Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Pre-paring for Kindergarten

My Little Madison is starting Kindergarten this year. She has been going to a private school for the last 2 years. However we are changing to a public school. So I'm wanting to make the easiest transition for her.. So here are some ideas i thought i would  share in case you have kids making any kind of transition.

Before School Starts
  • Visit the school and play on the playground.
  • Practice your morning routine.
  • Get in the habit of choosing school clothes the night before.
  • Work on self-care skills, such as using the bathroom, putting on a jacket, washing hands, etc.
  • Role-play what to do in different situations (how to approach a new friend, asking to use the bathroom, etc.)
The First Day
  • Send your child with something special to keep in her pocket or backpack, such as a family photo, special rock, felt heart, etc. Even the most independent kids will like having a little piece of home to take to school. Both my girls had little photos to hook to their backpacks at preschool. I made these with badge holders, which you can find at office supply stores.
  • Establish a good-bye ritual. This can be a really fun way to make the hard good-byes a little easier. Try creating your own “combo” with things like a kiss on each cheek, a high-five, a hug, a funny saying, an elbow-bump, hooking your pinkies together, etc.
  • Have a First Day of Kindergarten party with a special dinner, scavenger hunt for a new book, etc.
Create Routines & Rituals
  • Have a special after-school activity on Fridays.
  • Hide something in the car for your child to find after school. This is Madisons *favorite* thing – I hid notes, coins, small toys, and occasionally a piece of candy inside a plastic Easter egg. Definitely something to look forward to!
  • Make a monthly calendar. We use a big desk calendar, and mark down their school days and other special activities. You can also use a calendar to “journal” about the school year — just have your child tell you his favorite thing from the day, and write it on the calendar.
  • Keep a scrapbook or journal together. Madison and I will be doing this for sure!
Tips for Parents
  • Have something planned for yourself the first day after drop-off — maybe meet a friend. Or, you could sit in your car and cry, like I’ll be doing… :)
  • Find ways to be involved in the classroom and keep updated on what your child is learning and doing.
  • Expect some crankiness, tantrums, napping, etc. for the first few weeks – adjusting to a new routine is hard work!
  • Have a snack in the car for your child at pick-up!
Helping Your Child Talk About the Day
Some kids talk non-stop about every detail of their school day, others say nothing. Both responses are normal! Here are some ways to encourage your kids to share about the happenings at school:
  • Keep a drawing pad and crayons in the car – your child can draw a picture of something from the school day on the ride home, then you can talk about it together at home.
  • Know the daily schedule and themes in your child’s classroom so you can ask specific questions. Asking questions like, “What did you do for choice time?” or “What did you learn about caterpillars today?” usually gets more detailed responses than, “What did you do today?”
  • Again, use that monthly calendar to write down something fun or interesting about each school day.

Do you have a little one heading off to Kindergarten this fall? If you have ideas or tips on making the Kinder transition a bit more special, please share!

Thanks for stopping by! Please feel free to leave your thoughts, Esther

Friday, June 10, 2011

I Scream You Scream We ALL for Ice Cream

Looking for a fun Summer treat!! These Ideas are perfect for any get together!!!


** Banana Split Bites

Banana Split Mini Bites
Found bakers royale

** Ice Crean Sunday Cupcakes.
Teacher Appreciation Ice Cream Cupcakes
Found at livinglocurto

** Vintage Ice Cream Jars....
ice cream jars
 Found at   penand paper flowers.

** Ice Cream Sandwich Pops

Found at living locurto

Wishing everyone a GREAT summer!!

Thanks for stopping by! Please feel free to leave your thoughts, Esther

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Smores Recipe

I love Smores...... Its one of my favorite reasons for camping.... The Fire.. Burnt marshmellows.. Yum Yum,.....

This is  a favorite snack we like to have at our house...
Smores Recipe


Supplies Needed:
  • Graham Crackers
  • Mini marshmallows
  • Almond Bark aka dipping chocolate
1. Lay out 8 graham squares on a cookie sheet. (I know I only have 6, but I had leftover chocolate so you can do 8.)

2. Chop up about 2 oz. of almond bark. Microwave for one minute and stir until smooth. Add more time in 15 second increments if needed.

3. Spoon a good amount on to each cracker

4. Add about 10 mini marshmallows to each cracker

5. Use remaining chocolate to drizzle on with a spoon.
6. Heat oven to broil and allow almond bark to dry so it is not shiny. Pop them in to the fridge for a minute if you are impatient like me.
7. Put them in the oven for about 1 minute 15 seconds or until golden brown. Watch them closely!!

Wow your unsuspecting kiddo with a totally awesome treat!


Pictures and info found at a little tipsy
Thanks for stopping by! Please feel free to leave your thoughts, Esther

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Young Women saying...

 I came across this today and I loved it.. This lady is making it for her girls at girls camp...  But i Love it so much i want to put it in my girls room now, even though they are not old enough to go to girls camp. i love what it stands for...



 I found it at redberry barn.
Just leave a comment on her post with your email and she will email it to you.


Thanks for stopping by! Please feel free to leave your thoughts, Esther

Monday, June 6, 2011

Picture Keeper


Do you need a way to Save all your pictures?
I've seen this floating around and read on it this morning... Heading to get one this week... Ive been taking the time to put all my Pictures on Disks by Date and or Activity.. So when i saw this i thought this is a MUST HAVE!!


The Picture Keeper is a USB that automatically searches your computer for all image files and backs them up for you. You literally plug it in, click a few things and it does the rest!! YAY!



It seriously couldn’t be any easier to use, and the peace of mind it provides is wonderful.

There are a few different sizes..

Picture Keeper is currently available in three sizes (with developers at Picture Keeper hard at work on an external hard drive version, which would be able to hold 100 to 300+GB) :

Picture Keeper 4GB - Holds up to 4,000 (1MB) images. $29.99Picture Keeper 8GB - Holds up to 8,000 (1MB) images. $39.99Picture Keeper 16GB - Holds up to 16,000 (1MB) images. $59.99

For more Information go to
picturekeeper.com

I saw it cheaper at Roberts and Amazon.com were about the same price.. ;)


Thanks for stopping by! Please feel free to leave your thoughts, Esther