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By Mom Unplugged, April 20, 2010 4:31 pm

It’s Screen Free Week again (April 19th - 21st) and I almost missed it!

I have been really busy with life and school events and have sorely neglected the blog. But since I “BWO,” I won’t apologize.

It is too late to set up my usual Screen Free Week Blog Challenge, however I do encourage everyone to give Screen Free Week a try by reducing or eliminating as many screens as possible in your family’s life for one week. Anything is possible for just one week, right?

If this sounds like an interesting project to you, here are a few links that might help you fill those screen-free days and nights:

WHAT TO DO:

TV-Free Brainstorm

Practical TV-Free Ideas

The “Mommy I’m Bored” Box

Books for an “Unplugged Week”

Try out some of our Unplugged Project ideas

SCREEN-FREE WEEK EXPERIENCES:

Impressions of a Week Without TV

My Mindful Week

Unplugging Yourself

How it Went For Me

You may love it or you may hate it, but you’ll never know unless you try!

PS. Be sure to check out the many other TV and screen-free websites out there for more ideas, information and inspiration. Also: Screenfreeweek.org and Screensmartkids.org.

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By Mom Unplugged, March 9, 2010 1:36 pm

I get tons of offers to review all sorts of odd things: snack foods (no thanks), prenatal vitamins (not pregnant), infant video games (did you read the title of my blog?), celebrity this and celebrity that (my interest in celebs = ZERO). Do any of these marketers actually READ my blog first? I rarely accept a review offer.

Well, a while ago I got a very nice email about a publication that sounded pretty good and well-matched to Unplug Your Kids. Blue Lake Children’s Publishing wanted to know if I would be interested in reviewing their bi-monthly “magazine” (really more like a little book) for 2-6 year-old pre and early readers. The magazine is called Tessy & Tab, and after checking out their website, I decided that my 4 year-old and I might like to give it a try.

The verdict? We love it!

As I mentioned before, Tessy & Tab is more like a small stiff paperback book than an actual magazine. This is helpful if you have destructive little-ones! But as Heather of Blue Lake explained, “kids like the word ‘magazine.” Your preschooler will love getting their own “magazine” twice a month in the mail.

The main characters of Tessy & Tab are a duck named Tessy and a kangaroo…obviously named Tab. Each 14 page issue features Tessy and Tab doing fun things that children will enjoy learning about, or are perhaps familiar with. My packet included issues about flying kites, ice skating lessons, learning to write, making pizzas, a yoga lesson, and crafting jewel mugs.

The subject matter was very interesting to my 4 year-old and the bright and simple illustrations were fun for her too. The text is basic and the font is large, dark, and easy to read. My daughter was pleased that she could sound out some of the words herself, and LOVED the part where she got to do an “I Spy” finding different pictures and words that appeared throughout the story. I think she sat quietly on the sofa for at least half an hour working on her packet of Tessy & Tabs.

From a parent point of view, I like the following:

• Each issue is based on the Six Skills for Early Literacy: 1) Print Motivation (kids LOVE getting mail!) 2) Print Awareness (a word in the text always appears somewhere in the illustration) 3) Building Vocabulary (learn words by recognizing pictures) 4) Narrative Skills (…a beginning, a middle, and an end…) 5) Letter Knowledge (a featured letter every month) 6) Phonological Awareness (emphasis on syllables and rhymes).

• I can do more than just read the content aloud. There are also a few activities, some of which my 4 year-old can do on her own.

• The featured letter and number are useful bi-monthly teaching tools that might especially be helpful for homeschoolers.

• There are three “Story Questions” at the end of each issue. The questions check to see if your child remembered and comprehended the story (there are visual hints too). A good introduction to the idea of “reading for comprehension” which they will face for many, many years to come in school.

• Twice a month is ideal in my mind for publications geared to children so young. Although it flies by for us grown-ups, a full month’s wait is a Very-Long-Time when you are 4ish.

• The website has printables, learning games, and activities that go along with each issue.

And last, but DEFINITELY not least!!!

• Tessy & Tab has no advertising. I don’t have to endure tortured requests for Disney princess fruit snacks or Sponge Bob sneakers after we read an issue.

I have subscribed.

If you decide to subscribe and like this magazine, please tell your friends about it. If you have a blog, please write about it.

Blue Lake Publishing is a low budget operation and it does not accept advertising. I really respect this attitude and I wish them well. I also thank them for bringing Tessy & Tab to my attention!

LINKS: How does the Tessy & Tab Reading Club Work?

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By Mom Unplugged, March 2, 2010 4:59 pm

Teachers and parents, are you looking for a fun and different math activity for your students or kids? Then you’ll be happy to learn that tomorrow, March 3rd 2010, is World Math(s) Day!

Teachers can sign their classes up to participate in this online math contest with same-aged students (5-18 years) from around the globe for a chance to win prizes. Individual students or homeschooling families can register too. This year for the first time there is even a category for teachers and parents who want to join in the fun. Plus, it is all COMPLETELY FREE!

Here is how it works:

“Students play at home and at school against other students around the world in live games of mental arithmetic. Each game lasts for 60 seconds and students can play up to 500 games, earning points for each correct answer. The students who answer the most questions appear in the Hall of Fame. Students cannot select their level but will move up as they progress.”

(“About World Maths Day,” from the World Maths Day website)

So far there are over 2 million students from 37,000 schools in 200 countries registered for tomorrow’s event. The goal is to beat last year’s world record of correctly answering 452,681,681 questions!

I had fun just browsing the lists of students and classes registered from an amazing array of locations. It would make for a great geography lesson in addition to the math fun!

Head on over right now and register your students, children, and yourself!

LINKS:

World Maths Day 2010 Website

World Maths Day 2010 Official Blog

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By Mom Unplugged, February 27, 2010 9:00 pm

I promised a reminder … here it is!!!!!

REMINDER: Please link to your Spiral Unplugged Project before tomorrow night: Sunday, February 28th. Links go here. On Monday, March 1st at some point I’ll close the Spiral Linky and post a new theme for the month of March.

We did another neat Spiral Unplugged Project today based on our first Spirograph fun. I’ll be sure to get the post up before I close the linky.

If you have no idea what I am talking about, then please read more here about the Monthly Unplugged Project.

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By Mom Unplugged, February 10, 2010 11:18 am

BLAST FROM THE PAST POST (Originally published on May 23, 2007) - Having fun digging out some old stuff!

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I did a silly thing.

With child number three, we finally outgrew our small kitchen table. I ordered this great table with the green chairs from West Elm. The table arrived and I LOVE it! It looks fabulous in my green kitchen area and is nice and big for meals, homework, projects (clutter), etc.

But…I ordered the cushions too. The chair cushions are a lovely, minimalist white. WHAT WAS I THINKING??? They have washable covers, but do I really want to be removing cushion covers and washing them every day? I have enough daily laundry to do without adding more to it. Plus, what about spaghetti sauce? Will that come out or will I need to dye the covers red to match the stains? Maybe we should just eat white food from now on. Potatoes, pasta, milk, ice cream (vanilla)…

This reminds me of one of my pet peeves. Decorating magazines that feature “families” with cute little blonde curly-haired angels running around the immaculate garden in adorable white outfits. These families always have elegant minimalist living rooms in varying shades of white with sisal rugs. The room is completely decorated with “flea market finds” and boasts (and this is the kicker) a WHITE SLIPCOVERED SOFA on which the family greyhound is reclining comfortably.

The glamorous, yet natural-looking mother always offers up some savvy decorating wisdom, such as: “Seek out flea market pieces that have good bones.” Or, “I like to decorate with white slipcovers because you can just pull them off and throw them in the wash!” With a house full of toddlers and sofa-sleeping greyhounds, this mother (or her maid) must be washing her slipcovers five times a day.

My slipcovers would be living in my laundry room. My sisal rug would have cat barf on it (How does one clean cat vomit out of the fibers of a sisal rug anyhow? With a toothbrush?). Do Lazy-Boy recliners have “good bones?” Where do I find a flea market near me? We have garage sales, thrift stores and a “swap meet,” but unless your decorating style is “Early Salvation Army” or involves antlers, you might be a bit disappointed with the availability of elegant antique bargains where I live.

So, this brings me back to my dilemma. What do I do with white kitchen chair cushions? I am simply not as brave as those “magazine moms.” Mine are in a box in the attic to be brought out when my children are in college.

PS. I thought about cleaning off the table for the photo, but decided that it was more interesting to simply capture a moment in time from a “real mom’s” house. I hope you appreciate my honesty.