Monday, October 5, 2015

::. REVIEW : How To Start A Mom Blog .::

I recently had the opportunity to read the e-book How To Start A Mom Blog by Cat Clutchey and Katrina M Thom of Thinking Outside The Sandbox, a family and business blog. I have had my blog since 2008, and I really wish I had been able to read this book first. There is just SO much great information. However, the information is relevant for current bloggers as well.

Cat and Katrina break everything down for you in easy, chronological steps. They take you through the thought process of whether you want to blog for pleasure, for money or for both. What's even better, they set you up for success and give you the tools to set your blog up to make money even if you aren't sure if you want to make money with your blog to start with. That way, you can always go back and make money with it later if you so choose.

Topics in the e-book include:

Why Do You Want To Blog?
Topics/Niches
How Much Does Starting A Blog Cost?
Blogging Platforms
Hosting
Theme/Layout
Names/Intro To Branding
Logo
Branding
Domains/Trademark
Social Media

Writing

This ebook has encouraged me to revamp my blog and get it started again. I had forgotten why I started blogging in the first place until I read their book. The encouragement and straight-forward information makes the book easy to understand and you don't feel overwhelmed after reading it. It's not "too" much information. I look forward to reading their next book!

You can purchase your copy of How To Start A Mom Blog here:

How To Start A Mom Blog

** DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links. Even though I may receive compensation for my posts or advertisements, I always give my honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.**

Sunday, August 31, 2014

::. Another Kids Academy ~ Kids App Review .::

I was asked to download and review a few of the education apps made by Kids Academy over at Sverve. I was honored and excited to have the opportunity again.

The first app I reviewed was 123 Tracing.

This app is probably one of my favorites. Your child gets to trace letters to learn them, as well as collect fireflies along the path and then the fireflies are deposited into their jar. The jar then fills up as they progress through the alphabet, which is a perfect way to keep kids motivated not to give up and to keep trying if they have trouble with a letter. It also has the option of creating multiple profiles if you have more than one child using the app. You can even track your child's progress along the way to see just how well they are doing. I like this option because you can let them play independently and then check how they did later.

The next free app I downloaded was Preschool and Kindergarten Learning Kids Games.

This app uses an award system, which is really cool. As your child performs tasks correctly, they are rewarded through a star system. I love that positive reinforcement is used in a fun way to encourage learning. The app has two levels of difficulty and features dotted line letter tracing and writing letters independently. The instructor speaks in a soft, clear voice and teaches little ones how each letter should sound when used in a word. I really like the fact that this app works to develop good handwriting skills by teaching children to write in uppercase and lowercase letters.

The final app that I downloaded was Learn To Read & Write Kid Puzzles.

This app combines a variety of different games to teach children to rhyme, do mazes and learn uppercase letters. In the maze section of this app, my son walked a dog to the end of the maze where there was a prize for the dog. He loved playing with the dog and making him run into the sides of the maze. In the rhyming game of this app, my son had to walk the dog to the object that rhymed with an object that the dog was thinking. The last section of this game taught my son to write his uppercase letters by tracing.

I really enjoyed trying out these apps. Kid's Academy has impressed me once again!

** This post was sponsored by Kids Academy via Sverve. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

::. Kids Academy ~ Kids App Review .::

I was given the opportunity to try and review this app for my 5-year old son, who just finished Kindergarten and will be going into the First Grade in August.

+++++ Featured by The Guardian +++++
Based on the proven Montessori learning method, Kids Academy develops spelling, writing and reading skills through fascinating games!

This app is created to make fun more educational! The app goes beyond simply great graphics and beautiful music by engaging children to learn preschool basics through intriguing game play. Geared towards children between the ages of 2-5. Toddlers will start with easy tracing by collecting fireflies in a jar and will move gradually to tracing requiring more developed fine-motor skills.

The basic skills in this app are foundations for reading, writing and arithmetic operations. Appropriate hints are provided to support your children as they practice and build their skills.

+++Features+++
* Curriculum developed and reviewed by preschool education expert
* Delightful animations will help your children learn letters and words in a fun and engaging way
* Frequent repetition designed to help children learn numbers and their sequence
* Aligned to Kindergarten Reading Foundation skills of Common Core Standards
* Animated flashcards to teach your kids letters and words
* A rich, exploratory environment filled with surprises
* Funny, bright, creative artwork
* Your children can interact with the app at their own pace
…and more!

Set the stage for reading success with this delightfully interactive educational app!

It is a great app for my son, because even though he knows his alphabet and the phonetic sounds, he has a hard time with his handwriting being sloppy. So, the tracing aspect of the app allows him to practice with positive reinforcement. He loved getting the fireflies when he did a good job and it persuaded him to take his time rather than rushing through like he normally does. The Montessori way of teaching is PERFECT for him and Kids Academy does a great job of incorporating everything into a fun experience for kids. A+ Kids Academy!

** This post was sponsored by Kids Academy via Sverve. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

*** Images via Kid Academy website (http://www.kidsacademy.mobi/)

Become a fan of the iTunes and App Store pages on Facebook for exclusive offers, the inside scoop on new apps and more. App can also be purchased at iTunes or Amazon.
iTunes
Amazon

Sunday, April 13, 2014

::. 2nd Annual Great Spring Cloth Giveaway ~ Over $400 in Prizes ! .::

2nd Annual Great Spring Cloth Giveaway. Over $400 in Prizes!

It is finally spring. Those of you in who have dealt with TONS of winter weather (like me) know I really mean finnnnnallllly. The weather is getting warmer, wetter and none of those pesky mosquitoes are out yet.

Let’s celebrate by launching the 2nd Annual Great Spring Cloth Giveaway. This year we came back bigger (not badder) and more awesome than last year.

From April 14 – May 5th you can enter to win an amazing cloth diaper prize pack with everything you need to start cloth diapering or just expand your stash.

Prize includes :

20 pocket style cloth diapers
wipe cubes
Goodmama wipe cloths
Bumble multiuse zip up bags
an amber teeth necklace/anklet set
and some other fabulous cloth diaper goodies.

When I said the prize pack would include everything you will need to start cloth diapering – I meant it.

A quick thank you goes out to the amazing businesses and bloggers who helped sponsor the event.

Great Spring Cloth Giveaway is hosted by Thinking Outside The Sandbox: Family, Flip Size Canada and From The Stash.

Special thanks to the following businesses/bloggers for helping with shipping costs (this prize box is going to be HUGE!) –

A Mother’s Design, The Inquisitive Mom, Creative Kids, Surviving Chaos, Your Modern Family, Zephyr Hill, Cloth Diaper Contests, The Anti June Cleaver, More Than A Mom of Three, The Parenting Patch, Jenn’s Butterfli Bowtique, Thinking About Cloth Diapers, Livin' La Vida Eco and Housewife Mama.

How do I enter this amazing giveaway?

Enter using the Gleam widget below. One lucky winner will win everything. Enter as many (or as few) times as you would like.

Good Luck! The Great Spring Cloth giveaway is open to both USA and Canada.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

::. $300 Cash Giveaway .::

Welcome to the $300 Cash Giveaway!

Sponsored by Michael Phillip Cash.

Schism was recently chosen as a BOTYA 2013 Finalist in Science Fiction. To celebrate, Michael Cash would like to offer a everyone a chance to win $300.

On the planet Darracia, an ever-widening social gap between its inhabitants is causing turmoil that is fracturing a once peaceful world. Struggling with his identity, nineteen year old Prince V'sair must harness the power of the elusive Fireblade, the secret to a warrior's heart, in order to overcome his uncle Staf Nuen's lust for supremacy. Will the energy of the Elements guide the young prince to his true destiny or will Staf Nuen conquer Darracia?

Dii, an Amazon reviewer said:

"Does intolerance of people’s differences go beyond our planet? What of jealousy and the quest for power? Is it thicker than blood? Schism by Michael Phillip Cash is a fascinating and intense dark fantasy/Sci-fi filled with everything that makes for excellent, magnetic reading! Prejudice, love, greed, trust, the lust for power, deceit, cruelty and bloodshed, it’s all here in the first book of what looks to be an amazing journey to another planet somewhere in the heavens.

The ever-widening gap between the different classes is causing unrest to the once peaceful plant of Darracia, the haves get more, the have-nots lose what little they have and are beginning to fight back. Considered inferior to those around him, young Prince V’sair struggles to be seen as warrior material, in spite of his smaller stature and different skin coloring. He is a half-breed, part Darracian, part Planta. Smart, filled with knowledge from books, he still longs to feel the power of the Elements in the Fireblade, a weapon that can only be wielded by one blessed with a warrior’s heart. Forbidden to risk his life in a quest to find the powerful weapon, V’sair chafes at being trapped between wanting to help his people and needing to obey the King and Queen. But there is more to the unrest among the classes than meets the eye. Someone nearby is a traitor and it may be up to V’sair to save his world, but how? Unprepared for what awaits him outside of his castle, V’sair finds strength in love, honor and in believing in himself as he stands against the odds and the evil betrayers around him.

No doubt about it, Michael Phillip Cash can build a world with depth and clarity and then populate it characters that one can see in their minds. Soar above the clouds on a flying horse-type creature, feel the tension, feel the fear and wonder of V’sair as he runs into danger, faces near death and the love of a girl whose skin is as red as his is blue. Mr. Cash introduces each character with ease and enables the reader to see who to watch for, who to root for and who to hiss at. He has created magic with his words that transport you into another world as good battle evil in the takeover of Darracia and a boy becomes a warrior with heart. As the foundation from which this series will build, Schism is a powerful testament to the power of the imagination when guided by a masterful storyteller."

Book 2, Collision: The Battle for Darracia (Book 2) (The Darracia Saga) is now available on Amazon.

After the success of his first three books (Brood X, Stillwell, and The Hanging Tree) Michael Phillip Cash is fulfilling a dream and creating his own epic fantasy world. The third book in the series is coming soon!