Things to Do If You Are a Cow: An Original List Poem

We've been vacationing on an island in Maine. The waterfront house where we are staying is beautiful. Except for one rainy day, we've had gorgeous weather. My daughter and her husband and some of our friends came up to spend a few days with us earlier in the week. We've had a great time. I'm going to hate to leave this place.

I have another of my "things to do" poems for you this week.

THINGS TO DO IF YOU ARE A COW

Graze on a hillside meadow

dotted with dandelion suns.

Breathe in the sweet smell of clover

and freshly mown hay.

Flick flies away with your tasseled tail.

Feel summer days pass by

like silk over silver.

Moo and chew

and chew and moo.

Relax…

enjoy

your grand green view.

********************

The Poetry Friday Roundup is at Teach Poetry K-12.

You are never alone... nothing is going to happen today that God and you can't handle together

Dear Friends,

Thanks for stopping by! Thank God for His goodness to us daily.

♥ Thanks for your prayers for me. Thank God for strengthening me day by day and I am much better now. I do still experience a little dizziness daily every now and then but the intensity has lessened and so I am more functional. I am getting use to it and am thankful to God for protecting me from falls and restoring me. Thank you so much for all your prayers and encouragements!

♥ Thank God in the past month of slowing down and recuperation He enables me to spend more time in reading His Words, prayers and also reading other books. God's Words brings me great comfort and through every difficulty He enables me to understand a little better His love, His sovereignty, His goodness and mercies.

♥ I thank God for enabling me to rediscover the joy of prayers, in communion with God and praising Him. I am learning the joy of resting in our Lord and being assured of His love and mercies no matter what we go through in this life.

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
1 Peter 5:7

♥ I thank God too for helping me to rediscover the importance of praying for one another. We all go through various ups and downs in this life and sometimes as much as we want to help one another, there are at times very little we can do for one another. We may not always understand why God allows our loved ones and brethren to go through certain trials in their life but we have no doubt at all of His love and His promise that He works all things for His glory and our good. And we have the privilege to bring all our cares to God in prayers and commit ourselves and our loved ones and friends into His mighty hands for with Him all things are possible. He will most assuredly deliver our loved ones and friends in His time or sustain them in the trials of their life and working all things for their good. Thank God for always hearing our prayers and working His ways for us, sometimes not what we desire but always His best for us.

♥ Here are some simple Christian bookmarks that I have made to remind myself of the importance of prayers whether it be for myself or my loved ones and friends. We are never alone because the Lord is with us. And when we feel that we can't take it anymore we can take our difficulties to our Lord in prayers and find strength in Him to go through all the challenges we face daily.

Do feel free to download these bookmarks and make them for yourself or your friends. 

To make these Free Christian Bookmarks with Bible verses :

1) Download the picture
- Put your cursor on the picture
- Right Click your mouse
- Saved the .jpg picture into your computer

2) Insert this picture into a Word Processor (such as MicroSoft Word).

3) Use a color printer to print.

4) Cut out the bookmark and laminate it. The bookmark will be more lasting if you laminate it.
 

For more Free Christian Bookmarks Templates:

Various Bible verses , Birthday Prayer , All things for good , God is our refuge and strength , God's Grace , Strength from God, Prayers , With God all things are possible , God holds my tomorrow , Help me to remember, Lord, nothings gonna happen today that you and I can't handle together , The Cross in My Pocket , Whatever our need , When there seems no way out, let God in , You are never alone

♥ I thank God for my family, my church, my friends and everyone of you, my dear blogging friends, and for your prayers and encouragements. They mean a lot to me especially as I wait upon our Lord for restoration.You have made a great difference in my life by your friendship and encouraging notes. I thank God for every one of you. You are in my thoughts and prayers too.

Thank you for stopping by. Take care and have a blessed day!

Back to School Books & Resources (2010 Post)

Recommended Back-to-School Books

School Library Journal (8/04/2009): Back-to-School Bonanza: Books for Reading Aloud

New York Public Library: Back to School

The Horn Book Monthly Special (August 2007): Back to School

Bank Street College of Education: Back to School Books

Reading Is Fundamental: Back-to-School Books

Scholastic: Favorite Books for Back-to-School

Kidsreads.com: Back to School Books

Parents’ Choice: Back to School Books

Education.com: Back to School Books

PBS Booklights (8/20/2009): Thursday Three: Back to School

WTNH.com (8/16/2009): Back to School Books

PittsburghLive (8/2/2009): Back to School Books Teach Kids about Learning

New York Kids (Time Out): Favorite Back-to-School Books

ParentsConnect: Great Books for Back to School

Monroe County Public Library (Indiana): Starting School Stories

Allen County Public Library (Indiana): School Booklist

Boston Public Library: Countdown to Kindergarten

From About.com: Top Children's Books About Starting School



From Wild Rose Reader

Book Bunch: School Stories

Poetry Friday: Going Back to School...with Poetry

Things to Do If You Are a Stapler & Other Back to School Poems

Other Resources

From Scholastic: Back-to-School Planning Guide

From Scholastic: Get Off to a Smart Start

From Scholastic: Wemberly Worried Lesson Plan

From Reading Is Fundamental: Back to School Resources

From Enchanted Learning: Back-to-School Activities and Crafts

More Back-to-School Goodies

I shared some of my favorite Back-to-School finds over the weekend but new ones keep popping up everywhere so I wanted to post a few more before your little ones hop on the bus.

Brittany at One Charming Party has a bunch of great DIY projects that would make great teacher's gifts, like a pencil-topped caramel apple:

And a fun ABC flower bouquet.

Dolce Drive created these downloadable book labels:

And a terrific teacher card:

And I love this fabulous back-to-school party pack from Brandi from Tweedle Dee Designs!  It includes punchable circles (perfect for tags or cupcake toppers), a banner, lunch box notes and more, and you can download it all for free.

Bird Crafts has a set of free party printables too, and I adore the gingham.

And last but not least, you can make some adorable bag tags with these templates from Anders Ruff.  There's a free downloadable set for girls.

And for boys.

Can you stand all of the back-to-school cuteness?  Me either.

Sara commented on my round up of goodies over the weekend saying she had to find a way to save them for when her kids were ready for school so I wanted to recommend a free website I love called Springpad, which is basically like an online scrapbook.  Once you sign up, you download the Spring It! button onto your computer's toolbar and anytime there's a blog post, a product, a recipe or what-have-you that you want to save online, you click the button.  It then asks you if you want to tag the item (I have categories like parties, freebies, dessert tables, gift ideas, crafts, back-to-school, etc.) and if you want to save any media (I tend to include pictures) and when you're done, it saves the bookmark into your Springpad.  When you want to looks something up, you can sort by keyword (I clicked back-to-school for this post) and it pulled up all of the ideas I'd saved in that category.  I don't know what I'd do without this application - it's the only thing that keeps all of the things I find organized and accessible.

Hope you like these fun finds and if you've seen any I missed - or if you try Springpad - let me know!  And if you have a second, please click this banner and then the "Cast your vote now...." graphic to vote for AFOMFT on Top Baby Blogs.  Danka!

Images: One Charming Party, Dolce Drive, Tweedle Dee Designs, Bird Crafts & Anders Ruff

History of World GDP Shares

History of World GDP, from the Economist, see also discussion in the Big Picture

It Don't Mean a Thing If You Ain't Got That Bling {GIVEAWAY & DISCOUNT}

Want to know how I'm sure Gabrielle and Alaina are girly girls?  They are obsessed with jewelry.  Even as a newborn, Gaby always grabbed for anything with bling, and for the past six months, Alaina has managed to transform everything from bath toys to hair elastics into makeshift bracelets.  They're not even two yet but they know they like their jewels.  Guess they take after their mama!

So for their second birthday, I went on a hunt for age-appropriate pieces that they could wear to their party and came across Sweet Baby Girl, a children's jewelry boutique.  Bingo!  This adorable store carries everything from birthstone earrings:

To nameplate necklaces:

All sized for little ladies. 

Since Gabrielle and Alaina don't have pierced ears yet and I worried that they might strangle each other wearing necklaces, I decided bracelets were the way to go.  Sweet Baby Girl has so many cute options to choose from!  I love the timeless silver bangle.

And the birthstone bracelets seemed fitting since I was looking for something for the girls to wear for their birthday.

But what really grabbed my eye were the Freshwater Pearl designs.  Shannon from Sweet Baby Girl was so generous to send me two with heart charms for Gabrielle and Alaina, and when they arrived, I was overwhelmed by the cuteness.

Aren't they darling?  They fit the girls' wrists perfectly and they loved wearing them (pardon the lack of photos but trying to get two almost-two-year-olds to stay still and show off their bracelets is no simple task!).  I was super impressed by how well-made they are - even after my duo tugged at them, they were no worse for the wear - and I love the idea that Gabrielle and Alaina will be able to wear them for special occasions for the next few years and then I'll pack them away as keepsakes.  Maybe the girls will use them as their something old when they get married or pass them down to their own daughters someday.

Sweet Baby Girl has so many wonderful designs that will work for any occasion for your little one.  The cross necklaces and bracelets would make wonderful baptism or first communion gifts.

And their charms are perfect for a present you can keep on giving.  You can choose either a necklace or bracelet as a base and add to it over the years.  I like this bracelet with an initial as a starting point.

Sweet Baby Girl has charms that just right for every big event in a child's life. How sweet is this Big Sis charm for a little girl who's about to get a new sibling?

Worried that your child might break or lose jewelry?  Yeah, I was too, which is why I appreciate that the prices at Sweet Baby Girl are so reasonable. 

I can't wait to dress Gabrielle and Alaina up for their birthday party and put on their new pearl bracelets.  I know they'll be showing them off to all of their guests.  In my book, it's never too early for a little bling!

And your little lady can score some of her very own!  Sweet Baby Girl has graciously offered to give one lucky AFOMFT reader a $25 credit to their store!  To enter, visit Sweet Baby Girl and post a comment here telling me what you'd put the credit toward if you win (this is mandatory).  For additional entries:

• Subscribe to AFOMFT or let us know you are a subscriber
• "Like" AFOMFT on Facebook -- http://tinyurl.com/AFOMFTFBFAN
• Ask your friends to "like" AFOMFT on Facebook by sending them this link - http://tinyurl.com/AFOMFTFBFAN - and post a comment here with the names of each one who does.  You'll earn one entry per new friend who "likes" our page and names will be cross-checked. 
• Subscribe to the Sweet Baby Girl Newsletter.
• Follow AFOMFT on Twitter ( @AFOMFT or click the birdie icon on the sidebar) and tweet this post by clicking the graphic above or this giveaway:  #Win a $25 store credit to Sweet Baby Girl, a jewelry boutique for children at @AFOMFT - http://tinyurl.com/AFOMFT
• Click here to vote for AFOMFT on Top Baby Blogs and post a comment here that you did - .  You can vote once per day per computer so if you vote every day or on different computers, be sure to post one comment for each one.
• Grab our button and put it on your blog or website and post a link here showing us.
• Blog or post on Facebook about this giveaway with a link to this post (worth 2 entries so please post two comments) and make sure your comments include a link to your status or blog post.

Please leave a separate comment for each entry (two if you've blogged about the giveaway) and make sure to include a link to your tweet, blog post, etc. All entries must be posted on AFOMFT as a direct comment to this post.  Comments on Facebook will not count as entries.  This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada and ends August 24th at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be selected by random.org and announced on AFOMFT on August 25th. If the winner doesn't contact AFOMFT within 48 hours, a new drawing will be held so be sure to check back to see if you've won!

And that's not all.  Sweet Baby Girl is also offering readers of AFOMFT offering a 15% discount on all purchases!  Just enter code AFOMFT15 at checkout and the discount will be applied to your order.  Please note that the discount does not apply to shipping costs.  Happy shopping!

Please note that Sweet Baby Girl sent me two bracelets for the purpose of this review but I was not paid to write this post.  The opinions I've shared of their products are my own and yours may differ.

Images: AFOMFT & Sweet Baby Girl

BLOGMANIA SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT: Lakeshore Learning Materials {GIVEAWAY}

I've got the scoop on another of my fabulous sponsors for BLOGMANIA today - Lakeshore Learning Materials.

There are so many things I love about this company but let's start with how it was founded.

Way back in 1954, Ethelyn Kaplan, an Omaha homemaker, decided to pack up her family and move to California to open a toy store. Talk about an unconventional move for a woman in 1950s America!  Initially, Mrs. Kaplan focused on selling toys to parents, but before long, local schools started calling her for art materials and other classroom supplies. Sensing an untapped market, she sold the store and started Lakeshore Learning Materials.

Lakeshore now includes more than 50 retails stores and an online store and is still run by Etheyln's sons and grandsons.  Every product they make is distinguished by its quality, safety, educational merit and play value, and is backed by their ironclad guarantee:  If you are unhappy with any item for any reason, you may return it for a full refund or exchange, no questions asked.  Who can argue with that?

One of my favorite things about shopping on the Lakeshore site is that you can sort products by category (active play, arts & crafts, block play & manipulatives, dramatic play, language, science, etc.) and by age or grade.  So if you're looking for language tools for toddlers, they're easy to find!  And the products that Lakeshore carries aren't only educational, but also tons of fun.  I love the Three-Way Tabletop Easel which also has a dry erase and chalkboard:

What kid wouldn't go nuts for this Indoor/Outdoor Croquet Set?

Gabrielle and Alaina love the Baby Bowling Dinosaurs.

And the Shapes Discovery Boxes.

I'll be adding the Stack & Learn Counting Board to the girls' birthday list.

Along with the Toddler Dress Up Trunk.

And you there's so much more on the Lakeshore site than just shopping.  They have an amazing selection of free resources, including printable flash cards, math puzzles, word searches, awards and more.  Your kids will love to learn with all of these great goodies.

I could go on and on about this company but let's get back to what this means for BLOGMANIA.  I'm very excited to announce that Lakeshore will be giving the winner of our WHOLE KID CABOODLE prize package a $50 gift certificate to their store!  And that's not all.  During BLOGMANIA, we'll also be announcing a coupon exclusively for AFOMFT readers that will allow you to buy one item at Lakeshore and get a second for half price.  Just in time for holiday shopping!  How great is that? 

You'll be able to enter to win THE WHOLE KID CABOODLE prize package, including the $50 store credit to Lakeshore, on September 15th & 16th here on AFOMFT.   To make it simple to enter all of the BLOGMANIA giveaways, there will only be one means of entry on those days but you can earn extra entries over the next month. Here's how:

You can do any of the following once and earn one entry for each that you complete.

• Visit Lakeshore and sign up for their newsletter on the lower left of the homepage.
• Follow @LakeshoreLM on Twitter
• "Like" Lakeshore Learning Materials on Facebook

You can also earn bonus entries daily by:

• Tweeting this: @LakeshoreLM is giving away a $50 store credit during #Blogmania at @AFOMFT! September 15th & 16th - Don't miss out! #PPRO
• Clicking here to vote for AFOMFT on Top Baby Blogs - .  You can vote once per day per computer so if you vote every day or on different computers, be sure to note one entry for each one.
• Blogging about this giveaway or mentioning it in your Facebook status including a link to this post.   

To record your bonus entries, YOU MUST FILL OUT THE FORM HERE.  You can fill out the form every day to record new tweets and/or votes on Top Baby Blogs.

PLEASE NOTE: Your entries will not show up as comments on this post but will be recorded in a spreadsheet that I will use when I draw the BLOGMANIA giveaway winners.  DO NOT POST YOUR ENTRIES AS COMMENTS.

For more information on BLOGMANIA including more sponsors and the other blogs participating, visit the Blogmania Central Website, "like" Blogmania on Facebook and follow @Blogmania2010 on Twitter.  You can follow all of the AFOMFT BLOGMANIA news HERE and stay tuned - we'll be featuring more of our wonderful sponsors very soon!

Images: Lakeshore Learning Materials