Archives for May 2020

Get the grades – how to check your work

Sometimes, we all need to take a step back from our own ego and admit that a little outside help can transform our own work from the ordinary to the extraordinary. Now, not every piece of work you produce needs to be checked and verified by NASA’s top minds. But when it counts, you need to know what you’re looking for and how to go about rectifying the errors. Otherwise, all your effort was for nothing. And there’s no worse feeling than being handed your graded paper to realise you’ve made several blindingly obvious mistakes that have blown holes in the deck of your otherwise buoyant prospects. With all of that in mind, you can always check out proofreading services – find out more – that can take out all of the hassle of checking your own work.  Otherwise, let’s continue.

Keep your style in check

One of the major problems that sees the grades of many essays dip lower than could have been helped is style and tone. It goes without saying that taboo words and other less than acceptable phrases should be avoided. But making sure that you don’t type like you speak isn’t just about leaving out bad language. Where your native sentence structure means you often use ten words where one will do, you will be left tying yourself in knots on the page, and it really shows. One could almost argue that you should aim for simple language rather than littering your work with attempts at phases and paragraphs that leave the reader thinking “I know I just read something, but for the life of me, I haven’t got a clue what this writer is going on about”. One of the common mistakes in this sense is overuse of the passive voice. Keep your sentences ‘active’ for an instant improvement.

Grammar gives away the game

If your grammar isn’t the type of thing you hear on the news or read in textbooks, you may have some learning to do. Poor grammar will single you out as someone who can’t be bothered to learn the correct way to speak and write in your native language – why should the reader believe a lazy person has anything useful to say? Help with grammar online is widespread. But as a little bonus, try to remove all uses of “then”, “so”, and “just” in your professional work. These words are generally used to link wordy sentences, where two sentences would work better.

If you would like to read more about doing your college classes from home while the children are home, check out this post: https://socalcitykids.com/how-to-balance-your-master-of-liberal-studies-program-while-the-kids-are-home-for-the-holidays/

Springtime Fun for the kids!

It’s Spring! I know it is a different world today than it was last Spring so many of these ideas are products that can be used at home.

Do your children like to make Slime? If so, this will be a hit! Demeter Fragrance, a leader in producing fragrances guaranteed to make you smile, is excited to announce the launch of SlimeScent! Now, kids of all ages can stretch and mold their favorite slime enhanced with the popular smells of Jasmine, Lychee, Dark Chocolate, Pixie Dust, Kitten Fur, Vanilla Cake Batter, Asian Pear, Dragon Fruit, Monk Fruit, Butterscotch, Lavender and Sunshine! With SlimeScent, your slime can be as unique as you are. Each SlimeScent portion is ready to use, right from the bottle. By combining different SlimeScent, slimers can now create their own Signature SlimeScent, taking slime to a whole new, fun level! Now, how cool is that?! I think kids will find it pretty cool! Find them here.

Traditional Face painting can be messy and requires artistic skills, but not with Face Paintoos. Easy to apply and easy to clean, Face Paintoos will give your kids professional face paint in minutes, helping them to spend hours dressing up in costumes and role-playing. Who said you could only wear costumes on Halloween?  Dress up and transform into fun animals with Face Paintoos to create all kinds of stories with your kids. I love how easy this is to use and so much fun! The Face Paintoos Wild Pack can be found on Amazon.com.

Start an enchanted science project with your kid and take them step-by-step on how to plant a magical garden for fairies. My Fairy Garden Nature Cottage is a flowerpot that comes with everything you need to create a new fairy world; watering can, gardening tools, soil, seeds, and a cottage to house fairy Isla and her friends. This is just adorable! Perfect for children 4 and up. My Fairy Garden Nature Cottage can be found at Walmart.

Fuzzikins are adorable and are fun to color! They are easy to change too! If you simply want to design them differently, all you have to do is rinse them in warm water, let them dry and then simp;y re-color! They also can be found on Amazon.com.

Do you want to see your child’s inner artist come out? This is also something fun for them to do during this pandemic. This next item is a great way to have your child get creative!

Diamond painting is the new creative hobby that’s taking the arts and crafts world by storm.

Diamond Art Kits are the perfect gift for the crafty kids in your life. As they place the diamonds one-by-one, the hours fly by as they channel their creativity into a stunning finished masterpiece. This one is also fun for adults! Find out more here.

Self Disclosure: I received free samples of the above items. Images were also provided. I highly recommend all items listed in the post.

Whiskers, May 7th Pet of the Week!

The most magnificent animals are found in the most dreadful situations. Frightened little Whiskers was found in a box at one of the train stations! You should see him in person—he has gorgeous black-and-white medium-length fur and the most beautiful, long, white whiskers we can remember seeing. He’s having a tough time adjusting to a kennel environment, and he’d be so much better off in a loving, supportive home. Because the shelter is closed to the public, adoption appointments are conducted through email, so contact AnimalRescue@longbeach.gov to meet Whiskers. Ask for ID# A642071

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(This rescue encouraged by the usual suspects.)

The perfect book for young children this Mother’s Day

As Mother’s Day approaches, this picture book is a must-buy for young children, YOU BE MOMMY (written by Karla Clark, illustrated by Zoe Persico, published by Feiwel & Friends, ages 2-6). Playful and rhyming, the story follows a wiped-out mother as she requests a role reversal with her young child. It’s a delightful story about a tired-out mother that lets her rambunctious toddler have a turn being the parent at bedtime in this humorously charming debut picture book—perfect for Mother’s Day!

Find out more here.

Self Disclosure: I received a free copy of the above book to facilitate this post. Images were also provided.

Shopping tips for children’s glasses

Children are fickle beasts. Take meal time, for example. One day, they love pizza. They adore pizza. They sing and smile about pizza while eating it by the fist full. Pizza is definitely a winner. Then, towards the end of the week, the exact same pizza is put in front of them and you’d think world war three had been announced. The tears. The anger. The inconsolable anguish. So, what changed? The answer is nothing. Bringing up a child is like bringing up a small drunk psychopath. Good luck second guessing them. However, second guess them we must when it comes to eye glasses. Vision is important. Kids who can’t see clearly can’t learn clearly. And that can affect mood, outlook, self-confidence, and … yeah, it’s not a great list of outcomes. That’s why getting the choice of frames right is key. And we think we’ve cracked it. You need lighter frames.

Children and lighter frames

Even in adults, lighter frames are nowhere near as noticeable as bulkier chunky frames. Ultimately, lighter frames present less of a fashion statement. They become more of a tool for seeing and reading rather than being seen as a daily demand or rule (which is how some children towards the more precocious end of the personality scale – which is to say, all of them – will view the repeated instruction to wear their glasses). Lighter frames are also more likely to be forgotten when in use. As opposed to much larger frames that will present an opportunity for children to fiddle, lighter frames are sort of set-and-forget technology, delicately perched on the nose and largely forgotten about throughout the day.

Light frames are harder to break when you think about it

This takes a leap of imagination, but picture the scene if you will. Two children drop their glasses onto the hard surface of a school hall or playground. Another child running by absentmindedly kicks the glasses as they hit the floor, propelling them across the ground and into a brick wall. Now. Which of a thick pair of glasses and lighter frames do you imagine will stand more chance of breaking? Bingo. The heavier frames will break, the lighter frames will bounce and survive. Children are walking disaster zones. Glasses will be dropped. Glasses will be kicked. Glasses will be lucky to survive the whole school year. Choose light frames and save money on replacements.

Thinking of sunglasses? Find out more here!

Books of the Day!

PLASTIC SUCKS! How YOU Can Reduce Single-Use Plastic and Save Our Planet by Dougie Poynter: How can YOU help save our planet? This awesome and inspiring guide, written by musician and environmental activist Dougie Poynter, will tell you how to get involved in the mission to cut out single-use plastic. I love this one and recommend it to families!

SOLAR STORY: How One Community Lives Alongside the World’s Biggest Solar Plant By Allan Drummond: In his signature style, Allan Drummond tells the story of the largest solar plant in the world, the Noor Solar Power Plant in Morocco’s Sahara Desert, in Solar Story–by relating it to the everyday life of a schoolgirl in a small village next to the plant. An engaging story that I found quite interesting!

THE BEAR’S GARDEN by Marcie Colleen; illustrated by Alison Oliver: An inspiring picture book about one little girl whose creativity, dedication, and imagination turns a vacant lot in a city into a beautiful community garden. This is a delightful story that young children will love to read!

WE ARE WATER PROTECTORS by Carole Lindstrom; Illustrated by Michaela Goade: A powerful picture book that weaves an urgent call to action with a timely story about protecting nature’s most sacred resource from harm and corruption. I love this powerful story and highly recommend!

This one teaches a valuable lesson about not giving up and how to make a difference! STELLA DIAZ NEVER GIVES UP by Angela Dominguez:  From award-winning author Angela Dominguez, comes the novel Stella Diaz Never Gives Up, a story about a shy Mexican-American girl who becomes an environmental activist and makes a difference in her community.

Find them here.

Self Disclosure: I received free copies of the above books to facilitate this post. Images were also provided.

How to save money by living a sustainable lifestyle

With the world losing its forest cover, glaciers melting, and some animal species becoming extinct, going green and living a sustainable lifestyle is a popular trend. Leading a sustainable lifestyle will not only help our planet, but it will also save you money. Here is how to save money by living a sustainable lifestyle. 

  1. Recycling. You have probably heard about recycling, or you also recycle some things in your life. However, people still throw out items that should be recycled. According to studies, people trash about eighty percent of glass that should be recycled, and only nine percent of plastic is disposed of properly. You can change this by recycling things at home. You can save money by using recycling bins and reducing bag costs. 
  1. Electricity. How many times do you forget to switch off the lights when you leave for work? Leaving your computer on adds to your electricity bill and this costs a lot over time. Research shows that Americans use around twenty percent of the country’s energy and waste around seventy percent. Most of this wastage is due to leaving home appliances and other electronics on while you are away. 
  1. Composting. If you are a gardener, start composting. Composting can save you money that you use on fertilizers and dispose of waste. If you have enough compost, you will not need to buy fertilizer, and you will need fewer trash bags. You can add leaves and yard clippings to your compost to add to your savings. 
  1. Use cloth diapers. If you have a child, you can reduce the waste created by disposable diapers by re-using cloth diapers. Cloth diapers will save you a lot of money and also reduce your garbage. A baby goes through around 7,000 diapers. This may cost you a lot of money, but cloth diapers are cheap, and they last long. The laundry cost may increase, but the savings outweigh this cost.
  1. Replace your Toilet. If your toilet was manufactured in the 1980s, it uses an average of 15 gallons of water per flush. Replacing your old toilet with a modern one can save you up to $140 in your annual water bill. While the upfront cost may be high, it will eventually save you money and water. Some companies may also offer rebates when you replace your old toilet with a modern one.
  1. Line-dry your clothes. Get a drying rack or a clothesline to save both money and electricity. You have probably noticed that most dryers come with an Energy-Star rating because they use a lot of power. If you use an apartment dryer, you have to spend money every time you wash your clothes. A cloth line is cheaper and easy to maintain. Your clothes will also have enough air that keeps them smelling good. You will have to ensure that you do not install your line under a tree that is home to many birds. 

You can also check this soap saver bag article to learn how you can make your bathroom plastic-free.

Inspire Young girls with this Combo Journal and Coloring Book! ~Giveaway Opportunity!

Focusing on teen/tween girls ages 8 to 16, this deluxe coloring book and journal is designed to boost creativity and confidence. Each page brims with adorable patterns to color, such as flowers, stars, rainbows, and animals, combined with empowering phrases and journal prompts. This inspirational book features brand-new art from popular coloring-book author and designer Lindsay Hopkins of Pen & Paint Design Studio. Color, journal, and shine bright! This is such a delightful and inspirational book!

Visit Lindsay’s website: www.pen-and-paint.com

www.betterdaybooks.com

We have teamed up for a Giveaway! Two winners will win a copy of the book! To enter, leave a comment below. Deadline to enter is May 15th, 2020 at noon PST. Two winners will randomly be selected.

Self Disclosure: I received free copies of the above book to facilitate this featured post and giveaway. Images and information were also provided.