Crooked or Straight? Do you want something to SMILE about?

What do you see when you look in the mirror? Do you see a crooked or a straight smile? If your smile is crooked how does it interfere with your daily smile quota?

I've never had crooked teeth but my daughter did and all her smiles were closed mouth smiles. During her dental check ups, the dentist said that she didn't "need" braces. This meant that her crooked teeth were livable and no major mouth structure issues.  It was obvious to us that she never smiled with her teeth as you can see in the above photo.  So her issue wasn't structural but more emotional. 

As a family, we were unsure at how much it would cost to put braces on our daughter.  It seemed like this cost was coming right about the time we needed to add another car because two teens started driving!  We finally bit the bullet last summer and took her in for a consultation with the Orthodontist.  He could tell right away that her problem wasn't major and that she could have a beautiful smile with the help of braces.

Our orthodontist gave us our anticipated treatment fees, payment options and insurance benefits during that first meeting.  From that point we then had time to decide if it was something that we could do for our daughter.  Check out the below photo!  This is how she is now smiling.....

We have been amazed at how well she is doing with her braces. Braces have taught her to be more responsible.  She has to watch what she eats and works to clean and care for them as instructed by the orthodontist.   In a few months she will have her braces off and she will keep on giving us a toothy smile!  Now that is SOMETHING worth smiling about! 

Are you in the same situation for yourself or for one of your children?  I strongly suggest that you set up a consultation with your local Orthodontist and just see what can be done.  We found that the problem wasn't as bad as we thought and that our insurance did cover some of the cost.

Right now you can go to braces.org  and download a free coupon for a consultation to participating AAO orthodontist.  What a great deal!  This will give you a little bit of an incentive get that appointment scheduled.  While you are there printing off the consultation coupon, check out their informative website.  You can get the scoop on why you straighten teeth, scheduling an orthodontist appointment before age 7, when to call as well as myth & facts about braces.


So what are you waiting for?  Don't you need something to smile about?  Who needs a consultation in your family?


Thanks to the American Association of Orthodontists blogger outreach program for sponsoring this post with a $100 Amex gift card.  It in no way influenced my thoughts or words.  We are thrilled at how well our daughter is doing with braces!  

21st Century Skills: Learning For Life in Our Times by Bernie Trilling and Charles Fadel

Product Description:  (From Amazon)

The new building blocks for learning in a complex world. This important resource introduces a framework for 21st Century learning that maps out the skills needed to survive and thrive in a complex and connected world. 21st Century content includes the basic core subjects of reading, writing, and arithmetic-but also emphasizes global awareness, financial/economic literacy, and health issues. The skills fall into three categories: learning and innovations skills; digital literacy skills; and life and career skills. This book is filled with vignettes, international examples, and classroom samples that help illustrate the framework and provide an exciting view of what twenty-first century teaching and learning can achieve.

A vital resource that outlines the skills needed for students to excel in the twenty-first century

• Explores the three main categories of 21st Century Skills: learning and innovations skills; digital literacy skills; and life and career skills
• Addresses timely issues such as the rapid advance of technology and increased economic competition
• Based on a framework developed by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21)
• Includes a DVD with video clips of classroom teaching

Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.
For more information on book visit www.21stcenturyskillsbook.com/ 

 Scraps of Life Book Club review:

21st Century Skills: Learning For Life in Our Times by Bernie Trilling and Charles Fadel is a tutorial designed to help teachers in today's world teach children to function successfully in our modern society with all of its varied media communication options.

In the beginning of the book, the authors explain that children continue to be taught today in the same ways they were when the United States was an agrarian society. Children are taught a basic curriculum, tested to see if the information was absorbed, and then never taught to actually use this learning in an effective way in the modern world. The authors believe the ability to use information in conjunction with technology is as important as learning basic skills in math and phonics.

Using this method, children are taught to articulate ideas effectively using all forms of communication, listen attentively to decipher meaning, and determine the proper use of media technologies to share the information. This method also speaks to the needs children have in our more modern world to collaborate
with others and work respectfully in a team.

As a home school educator, I find the ideas proposed in this book to be very interesting. I can specifically appreciate their ideas regarding children learning to collaborate with others to complete a project with a specific end goal, and the importance of a challenging learning environment. After all, the simple fact is that we teach children in order to help them become adults who are contributing members of society, not to have a series of learning objectives checked off of a list.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is willing to think outside the box, educationally, and also to anyone who is struggling to understand why they can't seem to apply their very real employment skills to a job in 2011.

 

This book was provided by the sponsor in return for a blog post written with our own thoughts and words which is what we did. 

A Cowboy's Touch Author Denise Hunter interview

We reviewed this book last week.  Click HERE to read the review. Below you will find an interview with the author, Denise Hunter.  Enjoy! 

Q: Have you always wanted to be a writer?  When did you first begin to write?

 I’ve always been an avid reader, but I didn’t start dreaming about writing a novel until I was in my early twenties.  By then I was married and busy pursuing a degree.  I put writing on the back burner until my grandfather became fatally ill.  While I was visiting him in the hospital, I was struck by the brevity of life and felt God pressing on my heart to take the first step.  I started my first novel a couple weeks later.  I had two small children by this time, so I wrote while they napped.  I wrote my first four books that way.  Even if you can only write a page a day, by the end of a year you’ll have a complete manuscript!

Q: Are you a small town or a city girl?  What inspired you to write a book about the life of a cowboy?

I’m a little of both.  We live in a country setting just outside the city.  It’s the best of both worlds.  There’s something very earthy and organic about a cowboy’s life.  I was drawn by the idea of living off the land.  I think it takes us to a simpler time and place—even though the life of a cowboy is not necessarily simple!  And Montana is such a beautiful state.  I thought my readers might like to journey there with me through story.

Q: Can you tell us a little about what you have learned about the cowboy lifestyle while doing research for this book?

I learned a lot of fascinating details about the workings of a ranch: branding, breeding, cattle disease, etc.  But what I came away with is a great respect for cowboys and their families.  Those who choose this way of life do it because they love it.  It’s not easy, and it’s not for the faint of heart. 

Q: Abigail’s title at her job is “the Truthseeker.”  What is the significance of this title, and what do you think a real truthseeker does?

I thought it would be interesting to write about a protagonist whose job was to seek the truth and have her find out that she was missing the real Truth the whole time.  Since Jesus is the Truth, a real truthseeker follows Him.

Q: Forgiveness seems to be a recurring theme in your books.  Why do you feel it is so important?  Your main characters both dealt with forgiving their past mistakes.  Do you think that it is just as important to forgive ourselves as it is to forgive the mistakes of others?

With sin rampant in all of us, this is something we need to get good at!  Eventually, someone’s going to do something you struggle to forgive.  I think this is partly because forgiveness is easily misunderstood.  It’s not saying that what they did is okay.  It’s saying that you’re not going to hold it over them anymore.  I do think it’s just as important to forgive ourselves as it is to forgive others.  Oftentimes, it’s even harder. 

Q: Abigail and Wade both threw themselves into their work in order to escape their pasts.  Do you believe it is easy to find an escape in work in order to hide from our problems?

No one likes to hurt, so I think the tendency is to avoid it however we can.  Throwing ourselves into our work is certainly one way of doing so.  But these things have a way of bubbling up to the surface eventually, no matter how hard we try to avoid them.  

Q: What would you like your readers to take away after reading A Cowboy’s Touch?

Abigail was essentially trying to work off her guilt.  She thought if she could just keep exposing other peoples’ wrongs, it would appease her own guilt.  I’d like readers to see that only God can redeem us.

A Cowboy’s Touch by Denise Hunter

Thomas Nelson/March 29, 2011

ISBN: 978-1-59554-801-6/320 pages/paperback/$14.99

www.thomasnelson.com ~ www.denisehunterbooks.com

PAAS Easter egg decorating kits

Easter always means PAAS Easter Egg decorating kits in our household. How about yours?

My 12 year old learned "How to Boil an egg" this year.  She already knew "how" to boil an egg from watching & helping me in the kitchen but I wanted her to actually know how to do it on her own.  I opened up Joy of Cooking and had her read all about boiling an egg.

She boiled her eggs and then decorated them using the PAAS Egg decorating kits.  They are so easy to use and you don't need hot water or vinegar to dye them.   We found out that they had a lot of new kits this Easter Season.  The kits come in a wide variety of "creativity levels."  If you want simple, they have simple. If you want a kit with paint and glitter, well they have that one, too!

Here are the three that we used:

 Pirate Princess: Packed with 90 stickers, color tablets, egg stands and more, this kit will inspire little pirates and princesses to dress up eggs with buried treasure, skulls and crossbones, tall ships and more.

Fun Eggspressions: A great way to unleash creativity and “egg-spress” the artist within, this kit contains sand for color and texture, paint, stickers and more.

Easter Traditions: Featuring some of our classic designs, this kit includes the traditional symbols of the Easter season.

Here are some of the cool creations!  These are some tasty eggs! 

The PAAS Kits are available at major grocery, drug store and mass merchandiser chains nationwide with a suggested retail price of $2.99.  Go find some fun and do a little Kitchen 101 with your kids!

Do you have any Easter ideas, recipes, photos, etc on your blog?  Link up and we can come see what you are doing.  If you can, link back to my blog post so others can get ideas, too!  Thanks you! Hoppy Easter :)

These kits were provided for us to review. It in no way reflects our opinions expressed here!  We love these kits and use them every year.

Slow Cooker Recipe Link up with Gooseberry Patch

Yum Yum! How I love using my Crock Pot, Slow Cooker, etc.  Either way, or whatever you choose to call it there are zillions of tasty recipes for you to find and use.  Here is the Gooseberry Patch Link up for the week!  Link up your recipes and/or find some new ones!

(ALL THIS IS FROM the GOOSEBERRY PATCH BLOG- Thanks for sharing! I have their 101 Slow-Cooker Recipes cookbook and I LOVE IT.)

Here's one to inspire you from 101 Slow-Cooker Recipes...
it's our Cookbook of the Week this week!

Praline Apple Crisp
Shared by Katie Majeske of Denver, Pennsylvania. She writes, "What’s more comforting than warm apple crisp? I often make this for work, church, potlucks or family."

6 Granny Smith or Braeburn apples,
    cored, peeled and sliced
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 c. quick-cooking oats, uncooked
1/3 c. brown sugar, packed
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. chilled butter, diced
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1/2 c. toffee baking bits
Optional: whipped topping
Toss together apples and cinnamon. Place in a slow cooker that has been sprayed with non-stick vegetable spray; set aside. Combine oats, brown sugar, flour and butter; mix with a pastry cutter or fork until crumbly. Stir in pecans and toffee bits; sprinkle over apples. Cover and cook on low setting for 4 to 6 hours. Top with whipped topping, if desired. Makes 10 servings.

I linked up Beer Chicken and it ROCKS, Pizza Soup, Italian Sausage & Peppers and my hubby's Middle Eastern Spicy Lentil Soup.

Home-Ec 101 by Healther Solos book review

 My name is Susie and I am known as a Susie Homemaker.  I prefer being called that over being called "Lazy-Susan" which you all know is the turn-table-spinney-thing that gets placed in the center of tables.  I really do like being called Susie Homemaker because I love my family, my home and playing house.  I LOVED Home- Ec class in Jr. High.  I even wanted to take it in Sr. High but I couldn't squeeze it in my "college prep" studies, yeah right, whatever.

So where am I going with this? Well I had the opportunity to review the hot little dish of a book, Home-Ec 101:  Skills For Everyday Living by Heather Solos.  I knew by the cover (yes, sorry I do judge a book by its cover) that I had to read this book.  I love the 50s look of the cover and I have taken the era quiz and I am a 50s lady.  When I read the bio on the author, I really felt as though she was my long lost twin.  I've never bumped into her but after this review I'm going to start stalking her online (haha.)   Really, at least I'm honest, right?

This book is broken into Sections.  Here are the sections and a few of my favorite parts within each section:

Section 1:  Clean It- Here you will learn about what tools you need an the chemistry of cleaning, making a schedule (I'm accused at times that I'm Mz. Organized, but really I am not. I just don't let people see me sweat- most of the time.) floors, kitchen grease & grime, bathrooms, windows, bedrooms and dust mites which is creepy.

Section 2:  Wash It- Happy help on stains & odors and how rolling down a window is not always an option, garment repairs (beyond dental floss & staples) and the thankless chore of laundry (which btw my girls all do their own laundry...yes by 6th grade.)

Section 3:  Fix-It- The bare minimum handyman guide, good appliances & avoid minor meltdowns, plumbing (which I do not care to ever do but I will gladly clean the bathroom) throw rug & walls and repairs.

Section 4: Cook-it- Burned water, kitchen set up, recipe rundown & deciphering, pantry principles & the Zombie Apocalypse which I never knew went hand-in-hand, meal planning (so good to know I'm not a FREAK) and substitutions.


I loved the entire book.  I really thought that the book would be too basic but it wasn't.  Ms. Solos (my long lost twin) supplied a lot of basic information which, even Susie Homemaker appreciated.  I already told my girls, 12, 16 and 16 that this is this new school book as I am their Home-Ec teacher.  The book easily shows me what to teach them and how to go about doing it. 

I loved the "Make It Manageable: Flexible Scheduling" which is something that I tried one time and then gave it up.  I don't see me ever following it but it would be great for someone who needs discipline.  The Appendix includes Homemade Cleaning Solutions, Dangerous Chemical  Combination's,  Emergency Preparedness Checklist ( I needed this even though I have been in many hurricanes and storms) and Measurements Conversion Charts.  I find these type of charts very helpful.

I knew most everything in the Cook-It Section and read it several times just because I'm nerdy that way.  I really love how easy the book flows and I feel all "equipped" and ready to teach my daughters Home-Ec. This book would make a PERFECT present for a new mom, bridal shower, teenager, college student, nerdy housewives and even for a bachelor.  

I hope you will pick up this book and look through it.  It really is a wonderful.

Thanks to the author and One2One Network for providing a copy of this book for me to review.  My own tasty words & opinions are expressed here. 

That's When I Talk to God book giveaway

 
That's When I Talk to God
Author: Dan & Alison Morrow

Book - Hardcover with jacket   ISBN: 1434700186   ISBN-13: 9781434700186 Item #: 106622

A little girl discovers that prayer is more than a bedtime ritual; she can talk to God anytime, in any place, and about any thing.

As a little girl says her bedtime prayers, her mother asks a simple question that sparks a powerful discovery: "You know we can pray to him any time we want to, right?" With that, the little girl suddenly finds things to talk to God about everywhere-in her garden, in a friend's backyard, and on the soccer field. The girl's prayer life will never be the same.

That's When I Talk to God is a sweet story that will deepen the prayer lives of children four to eight. This charmingly illustrated tale steps beyond explaining prayer and models constant communication with God.

 Scraps of Life Book Club:  What an adorable book!  The daughter is taught by the mother on how to pray.  The little girl was surprised to learn that you don't just talk/pray to God at dinner or bedtime.   She learned that you can call upon in Jesus name to ask for forgiveness, strength, courage and more. The Mom teaches the daughter that God teaches us thorough those in our life as well as His word in the Bible.

This book is perfect for 3-8 year olds. This book would make a great gift.  I loved that the book included The Lord's Prayer, which is the prayer to cover every single thing we need to say and do.  Since my girls are older, I want to give my copy of this book away to someone who would use it for their little ones.  Enter below
--------------------------------------

GIVEAWAY

1 copy of That's When I Talk to God

Ends 4/5/2011 USA

Mandatory Entry: Tell me who you want to read this book to and follow my blog via Google Friend Connect. This gives you two entries into the giveaway.  Leave an email address with this entry in the comments.

BONUS Entries: (these only count if you did the mandatory entry) Worth 1 each

*Follow my blog with Twitter, Facebook, Email subscription, RSS Feed or Networked blogs. Each worth one entry and leave a separate comment for each one that you do.

Thanks to The B & B  Media Group for the review copy.  The words expressed here are the Club's own words and opinions.  Read it for yourself to form your own opinions!