my three homeschooling daughters! Two of them are starting 9th grade and the other, 6th grade! I struggle at times with deciding what do they really need to know. The author, Caroline Taggart, said that while she was researching the book that she discovered that everybody had been to school and that they had forgotten different things. One person said that she couldn't remember what was "square root" and the author said that she wasn't even sure why she now wanted to know this fact again.

Topics covered in the book

1- English: Learning how to master your language. It covers parts of speech, phrases and clauses, synonyms and antonyms, diphthongs (remember those?), figures of speech and prosody! I wasn't surprised by anything listed in this chapter. How often do you think noun, direct object, adjective,etc before you speak or write?

2-Literature: She gives a run down on the "classics" of literature by Author and their work. I loved this chapter! It gave me a lot of ideas for my high school girls this school year! Time to dust off the classics, many of which I had forgotten, and go exploring in the world of classic literature! Did you remember that Jane Austen only completed 6 novels? Can you name them?

3-Math: Arithmetic (do you really ever hear that term anymore?) which is all about sums- adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing and their vocabulary words! The use math is in our every day life. What is important to teach children today? Do they need to know Algebra and Equations? How about Trig and The Pythagorean Theorem? I feel that this is the year for my high school students to really take some time and think about what they want to do for future employment. This math chapter covers some very important concepts. Silly mom and wife of 16 years that I am, I think of blueberry and cherry when I hear the word pie not pi as in the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter! The only reason I've needed to know pi as an adult is to teach it to my children.

4- Science: The author made a very important point at the beginning of this chapter! Every school teaches and covers topics differently. So as a teacher of three what am I suppose to teach them? She covers biology, chemistry and physics! My approach thus far for science is to teach based on their interest. The high school students will have a very structured science this year. Why? Will they really need to know about all those elements and their atomic numbers? How much of what we learn in science do we really need to know?

5- History: We learn history to understand where we have been, why we are headed in this direction and how to not make the same mistakes that so and so made! The presidential facts were full of historical tidbit as well as minor trivia such as "Clinton spent a lot of time in the headlines because of his alleged affair with a White House intern". How many people can name that intern? How many people can name what Act was passed during Lyndon B. Johnson's term? The chapter includes major conflicts as well as other important historical dates.

6-Geography: This chapter is full of facts about the Countries of the World, the States in our Country, Mountains and Bodies of Water. The last part of the chapter covers Paleozoic Era up to the Cenozoic Era. This chapter is very rich with information. All of which someone probably recalls. I do not remember the the capital of Uruguay but know how to use an Atlas to find the information as well as GOGGLE search! That is what I teach my daughters.

7- General Studies: Could you call this chapter "Extra Credit"? All the fun extras of World Religions, Roman Numerals, Mythology, Famous Artist,etc. Very fun and I was surprised as to how much of that chapter I could recall!

Two thumbs up on this book. It only has 175 pages! I would call it a quick read but I can't! It is so full of facts that had me thinking "did I ever learn that?" It also made me think about what my daughters are learning. Learning is to be fun and engaging. Do they love to learn? Will they be able to recall more of these facts if they had fun learning them? What do they want to learn? Thanks for putting together all these "Facts from School You Forgot to Remember"!

Thanks to Caitlin Price, Publicist at FSB Associates for the book to review!

Back to School with Master Lock

Master Lock is introducing two new locks just in time for back to school buying!

- The Speed Dial Set-Your-Own Combination Lock opens on up-down-left-right directional movements, instead of the traditional rotary dial, and can be customized with letters, shapes or numbers, depending on how students most easily remember their combination. I love this feature! Master Lock has "unlocked" the secret! They realized that students have different ways of learning and that kids are NOT all the same. So their new lock encourages individuals to set the combo in a way that they will remember. Thank you, Master Lock!

- The Set-Your-Own Combination Lock is a traditional rotary dial for students more comfortable with that method, but with a new reset feature that allows them to choose their own combination using, letters, numbers or both. I personally am "old school" and will appreciate the comfort of the traditional rotary dial! I love that you can set your own combo! It makes life so much easier! We live in a password world! How wonderful that we have the option to set the combo to one we already have and know! Thank you, Master Lock!

Check out the video

They are also introducing the "Master Lock Secret Vault" Facebook application. This fun application will help keep users' secrets safe and secure, as well as offer participants a chance to win a cash prize in the "Master Lock $5,000 Secure Your Future Sweepstakes." I love the application! I"m a Facebook Ap junkie! This one is actually practical and worth having!!

TwitterMoms just posted this promotion! Please help us spread the news! The first twenty 20 bloggers to post an entry about Master Lock’s new combination locks and/or Facebook application and sweepstakes, and send the URL to hannah@jsha.com, will win a combination lock to give away on her site.

So go to TwitterMoms and get the full scoop!

Three Things ...... MckLinky Blog Hop

BLOG Hop theme is 3 Things you don't know about me!
This is easy because I can think of 3 things that my blog readers and twitter friends don't know about me!

*************************************************************************************1) I'm a RN- BSN from Purdue University. I went into Nursing because it was suggested to me in High School. I had fun working but never really my passion. So that is the reason for me going in and out of retirement since becoming a RN!
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2) My family (hubby and 3 girls) lived in New Orleans for almost 6 years. My hubby received his first Call as a Pastor there out of the Seminary. I REALLY learned to cook in New Orleans. I had a lot of fun and the people were great at explaining why they used this and that! Mrs Dotsy was the most help. We have a lot of good memories from living there. We were kicked out of New Orleans because of Hurricane Katrina. Our heart still aches at times when we sit back and think about our life before Katrina. We hold our memories and the people we encountered very near and dear in our hearts.
*************************************************************************************3) I have a secret desire to be a Special Crime Scene Investigator for the FBI. I have always thought it would be very exciting to be a Medical Examiner. I really should have taken this route in College. I"m way to0ooo old now and have lost way toOooo many brain cells since giving birth to my girls to really consider this now!
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THANKS FOR the Stop on the BLog HOP! Please say HI so I can visit you too!!!

Wii Fit SiteWarming for Dr. Dolgoff

On Friday July 10th ResourcefulMommy is hosting a Twitter Party Site warming for Dr. Weigh by Joanna Dolgoff, MD

THE BELOW POST IS ALL FROM RESOURCEFULMOMMY. Please click the button to go right to her blog and register for the sitewarming to learn and win!



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You know that for an hour we will be able to ask Dr. Dolgoff our toughest kids' nutrition and exercise questions as well as share tips and concerns with fellow parents - aunts & uncles - grandparents on Twitter.

I would Love to incorporate this into our HOMESCHOOL routine. This would be for the entire family.

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Did you know that you have a chance to win a Wii Fit?

Maintaining a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle is difficult for many parents. Helping their kids do the same can be nearly impossible, but programs such as Dr. Weigh and fun fitness tools like the Wii Fit certainly help!
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Are you ready to win Door Prizes?

Ten SiteWarming Party winners will receive gift cards to eat fresh at Subway! One SiteWarming Grand Prize winner will win one free month of membership to Dr. Weigh.
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WHO IS Dr. Janna Dolgoff and what is the Dr. Weigh website? Go exploring to see what all is on her site. I found Nutrition lessons, recipes, food database, blog and newsletter access and even a message board! According to her site, a child's road to wellness begins here!

The site stated:

"She created a simple traffic light-based system which allows children to lose weight safely and easily. With Dr. Dolgoff's Weigh, kids learn which foods are healthiest without counting calories or fat. Dr. Dolgoff has divided over one thousand foods into green light, yellow light, and red light categories with appropriate serving sizes. Each child is allotted a certain number of colors for each meal and snack. No food is off-limits. Dr. Dolgoff’s flexible program allows kids to be kids. Your child will lose weight safely with a program designed by a Board Certified Pediatrician."
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Hope to see you at the Twitter Chat! Don't forget you must go visit ResourcefulMommy to learn more and enter! Just click her button!

Homeschool FUN MckLinky Blog Hop

Post your favorite photo week for MckLinky Blog Hop! This one is a favorite because we homeschool and my dd was having science fun! She likes homeschooling because she always gets to participate in every activity! She is the perfect homeschooler!
Thanks for hopping in! PLEASE leave a comment and I'll hop back to you! Thanks!

Win Weird Unsocializied Homeschool T-Shirts

THIS ENTIRE POST IS from Weird, Unsocialized Homeschooler BLOG! Click on button to get all the details.

Question: What does every weird, unsocialized homeschool family need? Why, t-shirts to announce your weirdness to the world, of course! Have you seen the homeschool shirts at Homeschool Boutique? They're awesome! My two personal favorites are:



I think I like them so much because they combine my love of computer/bloggy/Twitter stuff and my love of homeschooling. Want to win one? How about a whole family of shirts?

You can and it doesn't have to be one of the two pictured shirts. Tracy, of Homeschool Boutique, has graciously agreed to give one lucky winner their choice of a family of t-shirts from the Homeschool Boutique website.

Want to know how to win? CLICK THE BUTTON and find out the details!!!!!

This contest is open to U.S. residents only. It will run until approximately 6:00 PM (EST) on Monday, July 6, 2009. The winner will be chosen at random and announced on my blog on Tuesday, July 7, 2009. The winner will receive a "family" of homeschooling shirts -- one for each member of your family (up to five shirts). The winner will have three days to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Try an online class at Educator for Free!

My blog friend, Lisa, over at

is hosting a giveaway from

She just recently graduated from college in December with a 3.89 GPA in Psychology and Business Management.

She states on her blog "Not that unusual, but I did it at age 42, with 2 kids & a household to maintain. (Yes, my boys & hubby still expected me to cook and clean - there is no rest for Moms.) Since graduating in December I've been going crazy. I need to learn new things. Are you like that? My brain needs exercise."

THIS Blog post has been copied OFF OF HER BLOG

She was was recently approached by Educator.com, an online scholastic education series about doing a review and decided to check it out. Although this site is great for your high school student to get help with Chemistry, Algebra 1, Calculus BC, Calculus AB, Biology, and other subjects, it is also a great resource for the non-traditional student returning to school.A large amount of the videos and learning tools are free, but you can opt for a monthly subscription ($20) or annual subscription ($200) that opens up a whole new database of interactive learning tools. The professors that teach the classes are all educated with advanced degrees and in many cases already teach at various colleges. For example: Dr. Harold Goldwhite (Ph.D and B.A.) and Dr. Massoud Ghyam (Ed.D) from the University of Southern California have lecture videos here.

Now, not everyone is interested in learning new subjects - but most of us are moms and dads who have children in school. This tool could be your life saver. I know when my son asks me a question about Chemistry I'm lost. With Educator.com I don't have to answer those tough questions anymore. I can refer him to the website and he can get his questions answered by someone who knows. He can watch an interactive video explaining the how/what/why and I don't have to spend hours on the internet trying to understand it in order to explain it to him.

The Giveaway: 3 people will win! Each will get a 3-months access to Educator. So please click on the button and go visit for your chance to win!!!!



This giveaway will end July 15th at 11:59 pm EST. Winners will be determined by Random.org and will have 48 hours to send contact information to lisa(dot)samples@gmail.com. It is mandatory to leave your email address in your first comment because I need to be able to contact you.

Disclosure: This review was paid for by Educator.com.

The Homeschool Messenger Blog hoppin' Friday!

Welcome to The Homeschool Messenger! !

I'm mom of 3 tween/teens. We are a busy family and love to learn and have fun! I love to post on activities we do at our homeschool. This is where I keep educational and homeschool links! Go check out my other blog, Scraps of Life. I have a book giveaway going on right now!

Thanks for stopping in! Come back soon! I have 4 big projects that will be starting related to Online Classes!

Sign in and let me know your linky number so I can visit! Have fun checking out the other blogs! Check out Scraps of life #226 and go see #141 and tell Lisa HI! I got Mr. Linky from visiting her blog today!

WINNER of Katie and Kimble Giveaway!

Comment #43 via Random.org which was Anna!

The Vaagen 6

Thanks all for playing! Please don't forget to check out KatieandKimbleblog.com to still get a copy of the book! Very worth your money and support!

Are there positive aspects of Youth Sports???

TwitterMoms just put out a post asking us if "As a parent, how do you encourage and reinforce the positive aspects of youth sports?" This question is being sponsored by Liberty Mutual Responsible Sports. I'm a mom of 3 girls. The twins started playing soccer when they were 3 and 4 years old. It was a non competitive team. The goal (so to speak) was to learn to play the game. To my husband and I that was what was important to us. Not seeing who you could score more against but to really learn to be a team player. They played soccer on and off in elementary school. When they said "we don't want to play anymore" and the season was over then we let them be done. As their parent I knew if their heart was not in it then they would not do their best. That is what we ask them to do in everything they try.... "Do your best."


Our youngest has finally settled into TaeKwonDo. She is also very non competitive. TKD has allowed her to get exercise, work with others, develop a skill and take responsibility for her learning. She has to "do her best" and she wants to do her best.

We started homeschooling 3 years ago. During these past few years of not being in the school system we have found that we have more flexibility in choosing sports and activities for them that offer more than the hard core competitive drive. They have been taught to learn the sport that they are playing. They have been exposed to numerous sports. When they want to try something new then we try it. So hula hooping, bowling, tennis, golfing, soccer, swimming,etc As with everything they do we want them to "Do your best".

Twitter moms and ResponsibleSports is running this contest. They want you to blog about "Are their positive aspects of Youth Sports?" The contest officially ends July 7. All participating bloggers will be contacted by a representative from Liberty Mutual the week of July 13.

Prizes:
• 20 bloggers to post about positive aspects of youth sports and include a link to ResponsibleSports.com will be randomly selected to receive a $15 pre-paid AMEX gift card
• The blogger with the most comments will receive a $50 gift card
• The blogger who generates the most Twitter discussion using the hashtag #responsiblesports will receive a $100 gift card (Twitter discussion is defined as tweeting questions, comments, thoughts on the topic of positive aspects of youth sports).

About the Liberty Mutual Responsible Sports Program:
Created by Liberty Mutual in partnership with Positive Coaching Alliance, US Youth Soccer, USA Hockey and the Amateur Softball Association, the Liberty Mutual Responsible Sports program provides resources for parents and coaches at www.responsiblesports.com to help children reap the full benefits of playing a team sport. The online community incorporates blogs, videos, and best practices on youth sports topics that provide practical, real-world advice. Parents and coaches also can complete coursework on positive sports mentoring that offers best practices for handling challenging sports scenarios.

Healthy Pantry Whole Grain Oatmeal Cookies

My dear daughter, Anna, (almost 15) made cookies for her dad for Father's Day! He loves oatmeal cookies. Instead of using the tried and true Grandma B's recipe, she used The Healthy Pantry's Whole Grain Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Mix. This Kit is one of their bestsellers.

Guess what? After eating them we have to agree! This is our 3rd kit. I'm still amazed at how healthy these pre packed product kits are for you! They Healthy Pantry states this claim, "We do the "prep" and provide wholesome, nutritious, and tasty ingredients to mix with an item or two from your fridge. Enjoy a delicious, fresh & healthy dinner in just 10 minutes." They have lived up to this statement in everything that we have made.


The packaging is usually very clear in instructions. Anna found a few errors in this labeling! I'm sure The Healthy Pantry knows about them but just in case they don't this is what she found out.

• According to our label, we were to provide 6 T of butter yet in the instructions it stated to add 12 T of butter. She added the 12 T.
• Also according to label we were to provide one egg and the instructions also stated to mix in one egg. The problem was when she was reading the nutritional label it stated 2 eggs. So she added 2 eggs.
  

• The only other problem was the applesauce. The Kit included the 1 container of applesauce. The instructions stated to use "1/2 cup of applesauce" and so she wasn't sure if that meant half of what was provided or actual 1/2 cup measurement. She did measure out the container and it was over 1/2 cup but not quiet a 1 cup. She used the entire container.
  

The richness of the Turbinado sugar was wonderful!

Accordingly to Wikipedia:
"Turbinado sugar, is made from sugar cane extract. It is produced by crushing freshly cut sugar cane; the juice obtained is evaporated by heat, then crystallized. The crystals are spun in a centrifuge, or turbine (thus the name), to remove excess moisture, resulting in the characteristic large, light brown crystals. It is similar in appearance to brown sugarbut paler, with larger crystals, and in general the two can be exchanged freely in recipes. Turbinado sugar differs from refined white sugar in that it is obtained or crystallized from the initial pressing of sugar cane....In the U.S., most turbinado sugar is produced in Hawaii and is often sold as an organic product. The popular Hawaiian product sold in the U.S. is produced on Maui and marketed under the name brand "Sugar in the Raw."Other dry ingredients included Rolled Oats, 100% Whole Wheat Flour, Flax Seed Meal, Sea Salt, Baking Powder and Nutmeg.
The Healthy Pantry states this about their ingredients "It also has fewer calories per teaspoon, and when combined with our whole grains significantly reduces the sugar rush which is always followed by a crash! And because we use a 100% whole grain wheat flour and nutritious rolled oats, the higher fiber in these cookies will tide you over until your next meal as well as provide other digestive benefits. The Whole grain benefits with nearly 3 grams of fiber, 3 grams of protein and Flax seeds for Omega-3 fatty acids to protect against heart disease, promote bone health, control high blood pressure, and balance hormones."

These by far are the best cookies I have eaten that were not from our own recipe. They recipe included raisins. Anna did not add the raisins but added chocolate chips!!! We like to eat raisins but just not cooked. I wondered if carob chocolate chips could be an option with the kit? I don't personally bake with them but I know people who do. They were very yummy and moist. Best bet would be to put them in an air tight container when they have fully cooled.

The next morning I caught Anna eating them for breakfast. She said "but mom they are oatmeal and are healthy!" I totally agreed and ate one myself!

Please go check out The Healthy Pantry. They just came out with 5 more kits. We are wanting to try the Mac and Cheese and Chicken Tenders with Cheese and Shells. For more of our Healthy Pantry reviews please visit my other blog, Scraps of Life, and check out Gourmet Turkey Asian Burgers and Wild Salmon Patties with Quinoa!

Site Warming with ResourcefulMommy on The Online Mom

Are you concerned about your children surfing the internet? Do your children know more about the internet than you? NO? Well have you ever heard of Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, Stumble, Digg, Technorati, etc? How about Wiki, sexting, LOLcat, hot spot, interface, ipn, pos, youtube and tweet? Chances are your teens know what these things are and you don't!



According to ResourcefulMommy "Online codes for everything. Heck, even my children's kids meal toys from fast food restaurants come with a code. Technology's infiltration of all things has occurred, so it's our job as parents to stay on top of what is happening in this brave new world. There are tons of sites to be found to learn about protecting your tween online and even sites that tell you about interesting new technology for kids. "

ResourcefulMommy is having a Site Warming Party tonight (Friday June 19th) to introduce her viewers to, The Online Mom: Tech Tools for Parents! I had fun surfing around there today! Amy at ResourcefulMommy interviewed Monica Vila of The Online Mom about her site and posted this on her site--

"No matter the economic landscape, there remains one constant - good parents will put nothing above the well-being of their child. A parent's role is to nurture, protect, teach, and empower their child as they grow and explore the world. For today's parents, that means learning about and embracing technology.

Kids are attracted to and at ease with technology, while parents are left to marvel at how quickly kids pick up technology and seem to grasp it immediately. Parents are often racing to keep up with the latest thing - IM'ing, Facebook, Twittering, Wii - but what does it all mean?

The Online Mom bridges the gap between what kids know and what parents need to know to stay head in the ever-evolving world of technology. We are a one-stop, interactive organization providing clear information, product reviews and advice about the technology our kids interact with on a daily basis - from cell phones to internet to gaming systems. Whether online or in person at a grassroots level, we help parents understand what is right for their family, what is safe and hot to use technology resources to help their kids thrive in a digital culture."

The Online Mom is a website, an online newsletter, a forum for discussion, a network of certified experts, and a community devoted to promoting a healthy understanding and appreciation for the positive role technology can play in a child's life."
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Join us tonight with ResourcefulMommy @Resourcefulmom from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. eastern as we tweet using the hashtag #theonlinemom with @theonlinemom herself! Have your questions ready about anything from educational computer games to protecting your teens from sexting.

And don't forget the prizes...

FIFTY people will win a copy of Gold's Gym Cardio Workout for Wii. It is a great exercise routine giving a complete body workout and providing a personal trainer to help keep you motivated. It's cardio, boxing, and strength...AND lots of fun! You have the option to use the Wii balance board with this program, but it is not required.





So go check out The Resourceful Mommy and RSVP for the party!!! Tweet ya there! I"ll be tweeting as @susieqtpies (normally i'm @susieqtpie)

Book Review and Giveaway! Katie & Kimble

My 10 year old daughter read Katie & Kimble: The Magic Wish by Linda Thieman. This is Book 2 in an ongoing series. The first book was Katie & Kimble: A Ghost Story. Click HERE to read my review on that book. The author disclosed a secret on my last giveaway about the next book in the series that she is currently writing-

Katie & Kimble: The Golden Door

"In the third book, Katie & Kimble: The Golden Door, which I am in the process of writing right now, I am introducing a 10-year-old boy named Danny Garcia. Danny is full of life and a real people person (and he's quite a reader with a huge interest in ghosts!), and he soon becomes friends with Katie's whole family. Starting with the third book, Danny and his little brother and their dog will be in all of the books."
Author Linda Thieman

BOOK 2 kept my daughter's inquisitive attention from the get go! It started with a mysterious coupon found in a cereal box stating that it is "good for one wish." I always LOVED getting the goodie in the cereal box as a kid! The catch, however, is that the wish is good for only two days. If not used, the wish will no longer exist. Katie and Kimble must decide and agree on one wish! As a mom of 3 girls, I know that it isn't easy to come up with a quick mutual decision! Once they thought it through they did come up with the perfect one! What is it that they wish for and how will it forever change the girls' lives as well as Katie's family's life? You'll have to read the book to find out!!! I'm not a spoiler!

Go to The Katie and Kimble blog to find out more! You will discover the activity corner, interactive Katie, video, color and activity sheets as well as other fun surprises!!!

NOW ON TO THE GIVEAWAY! The author has one autographed book for me to giveaway to YOU!

This is for Katie & Kimble: A Ghost Story!

TO Enter:

1- Answer question "If I had one free wish it would be....." and leave contact information.

Extra changes to win:

1- Go to Katie and Kimble blog and come back and tell me something you learned.
2- Go to my other blog and enter The Febreze Giveaway. Come back here and tell me you did. (5 chances)
3- Follow Katie and Kimble blog RSS feed (5 chances)
4- Follow me on twitter as @susieqtpie and tweet contest (2 chances)
5- Follow author on twitter as @LindaThieman
6-Refer a friend to the giveaway. IF they comment to win, let me know by leaving a comment for an extra entry!
7- Follow my other blog.

Leave a separate comment with each entry!

Contest runs June 16th-27th. If you are the winner you will have 48 hours to contact me. IF not i'll redraw! Good luck!

Launch of Schwinnjoyride.com and win a bike!

I'm so freaking out that Resourceful Mommy is having a Site Warming party of SchwinnJoyRide.com I am in a desperate need of a bike! I want to become fit by learning about bike fitness!!! We can't go bike riding as a family because I'm the one without a bike! I would love to blog our adventures!

According to Resourceful Mommy, the new site is Schwinn Joyride: The Ultimate Resource for Two-Wheeled Family Adventure. Users will be able to:

• Create a biking journal


• Check out the featured bike of the month

• Read blog articles about topics ranging from when to remove training wheels to deciding when your child is ready for a bike


• Find great trails for a short family bike hike or a long bike vacation


• Watch videos and read tips on how to teach your child to ride a bike


• Learn about bike gear from helmets to all the bells and whistles (literally!)


• Utilize biking safety checklists


• Discover the importance of proper bicycle maintenance


• Become fit by learning about fitness through biking

Be sure to follow our special guests for the night:

- @LoriHeimerl Lori's Twitter profile describes her as a "Single Mom, Cool Girlfriend, Bike Marketing Diva." Let her know any questions you have about what Schwinn Joyride can do for your family!

- @Kim Orlando Kim is the founder of the popular site, Traveling Mom.

Join us as we tweet about Family Biking - bring your questions, your stories, and your tips!

THREE winners will each receive one (1) Women's Beach Cruiser Bike from Schwinn, each worth more than $150!

This contest is open to all U.S. residents age 18 years or older. Winners entries will be verified before prize is fulfilled. One bicycle will be awarded during the event. The contest for bikes 2 and 3 runs from 11:59 p.m. Thursday, June 11th until 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, June 16th.

http://resourcefulmommy.blogspot.com/2009/06/sitewarming-for-schwinnjoyride-friday.html is the site to RSVP!

Diane Birch Discover and Donate

Wow listen up! This is straight from Diane Birch website:

"Discover the critically acclaimed debut album from new artist Diane Birch. Donate $1 to charity. Automatically.

S-Curve Records and Diane Birch are proud to present Discover & Donate. You discover Diane Birch’s soulful debut album, Bible Belt,then you choose one of six charities to receive a $1 donation from your purchase.

PLUS, who ever raises the most money for charity through their widget by June 23, 2009, will win a FREE PRIVATE PERFORMANCE in the winner’s hometown!! (We’ll even throw in a few refreshments.) More albums sold means more money donated. How cool is that? Want to start sharing?"

So what do you need to do? Go to http://www.dianebirch.com/charity/ , choose a widget and post to your blog, website or social networking page! Let your friends know about Diane Birch and Discover & Donate! $1 per album sold from clicks on your widget will go to your charity in your name! How sweet is that????

So to make this an even sweeter deal for the Charities and Diane Birch, Amy over at ResourcefulMommy is having one of her "awesome" Twitter Site Warming Parties this Friday for Diane Birch!! Any tweet with the hashtag #music4good between noon eastern Friday and 10 p.m. eastern Friday is automatically entered to win the Shuffle and gift cards.

See you there! Come find me on TWITTER as susieqtpie !!!!!!

Katie & Kimble: A Ghost Story WINNER

CONGRATS to K!

Random.org picked Result: 10 which was K. Congrats and I'll send you an email and twitter! She will have 48 hrs to contact me and if not I'll redraw! Thanks and again stay tuned for more reviews and giveaways! I will have another A Ghost Story to giveaway too! Don't forget my other blog which also has giveaways Scraps of Life

Katie & Kimble: A Ghost Story Review & Giveaway!

Katie & Kimble: A Ghost Story is the first book in the Katie & Kimble Series. This series is geared toward a reading level 3 and ages 7-10. It is 106 pages of pure fictional fun! Don't let the Ghost Story title keep your young ones from reading the book. It isn't a scary book! Katie moves to a new town with her family and discovers a kindred spirit! She goes on a quest that is engaging and heartfelt!

My 10 year old homeschooled daughter, Emily, loved the book! She is an avid reader who devours 5 books at a time. She was excited to read the book and then explore The Katie and Kimble blog. Very few fictional books link you to a blog! What a great opportunity for the Author, Linda Thieman, to get her readers eager to explore and do more with Katie and Kimble. Emily loves the interaction with sound bites! How fun to go here the Kimble Kimble chant, Graceful Ghost and even see the Katie and Kimble video that uses graphics from the book!

As a homeschool mom I love the blog! There is a section for Teachers and Homeschoolers! In the section you have access to free materials and activity packets for each book! The author, Linda Thieman is a former English/Language teacher from Sioux City, Iowa. The material that she created corresponds to the first two books in the Series. They are guided by the standards set for third grade reading skills in Iowa school systems. The books are priced right too! They are $5.95 or $2.48 for instant download! So not only are the books affordable you are given full access to the blog with free activities, free chapter downloads, handouts, color sheets, etc. On top of that the site is kid friendly and kid safe!

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Time for a Giveaway! Our dear Author wants you to have an autographed copy of her book!

Enter To Win It:

One lucky readers will win autographed copies of Katie & Kimble: A Ghost Story.

How to Enter:

Visit the Katie & Kimble Blog and have a look around. Then come back here and make a comment on something from her blog. Deadline is May 29th. US entries only. Winners will be selected by Random.org. If by chance you don't win don't worry I will give you another chance in a few weeks!!!

Want extra chances to win?

5 chances-Follow the RSS feed at KatieandKimbleblog.com

1 chance- Follow my blog

1 chance-Follow the Author on twitter as @LindaThieman

1 chance-Follow my other blog, Scraps of Life

1 chance-Follow me on Twitter . I'm @susieqtpie

1 chance- Stumble it - leave ID in comments

1 chance- Technorati it - leave ID in comments

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I"ve given you 11 chances to win!!! Please make sure that you leave a comment for each chance in my comments to get credit!