Educents: Time-saving Tools For Your Geography Lessons

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links meaning I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking a link below. 

How do you teach geography? 

Do you spend hours creating a map, labeling, cutting and pasting? It’s so fun imagining all the ways this Mona MELisa reusable US Map can be used in the classroom or at home. All the states, capitols, and geographic information is ready for you to stick on to the map!

Here are a few geography activities to try:

1. Playing “Name That State” with family and friends during the holidays. What better way to get the whole family together than a game for kids of all ages. Work in teams or alone to identify states and challenge seasoned family members in lightening fast rounds.
2. Need a little direction? Use the compass to have children in the class describe where states are in relation to each other. Let your kiddos take turns directing each other around the country by using the directions on the compass. They’ll have an awesome time walking their fingers from east from west in search of the correct state– but be sure to watch out for the oceans! 
   
3. Guess and reveal state capitals by peeling away the brightly colored shapes. Remembering capitals can be tricky, but the easy to peel states with state capitals hidden underneath offer up a great way to ditch the flashcards and take the learning to the walls!
4. Keep track of where you’ve been (or where you’re going). I love this one! Use the state names to label the states where all of the students in your class have been.

What a cool tool for your geography lessons! Don’t miss out on all this time-saving geography tool, so be sure to check out the discounted Peel, Play & Learn sets on the Educents site.

Looking for more ways to save on geography resources? Check out more geography deals.

Do you love Geography? What do you love most about Geography and/or these deals?

12 Short Hair Cut Tips!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links meaning I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking my link.

12 Short Hair Cut Tips! 

Whether you already have short hair or you're looking to go shorter for summer, there are many cuts that flatter many different faces. From ultra-short to shoulder-length, you have a bevy of beautiful options, including these stunning styles:

Stacked Bob With Messy Finish

This feminine, chic haircut beautifully frames a round face and works best with straight, wavy, and curly hair. When styled right, it can look like a fashion-forward cut with barely any maintenance. 

The Undone Baby Bob

This style is perfect for someone who wants their oval face to appear shorter. It works for every hair type, as long as the hair is cut at the same length. The best part about this style? It gives ultra-fine hair the appearance of thickness.

The Perfect Pixie

The chic and trendy pixie cut can look lovely on any face shape, but works best on oval faces. This cut keeps you fresh and youthful-looking by showing off your bone structure and cheekbones!

The Pixie Undercut 

If you want to keep up with trends but don’t have the time to spend hours styling it, this edgy haircut is for you. This looks best on heart-shaped faces. With this particular hairstyle, it’s all about the cut. Be sure to show your hair stylist a few pictures you pulled from the web to make sure your intentions are clear. Luckily, this cut works for every hair type: straight, wavy, curly, and coily.

Short and Side Swept

A feminine, and easy to maintain haircut for a square-shaped face is to keep it from getting in the way with a side swept hair cut. This professional yet stylish hair cut works best for straight, wavy, and curly hair. 

Check out more short haircut looks on Madison Reed's Blog. How to achieve these short styles? Use Madison Reed's Style and Tame set to get high performance styling with light hold and frizz-free control!

6 Tips for Managing Back to School Stress!

Disclosure: This is a guest post meaning I am not the author of this article. I did not receive any form of compensation for this post.
Tips for Managing Back to School Stress

Author: Alyssa Craig

It is nearly that time again, the day you have been counting down to since the last school bell rang a couple of months ago. It is almost time for back to school! Though this change is expected and welcome, the transition from carefree summer to the structure of school can at times be brutal. Not to worry - there are things you can be doing to lessen the potentially stressful situations that will inevitably come up.

Meals

Typically, summer mornings are not as hectic as school mornings so this change in routine can throw everyone for a loop. Make breakfast less stressful by making sure you have quick and easy meal options available such as cereal, oatmeal, fruit and yogurt. You can also make breakfast sandwiches in advance, freeze them and just pop them in the microwave when you need them. Breakfast helps to get your metabolism going in the morning and provides your kids with the energy their brains need to be learning all day. It really is a very important meal!

When it comes to lunchtime, planning ahead is going to be crucial. If your children pack lunches to school, help them get into the habit of preparing their lunches the night before, to make mornings run more smoothly. If your children eat school lunch, set a reminder on your phone for the next time they will need lunch money or put it on the family calendar.

After a long day and with the excitement of everyone coming home from work and school, dinner can sometimes be pushed to the bottom of the priorities until the tummies start to grumble. Start the habit of planning meals for the week in one sitting so when you go grocery shopping, you already have a list of the supplies you need for your meals. If your children are old enough, get them involved in the meal planning and pick a night per week when they can be in charge of helping with the cooking.

Housework

Right before school starts is a great time to get in some deep cleaning before the kids get too busy to help with much during the week. Make a big chore chart and divide out all the tasks you want done. You can offer incentives for completing a certain number of chores or assign each chore a point value and have a competition for the most points acquired before school starts. Then after the school year starts, you can keep up a schedule for general maintenance cleaning until the next opportunity for a deep clean comes along.

Sleep Schedule

Just as other routines relax during the summer, bedtimes tend to go a little bit later than they would in the school year. In order to help everyone (yourself included!) get back on schedule for the new school year, start enforcing school year bedtimes as least one week before school starts. This will help your kids to adjust and be well rested by the time the school year starts. It will also help them to pay more attention in class and start the year off on a good foot.

Homework

One of the biggest fights comes in the evening when homework needs to be completed but the kids want to play instead. By establishing homework as the first priority once the kids are home from school, you can assist them as they learn time management and avoid the stresses brought on by procrastination. Once the homework is done, then play can ensue. Encourage your children to use planners (either ones provided by their school or ones they purchase) to keep track of their assignments and upcoming tests and deadlines. You can then review the upcoming week together in their planner and help them best manage their time to avoid last minute emergencies.

Financial Stress

Back to school shopping is a kid’s favorite August activity and your wallet’s worst nightmare. As you look to acquire items necessary for the new school year, first take inventory of what you already have. Have your kids get out all their leftover school supplies from the previous year and decide what can realistically still be used in the coming year. For example, those big pink erasers rarely get used in one school year, so you do not need to buy another one! If shoes are still in good shape, there is no need to replace them quite yet. Doing this will give you a better idea for what your kids actually have an immediate need for now and cut down on your shopping list.

Stay Healthy

As you go about preparing for back to school, know that as much as you can try to lessen stress, there will probably be stressful situations that will be unavoidable. Many turn to other ways to manage this stress such as caffeinated drinks, finding some “me time” with TV and books or even exercising. While some of these are healthy behaviors, keep in mind that any of these outlets for stress can become addictive behaviors if not kept in check. In the end, if not kept in moderation, these things will only add to your stress as explained here. So stay healthy and use all of these tactics in moderation to make this transition a smooth one!

With a little planning ahead and focusing on healthy habits, your stress levels will be lower and you will be ready to tackle the new year with a renewed energy. Best of luck to both kids and moms as the new school year begins!

Graco Recall & How to Clean Your Graco Harness Buckle!

As I am sure you have probably heard on the news, from family and friends or even seen posted on Facebook or other social media sites that Graco has issued a recall for 3.7 million car seats manufactured and sold between 2009 and July of 2013. This recall is due to the buckles sticking and potentially causing a risk of your child being trapped in the seat.

The models affected and under this recall are as follows: Toddler Convertible Car Seats: Cozy Cline, Comfort Sport, Classic Ride 50, My Ride 65, My Ride 70, My Ride 65 with Safety Surround, Size4Me 70, My Size 70, Head Wise 70, Smart Seat. Harnessed Booster Seats: Nautilus 3-in-1, Nautilus Elite and Argos. 

Read more of Graco's recall here for additional information. Through that link or this one you can also order your FREE replacement harness buckle.

We have the Graco MyRide65 for Cade and I will be trying some of the cleaning solutions below while awaiting my replacements to arrive. These cleaning tips are safe to do as I learned about them directly from Graco.

Tips for properly cleaning your buckle from Graco.

• To clean your buckle, turn the restraint over and push the retainer through the harness strap slot. Place the buckle in a cup of warm water and gently agitate the buckle, pressing the red button several times while it is in the water.
• Do not submerge the harness webbing and do not use soaps or lubricants, only rinse the harness buckle with warm water.
• Shake out the excess water and allow the harness buckle to air dry.
• Reattach the harness buckle into the same slot and re-check harness for correct installation according to the car seat manual before use.

Do you have a Graco car seat? Was it part of the recall? 

If so, will you be trying any of these tips or will you just wait until your replacement arrives? 

This is not a sponsored post, does not contain affiliate links nor was I provided anything in exchange for this post.

4 Travel Tips from Little Passport!

Making the best of a road trip with Little Passports Travel Tips

“Are we there yet?” was a term coined by the family road trip! While new technology and toys may have silenced backseat conversations, spending time together in the car can still be a great opportunity for family bonding and learning. Even if you plan on bringing the latest gadget to pass the time, try saving them for the end of your trip when everyone is tired and cranky!

Here are some ideas from Little Passports that are sure to make the time fly by (or at least go by a little faster):

1. Save your most recent Little Passports delivery from Sam and Sofia for your road trip so your kids to learn and explore during the car ride.

2. Say goodbye to your trusted GPS! Bring back the memory of car trips as a kid and use a map! The night before your trip bring out an actual map (if you can find one!) to show your intended route to your child. Even better, copy the map and pull out a highlighter so your child can follow along – and let you know when you missed a turn.

3. Build in time for pit stops – and if time allows, make short stops that incorporate fun activities along the way. Everyone will need a bathroom break and a meal, but if that happens at a place right off the highway and near playground it can be better for everyone! The kids will get fed – and burn off some energy.

4. Hit up a dollar store before you leave and stock up on small toys and activities to give to your kids along the way. Every hour let your child choose a surprise – a great incentive for good behavior! You can even wrap the toys for an added element of excitement.

Make your next road trip educational with Little Passports Travel Tips!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post and contains affiliate links.

Guest Post: Children and Food Allergies

 It can be difficult (not to mention scary) when you discover that your child has a food allergy, but it’s actually quite common. The Center for Disease Control estimates that about 4-6% of U.S. children under the age of 18 have food related allergies. A very small number of foods even account for the vast majority of allergic reactions (an estimated 90%); these include: Cow’s milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, soybeans, nuts, and wheat.

It’s needless to say that consistently reading food labels becomes essential once your child has a known food allergy. And although it isn’t always easy, it’s possible to protect your kids, but what about other children? In situations where you find yourself entertaining youngsters for a birthday party or bringing snacks to a soccer game, you may have to take careful consideration of the foods you provide. Below are a few tips and substitution ideas about cooking for kids with allergies. 

RSVP for allergies.

Always get a head count of attendees with allergies. Whether it’s a family get together or you’re the team mom, it’s essential that you know what people are allergic to. This way, you can provide several alternatives for those with allergies, prevent cross contamination, or avoid certain foods altogether.

Make it from scratch.

Preparing recipes from scratch gives you full reign of the ingredients used. There are tons of kid-friendly recipes that don’t use common food allergens, or can be made with substitutes. For example, a lot of snack bars contain nuts. Try homemade popcorn bars instead, with granola, dried fruit, and honey. By using fresh (or more specifically uncontaminated) ingredients, you can have more control over what your children are eating.

Don’t forget the nutrients.

Preventing allergic reactions is one thing, but ensuring that your kids are eating well-balanced diets is another entirely. It may take a little research, but it is essential to find nutrient-rich substitutes. Vitamins and supplements for children are good, but they won’t make up for the loss of entire food groups. Below is a starter kit of substitution tips. Look for recipes and treats that feature these alternatives.

Substitution Tips

Citrus Allergies: this allergy can be especially unfortunate as children are often more willing to eat fruits than veggies. With high amounts of vitamin c, citrus fruits are a tangy alternative to sugary snacks. However, there are not only numerous citrus free fruits, but a variety of vegetables that contain comparable amounts of vitamin-c and calcium. Non-citrus fruits include: Guavas, Papayas, Mango, Kiwis, Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Apples and Tomatoes.

Milk Allergies: this allergy may be a little more difficult to cope with. You have to be especially cognizant of ingredients because many soy products still contain diary. But that being said, almond milk, rice milk, oat milk and many soy milks make comparable substitutions of cow’s milk.

Egg Allergies: egg allergies are more common in children than adults and, unfortunately, there are fewer substitution options for eggs. Beware of “egg substitute” products, because they still contain egg. Instead look for egg replacements, and find creative ways to alter recipes.

Chocolate Allergy: Intolerance to chocolate is linked to the cacao bean. Although less common, this allergy is just as serious as more prominent ones. Carob is a very popular substitute for chocolate. It’s also caffeine-free making it an even better alternative for the little ones.

Peanut and Tree Nut Allergies: Trace amounts of peanuts and other tree nuts are found in a lot prepared food products. For this type of allergy, reading labels is particularly crucial. Aside from nuts, you may want to avoid vegetable oil and some natural flavorings. When cooking or baking, sunflower butter is a great substitute for peanut butter. Hummus is also a protein packed substitute that’s great for snacking.

Wheat Allergy: gluten intolerance has become quite prevalent in recent years, but luckily there is a wide variety of substitutes, gluten-free recipes and products. If you do a lot you of baking for your family, try rice or almond flour; just keep in mind that gluten-free flours are drier and may not rise as much.

Author Bio: Brittany writes about frugal living and family nutrition on behalf of Orville Redenbacher’s. For more on healthy snack recipes and seasonal treats, visit www.orville.com