tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10402985094658342422024-03-20T01:56:59.579+08:00Kiddie TreasuresA review of a host of products and services that make my parenting job a bit easier and that much more fun!Buckeroomamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02408502555249594576noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040298509465834242.post-46503191152093195862013-04-08T10:53:00.001+08:002014-04-23T19:46:28.665+08:00Five-Minute Writing: Fun Time Learning
We were recently aboard the Logos Hope when it was docked here in Hong Kong and went a bit crazy on the books. There was a great collection and best of all, the prices were amazing! Everything was priced in “units.” I guess they had to, just to keep things easier and more standardized for them since the ship docks in different ports . Having everything in a Buckeroomamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02408502555249594576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040298509465834242.post-64947455172747922572012-12-01T14:19:00.001+08:002014-11-03T22:12:28.344+08:00Flash Kids–Reading Comprehension
I love workbooks. Yes, I am one of those moms who make her kids do worksheets. On weekends, they do at least two double-sided pages a day. That’s not much. They easily finish in under 10 minutes. If they want to earn extra computer or TV time, they do extra worksheets.
In my search for workbooks, I came across the Flash Kids Buckeroomamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02408502555249594576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040298509465834242.post-68502398622530376192011-12-01T10:05:00.002+08:002016-01-10T21:24:34.044+08:00Read Write, Inc, Phonics Series
With Josh, there wasn’t any “Yay, he’s reading!” moment. We would read with him every night at bedtime. I vaguely remember trying to get him to sound out letters in a word; he was not interested. I didn’t push it. Then one day, it seems, he was reading and that was that. I don’t remember doing phonics with him.
Zoë (4yo), on the other hand, had been doing Buckeroomamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02408502555249594576noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040298509465834242.post-55993523433545479212011-03-22T07:08:00.000+08:002014-04-23T19:45:00.643+08:00Workbook | Language Arts (Spectrum)
With 60* students in Josh’s class, I don’t expect the teachers to be able to always give each child individual attention. I am not complaining; I think his teachers are doing a fantastic job and they have my utmost respect for what do on a daily basis.
I supplement at home once in a while. We borrow books from the library, I buy books. I also buy workbooks. No,Buckeroomamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02408502555249594576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040298509465834242.post-87721589450120115312011-03-17T07:08:00.003+08:002014-04-23T19:43:01.896+08:00The Encyclopedia Brown Series by Donald Sobol
I remember loving the Encyclopedia Brown series when I was small. I was impressed with how smart he was, how he could so easily pick out inconsistencies and solve the mysteries. Why, he even helped his dad, the chief of police, solve some of his cases! I remember dreaming of setting up my own detective agency, just like Encyclopedia Brown did. I don’t remember why IBuckeroomamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02408502555249594576noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040298509465834242.post-66136759903418148852010-12-30T19:00:00.001+08:002014-04-23T20:42:29.646+08:00My Weird School Series by Dan Gutman
With kooky titles like Miss Daisy Is Crazy! and Mr. Klutz Is Nuts!, how could Josh resist?
I chanced upon this series at the library and decided that Josh might enjoy reading them over the holidays. From a stack of books that I’d picked up, he just zoomed in on Miss Daisy Is Crazy! and started reading it on the drive home, chuckling and laughing out loud at certain parts. I Buckeroomamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02408502555249594576noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040298509465834242.post-59341329507583729012010-11-30T07:08:00.000+08:002014-04-23T20:59:23.928+08:00The Book Depository
Why haven’t I heard of The Book Depository until just recently? This surely has to be one of the best-kept secrets. Free shipping on books –to practically all countries worldwide!
The Book Depository was recommended to me by Josh’s school librarian when I asked where I could order certain sets of books that I’d been told were not available on Amazon. She mentionedBuckeroomamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02408502555249594576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040298509465834242.post-39989937759569146082010-11-17T09:44:00.001+08:002014-04-23T20:56:23.735+08:00Aussie Nibbles and Aussie Bites | Age-Appropriate Content for Proficient Early Readers
What do you do when you have a child who has learned to read early and who has gone beyond the “Look at Timmy. See Timmy. See Timmy run.” books? Josh loves Star Wars and would devour any material related to Star Wars. I am okay with that, even though I find the material a tad violent. Josh assures me that “It’s all just pretend, Mommy!” My problem with the Star Wars books isBuckeroomamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02408502555249594576noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040298509465834242.post-22050712114640182542010-11-17T08:08:00.000+08:002010-11-17T23:26:21.620+08:00CSN Winner!  Congratulations to Casey from Bumpin’ Along the Road Less Travelled for winning the US$40 CSN Giveaway! Caseybumpinalong said... I voted for you on Top Mommy Blogger   Please email me at buckeroomama (at) gmail (dot) com so that I could email you the promo code.  Congratulations again! A big thank you to all who entered the giveaway. I hope to have more for you Buckeroomamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02408502555249594576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040298509465834242.post-83999508423509729222010-11-09T10:59:00.002+08:002010-11-10T08:13:19.143+08:00Our Very First Giveaway - US$40 CSN Promo Code!CSN Stores is sponsoring a giveaway on Kiddie Treasures –yay! It’s fun doing giveaways and it’s doubly fun when it’s sponsored by CSN Stores. I’ve done a number of giveaways with CSN on my other blog, Mamahood, Among Other Things… and each time it’s been really fun. It’s just so exciting to browse through CSN site and go through their many online stores (they have over 200!).&Buckeroomamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02408502555249594576noreply@blogger.com65tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040298509465834242.post-80036722107290581682010-06-26T15:16:00.005+08:002014-04-23T20:43:31.387+08:00The Red Book
The front cover / The inside page
Josh had received The Red Book (a 2005 Buckeroomamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02408502555249594576noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040298509465834242.post-20420993782358738362010-06-12T16:16:00.003+08:002014-04-23T20:44:34.058+08:00On the Night You Were Born
On the Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman is a must-have for your child's library.
It's one of those books that I'd bought and had forgotten about... Josh asked me for a "surprise" book one night when he was 2.5 years old and I dug this out.
We sat down to read and it was such a 'magical' session for both of us. I won't ruin the surprise for you, but suffice it to say that it is a very Buckeroomamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02408502555249594576noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040298509465834242.post-91247352025170905072010-06-09T21:08:00.002+08:002010-06-10T15:36:46.320+08:00Face-Painting : Creative Expression for Mommy and Kidlets If you have been over to my other blog, you would know that we have been doing plenty of face-painting lately. I kind of got into it because my friend was having a party for her daughter and I’d sort of promised that I would help out. I did tell her that I’ve never really done face-painting before, but she was kind enough to bring along a kit and we both practiced on her daughter and on JoshBuckeroomamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02408502555249594576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040298509465834242.post-15370230796548672042010-05-07T00:45:00.004+08:002014-04-23T20:48:11.521+08:00Sharing a Shell
(Get it here)
Written by Julia Donaldson / Illustrated by Lydia Monks..
This was our very first Julia Donaldson book. Not The Gruffalo, not The Spiffiest Giant in Town, not Room on the Broom. Not any of her more popular books. In fact, when I bought this book, I had never heard of Julia Donaldson before. Yes, Josh was almost 3 before I’d even heard of Julia Donaldson. Mommy fail.
I’d Buckeroomamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02408502555249594576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040298509465834242.post-75100939670697451412010-04-05T20:49:00.004+08:002015-09-10T13:39:19.513+08:00Mrs. Goodbee’s Interactive Dollhouse (Caring Corners/Learning Curve)
Zoë got a new dollhouse and I have to tell you, it’s been so great since we set it up. She and Josh have been busy playing with it for hours almost every day. We’d gone days without them asking to watch TV or play on the computer --now isn’t that the greatest?
From the website --
Using helpful hints, playful prompts, silly songs, and sound, Mrs. Goodbee Interactive Dollhouse nurtures and Buckeroomamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02408502555249594576noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040298509465834242.post-36261106349802612572010-03-05T20:49:00.003+08:002010-04-05T21:06:19.305+08:00Clever Castle: Clue-Solving Game Yes, another ThinkFun game. You all know that I am a fan. This one the first single-player ThinkFun game that I’d bought. I thought Josh might be ready for some “solitaire” type game. Clever Castle is essentially a pattern matching game. It comes with -- 1 playing board 9 tiles (3 of each: Knight, Princess, Dragon in red, yellow, and blue) 40 Mind Challenge cards in a spiral Buckeroomamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02408502555249594576noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040298509465834242.post-83969739685984815262009-12-31T14:56:00.004+08:002009-12-31T16:51:23.365+08:00S’Match! No, this was not one of the Christmas presents that Josh and Zoë got. It’s actually from the stash of toys/games that I bought earlier this year. I tend to buy, on-the-spot, toys/games and even clothes that might not be right or age-appropriate at the time I buy them. So, yes, I do have a stash of toys and games for “emergencies” –e.g. for trips, last-minute presents, when they get boredBuckeroomamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02408502555249594576noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040298509465834242.post-81693431977847184042009-11-16T20:47:00.002+08:002009-12-31T15:03:03.572+08:00No-Sew Quilt I did some early Christmas shopping this year and spotted this: Alex Knot-a-Quilt Fleece No-Sew Quilt Kit It said on the bag that it was 6+. There are no 6+ little girls in my life right now, but I got it anyway. Because I thought Josh and Zoë would love the colors… and to be honest, I thought it would be fun to make my own quilt. Heh. Yes, I got myself a present designed for Buckeroomamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02408502555249594576noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040298509465834242.post-68943379870250825692009-09-24T09:59:00.003+08:002009-12-15T09:35:52.106+08:00Brain Quest® When we were going away for the summer, I had meticulously packed a whole Trunki full of activity books, stickers, simple games, snacks, puzzles, coloring pens, crayons… well, basically anything that I thought would make the long-haul trip more fun (for the kids) and bearable (for us!). Included in the stash was a set of Brain Quest® cards that I had bought. I was actually very pleased with Buckeroomamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02408502555249594576noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040298509465834242.post-30433507625866417502009-09-21T19:44:00.002+08:002009-09-21T19:48:09.010+08:00Time’s Up! I don’t know how I am going to get through the day without this. This timer here is the voice of authority around here. When it buzzes, my children know that it is time. Time to turn off the TV. Time to stop playing and (get dressed, eat dinner, etc.). It’s amazing how a little inexpensive digital timer like this can help so much with setting limits. I can tell Josh and Zoë to stop Buckeroomamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02408502555249594576noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040298509465834242.post-70731900155949624312009-07-04T13:36:00.002+08:002009-07-04T13:40:52.774+08:00Mighty Mind® / Super Mind® Sorry for the long period of silence. I’ve just been busy with other stuff. I’ll try to do a post at least once a month (or more!), starting again in September, as July/August will be busy months for moi. Thanks for visiting! ~~--~~ I remember having fun with tangrams when I was growing up. Only seven pieces of flat shapes, but endless possibilities. Very challenging, although at times Buckeroomamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02408502555249594576noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040298509465834242.post-17346942049265852132009-05-13T16:48:00.009+08:002009-05-13T18:02:31.875+08:00Help-Yourself Book BoxesFor the longest time, the books in the children's room were held together by bookends. But I had to constantly put books back and rearrange them, forever tightening the bookends so that books stay upright. Because the kids could only see the spine of the book, sometimes they would pull down several books before getting to the one that they want. And then I'm left with books strewn all over theBuckeroomamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02408502555249594576noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040298509465834242.post-49945872925369664572009-04-25T11:23:00.020+08:002009-04-25T18:00:02.297+08:00StarfallI learned about Starfall from two online friends (JC and JRC). They were discussing whether or not Starfall is useful, etc. I got curious and checked it out... and loved it!It is a very simple, straightforward site that helps children learn to read, using phonics. There are different "early reading" programs out there. I haven't had a chance to research them all, but the main categories thatBuckeroomamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02408502555249594576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040298509465834242.post-25380813163914469392009-03-25T17:32:00.007+08:002009-03-25T19:50:33.844+08:00Leapfrog Fridge PhonicsI'd almost forgotten that we had this until the kids, in one of their rummage rampages, dug this out from under a pile of other toys. We were given this by my sister-in-law when Josh was around one year old.This is a great toy for keeping your toddler occupied for at least 30 minutes. She'll be busy manipulating the different letters in and out and pressing them to hear the different letter Buckeroomamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02408502555249594576noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1040298509465834242.post-60720510152676409142009-03-17T17:39:00.010+08:002009-04-19T21:41:38.833+08:00Shangri-la Value VacationsWhenever we plan our holidays now, the first thing we check is if there is a Shangri-la at the destination that we're thinking of going to.Our first holiday with two kids under 3 years old was to Cebu and we stayed at the Shangri-La Mactan. We didn't go for any of the package tours that the travel agent recommended, but instead opted to book the plane tickets and the hotel separately. We had Buckeroomamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02408502555249594576noreply@blogger.com0