Author: Erin Sluka

Children's Books, Education, Kids

PJ Library LISTEN: free family-friendly audio stories and video streaming

Erin Sluka

This is a sponsored post with PJ Library. I have chosen to partner with them as an Ambassador for 2020

Looking for a few good books to change up your family’s bedtime story routine? Introducing Jewish stories and traditions is free and fun within the PJ Library LISTEN hub.

This year, make a resolution to bring great, award-winning and meaningful entertainment to your children through PJ Library’s numerous fee-free offerings – from the new streaming entertainment hub, PJ Library LISTEN, to receiving monthly age-appropriate books through PJ Library.

Launched in January, PJ Library LISTEN is a fee-free curated streaming hub for family-friendly audio and video entertainment. With one click, families may access hours of audio stories, themed musical playlists, animated videos and the 24/7 PJ Library Radio channel. New and seasonal content will be added to PJ Library LISTEN every month.

The children’s literature and music experts at PJ Library select the content for PJ Library LISTEN. Picture books by authors like Jennifer Rosner and Bara Bat-Shem come to life in animated videos. The curated playlists feature songs for most any occasion: back to school, bedtime and family dance parties by children’s music stars Joanie Leeds, Mister G and Josh and the Jamtones as well as artists like Nefesh Mountain, Rick Recht, and a special upcoming playlist featuring Lisa Loeb.All the content is available anywhere, anytime, and with no fee or sign-up required.

“PJ Library LISTEN offers families a wealth of entertainment options, and parents can trust that the content is safe and worthwhile,” notes Meredith Lewis, director of content for PJ Library. Monthly new musical selections reflect modern styles and content consistent with Jewish values, according to Lewis.

PJ Library January Books

For parents seeking to share the very best-in Jewish storybooks with their children, PJ Library is an award-winning program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation which sends more than 220,000 books per month to families raising Jewish children across North America. PJ Library is a fun, easy way to introduce kids to Jewish traditions, culture, and values through expertly curated, age-specific monthly selections, for children ages 6 months to 8 years old. The experiences changes for kids at age 9 when they graduate to PJ Our Way and get to choose their own book each month.

To sign up for the free monthly program or partake in a wealth of activities, recipes and parenting articles, as well as a new podcast for kids: “Have I Got a Story for You,” visit pjlibrary.org

FOR FAMILIES SEEKING TO RECEIVE THE VERY BEST OF JEWISH CHILDREN’S LITERATURE EACH MONTH,LOOK NO FURTHER THAN AWARD-WINNING PJ LIBRARY

2020 Home Series, 2020 Valentine's Guide, Food/Beverage, Home

Wine Nook is the Better Way to Serve Wine Drinks to Your Guests

Erin Sluka

When you have company to serve, boxed wine is always a great value. But boxed wine looks like….well, a box of wine. If you have worked hard to make your home and dinner appealing to your guests, take that bag of wine from its box and put it in the Wine Nook.

Starting from the top, the Wine Nook has a sturdy carrying handle so you can transport your wine drinks from room to room or inside to outside.

Changing bags is as easy and pulling up the front plate. When you get your Wine Nook delivered it will come with an empty wine bag so if you want to create your own beverages to dispense ( perhaps some Moscow Mule or Spiked Sweet Tea) you easily can and slip right on into your nook.

The feet are easily tightened on by you and it raises it enough in height to easily get stemless glasses under the spout our tilt a wine glass for dispensing.

The chalkboard label allows you to write your recipe and you get chalk with your purchase. If you don’t want to write your own messages, there are personalized art you can have added on with several designs to choose from.

The Wine Nook is a better way to serve wine and you have many colors and finishes to choose from. I have the Grey Metro design. Order your Wine Nook today for your gatherings or as a perfect gift for any wine lover. Foe every Wine Nook that is purchased they will plant a tree as they are partnered with NationalForests.org.

Comment: I was sent product so that my feature can be authentic and my own original thoughts for you.

Apps, Healthy Living, Tips and Tricks

Mental Fitness is the new Physical Fitness and Bloom App is Your Therapy

Erin Sluka

Anxiety! It’s a word I hear all too often. We are quick to call ourselves anxious and about anything or everything. Anxiety is why my relationship isn’t healthy; anxiety is why I didn’t get out of bed today. Is it?

Anxiety is real and we all show some form of it throughout our lifetime, but what if all we need is some help, some guidance? What if we are throwing the word ‘anxiety’ around too loosely or holding ourselves back because we can just say that word and get ourselves off the hook? What if we just need a different mind set or learn more positive self talk? Maybe we just need a little mental fitness for 2020.

Where do we start? Am I suffering from anxiety? Have I formed a negative mind set? Is it a bit of both? Can I do more and live better? Yes! How? I found this new amazing app called Bloom and I am hooked. It’s like a digital therapist in your pocket or like self-therapy. It’s guided video sessions with exercises that help you work on stress, anxiety and help you work on confidence, self-awareness and also purpose.

If you were to go to your Doctor, get a referral to see a Therapist, set that appointment and show up in office to talk with them it may start with, “How are you feeing today?” That’s where Bloom starts. (disclaimer: Bloom is not to replace a Therapist when one has been recommended). Bloom asks you How you are feeling today and you decide your mood, level of that mood and what you are feeling and then the session starts.

With guided sessions, including small note taking prompts, you get to learn more about positive self-talk, motivation tips, reducing stress, breathing techniques and so much more. Just follow along in your session with Mike as he becomes your digital assistant.

Who is holding you back? Is it you? Find out with Bloom. You should give it a try as your first 7 days of Bloom are free. A lot will happen in 7 days of Bloom!

Education, Parenting, STEM Learning

Greg Landry Homeschool Science

Erin Sluka

This post is sponsored by College Prep Science.

Greg Landry Homeschool Science

If the education you are providing for your child is missing a Christian base, this is for you. If you need another point of view to understand science topics or ACT prep, this is for you. If you are a Homeschool Mom or Dad looking for tools, this is for you.

Greg Landry is a homeschool science pioneer and offers online classes (for science leaning students and “non-science” students, science labs, ACT prep, a podcast for homeschool moms, and homeschool student-produced print publications.

Greg says he is first and foremost grateful. “The Lord has made me very aware of my need for a grateful heart. I’m grateful for a God who knows me and loves me (with all of my faults), for my family, for the thousands of homeschooling families I’ve had the privilege of  working with over the past 20 years, for the magnificence of His Creation, and for the trials in my life (James 1:2-4 ) that shape and mold me, humble me, produce perseverance, and mature me in my faith.”

Greg is a husband to his bride of 30+ years, a homeschool dad, and a former college professor. He and his wife homeschooled their two daughters. Both of them have graduated from college, and Greg says, “most importantly, both of them love Jesus. For that, we are very grateful.”  He grew up in French / Acadian South Louisiana (three of his grandparents were French speakers) and he loves the South Louisiana culture. At age 18 was invited to tryout with the Philadelphia Phillies baseball organization. He played baseball and football in college and holds a master of science degree from LSU (Louisiana State University).

He has a heart for students and a passion for science… but more specifically a passion for teaching students to see God’s hand in every aspect of His creation that surrounds us. His goal is to help them see that God’s creation didn’t just happen by chance – it wasn’t an accident, a fluke of nature.

Greg has spent the past 20+ years teaching science. He taught at a university, taught thousands of homeschooled students, has mentored students planning to pursue science / pre-med degrees, has designed and directed a university anatomy and physiology/biology cadaver lab, has published and presented scientific research, has academically counseled hundreds of college pre-professional (pre-med, pre-dental, pre-physical therapy, etc.) sophomores and juniors, has designed science labs for homeschooled students, and has written science lab manuals. 

Ten years ago he originated the “pre” classes (Pre-Biology, Pre-Anatomy & Physiology, Pre-Chemistry, and Pre-Physics) as a means of minimizing the intimidation of high school level science and preparing middle school age students for specific high school level classes. As one homeschool mom described it, “Greg has a unique ability to pull out the most important information and present it in a way that’s interesting and easy to understand.”

The thrust of Greg Landry homeschool science is to give homeschooled students access to Christian Worldview science that is focused on scientific inquiry, critical thinking, process reasoning, data collection, and the graphical and written representation of research. Greg says, “we want to prepare competent, confident students for their remaining high school years, their college years, and life. 

Greg and his wife live near Nashville, TN. His desire is to follow the Lord’s leading in teaching students to illuminate the incredible creation the Lord has put all around us. It reveals His glory! ​Homeschool dad, scientist, and former college professor, Greg Landry, offers live, online homeschool science classes, Homeschool ACT Prep Bootcamp, the Homeschool Mom’s Science Podcast, in-person two-day science lab intensives nationwide, freebies for homeschool moms, and student-produced homeschool print publications.