Read. Write. Mom!

My Child Is A Reluctant Reader

Posted on July 25, 2012January 10, 2016 by Mandy

We couldn’t wait for the day when we would be able to hear E.B. read books to us. As a mom, it was a parenting milestone I looked forward to. As a librarian, I know how important establishing good reading habits early on can make all the difference in a child’s reading success. When E.B. came home with his word lists this past year in Kindergarten, we diligently went over them each night, and many tears were shed on his part. I knew it was all new and frustrating to him, so I empathized with him. I cheered him on. By the end of the year, he was reading, and reading well. The child reads beautifully and speaks so fluidly and with such enunciation that it makes me so proud.

This summer we have been working through a summer reading list. The books on the list were only suggestions, so I purposely picked out books on his reading level and with subject matter that I knew he would be interested in. And yet, the tears still flow and I am resigned to the fact.

I have a reluctant reader.

I deal with reluctant readers at work more often than not. I can count on one hand the students in the entire school who are so enthusiastic about reading that they make me hold books for them in a series so they can immediately check it out when they finish the previous one. Naturally, I had visions of my own son being one of these children.

He’s not, and he is one of two children I have ever dealt with that fought reading and the frustration of it to the point of tears. My heart hurts for any child that struggles with reading this much. He puzzles me, though, because once he starts reading, he does a great job.

Now that he is starting first grade, I know we have a long road ahead of us. I’m brushing up on ways to help reluctant readers, not just for him, but for my own students. I will be patient with them all and try to incorporate some out of the box ideas to spark their interests. I will keep trying to instill in them all the confidence they need to believe they can conquer any reading obstacles and actually enjoy a book.

It’s more than just my day job now.

*My friend Beth at The Angel Forever is currently holding a giveaway of some great books to help reluctant readers. If you have a child struggling with reading, stop by and check out her post. (Giveaway ends July 31)

Greased Lightning BOGO Offer (July)

Posted on July 24, 2012January 10, 2016 by Mandy

Before I was asked to be a Greased Lightning Strike Force Blogger, Greased Lightning was a cleaning product that never really hit my radar. Of course, I had heard of the product, but I had never tried it and didn’t figure I had much of any need for it in my own home. I was doing just fine with my usual cleaning products, thankyouverymuch. Little did I know that this one product has so many uses.

GREASED LIGHTNING

Revamped look but offers same brilliant results

Versatile product formulated to tackle tough jobs inside and outside of the home and great for everyday use as well

Eliminates the need for multiple products and clutter under the sink Affordable and accessible without compromising cleaning power

Greased Lightning® Super Strength is available in retailers nationwide, including grocery and mass retailers, dollar, DIY and hardware stores 32-oz. and 40-oz. bottles are both available for a suggested retail price of $2.99 Also available in convenient refill-sized container

Of course, Greased Lightning is great for those tough, dirty jobs, like cleaning a grill or a garbage can, but I had no idea there were so many practical jobs inside the home that this product could tackle. I was surprised to learn that Greased Lightning can be used on laundry, most common surfaces, and even upholstery. We have cats, and cleaning the litter box with Greased Lightning is also an option. From cleaning the kitchen and bathrooms and so much more, Greased Lightning really is one product that can take the place of many, many cleaners you might normally use. How’s that for space saving? I’m in cleaning mode, testing out Greased Lightning’s different uses. So far, I’m really impressed with the results and will keep you posted about how I’m using Greased Lightning in my own home.

SAVE NOW

Right now, Greased Lightning is offering a BOGO coupon at Family Dollar and Dollar General stores in Mississippi (as well as Louisiana and West Virginia). You can find the coupon at glstrikes.com. Offer good until August 31, 2012.

Have you ever used Greased Lightning? If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the product and what you used it for.

For more information about the Greased Lightning® family of
cleaning products, visit www.greased-lightning.com or visit them
at www.facebook.com/greasedlightningcleans.

I was sent a full sized product to facilitate my review. All opinions are my own.

Cash In With CASH CAB! $50 Visa Gift Card Giveaway

Posted on July 23, 2012January 10, 2016 by Mandy

Emmy winning hit Cash Cab is now airing 5 days a week!

The funniest game show on TV, Cash Cab combines elements of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, Family Feud and Candid Camera as taxi driver/comedian Ben Bailey picks up unsuspecting people hailing a cab and gives them a chance to win thousands.

To find out where Cash Cab is playing in your area, visit http://cashcab.mgm.com.

GIVEAWAY:

One lucky reader will win a $50 Visa Gift Card. Giveaway ends July 31, 2012 at 12:01 AM EST. US Only

TO ENTER:

Fill in the Rafflecopter form below. You may do as many or as few entries as you wish.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was provided with a promotional item to thank me for my time and one gift card to give away to a reader.

American Idol Live! Jackson, Mississippi Concert Giveaway

Posted on July 21, 2012January 10, 2016 by Mandy

Are you a big fan of American Idol? I love watching each season to see all of the great talent just waiting to be discovered! AMERICAN IDOL Season 11 just wrapped another exciting season, with congratulations going to winner Phillip Phillips! But the excitement doesn’t stop there. Chips Ahoy! and Ritz are proud to present the AMERICAN IDOL LIVE! Tour, bringing ten of the most talented artists to ever hit the AMERICAN IDOL stage to 45 cities this summer.

GIVEAWAY:

One winner will receive the gift basket pictured above, featuring products from Chips Ahoy! and Ritz, PLUS 2 tickets to the American Idol Live! show in Jackson, Mississippi on July 31, 2012! Giveaway ends Wednesday, July 25, 2012 at 12:01 AM and the winner MUST respond within 24 hours or another winner will be drawn because of the time sensitivity of this giveaway.

Please Note: These tickets are good only for the Jackson, Mississippi show on July 31.

TO ENTER:

Fill in the Rafflecopter form below. Each entry is a chance to win, so do as many or as few as you like.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was provided with the prize listed above to give away to a reader. No other forms of compensation were received.

Is Your Home Secure?

Posted on July 20, 2012March 13, 2019 by Mandy

Do you own a home security system? Would it shock you to know that most home intruders enter right through the front door of most homes? Did you know a burglary occurs every 15 seconds? That’s a scary fact. It totally debunks everything I would have thought about how intruders plan out a home break-in.

Home Security Store offers complete home security systems to safeguard your home and the ones you love. Whether you need a home security system or simply home automation products like door chimes, intercoms and gate controls, Home Security Store can help you keep your home running safely and smoothly.

There are several products that can deter would-be burglars immediately from your property, like security lighting, driveway alarms, and motion detector alarms. Additionally, if you like to see who is coming and going around your home or property, surveillance cameras and video monitoring are a great addition to have to your home security package.

Not only can home security systems offer protection, but they also offer peace of mind as some systems can alert you to fires in the home, drastic changes in temperatures, and water and flood sensors. Often times when we leave our homes for a few days, we worry about intruders, yet how many times do we think about fires and other things that have the potential to destroy our homes? Security systems can alert the proper authorities to potential problems even if the home owner isn’t home.

If you have thought about securing your home and aren’t sure where to start, visit the Home Security Store and let their experts help you develop a plan to protect the people and things you love most.

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Home Security Store.

A Review of Sea Life Aquarium- Grapevine, Texas

Posted on July 20, 2012April 15, 2017 by Mandy

We spent an entire day at Grapevine Mills Mall in Grapevine, Texas while on our family vacation. Besides all of the many, many stores to shop at, the mall is also home to Legoland Discovery Center and Sea Life Aquarium. After a fabulous lunch at Rainforest Café, we headed across the mall to venture into the underwater world.

There was a line with about a 20 minute wait to get into Sea Life. I had learned the day before that these attractions do have a wait time and to just get over it. (Ah, the ignorance of small town living!) We were warned before we entered the attraction that we could not use the flash on our camera because it can be harmful to the marine life. I’ll admit I was a little disappointed because my camera doesn’t even take the best pictures *with* flash, so what I do have to show was the best I could get.

Upon entering Sea Life, the main room is a large tank full of sting rays. These animals are beautiful to watch. You could also go to a raised platform above the tank and watch them.

The next room contained the octopus and, quell surprise, another wait to get into that small room. By the time we made it into the room, I’ll admit I wasn’t too impressed because the octopus was about the only thing to look at, and it was, well…a small octopus, not the GIANT octopus I was expecting from the description.

And? It was ugly. (Kidding) (sort of)

I have NO idea why the wait was so long to see that, but we soldiered on to the other parts of the exhibit.

There were lots of fish. Lots and lots of fish. And sharks.

One of the best parts of the whole exhibit was the room of rock pools where you could actually touch and hold some of the sea creatures. I held a live starfish.

The 360 degree Underwater Ocean Tunnel was amazing, but it was crowded. However, it offered the best view of the sharks and we all enjoyed it.

If you plan to go, you can find several coupons for $5 off admission floating around the mall. We picked ours up on a menu at Rainforest Café, but we also had backup coupons from the hotel we stayed in during the majority of our vacation.

Overall, I’m glad we took some time out to visit Sea Life. I have to brag on the staff there because they are very kind and welcoming. However, I am so glad I didn’t have to push a stroller through this place because it is multi-leveled (but they do have elevators) and crowded.

These are my honest opinions about our visit. I was not compensated in any way to write this post.

$100 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway (Worldwide- Ends 8/3)

Posted on July 19, 2012January 10, 2016 by Mandy

I’m so excited to bring you a great $100 Amazon Gift Card giveaway in partnership with the fabulous blogs listed below! Need some new books? Getting ready to order some back to school supplies for the kids? Need some new electronics? This gift card would certainly help! If you’re also looking for some great new blogs to read, stop in and give these girls a visit!

Musings From a Stay At Home Mom

Read. Write. Mom!

Philzendia

Loose Screws And Terrible Twos

A Thrifty Geek

This Mama Loves Her Bargains

This giveaway is open Worldwide, 18+

Ends August 3, 2012 at 11:59 EST

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Hunt- Day 9: Energy Conservation

Posted on July 19, 2012March 13, 2019 by Mandy

Today is my final post about “The Hunt: 11 Days Of Doing” from DoSomething.org, the nation’s largest organization for teens and social change, in partnership with Lenovo, the world’s second largest PC maker who helped found the campaign last year, and Bing, the search engine from Microsoft. You can check in each day here for the list of challenges, which are released at 11:11 AM EST on the web, through email, and text until the close of the campaign on July 20. Each challenge takes less than an hour to complete. Feel free to join in. It’s not too late!

DAY 10: ENERGY CONSERVATION

CHALLENGES:

Challenge 1: Brainstorm 5 ways to conserve water in your house. Share them with your social networks.

Challenge 2: Turn your air conditioner settings to no lower than 78 degrees.

ULTRAbonus: Did you know that plugged-in appliances use power even when they’re not on? Unplug at least 5 that aren’t being used.

Water is one of our most precious natural resources. It keeps our environment sustainable and offers so many benefits that we use on a daily basis. I don’t know about you, but I appreciate clean tap water, clean water for bathing, and clean water for doing dishes and laundry.

For today’s challenge, I brainstormed 5 ways our own family could start conserving water in our home. It wasn’t difficult to see where we were being wasteful and make some needed changes.

1. Showers for me. I am guilty of enjoying a long bath just about every evening, and that’s after my morning shower. I know if I cut that long bath back to just once or twice a week, we’d definitely conserve more water in our home.

2. Make sure our water faucets aren’t left in “drip mode”. Often times when we are in a hurry, I notice we sometimes leave our bathtub faucet dripping.

3. Waiting until we have a full load of laundry to wash. I’m a cleaning freak, and a half empty laundry basket drives me nuts. Normally, I’d just toss a small load in and start the machine. That’s definitely a water waster.

4. Don’t let the sink run while we brush our teeth. Letting the faucet run while we brush our teeth is just water down the drain, literally.

5. Waiting until we have a full load of dishes to wash. I also often run our dishwasher even when we don’t have a full load of dishes. I need to wait until we have a full load for this as well.

So, can you think of any areas in your own home where you and your family can help conserve water?

I am participating in a paid campaign through Mom Bloggers For Social Good. All opinions are my own.