Phonics

I taught sixth grade for two years, and I now homeschool two of my children. May I recommend teaching children phonics when they are learning to read. It eliminates memorizing words, and a lot of hard work. There are different phonics programs available, but all are not equal. some teach a little bit of phonics but still leave a lot of guess work for the children. I personally like the phonics program available from A Beka Books. It is a step by step program with that makes reading simple. It leaves a child with very little guess work when it comes to reading.

(After you click on the above link, log in as a guest. After logging in as a guest, type "phonics" in the "category" box and click "Go.")

Phonics also helps children spell better. My kids can spell some words already even though I have not taught them how to spell yet because they can sound out the word. Give phonics a try. It really works.

Games for Teens

My husband started working with the teenagers at our church almost two years ago. He has been very hard pressed to find some good, exciting things for the teens to do. He finally found this site and loves it. If you're throwing a party, or work with teens too, you need to check this site out.

A Couple of Good Sites

There are two websites that I enjoy looking at. One is Craig’s List. And the other is Free Cycle.
craigslist.org is a site where people sell, trade, and give away items and services. I personally look at their furniture items for sale. We happen to have an especially frequented Craig’s List. Other locations in the US sometimes do not have such variety or as many offers available. If you are interested in looking at a Craig’s List site near you, click on the link above. It will pull up the San Francisco area or Raleigh, NC Craig’s List. Off to the right off the page is a list of countries and states. Click on the state where you live, and it will pull up a list of Craig’s List sites available in your state.
I like to use Free Cycle to get rid of items that are still good, and would like someone to be able to use. Of course, it also lists free things that are available. You have to sign up for this one at freecycle.org. When people post items they are giving away, a message is sent to your email to let you know what is available.
Check out both these sites. I really like them.

Nuby Sippy Cups

Sippy cups – the bane of our couches, and floors, and … you get the picture. It does not matter what kind of claim the manufacturers made to market their product; every cup I tried leaked from the first moment it was used – until I discovered Nuby cups. The difference lies in the fact that the valve is built into the silicon nipple, removing the possibility of a premature dislodging of the valve. After prolonged use, the valve may begin to tear, causing the cup to leak; however, as you will see, the cups are cheap enough to be able to replace one without breaking the bank.

Another Nuby cup feature I like is that it is much easier to clean than the normal valve cups. I could never get the valve areas clean in the other sippy cups, and all kinds of nasty crud would build up, posing a potential health hazard for my children.

Last but not least, Nuby cups are much cheaper than other sippy cups. You can purchase them at Wal-Mart for $1.57 (unless they have recently changed the price).

submitted by RS

Magic Erasers

If you have been looking for that “magic” cleaning tool, you need search no longer. The Magic Eraser by Mr. Clean is the end of your quest. I know from personal experience that not only does it do a great job of cleaning surfaces soiled with dirt and grime but it is also fantastic at removing unwanted pen, crayon, marker and pencil marks. Believe me, with three little children, I use my Magic Eraser often! There are several different kinds of Magic Erasers targeted to different needs, and they are widely available at such stores as Target and Wal-Mart.

submitted by: R.S.

photo courtesy of: Mr. Clean

Sony Under Cabinet Clock Radio

Under Counter Radio
I love music. I also spend a lot of time in the kitchen. This meant that we had a radio sitting on the counter along with a ton of CD’s. About a year and a half ago my husband bought me an under the counter radio/CD player. Talk about clearing off the counter. It was great. The only problem is that I have yet to find a CD holder that I would like to hang on my kitchen wall. Any hints anyone?

Only Hearts Club

I don't know about you, but at my house, baby dolls never seem to stay dressed. This includes the busty Barbie dolls. I just don't care for such naked detail lying around for my little boy to see. Last month, I came across what I think is a great alternative to Barbie dolls. They are dolls that belong to the Only Hearts Club. The dolls are about the same size as Barbie dolls, but they look more like ten year olds than grown women. I think they make a much better role model for my girls to play with, and definitely are not as offensive when you find them undressed as a Barbie doll is.

You may or may not like some of the role models, but there is a good variety of role models and clothing accessories to choose from.

They are available at Target, and if you hurry, you might find some of the accessories on clearance.