Gymnastics & Ballet Fairy Garden Teacher Thank Yous

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This week, my 4 year-old completed gymnastics and ballet classes.  She chose to create fairy gardens as thank you gifts for her teachers.  Unfortunately, I didn't know much about creating floral arrangements, so I gathered my supplies and visited my friend, Roselyn to ask for help.  With her guidance and about $15, we created ballet and gymnastics themed fairy gardens.

Gymnastics Fairy Garden - property Tonya Freeman

Ballet Fairy Garden - property Tonya Freeman

     For the gymnastics fairy garden, I snatched up a $6 bucket from the equine section of Tractor Supply.  Then, I headed to the Dollar Tree where I found two types of floral wire, a bag of balloons  and a bag of potting soil.  To create the ballerina fairy garden, I picked up an aluminum mini loaf pan at the grocery store and ordered the musical ballerina jewelry box from www.sears.com.  The jewelry box was only $3.75 and shipped free to my local Sears store.  SCORE!   Grand total of supplies: less than $15 including tax!

      Roselyn provided the plants from her garden.  All the ones we used are succulents.  She also added a little potting mix and fertilizer when she helped my daughter arrange the plants in our planters. 


     Next, I convinced hubby to use the heavier floral wire and a couple bamboo skewers from my kitchen drawer to create uneven bars and a bar for the rings.  He secured the ends with hot glue. A piece of cord and 2 plastic bra strap rings (available at Jo-Ann Fabric) completed the rings.  For the trampoline, we used two types of floral wire and a balloon.  For directions, refer to this YouTube tutorial (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOdyJlhjuI.)

Gymnastics Fairy Garden Uneven Bars - property Tonya Freeman

Gymnastics Fairy Garden Rings - property Tonya Freeman

Gymnastics Fairy Garden Trampoline - property Tonya Freeman

       We finished the planters by printing a thank you note found on Pinterest ( http://pinterest.com/pin/479633429035346705/ ) and gluing it to a skewer.  (Our ballet garden has the same wording on the note, but it is printed over the logo of the dance studio.)

     Roselyn will be happy to know, we were able to keep her plants alive until we delivered them this week.  They were a big hit with our teachers --- hopefully, they will be with the fairies too!

Create Free Read Along Books for Read Across America Day

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      Today, Friday, March 2, 2012 is NEA Read Across America Day. 

                Reading is a favorite pastime in our household.  Books, magazines and e-readers are stacked in every room.  Each night, my husband and I read to our toddler, hoping to pass our love of reading on to her.  As she matures, I see that our work is not in vain.  She appears to love books as much as we do.

                Unfortunately, bed time stories are no longer enough to pacify our little one.  She also likes to spend time perusing her books with some autonomy.  For her third birthday, she received a children's e-reader and several electronic books as a gift.  During the months since, I frequently find her attentively listening as her electronic device reads books to her.  She is also mastering the letter, word and language games it offers.

                Another favorite of my toddler is read along books.  (They were the only thing she requested from Santa last year.)  Years ago, my husband and I enjoyed playing 45s on portable record players as we eagerly awaited the sound of chimes signaling us to turn the page of our favorite books.  Later the books came with cassette tapes.  The newer versions our child enjoys come with CDs or an MP3 download.

                In order to assist Santa in locating these items, I perused online book stores like Barnes and Noble and Amazon.  Both retailers stock read along books, but at prices ranging from $10-$30, it can be difficult to stock a library with them.  Dollar Tree stores can help round out read along book collections by offering a wide variety of religious and fairy tale CD books at $1 each.  Of course, there is a way to turn all your children's and even adult books into audio books for free.  All it takes is a little time and a home computer.  Here's how to make your own.

                First, open the Voice Recorder program on your computer.  (It's free software available on most Windows systems.  Then record yourself reading each page of your favorite book onto a separate track. i.e. 5 pages will equal 5 separate recordings.

                Next, open Windows Live Movie Maker.  (This is another free software application available on most Windows systems.)  Download each page's recording into the project task bar.  You may have to also insert a picture or text into the video track in order to get started.

                Between each page sound track, insert a sound effect track which will cue the listener to turn the page.  I like to use sounds like chimes or bells.  Several websites like www.soungle.com offer royalty free sound effects downloads at no cost.

                Then, save the completed project as a WAV file.  Some CD players will play WAV files.  If yours will.  You're done.  Burn a CD, slip in an envelope, and affix it to the inside cover of your child's favorite book to transform it to a read along version.  If your CD player does not recognize WAV files, or your child prefers to utilize his or her MP3 player, another step is required to convert the WAV into an MP3 file.

                Download a freeware WAV to MP3 converter online.  www.wavtomp3converter.com and www.free.mp3-converter.com are just a couple sites offering free downloads.  www.convertfiles.com/convert/audio/WAV-to-MP3.html  allows users to make the conversion without installing a new program.

                And that's it!  It may take some time to complete your first read along book, but once you get the hang of it, subsequent ones take only minutes.  I like to set aside a few minutes each month, to make CDs for the books my child already has.  I also encourage other family members to help me add to her collection by making recordings and emailing them to me for editing.

                On days, I'm feeling especially creative, I recruit grandma and grandpa to read books while chatting with us on Skype.  I use the VOD Burner program to record our conversation.  That way, I end up with a home movie and sound which can be edited into read along story for my little one.  *Note, VOD Burner software can be a little pricey (around $100,)  but it does come with a 14-day free trial.  If you utilize Skype frequently, it is well worth the purchase price. 

                Creating audio books and videos to encourage reading is a wonderful gift for your loved one.  Don't worry, the finished project doesn't have to be as slick as a professional recording.  Young readers will love yours more because you made it especially for them.

               

                In honor of Read Across America Day, I would like to give something back to my friends and neighbors in Buchanan County, Virginia.  I am providing free MP3 downloads I created for my daughter's Dolly Parton's Imagination Library books.  To obtain a copy to supplement your child's reading experience  contact me on Facebook to request an MP3 of their favorite story.  Happy Reading!                              

Unmentionables Heat Up Winter Days and Nights

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SmartWool Thong

          

    
   During winter months new snow blankets the ground and gives a fresh white cover to our surroundings and temperatures plunge.  As the mercury drops below freezing, we take many precautions to care for our homes, vehicles and even pets.  Don't forget to take time to check your unmentionables drawer and make sure to winterize it too.

            Because a larger percentage of men than women have jobs and physical pursuits that place them in the great outdoors for longer periods of time, it is understandable they have a larger selection of retail outdoor apparel.  But outdoor outfitters and manufacturers see the potential of the female consumer in this marketplace too.  Over the last ten years, we have seen an appearance of pink hunting gear on retailers' shelves.  Now a new trend is core layering foundation garments.

            Boxers, briefs, panties and bras are the items worn closest to the body.  It is necessary for these garments to perform as well as all the other heat preserving layers wearers pile on top of them.   So, what  should one know when lingerie shopping for individuals spending time exposed to the elements?

            First, decide what type of activity you will be doing while wearing these items.  If the answer is less strenuous activity that will not require you to sweat or get wet,  regular cotton undies and thermal underwear are great choices.  Most stores carry these items in a variety of sizes for adults and children during this season.  Carters markets one piece infant versions and Max Grey has designed a toddler separates currently available at Dollar Tree Stores.  Cotton does excel at providing extra layers of warmth, but fails in the water resistance test.  It acts like a sponge when wet and takes a long time to dry.

            If you plan on performing tasks which require more physical exertion, a good choice is a synthetic fiber blend found in pricier performance underwear.  Synthetic fibers wick moisture from the body and dry quickly.  Under Armor, Silvertec and Polarmax are just a few of the companies now making underwear that puts dad's old Fruit of the Looms to shame.  ExOfficio, Wickers, and Patagonia also market women's products in a few styles and colors.  The primary drawback to this product is the nature of synthetic fibers.  Man-made fiber tends to hold bacteria, so after a few wears a garment will emit  the perpetual funk of body odor even after laundering in detergents like Tide plus Febreze Freshness Sport, which is specifically designed to clean synthetic fabrics.

            Of course, when it comes to beating the cold, you just can't beat good old mother nature.  Foundation garments made from natural fibers like silk and wool are the best choices.  They effectively wick moisture,  are antibacterial, warm the body efficiently and feel luxurious against the skin.  WinterSilks markets 100% silk garments for men, women and children.  Icebreaker  and Ibex Outdoor Clothing weigh in with high quality 100% wool and some wool/synthetic blends.  They also claim that softer skin is an added benefit for wearers because the wool  releases its lanolin as it rubs against the body. 

            While performance unmentionables have not rocketed into the marketing stratosphere of Victoria's Secret, don't mistake their popularity.  At about the same price as items from the sexy lingerie chain, performance undies are making a play for part of the Valentine's Day retail market.   SmartWool is expecting some February 14 shoppers.  The company is now advertising its Microweight Thong in two colors: a sweet lavender and racy black.