What would you do if a hotel just GAVE you 100 rooms for 2 nights for you to invite all of your friends?  Can you think of friends or family that you’d like to invite?  Could you imagine how cool of a reunion or “bloggy” meetup that would be?

Well, Hampton IS!  Right now, they’re having a grand giveaway with the following prizes:

• GRAND PRIZE:  Entire hotel for a weekend (100 rooms for 2 nights)
• 100 FIRST PRIZES:  Weekend stays given away daily to winner and 3 of their friends

Could you imagine how awesome that would be?  I think I could easily fill those rooms with blogging friends to have one HUGE FREE conference of sorts!  Heck yeah!  Vacations are important – but to think about meeting up again (and some for the first time) with some of my favorite online people to just relax, grow friendships, and learn from each other?

I could also imagine an entire hotel FILLED with military husbands and wives…getting to take a “break” for free.  –Something that doesn’t always get to happen with “no strings attached.”

The grand prize is out of this world, but I’d even love to win one of the 100 first prizes – How much I’d love to just be able to get away with my husband for one weekend…just us.  With all of the military training and upcoming obstacles we’ve been planning for (and still are), it’d be a NICE distraction and period of R&R (Rest and Relaxation).

So, now it’s your turn.  Use your imagination.  What would you do?  Have a cool party?  Reunion?  Travel somewhere new?  Wedding?  Anniversary Party?  Surprise party?  Craft-a-long!!!  Scrapbook!?  Heck, it doesn’t matter…I’m sure you’ll figure it out (and if you can’t, let me go!)  Go, enter here!

Hampton Chain of Friends Sweepstakes

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hampton Hotels. All opinions are 100% mine.

Welcome back!

Yep, you’re in the right place!

With the help of “Judith Shakes,” I’m going with a new look.  I still have things to tweak, but go ahead and take a look around!

Don’t Miss –

• Be sure you check out the “post-it” up top.  You can find me on twitter, facebook, and subscribe to my RSS feed.
• My new advertising page (located on the top bar).
• My version of the “About Me” page – “Not Very Frequently Asked Questions.”
• The search function is B-A-C-K!!

Please, take a look around and find me on Facebook to let me know what you think of the place!  I’m gonna go mess with stuff.  I’ll try not to crash the site. 

I have a special little guy that’s near to my heart who’s birthday is TODAY!  His party was “secret agent” themed….so I made him this:

The journal/spy notebook has a special birthday wish, as well as what each and every one of the contents is for.

Evidence bags – to collect evidence

Candy – You know, for when you’re on an extra long mission and you need to keep your sugar up.  It’s a necessity.

Sticky Notes – To leave people impromptu notes or to remind oneself of something very important.

Super Secret Pen – The pen doesn’t work (which I tell him in his journal).  Therefore, nobody will steal it.  It’s a chubby pen, so when he takes it apart, he can hide money or secret letters inside.  Inside this particular pen is a dollar bill waiting for him to find.

Mini and Large Brush – For dusting the fingerprinting dusting powder onto fingerprints for collecting

Fingerprinting Dusting Powder – (see above)

String – To “rope” off areas or to create booby traps or to tie up offenders.  Really, the uses are endless.

T-Shirt – To be worn all incognito-like so he can blend in AND roll in the dirt ALL. DAY. LONG.

Silly String – To stun the “bad guys”

I’d love to tell you what a “typical” day in the life of US would look like, but there really is no “typical.”  It’s so random, actually that I don’t even bother with a concise lesson plan or schedule for our day.  Because. It. Will. Not. Work!!  (For us, anyway.)

Every day, I CAN count on the following to happen:

- 1 minor OH CRAP moment
- some sort of food being smashed into the floor
- someone crying or screaming…generally, both.
- naptime
- something not going the way I had originally planned.

But, nonetheless, here’s how we generally hope our days go (and they are usually some version of this):

7:30 AM – Lorelei wakes up and runs into our bedroom, announcing that she must pee!!  I shove the pillow over my face and tell her to “GO!  Pee!  Then go back to bed!!”

8:00 AM – Start getting up and taking my shower.

8:30 AM – Get the girls up.  Change Aurora’s diaper and clean up any blowouts if there were any.  Lorelei makes her bed.

8:40 AM – Bananas and/or yogurt for breakfast all around.

9:00 AM – Girls get dressed for the day.  I try to get smushed banana off the floor/couches/walls/etc.

9:20 AM – Begin homeschool.  Generally, we start with the letters or numbers since those are the subjects that require a LOT of focused attention.  Aurora plays.

9:40 AM – Quick chore or two.  Lorelei helps.  Aurora tries to help.    (Laundry, sweep or mop, etc.)

10:00 AM – Tackle another homeschool subject – subject will vary depending on what’s on the agenda.  Aurora plays.

10:30 AM – Lunch begins!

11:00 AM – Aurora and Lorelei wipe the “table” (coffee) off really well.  Lorelei and Aurora pick up their toys and put away.  Aurora gets wiped down and cleaned up.  By this time, Lorelei usually has lots of energy, so I have her bounce on one of those balls with a handle.

11:15 AM – Learning with stickers while bouncing!!  Generally, by this time, Lorelei’s attention is dwindling so I have her use stickers (one of her favorite things) in whatever subject we’re learning.  Aurora uses stickers to stick all over her body.

NOON – Story time with the girls OR an educational video (online or dvd)

1:00 PM – Naptime!

2:00 PM – Ashley does chores/crafts/etc

3:30 PM – Girls wake up.  Formally tackle another subject.

4:00 PM – Play time and snack

5:00 PM – Girls pick up and put away their toys.

5:30 PM – Play together until daddy gets home.  Generally something more physical (exercises, running, playing outside when weather permits, stretching, bouncing, etc) to burn off extra energy.

6:00 PM – Daddy time

6:30 PM – Supper

7:00 – 9:00 PM – Family time and clean up and end of the day chores for everyone

9:00 -9:30 PM – Girls’ bedtime

Yes, she does have a princess dress on.  Yes, that’s relatively normal.  She usually has some sort of dress on.  Yes, the baby is mostly naked.  Yes, it’s how she prefers it (except she’d prefer no diaper.  That’s not okay with me.)

This picture captures a moment in our homeschooling.  We live in a place where a bonafide kitchen table isn’t really something we have room for, so the coffee table is all of that.  This little table (which was a gift from my father in law) has been very well used!  Here, Lorelei is using quarters and number magnets to practice simple addition.  Aurora is eating.  Aurora is always eating

It’s published twice a year, and I just got my copy.  I LOVE it!  It’s packed full of great info that I’ll be keeping in my own “idea book” (a 3 ring binder full of ideas to use for future subjects, etc.)

You can get yours HERE.

PS- Did I mention it was FREE?

I’m referring to this as our “intro to Korea” because we will be going over many of these concepts OVER AND OVER again as she gets older.  Right now, the idea is to just introduce her to different places (as in, this little city isn’t all there is) – as well as different people, cultures, etc.

The flag

Click here to see a larger map.

Photos of Korean Hanboks.

Knowledge Quest South Korea Unit Study

World Heritage Tour – Really Cool, gives 360 degree tours of temples, etc

Website about the Hahoe Mask

National Geographic Kids – South Korea

Kwintessential – we found this, it was TMI for Lorelei now, but great to come back to!

Hahoe Mask Museum

“You’re a genius!”  — I’ve heard it more than occasionally, and really, who am I to argue?  If enough people say it, it must be true, right?  Sure, sure.  We’re just gonna run with it.

Anyhow, do you ever get those AH-HA moments?  -Not the kind where you’re about to sneeze but then end up coughing or laughing.  No, I mean the AH-HA, a light bulb just went off in my head and ohmygosh it didn’t even short out!! kind of moments.

Yeh, well I don’t get those very often.  Probably because I’m a genius.  It’s hard being a genius, you know?  Sometimes you forget you know stuff and then you remember and suddenly it’s gone again because really, your head is just not big enough to hold all of this massive knowledge.   (Which might have to do with my constant headaches.  Note to self:  Google “genius headaches” because real geniuses don’t go to the doctor,  they’re supposed to make their medicine.  In their lab.  In their basement.  I don’t have a basement.  Crap.)

Anyways, stop distracting me.  I’m trying to tell you something.

Oh yes, it’s dangerous to be a genius.  Everybody wants your help.  And, sometimes, they just want you dead.  Like, for instance, the wasps under my porch steps.  I’m pretty sure they could be recruited by the military and earn some major ribbons for their ferociousness.  Seriously, these are some really pissed off wasps.  I bet they are part of the uncool group of wasps and probably weren’t allowed to hang out with the cool wasps, so now they hate the world.  And, they decided to hang out under my porch steps to see if they could assassinate us.  Because my whole family is made up of geniuses…it runs in the family or something.

Anyhow, I know all of this because Lorelei came up the steps and a huge SWARM of wasps pummeled her.  I saw 4, but it was probably because I was distracted with solving algorithms in my head, so I missed seeing the rest of the swarm.  I pulled her and the baby to safety but it was too late.  They had gotten Lorelei.  And, these things must be freaks.  Freak wasps because their stingers are HUGE and left a gaping hole in her leg.  That might be why they’re so mad.  I’d be mad if I was a freak wasp, too.

I pulled her up onto the couch and she was all “I’m DYYYINNNGGG, they’re trying to KIIILLLL MEEEEEEE!” in her little toddler wail as she held on to her leg.  I didn’t really know what to say, because she’s probably right.  Not about the dying part, but it probably was an assassination attempt.  I called my mom because DUDE, doesn’t everyone call their mother after someone tries to kill them and their family?  I mean, I would’ve called my body guard, but nobody seems to want that job.  Probably because my life is so dangerous, you know…being a GENIUS stay at home mom and all.

Mom said I should put a baking soda paste on it and I was all like “PBBTTT  They’re expecting that!  And…I have a black couch!!”  So, I looked in my arsenal of things and brought out the activated charcoal.  Everybody has activated charcoal in their medicine cabinets, right?  I mean, you never know when someone might try to gas or poison you.  Come on people, be smart!  Gosh, there I go again, forgetting I’m a GENIUS and not everybody is as smart as me.  Sorry bout that.

Then, in an effort to make Lorelei feel better, mom came over and brought an assortment of goodies.  I tried convincing her that a parfait from McDonalds would make us ALL feel better, but she clearly disagreed (that, and apparently the cars in line at McD’s didn’t understand that it was an emergency, so they wouldn’t just move the heck out of the way.)  At the bottom of the bag, there were 2 cans of spray.   YEH!  Protection!  Retaliation!  LET’S KILL THEM and AVENGE MY BABY’S LEG!  YEAH! Wait, why does this say ant spray on it?  I looked at her through squinty eyes, trying to figure out if she thought this was funny or if perhaps, she’d lost it.  “All I had was ant spray and it worked for me!”  She said.  So, most likely, I have ant wasps…no wonder they’re ticked off.

Anyhow, I made a black charcoal paste and it took the swelling down.  But it was only temporary.  A day later and half her leg was swollen and icky.  Tricky poison!!  So, I put more paste on it and today…it looked like this:

The swelling and redness had gone down, but what’s that?  TWO sting entrances?  Awesome.  (Poor kid.)

In other news, Aurora is cutting her two top first molars.  TWO.  One on each side.  I was going to share a picture for her, but I really didn’t think you all would appreciate seeing the diarrhea diapers this produces.

You know you’re in trouble when your toddler runs into the bathroom while you’re trying to take a shower in peace and yells “MOMMY!  Aurora is getting poop all over her blankets!!!” – and then the flashbacks of a baby smeared in poop pop through your brain.

*Sigh*  Being a genius sucks.  I quit.

I’ve had a lot of questions over the last couple of years regarding blogging, so I thought I’d put it all down into words here – complete with some really helpful links!  As always, feel free to ask questions in the comments and leave your own helpful tips as appropriate to the topic.  I plan for this to be a series, so if there’s a question you want answered, be sure to email it to me at bosssanders (at) gmail (dot) com.

Why blog?

I get this question more than one would think.  I can’t tell YOU why YOU should blog, but I can tell you why some others (me, included) do:

It’s like therapy.  Only cheaper.
It’s great for business if you’re a website because it keeps your content fresh…which google likes.
It’s a great record-keeper – Whether you want to remember the funny things your kids did (and turn it into a book later) or you just want to chronicle your life.  Whatever.
It can make you money (which I’ll explain later).

Who would even read my blog?

That my friend, you have to answer.  It’s up to you.  You can make your blog private (which I have several of those, too), you can make it semi-private (where you invite certain people) OR you can make it completely public.  It’s up to you.

As far as who would want to read your blog…well, a lot of people.  Let me tell ya.  I never really thought anyone would want to read the random ramblings of a SAHM but they do!  I have over 6500 unique visitors per month.  And, it’s growing.  It never stays the same.  The number is ALWAYS going up.  I don’t even KNOW 6500 people!!

So, just write.  No matter what you write about, there’s gonna be SOMEONE that’s interested.  (Unless you’re writing about killing kittens or something weird like that.  No, actually, I take that back.  You’ll still probably have readers…just not me.)

I don’t know much about websites and I’m not that great of a writer, how do I do this?

I slaughter grammar and I put commas and periods wherever I want to because in high-school, my AP English teacher told me that once I was a published writer, I could make up my own rules.  So I do.  And, am.  As long as you know how to use spell-check, you’re good.

And, you don’t have to know a lot about websites.  You can do a simple blog and do great OR you can do something huge and complex and hire people to do what you can’t.  It’s pretty easy like that.

What should I write about?

Your life.  Products.  Saving money.  Raising kids.  Homeschooling.  Crafts.  Techie stuff.  Making money.  Re-purposing things.  Funny things people say.  Music.  Celebrities.  People that inspire you.  Art.  Cars.  Weird fashions.  Whatever. You. Want.

Where do I start?

First, you start by signing up for your own blog.  I recommend using a WordPress or Blogger platform.

IF you are wanting to advertise on your blog, I recommend you use WordPress.com or use the wordpress platform and buy your own domain name and hosting (which is what I do).

IF you want something that’s really point and click and very few brain cells involved (and less freedom), go for Blogger.com.

Keep in mind that Google owns Blogger, so you may show up EASIER in search engines, but they have rules that won’t allow you to advertise much at all.  And if they catch you, they can ban you and all sorts of stuff.

**Before you actually sign up for a blog, I suggest you decide what you will be writing and then come up with a name.  Come up with something fun, catchy, and easy to remember…unless of course, you aren’t wanting to be found or just like to be difficult.  Then, do whatever you want.

How do I make my blog pretty?

Both of the websites I linked to give you the option of a variety of themes/layouts.  Of course, you can find even more by googling them or finding someone who will design you something nicer (which comes with a fee).

My advice is to check out your favorite blog designs and look at the bottom of those blogs to see who designed it.

Questions?

Favorite blog designers?

Favorite place to blog?

Do you have a blog?

We don’t technically EVER stop homeschooling – it’s a continual thing, all day, all year long.  But, yesterday was our OFFICIAL first day (where we keep more of a schedule about it).

Here are Lorelei’s Preschool First Day Of School Pictures:

This month, here’s what we have been/are learning:

Reading

• Recognition of letters A-O (we use a variety of ABC books, flashcards, sticky letters that you use to make bulletin boards, paper and pen, worksheets, and books with small amounts of large print).  With the exception of “K,” Lorelei has done really well.  We’re currently 2 weeks ahead of our schedule for this!
• Practice writing letters L, O, T, I, and A
• Practice pairing said letters with pictures (T is for Tiger)
• Practice recognizing the sounds each letter makes
• Read together and let her point out certain words by using books that repetitively use the same words.
• Watch My Baby Can Read Beginner DVD
• ABC videos
• Sing ABC song
• ABC soup!
• Leapfrog ABC magnetic fridge game
• Help write letters to her penpal (who is the child of a friend of ours that lives in another state)
• BrainQuest “Max” cards (comprehension)

Math

• Practice verbally counting to 20
• Practice counting objects to 20
• Practice recognizing numbers 1-10
• Practice writing numbers 1-10
• Introduction to a number line – we don’t expect her to have this completely down at 3, but plan to continuously re-introduce it so it becomes a part of learning
• Recognize More/Less than and The Same
• Intro to simple math (You have 5 crackers and give 2 to your sister, how many do you have left?)

Science

• Temperature
• Seasons and Weather
• Like and Unlike plants
• Stars and Planets continued (an introduction that they exist, not too in depth yet)
• Colors and the mixing of colors – using colored water
• sunlight and the sun (We will talk about the sun and what it does and then make sun prints)

Social Studies and Skills

• Japan 2
• Korea 1 and 2
• Simon says (following directions)
• Introduction to chores and responsibilities in a scheduled manner
• Introduction to Money and denominations of money (penny, nickel, dime, quarter, dollar)
• Saving, Giving, Spending (10,10,80)–Which we will probably end up making a 50, 10, 40 rule since she’s 3.

I was looking at our homeschool “plan” for this week and saw INTRO TO MONEY among the list, along with CARING FOR PLANTS and a few other random things I’d like Lorelei to learn about.  And, as I brainstormed on how I would approach these subjects this week, I had an idea:

Excuse the chore chart.  I didn’t have the chores pre planned out, so I didn’t realize I’d have time-specific type chores that should go in order.  We’ll probably be re-doing the chart later.

HOWEVER, the little graphics have been super helpful.

Every chore on the chart has a color beside it, which corresponds to a pom-pom.  The pom-poms begin the day in a small empty baby food jar.  As she completes a chore, she gets to move one pom pom from the jar to the “completed” jar (which is just another baby food jar but with a butterfly sticker in the bottom).

Once she completes all chores for the day, she gets an “allowance.”

All of her allowance is then put into her money “jars” – which is a set of three jars that I color coded with ribbons for the following :  SAVING (10 percent), GIVING (10 percent), and SPENDING (80 percent).

Right now, we started at $1 a day.  Because we can but ALSO because:

• $1 is easiest to explain the 10,10,80 rule we’ve implemented.  It’s simply 10 cents, 10 cents, 80 cents.
• Her “savings” (for now) is going to a fund she can’t touch until she’s older.  Think of it as her college fund.  Or, her car fund.  Or, whatever.  I don’t particularly like the idea of paying for my kids way to college or buying them brand new cars as soon as they get their drivers licenses, but I also don’t believe in pushing them out of the nest completely on their own.  I do believe in teaching them responsibility and giving them the tools so they don’t take it for granted.
• $1 is a LOT of money for a preschooler.  I agree.  Especially when they’re getting it daily for chores, BUT she is going to be using some of her money for necessary things…like special snacks and new clothes she wants.  Essentially, we’re giving her the money that we’d normally spend on her in one way or another and letting her have more responsibility (although it will be very monitored and guided).  For example, she has already told me that she plans to spend her first bit of money on a storage tote.  Yes, a storage tote for her extra toys that are over-crowding her room.  Oh, and shoes.  Pink shoes.
• This $1 won’t necessarily change, up or down, depending on her age.  She’ll get more responsibility as she gets older but the amount will change as we see fit (if it does at all).
• It’s not all about the money.  It’s about responsibilities.  It’s about teaching about money and how to use it as a tool (rather than let it become a thorn in your side).  It’s about teaching skills in the form of “chores.”  It’s about letting her be more independent and helping her feel important.  It’s about showing her that being part of a family means we all take part in doing things…even if it’s just watering the plants.  It’s all important.

So, there you go.  Our Pre-schooler’s chore chart –which she is super excited about.