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notice that the years I prepare my children it makes the transition from summer to school that much easier. Otherwise I deal with the moody, grumpy kids that I only wish to have prepared. Here are a few steps to help get them back into that Back-to-School routine.

Step 1: Did you know it is recommended that a child sleep between 8-10 hours a night? So your goal here is to figure out a decent time so that your child can get the full amount of sleep. Try making it a routine and make them stick to it. Yes, I know it is still summer and children are currently staying up until 11, midnight or 1 a.m. but this isn’t going to help them prepare for school.

Step 2: Stick with your decision. Many times mom and dad decide one thing but a few nights later they give in due to it being summer and the kids are once again all over the place on the bedtime. They will try it once the school year begins and you might have a harder time.

Step 3: Begin having them eat a good breakfast or preparing their own. You know if you aren’t going to be the one making them breakfast every morning during the school year maybe they should begin learning to pour/make their own now. They may even find out they like other items that you may not normally make.

Ideas: pancakes, muffins (blueberry, oatmeal, etc) with a bit of butter, fruit smoothies, eggs, etc.

Step 4: Get those back-to-school lists. It is possible to go online and look up your school to get the supply list you’ll need to buy before the school begins. However, if it ends up not being the case you can normally get one from the school itself or Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart has already began their school sales. You can decide what to get now, keep a list on you (in case you see an item you know will be hard to find), or wait for the big sales it will come in handy. We purchased a few items now as we knew certain things wouldn’t drop any lower (lunchboxes $5 each).

Tip: You may want to consider waiting until the BIG Back-to-school sale or putting items on layaway.

Step 5: Get those class/bus schedules. Find out what teacher your child will have and what time school starts. If they are taking a bus you may want to find out what bus number and when it will be at your designated stop. Be prepared and get there a few minutes early in case it is early on the first day.

Finally, make sure your children are all up-to-date on their shots and if they need to have anything else turned in. Sometimes schools want a vision test, doctor’s note if they have allergies, etc. If you haven’t done it yet, you should start preparing at least two weeks before school starts. Either way I hope this list helps and you have an enjoyable summer vacation, now I’m headed to check out any future back-to-school sales.

Post from: Blisstree

Getting Kids into a Back-to-School Routine

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The rules are pretty simple, sort of like regular baseball. But, it’s best played when there are no rules. Then you can take the big bucket of water balloons (and water from broken balloons) and dump them on Rick’s head when he’s just about to pitch to Truman.

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I think there must be some calories burned in the game too, like when you’re running for the back door from a husband who wants revenge.

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Next time, I’m getting The BEAST.

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Photos, JWJourney, and the BEAST from www.WholesaleGoods.net

Post from: Blisstree

Beat the Heat … with a Bat or a BEAST!

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My husband, a former Air Force pilot, tries to watch all these launches.  Due to the great online covereage, he’s able to keep up to date. 

If any of your family wants to watch the launch or keep up to date when it gets into space, use a search engine search and find any number of web sites and blogs about the events.

If you live on the east coast of Florida, you may even see the launch.  We watched the first night launch years ago and found this spectacular.  It’s an experience you’ll never forget.

Post from: Blisstree

Space and the Stars Week

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Each day they went through their toys, clothes, etc to decide what was too small or something they no longer needed. This morning we took everything out and laid it nicely (spreading it out) on the driveway.

The first two hours only brought in a few people, but most just slowed down and looked and drove on. Suddenly SoccerBoy, age 12, says, “Mom last week we did better when you weren’t out. Could you go in and see if it works again?” It was hot so I granted the wish, bringing in the two youngest as we watched out the bedroom window to keep an eye. Sure enough within that half hour they got customers, in the end they sold $75 worth of stuff.

The neat thing is I left pricing up to the oldest, except for the DVDs that were boxed sets and I think I have a little business man on my hands. He wrote out the prices on several boxes, clothes were 3 for a buck, toys were 2 for a buck, bikes $3 and $5, etc. The neat thing was watching their customer service and seeing how they were pulling people in. They would wave at each car as they drove by and smile or yell “Good Morning.” Once out of the car my son would approach telling them the prices, asking if they needed anything in particular (sizes, etc) and saying thank you, sir or ma’am. Oh and they’ve already asked me if they can do this again next week.

Post from: Blisstree

Kids’ Garage Sale Success

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To my post, Design a Touch Quilt for Alzheimer’s Patients, one of my readers pointed me to Eva’s Loving Touch Lap Quilts.  Here we learn about the Alzheimer’s patient’s need for tactile or sensory stimulation and comfort. 

This reminds me how much my aunt seemed to need the sensation of something comforting to rub her hands over as she sat in her rocking chair.  My mother, in her Alzheimer’s years, enjoyed quilts and reminiscing about making them in her childhood and helping me establish a quiltmaking business during our country’s Bicentennial years.

If you don’t have time to make “touch quilts,” as I describe in my post, you also can find those specially designed for the person with special needs, whether a child or adult  at various places including  The Alzheimer’s Store , mentioned in my other article.

Perhaps you have quilting friends who make these, too.

Post from: Blisstree

“Touch Quilts” for Parenting Your Parents

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I know that schools are becoming more violent, I mean kids are bringing guns to school and shooting each other. But today you hear about girls being raped and what surprised me was this article talked about a boy being raped. Not just raped though, when this boy lost a game the team members held him down and raped him using a broom stick. How awful?

Here’s the article from USA Today:

In a Tampa middle school locker room, prosecutors say four flag football players held down a younger teammate and committed a horrifying assault: Raping him with a hockey stick and a broom handle.

“Don’t do it again or this is going to happen to you again,” a witness says he heard one of the boys say in the April attack.

Oh my gosh, I can’t picture being the parent to the child that was raped. It gets worse though. First though I want to know what you would do if you found out this happened to your child? I imagine a lot are thinking I’d kill them, or I’d sue them, press charges, etc. Am I right? As a parent you want to protect your child and this is one of the worst crimes I could possibly imagine. It is hard enough growing up, going to school especially if you are the victim of a bully but to be raped by someone or multiple people at school. I can’t even finish that. You see where I’m at on that. I can’t stand a person that would do this to another.

The article goes on to tell us that 32% of students between 12-18 experience bullying of one type. This could be stuff like emotional, where kids are just calling them names, cyber bullying, passing notes, being punched to of course rape and death. The bad part is many of us parents won’t even know, at least not until it has been happening for a period of time. There are signs, but sometimes even those go unnoticed. It isn’t because we don’t care but kids these days are quiet and can hold things in.

The victim’s parents did take this matter to court I’m happy to say. The suspects as they call them are being charged with sexual battery. I think this is a great thing to charge them with, I’d suggest more but the courts feel that their age should be looked at. Many were shocked because the “suspects” were a police officer’s child and then honor students. But it was the dad that was angry his son couldn’t come to him. I want to know my kids can always come to me, whether it is a teacher making fun of them, someone picking on them or much worse. School bullying should NOT be tolerated. What do you think?

Want to know one more thing? One of the students that raped the boy is now asking for help to pay for his defense. The four boys that raped the 13-year-old-boy have a bond of $15,000 and a 7 p.m. curfew. Yes, they are allowed to be free until they are either found guilty or released, in the meantime this young boy must go about his daily life knowing they are out there. Each boy does have to wear and electronic device to locate them and they are being charged with an adult crime, which means if found guilty they will have to register as a sex offender. I agree with this and think that if they do this type of crime now it is more than likely it could happen again, so it is best for them to register.

TampaBay.com:

(I won’t name names), age 15, can’t afford to hire experts or pay other expenses needed to defend against multiple counts of sexual battery, said Lanell Williams, who represents (one of the boys) for free.

One of the fathers had this to say about his son: (one of the suspects that is)

“He’s a normal son any father would be proud to have. He is innocent of these allegations.”

What do you think about that?

Post from: Blisstree

School Bullying Getting Severe

I decided that I would do whatever was needed in order to help my daughter feel confident about her skin again. We tried a wide variety of products and for awhile some of them would work.  She’d get a little clearer, but inevitably, the blemishes would come back.

Some of the brands we tried include Noxzema, Stridex, Clear Skin, Acne Free, and Proactiv. Many of these products were very drying which led to a whole new set of challenges. Redness. Rough spots.  She’d end up with flaky patches that were impossible to cover with makeup.

Bailey Before

We talked to a dermatologist in the Spring and he mentioned taking both an oral and topical approach. It sounded good, but very pricey. In the meantime, he gave her steroid shots in the pimples that she did have. The blemishes disappeared by the next day, but I was uncomfortable with the treatment. Plus it’s not always convenient to get to doctor right away.

When I was approached about giving SkiniD from Neutrogena a try, I wasn’t sure if it would be any different than the other treatments, but Bailey was willing to give it a chance. We decided to put off the expensive prescription for awhile.

SkiniD works a little differently than other programs. It’s a 3-step program that is tailored to the individual’s needs. Bailey filled out a series of questions that asked about skin type,  the frequency and type of breakouts she suffered, the area of her face most affected. It was very detailed. She was determined to require a #14 Cream Cleanser, a #32 Anti-Acne Treatment, and a #72 Hydrator. Her products arrived in a couple of days, complete with a cute carrying case, which makes it easy for her to cart the regime with her to sleepovers and on vacation. (Plus it keeps the bathroom counter from growing too cluttered).

It wasn’t very long before I noticed a big difference in Bailey’s skin. It was clearer. She had fewer pimples, a smoother texture, and the scars were fading. She was very excited. It is such a relief to find a product line that actually works. My daughter is feeling pretty again and she’s wearing a lot less makeup - she doesn’t need to hide under it anymore.

Bailey After skiniD

I’ve told anyone and everyone I know about the SkiniD program. I think that the program is so successful because it’s not a one-size-fits-all skincare line. It addresses an individuals specific challenges. Through my work for Splendicity, I have the opportunity to try a lot of different skincare lines. I would absolutely recommend skiniD to anyone.

Image credit: Michelle Smith

This post was sponsored by Neutrogena skinID™ – The only Personalized Acne Solution made just for you. Guaranteed Results or your money back.

Post from: Blisstree

Review: My Daughter Tried skinID

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were children 14 or under, this is too many for us. With a few rules maybe we can prevent a death from happening.  The biggest killer is lack of supervision or not having a proper cover. Here are a few pool safety rules that you should have:

Pool Safety:

No Running- Many times a child runs on the deck of a pool or the sidewalk before jumping in, sometimes the deck is wet causing them to slip and fall.

Always Have Someone Watching- If you are allowing your young child outside, make sure someone is outside to watch. A child can easily slip or be unable to come up due to them getting in water that’s too deep and drown. With someone nearby watching this can be prevented. Do not have two children under 5 watching each other.

Wear floats- For the children that don’t know how to swim they should wear floating devices. Make sure they actually fit and to follow the rules in making sure they are on correctly. Don’t forget to check to make there haven’t been any recalls on them.

Pool cover-  If you have a pool you should have a pool cover as well. Yes pool covers can get expensive but they will save a child’s life as well. More children die when they venture to a pool that has no cover when you aren’t home.

Build a Fence- If you can, (I know not all places are able to do this) build a fence around the pool to prevent a child from escaping out the back door and jumping into the pool. This way they have to wait for an adult to allow them to get into it, or at least take some time for an adult to stop them.

Don’t Swim Right After Eating-  I know some will argue this but if you go swimming right after eating a big meal you can easily get a cramp. If you are in deep water this can be a bad idea as you may not be able to swim to the lower level.

Do you have any pool safety tips that aren’t listed?

Post from: Blisstree

Swim Safe: Pool Safety

He's got the whole world in his hands.

Of course, that applies only to those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere. Those in the Southern Hemisphere celebrated their autumnal equinox on March 20th. And, I understand, Australia and New Zealand got the earliest start, celebrating the first day of fall on March 1.

I’m trying to explain this to Truman, for some reason. He has a good understanding of the globe and where all the continents and countries are located, but explaining that season-difference-among-the-hemispheres thing is a little confusing. (Is it true that toilets swirl the other way down there?) No worries, though. It’ll just give his teachers more to teach him when he starts school this fall. I mean, this summer. In August.

Photo, JWJourney

Post from: Blisstree

Figuring Out That Fall Equinox Thing

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Why not try some clipboard art, or making altered clipboards, as some call it.  I’ve described the project in one of my Arts and Crafts posts, Clipboard Altered Art & Wall Hangings.

Youngsters often collect shells, sea glass, and stones when at the beach.  Unique stones attract their attention even at a lake beach.  You might find other objects you can combine on a clipboard for a piece of art you can hang in their room, instead of having it lying around on a table, dresser or shelf.

(Follow the directions in my post for creating one of these.  Combine  many of the items suggested, as well. I’d also enjoy hearing from you and knowing what you make using these suggestions.)

Post from: Blisstree

Crafts for Beach Theme Week