Give Your Car A Ceramic Coat And See It Shine! ⋆ My Sparkling Life

With spring just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to start planning your garden overhaul, to make it a relaxing place to spend the summer, whether you’re looking for somewhere to chill out and read your book at the end of the day, or creating a space for entertaining. Even if you aren’t particularly green fingered, there are plenty of ideas out there to encourage you to revamp your garden whatever its size and whatever your budget.
Water works
For a little decorative twist that’s eco-friendly too, consider buying a solar fountain. They are easy to install and have no wires. You could also try making your own using an old terra-cotta garden pot and making a drainage hole in the bottom. From there you can thread the water pump up through the hole and either hide it with some plants or drape it over the side of the pot. So cheap and easy, even those on a tiny budget can manage it.
Image by Maureen Didde, used under the Creative Commons license.
Outdoor lanterns
For an easy way to spruce up a smaller garden, there are a variety of outdoor lanterns on the market to brighten up even the darkest corners of your outdoor space. Opt for solar lights if you are worried about having an open flame unattended. If you have a larger patio, you can attach them to posts or fences or for a small space, feed some fairy lights into a glass lantern for an optimum romantic twinkle whilst you enjoy a glass of wine in your favourite spot. Lanterns are not impossible to make yourself either. Do it yourself by hanging glass jars filled with sand from the branches of trees and putting tea lights inside them. You need to keep an eye on them but they are a lovely finishing touch, especially if you’re dining al fresco.
Once you’re done planning your perfect garden, sit back, relax and enjoy your handy work. After all that’s what this space is for. It’s the perfect excuse to have a few friends round for a BBQ and celebrate your efforts.

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Goodie bags are a birthday party staple that seems to be here to stay – and a nice way to let your little guests know even though the party is over, they can continue to have fun at home! However, year after year, it becomes challenging to find new and creative ideas for those birthday party goody-bags. This year, PBS KIDS has a perfect addition, On March 17, PBS KIDS released the appropriately themed “WordWorld Birthday Party!” on DVD.
My boys just love following their favorite WordWorld friends on all their adventures, but this DVD seemed to be packed full of extra fun and excitement for them. I mean what kid doesn’t love a birthday party, and what mom doesn’t like a little bit of learning in disguised as fun!
This fun-filled DVD includes multiple birthday-themed adventures, the first of which, “Happy Birthday, Dog,” features a surprise party for WordWorld’s friendly canine. Can Frog get the C-A-K-E safely to Dog’s party? Also included on this DVD is “Bit by Bit.” In this story Frog is not feeling well and entrusts Duck and Bug to take his present, a B-A-N-A-N-A, to Monkey’s birthday party. When they accidentally break the banana into letters, Elephant steps in and teaches them to build the banana back, bit by bit.
Join the lovable WordFriends for these and other educational adventures as they playfully demonstrate the connections between letters, sounds, words, and meaning in order to empower children to advance from learning letters to learning how to read.
“WORDWORLD: BIRTHDAY PARTY!” is available on DVD NOW. The DVD run time is approximately 75 minutes and its SRP is $6.99.
Stories included on the DVD are listed below.
“Happy Birthday, Dog” It’s Dog’s birthday and all of his friends are planning a surprise party. There’s just one problem – they need a cake! Frog must get to the party safely without Dog finding out.
Build a Word: CAKE
“Pig’s Present” It’s Pig’s birthday and his nephews, the Three Little Pigs, are making him a secret present. Although Pig promises not to peek, his curiosity about his present gets the better of him…and wreaks havoc all over WordWorld. Will Pig ever learn to be patient?
Build a Word: JET
“The Rainbow Birthday Cake” It is Frog’s birthday, and Duck wants to make him a big, beautiful birthday cake frosted in the colors of the rainbow. Such a cake requires lots of cans of frosting, and Duck learns he can’t just throw cans anywhere – they must be recycled. In WordWorld, recycling means using the letters in a discarded word to make other words, such as can-dle, which is just what Duck needs for Frog’s cake!
Build a Word: CANDLE
“Bit by Bit” It is Monkey’s birthday, and a sick Frog entrusts Duck and Bug to take his present – a banana – to Monkey’s birthday party for him. In their enthusiasm to get to the party, Duck and Bug accidentally break the banana into letters…and they don’t know how to rebuild it! It’s just too big a word. Fortunately Elephant knows a thing or two about big words, and teaches them to build the banana back, bit by bit, based on the three syllables in the word.
Build a Word: BANANA
“Bugs to the Rescue!” Ant and Dog build a hot-air balloon, but Dog accidentally floats away in it! Ant elicits the help of his insect WordFriends Bug, Bee and Fly to rescue Dog and save the day.
Build a Word: BALLOON
About WordWorld
“WordWorld” was developed with funding from the U.S. Department of Education as part of the Ready To Learn initiative. Incorporating the latest research into the most effective ways for kids to build reading skills, “WordWorld” produces delightful educational experiences for preschool children, on-screen, in print, and online. “WordWorld” is owned by General Word LP.
Ready for your chance to win?
One lucky My Sparkling Life Reader is going to win the WordWorld: BIRTHDAY PARTY DVD listed above ! This giveaway is open to residents of the US who are 18+ until 11:59 PM EST April 07, 2015.
Who is your childs favorite WordWorld Character?
The Fine Print: Entering this giveaway means that you accept both my rules & disclosure. I will notify winner via e-mail and they will have 48 hours to reply before I am forced to redraw winners. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Each household is only eligible to win this prize via blog reviews and giveaways. Only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Many will enter, few will win! Please allow 8-12 weeks for delivery of prizing. My Sparkling Life is not responsible for any lost or misdirected packages. Prizing provided and shipped by PBS distribution. In the rare occasion that a prize does not arrive (which has happened), please notify me and I will try to contact the sponsor.

I’m so excited to share with you the new teaser trailer and poster from Disney’s ALADDIN, the thrilling and vibrant live-action adaptation of Disney’s animated classic.
ALADDIN is the exciting tale of the charming street rat Aladdin, the courageous and self-determined Princess Jasmine and the Genie who may be the key to their future. Directed by Guy Ritchie, who brings his singular flair for fast-paced, visceral action to the fictitious port city of Agrabah, the film is written by John August and Ritchie based on Disney’s ALADDIN.
ALADDIN stars Will Smith as the larger-than-life Genie; Mena Massoud as the charming scoundrel Aladdin; Naomi Scott as Jasmine, the beautiful, self-determined princess; Marwan Kenzari as Jafar, the powerful sorcerer; Navid Negahban as the Sultan concerned with his daughter’s future; Nasim Pedrad as Dalia, Princess Jasmine’s free-spirited best friend and confidante; Billy Magnussen as the handsome and arrogant suitor Prince Anders; and Numan Acar as Hakim, Jafar’s right-hand man and captain of the palace guards. The film is produced by Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich with Marc Platt and Kevin De La Noy serving as executive producers. Alan Menken provides the score, which includes new recordings of the original songs written by Menken and lyricists Howard Ashman and Tim Rice and two new songs written by Menken and songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.The film, which was shot on practical stages in London and on location amidst the stunning desert vistas of Jordan, has a talented creative team helping to bring Agrabah to life, including: director of photography Alan Stewart, production designer Gemma Jackson and costume designer Michael Wilkinson.

Growing up there was nothing I liked more than my little doll. My doll even had a matching tricycle! It’s been many years since then, but dolls are still a top toy for little girls. I’ve noticed a change over the years as well, dolls have gotten more life like and bigger (with the exception on the life-sized ones they came out with years ago). My doll was oh, say 6-8″ tall and it was the best thing ever!
Now I don’t have any girls, so I haven’t really explored the doll department other than to pick my nieces up a thing or two, but I was able to check out the 18″ Springfield Dolls and they’re pretty cool. I know I would have wanted her as a little girl. There are 5 18″ Springfield Dolls: Ella, Paige, Alexis, Madison and Savannah, all of which is known for its silky hair and sparkling eyes now has a brand new and Boutique Collection of cute clothes at a budget friendly price, exclusively at Jo-Ann Fabric Stores.
Trendy tops, pants, skirts and even gowns reflect the fashion tastes of upcoming fashionistas. This month, Jo-Ann Stores will start to stock perfectly packaged outfits like a “Paris printed White T- shirt, floral printed leggings and pink patent shoes” at $14.99.
For those unfamiliar with Springfield Dolls, they have been around since 1996! The “girls” have sparkling lifelike eyes that open and close and boast silky, long, rooted hair that can be brushed and styled. Each doll is soft and huggable with moveable arms and legs, making dressing and undressing easy. Springfield Dolls are a division of Fibre-Craft®, LLC, the beloved company that is celebrating 60+ years of making children’s craft products. As the Springfield Collection proudly explains on its website, www.SpringfieldDolls.com, “we know the importance of imagination and creative play in a young girl’s life.”
Jo-Ann Stores will carry mix and match outfits that fit most 18” dolls. Look for these pieces priced at $14.99:
Black dress with zebra shoes
Panda T-shirt with silver sequin skirt
Pink T-shirt with metallic heart and denim jeggings with embellishments
Blue hi-low shirt with silver glitter design and black tuxedo pants with silver trim on sides
Cropped top with 2 color star and striped tank underneath and solid black leggings
Metallic sweatshirt and polka dot pants in blue
Friendship printed T-shirt with silver glitter design on black sleeve and polka dot pants in pink
White T-shirt with Paris print, floral printed leggings and pink patent shoes
Lavender hooded jacket, athletic pants and lavender trimmed shoes
Lime Camisole, polka dot pajama pants and lamb slippers
Pink shrug over polka dot top, jean skirt and polka dot shoes
Purple gown with gold glitter design on purple tulle, white gloves and black patent shoes
I received Paige – a sweet doll with brown eyes and long brown hair comes wearing a hot pink nightgown. Plus I was able to pick out an outfit…so I thought Paige might like to wear the Panda T-shirt with silver sequin skirt…I mean come on, sequins! The perfect B-T-S outfit!
To see the whole collection, click on www.SpringfieldDolls.com.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. 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.”
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There are many reasons why some parents cannot stay at home with their children. In these cases you need to know what to look for when choosing a daycare provider..this can be a daunting task! Let me share with you a few things that I learned over the course of 7 years at accredited centers as well as being a mom to children at the center. You need to know the right questions to ask and what to look for when searching for that perfect provider!
Every state is different, find out your state ratios (Texas for infants is 1/4 or 2/8, but the kicker is 2 can also have 10) I used to work in the infant room and found myself with 10 babies more often that they would have you believe…It can be a bit overwhelming for the teachers and the infants…but if they are good teachers they will get through it with poise and minimal crying from all…So the point is to know the max number and find out from the other parents (if you have the chance to) or the regular teachers what the typical ratio in the room is.
When touring look into the rooms and look for hand washing signs…did the teacher wash her/his hands before serving food, after a diaper, when entering the room? Did they wash the baby’s hands after a diaper, before or after eating or when entering the room from playing outside (yes they go outside..but that’s a whole other topic)
Do they know how to properly store, heat and handle Breastmilk? In my daycare, we were required to wear gloves when handling a breastmilk bottle. Bottles must be labeled and put in a labeled separate container in the fridge. Warmed in a crockpot or bottle warmer.
These are standards created by national groups. Accreditation standards are most often higher than licensing regulations. Child care programs can voluntarily become accredited; it is not mandated by state law. Therefore, accredited child care programs have gone beyond the minimum licensing standards to assist them in providing quality care.
Family child care homes
Group child care homes
Child care centers
Kindergarten classrooms
School Age
Type of childcare – Family child care homes
What are the main standards addressed?
Relationships
Environment
Activities
Developmental Learning Goals
Safety and Health
Professional Business Practice
Where can I get more information? Visit their website: www.nafcc.org or call 1-800-359-3817
National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
Type of child care – Child care centers, Kindergartens, public school preschools
What are the main standards addressed?
Relationships
Curriculum
Teaching
Assessment of Child Progress
Health
Teachers
Families
Community Relationships
Physical Environment
Leadership & Management
Where can I get more information? Visit their website: www.naeyc.org or call 1-800-424-2460
Just because it may show to be accredited doesn’t mean that the teachers will follow through…they are told when they are getting “visitors” and always act appropriately when they are there…when your are touring, this gives you the chance to pop in and see how the teachers really interact…are they on the floor with the little ones? or are the kids left to wonder the room on their own? Now if it is a room where there are diapers know that the teacher will be changing diapers and can’t always “drop” that kid to interact with the others..use your common sense in these cases…Now when I worked in the infant room, I would sit on the floor to feed a bottle so I could interact with my mobile babies at the same time…no it wasn’t the most comfortable, the kids were happy and engaged…
Most daycares have a late pickup fee, or if you’re late too many time you may get kicked out of the program! Nobody wants this!
Do they lock down the center? Call parents right away or wait till they are at the evacuation location? How do they transport to the evacuation location?
You’re probably confused…an evacuation location is typically a local church, country club, elementary..that your daycare will evacuate to in case of a fire, bomb threat, gas leak etc.
Pretty self-explanatory, most of your high dollar daycares or “learning centers” will require that their lead teachers have a degree in child development.
While having a degree or initial training is great, laws change, new developmental techniques are found…do they offer continuing education to their teachers? In my daycares I was required to have 20+ continuing education hours a year…most of which were provided by the company on “staffing days”.
Now it may not be one of the most important questions for under 3, but remember 50% of what kids learn they learn before they are 5! So those first 3 years are very important…Interaction is tops, but right behind is curriculum, what will they work on…the curriculum needs to mold with your child, not leave them behind or confused.
Make sure that the daycare is on board with how you choose to introduce solids, whether it be BLW or puree, they need to be able to follow YOUR routine bcuz they only have your child for a few hours, you have them the rest of the time.
Do they allow your child to decide when it is nap time or do they make them nap on a schedule? Do they allow the children to CIO?
Some daycares have a waiting list…you want to get in the best ones, you need to start looking early…don’t wait till your ready to go back to work, you will be stuck in a daycare your not happy with.
pretty self-explanatory…do the teachers know what to do if heaven forbid your baby starts choking…or fell and hit their head? It’s hard to think about something happening when your not their, that’s why its important for the teachers to be up to date on how to handle these situations