Thanksgiving Strangeness

I am writing this post from my mom's house in Minnesota.  It wass 4 degrees below zero on Thanksgiving  morning.  Of course, I am here for the coldest Thanksgiving in 84 years! 





 

Our plans changed at the last minute this year.  The original plan was for me to fly up on Sunday and mom and I would leave on Monday to begin our yearly trek to get her to Arizona for the winter.  But, at the last minute, mom had a few doctors appointments she needed to have and decided she wasn't ready to leave yet. 

My nephew was in a play at his school, and I didn't want to miss that...so I decided to come up anyway.

(Isn't he cute....in an evil sort of way?)

So, I am in Minnesota for the week.  All by myself.  We had picked this time for me to travel with mom because Rainman was off Monday through Wednesday.  He did have to work on Thanksgiving, (which he does most every year).  Since I was also gone, we debated about what to do for the kids....

We are blessed with fantastic friends and my friend, Sherri, said that the kids could just come spend Thanksgiving with her family.  Now, remember everyone..... I have 6 kids.  Yes, six!  And, Sherri, just invited them all over to share their meal....without any parental supervision!

Mom and I were alone for Thanksgiving....because we were supposed to be in Arizona eating out at a restaurant before I flew home on Friday....from Arizona.

Our other family members already had Thanksgiving plans and we decided we didn't want to force or guilt anyone into taking us in for  a pity dinner.  So, we just decided that we would find someplace to eat out  her in Minnesota.  My sister came up with a great idea!
















We went to the Chanhassen Dinner Theater for a Thanksgiving lunch and show!  I was ridiculously excited.  We used to go to the Chanhassen about once a year when we lived in Minnesota.  I haven't found anything like it in Georgia.  Great food.  Great entertainment.  People like Amy Adams got their start here.  Yes, that Amy Adams. 

It was definitely not a traditional Thanksgiving celebration, but it was  awesome to do this with my mom....just the two of us!  We took a wrong turn or two (right after we were talking about how great it is to have someone else help you navigate because you don't get lost!).  But we made it.  The show was great fun.  The food was good.  We got a combo plate that had both ham and turkey.  We split a chocolate/caramel cheescake.

We were home by 5:00 and we just had a relaxing night drinking hot apple cider (remember...coldest Thanksgiving in Minnesota in 84 years) 

Non-traditional Thanksgiving for sure.  But it was fun.  I talked to my kids and they assured me that they were very well behaved the WHOLE time they were at Sherri's house and Sherri has yet to tell me otherwise, so I am going with....It Went Great!

Shameless Plug Ahead

How many of you ran away when you read the title of this post?  LOL






If you are already my Facebook friend, you probably know what is coming. 

I have done something....become something....I never ever thought I would be.  Ever!

I am an Independent  Consultant for Jamberry Nail Wraps.

Yes, I am the dreaded "salesman"!

I can't believe it either.

I was telling a friend the other day that I hate salesman.  Yes, hate is a strong word.  But, I will be honest, I have sort of a disdain for salespeople, in general.  They are usually just so schmoozy and.....well.....fake.

That is NOT me.

I mean, I can small talk with pretty much anybody, when necessary.  But, I don't really like to do it.  It sort of makes me sweat inside of my brain, you know?

I want to be known as an authentic person and not change who I am based on who I am around.

So, why did I sign my name on the dotted line and become a salesman for Jamberry Nail Wraps?

Because......plain and simple....I tried them....I loved them....I couldn't wait to tell other people with short, stubby nails like mine about them!

I have always had short stubby nails.

I have been a massage therapist for 22 years.  (Wow, that makes me feel really old!)

I have 6 kids.

Of course I have short, stubby nails!

And, to be honest, I like my short stubby nails.  They are practical.  I am not afraid of gouging anybodies eyes out accidentally while shampooing their hair or washing their face.  You can open cans and jars and car doors.

They work for me.

But, the downside of that is that I rarely feel super....feminine...if that makes sense.

I always keep my toenails painted, but my fingernails were just nude colored and easily ignored.

Then, I tried Jamberry nails after another homeschool mom I know started selling them.  I totally tried them to be polite.

But......THEY ARE AWESOME!

(See?  Short and stubby....but, cute!  The nail on my ring finger had been on for about 2 weeks at this point - you can see that there is a little more space between the nail wrap and my cuticle because it had grown out a bit.)
 
They are cute.

 Look how cute these are!

They stay put until I want to take them off....usually because my nail has grown so much there is a gap at the bottom.

I wash a lot of little heads and faces.  I wash a lot of pots and pans (because, yes, apparently I AM the only that notices them).  I load/unload the dishwasher at least 2 times a day.  Not to even mention laundry, tying shoelaces, pulling out splinters, and  the ten billion other things that a mom does all day long.

They do not move.

They stay shiny.

So, yes, I have become an Independent Consultant for Jamberry Nail Wraps....and I am not even ashamed of that fact.

If you have never heard of them, go check out my web page and take a look at all the options available.  Over 300 designs, plus there is a Nail Art Studio where you can design your own wraps.  People have made them for their favorite t.v. shows like Dr. Who, or their favorite books, like Harry Potter or Dr. Suess, and just cool looking artsy fartsy ones.  Brides have even designed special ones that match their wedding theme for their bridesmaids gifts.

So much cuteness and so affordable.  A sheet of nail wraps that has enough for 2 pedicures and 2-3 manicures on it costs $15.  Even I can afford $15 for a fun little treat for myself.  That is why I did the last thing I expected to do.....and signed on the dotted line.

I am really excited about these things....can you tell?

I am having a business launch party on my website through Friday.  So, if you need unique, affordable Christmas gifts or just want to treat yourself, come on over and shop.  We are also having a Buy 3, Get 1 Free sale too!  (Wow!  I really am a salesman now, aren't I?)

And, now I am one of those people that put graphics like this out in view of the public....and....mean it.

Snake Oil - Party Potion - Review

Okay, all you game lovers, listen up!  Here is one that is NOT just for homeschoolers!  We got a chance to play (and review) a game from Out of the Box Games, called Snake Oil, the Party Potion edition.



If you know us, or pay attention to my blog, you will know that we LOVE games at our house.  I know games annoy and irritate some people (I don't understand those people), but all 8 of us love games.  This game is designed for ages 8+, or younger, if they can read.

 (It has won all sorts of awards from organizations like Dr. Toy, The Old Schoolhouse - also known as TOS, and Mensa....yes, that Mensa!)

This was one of those games that once we got started, nobody wanted to stop.  I will say that D-man and A-girl weren't chomping at the bit to play the first time.  But, like any good parents would do, we forced them.  I will tell you how that went over later.

Here is how you play this game/what the premise is:

Back in the Old West, there were men that were "Snake Oil Salesmen" that could get people to buy even the unlikeliest of potions and elixers.  So, in this game, you take turns being the Snake Oil Salesman...AND the unsuspecting customer.  The Snake Oil Salesmen make their pitch about why their product is best.  The customer chooses and whoever has the most Customer cards at the end of the game wins!



We used the Party Potion version of this game, which is just the version for slightly younger kids.  Snake Oil is for ages 10+ and Snake Oil Party Potion is for ages 8+.


Here is how you play:  You can play with anywhere from 3 to 6 players (Again, all 8 of us played, but we played as a team).  You take turns being the "customer".  The customer chooses a card that says who they are, like, Fisherman, Grandma, School Bus Driver, Janitor, or Robot, for some examples.  The rest of the players have 6 snake oil cards in their hands.  They pick 2 of those cards to put together to create their "product" .

So, you could have cards in your hand that say:  Lantern, Coat, Butt, Spider, Curse, and Rug.  You would look at those and decide....."I am going to sell a Butt Lantern"  (That one actually happened at our house.  Yes, Rainman is really a 4th grade boy trapped in a grown up body!)

All of the Snake Oil salesmen present their product to the customer.  When everyone has taken their turn, the customer picks what they think was the best product and the Snake Oil salesman keeps the customer  card.  Then, someone new gets to be the customer and you repeat the whole thing.  The person or team that has the most customer cards at the end of the game wins.  Each game should take 20-30 minutes (ours usually last longer....see.....giggling....see long sales presentations, etc.)




It only takes a few minutes to explain how the game works to everyone.  Our littler ones were a bit confused during our explanation.  But, all we had to do was give them one example and show them how to create a product to pitch,and they were good to go!

(D-man, not excited to be playing....yet!)

We played as teams because then V-girl who is a brand new reader could play.  It didn't take her long to get into the swing of things and understand what she needs to do.

(Yes, as usual, ignore my mess!  Our desktop computer heats up and turns itself off if it is on my new desk....so it is sitting on my dining room table where it can get plenty of air flow...so, since we aren't eating there right now...it has become the dumping ground....for pretty much everything!)

Back to Snake Oil Party Potion, S-girl is 7 is already a good reader, so in that aspect, she could have played by herself, but the concept of "selling" or persuading someone to buy her product was a strange one....because it sort of went against her personality.  She was very shy and tentative at first, but warmed up to it quickly.

The people that surprised me with their....ahem.....talent....at selling their product to the customer were Rainman, A-man, and D-man.  Oh, my word! 

D-man was very good at outrageous, off the wall descriptions.  I wish I had video of him absolutely giggling his way through most of his sales pitches.  They were outrageous, off-the-wall, and hysterical most of the time.

(This was a good one.  He was selling the concept of a Pimple Forest to a Toddler!)

A-man had a very smooth delivery that had you believing every word.  Not sure what I think about him being able to wax poetic about just about anything.  He was also the reason that we started timing our sales pitches, because, if we let him, he would have just kept going on and on and on about why you needed whatever he was selling!

But, Rainman, was absolutely fantastic at both.  He always came up with a great concept/product and sold it to you like you had to have it or you would be crazy!  He may have missed his call when he became a Meteorologist!  Seriously!  Who knew he had such a creative mind hidden beneath his scientist exterior?!?!  I refer you to his salesmanship of the aforementioned "Butt Lantern" as my example.  He made it seem like a great idea for you to have on a dark and stormy night traveling in the woods.

These games are great family games.  They would make a great family gift at Christmas.  They would be great to bring to a party.  (That was one comment Rainman made.... this would be a great party game.)  Snake Oil Party Potion for younger players to get started, costs $14.99.  The Original Snake Oil game for slightly older players, costs $19.99.

We loved this game.  All of us.  Even the teenagers!  I am sure that this is teaching my children all kinds of life skills.  Ha!  I actually said that as sort of a joke, but really, it is teaching them public speaking skills, vocabulary words, and even marketing skills.  But, even if it didn't, it is still loads of fun.  Remember, it had my 16 year old giggling and all of us laughing.  Rainman can sell a Butt Lantern, and  V-girl asks almost everyday if we can play Snake Oil.  (She puts the emphasis on the second word, which is adorable).  So, it is most definitely a winner in our book!

See what other TOS Reviewers thought of their Snake Oil games!

Connect with:

https://www.facebook.com/OutoftheBoxGames
https://twitter.com/OTBgames
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYAQiV5S9ZQ&feature=c4-overview&list=UUTEAg1uDVwq0LNxFAwM7N5Q

IXL-Review

As part of the TOS Review Crew, I was asked to write a review on IXL



We have used IXL as a great supplement in the past.  You can read what we thought about IXL back in the olden days,  here and here.




IXLis a curriculum supplement that has both math and language arts lessons available. 

The Math portion is huge and covers PreK all the way through Precalculus, or preschool through 12th grade. 

The Language Arts portion has lessons available for grades 2-8, but they are close to revealing lessons up through 10th grade.

General things I like about IXL:

• The curriculum is divided by grade level, but if your child isn't a cookie cutter child and doesn't necessarily fit into their grade level, you can hide that information and just have them work on what they need to without having the pressure that they may not be working on the "right" grade level.  You can also use this to be able to challenge your child with harder concepts - without telling them the work you are giving them is grade levels above their age.  (A-man accidentally did this the last time we were using IXL)  Or, if they need to have a little encouragement that they aren't "dumb", you can secretly have them work in a grade level or two behind, so they get some of their confidence back.
• There are reward/sticker pages (if those help motivate your child - mine were split...some thought it was cool, some could care less whether they get a pretend sticker on an award page.)
• IXL sends weekly reports to the parents so, even if you aren't sitting right there while they work, you will know what they have (or haven't) accomplished and how much time they worked on them.
• Questions that adapt to your child's ability, increasing in difficulty as they improve.
• Immediate feedback and question-specific explanations

All you have to do to get started is create your parent account and register your students on the parent page.  You even get to create a little cartoon version of your kids.  Then whenever the student logs in, they just picked "themselves" and went to work.  IXL keeps track of what they do, from how much time they spend to what they work on....and how they do in every area.  As the parent, I can log on and take a look, but, like I said in the general thinks I like about IXL, they also send me weekly reports in my e-mail account to keep be posted (just in case I forget to log in and check - yes, it has happened).




I think it is always a good idea to use different teaching styles, wording of problems and approaches (even games) with kids.  I think that it gives you a greater sense of whether they are really "getting" the concepts or not.  For example, I want the kids to know what to do with math, whether you use the words "subtract", "take away", or "minus".  IXL uses a slightly different approach and wording of problems than our normal curriculum, which was a good thing for my kids to be able to practice/interpret problems.

I also like IXL because it just gave them good old fashioned practice with their numbers, adding, subtracting, multiplying, etc.  Sort of like the old concept of using flashcards to really get your math skills drilled into your brain.

For you non-old fashioned people that have iPads, Androids, and/or fancy things like Kindles, you can get the IXL app.    Right now, the iPad has the full curriculum available, and Android and Kindle has Math grades PreK-8 available.




IXL math could also be a good option for people who worry about their kids forgetting too much of their Math or Language Arts over the summer break.  It is something that can be done quickly and easily throughout the day without supervision from you.

Language Arts has been expanded quite  a bit since we last used IXL.

This is just a sampling of the skills they cover.  If you look closely at the bottom of each grade level it tells you how many more skills are covered at that level.  For example, 3rd grade covers a total of 116 skills and 7th grade covers 109. You can go read more details of the Language Arts skills being taught. 





So how much is it to use IXL?  Pricing for family memberships starts at just $9.95/month or $79/year for one subject. Each additional child costs $2/month or $20/year. For more information or to purchase a family membership, go to www.ixl.com/membership/family/pricing, and select your preferred membership option to view pricing details. This is another good page to look at as well:  https://www.ixl.com/membership/family/subscribe/yearly/math

So, an annual subscription for one child for math is $79; for math AND Language Arts, it would be $129.  For two children for math, it is $99 for the year; for math and language arts, it would be $149.  Make sense?



See what other TOS reviewers through of IXL for math and language arts.