Counting Together App

Until recently, I didn’t know what subitizing was.  When I finally understood, I realized that I JUST simply didn’t know that it had a special name.  For those of you that have not heard of the term, subitizing is being able to instantly see how many objects there are in front of you without actually counting them.    

     A few weeks ago I was asked to write a review about an app that was available to help my students subitize.  Up on that time, I had not heard of the app entitled  Counting Together.  It is an app (free or the full version for $1.99) that will definitely be a helpful asset in the classroom of young students.   

     One of the first things that I quickly noticed after downloading the app was the theme.  Dinosaurs!   I have several students in my first grade classroom that find dinosaurs to be quite exciting! Therefore, the colorful 3-D screen of this prehistoric world of dinosaurs and cavemen will definitely help engage the students in their learning.

     

     As you can see from the picture above, there are 3 levels of difficulty.  Up to to 4 players are also able to be engaged on one iPad at the same time!   As students are playing the game they will see dinosaurs and other strange creatures in the middle of the screen.  Their goal is to quickly recognize the number of objects and press the number that matches the picture they see (and of course try to  beat the person(s) they are playing with.)

     To see a video that explains this game in more detail, click the on the picture below.

It looks like it is going to be a great resources for my first graders, especially at the beginning.

Please go check it out for yourself! 

Tide and Tempest Review

   
     Tillie is a young woman who wants to have a better life. She decides to leave Ireland and take a voyage to America with her fiancé. They both dreamed of the life that was going to await them there. Unfortunately, her fiancé dies unexpectedly during this long voyage to America.

     Upon her arrival in America, Tillie moves into a boarding house and starts her new dream which is to open a home for orphaned children.

     Captain Keondric Morgan was the captain of the ship she traveled to America on. He mysteriously shows up at her boarding house two years after her arrival to America. She discovers that her fiancé died under circumstances that continue to unravel throughout the story. Unbeknownst to Tillie, she has something in her possession that could be used to expose some very dangerous men.

    Tide and Tempest is the 3rd book in the Edge of Freedom trilogy. If you are looking for a book filled with romance and suspense...then you have found one.

Sharpies Review

Have you used the Sharpie Premium Pen yet? Since I am pretty much a pencil/pen/marker addict, I almost let out a squeal when I received one in the mail. When I removed the cap, I had to use a little more strength than I was expecting. Which is a good thing because I knew it would not be coming off when I didn’t want it too! As I continued to look over the pen, I quickly discovered that it had a very tiny tip. I must admit that I can be quite a skeptic and I immediately began to think about how other Sharpies have always bled through the paper. I decided to give it a quick test with an assortment of paper types. Surprisingly, there was no seepage on any them and NO smearing. I enjoyed writing with my black Sharpie Premium Pen because it flowed onto the paper with such ease. It is also refillable by unscrewing at the grip and then replacing the entire section with a new one. Yes, I think I have a new favorite pen! If only there were more colors available.

I  also received a package of Sharpie Neon Permanent Markers. Look at those beautiful colors!  They have a fine point and they came in 5 awesomely BRIGHT NEON colors ~ Neon Yellow, Neon Blue, Neon Green, Neon Orange, and Neon Pink. They also will fluoresce under a black light. Where would I get a black light at? These markers will also write on glass, metal, paper and wood. I’m pretty sure I will be using these for various crafts and art projects with my first grade students. I used these bright colors to decorate my sunglasses. I’m sure you are totally jealous!!

Are you ready to become even more jealous? Take a look at these Metallic Permanent Markers. Raise your hand if you ever used those pens that had to be shaken to make the paint able to flow easily. Well, these are much easier to use! You don’t have to shake them, they don’t stink, and they don’t make a mess. These markers can be used on many different shades of paper. The metallic has a sheen that you will love! I have already tried them on glasses, a few photographs and scrapbook paper! Since they have a fine point, they are very easy to use. No bleeding through on my scrapbook paper. These are going to come in handy for some many fun things in the near future.

If you are interested in any of these products or other office supplies you might want to check out Shoplet.com They have a ton of stuff at if you are interested in promotional products such as promotional shirts and of course a variety of office stationary. 

Disclosure: I received the above referenced products for free in exchange for a review of these products. All opinions expressed are my own.

Review: Kantek Rotating Desktop Tablet Stand

I love technology…. But I also love any item that makes my technology even more fun to use. Don’t you just wish that you could invent something that so many people will fall in love with??? I know I would!!!

Last week I received a Kantek Tablet Stand from Shoplet.com. It is amazing!!!

At first glance, I questioned whether I really wanted to trust it to hold my precious tablet. However, after further review of the stand, I was pleasantly pleased with how sturdy it really was. It easily holds tablets that range from 7”-10”. My tablet is almost 10” and as you can see in the picture below, it fits perfectly. It easily accommodates my tablet in the portrait or landscape position. Love it! As I mentioned before I questioned whether it was sturdy enough. However, this stand has absolutely no problem holding the weight of my tablet. No wobbling or wavering at all! A big plus in my book is that it is very affordable. It sells for only $19.99 on Shoplet.com.
I currently have a tablet stand but this one is much nicer because it rotates a full 360 degrees!! I didn’t realize how much this would come in handy, but I have used it many times already to show my husband something on my screen.

The stand also has 4 different positions that you can choose from to have the best view of your tablet. You don't have to worry about the tablet stand sliding because there are rubberized pegs on its base which don't allow it to move.

My brilliant husband mentioned to me that I could probably use it to hold my music while I’m playing my clarinet. I tried it and it works!!!! I’m loving this Tablet Stand even more now!!

Go check out this product at Shoplet.com. They have a huge selection of items to choose from such as Office Supplies, Office Stationary, Promotional Shirts, as well as other Promotional Products.

Thank you Shoplet.com and Kantek for the privilege of reviewing this Tablet Stand.

I received this item free of charge for giving the product an honest review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

 

House of Doolittle Business Planner and 2014 Desktop Calendar

Don’t you just love it when you start all over again!  That’s how I feel every single year.  One thing I must have to start every New Year are brand new calendars.  Therefore, when Shoplet sent me a House of Doolittle Business Planner and a House of Doolittle 2014 Desktop Calendar I was extremely excited! 

The House of Doolittle Business Planner is 7 x 10 which is a tiny bit bigger than the size I used last year.  I think I’m going to like the increased size though.

  It is bound with wire which had me a bit concerned when I first saw it.  I usually end up getting the ends caught on something which totally ruins my planner.  However, this planner’s binding will probably not catch because both ends of the wire are located in the back of the planner, and they are relatively short.   Each week is represented on two pages that lay flat for easy note-taking.  The day starts with 8:00 and ends at 5:00.  I wish that it would have started at 7:00…because I am an early riser…but I think I think I will be able to work with it.  There is also an expense record located on the bottom of the page for every single week!  It allows you to keep track of how much you spend on gas, entertainment, and miscellaneous items.  Love it!!! 

I love being organized so this business planner is going to get lots of use.   There are also many additional information pages that will come in handy.  A few of the pages included are area codes, metric conversion charts, time zones, mileage for roads and air, toll free numbers for major hotels, auto rentals and airlines.   It is going to prove to be very useful.  I can hardly wait to fill it up with all the things I have planned for this year. 

The next item I received is a House of Doolittle 2014 Desktop Calendar.   

It is a nice size (18 1/2 x13) which is somewhat smaller than most of the desktop calendars that I have used in the past.  It is going to work perfectly on my desk. The daily blocks are large enough that even I (and I write BIG) have plenty of room to add my personal notes. There is an additional area on the side if needed for more writing! Each month has its own full page. The font used for the dates are large enough to be read very easily. When I first received the Calendar I had to tear off the first page, I was glad that it was able to be removed easily and left a nice clean edge.

Both of these items are made of recycled materials  and also made in the USA!!! 

If you are still searching for calendars for 2014, please go check them out!  I think you will be pleased.

Shoplet.com has an amazingly wonderful selection of office supplies and stationary as well as a nice selection of promotional products,  and promotional shirts that are definitely worth checking out!

I was provided with the above mentioned products from Shoplet.com.  All opinions expressed about these two products are my own.

Master Caster Product Review

Today I want to tell you about three wonderful products that I recently had the privilege of trying out. They are relatively inexpensive, very useful and are definitely keepers!!

First up is the Master Caster Rolling Wrist Rest.

This past weekend I was able to spend several hours with my Rolling Wrist Rest (MAS99504) while working with my overload of Christmas pictures. We got along quite well. The wrist support was very comfortable and rolled easily with the movement of my hand. It is very small and could easily be taken with you to any computer. I have a laminate top on my desk so I was not able to tell if it would scratch a wooden surface. However, I honestly doubt that it would because it glides quite easily! The design of the wrist rest is very thin and so my wrist fit perfectly and I was able to hold the mouse comfortably. An added bonus is the foam padding which was nice and soft against my wrist. To be quite honest, I don’t really think that I will be using it that often. Don’t misunderstand me, I love it, but I rarely use my desktop anymore. I tried using it with my laptop…but wasn’t very successful.

Next up is the Microfiber SMARTer Gloves.

I was so excited when I opened up these Microfiber Gloves (MAS18041). These gloves are designed to allow you to wear them while using any touch-screen electronics. It is cold cold cold here in Oklahoma right now and I definitely needed these. They are so comfy and almost weightless. A must for me is to keep my hands and feet warm… so now my hands are taken care of. I have rather large hands, so I was somewhat concerned that they wouldn’t fit…but they did! Next week I will be out in the freezing cold typing messages to my coworkers. These are absolutely awesome. I had one of my rare light bulb moment a few days ago… I really need to get a few more pairs of these for my first grade classroom. They would love wearing them…and they wouldn’t know that my motive was to keep their sticky, dirty, nose pickin’ fingers off our new iPads!! They are washable which makes them even more perfect! I do have a small minor complaint about the gloves. There is a white tag that is sewn into each of the gloves. I found it slightly uncomfortable as well as a bit of an eyesore since the gloves are black. I tried to remove the tag, but was not able to get it all. I was afraid that I would ruin the seam. But it works much better now after the surgery. J

The last items up my friends is the Master Caster ReStor-It Furniture Touch-Up Kit.

I wanted to show you my before and after pictures, but we had a slight accident after the Christmas Holidays with imy camera. Luckily it happened after Christmas!! This Furniture Touch-Up Kit (MAS1800) comes as a kit which includes five wood grain markers and 3 filler sticks of various colors. I used it on a piece of furniture that my dog decided to chew on. Okay…it is definitely chewed up still…but it looks so much better now. My eyes aren’t drawn to it now every time I walk by. I also used it on our coffee table for places that needed a slight touch up. It was awesome. There were a few places that I used the filler sticks because the scratches were a little deep and then I covered it with the markers (which resemble a marker J). I was very pleased with the results of the coffee table too. This is a definite keeper. I have added it to my repair kit that I keep in the garage. I’m sure it will be used many times.

Don’t you just love all of them!!!! I know I do… And every single one of them is reasonably priced. Each of them is less than $10.00!!! Please click on the images or links and they will take you right to Shoplet.com where you can read more information about these products as well as purchase them online. When you are ready to order your next Office Supplies, don’t forget to check out Shoplet.com. They have wonderful quality products that are delivered very promptly.

Please note that even though I received these products at no charge I have given my honest opinion for each of them

LETTING GO OF YOUR LIMITATIONS - Experiencing God's Transforming Power

I was extremely slow about reading and finishing the book Letting Go of Your Limitations – Experiencing God’s Transforming Power  by Sandie Freed. I kept picking the book up and putting it down. It never really grabbed my attention like I need for a book to do.

This book talks about our purpose and why we were created – To Bring God Glory. If that is going to truly happen… we need to get rid of the things in our lives that hinder us from doing just that. I did enjoy the Time for Reflection sections…because it made me look at myself and do some evaluation. Legalism, pride, false beliefs, demonic spirits, and many other issues were discussed throughout the book. There were many Scripture references throughout the book that I always enjoying reading. 

For the most part though…I found the book to be very dry.  This author was brand new to me, so I would probably have a hard time picking up one of her books again. 

This book was sent to me from Chosen Book Publishers at no charge. The opinions expressed here are my own.