Back to School with Dymo. {GIVEAWAY}

This morning once Ryder was down for his nap, I left him in the capable hands of his Daddy {the pro's of having a husband who works from home}, and headed out with Miss Ella.

We went down the road...to her school. Yep....school.....REAL school!

Hand in hand, we went into the uniform shop, waited forever in line and then it was our turn.

And the words came out of my mouth... "My baby is starting Prep this year. We need everything thanks!" And as those words came out of my mouth, it hit me again. School. Fulltime school. Real school. Seriously, when did this happen? I swear I just gave birth to her yesterday!? Didn't I?!

The concept of her wearing a uniform isn't so foreign to me. She wore one at her Kindy in 2012. It was more the emotional strings that were tugged as I saw her trying on bucket hats and culottes and button up blouses, and then having to buy enough of these uniforms to last FIVE DAYS A WEEK! I almost cried there in the little change room {oh, and the price of the uniforms may have also contributed to the welled up tears! lol}

When we got home I started the sorting and labelling process! I want everything to be organised, but I also want it all to be efficient too. If {when} she looses a piece of her uniform or mixes it up with another child's, I want anyone to easily identify that it belongs to Ella. Simple!

And that's when the Dymo LetraTag comes in.

Using the 'white plastic' tape; I printed out a heap of ELLA CHADWICK 's {with love heart borders of course} and got sticking :)

School bag labelled....using last year's Kindy photo and the Dymo label.

When every child in the whole school has the same bag -  I want Ella to be able to easily identify hers :)

The plastic labels were fab. They can stick to almost any surface. Drink bottles, lunch boxes, pencils etc.

And the best thing about the DYMO LETRATAG; is how easy it is to use. Simply type, edit with borders or images or font sizes etc, press print and cut {with the built-in cutter} and WHAM....sticky label done! LOVE!

But my favourite.....

The iron-on label tape!

Again....type, print, cut....and simply iron onto uniforms, bags, socks etc....

No more writing onto fabric with permanent marker!

Her book pack is expected to arrive next week. Once they're contact-covered, I'll be whipping out the DYMO again to name each one. And as soon as we know what class she's in....wham....more labeling :) I love it. My inner OCD tendencies are so happy right now. Thanks to Dymo, I'm feeling a little less overwhelmed with Ella starting school {yes....real school.....I need to keep repeating that for myself.....maybe it'll sink in eventually} .....and a whole heap more organised!

The beauty with this little machine is; not only does it run on AA batteries {so you can take it and use it anywhere!}, but it can be used to label just about anything....and everything!

I'll be on a labeling frenzy now! Look out toy boxes, sock drawers, pantry storage and craft supplies :) I'll also get a HEAP of use out of this baby in my classroom this year, when I return to teaching.

I'm excited...{yes sad I know!}

*****************************

.........The good people at DYMO want you to be just as organised and just as excited as me....and have given me an extra DYMO LetraTag Label Machine {RRP $59.95} to GIVEAWAY!!!! Cheers to that!

There are FOUR ways to enter....

1. Leave a comment on this post, telling me what you'd use the DYMO Labeller for.
2. Head over to my FACEBOOK page and become a 'liker'. Then leave a comment here telling me you've done so.
3. Follow my blog {over there on the right} through NETWORKED BLOGS. And then leave a comment here telling me you've done so.
4. Share this giveaway on your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Blog etc. And then leave a comment here telling me you've done so, and share the link to it for me to view. 

You can enter up to FOUR times only.

Using random.org I will draw a winner on this Saturday 12th January 2013 at midday. {A quick one} I will notify the winner by email {so please include your email address in the comments below} and on my FACEBOOK page.

GOOD LUCK!!!!! And happy labelling!

This was a sponsored post. I was given the DYMO Labeler and tapes to review and share my honest feedback.

Making LEARNING enjoyable for your kids.

Since starting this blog 2 years ago, I've received several emails where Mums have asked me for tips & ideas on making 'learning' more enjoyable for their kids. Most of the Mums who emailed me, were referring to young children {under 5}, who they stayed home with fulltime.

The teaching of children is NOT solely a 'teacher's' responsibility. Learning starts from birth & is built upon over time by parents, teachers, Grandparents, child care workers, family members, babysitters, community members, the media, technology & even TV. Hey...what's that saying? It takes a whole a village to raise a child!

With a background in teaching primary school children, I find it quite natural to 'teach' my own children. But, in saying that, you DO NOT need to be a teacher to give your child a good start to the world of reading, writing, counting, singing, imagining & learning. The more exposure they get to 'learning' at a young age will result in them feeling more confident once they start school. And it's not about being smart or dumb! And it's not about boys & girls. My theory is to have fun with your kids. Enjoy them while they're young. Embrace their talents, work on their weaknesses, and basically expose them to a wide variety of stimulations & materials. Teaching children doesn't need to be a timely task {trust me I know how little time there is in each day whether you're a working mum or a stay-at-home mum}, most teaching & learning happens when integrated into everyday tasks or activities.

Here's a few ideas how you can 'teach' your kids....

• Read to them from a VERY young age.....even from birth. Getting into a routine of books before bed is fun, soothing & educational. Get them interested in pictures, words & characters.
• Take a trip to the library ever few weeks. Most local libraries offer Baby Story Time or Rhythm Time. Our local library also offers activities for toddlers & school aged children in the holidays. Just by surrounding your child with books from an early age can have a positive outcome towards their learning attitudes.
• Count! Count toes & fingers, or sultanas or plastic dinosaurs. Count peas at dinner time or how many steps you walk up. Just COUNT :) During play, simply find the opportunity to count. As they get older, start counting further & talking about 'taking some away' or 'adding more on'.
• Study numbers. This can be done during everyday activities. For example, when we're out driving, I ask my 4yr old to find the speed signs. When she sees one, she has to tell me what number it was. Over time, we have talked about the numbers & what they mean. Number study can be done at home or when out shopping. Simply going on 'number hunts' can be fun and embed in them a very basic understanding of simple numbers & their pace value.Walk up your street and get your child to read out the letterbox numbers.

• Get them involved with cooking & baking! Cooking can be a great chance to 'teach' your children without it being stressful or too focussed. Measuring, weighing & counting are big parts in cooking, as is reading recipes & following instructions. Not only is fun, but educational too.
• Do some art & craft. I know some people cringe at the idea of crafting with their kids....and that's ok. But some simple activities can really support & develop your child's fine motor skills. Plus it's allowing them be creative. AND...they feel success when they see a finished product of something THEY'VE made! If you're not a fan of painting or working with clay, simply do some cutting & gluing & drawing activities. When Ella was about 2 yrs old, she LOVED when I drew an outline of her name or a number or a shape on some card. She would then smother it with glue & decorate it with sequins, rice, pasta shells, paper etc. Little things like that can 'teach' them, trust me.
• Weave their interests into learning opportunities. Sometimes, mothers of boys say they have difficulty teaching their sons, because their child lacks interest in learning.....If your son LOVES dinosaurs or cars or Lego...then find a way to use this. Sort the toy cars into colour categories. Set them a challenge to build something with Lego using only a certain amount of pieces. Hide the dinosaurs around the house, tell them how many there are, and let them go hunt. Be creative & you can sneakily be 'teaching' them skills without them knowing :)
• Write their name on card & get them to trace it, or stick string along the lines, or copy it onto other paper, or cut it out etc. Cut up magazines or catalogues - hunt for certain letters or sounds or pictures.
• Play a board game. Introduce them to the concept on dice & counters, and taking turns.

• Do puzzles together. Start with the basic wooden ones where they place the shapes into the moulds, then slowly move up to jigsaw puzzles. You can even make your own jigsaw puzzle by cutting a photo of them into pieces for them to put back together.
• Playdough is great for fine motor skills. AS it allows them to squeeze & cut & roll. They can make shapes & letters & let their imaginations go wild. Get my easy playdough recipe from here.
• Invest in some educational books, toys & technologies. Most people these days have a computer in their home or a Smart Phone or iPad. With supervision, let your children use them! There are so many great apps & websites out there that truly do educate & develop your child's skills & knowledge.
• When out shopping explain to them amounts & change, and the concept of money. As they get older, get them to pay for something using some coins. Let them experience the fun side of shopping. 
• Take a 'learning activity' to a different location. Throw a picnic rug down in your backyard, and sit with your kid/s. Enjoy some books, puzzles or games that you'd normally do inside, have some yummy snacks to enjoy too. Sometimes a change of scenery can inspire them, or maintain their concentration for longer.

• Talk about position words. Words like under, over, next to, right side etc. Get your child to demonstrate these positions, or draw objects to represent each meaning.
• TALK TALK TALK! I truly think the best way to expand your child's knowledge & vocabulary is to talk to them. Explain things clearly. Tell them why and how and where. Explain the 'who's' in their life and the reasons for certain things. Answer their questions and encourage lots of conversation.
• Go on a shape hunt. Draw some shapes on a piece of paper and go hunting around the house or garden for objects that are the same shapes. Keep a list or get your child to draw them.
• Make a photo story. Let your child use your camera {or invest in a kid's digital camera...I saw some at Big W for $30}. Allow them to take photos of their surroundings. Seeing things through a lens can really give them a different perspective or view on things. Something I really want to do with my 4yr old soon, is create a photographic ABC book. I can't remember where I first saw this idea, but I think it's brilliant. We're going to create a photo album of the Alphabet {with Ella being the photographer} using objects around our home & local community. Stay tuned....I'll let you know how we go :)
• Let their imagination run wild. Make up stories that involve them as the main character and then listen as they tell you one. Join in with their dressup games......role playing is a great way to learn & interact & have some fun with your kids. 
• SING YOUR HEART OUT!!! Sing to your children. Nursery Rhymes are a great way to grab your infant's attention or soothe them when they're unsettled, but they're also fun to sing along with your toddler. As they get older, find some more age appropriate music to suit their likes. At the moment, Ella LOVES listening & watching old Peter Combe songs on YouTube. I sometime buy 'Barbie' or 'Disney' songs from iTunes for Ella to listen to during her play or quiet time. And in the car, we play a $2 CD of kid's songs :) Singing to your kids....believe it or not....is another way to 'teach' them!!!

So, there you have it!!! There's a few {or a lot} of suggestions on ways you can TEACH your young child some basic skills.

Teaching & learning doesn't need to be stressful....especially with young children {save those stressful learning moments for when they're teenagers & they tell you their 1000 word essay is due the next day, which they haven't started & have no idea what they're going to write about!! haaa Mum, ring any bells?}

HAVE FUN with your kids, get involved and before you know it.....they're learning & achieving!! And, I know every child is different & every child learns in their own way. Some LOVE the idea of learning & actually search for it....whereas other's show no interest & shy away from education. Don't stress....they're only little remember :)

Do you have any other ideas or suggestions to add to this list? Please share!!!

Until next time....

Butterflies in the tummy.....

Good morning! And oh, what a great morning it is!

Today, is an exciting day for myself, my 'teaching' friends & many school children.......IT'S THE LAST DAY OF TERM!!! Another school year rolls to an end....

I know I'm not the only one feeling this.......BUT WHERE THE HECK HAS THIS YEAR GONE??? I mean...c'mon....it really feels like a couple of months ago, I was meeting & greeting my lovely little one/two composite & starting a new school year!! NOW....we're about to embrace the summer holidays & begin yet another new year!!!

I set the alarm for 6am today.....enough time to get up & showered {planned to do no blog post today} and get Ella up by 6:40am to then drop her down the coast to her Nanny's house & then head to work by 7:30am for our annual Christmas Breakfast!! I packed the car last night, so we could wake & GO! But.....Ella had other plans....she thought 4:40am was a GREAT time to begin today!! So, I have time to blog afterall...and I'm happy about that :))

As I sat down & thought about what I could quickly journal into today's post, I had a feeling of butterflies in the tummy!! EXCITING butterflies!!! It hit me....WOW....the last day of the school year......is HERE..... today!!! Although I still have so much to pack & clean & organise & cram into today {moving to a new classroom...again!} I have this amazing feeling of contentment & happiness & relaxation!! I'm EXCITED! The summer holidays officially begin in 9 hours, when that 3pm school bell rings!!! And I am so looking forward to these holidays......a beach holiday, my dance concerts, seeing my family {both brothers & their families}, CHRISTMAS, New Year's.....just to name a few! I don't want to wish my life away.....but YAY....I'm so glad TODAY is here!!!

A lot of people 'tsk tsk' about the amount of holidays us teachers get.....but I refuse to feel quilty about it! If we didn't get a break from the kids....and them from us.....it would not be a good thing :) So...to all my teacher friends......HAPPY HOLIDAYS & congrats on completeing another year of hard work, many triumpfs & giggles & some stress :) And WOW....what a year it has been!!

What are YOU looking forward to today?

HAPPY FRIDAY ALL!!

{today's images from here}

Finding Balance & Inspiration.....

I designed this bus scroll print with a focus towards teenagers/tweens, as a simple daily reminder to BELIEVE & LEARN & GROW! But, every time I read it, some little part sits well with me & I feel inspired. So I guess it could be for anyone......adults, children, teens.....whoever! A lovely lady recently purchased this from me, and said she was buying it as a 'Thank You/Christmas Gift' for her child's teacher! I thought that was perfect! What a gorgeous poster to hang in a classroom to remind children to WANT MORE & BE MORE & ACHIEVE MORE!

In life, I seek balance & enjoyment & love! My prints are a way to portray all these messages brewing in my heart & to bring positively & inspiration to others :)

This print can be purcahsed from here. Our BUY 2 PRINTS, GET A 3rd FREE is still in place....but not for much longer!

What a week......

Good morning! How has your week been?

{image from here}

What has been the highlight of your week so far?

Term 4 on the schooling calendar began this week.....and boy oh boy was it a bang of a start already! I'm straight into Semester 2 Parent/Teacher interviews, 25 report cards to write, end of year assessment to begin & preparations for our end-of-year school concert! It's going to be a BUSY term & I can already see it's going to whizz by!!! On top of that, I've had the most amazingly busy but awesome week with Scissors Paper Rock! Print orders are coming in thick & strong which is FABULOUS & I'm ever so grateful! I am also excited to reveal that a gorgeous Tasmanian Store is our latest stockist of my products....which I will reveal ALL next week when I send off her first wholesale order....YAY!!! I was also contacted by a major Australian Company about doing a possible Christmas Order and it's MAMMOTH!! And I'm in the process of working with Sunny Mummy for some possible business collaboration with 1 of my designs! So.....I'm proud to say that all is going well & looking up in the world of business for me & my hours of endless work are paying off!!

On that note, I wanted to say a massive thank you to all of you!! My lovely readers!! My supporters!! My new bloggy friends!! My gorgeous family & lovely friends who spread the love & spread the word of my little business, who show a real interest in my blog, my success & in my products! To all of you I say THANK YOU!! SPR would be nothing without YOU!!!!

Have a great Friday!! the weekend is almost here....I can already smell the freedom of it :)

Today I.........

{image}

Today.....I cleaned! And when I say cleaned....I mean CLEANED! Crawling around on hands & knees scrubbing skirting boards with an old tooth brush, kind-of-cleaning. Pulling the couches apart & out of the lounge room to scrub, kind-of-cleaning. 5 buckets of hot, soapy water to scrub every damn blade on each Venetian blind in our house, kind-of-cleaning. Vacuuming every little nook & cranny of the house, kind-of-cleaning. Inside the microwave, kind-of-cleaning. Sorting through the many masses of outgrown toddler clothes to pack away/giveaway, kind-of-cleaning. Yet ANOTHER toy de-clutter, kind-of-cleaning. Wearing gorgeous, elbow length, yellow rubber gloves to scrub every door track & window sill {ewww the colour of the after-water was not pretty!!} kind-of-cleaning. 2 garbage bags of rubbish clutter, kind-of-cleaning. A whole bottle of bleach, kind-of cleaning. And mopping with half a bottle of hospital grade disinfectant, kind-of-cleaning!!

You know?! Ones of those cleans!!!!!!! And boy was is it overdue!

Today in my house it was SPRING CLEANING TIME!!!!!!!!!

Being a Primary School Teacher, means I'm on 2 weeks holidays! That also means, Ella continues her 2 kindy days/week....which means 2 child-free days for ME!

Oh....it was tempting to spend the day reading or... DVD watching or.... working on creating some sort of family photo wall in the dining room or.....using my birthday gift vouchers at 2 gorgeous dayspas or......sleeping or....blog reading or......catching up with friends over endless cups of tea & coffee or......painting my nails or.....completing the several Scissors Paper Rock orders I have on the go at the moment! BUT....Spring is here & I really wanted to {needed to} get on top of the housework again! I can't fully relax until the house is in some order {damn you....my OCD tendencies haaaa} & the dust layers on the blinds have been really yelling at me to CLEAN THEM! So I did....and as much as I feel I wasted a perfectly good opportunity day to relax, work, create or play......I feel wonderful that the Spring Cleaning is done & the house smells so lemony fresh & feels a tonne lighter too! I feel like the coldness & entrapment of winter has gone also with the clean...along with all the winter flus & bugs that have been lurking!

Ahhhh, how I love a change in season! And oh how I love a clean house!

P.S. If you have lost something small....first place to check....UNDER THE COUCH or BETWEEN THE CUSHIONS! Omg....I thought my house was fairly clean {I vacuum almost everyday} but look at how much CR#P I found between the couch cushions!!! ELLLLLAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you do a Spring Clean?

And...are you happy to see Spring arrive or are you a winter fan dwelling on the change of season?