Tag: school

Back to School 2018, Fashion, Kids, Reviews by Anthony, Video Reviews by Anthony

Brooklyn Cloth Co. Surf and Skate Clothing Brand

Erin Sluka

I have partnered with Brooklyn Cloth for feature. Product was sent and opinions are my own

Brooklyn Cloth Co. Surf and Skate Clothing Brand

Recently Anthony received a few pieces of clothing from Brooklyn Cloth Co. and he fell in love with the styles. He is all sports and typically only wears shorts and sports brands tops, socks and hoodies. He loves basketball and loves the basketball style all year. So, it was a gamble to agree for clothing from a surf and skate clothing brand. To my surprise (and perhaps his) the pieces really excited him.

The very next day he grabbed the pair of Brooklyn cloth shorts and the Sherpa-lined jacket to wear to school. Even on warm days, he grabs hoodies and coats to school because his classroom gets chilly. I warned him he may be too warm in the sherpa-lined coat, but there was no talking him out of it even on a 70 degree day.

I think this may be my favorite top. The New York cotton hoodie has the sporty look he typically wears. It is called the Boy’s New York Fleece Hockey Jersey Hoodie. We visited NYC last summer and Anthony fell in love with the city. We will be going back again this summer for a conference and he is so excited. Having these New York branded clothing brings back those memories for him. Such as visiting the Statue of Liberty when we were there.

The top above is called the Boys’ White New York State of Mind Long Sleeved Tee. It looks so sharp on him and with print on the front, back and each sleeve there is something happening on this entire shirt.

The cloth shorts at Brooklyn Cloth Co. fit long like board shorts. I ordered Anthony medium shorts in boys as a 10/12 size he normally wears and they hung long like board shorts should. You can see each piece from the shorts and jackets and how they fit in his video below….

Connect with Brooklyn Cloth Co. on their website and follow on Facebook. You can find clothing for men and women too!

Back to School 2017, Education, Parenting

Are You First Day Ready For School?

Erin Sluka

There is no mistaking that if your kids aren’t headed back to school now, they will be soon – the stores are filled with supplies and sales and ads for back-to-school. The beginning of a new school year can be an especially challenging time for parents and children both, although for totally different reasons. For parents, making sure that kids are equipped with the supplies and everything they need to get organized and have a good year is usually the first challenge. Then meeting the teachers, checking out the classrooms, and assessing the curriculum for the year is next on the list.

 

We just completed our school shopping this week. We also moved to a new town this summer so yesterday I dropped off all papers to register my son in 4th grade at his brand new school. He is excited but also nervous too. The next step for us is to wait for the call on what teacher he gets and if it is the same of some new friends he has met in our neighborhood and on his soccer team.

For kids, the stress of the new school year can be a little different than what we experience as parents. Did you know that one in five children in the U.S. have learning and attention issues, like ADHD and dyslexia? Children with these types of challenges – many of whom have never been formally diagnosed – can feel especially stressed during the back-to-school season as they face new subjects, teachers and schools.

As the new school year approaches, we were excited to get personalized tips from the First-Day Ready Guide to help our kids make a great start. The Ad Council and Understood.org have partnered to promote ways children and their families can be First-Day Ready. Understood.org is offering a free First-Day Ready Guide to help parents with students at every age successfully manage back-to-school transitions. Understood.org is a free, easy-to-use online resource and community designed to support parents and caregivers of children with learning and attention issues.

Having a guide is so helpful. My stepsons are 19 and 24 so it’s been some time since I have sent a fourth grader off to school.

 

These back-to-school tips from the Understood.org website are an invaluable resource for getting on track and starting the year of on the right foot.  They helped my family; hopefully they can help yours too.

 

  • Planning early is important to help relieve stress.  Creating structure and routine around the start of the new school year—with checklists, calendars and other organization systems— helps prepare kids for class expectations. I loved browsing the Printable Back-to-School Downloads. I am a paper person so this helps me a lot. I also enjoyed the 9 Apps to Help Kids Manage Back-to-School Challenges so we can use them to have mini discussions at bedtime leading up to the first day of school.

 

You can also take your child on a school tour to help ease fears by showing them how to find their classroom, nearby bathrooms, the cafeteria and other important places the first week of school.  This can be a huge stress relief whether the child is new to the school or not. Just knowing where to go can help them feel more comfortable.  

 

  • Connecting with your child’s teacher early on benefits everyone and creates a great starting point for the new year.  This will give you an opportunity to share your child’s needs or learning style while expressing your support for the teacher and the challenges he/she may be facing with a new classroom full of students.  You will help create an atmosphere of cooperation while speaking up for your child and his or her challenges.

 

  • Finally, get support!  Many parents and students are going through the same experience. Understood.org and Understood’s Facebook page connect parents across the country to share information and learn from each other. You can also ask around your community and school to find other parents you can connect with.

So, no matter your child’s age or needs, this Back-to-School season can be a seamless transition and positive experience for both you and your children!  

If you could use some help getting started on the right foot this school year, Understood.org is a great place to start.  

All kids learn in different ways and at different paces. With the right support, all kids can thrive in school and in life.

Back to School 2017, Education, Gift Guides, Kids

Technology Learning with Marbotic Letters and Numbers

Erin Sluka

This feature is in partnership of Marbotics. Product sent for feature

Technology Learning with Marbotic Letters and Numbers

It is almost that bittersweet time. You looked ahead and wondered about the days your child will start school and here you are dreading those hours of sending them off with a backpack and lunchbox to learn all day. Will they be ok without naps in their own bed? Will they make friends? Will they meltdown at drop off? Will they adjust from their daycare to preschool and kindergarten ok? It is such a fun memory to make as they start school but that first attempt at letting them go as Mom and Dad. Let’s make sure they are prepared to learn! Let’s give them one less stressor to deal with and we can do that with Marbotic.

All you need is an iPad or a compatible Samsung Tablet and some free apps to download to make this learning at home start now. There are 3 sets to choose from – the full kit, letters or numbers. I have the Marbotic Smart Letters set. It comes with 26 letters and there are 3 letter games I can download for multiple ways to learn with letters and at all learning levels.

Includes 26 wooden letters and 3 different ‘Smart Letters’ educational apps`(available for free download). It is made to educate given that it was designed by education experts and teachers, crafted with quality materials, and inspired by the Montessori method. They will take traditional wood blocks and combine them with technology for play that teaches. 

I’d love for you to see it in action so here is the product video below. I have a 3 year old nephew who will get this set and he can learn all year before next years preschool days hit him. It is fun, even my 9 year old was caught sitting at the iPad placing letters on the screen and watching characters come move and teach.

The Marbotic sets are available in the US now on Amazon. Get yours today and start learning so they can start school prepared and with confidence. It’s a hard day for them too so let’s send them off ready to learn more!

Back to School 2017, College Bound, Gift Guides

School Supplies – Back to School with Bic

Erin Sluka

Thank you Bic for partnering and offering feature samples

School Supplies - Back to School with Bic

Aisles and aisles of pens and pencils. How do you choose? Your back to school list could be narrowed down by a school supply list sent for your child’s class or printed off college websites as a tool. But when it says pens and pencils there seems like so many of them. I am featuring Bic because I want to take just one brand and highlight some popular product so you can pick up the supplies that will be right for you before you even get to the store. Hopefully, this makes school supply shopping day go a bit quicker for you.

My son is heading into grade 4 and his supply list has common items like pens, pencils, glue sticks, scissors and I noticed that for the glue sticks and scissors they listed specific brands. In parentheses it said that these were ‘preferred’ brands because they are known to hold together and work best. The brand can mean all the difference. If I choose a generic brand I am buying the item again and sometimes a few times over in one school year so it really doesn’t save me in the end.

Bic is a trusted name and we have a son in college who specifically requests the Bic mechanical pencils. He has requested these since the middle of High School because he says they write better and last longer than other brands so Bic is always my brand I go to first. Above is the Bic Velocity Max Mechanical Pencils. These pencils have a wider eraser and a smoother, darker writing than the standard series.

Our youngest has had the Bic Marking set for well over a year now and they are still all together and write great. I love that this packaging doubles as a holding case. The color choices are great too. We are never left unable to find a shade we need. This set comes in fine point or ultra fine point.

Bic Gel-ocity pens. That is fun to say! These are retractable gel pens that dry extra fast and with minimal to no smearing. I love the fun colors too.

These Bic Intensity fine point pens are great for school projects. The ones I have are the Fineliner set. They work great for drafting and marking.

They write so smooth and with one child heading back to College these are great for him to have.

How convenient is the Bic 4 color Pen + Pencil? I attend blog conferences and meetings for the school and having 1 writing device that is a pencil + all 3 pen colors I would need is so fantastic to have on hand. It gives you a pencil with extra lead, eraser, red pen, black pen and blue pen all with a simple click to choose.

Another option for pens is the Bic Soft Feel varieties. These have such a comfortable and smooth grip. This makes writing much easier when you have to take a lot of notes. If your child will write essays or a lot at once, these are a fantastic item for their comfort.

So head on out and look for the yellow Bic packs for the pencils, pens and markers that you need for the back to school shopping chore you have. Follow Bic Pens on Facebook and Twitter to keep yourself updated o what is new and what is on promotion.