January 23rd, 2011 by El Ed Mom
I am traveling to Mayo Clinic with my Mom this week for her Colon Cancer but we will be watching our beloved Packers take on those Bears!
Go Pack Go!
And if the Packers win on Sunday….
Let’s Get Ready For The SuperBowl
Congratulations to my Green Bay Packers
October 25th, 2010 by El Ed Mom
Does it always have to be just another manic Monday? Well, stop wishing it were a Sunday and let Amy McCready, founder of Positive Parenting Solutions, help you get a grip on your family’s morning routine and quash the counterproductive chaos. Seriously those manic mornings can take a toll on your own mood and productivity; Amy has some great tips in her appearance with The Today Show’s Katie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb to help with your morning routine:
October 23rd, 2010 by El Ed Mom
Sue Mayer’s blog hit a nerve with me and will with every mom who has ever had to fight for their child. Her son, Sam was the inspiration for the Cedar Valley Character, Sam from our book: Let’s Get Ready For First Grade!
Sue, Sam and the rest of the Mayer Family, we are sending you strength, hope, courage and love on this new fight!
August 27th, 2010 by El Ed Mom
I saw this on one of my favorite blogs, the Clutter Diet Blog from the Queen of Organizing, Lorie Marrero and just had to share:
What Are Your “Back to School Resolutions?”
One of our Clutter Diet members posted this yesterday in our member message boards:
“The new school year to me is like setting new year’s resolutions.”
Yes, it is! It’s a fresh start, just like a brand new calendar year. What will you do differently?
Here are some suggestions of small things you can change that will make a huge difference in your school year and how organized you feel:
Create a lunch-making station in your kitchen, with storage for lunch boxes, plastic bags, food containers, thermal containers, plasticware, and common lunch treats all within easy reach of the fridge and/or pantry. Think about how easy it would be to make a peanut butter sandwich in your kitchen and adjust accordingly.
Start a habit of making lunches the night before. Better yet, have the young ‘uns start packing their own. Give them some guidance on appropriate menus and combinations and keep your supplies stocked for them.
Find out if your school has automated reminders that e-mail you when your child’s lunch money account is below a certain dollar amount. (Ours does and I didn’t know that until the end of last year!)
Get up earlier. Get ahead of the rest of the family, get your workout done, get a shower, or just get some quiet time to yourself before the whole day’s wild rumpus begins.
Do your “Sunday Planning”– just 10-15 minutes a week could change everything! We explain exactly how and what this entails in our free report, “30 Ways to Find Time to Get Organized”, available here.
Set up family policies for homework time, snack time, and how much screen time the kids can have on weekdays and weekends. Agree to these policies together along with the consequences for violating them, and even have the kids sign an official paper about it. Eliminate arguments and constant policing!
Make an effort to organize a carpool arrangement with at least one other family. It saves everyone immense amounts of time and is good for the environment too.
What are your “Back to School Resolutions?” Share in the comments!
Lorie
Follow me on Twitter for my Daily #ClutterTweetTip: www.twitter.com/clutterdiet
August 19th, 2010 by El Ed Mom
Now that summer is ending, many of us are thinking about the upcoming school year and how to create an atmosphere of success for our children. Regardless of age, a blank notebook, a fresh backpack, new pencils, pens, markers, and/or crayons should be joyful and yet, for many children, it elicits feelings of insecurity and fear of failure. It is up to us, as parents and educators, to make certain that our kids are emotionally, socially, cognitively, and physically ready to meet new challenges. Children need guidance, time, and reminders in order to successfully transition from the more carefree days of summer to the more rigorous routines of the school year. Proper manners should be reinforced, kindness acknowledged, reading, listening, and practicing skills encouraged and healthy eating and sleeping patterns enforced. Since children mimic our attitudes and behaviors, it is critical to speak in positive ways about the school year, teachers, school, and curriculum. It is also important to set realistic expectations so that your child/children can tackle their new experiences and challenges with self confidence and with the knowledge that you will be both their cheerleader and confidant. Please note that I am not encouraging parents to make excuses for or to complete assignments for children, but rather, am advocating an environment of open dialogue, where discussions focus on both positive and negative emotions, behaviors, and experiences.
Creating a solid foundation is critical to buildings constructed from brick and mortar as well as those more gentle structures made up of feelings, ideas, and knowledge. Let’s work together towards building a foundation that supports a love for learning, a respect for self and others, and a dedication to excellence, diligence, and empathy.
I wish everyone a successful and lovely school year!!
Magical Educating!
Donna Mavrides
Magical Moments
www.magicalms.com
August 5th, 2010 by El Ed Mom
Rebuild a charity resale shop that supports abused women and children.
WINGS Program, Inc.
Founded in 1985, the WINGS Program (Women in Need Growing Stronger) provides shelter and support for women and children who are escaping homelessness or domestic violence. WINGS has 24 transitional homes and an emergency domestic violence shelter in suburban Chicago.
Right now, Wings is trying to win the Pepsi Grant for $250,000 which would really help rebuild the resale store. Could you please take a few minutes of your time to visit the link below and vote for Wings to receive the funds? Also, please feel free to share this wonderful cause. Thank you sooo much!!!
Vote to give this idea 250K: Rebuild a charity resale shop that supports abused women and children. http://pep.si/cL7KZ2
Together, we can make this happen!!!
June 1st, 2010 by El Ed Mom
“Ready To Learn Mom” with Stacey Kannenberg Radio Show at 10 CST/11 EST every Wednesday! Join us on 06/02/10 with the Kidlutions Founder, Wendy Young, sharing solutions for kids because kids have problems, too!
May 27th, 2010 by El Ed Mom
What a powerful video to remind you that seat belts save lives!
November 2nd, 2009 by El Ed Mom
1. Visual Learners learn through seeing. These learners like to visualize things by thinking in pictures and learn best-from maps, charts and diagrams; they enjoy art and drawing. Visual learners are often fascinated with machines and inventions. They like mazes and puzzles.
What you can do: Use board and memory games to teach, offer lots of picture books. When reading aloud to your child give them coloured pencils so they can draw while listening.
October 27th, 2009 by El Ed Mom
It has happened again.
Another season has whizzed by. My kids are another year older.
With two children grown and another two still under my wing, I have come to appreciate my fleeting opportunity to BE THERE for my young charges. To form and nurture a lasting relationship with each of them.
Frankly, I’ve come to see that a simple hug is a very powerful thing.
That being said, I would like to offer you a few compelling reasons to hug YOUR precious ones every single day.
