Teach Your Kids Everything They Need to Know for Pre-K and Kinder with School Sparks

One other resource that I found invaluable for teaching your kids at home is the School Sparks website.  This website was designed by a former teacher and has thousands of worksheets on every topic you could imagine (including auditory processing, reading comprehension, fine motor skills and even holiday worksheets!)  One of the best ways to get your kids interested in learning at home is by starting with the holiday worksheets.  They are more interesting to them, more colorful and they get them into the spirit of the season.  Since we're in October, take a look at their Halloween worksheets and print some out at home to get your kids started. Click the link to get to the worksheets that you can print for FREE!

If you like the site, you may want to save money and order all of their worksheets in a bound book.  It includes over 450 of their best worksheets for only $28.  A great deal that was an excellent resource for me as well as many other mom friends that ordered it.  And by the way, I was not paid or compensated in any way to write this review on School Sparks.  I simply loved the site and had to tell other moms about it.  So check it out and use it with your kids. You'll be benefiting them more than you know and you'll be saving money on preschool too!

Another Amazing Need Brands Product Giveaway for the Stretchy Deep Moisturizing Cream

Last week we did a giveaway for Milky!, an incredible breastfeeding supplement by Need Brands brought to you by Tia and Tamera Mowry.  Congratulations to Krystal Cano of Indiana on winning the 6 day supply of Milky!  Enjoy and please let us know if you love it as much as other mommas do!

This week we have the pleasure of doing another giveaway for another amazing Need Brands product!  We will be giving away 2 bottles of their Stretchy Deep Moisturizing Cream.  This cream is one of a kind and it is not just for moms that want to prevent or minimize stretch marks.  It is an all natural, organic moisturizer that the entire family can use and benefit from.

If you do have stretch marks, Stretchy works to reduce inflammation in the skin by hydrating, moisturizing it and encouraging collagen production to help rebuild connective tissue.  After a few weeks of use, you should be able to see a noticeable difference on any stretch marks that you may have had.  If you are pregnant and want to prevent getting any stretch marks, Stretchy can help do that by maintaining your skin constantly moisturized to prevent scaring and stretching. 

Like I said before, though, Stretchy is for everyone.  It is an all natural cream that smells amazing and is made of all natural ingredients.  Stretchy is created from a blend of argan oil, cocoa butter, aloe vera, tamanu oil, argan oil, cupuacu butter, horsetail, lady's mantle and vitamins K1 and E.  It is also recommended by dermatologists.  Many moms love that it is vegan and none of the Need Brand products are tested on animals.  

So, if you'd love to try Stretchy and win one of two bottles that will be given away, follow the steps below to enter.  The more you enter, the more likely you are to win.  You have 5 ways to enter and can enter daily by commenting on the blog and tweeting about the giveaway too! Good luck and stay tuned to see if you're the lucky winner!

Rules to Enter the Giveaway
Ways to enter are:
1) Like us on Facebook at
2) Follow us on Twitter at
3) Tweet about the giveaway on Twitter
4) Comment on this blog post below
5) Join The Parent Center and Follow Us by clicking the "Join this site" Google link

The will be 1 winner selected at random and 1 winner selected who has the most points earned during the giveaway.  Earn one point per entry and you can enter 5 times the first day alone.  Then you can enter twice each day after that by tweeting about the giveaway and adding a creative comment below.  Tell us why you want to win, what creams you have tried, why you love Tia & Tamera.....anything you can think of related to the giveaway, Need Brands, Tia & Tamera or creams in general!


Contest begins tonight at midnight (October 4, 2013 at 12 am) and ends October 9, 2013 at 12 am.  Get started and win yourself a tube of the best moisturizing treatment around.

If you would like to order Stretchy in advance, enter NICK10  at checkout to receive 10% off your entire order of 2 tubes or more. 

I was not paid/compensated in any way to test/review this product. I was simply given a tube to try and I'm addicted!


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Get Your Children Ahead Before They Even Start Kinder!

As the proud mother of an amazing 4 year old, I want nothing more than to watch my daughter succeed in life.  That is one of the reasons I decided to start working with her on learning her shapes, colors, numbers, letters and more as early as 2 years old.  By the time she was 3, she was already writing her name, reading sight words and doing basic math.  Now at 4, she's already reading at 1st grade level, adding, subtracting, telling time and TONS more.  And she's not even in kindergarten yet.

There has long been an argument between mom friends of mine whether you should or should not work with your child in order to help him or her get a head before they start kinder.  Some moms say not to do it because the child will then be bored when they start school.  I do not believe this at all.  As a former teacher, I loved when my students came into class prepared and already had the foundation for what they were going to learn.  I saw that they had more confidence when it came to school work and learning new things that they were not already exposed to.  If you have kids at home, it would benefit them to spend at least 15-30 minutes per day working on educational topics that they will see in the upcoming school year.  This will not only prepare them, it will give them extra confidence and a step ahead so the school year is not so challenging.  Standards are getting increasingly more difficult so it would benefit us to help them.

Now, as a former teacher, it is not difficult for me to find resources to teach my daughter. For some moms, though, it can be tough to decide what resources to use and where to get them.  I got a lot of my books at the dollar stores (the 99 Cent Store & the Dollar Tree).  I also purchased some of the curriculum books at Costco.  I got large books there that included every topic (letters, numbers, sentences, reading comprehension, math, etc) for less than $10.  Costco also has 20 book sets of BOB books which are EXCELLENT for teaching reading. Those were key in helping my daughter learn her sight words and begin reading independently.

For other educational tools to teach your kids, click on the "Education" tab at www.FitFluentialMom.com.  There you will find reviews on other educational products and websites you can use to teach your kids at home ;)

Family Chores: Creative Ways to Get Them Done!

Not everyone's home is going to be spotless, but, with a little help from everyone in the household, it can be close!  Below are some tips from Parents Magazine to help you get your family and your home clean and organized!

1. The Chore Wheel:  Make up a wheel with each of the family chores written on it.  Spin the wheel weekly to rotate the jobs amongst each member each week.  Avoids boredom and spreads the work out evenly to keep it far.
2. Responsibility Chart:  Post a Responsibility Chart with daily chores on them.  Have your kids check off the ones that are complete and offer a treat at the end of the week if chores were checked off every day.
3. Ready, Set, Go!:  Make everything a race. From cleaning up their rooms to taking out the trash and washing dishes.  Makes it more fun and everything's done much faster :)
4. Make it Make Cents: Pay them! Teach them responsibility and how to budget their money at the same time. Pay them 10 cents a chore and encourage them to save the money up for a specific item they want.  They'll have a goal to reach and realize you have to work for what you want!
5. Last but not least, use My Job Chart (click on the link):  My Job Chart is the free, easy to use, online chore chart and reward system for organizing and motivating your kids to learn first hand how to Save, Share and Spend. Kids earn money then they can set it aside to save, give to charity, or buy rewards you set. An incredible website that offers parents and kids an invaluable tool!

Shopping for Your First Baby?

There are many choices when it comes to where your newborn will be sleeping...

I recently found out one of my very close friends is expecting her first baby. Knowing that I spent my entire pregnancy researching anything & everything I could related to parenting & pregnancy, she asked me for advice. She wanted to know where she could find good deals on baby gear online and, specifically, where she could look up ideas for a bassinet, co-sleeper and/or device to help her share a bed with her newborn baby. This is a topic that many new moms think about. Should their baby sleep on the top portion of a play yard as many veteran moms suggest? Should they buy a bassinet? Should they go directly in a crib or should they just share a bed? Decisions, decisions. Once you decide, you then have to shop around for the right price on the crib, co-sleeper or bassinet you decide on.

Once she told me what she was looking for, I immediately began researching and came across Become! It's the perfect site if you've spent countless time on the web looking for the best products & prices and it was super easy to use.

In order to find different types of sleeping arrangement's for my friend's baby, I went to Become and searched through their database of co-sleepers at http://www.become.com/baby-bed-co-sleeper. The results brought up many different options, even some I'd never seen or heard of before. The Humanity Family Bed was one option I found for her that I loved. I'd never seen it before but it's a great way for mom, dad and baby to share a bed safely. The search also brought up the Co-Sleeper Cambria Bassinet & the Arm's Reach Sleigh Bed. Both of these are great options for keeping baby near you while you sleep but not sharing the bed.

Of course, if you buy a co-sleeper and/or bassinet, you'll also need to buy bedding for it (http://baby.become.com/baby-mini-crib-bedding). Since there are different shapes & sizes of cribs, bassinets and co-sleepers, you have to make sure you get the right size for the one you choose to ensure safety. Bedding that doesn't fit the mattress right can cause SIDS as it can suffocate an infant. Become brought up many choices when I searched bedding including crib sets for standard cribs & mini crib bedding sets. There were choices for virtually any theme you choose for your nursery too!

Since my friend's favorite color is purple, I had to see what I could find so I could be the first to shop for her little one (http://baby.become.com/crib-bedding-purple)! Not only does she love purple but she loves animals and was hoping for a purple jungle theme set. This seemed like an impossible task since I'd never seen anything but a green, yellow or neutral toned animal themed set. I was pleasantly surprised when I came across an adorable custom purple safari 15 piece crib set!!

After all of this research, I had to thank my friend because, thanks to her assigning me the task of helping her decide & find options for her baby's sleeping arrangements, I also found a new shopping website that I love... Become!

Get Your Kids To WANT To Do Their Chores!

Check out My Job Chart & Motivate Your Kids to Do Their Chores!

Ok parents, here’s a subject most of you will be very familiar with….getting your kids to do their chores!! Not only does this help you out around the house but it also teaches them responsibility, organization & how to take care of themselves and their belongings. I recently came upon a website that provides parents and kids with an amazing tool to motivate your kids to do their chores!!! My Job Chart is a free, easy to use, online chore chart and reward system. It motivates your kids to get organized and teachers them first hand how to save, share and spend. And it does ALL of this for FREE!! It makes it easy for parents to assign chores and more motivating and meaningful for children to complete them.

All you do is register with the site and get your family registered as well. Then you assign jobs, set the rewards you desire and encourage your kids to get started! You can set morning and evening tasks for each of your kids to complete and designate a point value for each one. Tasks can be as simple as "Brush my teeth", "Eat my veggies", etc or "Clean my room", "Take out the trash". etc. After they’re completed, kids earn points to either save, give to charity or buy more rewards you set! You can keep track of what they accomplish and get notification of when chores are done too! My daughter is still a toddler so we are working on chores but she’s too young for this technology on her own. I am doing it with her so that, when she’s old enough to get on the site on her own, she’ll be used to it and loving it by then!

Check it out at http://www.myjobchart.com.

We're baaaack!

Hello again!! My apologies for not posting for months! Yes, months! In blog land, this is one of the worst crimes you can commit! Excuses, excuses, excuses but lately, life has been quite chaotic. We were in the process of trying to buy a home, move and sell a home in this crazy housing market and, to top it off, the home we lived in didn’t sell so we then had to find renters…ASAP before being late on a mortgage payment! Needless to say, after a hectic 3 month escrow, it’s over and we’re all settled in! So, it’s back to posting!! And we will be posting at least once per day, if not more often, to keep everyone up to date on some cool new mom & dad news! My favorites are the Freebie Fridays where I’ll be looking anywhere and everywhere I can online through blogs, facebook pages, store sites and more to find you the best freebies out there! So, check back tomorrow and suggest us to your friends!

Thanks for following J
Ellie at The Parent Center

Fun Frugal Money Saving Sites for Families!

Save $$$, Get Free Stuff & Connect with other Moms!

Saving money is something every family could benefit from and the internet is a GREAT way to do that. There are countless blogs & websites that post money saving tips, daily freebie deals and some even post deals on the hour every hour. With social networking sights such as Facebook & Twitter, you can find out about tons of different ways to save your family money from your PC or your mobile device. Below are some of my favorite frugal sites. I check these sights regularly and also follow them on Twitter and Facebook to make sure I’m up to date on the latest ways to save my family money! In the past few weeks, I’ve received 4 free photo books, had 3 free meals & gotten tons of coupons for items such as detergent, cereal, shampoo & meals. I have saved at least $100 simply by logging onto the internet for a few minutes a day! Thanks to these wonderful ladies & gentlemen for providing fellow moms & dads with such great ways to save money!

Freebies for Mom

Heather at Freebies4mom.com can help everyone save money by spoiling you with the hottest freebies!

http://freebies4mom.com

http://facebook.com/Freebies4Mom

The Frugal Girls

The Frugal Girls is all about serious money savin’ fun as they put it! They feature stylish crafts, DIY projects, recipes, freebies, coupons, giveaways & more

http://www.TheFrugalGirls.com

http://www.facebook.com/thefrugalgirls

Passion for Savings

I love to post the best deals, and the best products. Anything to make life a little easier!

http://www.passionforsavings.com

Debras Dollars

Debras Dollars is a blog dedicated to help others save money. You will find Coupons Samples Reviews and Giveaways and More!

http://debrasdollars.blogspot.com/

Frugal Fabulous Finds

A NC Wife & Mom of 3, Helping you Spend Less, Make More & Live Wisely with deals, coupons, freebies, giveaways and personal finance tips!

http://www.FrugalFabulousFinds.com

Zearly: Revolutionizing Kids Clothing!

How would you like a FREE wardrobe for your child?

Ever heard of Zearly? If you haven’t, you have to check them out! They’re a kids’ clothing site where you can literally get a whole new wardrobe for your kids for FREE! And they’ll help you clean out their closets at the same time! Zearly works like this! First, you sign up on their website and they automatically send you out a huge, postage paid bag to fill with all of your childrens’ gently used clothing. You don’t even have to take the bag to the post office because Zearly arranges for the bag to be picked up right from your front door. Once the bag arrives at Zearly headquarters, our staff goes through the clothing, tallies up the points and credits your account with points for each item you send in. When your points appear on your account, it’s time to start shopping. There are clothes ranging from 0-3 months all the way up to 14/16 on Zearly. We even have shoes! There are gently used clothes AND brand new designer apparel too! If you spend over 150 points, your order ships to your house free! That means the entire transaction will cost you nothing, not even the time or gas it takes to get to your nearest consignment store.

AND if your kids have outgrown these sizes and you no longer need to shop for kids’ clothes, you can STILL send in your clothes because, at Zearly, you can also use your points towards gift cards to Target, Walmart, Amazon & other retailers. So, you can actually get yourself some clothes in exchange for clothes that no longer fit your kids. How can you not like this site? So far, the reviews are all 5 stars! Moms and dads are raving about it so check it out!

Zearly also has a Facebook page where they post tons of links and articles related to family life such as recipes, family activities, freebies, giveaways and more! There’s even a chance to win 50 Zearly points each week! Like them on facebook and follow them on Twitter for more information!

Below are just some of the reviews from their Facebook Reviews page! See what other moms and dads have to say about Zearly!

• Tiara Fletcher

  "" LOVE IT! I spent about 192 points, and got my sons entire summer wardrobe. And the best part was, i didn't spend a dime. If i would've bought everything i got brand new, it would have been close to $300 dollars, if not more...love, love, love saving money anyway i can!!

  
  

  Laura Sokol

  "" If I could give you 10 stars I would... This is an incredible store! I just received my 1st bag of 36 clothing items for only 196 points... and they are all perfect! Thanks SO much Zearly! I will definately be buying MANY more!!

  
  

  Ciara Thomas Castañon

  "" Love the whole concept of your business! I have really been impressed with the items we have received from you. Thanks!

  
  

  Courtney Stewart Winters

  "" I LOVE Zearly!! Excellent idea and excellent service. I've received two shipments already :-) We'll be customers for a LONG time!!

  
  

  Carissa Wooten Fulkerson

  "" Got my first shipment in! Awesome stuff and awesome concept. This mother of 5(all 6 and under!) approves! Two thumbs up!

There Are How Many Uses for WD-40?

WD-40

Known as "the can with thousands of uses," WD-40 is truly one of the most versatile, multi-purpose problem solvers on the market! The formula remains a secret but the product definitely isn't. It can be found in virtually every household in America! With over 2,000 excuses collected to date more and more are added to the list each day. The "water displacement 40th Attempt" does anything from protect metal from rust and corrosion, penetrate stuck parts, provide a great moisture barrier and lubricates just about anything. Below are some ways to to use WD-40 at home! If you think of any more, feel free to comment!

- Erases marks caused by chair backs on running boards of wall

- Cleans piano keys

- Lubricates screws on lawn furniture

- Removes grime from grout on bathroom floors (be sure to wipe floor clean after using WD-40)

- Removes crayon from carpet (be sure to test WD-40 on low visibility area of carpet before using)
- Removes scuff marks from ceramic tile flooring (be sure to wipe floor clean after using WD-40)
- Removes marks from floors left by chair feet (be sure to wipe floor clean after using WD-40)

- Clean grease off kitchen hoods
- Take the squeak out of door hinges
- Remove glue residue left beyond by stickers, labels and contact labels
- Remove permanent marker from hard surfaces
- Remove crayons from wallpaper chalkboards, brick, dryer drums & many other surfaces
- Clean and lubricate garden cutting & digging tools

There are thousands more uses on the WD-40 website! Check it out and see all that you can do with it!

Online Security for your Kids

Internet safety for your kids should be one of your top priorities as a parent. Read some of the statistics below to see just how dangerous the internet can be:

--Your child has a nearly 100% chance of meeting a predator in an online chat room

--Only about 25% of youth who encountered a sexual approach or solicitation online told their parents about it

--2 - 4 weeks is the average time it takes a child to be lured from an online relationship to a personal contact meeting

--60% of all websites (1.2 billion) are considered to be pornographic

--The average age of first exposure to online porn is 11 for boys and 13 for girls

--85% of kids surveyed said their parents are not aware of sites they visit while online

--50% of kids have encountered cyber bullying and 1 out of 4 have encountered it on more than one occasion

--73% of victims targeted by online predators were between the ages of 12 and 15 and 33% of those were initiated from social networking sites

--71% have received messages from people they do not know online

--87% of teens worry about consequences of making risky posts online

--67% of boys and 71% of girls admitted to sexting nude or semi-nude photos of themselves to friends.

After reading such alarming statistics, how could you not consider getting some sort of monitoring device to keep yourself informed what your kids are doing online. I recently saw a news segment on two companies that offer internet monitoring for parents. I still have yet to decide which of them I will be purchasing for my home but I will definitely be investing in something like that as soon as my daughter is old enough to go online. There are others besides the two below but these are ones I've chosen to research.

True Care is an online monitoring program that makes it easier for parents to keep their children safe from online social networking. It offers:

--24/7 monitoring of your child's social networking accounts whether they access it from home, school, the library, a friend's house or even via their cell or smart phones!

---Locates questionable content on your child's pages using a customziable database of over 50 key words relating to potential dangers. For example, if you are concerned that your children are talking about marijuana, sex, raves, etc, you simply customize a search that will alert you whenever the key word or words you choose are written anywhere on your child's social networking page

--Parents receive automatic e-mail alerts anytime new relevant content pertinent to your customized key word search is posted

--Know who your child's online friends are with a feature known as Friends Network and Investigate Friends links

--Program also provides one click access to locate sex offenders in your area

--Difficult for you as a parent to understand your teens language and slang terms? The program enables you to know what they are saying with a dictionary of hundreds of commonly used slang and acronym terms.

True Care is easy to use, even if you are not computer savvy. The online monitoring through True Care is provided on a membership basis and can be canceled at any time. It is not something that needs to be downloaded or installed on your computer or purchased at a store. You access the program through a user identification and password selected by you. True Care also offers a 30 day risk free trial period to see if the program is something that will work for you.

WebWatchers is different in that it's a software that needs to be purchased or downloaded and installed on your computer. Some may prefer this option as opposed to a membership service that True Care offers. Web Watchers features include:

--Monitoring of your children's key strokes in real time from anywhere

--Ability to block any webpage based on content or web address

--Read Instant Message (IM or Chat) conversations

--Read incoming and outgoing mail

--Logs every keystroke

--Take pictures of screenshots to you can see exactly what is typed, surfed, read and then show your children later if confrontation is necessary

--Record online and offline activities

--Quickly sift through data using keywords chosen by you.

--Sorts, sifts, rearranges and prioritizes recorded data instantly

--Completely invisible so your children do not know they are being monitored.

These are just some of the features offered by Web Watchers. Once the software is purchased or downloaded, you have 5 days from the date of purchase to request a refund if you are not satisfied. Parents do not need to have advanced computer skills to use the program.

Below is a page with excellent (free) online resources for parents on internet safety. Articles include Adding Privacy Settings, Starting Dialog About Internet Safety, Educational Video Tools to Watch With Your Children and more. Click Online Resources for more information.

Bob Revolution: The BEST Jogging Stroller on the Market

A few moms have recently asked me about my jogging stroller. I was an avid runner before having a baby and, to my surprise, I became even more of one after my daughter was born. I thought it would be the opposite but, after she was born, I just did not have the time to drive to the gym, get a good workout and get home in between breastfeeding, burping, changing, etc. Since I needed to stay in shape, I decided to just run around my city and take her with me! Put her in the stroller, go for a run and she naps peacefully while getting out for a bit too!

When I decided to buy a jogging stroller, I looked at many of them and decided on a Jeep model from Babies R Us. It seemed sturdy and the price was right. It was only about $150 and, since I already had a main stroller that was over $300, I really didn't want to spend another $300-400 on a jogging stroller that I was not sure I would use much. I was not sure if my daughter would like it, was not sure if she would sleep in it, was not sure if she would STAY asleep in it so, why spend a lot of money when I was not sure if it would work out.

Well, to my surprise, after I began running, I loved it. I loved getting out of the house, getting my daughter out and getting a good workout with her. The problem was, the stroller!! It was not quite as sturdy as I thought.. It was rickety and made noises after just a few runs. The front wheel did not swivel so, if I took the stroller into a store to use the restroom, buy water, etc, it was impossible to maneuver. The stroller was also not very smooth. If I pushed it, it would roll only a little bit and then stop. Sure it had nice gadgets, such as an iPod hook up with its own speaker and cup holder but that was not what I purchased it for. I have an iPod with earphones. What do I need the speaker for?

So, after realizing that I was using it a lot, almost daily in fact, I opted to research jogging strollers once again. I interviewed moms, dads, salesmen and anyone else I could ask about which one they would recommend. I wanted the best stroller on the market for the price. I asked everyone and most of the reviews online pointed me to the BOB. I thought they would but the BOB is approximately $400 so I was not sure it was worth it. Well, I found it for $350 and not only is it worth it, it is INCREDIBLE!! I love it.. What a difference running with the BOB as opposed to the Jeep stroller! It flows easily, has state of the art shock suspension to adjust to the growth and development of your baby, has durable fabric, a welded frame for optimum strength and durability, a swivel front wheel (with adjustment to control steering), easy two step folding system, almost complete recline for comfort and more! It only weighs about 23 lbs and you do not even feel it while you run. BOB also sells tons of accessories for it too. I bought the car seat adapter/food tray. Not because I still use my car seat but because it is a combination accessory and I needed the food tray. My daughter props her feet on it and puts her toys there . I also purchased the handlebar console and sun shield. The handle bar console is great because I use it to put two water bottles and my wallet, ID, keys, etc in the zippered compartment. The sun shield protects my baby from UVA/UVB rays comppletely. It also protects her from wind and flying insects. It allows her to see out while being protected. It is perforated for ventilation so it is an ideal and much needed accessory. For more information on the BOB revolution and other BOB models (including double and triple models!), visit their website at www.bobgear.com.

SafetyTat: A Removeable Safety Tattoo for Your Child

Here's an idea I think is pretty clever. I know I get pretty nervous when I take my daughter to a crowded mall, amusement park, carnival or sporting event! As much as I don't like to, I use a "backpack leash" to be on the safe side and make sure my little one doesn't wander. Well, a new, innovative company came up with a great idea. They created temporary child safety tattoos known as SafetyTat.

A mother of 3 created this product when while at an amusement park, she decided she needed a way to identify her kids if they happened to be lost. She also wanted whoever found them to know who to contact immediately. So, she wrote her cell phone number on their arm and explained to them why she was doing it. She stressed to them that they should stay together and ake sure never to lose sight of their siblings or their mom but, if they are separated, they can use the number to help find their mom again. The kids were instructed to tell any adult near them, should they become lost or separated from the group, that the number to contact their mom was on their arm.

Since it was not a permanent ink pen, the number needed to be re-written several times due to sweat, heat and clothes rubbing on it. After a number of other parents commenting on what a great idea she had, she decided to develop SafetyTat. Her slogan is, “the tat that brings kids back”. For more information on safety tips and ordering your own SafetyTat, visit the SafetyTat Website. They are sold in packs of 6 or 18 and cost a little more than $1.00 each. That seems very much so worth my child's safety and I'll definitely be ordering some.

I was not paid or reimbursed in any way by the SafetyTat website to post this blog.