Picture It Picture Books

The one and only book series that children illustrate themselves. We write the stories and leave out the illustrations, giving children a chance to set their imaginations free. Our books focus on the environment, social responsibility, positive human interaction and creativity.

A Picture Book Without Pictures?

The most important part about Picture It Picture Books is that they don’t have any pictures.  We give our readers the opportunity to illustrate their very own books.  By visualizing the images to a story as it unfolds and then committing those images to paper, readers engage with our texts in a meaningful, physical way.  This increases reading comprehension and encourages readers to apply what they’ve learned to their own lives.

Picture It Picture Books:  Drawing on your imagination.

My Review:  Brianna, age 7, absolutely loves "The Moon Story" book that we were given to try out!  She is definitely a budding artist, and is usually found sitting at the table drawing or painting a picture for someone.  So the concept of her getting to create the pictures for each page of a story is brilliant!  It taps into her creative side and allows her the freedom to make the story her own, as she imagines it in her mind.  When I asked her what she liked best about it she said, "It's fun" and "Drawing is better than words".  Brie has spent quite a bit of time with her book already and I know that this will be a keepsake forever.  These books would make a unique gift for any creative child!  These books are available online at Chapters or through Picture It Picture Books directly.

***I was given a free copy of "The Moon Story" courtesy of Picture It Picture Books and Mom Central Canada in exchange for my review.  The opinions on this blog are my own***

Share A Smile

I love to smile!

In fact, sometimes I think I smile too much, even when I don't really feel like it.  It's a work in progress to be honest with people when I am not at my best.

However, most days I truly enjoy smiling.  It is such a good way to relieve the stress of your day, or to tell someone how much they mean to me.

Some of my favorite things that make me smile?

Chocolate.
Coffee.
A foot rub.
Practicing the piano.
My silly kids.
Going on a date with my husband.

What are things that make you smile?

Snack Pack has a Share A Smile campaign going on right now through Facebook.  It's simple to "like" their page and begin sharing smiles with your friends.  Each time you accept or share a smile, Snack Pack will donate $1 to Food Banks Canada.  Their goal is $20,000 so please help them reach that goal!

You can also register for a weekly contest to win some great prizes!  The more you Share A Smile, the more entries you will have.  Good benefits for smiling!

 Disclosure - I am participating in the Snack Pack program by Mom Central on behalf of Conagra Foods Canada. I received a gift card as a 

thank you for my participation.  The opinions on this blog are my own.

Quaker Journey To Wellness

Over the past few years I have really tried to be more conscious of the foods that my family consumes.  I have introduced more whole grains; whether it be with pasta, rice or bread.

I've also stopped purchasing bread in the stores and now I know exactly what goes into our loaves, especially since we go through so much of it.  It's also a great way to cut down on the grocery bills.  

Actually when I'm baking bread, muffins, pancakes, waffles or biscuits,  I use mostly whole wheat flour, and I also try to add a little ground flax into the recipes as well.  I have made these changes gradually over time, but no one has ever noticed the difference in the texture or flavor.

I feel confident knowing that we are eating well, in addition to keeping lots of fresh fruits and veggies available also.

Are there still ways that I would like to improve my family's overall health?  Sure.

I am trying to set a good example of balancing my lifestyle with exercise but I still feel like I fail at this sometimes.  I have been getting back into a workout routine and it feels good to keep my body active.


Quaker understands that many families are striving to obtain wellness in their own homes.  They have enlisted the help of Lynn from Walking With Scissors to journal about her family's lifestyle improvements.

Each week there are prizes to be won, simply by participating in one of three ways on the Quaker Journey website.  There is also a Facebook page where you can join in the fun.  Check it out!

Disclosure - I am participating in the Quaker Journey to Wellness program by Mom Central on behalf of Pepsi Co. I received a gift card as a thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own.

SMART Magical Classroom

Have you ever seen your child's classroom come to life?

The technology available to our kids today is so amazing!

Click here to watch the Magical Classroom video.  I sure wish this had been available to us when we were kids.  School would have been so much fun!

The SMART Board interactive whiteboard offers sensational technology for the learning environment and through dedicated teachers who share SMART's passion for learning, this technology becomes a powerful and meaningful tool for both teachers and students.  

Our elementary school is fortunate to have several SMART Boards so I have seen a few cool demonstrations during a recent "Open House" that the teachers hosted.

The principle handed out some electronic devices to several parents in the audience and "tested" them on some questions related to the school.  The SMART Board was able to show who hadn't buzzed in with their answers yet, but it also formed the answers into a graph.  It provided a great visual for everyone, and it looked very easy for the principle to use.


In Brie's Kindergarten room we also saw what the kids do every morning with the SMART Boards.  They check out the weather, and play interactive games with the touch of a finger on the screen.  It made sounds and was very colorful and exciting to watch!  


Would you like to win a SMART Board for your school?


Join the SMART Love of Learning Facebook page to enter and share who your favorite teacher is, or was!


Or for details on how to start fundraising you can also check out the Parent's Toolkit (click on the tool jar for more information).


***This blog post is part of a Mom Central Canada campaign***

Treesponsible

In honor of Earth Day tomorrow, I would like to tell you a little bit about a Canadian company that is making great efforts to be responsible in its consumption of natural resources.

Many of us are trying to make efforts in becoming more "green".  By using less chemicals, by recycling, by composting, etc.

But how many of us consider going "green" when we buy our toilet paper or kleenex every month?  Afterall, when dealing with sensitive areas we want the product to be soft, not necessarily good on the environment.

Majesta has made a promise to plant 3 trees for every one that they use to produce paper products.

They call it Treesponsible.

I will admit, I was a skeptic.  But they have a Tree Planting Promise to ensure that their integrity remains strong.

I was quite happy with the brands that I currently use, so why would I consider switching?

At first I learned about the labels on any Majesta product.  These labels tell us that their product is:

• Made in Canada
• From a SFI (Sustainable Forest)
• Biodegradable and Plumbing friendly (made from natural wood fibres)
• Made without dyes or fragrances
• Whitened without clorin

Alright so they sound good, but what is the quality of their product like?

I was sent a sample of all 3 of the paper products made by Majesta.  The tissue is soft and absorbent.  The paper towel is a little thinner than I would expect, but it works well for the jobs I use it for.  However I would prefer to have the "select-a-size" option in order to have less waste.

The toilet paper is something else.....

For this review I was required to do a water bottle test.  I filled 2 water bottles with water and then added 5 squares of toilet paper to each bottle,  one with Majesta and the other with another brand (which just so happens to be the one I usually buy).

I was instructed to shake each bottle only 5 times and observe the differences.

The competitor's brand was still completely intact.  Not even slightly dissolved.  The water was very clear.

Majesta's product was already breaking down.  The water was cloudy and filled with particles of toilet paper.

Now for someone who has 2 little girls that constantly use too much toilet paper this was incredible!  Our toilet gets plugged on a regular basis and I always wrote it off to the fact that it's from the kids.  Apparently it was also because the brand I buy does not break down.

I left the water bottles out for a full day and the other brand never did break down.

So next time I buy toilet paper, I will absolutely be looking for Majesta!  The water bottle test really sold me on their product.

As part of the Treesponsible campaign, Majesta is working towards a goal of planting 1 million trees this year.  They are almost halfway there already!  When you purchase their products, you can be assured that you are assisting them in this amazing effort.

Majesta is also holding a contest for $15,000 towards green home project, whether it be for landscaping or home improvements like energy-efficient appliances or new windows.

You can enter this contest daily until June 27, 2010.

***I received the Majesta products as part of a blog tour with Mom Central Canada.  Although I was not required to post a positive review I was compensated for my time with a gift card as well***