GIVEAWAY CLOSED! WINNERS ARE BEING CONTACTED. Everywhere turn we turn, we are reminded we’re all in this pandemic together, but each and every one of us has our own journey. Some are all alone, while others are juggling families. Some have small children, others have self-sufficient teenagers that have to be monitored in different ways. While many people are picking up new found hobbies, others are experiencing heartbreak and loss. Some are making elaborate meals; some are hungry (if you are, please reach out in the comments below or contact us and we can help asap or connect you with help).

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Thx @parenting for asking me to share some giggles with you... (you’ll hear when you play😆). J/k I’m really sharing some single mom quarantine finds: @odddotbooks @bestselfco @shop_PRI @lolleez_pops @eatmeatdistrict @brickseek @writetome and loungewear by @everlygrey ❤️💜 Your turn! Tell me some stuff helping YOU!?

A post shared by Ashley Jones (@ashleyaubra) on Apr 13, 2020 at 4:18pm PDT

This post (with some GIVEAWAYS from the Parenting.com video above) goes out to all the MAMAS and DADDIES. For those of you trying to work from home (like literally bring in money to live), be a manager of a restaurant (taking orders in your kitchen ALL DAY LONG), run a full service housekeeping business (gotta try to keep up with these copious amount of dishes and laundry) AND NOW HOMESCHOOL?? Plus, I have a special place in my heart for you full time single parents. It’s just Hayden and me- 24/7! I get it.

Here are some tools to order or print out TODAY to help run your homeschooling ship or bring in new ideas. And by “homeschooling,” I’m saying just keep our young ones stimulated and learning- even through summer, am I right? Some other ideas can be found in this post HERE. The majority of these ideas came from YOU GUYS commenting! Thank you. Please keep it up!

WORKBOOKS

My left-handed little man and I are big fans of Tinker Active Workbooks. (I know he should be using a different writing utensil, but he wanted to be like mama… and he traced pretty well!)

With all the computerized programs out there, we like still like tangible proof of what we’re doing. Perforated sheets make it easy to remove (and showcase on a board or fridge), or keep everything together. Math, Science (fun projects) and now English.

Check out their FREE downloadable printouts that Hayden’s been working on. We’ve printed them several times to work on our letters.

AND… I’M GIVING AWAY A SET OF BOOKS. MAYBE EVEN TWO SETS or THREE. Kindergarten, 1st grade and 2nd grade. Picking winners from comments here on the blog and on the instagram post!! Please give your handle on social or add in email address here.

COMMUNICATION

I’m looking forward to going LIVE with an expert very soon to discuss communication skills. I want to make sure I’m allowing Hayden to open up about as much as he can. We enjoy BEST SELF - LITTLE TALK CARDS at dinner. He gets to pick a card (if it’s too complicated, he picks another one). It works well for all ages of kids, so a perfect family deck. He thinks it’s fun and it gets him talking about his feelings and thoughts. Even simple things like worst/best. What’s the best part of your day? Worst part? How can we make tomorrow better?

FYI- if you order Best Self cards from BestSelf.co, you get FREE SHIPPING with a $45 order. I added the self-planner to my cart and have been using it a lot. You can also order HERE from Amazon.

AND I’M GIVING AWAY several DECKS and SELF PLANNERS!! FIVE- YES FIVE OF YOU will be picked from comments below and comments on instagram post! Please give your handle on social or add in email address here.

LIFE SKILLS

We’re all home cooking, mind as well teach them young! Here are some books that have been fun for us! COOKING CLASS for young chefs! Woo-hoo.

LIONS AND TIGERS AND BEARS

And have you tried 3D animals on your phone? This is fun activity, but if you’re kids are young (like Hayden, 3), I recommend not doing it before bedtime! Hayden had a million questions and was worried it might come back to his room. (UGH!) BUT, it’s so much fun to do! THIS CAME FROM YOU GUYS RECEOMMENDING ACTIVITIES. Thanks! Very simple:

1) Open google or a browser on your iPad or phone. For me, Safari didn’t work on my iPhone. I used Chrome.

2)Type in an animal. Try TIGER, ALLIGATOR, PANDA, etc. Scroll down a bit and you will see a square that says VIEW IN 3 D.

3)Click view. Make sure there is enough light in your room. Move your phone around and watch a 3D animal appear. You can pinch for smaller or make larger. They can jump on your bed!!

Another fun animal game: NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KIDS- check out their whole site, but we love taking the quizzes together!

COLORING BOOKS

My girl at Michele Bell Studio is at it again. I can’t get over how creative she has been during quarantine. And I’m still love here trying to get the gel off my nails. She created a COLORING IN THE TIME OF CORONA COLORING BOOK to open up discussion with your kids and let them creatively get their feelings out. YOU HAVE to see the WHOLE thing- this is just one page.… go check this out! She’s my friend that does the amazing leggings and photography…. plus the creative Elf on the Shelf at Christmas. Give her a follow @MicheleBellStudio!!

To download FOR FREE, visit her main page site: MICHELEBELLSTUDIO.COM

Ok… gimme more ideas… I wanna keep doing these!! Next one I think will be about physical education- how to get the energy out of our kiddos faster! lol

I’m eyeing a tip from my friend Ali Manno. May click to buy today. Thoughts? Am I crazy?? This would fit indoors in my living room during the time of corona.

I never thought I’d cry writing a blog about Dr. Seuss. But I here I am! crying after writing this little poem:

Here I am! Adult and able, crying about a so called fable.

A poem or two that touched me so, pierced my heart, but helped me go

Go further than I thought I should, be stronger than I thought I could.

I’m hiking that mountain you said I would climb, my feet are aching but the view is sublime.

I’m watching my step with great care and great tact, I’ll make it to the top, it’s simply a fact.

That balancing act you mentioned to me, I’m seeing what truth you gave for free.

No, oh no, my eyes are not shut, Bright lights I see, it’s more than just luck.

Paving the way for little boy, I am. Living his best life, with an upside down frown.

Okay… so, I’m a fan of the books and their DEEP meaning for such simple phrases.

It was a joy to go to the premier and see the first two episodes of Green Eggs and Ham. Such an fun twist on the classic story. I’d say it’s for kids Hayden’s age or older… any younger might get a little scared.

If you saw my instagram post today, I’m teaming up with Shamrock Farms on their collaboration with Subway and Netflix, but lemme tell you why I wanted to work with them. I sincerely appreciate experiences and events that incorporate Hayden. It’s mainly just us right now. Stories (as he call them) that we can both watch and actually enjoy together. (read: I ENJOY watching, too) are a plus. As a lifelong fan of Dr. Suess, I appreciate his humor and deeper meaning now more than I ever did as a child. Ah, the beauty of real classics.

Kudos to Subway and Shamrock Farms for joining in on the fun. For limited time, for just about $5, you can go get a Fresh Fit for Kids Meal: REAL GREEN EGGS and Ham sandwich, a side and a carton of protein…the milk, and chips or cookie or apple sauce. And if it’s a full out party night, Hayden splurges for the chocolate milk. It still has the same 9 essential nutrients, including Vitamin D and potassium, as well as the protein as the regular white milk. Shamrock Farms’ milk has no added sugars or growth hormones like rBST. Folks, not all milk is created equal, so, look for their signature green top. For more info:

//www.subway.com/en-us/subculture/greeneggsandham-watch-party

Take advantage of these brands coming together to make your own “event” special and have one on one time with your child or family. Subway, Shamrock Farms milk and Netflix the night away! I was gonna say Netflix and chill, but someone told me that has a different connotation;)

I wish Huck had been with us. He’d get such a kick out of the green eggs at Subway and the characters on the milk cartons. They are literally green eggs!!! A fun conversation piece for the kids.

Does this make anyone else nostalgic?

xoxo

AAJ

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