Jumpin-Beans

May brings about Memories and Traditions around here.  I guess I will go in order of the month for you all.  If you are on Social Media that often, you might have seen the Justin Timberlake meme.   Image from Google Search One of my best friends, that I met in my early twenties, used to love N*Sync, so when it starts approaching May, I think of her because of that meme.  Not saying I don't think of her often, as I do... She lives back in Ohio these days. Ages and ages ago.  With Dave and Brooke. Love her and her husband so very much.  In fact, we have pictures of the kids through the house, but the only photo not of our children is one with them on their wedding weekend in Ohio!!!! Since it is May and we have a Star Wars fan, we move to "May the fourth be with you" memes. Image found on Google Search Like I said, Star Wars fan here, so normally I try and have a different Star Wars shirt for Broxton to wear each day to school the ...

Are you getting back into the routine of school these days?  We have been in a little bit now, but I know others are still starting back. I did not realize there was such a wide start date across the USA for school.  I don't know about you, but around here... Life gets crazy.  Hectic.  Chaos.  I try and stay organized, but it doesn't always work.  How do you do it? FTC Compliant Review Policy:    The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the sole purpose of product testing. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation. Broxton doesn't have a ton of homework, yet, but I know it is coming.  I see some of my friends talking about their kids having HOURS of homework - IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. What?  I don't get it.  I am so thankful we don't have that issue yet.  He has a little homework each night and then if he doesn...

FTC Compliant Review Policy: The product(s) featured in this review were provided free of cost to me by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the sole purpose of product testing. Opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation. With Broxton starting Kindergarten, I was planning to label everything... Until the note came home - It said to ONLY label their notebook and their napmat.... Other than that, it was all community use.  I did not think much about it, but once he was in class...  I knew I wanted to label his things - you know, water bottle, lunch box, his book bag.  I think personalized book bags are cute, but I also think they are not safe, having their name on the outside, easy for weirdo creepers to make them think they know them. So, I was offered a chance to check out the labels from Kidecals and I have been really impressed.   We went with the round camo boy stickers.  I like that we ordered the ev...

I hope I don't offend people with this post... But, I am totally open for any conversation on this, so I really hope to hear your opinions!   I just do not really see where this world is headed...  (I AM NOT TALKING POLITICS.) I just saw on the Nightly News that one school has banned baseball, football or any sports ball that might harm a child while at recess.    Now, I am not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I remember having all sorts of things to play at recess. (Not just school year, but daycare centers too) We had monkey bars that looked like this... Hey, I think we even had our class picture taken on it one year.  It was METAL = HOT in GEORGIA SUMMER.  Not that safe, but loads of fun and we all made it. Image - Google Search The Merry Go Round.  Another metal one... and the best part was spinning it as fast as you could, while standing... hoping you didn't fly off.   Image - Google Search  The SEESAW. ...

Image Credit: Dollar General We all know that schools need more money. From the teachers working it that could totally use a raise...  Or to offer more products to the classroom...  Not to mention the things that could help the classes be a little more sanitary and have less germs going around while the weather keeps changing... That is why Dollar General and Proctor and Gamble have joined together to promote a great contest... The write to win contest going on over on the Dollar General Website. Head on over to see if you are eligible to write an essay to have the chance to win money for your school!!!! Just submit the essay as to why YOUR school should win the money and they will pick three essays to win $10,000 each! To help spread the word... One Jumpin Beans reader is going to win a Dollar General / Proctor and Gamble package of their own... The package will include samples of: Tide PODS Prilosec OTC Cascade Action Pacs Ultra Downy Scope O...

How do you plan on keeping memories of your child(ren) School Years? I know that I want to keep a journal or something so that as the years go by, I can add to it...  I think it would be nice to give to Broxton, or his wife, or his kids.. Or maybe for me to keep, who knows... But, I did not know what I would need/want to remember... Then, I saw a website, myschooldays and I knew that was something I should head over to look at.   I was really impressed, as it was just what I was looking for. Lucky for both of us, I get to host a review on one... and a lucky reader gets to win one as well!  The My School Days book is printed on heavy duty paper with bright colors. It has a ring binder (I personally like that, as it makes it easier to turn the page to make it a single paper for writing on... I hate when I have to write on a double page, or I have to bend the book and mess up the binding, this way, all is well in my world! ) The front of the book...

With school starting back up for everyone, it is time to make sure everything is labeled and ready to go...  I was just talking to a friend today about what all needs to be labeled for our little ones when they do start school... You know, Broxton is my first, so I really have no clue about any of this... That being said, I was so excited to have the chance to work with Oliver's Labels for a review (and LUCKY FOR YOU... A GIVEAWAY Too!) I was rather impressed when I went to visit their site... Oliver's Labels seems to have thought of it all. As for their designs, they have cute graphics fro, cupcakes to ninja's... They also offer more basic designs, such as just a letter or a simple color.   I was REALLY happy to see that they also have labels that help to remind caregivers of food allergies. We are lucky so far that Broxton does not have any known allergies, but I can imagine the sense of peace when a parent sees that a company has items such as these when ...

We have decided that it is time to put Broxton into preschool... He is always talking about wanting to be a big kid and go to school... so, we have decided not to hinder his learning... We thought about it alot and after prayer and thought... He will be starting next school year. He will be going to preschool at the church we have been visiting. That being said, I am already starting to plan for when that time comes.. One thing?  LUNCH. He will take a lunch to school each day and I want to keep it fun and healthy. I have been seeing this product, FUNBITES online and lucky enough, I was able to get one for review... (One lucky reader will win one on here as well, so stay with me!) We were sent the Funbites Green squares for review. This is just too cute. It is basically this little cutter that helps make mealtime fun! (They also have one that makes a heart, but we did not get that one.) Luckily for us, we had just received the funbites when we received another review...

It's Friday! Welcome to Aloha Friday!  I am linking up with Kailani and hope you will as well.  From Kailani's blog: Welcome to this week’s edition of Aloha Friday. In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too.   My question this week is a bit for advice: If you were to pack a lunch for a toddler to take to school.. What would you pack?  There can be no peanut products at all... Have a great weekend!!!!

I am not sure how often you wear a watch...  I used to wear them all the time... Not so much now, as I have clocks through the house and on my phone... Marc on the other hand... he always has to have a watch on... Have you seen the latest jelly watches ?  They reminded me of when I was younger and jelly shoes were the item to have...  So, if you are looking to make a statement and be a "cool kid" you really need to continue reading...  (Hey, you might not want to be cool, but your kids might want to be and I am sure they wish you were!) So, these watches... You have three basic designs... The Clock - round face The Rock - large square face The Block - sleek square face Purple Rock Okay, so you might not be that interested at this point... but stay with me...  Are you ready?  The faces are interchangeable with other bands!!!  Yes! Say you are like me and are a huge UGA fan.  Our colors are red and black. So, you can get a red wat...

Have you heard of Ron Clark? I heard of him a couple years ago... I believe it was Oprah who brought him to the surface for all of us...   Well, I know it was Oprah for me... Maybe I paid more attention because it took place in Atlanta... Maybe it was because I remember wishing that school was more interesting... Either way, when I heard that there was a book titled, The End of Molasses Classes, by Ron Clark ... I knew I wanted to read it... It was full of 101 idea's - "Extraordinary Solutions for Parents and Teachers." I never gave it much thought, but he was able to summarize in two words what many of us can write about in paragraphs... MOLASSES CLASSES. You know what I am talking about, unless you were lucky enough to have a teacher (or if you were really lucky, teacherS) like Ron Clark.  Molasses Classes... they went SO SLOW... Slow as Molasses! After reading this book, I tell you know... I would LOVE to go back to school...  Yes, even middle and...