Showing posts with label school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label school. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Best of 2013

It’s hard to believe that tonight we will bid farewell to 2013 and usher in a brand new year with the drop of a ball (or peach).  Like last year, I thought it would be fun to look back on YOUR favorites from the year…

December 2012 092

May 2013 287

November 2012 258 copy

January 2013 053 copy

June 2013 386


January 2013 029 copy

July 2013 227 copy

August 2013 386 copy


April 2013 227 copy
 
Dixie Delights Dressing Southern Tots

In addition to the year’s top ten, a few posts of yore have been favorites for a couple of years now…

July 2012 284 copy

September 2011 162c

April 2011 637

March 2012 327 copy

While sites like Pinterest and Bloglovin are climbing in the ranks, I don’t know where I’d be without the support and generosity of fellow bloggers that have been kind enough to feature me, promote me and just be my friend!  Many, many thanks go out to some of my top referrers, including…


It was a great year for giveaways in 2013!!  I love giving them as much as y’all love receiving them!!  Thanks for partnering with me this year…


And last, but certainly not least, thank YOU for coming to my little slice of the world wide web every day.  Your emails and comments brighten my day.  Every day!  Dixie Delights has been quite an adventure and I sincerely look forward to the fantastic things to come in 2014!

Happy New Year’s Eve, y’all!
xoxo

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Science Fair: Carbonation + Mentos Explosion

Well now, it’s no secret that Honey and I are card carrying graduates of Georgia’s nerdiest college.  And by now y’all know how we get all kinds of crazy excited about all things math and science.  So, it should be no surprise that we were thrilled when the PCP shared is idea for participation in his third science fair!!  It’s totally optional and parental involvement is obviously necessary at this level.  But, he came up with the idea, he executed the project and then…  well… let’s just say he kinda fell off the wagon when it came time to put together the display so Mommy had to bribe and cajole him into submission over the course of a few last minute and utterly terrible hours before it was due (we are making charts at 4pm for a project due at 6pm.  UGH!)  I suppose the fact that we got back from Disney at 1am and got up for school five hours later had something to do with it.  All tantrums aside, you know the old saying “all is well that ends well”?   Well, it couldn’t be truer in this case.  This, my friends, is the face of the FIRST PLACE Science Fair Winner!!!!!!!!!!

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Hypothesis:
More carbonation in a drink will make a bigger Mentos explosion.  (What is it with boys and explosions?!?!)

How to find out how much carbon dioxide is in each drink:
1.Quickly take the top off a drink.
2.Put a balloon over the opening.
3.Hold the balloon in place and shake up the drink.
4.Keep doing it until it blows up the balloon.
5.Measure how big around each balloon is. (Diet Coke won!)

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September 2013 155 copy2

How to make a Mentos explosion:
1.Quickly take the top off a drink.
2.Drop in a Mentos.
3.Watch the explosion.  Diet Coke had the tallest and longest explosion!  We recorded it on video and then took clips of it at it’s peak for the pictures.
4.Pour the left over drink in a measuring cup to see how much is left. The one that has the least amount left lost the most drink and had the BIGGEST explosion!

Mentos copy 
mentos2 copy

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photo 2 (5)

Conclusion:
When I found out that Diet Coke had the most carbonation, I thought it would have the biggest explosion when I put in the Mentos.  I was right!More carbonation in a drink does make a BIGGER Mentos explosion!

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We’re super proud of the kid!  Yet, I’m already slightly freaking out at the thought of having to pull of TWO of these next year when the baby hits school :-)
xoxo

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Care for a Bite? {Free Printable}

I was delighted to be the parent volunteer for “Breakfast and a Book” in the PCP’s class on Friday!!  It seems that there are fewer and fewer opportunities to be in their classroom each year that they get older so I’m soaking up every moment I get.  Since we’ve got all things Halloween on our minds this month, it was an obvious choice for both the breakfast and the books.

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When John begged and pleaded for doughnuts (come on, y’all know this gal loves a doughnut, as if I’d say no!), I was beyond excited to finally pull off the whole vampire fang thing that’s been floating around Pinterest for the last couple of years. 

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I packaged them in cute party bags scored a while back on Pick Your Plum, and a “care for a bite?” label was the finishing touch.

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You can download the tags here:



We’ve only ever had Mystery Reader in the past, so it was fun to be able to have John pick the books and help with the treat.  The Room on the Broom is a Halloween must-read, if you haven’t already, and The Night Before Halloween is a spoof on the Night Before Christmas! 

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I, of course, donned my witch tights for the occasion.  Best $5 ever spent on holiday attire, if I do say so myself.

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Have a great one!
xoxo

Find me at: My Uncommon Slice of SuburbiaSavvy Southern StyleDIY by DesignTatertots and JelloA Stroll Through LifeFrench Country CottageNo Minimalist HereThe36th AvenueIt's OverflowingShine on FridaysDIY Show OffHouse of Hepworth52 MantelsI Heart Nap TimeThe Frugal Girls,Six Sisters StuffOne Project CloserJennifer RizzoLe Chateau des FleursCommon GroundLiz Marie BlogNot Just a HousewifeMiss Mustard SeedElizabeth and CoRain on a Tin RoofCoastal CharmUncommon DesignsMop It Up MondayThe TablescaperA Lived In HomeThe Scoop at Cedar Hill Ranch,RemodelaholicEvolution of Style

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Pumpkin Projects

Both of the littles carried home pumpkin projects this week.  Tis the season, I suppose!

The baby had to dress up his pumpkin for this month’s family project and it should come as no surprise that he chose Mike Wazowski.  And I must admit, it was a fine choice for a round pumpkin. 
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And the PCP had to complete a Pumpkin Book Report.  He had to answer a few short questions on a character profile page and decorate a pumpkin like said character.  Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine a day when I’d be putting undies on a pumpkin.  John painted on the face with craft paint and we cut up one of Honey’s old t-shirts for the cape.  It’s a pretty good rendition of an albeit questionable literary gem.  But hey, whatever gets him reading.  (And I admittedly have questionable taste in literature myself.)

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October 2013 597

We used a faux pumpkin because I had every intention of absconding with it for my own monogrammed pumpkin project but, much to my dismay, all three boys agreed that this pumpkin must stay as is and come out each and every year for Halloween.  Hmmm…. outvoted again.
xoxo

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Teenage Mutant Ninja {Apple}

The baby’s teacher will be sending home a family project each month of the school year and the first one was just completed!  She provided the outline of an apple on white copy paper and we were instructed, as a family, to decorate it any way we want with whatever materials we choose.  What fun!

We noodled over ideas over the course of a few days **as a family** and came up with a super hero apple.  Well, the moment I drew the outline of the mask on the apple for the baby to color, he said “I think it is a ninja apple.  NOT a super hero.  And I looooove it!”  So we ditched the super hero apple in favor of a Teenage Mutant Ninja Apple.  I lightly wrote the letters in pencil and he traced over everything in marker and did all of the coloring.

September 2013 020

I can’t wait to see what he brings home next month :-)
xoxo

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Great Books for Boys {43 Reader Recommended Series}

boybooks

John is an extremely capable reader and we struggle with finding "just right" books (content and level wise) for him.  Add to the mix that he doesn't even like reading (or so he claims) and we've been in quite a pickle.  You see, Honey and I are both avid readers and would love to see our boys follow suit... not to mention I would really love to see him sit down and read for the required time each night without badgering and cajoling.  At the beginning of summer, I reached out for recommendations on great books for boys and I have made it my MISSION in second grade to help show the boy how intriguing and entertaining and wonderful reading can be!

To that end, I have compiled all of your comments and emails with some of our own favorites in the master list below.  I even looked up appropriate grade levels (per amazon) as I was going along because there were some that wasn't familiar with but didn't want to forget down the road.  I printed my list and we keep it in our library bag for quick reference.

Grade Series Author
1st - 4th Andrew Lost JC Greenburg
3rd - 6th Animal Stories Thornton Burgess
1st - 4th A-Z Mysteries Ron Roy
2nd - 5th Bailey School Kids Marcia Thornton
1st - 4th Ballpark Mysteries David Kelly
5th + Baseball Card Adventures Dan Gutman
2nd - 5th Boxcar Children Gertrude Warner
2nd + Captain Underpants Dav Pilkey
2nd + Choose Your Own Adventure RA Montgomery
2nd + Diary of a Wimpy Kid Jeff Kinney
1st - 4th Dragon Slayer’s Academy Kate McMullan
2nd + Encyclopedia Brown Donald Sobol
1st - 5th Flat Stanley Jeff Brown
2nd + Fudge Judy Blume
2nd - 5th Geronimo Stilton Geronimo Stilton
3rd + Hardy Boys Franklin Dixon
4th + Harry Potter JK Rowling
2nd - 4th Horrible Harry Suzy Kline
3rd - 7th Humphrey the Hamster Betty G Birney
2nd - 5th I Survived Lauren Tarshis
1st - 4th Junie B. Jones Barbara Park
3rd - 7th Little House on the Prairie Laura Ingalls Wilder
3rd - 7th Magic Tree House Mary Pope Osborne
1st - 4th Marvin Redpost Louis Sachar
3rd - 7th Million Dollar Dan Gutman
2nd + My Father's Dragon Ruth Stiles Gannett
1st - 5th My Weird School Dan Gutman
1st - 4th Pee Wee Scouts Judy Delton
3rd - 7th Ralph S. Mouse Beverly Cleary
3rd - 7th Ramona Beverly Cleary
K - 3rd Ready Freddy Abby Klein
3rd - 7th Redwall Brian Jacques
3rd - 7th Shadow Children
3rd + The Chronicles of Narnia CS Lewis
3rd - 7th The Enormous Egg Oliver Butterworth
1st - 5th The Invisible Inkling Emily Jenkins
2nd - 5th The Littles Jon Peterson
3rd - 7th The Mysterious Benedict Society Trenton Lee Stewart
K - 3rd The Prince of the Pond Donna Jo Napoli
2nd - 4th Time Warp Trio Jon Scieszka
2nd - 5th Toys Go Out Emily Jenkins
3rd - 7th Wayside School Louis Sachar
2nd - 6th Zack Files Dan Greenburg
 
I sure hope I can report back with good news by the end of the year.  Happy reading, y'all!
xoxo

Find me at: My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Savvy Southern Style, DIY by Design, Tatertots and Jello, A Stroll Through Life, French Country Cottage, No Minimalist Here, The36th Avenue, It's Overflowing, Shine on Fridays, DIY Show Off, House of Hepworth, 52 Mantels, I Heart Nap Time, The Frugal Girls,Six Sisters Stuff, One Project Closer, Jennifer Rizzo, Le Chateau des Fleurs, Common Ground, Liz Marie Blog, Not Just a Housewife, Miss Mustard Seed, Sugar Bee Crafts, Elizabeth and Co, Rain on a Tin Roof, Coastal Charm, Uncommon Designs, Mop It Up Monday, The Tablescaper, A Lived In Home, Monday Funday, The Scoop at Cedar Hill Ranch, Remodelaholic, Evolution of Style





Tuesday, August 20, 2013

All About Me

The first week of school is behind us, sports have kicked in and homework is coming home.  Yikes!  That happened way too fast.  The baby thoroughly enjoyed putting together his poster this year.  I mean, what’s not to love about glitter, stickers and markers?!?!

August 2013 163

In case you were wondering, the baby is “really good at baseball”, he “would like to visit the Disney Cruise” and his “favorite things are Lego Star Wars” (at least at that exact moment in time).  But what made me scoop him up and smother him in kisses was the “someday, I want to be a daddy.”  Be still my heart. 

August 2013 163

As for the PCP, his “all about me” project for the school year took the form of a “crowning moment” to go along with his teacher’s royal family / fairytale theme in the classroom.  Such a cute little activity!  If only I could have been a fly on the wall to hear what he said about himself.

August 2013 168

He was to decorate the crown with pictures of himself, his family, and things that he loves.  He chose a few favorites off of the computer and I printed them to fit on the crown.  He glued them on, along with a Pokemon card, and then went to town with sports stickers, pom poms, feathers, googly eyes and glitter from the craft closet.

August 2013 164 
Now, to totally switch gears…Mother shared this picture of sweet little CeeCee on her Facebook page last night and I seriously can’t stand the cuteness.  I may or may not have showed Whit this picture seventeen times just to hear him shriek “she-she BELLE!!!!!!!!!!!!” and then collapse in a fit of laughter.  (He has the BEST laugh.)  It took him a while to warm up to her (he somehow missed the entire rest of the family, Jay and John included, talking non-stop about her impending arrival for oh, no less than six months) but now he positively adores her.  Both boys do.  We all do, for that matter.

ceecee copy

Now, back to my baby.  He’s scrawling for his second breakfast.
xoxo

Friday, August 16, 2013

Monsters University Lunch

With the addition of a couple of sammies, I had enough of our little “monsters are back in school” Monsters University snack left to put together lunch for the boys the next day.  They noshed on turkey and cheese sandwiches, MU CheezIts, a chocolate covered “Mike” Oreo, “Randall” purple grapes and a Sully juice box.

August 2013 147 copy

It was all packed up in one of our Easy Lunch Boxes.  And by “scary day” I sure hope they knew it was monster-ese for “fabulous” :-)

August 2013 149 copy

I can hardly believe we’re already back in the school lunch routine!
xoxo

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

The Monsters Are Back To School

Y’all know there’s nothing I love like an excuse for a celebration.  And we always celebrate the first day of school!!  Not only is it fun for the littles, but a nice party-like snack is a sly way to get them to slow down a bit and indulge all of my first day questions without even realize they’re doing it. 

Anyhoo, since Monsters University has been all the rage with the littles this summer, and the very purpose of the snack was to celebrate MY monsters being back in school, I couldn’t resist pulling out all of the Mike, Sully and Randall stops!  They came on to the porch after their first day and their jaws literally dropped.  That single moment made it worth it all!

MUCover
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I took the photo of the littles when we went to the theater to see Monsters University this summer.  I couldn’t resist turning it into a bunting for the table.  I created all of the other images in photoshop, saved them as 4x6 jpg images and had them printed for $3 at CVS. 

August 2013 136 copy

Sully was represented at the table in the form of Juicy Juice drink boxes and this easy peasy rice krispie cake!!!  I simply put a dap of turquoise food coloring paste in my melted marshmallows, molded it into a cake shape in a parchment lined pot, and then stuck purple chewy sweet tart ball things all over it for his spots. 

August 2013 123 copy

Mike came to the table as granny smith apples and chocolate covered Oreos.  I already had the ingredients on hand, but you can find both sized eyeballs and the green chocolate melts at Michaels.  I used the same method as the Oreo apples last year. 

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Randall inspired purple grapes and M turkey and cheese sammies rounded out the menu. 

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I used the darling Pixar Place Monster University ID maker for the custom place cards.  Again, I saved them as JPGs and had them printed at CVS.

MonsterIds

I filled cups (that we already had) with Monster snacks, stickers and pencils. 

MonsterTreats

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The PCP is holding up two fingers for second grade.  And Cookie?  Well, I guess he’s championing world peace.

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Rrrrawsome John and Whit Wazowski show their true monster colors.

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The littles had a ball gobbling up all of the Monster goodies and I soaked up every minute of their sweet and sometimes strange recaps of the first days of pre-K and second grade.  John already loves second grade Mrs. B "almost as much" as first grade Mrs. B.  And he made a new friend that he just adores and was thrilled that they got to play chess in the classroom when recess was rained out.  What is this new friend's name, you ask?  Well, he "forgot to ask" :-)  (He tells me this right after he said they worked on learning each other's names all day.)  The baby was right at home in Mrs. L's class, seeing as he's been hanging around her for the last three years since brother had her.  He is beyond excited to finally have his first "homework" assignment.

The monsters are back in school and we’re off to a “scary” start!!
xoxo

See our first day celebrations for kindergarten here and first grade here!

Excited for the feature at House of Hepworths!