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How to Use Technology Wisely during the School Year
- 4:49 pm
- 0 comments
- by Adanna Dill
This post was sponsored by Amazon, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

My kids are returning to school in exactly 10 days! I’m proud of myself this year because for the past few years, I was still running around trying to get everything at this point. This year, I am on top of it all (well, most of it) Backpacks, check. Uniforms, check. School supplies, check. Tablet, check. Yes, you read that correctly, a tablet is on the list for keeping my little ones very sharp this school year especially my daughter. We love technology and I am a strong believer that using technology wisely during the school year is important for modern kids. Now, most of you know how much I love the Amazon Fire Kids Edition Tablets which I shared last year and it’s one of the wisest ways to allow your kids to safely enjoy the internet. My daughter recently received the Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Edition tablet and I wanted to sharere are a few ways I plan to allow her to use it as a companion to her formal education this school year:

To do research

I had no idea that my daughter would be doing history, social studies and science projects in first grade that would require research. That made the last school year a bit challenging at times as she had to rely on me to help her do research. Now, that she’s heading to grade two and she’s a much better reader, I’m happy to see her blossom and start doing her research independently. Besides doing research for her projects, she can delve deeper into topics that were discussed briefly in class that’s she’s interested in that her teacher didn’t have the time to explain or anything that she’s curious about as she’s always asking questions.

Now, I know I’m not the only person who have tried to research something on the internet and some crazy stuff popped up on the screen, so the only way I would be comfortable allowing her to research without standing above her is using Amazon Freetime Unlimited which is free for one year after purchasing the Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Edition tablet. The Parent Dashboard and Parental Controls keeps me completely in charge of what she does and I am taking advantage of features like Learn First that ensures that she uses educational apps, videos and read before playing.

To improve reading and comprehension skills

My second grader will need to continue reading as many books as possible and I want her to have access to just about any book that interests her. I could make an attempt at an epic home library but that would be too expensive and impractical plus it wouldn’t be necessary with Amazon Freetime Unlimited since she has access to thousands of books so she would never get bored reading the same books over and over. At her age, mastering reading comprehension is very important and I love that I receive sample questions through the Discussion Cards for us to discuss the apps, books, videos, that she used.

To reinforce math and science theories

As I mentioned earlier, my daughter is curious so she likes to understand the who, what, how of everything. Using her tablet she can break down all the answers to her many questions through apps, books, games, and videos.

To set parameters

When moms get together and we talk about kids, there is bound to be discussion about how much technology distract kids from other responsoublies or even keep them up past bedtime. I’ve had friends who hid their kids tablets so they wouldn’t stay up late playing but the great thing about the Amazon Fire Kids Edition Tablets is that there is the Bedtime setting. I’ve actually set the parental control on Amazon Freetime Unlimited earlier than bedtime so my daughter can log off and prepare to go to sleep. My daughter also needs to practice her violin, do homework and other small chores so it’s important that she understands to use her time well.

Besides all of these incredible ways that my family plans to use technology during the school year as a companion of my daughter’s education, I feel good about the 2- year worry-free guarantee that the tablet came with. With kids, you just never know when they may spill their juice or food but with the tough sleeve that survives falls and the warranty, we don’t have to worry. If it comes down to the tablet not working, as I mentioned before Amazon replaces with no questions, so you don’t have to watch your child’s every move and they can put their tablets in her backpacks because of its durability.

How does your family plan to use technology during the new school year?
Accessories, Healthy Eating, Motherhood, School, Sponsored
Preparing for Back to School with Babbleboxx
- 1:27 pm
- 0 comments
- by Adanna Dill
This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com on behalf of Single Edition Media.

We’re in full back to school mode around here now. I can’t believe that I have a second grader and my little guy is starting Pre-K. I’m really excited for them as they start the new school year and as I’ve mentioned before I absolutely love the back to school season, it feels like New Years to me, a fresh start so I was happy when Babbleboxx sent us their back to school themed box as I love learning about new products. Here are all of the products that we received in our Babblebox and what we thought about them after trying them all out:

Wemo Mini Wi-Fi Smart Plug

We were excited to receive the Wemo Mini Wi-Fi Smart Plug that we were able to set up to control the lights in out our home. I was initially worried that this would be a challenging task but just by plugging the Wemo Mini Smart Plug into the wall, downloading the free app and connecting Wemo to our Wi-Fi we were all set. I love saving energy, I’m always unplugging and turning electronics off so I’m excited to have this smart home product for the new school year especially with the new baby coming. If you want to get one, Rattles and Heels readers will receive a special 20% off their own Wemo Mini Smart Plug now through Sept 30th, 2017 at using the unique promo code WEMOrattlesandheels.

Pure Growth Snacks

This box came in so handy because I’ve been brainstorming what new snacks I can give the kids this school year. I noticed that they were bringing back home some of the snacks that I sent them with last year and I realized that they needed some fresh options. I’m so happy that they both found favorites from the Pure Growth brand. My daughter loves their Organic Chocolate Animal Crackers and my son loves their Organic White Cheddar Popcorn. Our family favorite though is the Organic Crispy Rice Squares. These snacks are all organic and low in sugar so I feel good about sending the little ones off to school with them. The perfect lunchbox solution! You can purchase these organic snacks here using the unique code 2020BABBLE for 20% off.

OOLY School Supplies

We also got the OOLY Mighty Zipper Pouch, which my daughter absolutely loves. It came with the cutest school supplies including a 2-in-1 Flip Side Notebook, Jumbo Brights Neon Colored Pencils, Yummy Yummy Scented Gel Pens an OOLY eraser, so big that’s sure to last her the entire school year. The design of the OOLY products is modern and sleek. It’s a brand that I’m happy to have discovered in the Babbleboxx as I would definitely keep buying it and I’ve already been stalking their website. If you’re as obsessed as I am you can take advantage of their special offer for my readers, 15% off orders of $35 or more plus free shipping in the US & free OOLY eraser with code “ready”. This offer ends on September 7, 2017.

Zoono GermFree24 Hand Sanitizer

I trust my little ones to always wash their hands when they can because they now do it without me reminding them but I often worry about when they’re at school and don’t have the opportunity to get to the bathroom. I always put a hand sanitizer in their backpacks. Zoono GermFree24 Hand Sanitizer is a game changer though because it is water based which is much safer than others on the market. It’s also FDA-compliant and kills 99.99% of germs on contact and get this part, it works for up to 24 hours. It’s environmentally friendly and doesn’t rub off remaining active on the skin’s surface through hand washing and sweating. The first time my daughter tried it, I didn’t tell her that detail but she told me that she could feel it on her hands. We received both the Foam Hand Sanitizer and the Spray Hand Sanitizer in the Babbleboxx.

Teal Duck Tape®

Visual arts and crafts are really important to our family and the kids are always excited to try new projects. We’ve never done a duck tape project before so the Teal Duck Tape® was a treat in the Babbleboxx especially since Duck® now have a new section on their website, Duck Tape Maker dedicated to the Duck Tape® MakersTM with craft videos, articles, projects, and ideas.

Snip-its Kids hair products

A friend of mine mentioned Snip-its kids salon to me a while back but until I received this box, I wasn’t aware that they also have professional kids hair products. To keep in line with their goal of putting kids at ease when they walk in to get their hair done, these kids hair products bring the fun and flavor of Snip-its to homes. The products are naturally based, using plant-derived irritant and allergen-free ingredients in fun flavors kids love. My son loves to wash his hair daily and we’ve tried the Snip-its Tangy Apple 3-in-1 Conditioning Shampoo and it smells incredible. The products are formulated to be gentle on kids’ sensitive skin, hair, scalp, and eyes. The box also included the Morning Miracle Mousse Styling Spray & Silly Slicker Ultimate Sculpting Gel that we haven’t had the chance to try yet.

Are you ready for back to school yet?
Activities, Motherhood, Sponsored
Celebrating Progress at Goldfish Swim School
- 4:13 pm
- 0 comments
- by Adanna Dill
This post is in partnership with Goldfish Swim School, as usual all opinions expressed are my own.

So it’s been 6 weeks since the kids started their swimming lessons at Goldfish Swim School and they LOVE it. I’m honestly amazed by how well they’re doing and I wanted to ~~brag~~ share their progress.

As I mentioned in my previous post (read it here) my daughter was not very comfortable in the water when she first started and her teacher advised us that we need to get her to the pool as often as we can to raise her comfort level. My husband has been taken them and we’ve seen her come full circle. She’s excited to get int the pool again and she’s losing all the fear that she initially had. At a matter of fact, in the last two classes, I sat in the gallery watching as I saw her instructor clapping, high-fiving her and throwing thumbs up signs to me indicating that my daughter had met a milestone. She’s been bravely breath control in an underwater dip. Her instructor thought her a technique that she practices even when she’s home. I love seeing her enthusiasm and how proud she is of herself. To encourage the kids, they’re given ribbons to celebrate their small victories.

My son is also doing really well and I can see his impressive progress as well. He’s also learned to hold his breath while underwater, practicing paddling, and the superman glide. Next class he’s going to learn to paddle without the floats so we’re really excited about that.

I’m really happy with their progress and as the summer winds down and my kids instructors are heading back to college I love how Goldfish Swim School is handing the transition for the kids. In my daughter’s class, the new teacher has been shadowing her usual instructor for the past few weeks so the kids can get used to her and she can get an understanding of their skill level and personalities.

We’re really looking forward to their progress during the next few weeks and I will be sure to keep you updated.