Personalized Gifts from FreckleBox

MY husband and I promised the kids that if they do good in school, they would get  a prize from us at the end of the school year.  I am very happy to say that they both did  excellent!  Anyhow, I was looking for personalized gifts for kids and found Frecklebox online.  Such a perfect timing too, when the products I ordered  arrived because they just got done with the  school Olympic and when we came home the box was waiting for them at the front door.

 I got one of the   personalized kids binders for my daughter  because I want to compile all her artwork in one.  However, she got  a bit jealous when she saw  that I got one of the   personalized books for her brother.  She wanted  a personalized book too so I ordered one for her.  Gladly, I was given a 30% discount for it!

If you are looking for a personalized gifts for your  children, I definitely recommend  that you check Frecklebox, they have  so many products that your child would like.  My son just love his personalized  "EJ Saves the Planet" book.  He said that it's the best gift ever as his name is being mentioned and printed inside the book.  You can order it in  hard cover or soft, I order the latter because I was only given a $40 dollars worth of FREE  coupon to use  at the site.  My order was actually over $40 and  I am thankful that  they let me.  Thank you Frecklebox!

Disclaimer:  The products I mentioned above was provided for FREE in exchange of a fair and honest  review.  I was not  financially compensated  in writing this review.

Book Ends from Kidorable

I'd like to thank Kidorable for  giving me an opportunity to review one of their products.  Both of my children love to read so  I got this set of book ends for their books.   Yesterday was their last day of school but it doesn't mean that  they would be off from reading  as well.  We make sure that we have time to read at home  on a daily basis.

Kidorable carries  different kinds of products that your  children will love.  They have backpacks, hanger sets, knit gloves, knit hats, knit scarves, raincoats, rain boots, towels, umbrellas, and more.  I like the designs of their products,  every kid would surely love anything that you buy from Kidorable.  To get in touch with them, LIKE their Facebook page and get updates of their contests and deals.  Their contests  have  fabulous prizes so be sure to check on  that.

I got each of them a personalized book as present for doing great this school year.

Disclaimer:  Product mentioned above was given for free  for review purposes.  No monetary  compensation was received in facilitating  this review.  

The Best Field Day Activities for Primary School Students

Outside of the classroom, there are plenty of activities geared towards fostering the growing leadership and cooperation skills in your children and students.

From contrived treasure hunting escapades, to the general, time-tested physical activities, setting up a friendly and competitive atmosphere leads naturally to a system of rewards for achievement. It’s important to focus on the fun your kids will have, and not emphasize the skill necessary to come in first – although this is a natural aspect of every game.

Ideally, the activities you choose will involve both physical and mental aspects of behavior. Many of these activities will work for students of ages 4 to 11.

Playing for Fun versus Playing to Win

A well-liked pastime of being a kid is Frisbee, using stopwatches and marked-off areas to help highlight the lax rules of the game. For added fun, awards can be placed off to the side for the winning teams. You should implement a system of first place, second, third, and so on so that every team of children gets a chance.

Such field day activities are hardly limited to Frisbee. You can employ makeshift accessories like empty soda bottles, inexpensive, store-bought plastic eggs for an impromptu treasure hunt – there has never been a generation of children not down for a treasure hunt – marbles and jacks for the classic game, Hula Hoops and much more.

There’s such a variety of games that you never need to have the same one twice for your current generation of students. You can’t stress enough the main goal of having fun, but with a consistent strand of competitiveness in each game. The fancy acrylic awards you have should serve as reminders of what’s at stake.

Specific Field Day Activities Shooting free-throws in the game of basketball is precisely the kind of field-day activity tailor-made for children of all ages, who are just about strong enough to manage it. Separate lines should be made for the boys and girls, and even for different levels of skill as judged by the teacher.

For some variety and less gender-specific field day activities, you can set up classic games like miniature golf for the kids, or bowling by using the soda bottles as pins and finding a safe, hefty ball-substitute – a basketball does quite nicely. A soccer ball and softball also work, of course.

A more involved activity, if you can secure the small amount of funding necessary, is to make use of a swimming pool and have the third-graders dive for plastic eggs. This pool can also double as a “pond” from which to catch fake fish (or fish substitutes like ping pong balls). Using groups of separate teams, each student can have a time-allotted period to catch as many as they can, with the winner receiving an award.

Some of the big events can happen near the end of the day such as the Long Jump, the High Jump, and the Relay Team Race. These races are generally for the older kids, and create a lot of buzz around the campus. These events also take a lot of practice before hand, that the students usually partake in during Physical Education or gym class during school hours.

The beauty of these field day activities is that there’s a lot of variation possible with each one, allowing you to put your own spin on them for your third-graders.

Sun Sea & Safe Swimwear

Summer heat is  here and soon school will be out.  Outdoor activities are waiting for us to enjoy and that would always include swimming.  My kids are very happy that they have new swimsuits.    These swimwear are not  ordinary swimwear because they are made   excellent protect from the harmful  effects of the  sun's UV radiation.  It has UPF 50+ or Ultraviolet Protection Factor.  Using this kind of swimwear is a positive step towards decreasing  the risk of skin cancer.

Platypus Australia is really generous to sent me two pairs of swim wear for my kids for FREE in exchange of my honest opinion and fair review.  They sent me  the following items:

1.Sonic Wave Sunset Kids Set  for my son
- The set includes a boy short sleeve rash shirt and a jammer short set.
- This fashionable sum protective swimwear cost $49.95 USD
-The fabric is Italian Matt Nylon DuPont Lycra
-ultra  chlorine resistant
-UV Protection  = Maximum UPF 50+

2.  Kids Empire Swimsuit  for my daughter.
- The kids empire swimsuit  cost $39.95 USD
-The Girls Empire Swimsuit is a superior quality,  fashionable, and a  Sun Protective Swimwear.
- Fabric used is Italian Matt Nylon DuPont Lycra
- Ultra Chlorine Resistant
- Quick Drying
- Breathable
- Sun Protection = Maximum UPF 50+.

3.  and Kids Shortie Boardie
- It cost 35.95 USD
- Superior quality fashionable co-ordinated
-Sun Protective Swimwear
-  Fabric used is Microfibre 100% Polyester
- Ultra Chlorine Resistant
-  Quick Drying and Breathable
-  Sun Protection = Maximum UPF 50+.

Do you see her big birthmark on the right side of her back?  When I first saw that when she was a baby, I thought it was a dead skin so I scrubbed and scrubbed and I realized that it's a birthmark.

 
Here's a short video that my kids  did   showing their gratitude to  Platypus Australia.

Check them out if you want  some Sun Sea and Safe Swimwear for your  sweethearts!

Disclaimer:  Products mentioned above are received  for FREE.  No monetary compensation was receive in facilitating the review.

Gardening with My Kids

My two children love gardening as much as I do.  Whenever they are at home and I have some gardening  to do, they are always  lending  their hands to help which is  a fun activity for all of  us.  Last year, I let them  plant some corn and   they  witnessed how it grew, bore  fruit, and  for the most fun part is watching them harvest  what they planted.  It was truly memorable,  so this year, they asked if they can plant corn again.  We bought a pack of sweet corn seeds and  the kids planted it last Sunday.   Below are the photos I took of them from last year.

In planting corn, you will need the corn seeds and shovel.  Here are some steps that we did:

1. Bought a pack of corn seeds.
2. Soak it overnight before planting.
3. Dig a hole about two inches deep and  add three corn seeds in each hole.
4. Make sure to make two or three rows.  With our  space, we only made one row which  still works but the more rows of corn  you have, the better.

You can see how proud my kids are in harvesting their  corn.

I am into  gardening so watching the videos  from The Gro Project helps me gather ideas on what to  do for my next project.    They have  fun garden projects that even beginners like me  can easily do.  Now, if you have an account at Pinterest and you would like to get some fresh ideas  for gardening, follow Miracle-Gro  and get  updates with their fun projects.  They have expansive library online that consist with  videos and articles full of expert gardening tips.  Last year, I encountered some  uncommon bugs at my garden and  watching  some of the videos helped me solve the said problem.  

5 Exercise Ideas for the Whole Family

Keeping active and fit is important for kids and parents alike, so what not get the family together for some fun-filled fitness activities that will take the boring parts out of exercise and replace them with excitement, enjoyment and family bonding. Here are 5 great ideas for physical activities you can do with the whole family.

Explore the Outdoors

There’s a whole world at your doorstep, full of natural beauty and breathtaking scenery, majestic flora and intriguing fauna. By exploring the outdoors you’ll get to experience the beauty outside your own backyard and teach the kids about the natural world. An appreciation for nature is more and more important as our everyday lives become more technologically focused and we forget to “stop and smell the roses”. Getting outdoors and into nature presents lots of great options for physical activity. You can explore on foot, cycle through local bike tracks, try your hand at mountain biking, or how about exploring your local lakes, beaches or waterways by kayak, canoe, paddle board or surfboard. The possibilities are almost endless and getting active with your family in the fresh air promotes health and well being not just physically, but mentally too.

View this post on Instagram

The kids asked me last night to take them for a long walk, so today I woke them up at seven and we head down at St. Paul Cemetery. It was a really good bonding for us all. Then I made #blueberry #pancakes when came 🏡. #activeLifestyle #FamilyWalks #WeekendBonding #FitnessMotivation💪

A post shared by Chubskulit Rose (@chubskulitrose) on Jun 16, 2018 at 6:46am PDT

Backyard Games

Put aside some time as often as you can to spend some quality time engaging in play with the family. Whether in your yard, at the beach or the nearest park it’s fun and healthy to play games and sports that require some running, jumping, chasing and laughing. Backyard cricket or throwing the football around are simple ways to get everybody active and involved. Handball or Frisbee, tag or dodge-ball, soccer or hockey, duck-duck-goose, or even a water fight – there’s no end to the fun you can create together. It’ll get everybody moving, laughing, and bonding.

View this post on Instagram

Fun activity idea for kids this summer, garden #badminton🏸 . Bought a complete set with 2 rackets, 2 shuttlecocks, and net. Not bad for under twenty bucks. #familyFun #FunActivity #LetKidsBeKids #summerfun☀️

A post shared by Chubskulit Rose (@chubskulitrose) on Jun 11, 2018 at 8:11am PDT

Make Family Outings Physical

It’s the weekend and the kids are bored, you want some time out of the house, the whole family wants to go out and spend some time doing something fun. Instead of low-energy activities like going to the movies or eating out, try making your family outings physical, like abseiling, snorkeling  ice skating, indoor rock climbing, surfing lessons – there are so many exciting options. You’ll have lots more fun and the kids will enjoy the challenge of coming up with new activities to try out. For those days when a movie or a restaurant meal is just too tempting to miss, how about walking or cycling there instead? Try to incorporate a bit of movement into every outing.

Charity Runs and Rides

Get the family involved in a local fun run, charity ride or other physical challenge that supports a good cause. This will provide a little more motivation and will be a really rewarding experience for parents and kids alike. You’ll not only be getting exercise but you’ll be helping others and doing it together. You might even like to work as a team to create your own charity sporting event and get the whole neighborhood involved to raise money for a cause.

View this post on Instagram

After playing #badminton, we went to St. Joe’s and help with the rummage sale. We will go back again tomorrow. We’re making summer break worthwhile. If you guys wants to find neat stuff, come at St. Joe’s gymnasium in June 14, 15, 16. They have so many things from furniture to collectible stuff, you name it. #charity #rummageSale #donation

A post shared by Chubskulit Rose (@chubskulitrose) on Jun 11, 2018 at 10:16am PDT

Active Console Games

If you just don’t feel like getting out and about, there’s no shame in spending an afternoon on a games console if you’ve got some physical games to play. There are lots of games available now that promote movement and fitness. These type of games get players to interact with the game using movement rather than sitting with a control pad, and lots of them have multiplayer options so everybody can get involved. It’s easy, great fun, and you never have to leave the comfort of the family home. Whether it’s Melbourne bike shops or Cairns scuba centers  Brisbane gaming stores or Sydney skating rinks, Australia is teaming with an endless array of venues that are just waiting to help you with everything you need for your new family hobbies. There’s so much to try and so much to do, so don’t waste any more precious time in front of the TV, get the family outside and launch yourselves into life.

First Communion Ceremony

I am way behind in posting the events in our family.  As the weather is getting warmer each day, my time in blogging is limited.  May 5th was Ms. Burrito's firs Holy Communion, it was a very    nice ceremoney for the communicants and for the families.  

There are some students who were not from  the school but they attended CCD (religious  study during Sundays at the St. Joe's).  It's kind of sad that Religion is not being taught in public school anymore.

The ceremony took  more than two hours since there were plenty of communicants.  The  communion rites includes  renewing baptismal vows,  taking the  holy bread and wine, and  handing  the certificates and  pinning a cross on their  dress.

My son was once again being a goof ball.  When I was pinning the cross on Ms. Burrito, the crowd was cheering so I wondered why because I did not know.  Here, my son was dancing in front of so many people lol.

It was a really nice ceremony for all.