MadeOn Hard Lotion Giveaway CLOSED

Congratulations Joyce #74, you won!!!

I am excited to share a unique and wonderful product with you…Hard Lotion!!! I had heard of it, but never tried it. When Renee emailed me I was thrilled to be able to try it out and share with my readers! I do not suffer from dry skin myself so I can’t speak on that, but I was very impressed with this strange little lotion bar! It comes in a cute little tin as shown above and honestly looks like a bar of soap! I have been using it on my heels at night and love it. I personally don’t like how it feels on my hands but I can imagine someone who suffers from dry cracked skin would love it. I am anxious for my husband and PacMan to try it out in the winter months as they both suffer from severe dry skin.

What exactly is hard lotion & why did Renee begin making it?

Hard lotion is lotion that is solid at room temperature. It is designed to specifically protect hands and feet from cracked skin and extreme dry skin. Ingredients are shea butter, coconut oil and beeswax. It also relieves skin that suffers from eczema and psoriasis. Renee began making it when she was searching for a recipe online that could help her cracked fingers that hurt from frequent hand-washing, and heels that split every summer from walking barefoot. The business took off in 2010 and now her husband joins her full-time in running the business while raising and homeschooling their 8 children in Northern California.

Renee also sent me the lip balm to test out and I am in LOVE with the peppermint flavor! The lip balm is a bit trickier to find on the website, look for this near the bottom of the home page:

They also make diaper rash cream, goat milk soap, and hair butter. They look amazing!!! You can even do it yourself with much help from Renee’s tutorials! There’s also a blog filled with amazing information. I love natural products and this website was a gem to find!

WIN IT!

MadeOn is giving away 3 Pack Dry Skin Care: 1 Family-size lotion bar, 1 Pocket-size lotion bar, & 1 lip balm.

Mandatory Entry: Visit MadeOn, browse around and then simply leave a comment telling us you’d like to win!!!

After you do that, you can gain some extra entries by any of the following, remember to leave an extra comment for each item so they will count as entries...

1. If you have a particular skin condition that would make this product very useful to you, give yourself an extra entry!
2. If you subscribe via RSS or email to 1+1+1=1, give yourself an extra entry!
3. If you follow @hardlotion and @1plus1plus1 on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway, give yourself an extra entry! Sample tweet: @1plus1plus1 is hosting a giveaway for @hardlotion enter here: http://bit.ly/lUzmnL

This Giveaway is open for USA Only!

I will select a winner using Random.org, so be sure you leave a separate comment for each entry, I will also be moderating comments to check that your entries are valid-please be honest!

Giveaway ENDS July 10, 2011. Winner will be announced here, and emailed (your email MUST be in each comment/or enabled in blogger). Winner must reply to my email within 48 hours or another winner will be chosen.

Linking up with Giveaway Day on Hip Homeschool Moms!

Guidecraft Fraction Cups & Board ~ Review & Giveaway!

Guidecraft has amazing math toys! Wooden toys that introduce math in a fun playful way are ideal in my boat!  We love the Fraction Action Board and Fraction Cups!

These have been an awesome tool to use for introducing concepts and vocabulary to Krash and Ladybug.  Ladybug is especially drawn to these, they are the perfect challenge for her.

I use the proper terms with her while she plays, so down the road they won’t be as strange when she hears them and it’s actually time to really learn fractions!

 

I love seeing her try different combinations out and also perfecting her “try again” or “help please” skills!  This fraction board gives her more trouble and we have really worked on those 2 phrases a lot when working with it!

I love these math toys and know my kiddos will get years of play out of them!

 

BUY IT!

You can purchase the Fraction Action Board and Fraction Cups on the Guidecraft site.  They also sell them on Amazon: Fraction Action Board and Fraction Cups

WIN IT!

Mama Jenn is hosting the giveaway this month! Head on over to enter to win.

This product was given to me for review purposes, and I do not have to return the product to the vendor. I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are mine.

Montessori at Home! Giveaway

Congratulations #300-Lindsey, you won!!

A few months ago I got an email from John Bowman asking me to review his books. I get emails like this quite often and honestly I don’t review many books simply for lack of time. However, my heart is based in Montessori and I was excited to review these particular books!

Soon after beginning to read both the paper book ~ Help Your Preschooler Build a Better Brain, and the eBook ~ Montessori at Home, I was in love! Both books are exactly what I had been looking for when I began homeschooling PacMan.

You may be wondering, “why 2 different books…what is the difference?” Honestly, I was too. Mr. Bowman sent me both formats and I have been able to pour over them both. Here’s my thoughts…

If you are on a computer or have an eReader that can read PDF books {like I do with iBooks on my iPad} I personally recommend getting the PDF version, Montessori at Home! It is more extensive and has more meat to it. The paper copy, Help Your Preschooler Build a Better Brain, was written for those parents who like a traditional book and want something to hold in their hands. It is filled with much of the same info and gives you everything you need, but is a bit more condensed.

What will you find in the books? Tons of scientific stuff, which I love! Tons of early childhood education stuff, which is my background and I love reading it even for the 100th time! Information about Maria Montessori and the background behind her methods. Lists of items to gather, simple ideas to make Montessori work for you at home.

You will also find TONS, and I mean TONS of activities…most which you can begin the day you read about them! Mr. Bowman makes it truly easy for you to do the activities at home! You can already see many of his activities featured in our first Montessori Minute post…

Each month, John will be sharing a new post with us, so be sure to follow along so you don’t miss his extensive posts!

I promise if you are even remotely interested in doing homeschool with your child for the early years, you want this book {either or both}. Mr. Bowman empowers you to believe you can do this. Many times in my early homeschool years-even with my early childhood degree, I felt like it was out of my reach and too complicated to pull off at home. John Bowman lets you know how wrong that thinking is! He assures you that you CAN do it!!!

Here are some more details straight from John Bowman himself…

Montessori At Home! is 193 full size pages with color photos throughout and over 200 Montessori early learning activities, adapted for use by parents at home. This book is available on CD for $12.95 and as a download for only $9.95. Most activities use common household items and are designed for easy, quick setup & use. Complete background information on Montessori education and how to set up, display, and do Montessori activities successfully at home are included to guide parents. Activity groups include Everyday Life, Sensory Experience, Science, Math, and Reading. The Math & Reading sections are completely sequenced for ease of use. Recommendations are given for a selection of Montessori and other excellent materials for home use by preschoolers. A second PDF file includes 36 printable activity sheets for use with various activities. A comprehensive guide just for parents.

For those who prefer a book to hold, I recently collected the activities from Montessori At Home! in a paperback titled Help Your Preschooler Build a Better Brain.

Want to know about John and his personal Montessori background and why he wrote these books? Here’s what he told me…

I spent 12 years as a Montessori preschool teacher and center director. I actually shelved this project after I got married in 1980 and entered a new career. In late 2009 I again became interested in writing a Montessori book for parents. I assumed that multiple similar books had probably been written in all that time, so I checked out most of the books on the market. Surprisingly, I found none that covered the subject in the comprehensive way I had in mind, especially concerning modifying Montessori activities for easy set up & use at home and giving parents a complete Montessori at home program. So, I wrote Montessori At Home! and then the second book.

BUY IT

You can go ahead and purchase your copy of Montessori At Home! here on his website, or you can order the paperback book Help Your Preschooler Build a Better Brain here on Amazon.

WIN IT!

John Bowman is giving away a CD with the Montessori At Home! book & Activity Sheets in two PDF files; and a copy of Help Your Preschooler Build a Better Brain (paperback).

Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment telling us you’d like to win and who you are hoping to teach with your new books!

After you do that, you can gain some extra entries by any of the following, remember to leave an extra comment for each item so they will count as entries...

1. If you Follow/Subcribe to 1+1+1=1, give yourself an extra entry!
2. If you visit and read our 1st Montessori Minute post and leave a comment {on the other post, not this one} for John with either a question you have or a comment about his post…give yourself an extra entry!
3. If you follow @1plus1plus1 on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway, give yourself an extra entry! Sample tweet: @1plus1plus1 is hosting a giveaway for #Montessori At Home! enter here: http://bit.ly/ilWDos

This Giveaway is open for anyone for downloadable book, paperback book can only be sent USA!

I will select a winner using Random.org, so be sure you leave a separate comment for each entry, I will also be moderating comments to check that your entries are valid-please be honest!

Contest ENDS July 3, 2011. Winner will be announced here, and emailed (your email MUST be in each comment/or enabled in blogger). Winner must reply to my email within 48 hours or another winner will be chosen.

Linking up with Giveaway Day on Hip Homeschool Moms!

Speekee Spanish ~ Giveaway CLOSED

Congratulations # 13 Kama!! You Won!!

My kids are digging Speekee. I must admit, I was a bit skeptical of the goofy looking purple guy {which I think I have learned is actually a gal}, but the kids have taken a liking to this creature Speekee. Especially Ladybug-she begs to watch Speekee!

We have been watching Speekee for Spanish lessons about twice a week, with some bonus viewings when requested. All 3 kids watch it together-which is a real bonus considering their age difference! They all get something out of the videos.

The videos are streamed online, and I was even able to stream through my Wii! PacMan’s favorite part is reading the English translation at the bottom, as the little guys soak up the audio.

I know it is working because I hear bits and pieces of Spanish throughout our days now. The most popular phrase is “me gusta” and “no me gusta” to tell me if they like or don’t like something!

Speekee offers a monthly fee to have access to their videos and printables, the fee is currently $7.50 per month {with a free 2 week trial for everyone}. I love having the PDF files to reinforce the videos-we have used some of them every time we have watched! I have dreams of making printables to correlate with Speekee, but we’ll see if I can find the time!

Here’s a portion from their website…

I highly recommend trying out Speekee for yourself with the free 2 week trial, you can’t go wrong! If your kids like it and learn from it, you can consider adding it to your home by joining monthly!

WIN IT!

Speekee is giving away a free two month membership to their site. This is what we were given for our review and we have had plenty of time to fall in love with Speekee!

Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment telling us you’d like to win!!!

After you do that, you can gain some extra entries by any of the following, remember to leave an extra comment for each item so they will count as entries...

1. If you Follow/Subcribe to 1+1+1=1, give yourself an extra entry!
2. Visit the Speekee website and watch the intro video {on your honor}, for an extra entry!
3. If you follow @speekee and @1plus1plus1 on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway, give yourself an extra entry! Sample tweet: @1plus1plus1 is hosting a giveaway for @speekee enter here: http://bit.ly/iIMt0v

This Giveaway is open for anyone!

I will select a winner using Random.org, so be sure you leave a separate comment for each entry, I will also be moderating comments to check that your entries are valid-please be honest!

Contest ENDS June 19, 2011. Winner will be announced here, and emailed (your email MUST be in each comment/or enabled in blogger). Winner must reply to my email within 48 hours or another winner will be chosen.

Linking up with Giveaway Day on Hip Homeschool Moms!

Play This Way Giveaway CLOSED

Congratulations #96 Heather, you won!

Play This Way with Dr. Jen has many new things in store, which we will be sharing with you in the months to come. In the meantime, Dr. Jen would like to offer one of my readers a chance to win The Original U-Play Mat for Education!!

We have had our original U-Play Mat for awhile now, since we did our review last year. Recently, we tried our mat in 2 different ways this time and she AMAZED me!!! Last time she could barely match 4 images, this time she begged me to do it over and over again!!! First I just showed her a card and asked her to find the match, this was obviously easy for her and we did it about 3 times-the whole stack!

Here she is signing more, which she did each time we finished the set! She also cheered for herself after every match she made!

Next I just verbally asked her to find something and then showed her the matching card to put in. She loves putting the cards into the slots! We had so much fun and she cried when we had to stop! I was honestly surprised with how much she enjoyed this. When we first reviewed it-she certainly wasn’t as enthused!

Dr. Jen is inventing up a storm with new U-Play Mat versions coming out through Sassy Baby for the mass-market 0-2 years toy category, and for the Educational market with real photo cards with Stages Learning. She has a secret stash of the original version, and is giving away a starter kit for one of my readers! Dr. Jen is not selling this right now, but you can visit her website to learn more about exciting things coming soon!

Letter of the Week K4 Expansion & You Can Read Giveaway!

I am thrilled to share this giveaway with you! As I am sure most of you know, I create printables and so does Erica from Confessions of a Homeschooler. What you may not know is that through blogging we became friends behind the scenes long ago! We have recently decided to partner together to share our Kindergarten-focused programs and host a giveaway of BOTH!

I used Erica’s LOTW Preschool printables all throughout preschool with Krash. We used RRSP as our base and added in tons of LOTW printables to supplement-it worked beautifully for us!

We are now using Calvert as our base, You Can Read as our main add-on for sight words, and LOTW K4 as a supplement!

Because I know I will be using these materials again with Krash for review and also with Ladybug in the future, I decided to print my favorites and laminate them. I actually scaled down a few and printed 2 per page and laminated these back to back to save paper/ink/laminating film.

Here’s just a small glimpse of a few of Erica’s K4 printables we have used…

As Krash got towards the end of RRSP, we began using the letter hunt worksheets from LOTW K4…

More recently we have been using the beginning sound sheets. We both love these because they become a big laughing fest for us. First he says the sound {“k”} and then he replaces the beginning sound in each word says them aloud {Kish, Kebra, Kite}. He absolutely loves this and it really helped him!!

We also used the simple sentence mini books…

He did awesome with the middle vowel sound work-I was actually quite surprised!

I love that Erica’s creations can be added into our routine so easily. He recognizes many of the graphics from doing the LOTW week work during preschool. I have many other activities printed to use in the future, I just keep it all together in a pocket folder and pull out a few things to add to his lesson plans each week.

BUY IT…

You can purchase the LOTW K4 program for just $5! It comes to you as one simple download {zipped}. It is very easy to work with and you have everything you need all at once, organized into nice folders!

You can purchase access to my ad free/bonus section of You Can Read for just $5 right now. You get access to units ahead of time, and also have the ability to download your units from a clear ad-free page that you can come back to anytime. I also provide bonus materials that will only be available there.

If you buy either or both programs, or already own-you can still enter to win-we will refund your $$ if you are the winner! Just mention this in your comment!

WIN IT!

One winner will receive the entire LOTW K4 Expansion program and also access to the ad-free/bonus section for You Can Read! Remember, even if you own 1 or both, you can still enter to win a refund!!!

You can also enter to win over at Confessions of a Homeschooler! We are both hosting the same giveaway and will be sure to choose 2 different winners!

Mandatory Entry:

Just leave comment telling me you’d like to win! {make sure your email is enabled or in each comment}

After you do that, you can gain some extra entries by any of the following, remember to leave an extra comment for each item so they will count as entries...

1. Follow or Subscribe to 1+1+1=1
2. Follow or Subscribe to Totally Tots {we both write there!}
3. Subscribe via email to Confessions of a Homeschooler
4. Follow @ericahomeschool and @1plus1plus1 on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway. Sample tweet: @1plus1plus1 & @ericahomeschool are co-hosting a giveaway together! Enter here: http://bit.ly/mGmEKi

This Giveaway is open for anyone.

I will select a winner using Random.org, so be sure you leave a separate comment for each entry, I will also be moderating comments to check that your entries are valid-please be honest!

Contest ENDS May 28, 2011. Winner will be announced here, and emailed (your email MUST be in each comment/or enabled in blogger). Winner must reply to my email within 48 hours or another winner will be chosen.

Linking up with Giveaway Day on Hip Homeschool Moms!

Guidecraft Twisters & Twister Curves Review {giveaway closed}

CLOSED, Congratulations Kathy-#391 You Won!

Guidecraft has amazing open ended building toys. Recently we were sent a set of Twisters…

and Twister Curves, and all 3 of my kids love them!

I do believe this might be one of the top 3 Guidecraft toys we own now! I love seeing all 3 of my kiddos play together…

They have played with these almost every day since we opened them, this is just one play time! Krash made a square…which he turned into a picture frame!

We made tons of circles and made stairs…

We made words…

We even made names, which Ladybug LOVED, she was enthralled with her L…

Her favorite thing is pushing the little pegs into the holes. SUCH great fine motor work!!!

PacMan made a basket…

Krash worked on a tall tower for awhile!!

PacMan is showing the lizard he made using the guide that is included…

This is one of those toys you open and just stare at and wonder. Then you see your kids dive in and their imaginations run wild and you say to yourself…”I am so glad I got that!!”

WIN IT!

Guidecraft is giving away a set of Twisters and Twister Curves to one winner!

Mandatory Entry…

Visit Guidecraft to look at their awesome products. Come back and leave a comment with one of your favorites!

After you do that, you can gain some extra entries by any of the following, remember to leave an extra comment for each item so they will count as entries...

1. If you follow via Google Friend Connect 1+1+1=1 {main blog} AND 1+1+1=1 Reviews {where you are now}, give yourself an extra entry!
2. If you subscribe via RSS or email to 1+1+1=1 , give yourself an extra entry!
3. If you Follow or Subscribe to Totally Tots, give yourself an extra entry!
4. If you follow @1plus1plus1 on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway, give yourself an extra entry! Sample tweet: @1plus1plus1 is hosting a giveaway for @guidecraft Twisters & Twister Curves, enter here: http://bit.ly/kbdMj4

This Giveaway is open for USA only.

I will select a winner using Random.org, so be sure you leave a separate comment for each entry, I will also be moderating comments to check that your entries are valid-please be honest!

Contest ENDS May 22, 2011. Winner will be announced here, and emailed (your email MUST be in each comment/or enabled in blogger). Winner must reply to my email within 48 hours or another winner will be chosen.

Want it NOW? If you can’t wait to win, you can head over to purchase the Twisters and Twister Curves from the Guidecraft website OR through Amazon!

As a Guidecraft Mom blogger, this product was given to me for review purposes. I do not have to return the product to the vendor and I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Linking up with Giveaway Day on Hip Homeschool Moms!