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Showing posts from 2013

Little Passports New Years Eve Traditions Around The World

Little Passports New Years Eve Traditions Around The World 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...Happy New Year! As people in the United States start the new year with fireworks, parades, and resolutions, people around the world are also doing everything they can to welcome 2014. Join Sam and Sofia of Little Passports as they visit friends in other countries to see how they start the year! Colombia Are you looking for travel and adventure? In Colombia, they say that if you grab your suitcase and run around the entire block as fast as you can at exactly midnight on New Year’s Eve, you will get to travel in the new year. Sam and Sofia love joining their Colombian friends to participate in this tradition—they are always looking for their next adventure! Greece Sam and Sofia join their friends in Greece to celebrate New Year's and St. Basil’s Day on January 1st . The Greeks start the year off with a fun-filled day of food, festivities, as well as time with family and friends. One favorite way to celebrat

Kids New Year's Activity

Every year, I have my kids reflect on the past year, This includes things they learned in our school studies, life lessons, fun activities, hobbies, favorite movies, favorite foods, etc. Here's a few things that can help you compile your list. Childs Name: Favorite Food: Pizza  Favorite Color: Purple Favorite Fruit: Stawberries Favorite Movie: Odd Life of Timothy Green Runner Ups: Frozen, Little Mermaid Favorite Book: Ivy and Bean Series 2013 Christmas Gifts: American Girl Doll, Clothes for her American Girl Doll, Crochet booties for AG Doll, AG Doll Meatloaf and Chocolate Chip dogs, Tracing Tablet, Bracelet Charm, Nerf Rebelle  Bow. Loves crafts Favorite Christmas present is her American Girl Doll Still loves to write and illustrate mini story books Has recently started to expand on her drawing skills by copying drawings from photos on the internet Knows how to count by 2's, 5's, and 10's to the 100's Knows how to count even and odd num

15% off Holiday Sale at Little Passports

Just a friendly reminder that the Little Passports holiday sale for 15% off all subscriptions will end on 12/17! Read on for details on how you can earn an extra $5 by using our pre written post below! The content is ready to go with your affiliate links embedded. Lets make this holiday season a huge success! Promotion Ends: 12/17 Promo Code: MERRY15 Text Link: 15% Off site-wide at Little Passports until 12/17 Win a trip to Belize from Little Passports! Fine Print: Offer is valid through 11:59 PM EST December 17, 2013 . Order by December 17, 2013 for holiday delivery - applicable only to US addresses. 15% Off applies to first month of monthly subscriptions or 15% Off subtotal of 6 or 12 month subscriptions. Giveaway Rules: Little Passports Giveaway Rules Little Passports is offering 15% off all of their subscriptions, which means you can buy a 1 year subscription and save almost $20! If you place an order before December 17th , you qualify for holiday delivery, meaning yo

50% off Black Friday Reading Eggs Deal!

Wow! I've been waiting for a deal like this all year! Reading Eggs rarely discounts their subscription at more than 30% off. The normal price for a twelve month subscription is $69. I woke up to a 50% off deal in my inbox that only lasts 48 hours. That was this morning, so now there's probably only 30 hours or so left. You cannot get this deal by going to their website only. Click on this Link or banner below and add the subscription plan you want. Under promo code, type in  " NVB388 ". You can pay with a credit card or through Paypal. I just checked the email again... This offer expires Midnight, December 1, 2013! Believe me, this is a deal that is hard to come by. Each additional child is $34.50 (half off the regular membership price). Hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving!

Our Lovely Little Chore Chart... Free Template!

If only there was an easy, no hassle way of getting my children to pick up after themselves! This is how I felt a few months ago, but ever since I implemented a reward system, my children have been much more cooperative. They're actually pretty excited to clean up because they know they'll be rewarded with "Happy Mommy Tickets" in which they can redeem for various prizes such as snacks, tv/movie/computer time and even money. I started out gathering free clipart and putting it into the computer and designing the chore cards. I laminated the cards and punched holes near the top. Then I organized the chores into the time of day the chores should be done and when the kids completed a chore, or activity, they would hang the chore card on the bottom hook in the "Done" row. This version of the chore chart can be downloaded for free in a few days! I wasn't too happy with this version as the kids would often perform the tasks in a different order. I w

Our Homeschool 2013

Our homeschooling has been going pretty well so far. In the past I felt like I was winging it, especially last year with being pregnant. But the baby is here now (4 months old) and I feel more in control. Bean and Pea are in 2nd and 3rd grade. The only difference is their math level. We've started to use Saxon Math this year and I actually love it! There are mixed reviews on the Saxon method, but repetition has worked well for us so far. We're in our 4th week of school and 4th week of Saxon and so far the repetition is welcomed by my children. In the past, I've used MEP Math . It's free and all the worksheets are available to download in pdf format. It worked well for us because I was able to download onto the ipad and have the kids use the Notability App  to mark down their answers. I couldn't print up the lessons/worksheets, so this made it easier. However, the kids didn't like the lessons, and since I couldn't print up the lesson plans, it was ev

Little Passports Review

I wish I had this when I was a child! Little Passports is such a fun way for the kids to learn more about World Geography. Little Passports is a monthly subsciption service that introduces kids to a new country every month. This was the very first shipment, which included everything to get started on the world journey... a nice map of the world, a passport to mark off which countries Sam and Sofia have visited, a photo of Sam and Sofia in their garage, a boarding pass which has a secret code you need to go online for more learning adventures, an activity sheet and a letter from Sam introducing himself and Sofia and letting your kids know they will be receiving more from their visits around the world. Little Passports makes Geography exciting. Although, this is only the first shipment, the kids were so excited to receive a package in the mail from them and are looking foward to learning about traveling around the world. After the first shipment, the remaining shipments will

The Ultimate Princess Party

It's officially summer and the party invitations are rolling in each week. For the little girls, a Princess themed party seems to be the most popular. But how do you make yours stand out from the rest? Now you can have your little princess have the best Princess Birthday Party ever with a few tips and suggestions... There's tons of Princess Themed products out there to make your party a success, but if you're in the mood, I will also show you how you can make a lot of things yourself. Stay connected as I will continue to add to this post... First Thing on The List... You Need Princess Party Invitation     I've made numerous Princess Themed Invitations for my family and friends. It's a great way to showcase more than just one photo of your little Princess. Check out         MissPicturePerfect.com You can also buy a variety of non photo card Princess Party Invitations... These are just a few of my favorites... Fit for a Princess Thi

Little Passports for Your Children This Summer

If your family isn't taking a vacation this summer, Little Passports can help your child "travel" and learn about different cultures around the world. For instance, did you know each year between June 21 and 24 , different European countries celebrate Midsummer’s Eve and Midsummer Day (the longest day of the year!), including Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Norway? Traditionally, people prepare their houses for Midsummer celebrations by decorating their homes with colorful flowers and wreaths. Little Passports has fun facts for your children to learn all sorts of information at their own pace. You can sign up for a 1 month trial, 3 month subscription (Perfect for summer!) or a 1 year subscription. Let me know what you and your kids think of the Little Passports Box when you open the mail next month!

How To Make a Tutu Without Sewing

Video Instructions on How To Make a Tutu Materials Needed: Fabric Scissors Needle and Thread 1/2"-3/4" Width Roll of Non Roll Elastic (Amount determined by waist size) OR elastic headband for waist (if you do not want to hand sew the elastic ends together) Tulle From The Roll/Spool (fabric stores sell tulle by the yard from a bolt, which is usually 54" wide) or 6" by 25 yard roll of tulle Optional: Paper Towel Roll to bring elastic waistband around Optional: Quliters Lip Edge Ruler, Rotary Cutter and Mat to cut even strips. Extremely helpful when cutting tulle from the bolt. If using tulle from the bolt, you will need to purchase at least 5-6 yards of tulle for a baby/toddler size. Ages 4 and up will need at least 8-10 yards of tulle. If using tulle from the roll, purchase 6" by 25-yard rolls of tulle. You will need 2-3 rolls for a baby/toddler size and 3-4 rolls for ages 4 and up. I personally love using tulle ribbon from a

Craftsy Mini Courses for Free!

The courses on Craftsy are awesome! So awesome, they've got a few FREE mini courses available. The best part is that you're able to test them out ans become familiar with the courses available on the website.   The next 2 Craftsy mini-courses I'm going to take are:   1. Sewing Machine 911: Give your sewing machine some TLC with the help of this free course. Learn to clean and maintain your sewing machine with tips and tricks taught in this class. Although I already know how to sew, I believe this class would be a great refresher and I might even learn a few tips. 2. The Hand-Painted Cake: Elevate your cake with Erin Schaefgen's freehand painting techniques. Create beautiful and edible works of art with Erin's tips and tricks. Check out all of the other free Craftsy mini-courses by clicking here .

All Craftsy Classes up to 75% off! Today Only!

With the warm weather rolling in, it's time to shake off the winter blues and fire up our creativity! Craftsy is having a one day sale on all their online classes. All Craftsy Classes are up to 75% off! There are tons of great ebook and online classes that will help inspire you. Learn how to bake artisan breads, decorate fondant cakes, or even master the art of epoxy clay jewelry. There's even a class on recreating your favorite pair of jeans without having to take them apart! If you're familiar with YouCanMakeThis.com, then Craftsy will blow your mind! :) Take advantage of this offer and learn a new crafting skill. It expires TONIGHT at midnight MDT! All Craftsy Classes up to 75% off! Have a great day! -Mariana

Free 4 Week Reading Eggs Trial!

I just received an email from Reading Eggs for a free 4 week trial. The normal trial is usually only 14 days, but I received a special email granting a 4 week trial instead. I thought Iwould pass on this great opportunity to you. My experience with Reading Eggs has been great. The kids love it and I have nothing but great things to say. Read my full review here . Simply go register before midnight Wednesday March 20, 2013 and you can start your 4 week FREE trial by typing 4WEEK in the 'Have a Promo Code?' box.    

Repurposed Cardboard Box

I've thrown away countless of cardboard boxes ranging from cereal boxes, big boxes of baby wipes refills and diaper boxes. Had I known, I could've saved a lot of money by reusing them. I have baby #4 on the way and I recently had to move my 3 year old daughter out of our co-sleeping arrangement and into her new bed. The transition went smoothly. :)   Now I need to declutter the girls room and use the bookcase. I've donated quite a few books so I can use the bookcase for their underwear, socks, pj and toy storage. So the past few weeks, I've saved almost every box and container imaginable so that I can make storage boxes for their bookcase. For the following project, you will need: * Carboard Boxes (Preferably the same size) * Tissue Paper (Different colors to match the scene you want to create on your boxes) * Modge Podge or Elmers glue slightly diluted with very little water) * Paint Brush to apply glue evenly * Extra Cardboard pieces to use as divide