Rock 'N Learn Review/Giveaway

"Cool Music and Videos for Fun Learning!"

Rock ’N Learn, Inc. has a goal to help children to learn while making it fun.  They inspire children to learn by pairing educational material with music and bright imagery.  They have sold numerous videos, DVDs, CDs,  as well as audio book programs worldwide over the years and they feature over  50 products.  Rock ’N Learn programs focus on the areas of  math, phonics, reading, early childhood, social studies, Spanish, test-taking strategies, writing, and science. 

Recently, I was given the opportunity to review some of the products from Rock 'N Learn.  As many of you know, in addition to being the mother of  2 and 4 year old girls I teach Junior and Senior Kindergarten.  I tested out "Getting Ready for Kindergarten" on my oldest daughter, as she is going into Kindergarten in the Fall and it was a hit.  The animated characters, Jill and Joey, kept her attention throughout the entire 45 minute DVD.   The video focuses on the skills that would be helpful for the children upon entering kindergarten. I liked it so much that I showed parents and children this DVD at Kindergarten Orientation this year.  At one point Joey demonstrates how to make his bed.  My daughter has been singing the song and making her bed ever since watching it.  Now, if only mom could follow suit.

                               

The other product I received was "Alphabet Exercise" which is a 37 minute exercise DVD.  Songs and creative moves are combined for each letter of the alphabet.  This is one of the best strategies available for teaching children.  In addition the letters, enrichment activities are provided for older children or those who already know the alphabet.  The physical nature of this DVD is very useful in both the classroom and at home and allows children to burn off some energy while playing.  As a teacher this is one of my favorite "rainy day" DVDs and the children love it! 

"Rock ’N Learn programs have received numerous awards such as Dr. Toy, Parents’ Choice, iParenting, National Parenting Publications, Learning Magazine Teachers’ Choice, Early Childhood News, National Parenting Center, and Parent's Guide to Children’s Media. Our programs lead in the areas of quality and customer satisfaction based on surveys of school supply stores."

Now for the great news!  Two Snugnluv readers will have the opportunity to win the DVD or CD of choice!

This is how the giveaway will work: (please read carefully)

You will recieve 1 entry for each of the following comments (there is NO LIMIT on the number of times you can enter). Please make sure that you post a separate comment in order for each one to count as an entry.

1. Go to the Rock 'N Learn website and tell us which product you will pick if you win (1 entry this one is mandatory to win)

For extra entries:

2. Follow Snugnluv (publicly) and post a comment (1 entry)

3. Join the Rock 'N Learn mailing list for deals and specials (1 entry)

4. Share Information About the Giveaway (Twitter, Facebook, Etc.) (1 entry each)

5. Follow Snugnluv on Twitter (1 entry)

****Please make sure you leave a comment for each of the above and an email address so that we can reach you.The winner will have 48 hours to respond by email once he/she has been notified or another winner will be chosen by the random number generator. Winner will be chosen on July 30, 2010.

Open to Canadian and US residents only.

Eleven Collection Shoe Giveaway Winner

Random number generator picked 183!  Congratulations to the winner of the Eleven Shoe Giveaway.
The winner is

A. Smith said...

Posted on facebook
http://www.facebook.com/#!/abbys1?v=wall&story_fbid=139554679395238
asmithonline at yahoo dot ca

Way to go and thanks everyone for taking part.

Eleven Collection Shoe Review/ Giveaway

As many of you already know, I love shoes from the Eleven Collection.  A sister company to See Kai Run, the Eleven Collection offers shoes in sizes 9-3 (age 3-8 yrs).  I was lucky enough to have been given the opportunity to review a pair of shoes from them again and this time we chose the Skylar in Blush. It was a hard decision since they have so many great styles!  I'm so glad we did because when they arrived they were even more gorgeous than the picture. With out a doubt this is the nicest pair of shoes my daughter has owned!  Even my husband commented on the quality and style.  Premium suede and leather are used in the construction and similar to other Eleven Collection shoes they have a flexible rubber sole and a cushioned insole.

Eleven Collection shoes and boots are of exceptional quality, durability, and style. Shoe designers Cause Haun and Nancy Coronado collaborated to create a brand new collection, which retails from $48-60. A really great price for shoes that are sure to last, look great, and make "hand me down" status!


The Skylar has three stylish laces and a velcro closure, which I like for both my own children and my Kindergarten students.  The Eleven Collection uses only the best materials and the strongest zipper and velcro closures for their shoes and boots. My four year old was able to put them on and take them off independently, which is a big bonus for this age group.  These are my first choice of shoes if a friend asks for a recommendation. My daughter put them on and hasn't taken them off since. She was riding around, in the kitchen, on her bike,  singing a song about her shoes. They fit perfectly and were comfortable right out of the box.  I am so glad to have found  the Eleven Collection! Rugged enough for toddlers and school aged children. Versatile enough to be worn with a casual or dressy outfit.

Shop now for FREE SHIPPING until June 15 th.

The Giveaway:

Now for the great news! The Eleven Collection has generously offered to give one of Snugnluv's readers a FREE pair. The winner can choose any shoes the Eleven Collection.

This is how the giveaway will work: (please read carefully)

You will recieve 1 entry for each of the following comments (there is NO LIMIT on the number of times you can enter). Please make sure that you post a separate comment in order for each one to count as an entry.

1. Go to the Eleven Collection Website and tell us which shoes you will pick if you win (1 entry this one is mandatory to win)

For extra entries:

2. Follow Snugnluv (publicly) and post a comment (1 entry)

3. Join the Eleven Collection mailing list for deals and specials (1 entry)

3. Share Information About the Giveaway (Twitter, Facebook, Etc.) (1 entry each)

4. Follow Eleven on Facebook (1 entry)

5. Follow Eleven on Twitter (1 entry)

6. Follow Snugnluv on Twitter (1 entry)

****Please make sure you leave a comment for each of the above and an email address so that we can reach you.The winner will have 48 hours to respond by email once he/she has been notified or another winner will be chosen by the random number generator. Winner will be chosen on June 30, 2010.

Open to Canadian and US residents only.

Reitmans Sale

Currently Reitmans has a pretty great instore deal going on.  Sometimes they have super cute and fairly cheap clothes that are great for work.  I hadn't been in there for years and a really sweet friend/coworker suggested it.  I've been shopping there a lot lately for clothes to wear while teaching.  There are perfect and not that much money, so I don't have to worry if they get paint on them. 

Currently Reitmans is offering a $25 savings card on every $50 spent in-store. This is available till June 19, 2010. Then you can use that savings card between August 8th – September 4th against any purchase of $75 or more.   Not bad if you shop there anyway.  

http://www.reitmans.com/en/index.cfm

The winner is...

Random.org picked number 8.  The winner of the awesome book Animals Do Yoga...and So Do I is Zoe!  I`ll contact you for shipping details. Congrats and thanks to everyone for participating!

Cricut Expression

After countless hours of research and reading online I finally decided to get a Cricut cutting machine.  This awesome gadget  is going to make my life so much easier at home and in the classroom.  And it's fun.  The Cricut will cut through many types of materials including fabric and magnets!  You can even cut out designs and stick them on the wall because it cuts sticky vinyl.

There are four types of Cricut machines available and they all have different "abilities".

1. Cricut Cuttlebug -is mostly for embossing an simple die cuts.  This is a manual machine. Very inexpensive.
2. Cricut Personal- cuts letters and shapes from 1 inch up to 5.5 inches  (excellent for scrapbookers)
3. Cricut Create - cuts letters and shapes up to 5.5 inches by 11.5 inches wide but also has mirror image, and some other functions that the Expression has and the Personal doesn't
4. Cricut Expression -cuts designs from .25  up to 23.5 inches and has numerous functions that the others don't  (good for bulletin boards)

All models of the Cricut cutting machine, with the exception of the Cuttlebug, function in the same way.  They all work using cartridges and the blades are the same too.

I was unsure if I needed to spend the extra money to buy the expression for my needs. But, of  course I knew that if I didn't get the best one now I'd be back in line waiting for it within weeks.  I justified the price in two ways; one being that I'm going to use it with kindergarten and the other being that it was $200 off at Walmart this week!  I felt bad buying it at Walmart but I couldn't beat the price and it was the BLACK one with the  Plantin Schoolbook Cartridge

So far I've created cutouts for my Kindergartens to make Mother's Day Cards and made a few cards with my daughter.  I can't wait to make the Paper dolls next!

I think I might use it to cut fabric to make appliques for onesies too!  
What do you do with yours?  Does anyone know where to buy cheap cartridges?  What's your favorite cartridge?

Animals Do Yoga....and So Do I (Book Review/Giveaway)

As a mother of two children and a Kindergarten teacher I come across several new books every day. I love children's literature and have been practicing yoga in my classroom for  a few weeks now. You can imagine how happy I was when I had the opportunity to review the most wonderful book for children.  Animals Do Yoga...and So Do I was written by Angela Faith Miller and illustrated by award winning artist Susie McColgan.  Angela is a certified elementary school teacher and teaches yoga as well.  She is a mother of two and has been practicing yoga for 13 years.  It was her understanding of teaching and good literature and her passion for yoga that inspired Angela to write such a great book.  Susie is an esteemed artists and has won many awards for her work.

There are so  many things that I love about this book.  It introduces children to daily yoga practice while fostering creativity inherent within children.   The illustrations are done thoughtfully, demonstrating child friendly yoga poses in a creative, vibrant, and unique manner. Animals Do Yoga and So Do I does a great job of paralleling children and animals doing yoga.  The children in the pictures are multicultural and this is very important to me in choosing literature.  Children can connect with this book  because the concepts are reinforced with things that are real and meaningful for them.

My 4 year old daughter loves pretending to be the animals and is asking to read the book and do yoga every day.  What a great opportunity to encourage a positive, healthy, peaceful way of being! She is already learning to be balanced in an overly active world and Animals Do Yoga has certainly helped her to do this.  I'm so happy to have found this book and have been using it in the classroom as         

                                                             well as home.

This book would make the perfect gift for any child if you want to give something meaningful that will certainly be loved!
Buy the book now Soft cover $12 and hard cover $18 or enter here for a chance to win a copy.  Angela has generously offered a reader a copy of Animals Do Yoga.

Please leave a separate post for each of the things you complete and you will be entered for each of the following:

1. Stop by Angela's site and tell us something that you like about the book.
2. Share a yoga experience that you've had with children or on your own.
3. Follow Snugnluv's blog.
4. Tweet, facebook, email about the giveaway. (1 per day)

The winner will be chosen by random.org on May 9th.  Thanks everyone.