Stuff Parents Need

How to Make a DIY Movie Projector for Your Phone

March 19, 2018 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

I Love this post-vacation life hack from my contributing writer today! We were just showing photos from our recent vacation and it was tough to share via the phone so we needed to come up with a different idea! Hope this inspires you to DIY a solution for yourself, too!

I just came back from a trip and really wanted to show the best that these pictures we’ve taken can give. That small phone screen was showing colors beautifully. Yet, it was all about the details that were so hardly visible”. This is how you may realize that you need a movie projector that can connect to your smartphone. There are plenty available in stores, but there’s also the DIY version that can save you time and money.

Looking at an image, a video or even a movie from your smartphone on a big screen might sound tempting. It has all the right reasons to be so, if you can solve this in your home. This DIY hack will turn your phone in a movie projecting tool in an hour. You will need just a few tools to make this super simple movie projector.

Image from Flikr.

Get Prepared for the DIY Movie Projector

You need around five to ten minutes to read this article and learn how to make a projector for your phone. Putting pieces together lasts around 60 minutes. Here are the tools you need:

Shoe box or any other box larger than your phone and taller than how wide your phone is.
Duct tape or glue.
Round magnifying glass. If it has a handle, you will need to cut it.
Cutter knife.
Pencil.

How to Make a DIY Movie Projector in 7 Steps

Prepare the box by gluing or adding duct tape to the interior of the box. This way, you reinforce the flaps and corners and it will not wiggle when in use. Let it dry for 15 minutes.
Place the lens on top of your box, while it’s uptight. Center it as much as possible. Then, draw its cut line with the pencil, to mark the spot.
Cut the box by following the trace you’ve made above. Here’s a trick to make the cut as accurate as possible – place the cutting knife at the end of a compass and create a round hole.
Position the lens before gluing or taping it, to make sure the hole matches the magnifying glass. There must be no unused space, to avoid light entering the box.
Glue or tape the lens to the box. Check again if there’s any light leakage. For image clarity purposes, we recommend duct tape instead of glue, as it has more stability.
Make the phone stand and place it inside the box. You can create a phone stand out of plastic, cards, wood and many other materials. However, the easiest is the one from paper clips.
Adjust the phone before using it. Once you place your smartphone in the box and play a video, you will see that the image is reverted and unfocused. Enhance brightness to the maximum. Then, move the box forward or backwards to focus the image. Reorient the image by reverting the phone, using an app or personalized settings (available only on iOS).

Personalizing Your DIY Movie Projector

If you enjoy you new movie projector and plan to use it on the long run, you can personalize it with just a few hacks. If your box has a lid, you will need to cut it when placing it back, instead of turning the box upside down. Make sure the lens is fully visible through the lid.

Moreover, you can have an artistic projector by using a wooden box that you can paint fresh. Personalize the box by painting its exterior and even adding stickers. The phone stand can also be wooden and color-match the box.

The movie projector is functional for movies or TV shows if you don’t forget to charge your phone. You can do this while you’re at the above step 2. When you draw and cut the hole for the lens, make sure you also cut a very small one at the opposite end. This will be the hole you use for your phone charger wire.

Using Your DIY Movie Projector

Remember that you need a dark room for watching videos or pictures through a projector.
The image is best visible on a white wall with no colorings or decorative paintings. If you have any, remove them before using the projector. If you only cover them, you might end up with a weird image.
If your walls are colored, place a white sheet on the wall where you project the image.

Clean your phone screen before starting a movie and you will enjoy clear and generously colored images. The DIY projector may sound sci-fi before you learn how to create it. However, then you will notice that you get maximum results with minimum tools. The images are anything but pixelated or blurry, while the movie atmosphere is visible in your home.

You don’t need to empty your wallet or spend an entire day preparing to watch a good movie or your vacation pictures. The above DIY hack requires just a few dollars and tools you already have. Once the projector is completed, you will enjoy taking pictures and making videos even more.

Hawaii Packing List for Families: What We’re Taking

February 25, 2018 · by Tiffany Merritt · 1 Comment

Affiliate links may be included at no cost to you. As always, I only promote what works for me!

Our big two week trip to Hawaii is fast approaching! Today I wanted to share with you exactly what we are packing. I plan to update this post after to trip to let you know what I would change about the packing list if I had to do it over again, because I’m sure I didn’t get it 100% right on my first try.

Here’s some more information about our family and what we are doing in Hawaii to give some context to the packing list. We have 2 adults and 2 children in our family. We are staying for 2 weeks at condo rentals, so we do have access to a kitchen and a washer/dryer. We will have a rental car. The vast majority of our time is going to be spent at various beaches, and we also plan to do a fair amount of hiking. We aren’t doing much in the way of the more traditional “touristy” sightseeing. We will be in Hawaii during early March. For everything listed below, we needed 1 checked bag, 2 carry on bags, and 3 “personal item” totes.

hawaii packing list for a family

Clothes (per person):

2 swimsuits (very strongly recommend getting rash guard swimsuits to provide extra UV protection)
4 bottoms (3 of which are shorts, and 1 of which is a longer pair of pants)
5 tops (for the girls it’s a combo of shirts and cotton dresses that are sporty enough that they could go on a hike. Here’s an example of a dress I’m taking).
1 light “rain friendly” jacket each
1 pair flip flops (got them super cheap thanks to Wikibuy)
1 pair KEEN sandals (we’ve worn this brand all over the world and we swear by them!)
4 pairs of underwear
1 pair of pajamas
4 hats
1 swimsuit cover (snagged mine on ThredUp)
1 shorty wet suit (I’m the only one who isn’t bringing a wet suit because I really hate how they feel on me, so I opted for a long sleeve rash guard swimsuit and some swim pants to help me not be so chilly. I also happen to be rather well insulated, 😉 I’ll be able to update you in a few weeks on whether or not this was a big mistake!).
2 white dresses (I’m bringing these for our girls in case I decide to do a little photo shoot with them on the beaches one day).

Toiletries:

1 shampoo bar
2 bars of regular soap (1 for the bathroom and 1 for the kitchen)
toothbrushes
2 tubes of toothpaste (the kids like a different flavor, and in the spirit of picking my battles, 2 tubes of toothpaste is fine)
floss (Plackers for the kids and one container of floss for the parents)
1 stick of deodorant (Yes, we share. No, we don’t care if that’s gross)
so. much. sunscreen (I raided our supply at home, and it’s probably 8 different bottles, all with varying amounts inside…hoping to bring little to none of it back! Do remember to look for sunscreen that is reef-safe since the beaches around the islands have lots of reefs!)
insect repellent (we use the one from Honest Company)
lip balm (we use Young Living)
first aid supplies (band-aids, neosporin, Tylenol, essential oils for upset tummy (DiGize) and for trouble sleeping (Lavender), Dramamine, melatonin pills)
wet wipes (these will go on the plane with us because messes happen)
small bottle of hand sanitizer (also going on the plane)
aloe vera gel (in case we experience sunburn)
Vitamin E pills (lifesavers if you get sunburn…help your skin heal itself from the inside out)
daily vitamins/medications for each family member
Moroccan oil for our hair (I think 2 weeks of saltwater exposure will be brutal, and I find this oil to help our hair immensely)
various hair ties (3 out of 4 of us have long hair)

Electronics:

2 cell phones with a charger
2 tablets with charger
4 pairs of earbuds/headphones
1 laptop with charger
1 kindle

Food:

I’m going to do a whole separate post on this topic, so stay tuned!

Other:

binoculars
motion sickness bands (helps our girls immensely on plane rides, and also are supposed to be helpful when snorkeling)
small bags for vomit (my oldest gets sick on planes, and I’ve learned the hard way not to count on your seat pocket to have a bag)
beach bag (can double as your personal item on the plane)
1 water bottle per person (I’ve owned tons of different bottles, and my favorite, by far, is KOLD).
rubber bands (surprisingly useful in the kitchen!)
snack size ziploc bags (maybe 15?)
quart size ziploc bags (maybe 10?)
2 easy lunch box containers to use when packing picnic lunches
2 shell collection bags
catch-and-release (our kids play with this SO much at the beach. Very highly recommend)
various pool floats (we’ll take them to the beach). I snagged the best deals on these on Zulily by going through Wikibuy. If you’ve never tried Wikibuy it’s a must, as it helps me save a bit extra on pretty much all of my online purchases. It’s better than free because it saves you money. 🙂
2 waterproof belts that will hold credit cards, ID and cell phone while swimming. I’ve been really worried about leaving these items on the beach while we swim, and found this product as a solution, with many people giving it great reviews. It will give me lots of peace of mind!
1 adult full face snorkel mask
1 child’s full face snorkel mask
1 pair of adult snorkel fins
4 pairs of sunglasses
6 pairs of earplugs (I cannot sleep without earplugs thanks to years of living directly under the flight path near an airport, and right next door to a busy fire station).
passports for the girls (they serve as official ID)
1 backpack (which will be used as Tim’s personal item on the plane)
laundry detergent (I’m bringing eco nuts because it takes up next to no room!)
dishwasher pods (bringing 10 for a 14 day trip)
Fels Naptha bar for stain removal on clothes (Just pack a chunk off a bar as you shouldn’t need much at all)
small container of liquid dish washing soap
sponge for the kitchen
mermaid tail (admittedly, totally not necessary, but we own one, so yeah…it’s going to Hawaii!)
school work for the girls (we homeschool)
travel pack of tissues
cotton swabs
tweezers
ice cube tray (I’m super dedicated to iced coffee, and this will also ensure we have enough ice at all times for our picnic lunch cooler)
insulated bag to bring food that needs to stay cold to the beach
baby powder (helps remove sand from your body easily)
beach tent (we purchased this one and feel confident that it was a great choice)
clamps to hold down towels over the sides of the tent
car seats (Bubble Bum is our pick since our girls are big enough to ride in boosters, and since these are lightweight)
light blanket for the plane (one kid is an anxious flyer and the blanket is soothing)
1 new surprise toy for each kid on the plane (our girls are obsessed with Beanie Boos, so that’s what they will each get)

We really tried hard to pack as light as we could, while balancing out the fact that everything is significantly more expensive in Hawaii, so while it might have been easier to buy some of this stuff once we arrived, it certainly wouldn’t have been cheaper (even when you take into account spending $50 round trip on a checked bag).

I’ll keep you posted on what we learned once we got on the ground!

Protecting Your Biggest Investment: One Step Many Home Buyers Overlook

February 21, 2018 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Friends, we are in the midst of a very exciting new chapter in our lives: we have found our “forever” home! Pictures and details will follow after we close and have those keys in our hands, but for now, we are in the midst of getting everything set up to take over ownership of the property. Can’t wait to show you more! home buying tips before closing I think most everyone knows that when you buy a house, your purchase should be contingent upon an inspection to ensure that no serious problems are present with your roof, plumbing and electrical. But many people assume that an inspector also checks for termite issues, and this is not the case! You need to have a separate termite inspection conducted by a licensed pest control professional exterminator.

We have been under contract with Arrow Exterminators for several years now and have always been so impressed with the knowledge and skill of their staff, so we asked them to perform our upcoming termite inspection, as well. If you are planning on purchasing a house in the future, please make a note that you need to get your home inspected for termites prior to closing. This is one important way to protect this big investment you are about to make. And it honestly doesn’t matter what material your home is made of in determining whether or not a termite inspection is needed. Termites only need an opening about 1/32 of an inch wide to get in, and while we all know they will go through wood, they will also go through brick, stucco, stone or concrete. Don’t make the mistake of assuming that you are safe from termite problems just because your home is primarily made of a material other than wood!

Once you have had your initial termite inspection, it’s time to ensure that you don’t have a problem down the road. Another really big mistake homeowners often make is assuming that their homeowner’s insurance will cover termite damages that might occur in the future. This is simply not the case, friends! Termites can wreak absolute havoc on the structural integrity of your home, and they can do it at lightning speed and cause you hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage, all with zero help from your insurance company. The long and short of it is that termites can ruin your biggest investment. So how do you make sure you aren’t ever in a horrible situation like this, with termite damage that is so extensive you can’t afford to repair it? You keep the termites from showing up in the first place by working with a reputable exterminator pest control company, such as Arrow Exterminators, and you stay on a contract with that company. Arrow utilizes the Sentricon® System with Always Active Technology which is a baiting system that will set up termite traps that are is extremely effective (I know from years of experience seeing them work!). Additionally, they will monitor those traps stations every year and give you a detailed report of their findings. They work really hard to make sure no termites get into your home,. So in a sense, having a termite contract is a bit like having insurance specific to this damaging pest.

It gives me a great deal of peace of mind to know that termites aren’t coming anywhere near my single biggest purchase, and that if they do, I’m not on my own to deal with it. So the big takeaways for those of you thinking about buying are to get the home inspected for termites before you sign on the dotted line at closing, and for those of you who already own a home, make sure you are on a termite contract to protect your home from these awful invaders. Your homeowner’s insurance will be of no help if you find damage down the road!

Real Talk: How to Determine What Filler is Best for your Problem Area

February 13, 2018 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Shout out to all my fellow mamas out there who catch glimpses of themselves in the mirror and have to do a double take, and not in a good way. It’s happening to me with increasing frequency! Hopefully today’s guest post will give you some ideas if you are looking at the woman in the mirror and asking her to make a change!

At a certain point in life, it is normal to start feeling less satisfied with your overall facial appearance. Gravity and the natural process of aging have a way of making changes that can creep up on you over time.

best fillers

If you have ever looked in the mirror and wished you could turn back the clock, you are definitely not alone! According to the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS), more people than ever before are seeking to improve their appearance through scheduling facial plastic surgery procedures.

One confusing aspect for most patients is the sheer number of fillers that are available today to deal with problem areas of the face and neck. How do you know what filler is best for your problem area? Here, your choice of plastic surgeon can greatly influence finding the best match between your problem area and the filler selected to address it.

What Types of Fillers Are Popular?

Fillers, which are sometimes also called “dermal fillers,” are treatments that are placed under the skin’s surface via injection with tiny needles. The goal of these fillers is to smooth the appearance of wrinkles and give the skin a youthful, refreshed appearance.

Dr. Bustillo strongly believes in using only Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved non-permanent dermal fillers, because these are the only fillers that have been proven to be completely safe to use on facial plastic surgery patients.

NOTE: If a surgeon wants to use biopolymer or silicone fillers to treat your problem areas, you should not permit that surgeon to operate on you! These fillers are now known to create serious and sometimes permanent damage!

Dr. Bustillo uses two main fillers: hyaluronic acid fillers and calcium hydroxyapatite fillers. Examples of hyaluronic acid fillers include Juvederm and Restylane. Examples of calcium hydroxyapatite fillers include Radiesse.

Sometimes botulism toxin, Botox or Dysport, is confused with facial fillers. This type of facial treatment is also done via injection with tiny needles, but the result is not one of filling in an area of the face but rather of relaxing the muscles in that area of the face.

How Do Hyaluronic Acid Fillers Work?

Juvederm and Restylane are two of the most popular hyaluronic acid fillers used by facial plastic surgeons today. These two fillers are popular and well known and can last up to six months.

Hyaluronic acid fillers are composed of naturally occurring sugars that the body recognizes so there is no danger of allergic reaction or rejection.

Dr. Bustillo uses hyaluronic acid fillers in the area between the eyes and the cheeks, the area between the nose and the lips and the area just below the lips and to fill in thin lips.

How Do Calcium Hydroxyapatite Fillers Work?

Calcium hydroxyapatite fillers work to stimulate the skin’s own natural production of collagen, the protein that is responsible for a plump, fresh, youthful skin glow. These types of fillers can last up to 12 months.

Dr. Bustillo uses these dermal fillers for the area between the nose and the lips, the area just below the lips and to augment the cheek areas.

What Types of Wrinkles Exist?

In many cases, patients do not realize there is more than one type of skin wrinkle. But there are actually two different kinds of facial skin wrinkles! One kind is called static wrinkles and the other kind is called dynamic wrinkles.

Static wrinkles most frequently appear in the lower area of the face (lower cheeks to chin and below). These wrinkles tend to appear when the skin starts to naturally lose elasticity along with the aging process and the impact of gravity.

Both hyaluronic acid fillers and calcium hydroxyapatite fillers can be used to treat areas where static wrinkles exist. Often, the choice of which filler to use focuses on the severity of the static wrinkles and/or how long the filler treatment will last.

Dynamic wrinkles are wrinkles that appear due to the natural activity of the muscles of the face. If you have ever heard of a model or actor who didn’t want to smile to try to stop wrinkles from appearing, the wrinkles in question were dynamic wrinkles.

Dynamic wrinkles tend to occur in the upper area of the face, including the forehead, the area in between the eyes and the areas around the eyes. For these types of wrinkles, Dr. Bustillo typically recommends the use of Botox or Dysport.

What Filler Is Best For Your Problem Area?

The answer to this question will depend on the scope and severity of your problem area, the type of wrinkles you are experiencing (static or dynamic or both) and your overall facial appearance goals.

Here, it is vital to select a facial plastic surgeon you can talk with openly and trust implicitly, since you will be relying on your surgeon’s extensive medical and surgical expertise to recommend just the right filler to help you look and feel your best!

The first step to selecting the right filler is to schedule your initial consultation with Dr. Bustillo. During your consultation, you can share your concerns and goals and discuss with Dr. Bustillo how best to achieve your goals.

Dr. Bustillo will examine the area to be treated, take photos and talk with you about treatment options, answering your questions and ensuring you feel completely confident and comfortable with the recommendations for treatment.

About Dr. Andres Bustillo, M.D., FACS

Dr. Andres Bustillo has more than a decade of experience assisting patients to achieve their facial plastic surgery appearance goals. A board certified facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Bustillo has special expertise in performing rhinoplasty, revision rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty, deep plane facelift and minimal incision neck lift procedures.

5 Last-Minute DIY Gifts That Anyone Can Make

February 12, 2018 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Consider this your PSA that Valentine’s Day is in TWO DAYS!!! Ack!!!

Image source: DepositPhotos.com

Procrastination can be a terrible trait to have especially when it comes to gift giving. The time just seems to race by and now you are caught with little money, no ideas and a looming deadline. Here are some great DIY gifts that take little skill and time. What’s more, handmade gifts always win first-place with the recipient.

1. Candy Coins

A great gift for kids, candy coins require little skill to make. Grab a roll of quarters and wrap in a festive paper. Roll again in cellophane and tie each end with bright ribbons. Each roll holds $10 worth of quarters and these are great for vending machines or saving for a rainy day. Take your idea one step further and place a couple of wrapped candy coins and place in a jar filled with your recipient’s favorite miniature candies.

Mason Jar Gift

These are one of the easiest and most impressive DIY crafts you can try, even as a beginner. Save those mason jars for last-minute DIY gifts that are unique and treasured, as they’re perfect for all sort of creative presents. Glass is a natural long-lasting substance that will keep food and soap fresh. And because it is clear, items stored inside are always identified right away.

One unique idea that can be easily made from a mason jar is a sewing kit. Keep little spools of thread, sewing scissors and needles contained and easily noticeable. Cover the lid with cotton and a piece of colorful material and you have a convenient pin cushion.

Lip Balm Locket

Homemade lockets are cheap and easy last-minute DIY gifts for any woman. No more rummaging through a purse to moisturize those chapped and dry lips. Lockets are a great fashion statement and will always provide lip balm when needed. You can find beautiful lockets at any thrift store or you may have one in your home. Just melt down a tube of stick lip balm and pour into a beautiful locket. This gift will be a reminder of a personal friendship and a convenient lip balm holder as well.

4. Bird Seed Wreath

If a nature inspired gift is needed, make a handsome bird seed wreath. The backyard collection of winged friends will bring a smile to your gift receiver’s face. You will need to begin this project a day in advance to allow for dry time, but the process is so easy. With a Bundt cake pan or jello mold, an assortment of bird seed goodies and a few items from the kitchen, this delightful cake can be whipped up in no time. Toss in fresh berries and nuts to make this treat colorful and attractive. Top off with ribbon or rope for easy hanging from a tree or post.

Gift Baskets for Newlyweds

Starting a new home is not as simple as it may seem. Cooking, cleaning and organizing can become a startling discovery for a new couple. Think of when you were first starting out and the items that were needed. Take one topic and turn it into a basket full of those forgotten items. For example, take an oven mitt and fill it with wooden spoons, spatulas, toothpicks, straws, peelers and hand-held mixers.

These items will be much appreciated during meal preparation and entertaining. Another great idea is filling a colander with fixings for pasta. Dried pasta, sauce, olive oil, bread sticks, and, of course, a great bottle of wine will delight the newlyweds.

You don’t have to spend a lot of time and money to make your gift special and memorable. In fact, the creativity of your idea will leave a wonderful lasting impression on the one receiving the gift. All of these DIY gift ideas can be put together in a few hours and will make you happy that you didn’t rush out and buy a less than meaningful gift.

Anyone else making some DIY Valentine’s Day gifts? Leave me a comment with what you are planning!

Cheap Airfare to Hawaii: How We Booked Amazing Flights without Using Points

February 6, 2018 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

My family of 4 is getting all geared up for a a 14 day stint in Hawaii (specifically, the island of O’ahu), in just a few weeks. While Hawaii has been at the top of my travel bucket list for quite some time, now, we committed to making this trip without having any sort of advanced plan or budget. This is a dangerous way to go about your vacation planning, but it’s also a way to save HUGE amounts of money on one of the biggest expenses: airfare. Our trip is happening because we scored cheap airfare to Hawaii.

So here’s what happened: my husband signed up to be a member of Scott’s Cheap Flights, which is a company that will send you deals on travel opportunities (mostly international, but some domestic, as well) via email. You can set up the parameters you like (such as desired departure and arrival locations) and then just wait and watch for the deals. The more flexible you are about where you go and where you leave from, the more deals you can see (we probably see 5 or 6 different destinations each day, and each destination usually has several potential points of departure for low prices). I also like that the site will compare the price with the typical price for that flight, and give you an educated guess about how long they think a fare of that sort will last (because sometimes it’s so low that it will likely last less than an hour, and sometimes it will probably last several days). Membership for the year is $39, which is quite reasonable for a service that will help you save hundreds of dollars, even if you only book one flight per year.

So Tim signed up in the fall and had been watching for deals to very cool sounding destinations. Two days after Christmas, a mega deal came up for travel to Hawaii from the east coast, including Atlanta, which is our nearest international airport. Tickets are typically around $900 each from Atlanta and had just dropped down to $374, for a savings of $526/ticket ($2,104 for 4). The commentary from Scott’s was that this was a very rare deal that would most likely not be seen again for a really long time, so if Hawaii was where you wanted to go most, better pull the trigger now.

And that’s exactly what we did. We decided that we really wanted to go, that this price would allow us to actually go, and that we could finagle a way to be on the island for 14 days so we could REALLY enjoy it. We decided that we’d work out all the logistical details (like how we’d pay for lodging, food, a rental car and activities) later. And folks, that really is a risky move to make (I’ll do a separate post about how expensive Hawaii is, as it turns out, and steps we are taking to minimize our financial pain). But there was simply no time to plan out a vacation and then buy tickets at this price point, so we took a leap of faith. We also knew that we had additional funds available to work with on the ground, and that’s important to know. If the airfare completely eats up the money you have available for travel, you may need to save up some more funds before you spontaneously book a trip, because it doesn’t matter if the plane tickets are a great deal if you can’t afford to eat or sleep once you arrive. Just something to keep in mind!

This strategy didn’t make use of credit card points or frequent flyer miles, which is a common method people like to use for keeping flight expenses low. Since we both don’t travel very often for work, we simply don’t build up enough miles to be helpful in any given year, and I find that my credit card reward points can be a little spotty. They are more ideal for using when we have a set destination at a set time that we want/need to go to, vs. when we are just trying to find the very best deal to get 4 people somewhere fun.

So this is how we booked cheap airfare to Hawaii. We let someone else do the searching for us each day, and we watched for the price drop to occur. It happened a bit sooner than we were expecting, but it did happen, and we jumped on it!

Stay tuned for a breakdown of our proposed itinerary, including all the amazing touristy things we WON’T be doing. 🙂

Even the Best Workbooks Can’t Compete: Why Smartick is My Top Pick for Learning Math

January 24, 2018 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Thanks to Smartick for providing complimentary online subscriptions. As always, all thoughts and opinions are strictly my own.

As a homeschooling parent, I consider myself to be a bit of a workbook junkie. I don’t like to use workbooks as the sole basis for learning, but I do find them useful for daily drills and practice sessions, just to help reinforce what we are learning. I have tried many, MANY different brands of workbooks, and I do have a few favorites. For math, I personally find the Kumon workbooks to be top notch and have used them with my children since they were each around 2 years old.

I find the illustrations to draw the children into the work, and I find the problems to be appropriately challenging and for the lessons to build on each other in a way that makes sense. These are the Kumon workbooks that my kids are using right now, just to show you that I really do use them and believe them to be worthwhile!

But at the end of the day, even my favorite workbooks just can’t seem to provide my kids with the same results that we are getting from the online resource Smartick.

With a workbook, unless you are hovering over your child while she works (which my kids do NOT like!) you won’t know until she’s all finished if there are some mistakes. It’s a book, so there’s no feedback loop unless you are providing it.

With Smartick, you know immediately if you got an answer wrong, and you are shown the correct answer. The child can choose if they want to sit with that information for a minute and figure out why they got it wrong, or they can decide to give it another shot after their daily session is finished, at which point they are offered the chance to make corrections. This is often when I will sit with my girls and determine if they just made a sloppy error before (such as accidentally putting in the numbers wrong) or if they don’t seem to understand how to get to the correct answer, and then we break it down on a sheet of paper and try to figure it out. I personally just notice that going back over incorrect work on worksheets doesn’t seem to produce as many light bulb moments because they have mentally moved on from the problem when they learn that there is a mistake. With Smartick, the feedback loop is much tighter, and I think we get better results that way.

Additionally, my girls both seem to get a great deal of enjoyment out of the “ticks” they earn while doing their work, and trading those ticks in for pets and accessories for their avatars. All I can offer them for their workbook efforts is a sticker, and they are WAY more into their Smartick rewards, I promise!

So while I still find the Kumon books useful as a reinforcement, and for times when I have a child in a waiting pattern for a period of time (such as during a sibling’s ballet lesson), Smartick is definitely the superior resource for helping my children truly master what they are learning. Since the program is sensitive to what each child is getting right and wrong, it also does a much better job of bringing back up different types of problems to check on mastery and to help ensure the child really gets it. With a workbook, once you’ve done the problem set, that’s it, and you move on, whether or not your child actually understands the material.

Smartick sessions last 15 minutes each day, by design. It just asks the student to concentrate and give a good effort for a short, doable period of time, and my girls love that. They know their Smartick sessions won’t take forever. 🙂 You can check out Smartick for free for 7 days, or you can enjoy a 25% discount on a membership by using my referral link (if you use it, I think I’m also offered a discount on my subscription as a thank you). It’s absolutely worth checking out! We are getting our best results ever through the program.

Why Kennedy Space Center is a Must-See for School-Aged Children

January 20, 2018 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

Thanks to Kennedy Space Center for providing complimentary tickets. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Friends, if you have ever entertained the idea of paying The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Titusville, Florida a visit, I want to make it my special mission right now to convince you that you simply must make it happen. And if the thought has never even crossed your mind, then I want to cause it to go on your travel bucket list, and to get a pretty high ranking, at that.

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex BLEW MY MIND and y’all, I didn’t even see it coming. I was excited to go. I had heard that it was really well designed so that visitors of all ages could get something out of it (an initial worry I had was that it would be too “boring” for kids…I could not have been more wrong about that!). And I think space is kind of neat, so I was up for it and thought it was worth the hour long drive from Orlando to check out.

But I didn’t realize just how big of an impact it would have on my kids, and even on me as a parent and a homeschool teacher. I can’t wait to show you some of the amazing things we learned during our visit!

I will echo sentiments you will read on other KSC review posts, which is that you need to give this an entire day. You will be SO sad if you only budget half a day. We were there at opening (they play “The Star Spangled Banner” which is a really moving way to get things started), and we closed them out that evening. We didn’t even come close to seeing it all and we were there on a low crowd day.

The very first thing we did was book it over to the Atlantis to watch a film that really helps you better understand what a mammoth undertaking it was to try to develop a reusable space shuttle, and that showcased failure after failure, year after year. It took 12 years and a countless number of problems and obstacles that had to be faced and overcome by hundreds of brilliant minds working together. It would have been so much easier to have given up, and this was where the message became so very powerful for the kids: these individuals, working together on a seemingly impossible goal, showed up day after day and put the hard work in, refusing to give up in the face of failures and mistakes. And then you get to the see the finished product right before your eyes. My husband, mother-in-law, and I all cried at the sight of Atlantis, and my children were just so giddy to see the fruits of all that labor!

This area also showcases the Hubble telescope and gives you more information on just how critical all of these missions to space have been in providing us with our current way of life that depends on satellite communications so heavily. We didn’t look at everything in this area first because we wanted to catch the first shuttle of the day over to the Apollo and Saturn V Center. It’s easy to come back to, and we didn’t mind doing exactly that!

The bus tour does take about 45 minutes, and kids are provided with a nice coloring book and crayons for the journey, which I thought was a nice (and smart!) touch. Do make sure to use the restroom before you head out because there are no pit stops. This part of our visit was the highlight for my husband. I took the shot seen above because I knew he was having a real moment getting to see the launch areas, and the outside of the building where all the rocket construction actually happens. He really was like a kid at Christmas (also note the photo below, of him on Christmas morning, getting a gift from the Kennedy Space Center gift shop! Same level of happiness!).

Once you are off the shuttle you get to check out the Saturn V and it is so huge, that you really just have to see it to believe it!

This is where we had a delicious lunch and got to see so many more amazing things. It’s also where a retired NASA engineer was hanging out so he could answer questions. Everyone in my family took advantage of this opportunity to learn more about what it’s like to be part of NASA and a team that achieves the impossible. I really loved that Mr. Whitson was available and gave of his time this way. Getting to talk to him made it all that much more real for my kids!

We also watched a great presentation on the moon landing while in this section of the visitor’s center. Don’t miss it, because it was so well done!

Really, I have to give a huge hat tip to all the curators of this facility who tell the story of space exploration in such a compelling way, exhibit after exhibit. After a day at KSC, I understood just how incredibly awesome it is that we put human beings on the moon, in a way that has never clicked with me before. It’s a REALLY BIG DEAL, y’all. And now I’m so pumped up about the work ahead to get to Mars, whereas before I just thought it was “neat.” No, friends. It’s not neat. It’s SOOOOOO AWESOME!!!! And I feel so much more interested in keeping up with the cool things SpaceX is doing, and teaching my kids more about the history of space exploration, as well as the needs up ahead and how they can be part of it, if they develop a passion for it.

We also planned our visit for a day when a female astronaut would be present so that our girls could meet her and maybe even get to ask her a question. Astronaut Anna Fisher gave an incredible talk and though she only had time for one question, we were all SO EXCITED when she picked a little girl, my little girl, to get to ask it (she asked about whether or not she felt scared to go into space and Anna talked about all the preparation she did to get to go, and how that helped her feel more prepared and less scared).

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor’s Complex is a very exciting place for children as well as adults, and it really leaves an impact that can last for a lifetime. We have gone back to the astronauts and the engineers and the incredible amount of perseverance they all have had to have in order to get into space, and as we face hard problems and challenges in our studies, we remember that we don’t need to fear failure, because that’s still a result that we can work with as we learn and grow. Our main job is to show up and be willing to put in the hard work, just like they did. It has made a big difference in the amount of resilience I can see in my kids and in how I tackle the challenges I face as a parent and a homeschool teacher.

I cannot wait to go back to this place again, perhaps in a few years’ time, to revisit these incredible exhibits and to hear the stories of triumph. If there is any way for you to get to this part of the country for a visit, make it happen. It was simply incredible!

Spotted: Brilliant Comfort Food for Tired Mamas and Growing Kids

January 19, 2018 · by Tiffany Merritt · Leave a Comment

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cole’s MIDDLES™. All opinions are 100% mine.

Last week was the first time I heard of a frozen food product called Cole’s MIDDES™. Basically these are yummy bread bites filled with cheesy awesomeness inside. They come in 6 varieties that all sound so dang good: Pretzel Beer Cheese, Bread 5 Cheese, Bread Mac & Cheese, Pain Bagel Cream Cheese, Everything Bagel Cream Cheese, and French Toast Cream.

In a recent conversation with my mom I was bemoaning how hard it can be to keep the kids from eating 25 times a day when they are going through growth spurts. She was one of 6 kids, growing up, and she told me that her mom would always have some sort of bread product on hand for just those times (biscuits, extra bread, etc.). I instantly recalled MIDDLES and knew they would be the PERFECT snack for me to have on hand any time one of my girls becomes a bottomless pit.

So yesterday we headed off to Walmart, with a $1 Off Coupon in hand, to scoop up some new snacks. I was initially bummed to see that my nearest store only carried one flavor (beer cheese), as that’s not really a flavor that I think my girls are going to love. But then I saw the opportunity for what it was: a chance for this tired mama to get to relax and enjoy something really yummy, too. I may not be having anymore growth spurts, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t need something really filling and yum in my tum every now and again. 🙂

The directions on the box say to microwave or use the oven, and I love that the microwave option is available (for those hangry moments in life) but I’m guessing that if you have the patience that the oven produces a better bake, so that’s what I went with today.

The result? Cheesy bread perfection, y’all! What a treat for this post-holiday, post-extensive travel, post-wisdom teeth surgery mama who is getting through her days on nothing but fumes right now (rest is coming…see you in 6 weeks, Hawaii!). But for now, this bread is feeding my weary soul!

My store locator shows 3 other Walmart locations in my city where this product is carried, so I’ll just be on the lookout for other flavor varieties for the girls when I’m in those stores. Now that I have tried them (and loved them!), I’ll definitely keep my eyes open for Cole’s MIDDLES again. You can Check them out here if you’d like more info on where to find a box (or 6) for your freezer!

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