September 1st, 2010

The End

I never wanted to live in a box.  I have spent most of my life trying to break out of boxes, so imagine my surprise when I limited myself with this blog.

Let’s rewind a minute.

I started blogging way before I was a mom. I had an online journal before blogging was trendy or mainstream. But when I found myself pregnant and on bedrest, I began blogging about impending motherhood and all that entailed. I wrote about pregnancy and marriage and my fears and more. Then came the stresses of being a new mom and the quest for the perfect stroller, sling, etc., and suddenly I was a Mom Blogger.

Now don’t get me wrong- blogging about my child has given me access to so much and so unexpectedly, but I no longer wish to share every detail of our lives. Of her life. As my daughter gets older I worry about putting our lives on display in this way. I find myself going through a change again. I view the world differently. I deal with people differently. I am different. And so, this blog no longer fits into my life in a way that is fulfilling. I refuse to continue to write here when all I have to offer are product reviews and PR for companies. I need more.

My Mercurial Nature will be where I get back to who I am as a person- not just as a mom. I will no longer be writing here- at least for now. I know this is the right decision and I hope that you will all join me there.

August 30th, 2010

I Love Marriage!

August 21st, 2010

Back to School with Staples

Back to School with Staples

August always brings me back to back to school shopping. Even years after graduating from college and grad school, and despite no longer teaching, I still get excited about buying new supplies for the upcoming school year. And I love sharing this with my daughter, 4, who we currently homeschool. Unfortunately, our needs nowadays don’t really require the extensive shopping sprees of my youth, but they are still just as much fun.

I was invited by Mom Select to the Back to School event hosted by Staples in NYC on July 14. Due to a prior engagement, I was unable to attend, however, I received a sampler pack of some of the latest items being offered at Staples just in time to go back to school. And I was as giddy as a school girl as I opened the box to admire my treasure!  There are so many new items to choose from. Here are a few of my favs:

Do Something Produts

The Do  Something Product Line: I firmly believe that teaching children early on that they can make a difference is so important in developing strong moral and social character. These DoSomething.org-inspired products consisting of planners, composition notebook, spiral notebooks, pocket folders, and pencil cases, encourage children of all ages to get active in community service. The artistic and inspirational designs coupled with facts about the importance of involvement serve to motivate and educate. ($.99 – $11.99)

Check out DoSomething.org for information about this great organization.

Glam Rocks Product Line

Glam Rocks Product Line: While the previous products were a stylish call-to-action, the Glam Rocks products are simply stylish! The studded calculators, pens, and matching staplers will make your child feel like a star. They are hand-studded and offered in purple floral, pink color fade, royal blue, and crystal clear. And while you may want to keep these babies for yourself (I did), they are inexpensive enough should you decide to purchase an additional set.

Be sure to keep an eye out for Glam Rock thieves in your family. You know how that goes, right?

(all sold individually $4.99 each)

Zip-it Pencil Case

Zip-It Pencil Case: This pencil case is unlike any you’ve seen before. Deigned by a student whose assignment was make an everyday item into something new and unique. He created this pencil case out of one long zipper! That’s right, you just keep unzipping and it opens up into a long strip that you can roll and store quite easily. Ready to use it again? Simply start zipping until it becomes a pencil case once again. Available in black, pink with rainbow stripes, and purple, this zipper pouch is a great companion for the Glam Rocks line.

( $9.99)

Omnitech Swivel Flash Drive

Omnitech Swivel Flash Drive: No modern student’s book bag is complete without a flash (USB) drive. It’s the best way to transfer info from once source to another and a lot smaller than those floppy-disk of yesteryear.

My personal frustration with these are the little caps that come on many of them. I always lose them leaving my drive vulnerable to environmental dangers. However, the Omiteach has a built in case. Just swivel to use and swivel to close.

Children beware! With this available, you’l have to come up with much better excuses as to why your paper wasn’t printed on time…

($11.99)

So what did I do with all of this stuff? Well, my original plan was to give the who pack to my niece who was visiting from Florida- well everything but the Glam, Rocks set and the USB Drive. But my 4 year old daughter had other plans. Let’s just say that she was inspired to do something! Well, I guess I just need to make a special trip to Staples!

Disclosure Policy: Compensation Level I: Kristina Brooke received the above products to review. All content is solely her own and review is based on her own experiences. For more information regarding disclosure policy at Mom on the Rise please see http://www.mom on the rise.com/about/disclosure.

August 5th, 2010

A Science Kid Experiment: Freezing and Melting

Click here to view these pictures larger

When it comes to Homeschooling it is necessary to admit your strengths and weaknesses. I am not strong in math, and while science is interesting, I am not that great when it comes to that either. However, I am creative and I love to learn- two traits that helps significantly when it comes to creating lessons and activities to do with my 4 year old. It also helps to have resources like Sid the Science Kid, a PBS show focusing on science exploration and research. The lesson/activity that follows was inspired by the Frozen Fruit investigation episode. This is a four day exploratory activity.

What We will Learn: What are the reversible changes of melting and freezing? How do different liquids change when they are frozen and melted?

Materials Needed Day 1:

• 1 ice cube tray
• pitcher or cups of water
• Exploration Notebook (we use a wire bound cork sketch book)
• vocabulary sheet
• crayons and pencils
  

Materials Day 2:

• Everything from above
• a bowl
• 4-6 different liquids (we used milk, juice, olive oil, olive oil and water, bubbles)
• Hot water

Day One

• Explore the concept of “LIQUID” and examine the water in the containers or cups.
  • “  “When something is in liquid form, it takes on the shape of its container. Water is a liquid.”
• Allow child to draw ice trays, water in container, etc. in Exploration notebook.
• Help child pour water into the ice tray. You do not have to fill them. If you want, add fruit to each as done by Sid’s teacher.
• Allow child to draw what he/she observes.
• Put ice tray in the freezer and ask child what he/she predicts will happen.

Day Two

• Pull the ice tray out of the freezer and allow child to touch it being sure to ask what he/she observes.
• Ask child to compare what you have now to what you had yesterday..
• Allow him/her to draw observations in Notebook.
• Pop ice out of tray and place in bowl.  Ask child what he/she sees and have him her record observation.
• Ask child to help you define frozen.
  • congealed by cold; turned into ice
• Ask child what he/she predicts will happen if we pour hot water on ice cubes?
• After he/she answers help pour the hot water. Encourage child to state observations and to draw them in notebook.
• Let child touch (be sure it is cool) in the different stages. Ask child to compare what you started with today to what you have now.
• Ask child to help you define melting:
  • to change from a solid to a liquid state, generally by heat

For Day Three and Four: repeat day one and two using the other liquids. Compare and Contrast the results and be sure to record in Notebook.