Tomorrow the love of my life turns 10 and i've been feeling a roller coaster of emotions ranging from excitement to fear. Excitement for these upcoming tween years, fear that I will no longer be needed. When I initially planned this post, I was planning a "10 Things I want my daughter to know before she turns 10" post but when I sat down and really thought about my journey in motherhood the last 10 years, the ups and downs, the struggles and triumphs, and the fact that Jordyn and I literally grew up together, what I really wanted to share was not the things I taught her but the things she taught me so here they are,

the 10 things my daughter taught me before she turned 10. 

1. SHE TAUGHT ME TO HAVE FAITH

I was 18 when I got pregnant. I was a broke, selfish, party girl who only made decisions based on what I was going to be getting out of it. I never wanted kids so when I found out I was pregnant, I was terrified. I wasn't fit to be anyones mother and I knew it but for some reason behind the fact that I knew I was unfit, I had this strange faith and confidence that I could do it and that I could be great at it. That faith.....it changed my life and it came from her. 

2. SHE TAUGHT ME TO KEEP MY WORD. 

Growing up, no one ever really kept their word to me so of course, keeping my word wasn't a top priority for me because it wasn't something I was taught to value. I used to make promises I knew I wasn't planning on keeping or I would say one thing and do another. I had very little integrity before I became a mother but Jordyn changed all of that before I even gave birth to her. I wanted to bring her up better than I was and in the process of trying to better myself I became more aware of how terrible not keeping my word was and distanced myself from people who had even less integrity than I did. 

3. SHE TAUGHT ME TO HAVE GRATITUDE.

I struggled throughout my childhood and into my young adult years. So much so that I used to have this anger towards the world coupled with this "why don't I have things" attitude. As Jordyn grew, she helped put life into perspective for me and I learned not to focus on the things I did not have but to be grateful for the things I did. A roof over our heads, our health, even something as small as her smile. She taught me to be thankful and grateful for everything. 

4. SHE TAUGHT ME PATIENCE. 

I never had patience for anything before I had Jordyn but we all know potty training takes a butt ton of it. Teaching little people to be good people is no easy task either and also requires a lot of patience and repetitiveness.  Raising Jordyn taught me to enjoy the moment and not rush. 

5. SHE TAUGHT ME THE POWER OF FORGIVENESS. 

I used to hold grudges and never forgive anyone for anything. Jordyn though, is so forgiving. I think it's a kid thing, most kids forgive easily. Watching how easily Jordyn is able to forgive has taught me to try and be more forgiving as well. 

6. SHE TAUGHT ME HOW TO TRUST. 

I was never a trusting person. I had been hurt and lied to so much that trusting others didn't come easy for me. Then I gave birth to this little human who trusted me to take care of her and I figured, if this little girl could trust me with her entire life, I could put a little trust in people too. 

7. SHE TAUGHT ME WHAT HAVING STRENGTH IS ALL ABOUT. 

Raising Jordyn has definitely showed me that I am one of the strongest people I know. Going through the things that I have gone through, being a struggling teen mother, and over coming it all proves that I am capable and strong. I don't think i'd of developed the strength to push through had it not been for Jordyn.

8. SHE TAUGHT ME SELF ACCEPTANCE. 

I center my parenting around teaching Jordyn to love and accept herself and on that journey, i've found that she has taught me to accept myself. I learned early on that in order to teach self acceptance I must first be accepting of myself. 

9. SHE TAUGHT ME TO HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR.

Parenting without  humor is impossible. Like, you'll legitimately go crazy. A sense of humor makes difficult situations easier and makes sad situations a little happier. A sense of humor is the parenting gift that keeps on giving and Jordyn taught me the importance of having it. 

10. SHE TAUGHT ME UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.

Unconditional love was something I never grasped the concept of until I had Jordyn. In my life, love always came with strings attached...I guess it really wasn't love was it? The love from mother to daughter and daughter to mother is unconditional and unbreakable and something i'm so grateful for. She shows me everyday that there is nothing i could ever do to screw this mom thing up so badly that her love will go away. 

These past 10 years of motherhood have been the most difficult but most rewarding journey i've ever had the pleasure of being on. I'm so blessed to be able to grow with and learn from my child and i'm forever thankful that I have a girl who makes this parenting thing feel easy. I owe Jordyn my life....I was on a one way ticket to nowhere before I had her. She came along and taught me that life can have meaning and that there is a such thing as pure happiness and I owe it to her to make sure she never forgets it.

Happy 10th birthday my love. 

11 Truths about Invisalign for Kids

Left: NO aligners RIGHT: Day 1 wearing aligners.

If you've been following me for a while you know that Jordyn had traditional braces in kindergarten. If you haven't, you can read about why she had the need for braces so early HERE

Now that all her baby teeth are gone, it is time for phase 2 of her braces treatment. We originally were going to go with traditional metal braces again but after doing my research I spoke with our orthodontist about the option to do Invisalign instead. 

We are now in week 5 of her treatment and I figured that now that we've gotten used to our treatment plan and have been at if for a few weeks,  i'd answer a few of the questions I have been getting. 

Keep in mind that I am no expert, I am just speaking on our experience with Invisalign and trying to answer some of the questions you all had!

WHY DID YOU DECIDE ON INVISALIGN RATHER THAN TRADITIONAL BRACES?

I know a lot of people have this idea in their head that orthodontist try to push Invisalign to make a quick buck but in our case i'm the one that brought it up. Jordyn is really active with sports, she plays basketball 5 days a week so I knew that with metal braces she was going to have to wear a mouthguard so that in the event that she gets hit in the mouth, she doesn't get cut up by the metal. Now, wearing a mouthguard wouldn't typically be a problem but with braces in, you can't really mold mouthguard to the mouth so they wouldn't be able to fit properly. I brought up my concerns to my orthodontist in hopes that maybe there was some sort of special dentist mouthguard option I didn't know about and get this, he actually coaches his daughters basketball team. HA! He said he recommends Invisalign over traditional braces for athletes because of the braces/mouthguard problem. We also wanted to make this braces experience as comfortable as possible for Jordyn. Her braces experience before wasn't terrible but this round was going to be top & bottom braces plus rubber bands to adjust her bite. So she was going to have to watch what she ate, make sure she didn't have food stuck in her braces after eating, plus take her rubber bands in and out at school....It just seemed like A LOT of work for her. With Invisalign, she just goes to the bathroom before lunch, pops out her aligners, and goes about her business. 

I will say this.....you should know your childs maturity level before deciding on Invisalign. They must be worn 22 hours a day and a lost aligner costs upwards of 150 dollars to replace. 

WHAT IS THE PROCESS OF GETTING STARTED LIKE?

We had a consultation with our orthodontist. Once he decided she was a good candidate for Invisalign  he took digital scans of her mouth and 2 sets of dental records. One for their office and one to be sent to Invisalign to make the custom aligners. It took about 6 weeks before we actually got her aligners. When our aligners came in our orthodontist went through the treatment process in depth and answered every question I had. They also worked with Jordyn to figure out how to pop her aligners in and out. They put 4 attachments on Jordyns teeth but I have read reviews from people who have had attachments on nearly every tooth so be prepared for more attachments than you may think your child will have. 

HOW LONG WILL TREATMENT TAKE?

The length of your treatment depends on the severity of your case. Jordyns treatment process is set at 35 weeks with new aligners changed out every week. There are some treatment processes that take longer, with aligners being changed out every 2 weeks rather than each week so talk to your orthodontist about that. 

IS IT AS PAINFUL AS TRADITIONAL BRACES.

I wouldn't say it is as painful as traditional braces but  Jordyn does feel the same type of tightness she would feel when she got her braces tightened, whenever she puts in a new tray. The feeling of tightness usually wears off in a day or so. She says its more of an  uncomfortable feeling than a painful feeling which is normal and a sign that the treatment is working because your teeth are shifting. 

TOP: Week 1,Day 1 BOTTOM: Week 4,Day1. 

CAN YOU EAT WITH THEM?

No. The beauty of Invisalign is that you can take them out whenever it is time to eat. The only thing you can drink with your aligners in is water obviously because colored liquids can stay. I'm totally happy about this because it means Jordyn is drinking more water and less juice!! 

It's also recommend that you brush after eating and before you put your aligners back in to maintain proper hygiene. Jordyn doesn't take a toothbrush to school but she does rinse her mouth out after lunch and once she gets home from school and has her afternoon snack, she brushes. 

CAN THEY SLIP OFF?

No. The aligners are custom fit to her teeth so they fit extremely snug plus they put attachments onto her teeth that are designed to help hold the aligners in place.

ARE THEY HARD FOR HER TO GET ON AND OFF?

They aren't difficult but the first few days were a learning curve. She pops them in and out like a pro now! This again goes along with knowing your childs maturity level before deciding on Invisalign. 

IS IT MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE?

Invisalign is more expensive but in our case, it wasn't THAT much more. It was about 800 dollars more than the traditional braces treatment plan and I mean, 800 dollars more for the convenience and comfort Invisalign offers is a really great deal. 

HOW OFTEN DO YOU HAVE TO VISIT THE ORTHODONTIST. 

We are on an 8 week follow up plan. We currently have weeks 1-8 of aligners, at our next follow up visit we will get weeks 8-16...so on.

Barely visible!! 

HOW DO YOU CLEAN THEM?

My favorite part of the Invisalign process is the ease of cleaning both her teeth & the aligners. When she had traditional braces it was SUCH a hassle but with Invisalign you literally pop them out then brush and floss like normal. Our ortho said you just brush your aligners like you would your teeth and that you could even use Dial soap on them but.....Jords sticks with toothpaste.  

WILL SHE NEED TO WEAR A RETAINER AFTER HER TREATMENT IS DONE?

Yes. Just like traditional braces wearers, retainers after treatment ensure that her teeth will stay straight. This isn't anything new she will have to get used to because she's been wearing a retainer since 1st grade anyway. 

Overall i'm very happy with our decision to go with Invisalign. We are 5 weeks in and Jordyn is doing a really great job being responsible with her aligners. There was a lot of back and forth with Zeke and I about whether or not she was responsible enough to handle not losing her aligners at school and if she'd remember to put them  back in after snacking but so far she is doing great.....lets just hope she sticks with it. 

I tried to answer all the questions you all had but if you have anything else you'd like to know please do leave a comment or contact me via email!

Xo,

Jeanice

4 Things I Want My Daughter To Know Before 4th Grade.

4th grade is right around the corner. Literally, it starts on Monday. 

Honestly, i'm filled with so many emotions.....Good, bad, and ugly. Listen everyday Jordyn came home with some crazy story about something new that happened in school. Everyday it was something about boys, friends, grades, or teachers....the 3rd grade drama was so real. I don't know if i'm totally prepared for the roller coaster that i'm sure 4th grade will be but I know that there are 4 very important things I want the girl to know before she starts. 

So, here are the 4 things I want my daughter to know before 4th grade.

BE "FOR" YOUR FRIENDS.

Speak highly of your friends & don't allow anyone to run their names through the mud. Don't be the girl that stands by and lets others speak badly about someone you consider your friend, steer conversation to a positive light or walk away. Cheer for your friends, point out their strengths, rather than their weaknesses and be happy for any wins they may have even if you wish you could have had them for yourself. Avoid being envious, remember that we are all good at something & your friends wins don't mean you are a failure. Don't be a doormat, it is not your job to lose yourself trying to make your friends happy. You will disagree with your friends know that it's ok to speak your mind & stand your ground. Just make sure you speak with grace, say the hard truths gently and don't coat them with insults or sarcasm. 

Listen to your friends, forgive easily, say sorry when you're wrong because...you will be wrong...and don't let boys come between you.....and speaking of boys.......

BOYS HAVE COOTIES...

You will like boys ( or girls....whatevs) I can't change that and as much as it makes me want to cringe, its a normal phase of development  Feel free to talk to me about any crushes you may have, I promise I will always honor and respect your feelings and emotions but know that boys are off limits for anything other than friendships. Boys will be around for a long time, you have no reason to rush. You will have friends that make boys the center of their world, you don't need to. There will be boys that will try to push your boundaries, understand that NO is a complete sentence. No always means NO. Drill that into your brain and never forget it.

 Remember that you were made to chase your dreams, not boys. 4th grade is a time to focus on friends, extra-curricular activities, and grades. And, while we're on the topic of grades....

GRADES ARE IMPORTANT, BUT THEY'RE NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.

Know that your best is good enough. I do not expect straight As from you, I expect you to give your best work and if that results in straight As....then i'm proud. Alternatively, if your best work results in Bs...or Cs....i'm still proud. Your job is to try your hardest &  give it your best effort. And if you're putting your best food forward and still not getting something, I promise i'll do my best to give you all the tools, tutors, and help I can to assist you. 

Don't ever take anything at face value. 

Whether you understand something or not, ask questions. Ask your teachers, your friends, your parents, and yourself. Never stop asking questions because that is how you learn. 

YOU ARE BLACK GIRL BEAUTIFUL.

Just like last year, you may or may not be the only black girl in your class this year. I hope you look at it as a way for you to stand out and if there is another black girl in class, go introduce yourself to her, she may be feeling some of the same feelings you are. Your hair & skin are beautiful but they do not define you. You are not pretty for a black girl, you're skin color has nothing to do with how beautiful you are....your looks don't even have anything to do with how beautiful you are, it's whats inside that counts.  You don't represent all black people, despite what your white peers may think. Being black is just one thing about you....some of your peers or teachers may see it as the most important thing, but its not and its not your job to educate people on the black experience jus because you may be the only black girl they know. 

Your accomplishments may not always be recognized by society, don't ever let that stop you from being proud of any of your accomplishments. 

and finally, it is perfectly ok to smack someones hand if they reach in to try and touch your hair after you've told them no. 

I hope you dive head first into 4th grade..I hope you shock the world with your talents, be a change-maker & do amazing things!

Xo, 

Jeanice.

Natural Kids Back To School Protective Style Hair inspiration.

We love a good protective style over here. Mostly because we are just so busy it's easier for all of us if we don't have to worry about doing hair constantly. It's also easier for the man when I have to go to work...I love him to death for attempting to make a bun look decent but I wouldn't say hair care is his calling, he should definitely not quit his day job. 

Back to school is right around the corner & I know I can't be alone in struggling to figure out which hairstyle our kiddos are going back with?!...Jords has finally decided how she wants her hair but for a while, I was scouring Pinterest & Instagram for inspiration. 

Since I know I can't be the only one searching for hair inspo on the web, I decided to share my 4 favorite protective styles that Jordyn has worn. Just in case one of you happen to be as stumped as I was. 

CLASSIC BRAIDS. 

Individual braids are a classic, beautiful style that lasts for weeks with very little upkeep maintenance. 

GET THE LOOK.

This look was created with braiding hair from Sally Beauty

& styled with the Eden BodyWorks Kids line.

INDIVIDUAL CROCHET HAVANA TWISTS.

Individual crochet braids give you the time saving & protective benefits of crochet braids but gives more versatility when it comes to styling! 

GET THE LOOK.

I used Zury Hollywood Kids Havana crochet hair for this style. 

You can watch our Individual crochet braid video HERE

 MARLEY TWISTS.

Marley twists are my favorite protective style for both Jordyn & myself. 

They're easy to do and offer so much convenience & versatility when styling. 

GET THE LOOK.

I used about 2 packs of marley hair from my local beauty supply store that were around 4.99 per pack . For the shorter look, the hair was cut in half and I only used about 1 1/2 pack of hair.

 Most of the time I style with Curls Blueberry Bliss Twist N Shout Cream

You can read my post on the installation process HERE

The longer twists may look like a lot of hair but they are extremely light weight & can be styled in so many different ways. 

CROCHET FAUX LOCS

We love, love, love these faux locs. Crochet faux locs offer up the beauty of locs with an easy installation process.

GET THE LOOK.

Unlike the individual crochet braids these faux locs are crocheted onto cornrowed hair. 

Read all about the installation process in my post HERE

BENEFITS OF PROTECTIVE STYLING.

Protective styling is not only really stylish but they also ease those busy school mornings, offer protection from the elements, help maintain moisture, provide length retention & help minimize damage to young hair. 

TIPS.

Start with freshly washed hair-You do not want to protective style on dirty hair that you plan on keeping in for weeks.

Don't pull too tight at the edges- The point is to protect the hair, if you're pulling hard on your edges, you're doing more harm than good. 

Moisturize- add moisture to your childs natural hair & scalp regularly. My favorite sort of DIY spray is a combination of water & leave-in conditioner that I spray onto the hair & scalp. I also use oils & scalp balms like Just For Me soothing scalp balm. 

Pre-treat the extension hair- There are almost always chemical coatings on synthetic hair. To protect your child from allergic reactions soak the hair in a 3 parts water, 1 part apple cider vinegar mixture for about 15 mins then rinse and let dry overnight.

Happy protecting!

Xo, Jeanice :)

Kids desk, homework area and Study Station organization.

We are in full back to school mode over here! I've been cleaning out & organizing Jordyns desk, preparing for back to school and  I finally finished school shopping, we'll be doing a back to school haul video this week on our Youtube channel, if you haven't already, go ahead and subscribe HERE 

I can't say that Jordyn is particularly excited to do homework but I mean, what kid is? So, I like to create a bright & lively space for her to do her homework, study, and get her created juices flowing. 

Her desk is made up of pieces from Ikea.

The desk top is the Linnmon Table Top

The legs are ADILS Legs

The drawer is the ever popular Alex Drawer

The top part of her desk is the Alex Add-On Unit

Her art cart is probably my favorite piece in her room. It is from Home goods and we keep it stocked with all her creative necessities. 

This adorable donut banner is from the dollar spot at Target 

We got this colorful desk top organizer from Michaels and Jordyn keeps her erasers, camera film, fidget spinners & other kick knacks in it.

Her desk drawers are filled with her other necessities.Pencils, staplers, highlighters,rulers, etc..

I got these clear plastic organizers from Walmart

These white plastic organizers are also from Walmart and are used to hold some of her crafting yarn, ribbon, & Doh Vinci supplies.

 The third & 4th drawers in her desk hold her stickers, construction paper, extra markers, her iPod cases & her Happy Planner

The very last drawer holds extra notebooks, flash cards, & paper.

On top of her desk Jordyn keeps her collectible figures that she loves & the current books she's reading.

Her unicorn cup holder is from Cotton On

Her desk chair is also from Ikea. It is the Vagsberg/Sporren Swivel chair

Her reversible sequin emoji poop pillow is from Walmart

Above her desk she has 2 shelves that I got from Lowes. They are hold more of her favorite knick knacks.

The wall decals are by Paper Riot Co and I got them from Target

Jordyns desk, like her room, is very reflective of her personality. Very bright, bold, electric, and fun. It's a space all her own where she can work, play, & create.

Xo,

Jeanice 

Back to school season: 5 ways to give back to your community.

When I was young, my mother struggled to make sure I had the basic necessities and supplies I needed to go back to school with.  I couldn't blame her, she had bigger things to worry about, like making sure we didn't get evicted because she couldn't come up with rent or making sure we had something other than ramen noodles to eat for dinner. 

As someone who grew up benefiting from the kindness of community during back to school season, I try my best to always make giving back to the children in my community a priority as the season rolls around and i've come up with my 5 ways you can give back to the children in your community during back to school season as well. 

DONATE A FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL OUTFIT

Remember how exciting the first day of school was? Spending hours deciding what you were going to wear that day to set the year off right? 

It might seem vain but that little confidence and self-esteem boost that a first day of school outfit brings a child coming from a tough situation is something that is very much needed. So, while you're back to school shopping purchase a head-to-toe outfit and donate it to someone you may know personally or to your local shelter. 

BE A VOICE

Help your local schools, shelters, and charity organizations by sharing information on their events. Use your social media platforms to get the word out about school supply drives. Contact your local schools and find out what back to school items they need donated then encourage your friends, families, coworkers, and neighbors to donate what they can. Use your voice in any way you can to spread awareness & generate buzz about charitable events in your community.

PAY STUDENTS LUNCH ACCOUNTS

A lot of schools offer free or reduced lunch options for struggling families but even with the reduced lunch prices, it can still be hard for parents to come up with funds for lunch. Contacting your local school or reaching out to a family you know is struggling and offering to add money to their lunch accounts would help alleviate one of the stresses low income & struggling families face. 

VOLUNTEER

If you have more time than money, volunteering is a great way to make an impact. Volunteer at your local back to school drive. Contact your local family shelter or charity & find ways you can help out. Join the big brother/big sister program and be a mentor. High student-teacher ratios make it difficult for teachers to give one on one attention to the students, volunteering in the classroom is a simple way to offer extra time and attention to the children who need it. 

DONATE

Donating supplies, clothing, and sanitary items to families in need is always a great help. 

Donating to teachers that are coming out of their own pockets to supply items for students due to budget cuts is also very helpful. Making monetary donations to schools is also a great way to help alleviate some of the stress of having low budgets. 

There are a ton of ways to give back to your community without breaking the bank, all you have to do is get creative and think outside of the box. 

If you're in Vegas, here is a list of clickable links to places you can donate this back to school season!

Project 150 Back To School Success Drive

Las Vegas Realtos Back To School Drive

Clark County Family Services

GR8 School Supply Drive

Fill The Bus 

Supply A Teacher

Xo, Jeanice

Healthy Grab & Go Snack Options For Youth Athletes

Jordyn has been grinding hard this basketball season and now that summer is here she's only going harder. She happily attends basketball camp after basketball camp, practice after practice...You can really see how much she loves her sport.
With all these added practices and work outs come an increase in how much she eats or snacks. We all know how important it is for kids to eat healthy well balanced meals but what about snacking throughout the day?
Now obviously i'm not talking about an hour long practice and then going home, there really isn't much need for an energy boosting snack at that point.......but Jordyn spent all of last week at a 6 hour a day basketball camp. This upcoming week she will spend the weekend at another basketball camp. Over the summer she, like many youth athletes, spends hours practicing and exerting energy so it's  important for me to pack her snacks that helped re-fuel and re-energize.
Unfortunately we live in a time where there is an overwhelming amount of snack options in grocery stores geared towards youth athletes and it can be hard to figure out what exactly we should really give our kiddos.
 I'm no nutrition expert but I have been asked several times what snacks I pack for Jordyn. I believe in a whole foods, eating healthy lifestyle and have a few grab and go snack options that I put in Jordyns lunch bag so i'm going to share them with you!
The most important thing when picking snacks being sure your kiddo is getting the proper nutrients they need, which in the case of youth athletes is carbs and proteins.
Carbohydrates are an extremely important fuel source because they provide the glucose that is used for energy.
 Proteins help build and repair muscles which is vital for recovery after extended periods of exercise.

So, here are a few of my go to grab & go snack options for Jordyn!

Bananas- Bananas contain anywhere from 23-35% carbohydrates depending on the size of the fruit. They're a good source of potassium, vitamin b6 and vitamin c. They are also a good source of magnesium which can help with muscle relaxation after working out.

KIND Healthy Grain Peanut Butter Whole Grain Clusters- I am a HUGE fan of KIND, everything from their bars to their granola is delicious and made with simple ingredients that you can recognize and pronounce. This granola is made with 5 super grains; oats, millet,quinoa,amaranth, and buckwheat which provide essential nutrients like B vitamins & minerals. It is also a great source of protein at 10 grams per serving!

Justins Honey Peanut Butter and Banana Chip Snack Pack-  I love a good snack pack. You guys remember those processed cheese product and cracker stick packs we used to eat as children? Yeah, these are nothing like that!...These are actually good and good for you! They're packed full of good stuff; 3 grams of fiber, 5-6 grams of protein, and is also made with clean ingredients that you can recognize and pronounce. The banana chips are the perfect mix of salty & sweet which is perfect for satisfying cravings but my favorite part is the packaging. So easy to grab one and throw it into Jordyns bag.

Larabar bars & bites- Larabar snack are all natural, made from 100% whole foods. Most flavors only have 4-5 ingredients which mostly consist of unsweetened fruits, nuts, and spices. They are free of preservative free and contain no artificial flavors! Admittedly some Larabars are pretty high in natural sugars but they do satisfy the cravings for something sweet while steering clear of candy bars and processed snacks so while they are all natural, they are still an "in moderation snack. 

Slammers Superfood Snack Pouches Ok not only does Jordyn love these snack pouches but I LOVE them as well...so much so that I admittedly sneak them and eat them myself. Honestly, I have one in my purse right now! Slammers snack pouches are designed to "fuel the fun" with organic fruits, veggies, and vitamins. There is a wide range of flavor combinations but each pouch has the same thing in common; they are packed with organic fruits, veggies, and nutrients that are good and good for you! There are even protein packed pouches that offer 7grams of protein.

I hope some of these quick grab and go snacks help when trying to figure out what snacks you should reach for when packing your kiddos sports bags.
The most important thing for us is that healthy snacking is an extension of our healthy eating lifestyle so it's important to keep snacks like these along with other healthy options on hand even during the off season.

Xo,
Jeanice :)


*Big thank you to Slammers Snacks who inspired this post by sending Jordyn Slammers Snack Pouches to try out.

Avoiding the Summer Slide: Summer review workbooks

I wasn't originally going to write a post on summer review packets but I posted about Jordyns workbooks on  my Instastory a few weeks ago and I got a lot of questions about it so....here I am! lol

I always have Jordyn do work over the summer but I never thought anything of it, I mean...I never thought there were parents that were actually against having their children do school work over break but there are! 

I read a post on Facebook about doing school work over break and the comments were kind of outrageous. The amount of parents criticizing others for not giving their children a "break after working hard all year" was intense. 

The internet is weird I tell ya....

I like to have Jordyn do summer work to avoid the "Summer Slide"...What is the Summer Slide you ask?!

Well, according to Oxford Learning its when students don't keep their brains academically active and fall into a backwards learning slide losing on average up to 2 months of reading skills over the course of the summer. Additionally, about 2.6 months of math skills are lost and an equivalent of one month of overall learning is also lost!

To avoid any backsliding I have Jordyn read every night and do a page of either math, reading comprehension, or writing work every morning. I used to have her do science work but now we just actually DO science as hands on learning. 

There are a ton of places to find summer workbooks or printable for your kiddos. I've seen great selections for younger kids at Dollar Tree and in the Target Dollar spot.
Pinterest is a great source for finding free printable worksheet pages as well.
I actually had Jordyns teacher print out her math and reading packets and she was happy to do so! 

I was able to ask her where she printed the pages out from. 

The reading comprehension pages are from Roadworks.org and contain different passages to read followed up with multiple choice and written answer questions. 

The math pages are from Teacherspayteachers.com

The cursive writing packet I made myself.  The worksheets are from k5learning.com
Jordyns cursive isn't as strong as it could be so its something we are working on this summer. The practice sheets start with words progress to sentences and finish off with paragraphs.

I like to keep it simple ( after all....it is summer break) so Jordyn typically does 1 page of work in the morning and another in the afternoon if she wants to earn extra technology time although that is not mandatory.

The Summer Slide is easily avoidable with just a few hours of academic work every week. And, I personally feel its better to go into the next school year prepared and ready to learn new skills rather than having to play catch up.

Xo, Jeanice :)

What we're reading this summer: Book series for 9yr olds

Jordyn is a big reader. She enjoys fiction books but some of her favorite books are non-fiction informative text books. She can sit there and be completely entranced by a space atlas forever. However, I got a few request for some summer book titles or series I would recommend for kiddos her age so I figured i'd go ahead and make a list of some of the light hearted fiction book series Jordyn has read, is reading, or is planning to read this summer. 

Before we get to the list though, I can't stress enough that not all kids read at the same pace or are interested in the same things so my list may not be the same as the next mamas so take from it what fits you, and leave what doesn't.

 

Aaron Blabey The Bad Guys Series. 

Everytme Jordyn reads these books she laughs soon loud. This is currently a 3 book series but the 4th book is due to release in August.

"They sound like bad guys, they look like bad guys . . . and they even smell like bad guys. But Mr. Wolf, Mr. Piranha, Mr. Snake, and Mr. Shark are about to change all of that...

Mr. Wolf has a daring plan for the Bad Guys' first good mission. They are going to break two hundred dogs out of the Maximum Security City Dog Pound. Will Operation Dog Pound go smoothly? Will the Bad Guys become the Good Guys? And will Mr. Snake please stop swallowing Mr. Piranha?!"

Raina Telgemeirs full graphix Baby-Sitters Club series

This series is based on the Ann M. Martins Baby-sitters club series that I grew up loving! 

The first book in the series is Kristy'g Great Idea- "Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia, and Stacey are best friends and founding members of The Baby-sitters Club. Whatever comes up -- cranky toddlers, huge dogs, scary neighbors, prank calls -- you can count on them to save the day. Baby-sitting isn't always easy, and neither is dealing with strict parents, new families, fashion emergencies, and mysterious secrets. But no matter what, the BSC have what they need most: friendship."

Dear America book series

I absolutely loved the Dear America books growing up. Jordyn recently started reading them and fell in love too. There are 36 books in the original Dear America series and I know that they recently relaunched the series but I am not sure how many books are in the relaunched series. 

"The Dear America series covers a wide range of topics, including: the Pilgrims' journey to the New World, the Salem Witch Trials, the French and Indian War, the American Revolution, the American Civil War, World War I, World War II, western expansion, slavery, immigration, nineteenth-century prairie life, the California Gold Rush of 1849, the Great Depression, Native Americans' experiences, racism, coal mining, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, the fight for women's suffrage, the sinking of the RMS Titanic, the Battle of the Alamo, the Vietnam War, and more. The breadth of historical topics covered in these books through fiction makes the Dear America series a favorite teaching device of history schoolteachers around the country."

W. Bruce Camerons Dog's Purpose series

The series is a story of love between a canine and its owners as told from the dog’s perspective. The chief protagonist in the novels is a very special puppy, Bailey that Cameron follows on a journey of life. Over the series, the dog dies, and is reincarnated several times while on a quest to find purpose for its life.

Diary Of A MineCraft Zombie series

This hilarious series gives a behind the scenes look at a Minecraft zombie and his friends 

" Take a peek at what is really going on between the hollow eyes, and dead expression that wenormally see when we face the dreaded Zombies of Minecraft.  

Are Zombies really different from us? You'll be surprised at what you discover. So, jump into this Minecraft adventure and find out!. "

Raina Telgemeiers Graphic novels

Sisters, Smile, Drama, and Ghost were all really popular in Jordyns class this year and for good reason, they're hilarious but also hold an underlying positive message.

Jeff Kinneys Diary Of A Wimpy Kid series

These books are the hilarious journals of Greg Heffley. There are currently 11 books in this series with a 12th set to be released this November so this series alone could keep your little one busy all summer!

 J.K. Rowlings Harry Potter

Read them. Need I say more?...

Rachel Renee Russell

This is a new series by the author of Dork Diaries and is so funny! 

There are currently 2 books in this series but i'm sure more will be released soon!

"A brand-new series from #1 New York Times bestselling Dork Diaries author Rachel Renee Russell! Introducing Max Crumbly!
Max Crumbly is about to face the scariest place he’s ever been: South Ridge Middle School.
There’s a lot that’s great about his new school, but there’s also one big problem—Doug, the school bully whose hobby is stuffing Max in his locker.
If only Max could be like the hero in his favorite comic. Unfortunately, Max’s uncanny, almost superhuman ability to smell pizza from a block away won’t exactly save any lives or foil bad guys.
But that doesn’t mean Max won’t do his best to be the hero his school needs!"

Rachel Renee Russells Dork Diaries

and speaking of Dork Diaries, you cannot go wrong with this series. 

C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia series

This seven book series is a new favorite for Jordyn. 

"Epic battles between good and evil, fantastic creatures, betrayals, heroic deeds, and friendships won and lost all come together in this unforgettable world, which has been enchanting readers of all ages for over sixty years."

Those are some of the book series that Jordyn is reading right now. I hope this helps with finding some fun book series for your kiddos to read this summer!

Xo,

Jeanice :)