Search Results for: blog the big burn

My Five Favorite Tips to Avoid Burnout

I did not listen to advice telling me to sleep when the baby sleeps. Instead I cleaned. I did not listen to the advice to take time for myself. Instead I planned more lessons and tried to squeeze in some work. I did not listen to advice telling me to not worry about the little messes. Rome wasn’t cleaned in a day. Instead I drove myself to the brink trying to get my overflowing “to-do” list done in one day. Then one day I found myself burned out. I was unable to move. Things that were once a joy were … Continue reading →

Special Needs Blog Week in Review – Week of February 12 – 18, 2012

The Special Needs Blog Week in Review is a great way to quickly catch up on everything that appeared in the Special Needs Blog in the past week. It is a good way to make sure that you haven’t missed anything. You can scan through this list to search for blogs about whatever particular special needs your child happens to have. The Special Needs Podcast Roundup for the week went up on February 13, 2012. I would like to point out an episode done by The Coffee Klatch that is titled “NY Times Op Ed Gone Wrong – Ritalin Gone … Continue reading →

Online Educational Program: BigIQKids.com

Product: Big IQkids.com Age Level: K-8th grade Format: Online Learning Program Price: Free through Premium Programs What is BigIQKids.com? (From the site.) BigIQkids.com presents a unique learning method designed to help each child develop the skills needed to perform to his/her full potential. Our award winning programs are designed for students in grades K-adults and promote spelling efficiency, vocabulary building, math fact mastery and US geography knowledge via multimedia reinforcement and independent learning. We offer both FREE spelling, math, vocabulary, U.S. states programs and spelling and vocabulary games. What does my family think? I have been familiar with the company … Continue reading →

Before You Burn the Burgers

We’ve had the most incredible stretch of gorgeous weather this week: Picture perfect days with wall-to-wall sunshine and highs in the low 80s. Honestly, you can’t ask for more in early September when you live in Northern Wisconsin. In fact, you may have seen our glorious weather featured on national TV a few days ago. The Today show and NBC Sports were in town for the NFL kickoff party which featured live entertainment by Maroon 5, Kid Rock and Lady Antebellum. Oh, and there was some football match-up too pitting the reigning Super Bowl Champs, the Green Bay Packers against … Continue reading →

Carrying Kids: How Big is Too Big?

Want to illicit judgmental stares from hundreds of onlookers? Forget about spanking your kid in the check-out line at Target or screaming at her in church, all you need to do to carry your six-year-old through a crowd of window shoppers on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile and you will feel the burn of prejudice cut through you like a hot knife slicing a cold stick of butter. You thought pushing a first grader in a stroller yielded discriminating comments; try schlepping a 50-pound child in your arms for 10 loooong city blocks and see the type of judgmental looks you are … Continue reading →

The Big Burn

My daughter’s Catholic school uniform is red, white and blue, though most kids typically show up to class wearing just the blue pants and white shirt. However, today when I dropped my first grader off at school I was met with a sea of red, only it wasn’t because all the kids finally decided to don their crimson sweaters. Rather, the red came courtesy of Sunday’s overexposure to ultraviolet rays. Yup, more than half the student body was sporting a mean sunburn. I suppose I shouldn’t have been that shocked considering that yesterday’s high of 83 was the first time … Continue reading →

My Biggest Obstacle: Time Management

When I list all the things I do to someone they usually remark, “Wow, you must be the queen of time management.” As my face shows sheer surprise as my eyebrow lifts and I move back taken off balance by such a statement I laugh and reply, “Uh, I try.” I then chide myself for such a lie. I may try from time to time to manage my time but most of the time I am fail and my time is wasted on silly tasks like wondering how many times I can say “time” in a sentence. Is there any … Continue reading →

Bouncing Back from the Big Burn

After posting my scorched iron tale of woe, I received an email from a reader who suggested that I use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to scrub off the unsightly and smelly marks. Guess what? I tried it and I’m here to tell you that you should save the eraser to use on a greasy countertop, dirty shower stall or crayon-stained table, because honestly, it didn’t do much for my ugly iron. However, I appreciate the suggestion. I actually found a few cheaper ways to remove nasty burn marks from an iron with a nonstick sole plate. My favorite so … Continue reading →

Feeling Burned Out?

Feeling burned out can lead to a very grumpy mommy. Grumpy mommies hardly make good homeschoolers. This can cause a year to dive into failure or at best just barely getting by. Making it by the skin of your teeth, will not result in a relief that it’s over but a sense of defeat and guilt that you didn’t provide your children the best of you. Your feelings of stress will bleed over to your children and they may have a poor attitude about school. Soon you will go round and round between bad attitudes or just simply giving up … Continue reading →

Biggest Fitness Mistakes

If you are a female looking to lose weight as expeditiously as possible, a new study says you need to kick up your fitness routine. Researchers say that one of the biggest mistakes women make at the gym, is thinking their available workout time is best spent completing cardio exercises — often at the same pace the entire time. However, studies show rather than doing 45 minutes of cardio work at a steady (and relatively easy) pace, women can burn more fat and calories if they complete intense cardio work, and also incorporate some strength exercises. Bottom line: Women, who … Continue reading →