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Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Back To School can be fun, even if you aren't big enough yet!
 Back To School season is an exciting time in our little people's lives. Shoot, I remember how much I loved getting new clothes and shoes but my favorite part was the stationery. To this day, I just covet and hoard pens, new Crayolas (ahhh, heaven) colored pencils, new erasers and clean crisp fresh new notebooks. So I can understand when your littlest one is jealous of her big brother or sister. The new stuff, the school bus, the lunch box; all of that can make your toddler wonder why they aren't getting to play, too! The Silly Wagon has them covered...  
Monday, July 14, 2008
Win a 'Signature' stamp - My Own Name - Giveaway !
Teaching Your Child to Print Their Name A child's name is the most important word he/ she will learn to print. Learning to print his/ her name is an important literacy skill for any youngster as it helps master letter formation and internalize printing principles.
What is important isn't necessarily good handwriting, it's the automatic letter formation which then frees children to focus on more letter and word acquisition without having to concentrate on the mechanics. Our 'Signature' Stamp Little learners love the sense of accomplishment when they learn to print their names. Our 'signature' product helps the printing process in a fun and interactive way.
With a large 'dotted' font children can stamp their own name on paper, coloring pages, artwork etc. which allows them to trace the letters of their name. Make printing a positive, motivating, fun and creative process in an individualized and encouraging way that emphasizes the effort... The Silly Wagon and The Little Stamp Company are proud to sponsor this fabulous giveaway to 2 of our readers/subscribers! Just leave a note on THIS blog post , and be entered to win either an All Caps Beginner Name Stamp or the Lower Case Name Stamp in your choice of ink color. All you have to do is write us a note, telling us what Silly Wagon Back To School supply is your favorite...and make sure you go to the HOME page of the shop and sign up for the newsletter on the left side in the orange bar... I want to reiterate, as I think sometimes people get so excited they rush off and post something without finishing reading this. To be eligible to win you must do the following: 1. Read this entire post 2. Subscribe to the newsletter, unless you already are a subscriber (the winner will be announced there so if you don't sign up, how will you know you won?) 3. Leave a quick note telling us your favorite Back To School supply at The Silly Wagon.
4. Do all of this before July 31st.
My Own Name Stamp, Learn to print your name, the fun and easy way!
A child's name is the most important word he/ she will learn to print. Learning to print his/ her name is an important literacy skill for any youngster as it helps master letter formation and internalize printing principles.
What is important isn't necessarily good handwriting, it's the automatic letter formation which then frees children to focus on more letter and word acquisition without having to concentrate on the mechanics.
Make printing a positive, motivating, fun and creative process in an individualized and encouraging way that emphasizes the effort. Credit to Nellie Edge (www.nellieedge.com) a kindergarten resource site for this information.
 Our 'Signature' Stamp
Little learners love the sense of accomplishment when they learn to print their names. Our 'signature' product helps the printing process in a fun and interactive way.
With a large 'dotted' font children can stamp their own name on paper, coloring pages, artwork etc. which allows them to trace the letters of their name.
Now I know my ABC's.... So what comes next? Using something as non-threatening and familiar as their names is a great way to get children to make that move from letters in a song to words on paper. Understanding concepts like letters and words is a big leap for some pre-schoolers and kindergarteners. By utilizing their names parents and educators can introduce a variety of literacy concepts to children in fun, imaginative and interactive ways. Here are some ideas that I've tried with my kids... - play "I Spy" looking for letters from their name on signs, books, products, toys while in the car or waiting at the doctor's office, while shopping, in line at the grocery store, etc. - Sing songs with the child's name. i.e. Replacing BINGO with KATIE, longer or shorter names require a bit of creativity in your singing cadence! Any name in a nursery rhyme can be replaced with your child's (Matthew be nimble, Matthew be quick, Matthew jump over the candle stick) - Incorporate your child's name into silly songs or fun poems I have a friend
Whose name is _____
And we have fun together.
We laugh and play
And sing all day
In any kind of weather. (color) is my hair.
(color) are my eyes.
I'm _____ years old
and just the right size.
My name is _____ and as you can see
I'm very happy to be me. What truly matters is that you and your child get to spend some fun, quality time, while learning a new skill. There is no need for pressure, the finished product is less important than the enjoyment of the process, and once your child gets better you can move on to new words to trace, and recognize. The great thing about these stamps is that while you start with their name, you can also get stamps that say CAT, MAT, DOG, BALL, and so forth...and with a few properly chosen words, eventually build a short sentence that they can write themselves. Cat sat on mat. You little genius will be miles ahead of his or her classmates come time for school! And you will have had fun, learning together, along the way!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
It's the little things, the Details in life that make it special.
 Details, Details, Details Inc. That's right people, it really is all in the Details, 100% wool felt hair clips you personalize, that is! Darla and Cassie of Details Inc are possibly 2 of the funnest Indie gals out there, I love those two with their southern twang and artsy flair. Their gorgeous felt hair clips for girls are made from 100% wool felt, not that tacky acrylic stuff ya buy at the crafts store. Each one is hand stitched with love and PRECISE perfectionist, dare I say anal, possibly a touch of OCD attention to ...let say it together, Details! 
Cheap, Quick and Efficient Way to Clean your Diamond Engagement and Wedding Rings.
Next year is my 10th anniversary. Mostly happy, a few rough spots and hardships, and lots of love. My husband and I have moved all over the world and now we drag our kids along, too. Well, until they reach school age, then we may have to settle down and pick one location. When we got married, my husband gave me a gorgeous but petite, 'estate' diamond cocktail ring from the 20's. I love that ring. For the birth of our first child, he sweetly gave me what is often called a 'push present' although I simply think of it as the 'ice-ing' on the cake.... a couple of years later I decided I wanted the solitaire pendant necklace to be an upgrade on my wedding ring. So I designed this, and couldn't be more thrilled. Except, I like to keep the darn thing clean and as the mother of two kids under 5, it is constantly getting caked with all kinds of gunk.
 I kept searching for a way to get it as disco-ball shiny as the jewelry shops do, when I go in and get it cleaned. They have some fancy machine, and a steamer and whatever secrets they perform in the back of the shop. I had a toothbrush, and someone told me to use toothpaste. It worked, but just ok. And who can seriously justify buying a professional grade cleaner? The cheesy Walmart one I got, where you add the solution and turn it on, so it can basically 'jostle' the rings around was really not cutting it.  Recently, I was getting my once a quarter manicure (who has time anymore to go sit and get pampered... I come away feeling guilty for spending the hour away from family and work!) when my manicure gal suggested I use detergent! I was skeptical, to say the least. But I listened, stored it away for another day and promptly forgot it.
 So one day, who knows how many weeks later when I remembered her tip, I tried it. Easy enough, take a spoonful of Tide or some other laundry detergent. Add to a glass or cup (if using glass, make sure it is tempered so it won't break) then add boiling water. Drop in the rings, swirl around with a spoon or whatever you have laying about thats handy (not your finger, kinda hot. ouch) Leave to sit for about 10 minutes (3.8 minutes works too if you are short on time...)
 Remove with the spoon (yes, the water IS still hot) and rinse. Now, use common sense here woman and make sure the drain is NOT open so that you don't drop your gorgeous "disco ball" down the pipe! Cool water, towel dry (you can use that old toothbrush for extra special detail attention but why bother?!) and slip that gorgeous bling back on your finger! I promise it will be a lot cleaner than you usually get it when you clean your engagement ring at home.
Also, please always take your ring in to be checked about every six months. Your jeweler will test the stones to see if they are loose and give your baby a spa treatment. Then make sure you head to the nail salon and jazz up those fingernails. call the babysitter and drag your hubby out to a nice dinner so you can celebrate the real reason you have that sparkler on your left hand!
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e. info@TheSillyWagon.com
p. 281.394.0679
w. TheSillyWagon.com
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by quirky bird.
This website contains original graphics
and artwork, so get inspired,
but don't steal, karma is real.
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Need a pint-sized back pack? We've got loads...for boys and girls, tweens and everyone in between! Pooki and Co., Room Seven bookbags, Room It Up Back Packs, Mini backpacks, Dumpling Dynasty pencil cases, Zid Zid silver airplane back pack, tote bags galore, and more.
