My silly toddler

Progressive Soup Blog Spark

We all live for those little moments of Oh! when we look and feel our best. The feeling of Oh! when you button up your favorite old jeans … and they fit! Or the Oh! you get from your friends when you walk into a room confidently sporting a new dress! Those moments of Oh! are some of the best of our lives! When's the last time you had one of those moments? Who's said Oh! lately in your life?

And of course there's the Oh! satisfaction when you discover a delicious ally that helps you beat diet boredom – Progresso® soup! With 40 delicious flavors at 100 calories or less per serving, you are sure to find a soup that makes you say Oh!

The flavors are incredible. You would never believe there would be so much flavor packed into just 100 calories!

Oh! wait...there's even more! Since we all know how important it is to look and feel your best (and get the Oh! reaction from yourself and others), Progresso is giving you the chance to win the ultimate ProgressOh! Make-Oh-ver experience in Hollywood*! Three lucky grand prize winners will get to take the ultimate trip full of ProgresOh! experiences – from a head-to-toe makeover to sightseeing in LA!

Here's what you could win:

• Round-trip airfare for you and a guest to Los Angeles, California
• 4 day/ 3 night hotel accommodations
• A head-to-toe makeover, including hair, makeup and a blue dress to get you ready for your own ProgressOh! moment in Hollywood
• Two tickets to this season's live finale of The Biggest Loser
• $2,000 spending money

Here's how to enter:

• Visit Facebook.com/Progresso
• Complete an official entry form
• Share a photo
• Tell us why you love Progresso soup
• Tell us why you deserve a ProgressOh! makeover

Don't forget to tag your content #ProgressOh!

Three grand prize winners will each get the ultimate ProgressOh! Make-Oh-ver from Progresso®! #ProgressOh!

 

"Disclosure: The information, products and ProgressOh! gift packs were provided by Progresso through MyBlogSpark."

HomeSchool Check in - our week 2

Another wonderful week as homeschoolers!!! Here's the rundown

Bella - flying through CLE math 202 and LA 202. not sure if i should just have her take the test in these and move onto 203 light units. I mean this is ALL review and if its new she gets it right away.....
       geography and citizenship is moving right along. She loves learning about the statue of liberty and the flag and everything that goes with it. I cant wait till we go to the statue this spring/summer, since last year it was closed when we went.
     Her cursive is so natural and she is just "getting it"
        gymnastics her first competition is going to be March 3. She is excited and nervous all in one. i mean the girl JUST started taking rec classes 6 months ago and just blew through them and is now going to compete level 2.

Lorenzo - We are up to lesson 12 in CLE math 102. I slowed down now that we are doing place value so he really has a good grip on math. He is natural in it, but I want to make sure everything is set in his brain. besides he is 5, whats the point of rushing!
       in OPGTR he is up to lesson 47. I spent Thursday and Friday making sentences as review from all the blends he has been learning. We will move on to the next lesson on Monday. Again I am not rushing through this, I think its important for us to move at his pace
       

 AAS we are up to step  8. Super easy for him as its just the short vowel spelling. We start blends soon and that will be "newer"

We started to work on our Elemental Science this week. All about plants. Bella LOVE LOVE LOVE making the lap book. We are working through it fast as she is interested and engaged in the lap book. This is a great science for k-3, its light yet concrete. Also if you have a crafty child like mine, its prefect. I look forward to more of these science lap books when this one is complete!

In Art the kids made Winter Tree Water Resist pictures. They loved the final outcome of these!

morning star burgers

I never  thought I would be excited over a spicy black bean burger! these morning star burgers have so much flavor packed into every bite. I made mine with a spicy cilantro mayo to top it! so good you have  to try!!!!

NEW YEAR, NEW YOU, BETTER-FOR-YOU BURGERS

The theme of 2013 is options. You don’t have to settle for less-than-healthy beef burgers, and you certainly don’t have to settle for any old veggie burger. With MorningStar Farms®, eating meatless can be fresh and magical, and here’s a sample of how:

MORNINGSTAR FARMS® SPICY BLACK BEAN BURGERS

With black beans, roasted corn, brown rice, and chili peppers, these burgers definitely have a whoa-that-was-good-now-give-me-some-more kick to them.

• 120 calories, 4g fiber, 11g protein and 73% less fat*

*MorningStar Farms® Spicy Black Bean Burger (67g) contains 4g fat per serving, compared with regular ground beef (67g) containing 15g fat per serving.

MORNINGSTAR FARMS® GARDEN VEGGIE PATTIES™

A yummy, hearty blend of mushrooms, water chestnuts, onion, carrots, green and red bell peppers, black olives, brown rice and rolled oats.

• 110 calories, 3g fiber, 10g protein and 74% less fat*

*MorningStar Farms® Garden Veggie Patties™ Veggie Burgers (67g) contain 3.5g fat per serving, compared with regular ground beef (67g) containing 15g fat per serving.

MORNINGSTAR FARMS® TOMATO & BASIL PIZZA BURGERS

Not only is this Italian-inspired veggie burger filled with onion, mushrooms, tomatoes and red peppers, it also has … wait for it … mozzarella and provolone cheese inside.

• 120 calories, 3g fiber, 10g protein, 61% less fat*

*MorningStar Farms® Tomato & Basil Pizza Burgers (67g) contain 6g fat per serving, compared with regular ground beef (67g) containing 15g fat per serving.

MORNINGSTAR FARMS® GRILLERS® ORIGINAL

Every bite of this meatless masterpiece is chock-full of classic burger flavor.

• 130 calories, 15g protein, 57% less fat*

*MorningStar Farms® Grillers® Original (64g) contain 6g fat per serving, compared with regular ground beef (64g) containing 14g fat per serving.

MORNINGSTAR FARMS® GRILLERS PRIME® VEGGIE BURGERS

It's savory, a little smoky, best grilled and served on a bun, then topped with whatever makes your mouth water.

• 170 calories, 17g protein, 39% less fat*

*MorningStar Farms® Grillers Prime® Veggie Burgers (71g) contain 9g fat per serving, compared with regular ground beef (71g) containing 15g fat per serving.

MORNINGSTAR FARMS® MUSHROOM LOVER’S BURGER

This burger balances button and portabella mushrooms with hints of onion, sweet red pepper and garlic perfectly.

• 110 calories, 7g protein, 59% less fat*

*MorningStar Farms® Mushroom Lover's Burgers (64g) contain 6g fat per serving, compared with regular ground beef (64g) containing 14g fat per serving.

bzzagent provided me with the bzzkit. the review is my own

Homeschool Week Review (our first yet)

WHAT AN AMAZING WEEK THIS HAS BEEN!

I could not shout it louder or say it more. THIS is what I want.

Belle is such a start student. I have to admit, not a problem given. She thrives to learn, its in her blood. We are doubling up lessons in CLE math and CLE Language arts since alot of it is review. Although she never learned what a fraction was such as 1/4 or 2/3 that was new to her. Of course she understood the concept so fast and we moved on. She took a spelling quiz and of course got 100%. I decided to give her the CLE test for both math and LA for 201 and she got 100 on both so we are moving ahead to light unit 102.

In geography she is learning more and more about the different maps and keys to a map. She understands direction and which way she has to go to get somewhere.

Her newest learning is cursive. She has been ITCHING to learn and now that she was home with me I figured why not. She LOVES it and practices all day. We don't have anything specific for now to learn on and I have a feeling we wont need anything, she is picking up quick.....

Lorenzo is well, a 5 year old boy. I understand WHY so much "coloring" is done is PS kindy now, ..... the attention span is SHORT! But, he is doing amazing. We are up to lesson 42 in OPGTR and he is decoding beautifully. Its funny how different kids learn to read, Belle would sound out the words out loud where he sounds them out in his head and then says them.
I have started writing the sentences on a white board from OPGTR and that really makes a difference. To see them bigger I think helps alot. He leared about -ck endings and beginning blends.
I'm trying to speed math up for him. We are doing CLE1, and doing 2 lessons a day. He already has these beginning math facts memorized, and writes his numbers so neat. I have a feeling he is going to be a math kinda kid. Doing 2 lessons a day is alot in CLE, there is alot of writing but we are getting done and once new concepts are taught we will drop it down to just 1.
AAS he completed step 5. I love AAS. I really think it helps with the reading too. Its quick and painless and gets done. plus the whiteboard.....the kids love that thing :)
His handwriting isn't horrendous so I only make him do a page from HWOT.  I might drop HWOT once I get the ETC workbooks for him....

We SLOWLY started SOTW but I am going to be making the lap book for it with them. I'm waiting for my laminater to arrive for us to REALLY start :) This coming week we will be starting Elemental Science Lap book for Plants. I am so excited!

We have been using out library to the fullest. The kids went for art 2 times this week. Their favorite was pillow making.

They also read to Millie a special dog that lays there and lets the kids read to her...I guess its suppose to build their confidence.

I have yet to find a groove for little miss toddler. I mean 21 months is a rocket age. She is such an awesome kid. For now there is alot of leapfrog movies on for her during school time. Then there is her siblings playing. I need to get moving on making some Busy Bags for her...I do feel like they wont keep her busy for long though!

Today we are meeting another local homeschooling mom and her kids for lunch. I look forward to connecting with someone from the area that home schools!

As for me. I am beat. There is alot of mental exhaustion that I don't think people realize from homeschooling. The preparing, and grading, the entertaining a toddler and then on top of all that the regular SAHM duties such as cleaning cooking ect. This is a whole other post coming this week!

Recess!!!

Seriously can it get better than this?? Recess, gym, good times!

Today they said Goodbye

Today was the kids last day in Public School. As excited as they are to be homeschooling, it was still somewhat bitter sweet. My daughter said seeing her desk completely empty made her sad. Kids from class made her cards saying good bye. MY son was given tons of hugs from all the other kids in their class.

I know this is the right choice for our family, right now, this moment in time. I mean its something we have been discussing for a long time......and we all decided parents and kids, it was the right choice.

I have lots of goals other than educational for the kids now that they will be home ALL the time :)

I want to build their confidence in WHO they are
I want them to cherish each moment together with one another
I want them to live each moment for what it is, us together, learning, playing and growing.

I do hope i don't loose my cool on the hard days, but instead learn to breathe and let it go. I'm sure there will be days when NO ONE wants to work, and that's okay, ill figure it out as we go.

Nervous,
Excited,
Scared,

 YET OH SO HAPPY! My kids make me so proud everyday, and I have always had a hard time letting them go for 6 hrs a day. Now they are home, they are safe, they don't have to worry about being made fun of, or being cool, or looking their best. They can be in their own skin and feel proud.

I hope to embark on the journey with many followers here, and I hope to get comments and encouragement from all you seasoned homeschoolers!

Now its time to go work on my IHIP!!!!

Nothing like ....

Homemade crayons to inspire a toddler

Officially Homeschoolers!!!!

Today I took my childrens letter of intent to the district office! Their last day of public school is next Friday!

I am so excited to be on this journey with them. I feel so fortunate that they will be home with me, building their confidence in who they are in this crazy world.

My blog will surely be taking on a more "homeschooling" feel for this new year but I hope you all continue to follow :)