eBooks and Online Games for Kids

I have debated the benefits of introducing the computer to Aubrey for awhile now.  There is just something about sitting her in front of the computer to listen to books or play games that doesn't sit right with me.  I just want my daughter to go outside and play and get dirty and use her imagination!  But, she is almost 5, and it is now time to introduce some computer sites to her.  For the past few weeks, I have been researching appropriate and educational sites for her to be able to visit, and I am pretty excited to show them to her over the next few weeks!

The first site is REALLY exciting: http://storylineonline.net/  which is a program of the Screen Actors Guild.  This website is sooo easy to navigate, making it perfect for new Internet users.   It has a lot of appropriate children's books that are read by celebrities, like Betty White reading "Harry the Dirty Dog."  I was impressed with the way they brought the book to life.  None of the illustrations were changed, and some of the pictures were made to move with the tone of the story.  Also on the bottom of each book is a link to activities related to the book!  This may be my new favorite website!!!  

The next one is http://scootpad.com/.  It is full of educational games for kindergarten and elementary school children.  There is a parent section where I can customize what lessons I want her to learn or to reinforce what we have been working on.  It also has rewards for the kids.  I have it set up that once Aubrey earns 100 coins from doing activities, she will earn a mini Lala Loopsy doll set.  She is the kind of kid that works best when she has something to work towards.  

I think the biggest part of Aubrey using the computer, is the risks that go with her being online.  It is such a complex system, that it would be easy for her to get carried away quickly.  Therefore, I am establishing rules for computer use right away!

1.  Aubrey will need to earn time on the computer.  This can be done by helping with any "Mommy" task.  These are tasks that are not part of her normal chores.  Examples:  sweeping the floor, dusting, folding towels, and washing dishes.  These may seem like extreme tasks for a four/almost five year old, but Aubrey already enjoys helping me do these things.  She is so helpful, and usually asks for ways she can help me.

2.  All computer time will be monitored by an adult.  No exception.  Right now this is not that hard because the computer is in the kitchen at the desk, but I want to make sure that this is established right away.

3.  Only approved websites are to be used.  I have put a tab with Aubrey's name at the top of my browser with these websites.  

4.  Computer time is a privilege and will be taken away when necessary.  Aubrey is going through an attitude stage right now, and I think this will be a really good incentive for a change in behavior.

If anyone has any other suggestions on introducing the computer/internet to a child, I would appreciate your input!!

Cabinet Cleaning

This post has been sitting around for awhile, so I figured it was time to post!  

A month (or more) ago, I decided that I couldn't take my one kitchen cabinet anymore!!!  It was a mess and everytime that I went to get something out, I had to move everything around to get to it.  Plus, I kept seeing all these amazing and organized people on Pinterest that had their cabinets together, and I was jealous!  I don't have a pantry and really don't have a lot of cabinet space for staples, so I was at a loss of what to do!  I went shopping at IKEA one day and found my soultion.  The IKEA 365+ series was perfect for what I needed.  They are narrow and tall, so that I can fit many in a row and don't have to dig to find things.

Here is the before.  I know it's small and really crammed and a little embarrassing!

And here is the after.  Going through the cabinet, I found a LOT of stuff that was expired or had been sitting open, so those got tossed.  The rest was organized into the IKEA containers.  I found some cheap tupperware containers that didn't have lids and used those to sort oatmeal, easy mac, chocolate chips, and spice packets.   I also realized that I didn't buy enough of the IKEA containers and had to improvise with stuff I already had.  

One thing that I have always done and will share:  When you pour in things like mashed potatoes, rice, polenta, etc. cut the directions off the box and store in the container with that food.  I learned this the hard way when I forgot the amount of water needed to cook the oatmeal.

This project really should not have taken long, but I wanted to make cute labels.  I used my Cricut and cut labels out of spare velum.  I wrote out the labels (now I wished I had printed them on the computer) and used Contact paper to put them on.  So far, they are sticking really good.

Another nice thing about these containers is that they stack nicely on top of each other and don't slip around. The one and only problem I have is that my rice scoop doesn't fit down into the bottom half of the container to scoop out for the rice maker.  Just FYI, in case you make 3 cups of rice every week like me.

Now, I am not one to usually keep things organized for more that a week, but so far, my cabinet looks pretty similar to what you see here.  Things have been added, but I have been trying to keep it looking organized.  So far, so good!  Now I need to tackle the cabinet with canned goods and spices!

Today I am linking with:
http://joyfulstamper.blogspot.com/2012/10/inspire-me-fridays-79-anything-goes.html

Homemade Dry Erase Board

I will start off by saying I LOVE dry erase boards!!!  I feel that they are great for staying organized and communicating as a family.  And when they made dry erase calendars, I fell in love even more!  I used them when I was teaching and they were wonderful for the kids to learn to write on without wasting a ton of paper.  The only thing that I don't like about them is that they are not too attractive to have hanging around the house.  The ones with nice wooden frames around them are really expensive, and I just don't want to pay that much.  So when I found out that I could use a regular picture frame to create a really nice dry erase board, I couldn't wait to try it out. 

I went to Walmart and purchased an 11 x 13 frame for only $5.  I then used scrapbook paper I had around the house to make a background for my new dry erase TO DO board.  I wanted something that would coordinate with my kitchen so I could hang it in there. 

This project literally took me 10 minutes to make and looks pretty good.  And the best part is that I can switch things out whenever I get bored with it!

Here's the result, hanging in the kitchen:

And here is my list of TO DO's for today:

Now it's your turn to make a cute scrapbook-ish dry erase board for your home!  Good Luck!