Wednesday, November 7, 2012

30 Blogs with the Best Baby Shower Favors

Silver award winning book, "Sh Sh Sh Let the Baby Sleep" is an excellent gift for a baby shower. The new baby will love the colorful illustrtations and an older sibling will relate to the story. Zachary is not sure he likes his new baby sister because she's getting all the attention. He learns as he protects her and keeps her asleep that he loves her. Find it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and many other stores. 
With the advent of the Internet and the rise in popularity of blogging, there’s now an entire corner of the web dedicated to providing hints, tips and ideas for planning great parties, entertaining friends and family, and celebrating special occasions. From professional party planners to those who simply have a gift for organizing festive events, bloggers from all over the world come together in the blogosphere to share their party planning knowledge. These 30 blogs offer great ideas for shower and party favors, which can easily be adapted to a baby shower theme with a bit of ingenuity and imagination.
 
 
 
Wooden Shower Favors
Depending upon the theme of the baby shower you’re planning, you may find that wooden favors best compliment the established décor. These five blogs offer whimsical and memorable shower favors that are simple to modify and customize so that they blend seamlessly with the rest of your festive decorations.
Glassware Baby Shower Favors
There’s something about glass that lends an air of sophistication and understated glamour to any celebratory event, and baby showers are no exception. Whether they’re discussing the popularity of a particular style of glass favor as the sole subject of their post, or are simply tucking different glassware favors into the body of a post filled with other shower planning ideas and tips, these five bloggers provide some valuable insights regarding baby shower favors made of glass.
For the rest of this article: http://www.newborncare.com/blog/30-blogs-with-the-best-baby-shower-favors/

Kathy Stemke's websites: Helium Education Articles: http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html Education Articles: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/kathystemke Follow me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=6147172660&topic=4910#!/kathymarescomatthews.stemke?ref=profile Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/kathy-stemke/13/269/285

Friday, October 19, 2012

30 of the Best Blogs for New Moms


Becoming a mom for the first time is one of the most exciting experiences you’ll ever have. It can also be one of the most confusing, especially if you have no family or friends with parenting experience nearby. Thankfully, the global village created by the Internet and supported by the vast network of mommy bloggers does offer a significant amount of information and food for thought for new moms. These thirty blog entries cover a variety of parenting topics, both controversial and widely accepted, from feeding to sleep training and vaccinations.

Nursery Safety

When you bring your brand new bundle of joy home, her nursery will be her sanctuary. Unfortunately, that nursery can be filled with dangers that new parents may not be aware of. In the interest of ensuring that your baby’s room is the safe, peaceful place it’s intended to be, check out what these five bloggers have to say on the subject of infant nursery safety.


Safe Sleeping

Since the “Back to Sleep” campaign began in 1994 to promote safe sleeping positions for infants under one year of age, infant mortality rates related to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome have been steadily dropping. These five blogs take on the scary subject of SIDS, and explain proper sleep safety techniques to new mommies, and provide warnings regarding the importance of relying upon a pediatrician’s advice over that published by bloggers that are not medical professionals.


Feeding

The World Health Organization strongly recommends that all infants be breastfed for at least the first year of life, with the majority of healthcare experts in agreement. While breast milk does provide your baby with the most complete and health-promoting nutrition, the choice to breastfeed or bottle feed is ultimately up to you. The information provided in these five blog entries can help you determine which option is best for you, and provide you with concrete information about the pros and cons of each.


For the rest of this informative article click here: http://www.newborncare.com/blog/30-of-the-best-blogs-for-new-moms/


Kathy Stemke's websites: Helium Education Articles: http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html Education Articles: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/kathystemke Follow me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=6147172660&topic=4910#!/kathymarescomatthews.stemke?ref=profile Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/kathy-stemke/13/269/285

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Sh Sh Sh Let the Baby Sleep is a finalist in the 2012 Literary Classics Awards!!



I'm thrilled to announce that "Sh Sh Sh Let the Baby Sleep" is a finalist in the 2012 Literary Classics Book awards. The winners will be announced on October 15th.To see the complete list of finalists for picture books and young adult books click here.here

Kathy Stemke's websites:Kathy Stemke's websites: Helium Education Articles: http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html Education Articles: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/kathystemke Follow me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=6147172660&topic=4910#!/kathymarescomatthews.stemke?ref=profile Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/kathy-stemke/13/269/285

Monday, October 1, 2012

How to Navigate an Airport with a Toddler in Tow

 
Traveling with a little one is not a task that most parents look forward to undertaking. Most anecdotes shared between parents regarding air travel tend to lean more in the direction of “harrowing” than “uneventful,” making those who haven’t previously taken that plunge hesitant to do so while their children are still so young. Airports are daunting places for parents with small children due to the sheer number of strangers milling about and the prospect of missing a flight should complications arise. Traveling with your children, however, can be done with a minimal amount of trouble if you’re properly prepared for the situation. To make the most of your family trip and ensure that it’s one your family remembers for years to come, there are a few things you should keep in mind.
  • Arrive Early – It’s almost impossible to arrive at the airport too early, for a variety of reasons. Wrangling an inquisitive toddler away from all of the unfamiliar and intriguing sights that an airport has to offer is a time consuming task all by itself. Taking that fact into consideration, along with an understanding of Murphy’s law, is the best way to make sure that you don’t run so far behind schedule that you ultimately miss your flight. Preparing for your family trip should start with a generous head start. If you are very early and everything goes smoothly, it will give you the opportunity to take your child on a short exploring expedition to satisfy some of her boundless curiosity.
  • Gate Check Your Stroller – If you’re bringing a stroller with you, it’s best to gate check it so that you can keep your child contained in a mobile unit, rather than chasing her down or using a leash to keep her nearby. Some children may become fussy at the prospect of walking a long distance in a crowded, unfamiliar airport, and holding her leaves you to juggle your carry-on luggage and adds to your burden as you make your way to the gate.
  • Limit Layover Times – It may seem like an obvious statement, but structuring your itinerary so that layover times are minimized is one of the best ways to ensure that your time in the airport is limited, and thus less likely to lead to disaster. While it’s often cheaper to opt for connecting flights, it’s well worth the added expense of a direct flight if your budget can bear it. Young children tend to become restless very quickly, and may not react well to a long layover.
For the rest of the article click on the following URL: http://www.aupairjobs.com/articles/how-to-navigate-an-airport-with-a-toddler-in-tow/

Kathy Stemke's websites: Helium Education Articles: http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html Education Articles: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/kathystemke Follow me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=6147172660&topic=4910#!/kathymarescomatthews.stemke?ref=profile Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/kathy-stemke/13/269/285

Monday, August 27, 2012

How to Keep Baby Cool in the Summer Without AC

Staying cool during the summer isn’t just a desire for babies, it’s a necessity. Babies who become overheated can suffer terrible consequences, ranging from heat exhaustion to heatstroke. While babies can’t exactly tell you when they are hot, there are signs that can indicate your baby is overheating. Some signs that indicate overheating include your baby being extremely thirsty, tired, and having skin that is cool and moist.
Overheating is one of the leading causes of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) according to the National Sleep Foundation. When babies are too warm they sleep deeper, which can lead to trouble. For this reason, it’s important not to overdress your baby for sleep. When she is sleeping in her crib and there is no air conditioning in her room, putting her in a onesie or a pair of light pajamas is best. You’ll also want to have a fan running in her room to circulate the air, but make sure that the fan isn’t blowing directly on her. To cool the air that the fan is blowing you can put a pan of ice water in front of it.
A good rule of thumb is to dress your baby like you are comfortably dressed, plus one layer. If you are comfortable wearing shorts and a T-shirt then put her in that as well, plus a onesie underneath. If you’re burning up and have a pair of shorts on, leaving your baby just in her diaper may be appropriate. Try to avoid synthetic fabrics when dressing her as they tend to trap the heat and moisture in instead of allowing her skin to breathe.
If you are going to be going outside with your baby then dress her in lightweight cotton long pants, long sleeves, and a floppy hat. Keep her in the shade and preferably somewhere she can feel a breeze. It’s better to keep her skin covered than to use sunscreen on a very young infant. If you must use sunscreen, apply it conservatively and only to the areas of skin that are exposed. You’ll also want to avoid being outside between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m because the sun’s rays are the most damaging during these times.

For the rest of this article go here.

Kathy Stemke's websites: Helium Education Articles: http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html Education Articles: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/kathystemke Follow me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=6147172660&topic=4910#!/kathymarescomatthews.stemke?ref=profile Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/kathy-stemke/13/269/285

Thursday, July 19, 2012

7 Tips for Creating a Safe Sleep Space

Babies spend the majority of their first months of life in their sleep space. Considering that babies are typically sleeping while in their cribs or bassinets – and for the longest stretches of time it’s when mom and dad are also sleeping – it’s safe to say that the time that they do spend in their sleep space is largely unsupervised. For that reason alone, parents must take proactive steps to assure their baby’s safety while sleeping.

When creating your baby’s sleep space, keep these 7 tips in mind:

1. Avoid bed-sharing. While there’s an upswing in the support of co-sleeping and bed sharing from many parents, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) still insists that room-sharing, rather than bed-sharing, is safest for babies. According to First Candle, bed-sharing increases a baby’s risk of death by 40 percent. Keeping your baby in a separate, but close, sleep space is the safest place for your baby to sleep. Placing a co-sleeper or bassinet beside your bed allows you to closely monitor your baby throughout the night.
2. Use a firm sleep surface. While it can be tempting to put a fussy baby in a car seat or bouncy seat to sleep, for regular, routine sleep the safest place for your baby is on a firm surface. Cribs, bassinets, and play yards certified by the Juvenile Product Manufacturer’s Association (JPMA) are held to safety standards above and beyond the standard requirements set forth by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Be sure that the mattress has a firm fit and that the sheet fits snugly on the mattress.
For the rest of this article click here.


Kathy Stemke's websites: Helium Education Articles: http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html Education Articles: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/kathystemke Follow me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=6147172660&topic=4910#!/kathymarescomatthews.stemke?ref=profile Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/kathy-stemke/13/269/285

Monday, April 2, 2012

Writers On The Move: Young Adult Author Visits

Writers On The Move: Young Adult Author Visits: To foster instant creativity with the young adult age group you must give them activities that assure success without the pressure of judgme...

Saturday, March 31, 2012

FREE EARTH DAY CARDS for kids and adults!



With Earth Day Approaching on April 22nd it's time to focus on educating our children about conservation. Trouble on Earth Day would be a great resource for this purpose and a super addition to any school or home library.


Learning how each of us can take steps to protect our environment is important for children and adults alike. It will take all our efforts to help improve the environment for a healthier tomorrow. Trouble on Earth Day is a great start for children.




Earth Day Card for Kids


Earth Day Card for Adults
http://www.dkvwriting4u.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/EARTH-DAY-CARD-2.pdf



Celebrate Earth Day with Pictures First day of book tour for Trouble on Earth Day


Visit third day of Trouble on Earth Day Book Tour
Fourth day of Trouble on Earth Day Tour- Fun Squirrel Facts http://hookkidsonreading.blogspot.com/2012/03/it-is-my-great-pleasure-to-welcome.html
Fifth Day of Trouble on Earth Day Tour- Book Review


Sixth Day of Trouble on Earth Day Book Tour-book Review http://familiesmatter2us.blogspot.com/2012/03/book-review-trouble-on-earth-day.html

Seventh Day of Trouble on Earth Day Book Tour

FREE EARTH DAY CARD FOR KIDS
FREE EARTH DAY CARD FOR ADULTS
http://educationtipster.blogspot.com/2012/03/get-your-free-earth-day-card-for-kids.html

Moving Through all Seven Days link:http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/moving-through-all-seven-days/7386965# http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/kathystemke Follow me on Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=6147172660&topic=4910#!/kathymarescomatthews.stemke?ref=profileKathy Stemke's websites: Helium Education Articles: http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html Education Articles: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/kathystemke Follow me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=6147172660&topic=4910#!/kathymarescomatthews.stemke?ref=profile Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/kathy-stemke/13/269/285

Thursday, February 2, 2012

20 Innovative Ways Schools Are Combating Bullying

February 1st, 2012 by Staff Writers at Online College Courses.


Bullying always has been a terrible problem plaguing schools in America and beyond, but it took a tragic epidemic of high-profile victim suicides for anyone to actually care about curbing the issue. Now that people are finally beginning to realize that treating one another like garbage over petty details might not be the best thing for students, parents and school districts alike are formulating various strategies to put an end to the madness. Some are actually incredibly innovative, although some of the more traditional methods boast their own benefits as well.

  1. Incorporating babies into the classroom

    Infants, come to find out, can be useful for reasons other than producing poo and barf seemingly on command. Toronto-based Roots of Empathy and similar organizations have started introducing babies into classroom settings with the hopes of encouraging students to build compassion. And so far, it's actually yielded results — participants tend to loosen up and pay closer attention to lessons and each other, lessening bullying instances in the process.
  2. Comic books

    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Stop Bullying initiative printed up comic books to distribute to kids with the hopes of shedding light on a serious issue. Other schools have run with the concept by asking students to write and draw scenes or stories of their own. Visualizing the realities makes it easier for younger kids to recognize the problem and either intervene or fetch a caring adult.
  3. Film

    Similar to the comic book example, some schools have opted to show movies such as The Bullying Project and foster discussions between students, faculty, staff, and parents about the roots and solutions. More resourceful institutions might want to challenge kids — especially teens — to shoot short films of their own. Doing so will not only help bring forward real experiences and perceptions, but offer a sort of creative solace to bullying victims as well.
  4. Have students teach one another

    If babies are unavailable, try establishing (monitored!) programs where students sit down with one another and simply talk. Areas with very diverse demographics could especially benefit from such exchanges, because cultural misunderstandings and stereotypes do often feed into bullying situations. In addition, this structure can also be adapted into a peer counseling service, nurturing a sense of connection and community dissuading brutality.
  5. Bulletin boards

    Younger children with a preference for bright colors and engaging visuals might benefit greatly from learning about the bullying problem via bulletin boards. Kits are available through various vendors, or teachers can put their design skills to good use with something more original. Involving the students themselves in the creation process will only add to the education factor, encouraging them to speak up while speaking out.
  6. Apps

    iPhone users suffering beneath a bully's grip now have the free A Thin Line app at their disposal — and those who do not own the smartphone enjoy the same perks on the accompanying website. MTV sponsors this digital discussion by allowing kids and teens to share their own experiences with unwanted advances and harassment. For the adults, they post numerous resources and questions to help them combat the serious issue at the authority level.
  7. Puppet shows

    Pacer's KIDS AGAINST BULLYING program hosts puppet shows in schools as a means of teaching the younger set why bullying is unacceptable. Schools without the funding or resources to bring the initiative to their students can stage their very own performances using what's on hand — or task students with writing their own. Beyond puppetry, the same concept also works when presented as a skit or short play.
  8. Peer intervention

    Training students to serve as peer counselors and advocates bridges gaps with the faculty and promotes greater understanding in the classroom. Pacer and other anti-bullying organizations burst with excellent suggestions about the best ways to nurture leadership and empathy skills needed to reach out the bullies and the bullied alike. After all, as the next innovation reveals, sometimes the perpetrators need intervention for more than just their behavior problems.
  9. Therapy

    Many — not all — bullies lash out at their peers because of issues at home or within themselves, and the most effective schools realize they need as much (if not more) counseling than their victims. In Charleston, a partnership between Alice Birney Middle School and Medical University of South Carolina has started providing various psychological services for ill-behaved kids. When combined with a rigorous education regimen, their bullying rate decreased as more and more students received the mental help needed to be a more productive citizen.
  10. Coordinating with sexual assault awareness, prevention, and crisis organizations

    Another fruitful partnership that quelled the bullying issue understandably involves anti-violence shelters and schools themselves. In Austin, SafePlace, which serves as a shelter for victims of rape, sexual assault, and domestic abuse, and a half-dozen public elementary schools teamed up for a CDC- and University of Texas-sponsored program dubbed Expect Respect. Unlike many other initiatives, it focuses on bullying in its myriad forms, comparing and contrasting instances on and off campus.
Kathy Stemke's websites: Helium Education Articles: http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html Education Articles: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/kathystemke Follow me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=6147172660&topic=4910#!/kathymarescomatthews.stemke?ref=profile Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/kathy-stemke/13/269/285

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Waldorf Techniques for Mastering Math Facts with Body Movements that Anyone Can Use

by Kathy Stemke

Waldorf education’s interdisciplinary learning is based upon the educational philosophy of Rudolf Steiner. Since the first school opened its doors in 1919, this style of learning has concentrated on the role of imagination to integrate practical, creative and conceptual elements. In addition to the 994 independent Waldorf schools, there are many Waldorf-based public schools and homeschooling situations. In fact, most schools use some of the innovative Waldorf activities in their curriculum.

Because math concepts tend to be abstract in nature and the traditional methods of teaching math facts are boring and ineffective, introducing Waldorf interactive math activities into the classroom will increase the learning and retention of math facts. Students will be eager to participate in these fun-filled games and projects.

COUNTING GAME

A counting lesson might begin with a circle game similar to Duck-Duck-Goose. The students sit in a circle on the floor then one students stands behind a sitting classmate and begins counting each of their classmates in turn until they reach ten. All the students can assist in the counting. When the standing student reaches their tenth classmate the tenth classmates stands and chases the counting student around the circle attempting to tag them before they return to the place of the chasing student.

JELLYBEAN STORY

Students learn through exciting fairy tales and stories. Fun characters come to life for the students, bringing the numbers and math facts to the real world. The following tale is an example of the kind of story that can be used.

“It’s my job, said the jellybean queen, to divide the jellybeans equally among the subjects of Numeria. This bag of jellybeans is for you two girls. Be sure to share them equally.”

“But how can we be sure to share them equally between us?” Chali asked.

“Oh,” the kindly queen said, “That is easily accomplished. Watch. . . . There are six jellybeans in the sack . . . .here is one for you, Chali, and one for you Stephanie, another one for you Chali, and another one for you Stephanie, one more for you Chali, and one more for you Stephanie . . . as you see we now have two piles of jellybeans with 3 in each. It’s as simple as that!” The girls smiled at each other.

The queen was so busy she asked the girls to help her. For the rest of the day, Chali and Stephanie busily counted and divided jellybeans."

This story could easily be modified to teach subtraction. The students could take turns eating one or two jellybeans.

After illustrating this story on the chalkboard I went outside and hid several piles of "jellybeans" around the room. Whenever a pile is found, the student must divide them equally.

GUESS WHICH NUMBER

You can follow up this activity with a 100 board. Look for number patterns of odd and even. The students will discover that evens end with 2,4,6,8,0 and odds end with 1,3,5,7,9. Call out random numbers and the students can jump up and down for even numbers and hop on one foot for odd numbers.

NUMBER LINE GAME

Using a number line system of number place-mats across the floor, the team may deduct the answer by acting out the problem.

For example. 2 + 3 = 5

Team A organize themselves by standing on number mats on the floor. One stands on zero (0), while the rest stand in order from 1, 2, 3 4 and so on. For the problem 2+3, the person standing at zero may first take two steps on the first two mats and then jump another 3 mats indicating an increase of 3 in the problem to land at mat 5.

Waldorf-inspired teaching is designed to meet the needs of all learning styles, and is based on the best practices in education. It features an integration of storytelling, music, movement, art, drama, and poetry into the teaching of academic subjects.

Kathy Stemke's websites: Helium Education Articles: http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html Education Articles: http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/kathystemke Follow me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=6147172660&topic=4910#!/kathymarescomatthews.stemke?ref=profile Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/kathy-stemke/13/269/285