Dragons are big in our house. Okay, not real dragons (though I’m sure my son would be whining to get one if you could get them at the pet store). No I mean the whole idea of dragons. My kids love to play games that involve dragons, draw pictures of dragons, fight dragons in the backyard (with the help of some poor unsuspecting stuffy), they even love reading books about dragons. If the book has a dragon in it anywhere, my kids will want to hear it.

In comes Schoalstic Canada’s new book One Drowsy Dragon  (age 3-5), written and illustrated by Ethan Long. This fun rhyme follows the frustrations of a very tired dragon who is trying to get some sleep but can’t because of the antics of the other dragons in the cave. One dragon is clanging on a cup, two dragons are playing a noisy battle game all the way to ten dragons who are ready to sleep but even that doesn’t help the Drowsy Dragon.

My 3 and 5-year old think this book was hysterical. I’ll never understand a child’s humour. This is a very cute counting book and my kids love the silly antics of the dragons and how they are keeping the one dragon from sleeping. The rhyme is fun and the pictures capture that fun too with their colourful cartoon-like illustrations. The book is great for reinforcing counting and number order; the kids love to count the dragons to make sure they matched the number being talked about. The numbers are written out in text versus being numeric so kids can see another way numbers might appear in a book. I love how the description for the one tired dragon changes as it becomes frustrated and exhausted; it is a great way to expand the kids’ vocabulary.

With the catchy rhyme, minimal words, and helpful illustrations, One Drowsy Dragon is a fun book for beginner readers to enjoy as well. The short copy makes it a fairly quick read (if you’re not spending time counting the dragons in the book) so parents won’t go crazy when their kids ask to hear it over and over…and over again.

I have to thank Nikole from Scholastic Canada for my review copy.

One Drowsy Dragon

written and illustrated by Ethan Long

age 3-5

Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic

Sometimes the smallest of gestures can roll into a huge ball of kindness.  One less-fortunate school learned this recently.

It all started with a meeting.  Best Tools for Schools met with Harmony Public School to discuss the program.  Reluctantly, the Principal, Ms. Herr, had to turn down the opportunity to offer BTFS kits because most of the school’s parents simply can’t afford to buy school supplies. The school relies heavily on donations.

Laurie and Candace want to help ensure that all students get the supplies they need, so they helped form a partnership between Harmony Public School and a Toronto private school.  Parents at the private school can purchase donated kits that will go directly to their ‘adopted’ school.

That was only the beginning.

An article in durhamregion.com on July 26 highlighted this partnership and the work Best Tools for Schools was doing to ensure students are assisted when in need.  The article was distributed on Twitter by Daryll Koster of Buster Rhinos.  He challenged other Durham-area businesses to donate as well.  He then donated 4 kits himself.

Elfie Hayes of Mortgage Intelligence in the meantime, after seeing the article, contributed 5 junior and 5 senior kits to the school.  In a small school, Daryll and Elfie’s contributions meant nearly 10% of the students were fully stocked with supplies, plus the additional 12 that the Toronto school had already contributed.

Small gestures.  Unexpected and welcomed acts of kindness multiplied in the matter of a day. 

Best Tools for Schools would like to thank everyone who is supporting schools in great need of supplies.  If you are interested in contributing to help schools and parents get supplies to students in the Ottawa are, you can contribute to the Supplies for Smaller Scholars Program.

So Ry bought me tickets for Michael Buble on Saturday night – amazing show.  He was funny, and sexy, and sang amazing songs, and I swooned, and…oh right, I talk about food.  Ahem.
Ryan decided that he was going to treat us to dinner out before the concert, and while I work in a restaurant, I don’t get as excited as some people do about dining out, especially when I don’t know the menu with having a dairy intolerance.  We ended up at Jack Astor’s in Kanata where we’ve eaten before, so I wasn’t too nervous because we always have great service there.
They had a special summertime promotional menu out, and the first item caught my eye right away.  “Schzewan Lettuce Wraps”  Yummy sounding right?  Ordered those up right away!
Well they came out along with a manager, and he asked me “Do you know how to eat these?”  See picture below.

I said “Um, like a fajita?”   And he laughed and said yes.  Okay, phew.
Normally when I get fajitas or wraps, I try and make sure I’m getting a whole wheat wrap or a spinach wrap, but never did I think of using iceberg lettuce as a wrap.  But, wow, the crunch of the fresh iceberg was fabulous without the added sodium and calories you get from a regular wrap!  I asked for half the sauce cutting back on the calories there, and the chicken inside was delicious along with the asian noodles. 
Guaranteed your kids will enjoy making wraps out of lettuce, because as I looked around, there were 2 tables with tweens enjoying the same meal as I was!
Lettuce Wraps for the win Jack Astors!
Then I went to see my other boyfriend Michael Buble.  But then again, I talk about food right?

THE CREATION OF THE TEACHER
  – Author Unknown 

The gods were designing teachers.

Even though it was their sixth day of overtime on this project, the gods didn’t mind.  They knew this design was critical.  Teachers would touch the lives of so many.

An acolyte appeared. “You’re sure taking a long time to figure this one out.”

“We know,” said the gods, “but have you read the specs on this order?”

“Six pair of hands,” said the acolyte. “That’s impossible.”

“Well,” said the gods,” it’s not really the hands that are the problem.  It’s the three pairs of eyes that we’re having trouble with!”

The acolyte looked incredulous.  ”Three pairs of eyes?  On a standard model?”

One of the gods nodded and explained.  ”One pair of eyes to see a student for what she is and not what the way others have labelled her.  A second pair goes in the back of the teacher’s head to see what should not be seen, but what must be known.  But it’s the third set that’s really tough,” said the god.

“Tougher than eyes in the front and the back of the head?” the acolyte asked.

“Yes,” said the god. “The third pair is truly special.  Even when a child misbehaves, these eyes see only the goodness in the child – and they manage to send the child a message of understanding and acceptance without the teacher saying a word.”

“Wow,” said the acolyte. “This is a huge project.  Maybe you should take a break.”

“We can’t,” said one of the gods.  “We’re close to creating something much like ourselves. 

“Yeah,” joined in another one of the gods.  “We have one that comes to work when he/she is sick…..teaches children who don’t want to learn….has a special place in his/her heart for children who aren’t his/her own…..understands the struggles of those who have difficulty….never takes the students for granted…”

The acolyte looked closely at the model the gods were creating.  ”Sounds a little soft-hearted.”

“Yes, it’s soft-hearted,” said one of the gods, “but it’s also tough.  You can’t imagine what this teacher can do – or ensure – if necessary”.

“Can it think for itself?” asked the acolyte.

“Not only think,” said the god, “but also reason and compromise with adults and children.”

The acolyte moved closer to get a better look and ran his finger over the teacher’s cheek.

“Well,” said the acolyte.  “I think you do need to take a break.  This one has a flaw.  It’s leaking.”

The gods moved in closer and one of them lifted the drop of moisture from the teacher’s cheek.  “Hmm,” she said, “it’s a tear – not a leak.”

“A tear?  asked the acolyte. “Why a tear?”

The gods conferred for a few minutes. Then one of them replied. “The tear is for the joy and pride of seeing a child accomplish even the smallest task.   It’s for the loneliness of children who have a hard time fitting in.  It’s for the anguish of those children’s parents.  It’s for the pain of not being able to reach some children and for the shame those children will feel in themselves.  It’s for every goodbye at the end of the year.”

“My, “said the acolyte,” The tear thing is a great idea…You gods really are geniuses!”

The gods looked at each other, and then back at the acolyte, shaking their heads as one.  “We can’t take credit.  We didn’t put it there.”

“The Creation of the Teacher“ was found at http://www.dltk-kids.com/school/poems_for_teachers.htm – and edited by D. Duff

Heading to the park on a warm summer day to spend some time outdoors?   Looking for the kids to burn off some energy while you are there so they come home tired and calm? Tired of playing the same old games each time you are there or maybe you are just tired of hearing the famous “I’m bored”, or “they won’t play with me.”   How about putting a spin on a game that everyone can join in with and know how to play?  Everybody knows the game of tag but why not spruce it up and play yoga freeze tag?

When you are touched become frozen in a yoga posture until a nice friend tags you to unfreeze.  Challenge your balance, build strength and stamina and still your mind between bouts of running and shrieking and enjoy the game of tag!  Add some fun by making up some of your own yoga postures as you invite the creativity to soar and the giggles continue.

Plastic is everywhere, and realistically, it would be a hard task to avoid it all together. However, as I said in my last post, you can avoid a lot of it; you just have to do your research when it comes to safe alternatives. I have put together a few products that I personally use in my home as well as a few others I have seen around that look interesting and that I may need to purchase in the next while!

Around the home

Food Storage – I came across this great Anchor Hocking glass container set a few years ago and I now have quite the collection! The containers are glass and they come with BPA/Phthalate/PVC free lids. I use them to store leftovers, to store baked goods, you name it. They are very versatile and can be used for much more than food. I have been using them for about 2 years now and have had no issues. They are dishwasher safe, and they refrigerate and freeze perfectly and the lids are recyclable.

I bought my set at Canadian Tire. Pay attention to those flyers; they put these sets on sale quite often!

Cutting Boards – This is a simple one. I bet most of you still have plastic boards in your kitchen. I did, up until not too long ago. When it comes to a wooden board, the thought of germs and bacteria getting into knicks and indents made over time may be a bit intimidating. However, if you take care of your board properly, clean it right and use separate boards for different foods (such as 1 for produce and another for meats) you will be good to go.

Mixing Bowls – I ditched my plastic mixing bowls a long time ago and started using these stainless steel bowls. Why didn’t I make the switch sooner? I love these bowls and I will never go back. These bowls in particular have rubber bases that prevent the bowl from moving around while you mix.

Back to School

School lunches are a big concern when it comes to disposable plastics and eco-friendliness. Let’s face it, lunches have the potential to create so much unnecessary waste, but it doesn’t have to be this way! Here are a few products that are healthier for you and for the planet.

LunchBots –We use these as a family and find that each one of them is amazing. They are constructed from 18/8 stainless steel (the same stainless steel that your cutlery is made from). They are dishwasher safe, extremely durable, will last for a VERY long time. They are perfect for little fingers and come in 4 different sizes and styles, one perfect for each member of the family. They can be used for snacks, lunches and if you feel extra creative and have lots of time on your hands, you can try this!

Reusable Snack Bags – Plastic baggies…yikes! Each year hundreds of thousands of plastic baggies make their way to the landfills. What is the point in using them once and then throwing them out? Why not buy something that can be used and washed over and over again? There are quite a few reusable and washable snack bags out there, but these happen to be my favourite. They are zippered which is what I love. They are plastic/ BPA/Phthalate/PVC free and have so many uses beyond snacks and lunches.

Lunch Boxes – There are quite a few great lunch boxes on the market, the trendy ones tend to be bento style and my top picks are Laptop Lunches, Goodbyn and Yubo. These lunchboxes are all wonderful eco-friendly options. They are all made from plastic but rest assured, they are made from safe plastics and they do not contain BPA/Phthalate/PVC. They are also all recyclable.

Stainless Steel Water bottles – There are TONS of different water bottles out there and their makers all claim that theirs is the best one. As a storeowner, when it came time to pick from the masses, the one that came out on top was thinksport. What I love about this bottle is that it keeps liquids hot or cold…for hours! There are two sizes, one geared towards adults (750ml), and the other for kids (350ml). If thinksport is not your thing, just be sure to stay away from plastic bottles and to make sure that you are buying a high quality non-leeching bottle. Do the homework; it will be worth it in the end.

Now you may look at the prices of some of these products and think “wow, that is expensive!”. However, think of the big picture. Think of the amount of money you would be spending to purchase their plastic equivalents repeatedly…plastic baggies, plastic containers, 1 use plastic water bottles…the useable lives of these products are not long and they stick around in landfills for a countless amount of years after you discard them. The products mentioned above will last you many years and in the end save you money, which is a good thing! The investment is worth it.

Of course, there will be times when you simply cannot avoid buying a plastic product. When you do buy a plastic product, be sure that it is constructed from a safe plastic and that when you are through with it that you recycle it.

Image Sources: Canadian Tire, Ikea, Nayla Natural Care, Laptop Lunches, Goodbyn & Yubo websites

In my household there is myself and my 11 yr old son. Looking at his age you can guess that I have a big eater living here.  I’m at a point where my son eats more than I do.  When we go for fast food the price ends up being around $18 for the 2 of us.

When we’re not in such a RUSH and want to go out to eat I wait for a KIDS EAT FREE DAY.  In my neighbourhood that’s Mondays at East Side Marios.  Although he has to order off the kids menu, he gets to eat all the bread he wants because I get a main dish with unlimited salad and bread (still can’t convince him he’d like the salad too). He gets a small Chocolate Milk with it, but I also get a big glass of ice water for him (and he usually finishes off my Ice Tea as well). After all of that, he gets a mini dessert to finish off the meal and he leaves feeling full. Our bill comes to $21 which is only $3 more than the fast food and  I usually have leftovers for the next day!

Sure, you have to figure in the tip cost, but there’s a good chance you enjoyed the dishes served on a warm plate instead of a piece of deli wrap.  Want my other East Side Marios tip?  Ask for 2 loaves of bread when you order so you don’t have to wait for them to come back to get another helping of it.

Not sure when & where KIDS EAT FREE DAY is in your area?  Just Google ‘Kids Eat Free’ and the name of your city & I’m sure you’ll find the results you’re looking for.

My youngest starts school for the first time this fall. Unlike my other two, she’s been at home with me most of the time, no daycare or preschool, so adjusting to a room full of new little people will be exciting and maybe a little intimidating. The folks from Charlesbridge Publishing sent me over a book that might help. Emma’s Friendwich (age 2-5), by Stuart J Murphy is part of the I See, I Learn series designed to teach young kids important skills for school readiness and daily life.

Emma’s Friendwich deals with the social skill of making friends, a skill that all kids need, especially when entering school. The story follows Emma, a new girl in town who wants to play with her neighbour Freda, a girl who seems to be the same age as Emma. Emma goes through some simple steps to try and strike up a friendship with Freda. She smiles to get Freda’s attention, asks if she can play too, helps Freda build, and shares her toys. Each double page spread focuses on one of these tasks, like smiling for example. As young children are big visual learners, the story also includes insert pictures or diagrams illustrating the point. At the end of the story, when Emma and Freda are friends, there’s a visual chart that shows the cycle taken to get that friendship: smile, ask, help, share, friend.

The back of Emma’s Friendwich, as in all the I See, I Learn books, there’s a page with questions to help you engage your child to talk more about the topic covered in the book as well as some ideas to reinforce what was read.

There are currently three other books in the series: Freda Plans a Picnic (focusing on sequencing), Good Job Ajay! (focusing on confidence) and Percy Plays it Safe (focusing on playground safety).

I have to thank Donna at Charlesbridge for my review copy.

Emma’s Friendwich

I See, I Learn series

(age 2-5)

Charlesbridge Publishing

Burp.  ‘Scuse me.
Oh boy.  Did I ever stuff my face this weekend.
I swear whatever was in front of my face, I ate.
Bad Leslie.
I just had one of those weekends where what I wanted to eat junk food, so I gave in.  Every craving.
I had French Fries with gravy and a pogo.
I had A&W.
We went out for dinner for a 40th Wedding Anniversary…at least I had Chicken skewers and rice with veggies…but still.
Then a big dessert (okay, 2 desserts)

Bad Leslie indeed.
I try and practice what I preach when it comes to eating healthy on the go, but it was a slip of the self-control.  And it happens.  As much as you want to eat healthy and teach your kids to eat healthy, it doesn’t always happen.   Don’t beat yourself up over it, just make sure you all do a family walk or play outside for an extra 30 minutes.  Me?  I danced with 5 kids non-stop to Top 40 music at the anniversary party and realized why I was so thin in college – dancing is so much fun and really a fabulous work out…especially when you’re in 3 inch stilettos.  Hello toned calves!
Just practice more self control than I did.  Everything in moderation right?

Happy and healthy eating!

Follow @leslielscott on Twitter and visit her personal blog entitled “The Life of Leslie” for adventures of a 20-something woman aspiring to be something amazing http://leslielscott.blogspot.com

School has been out for a month now and many parents rejoice in not having to make a lunch for the kids to take to school.  Sometimes the lunch bags come home barely touched, other times a last minute rush means parents are left clueless as to what to make for the day (or they have no money for the lunch program!).

Now that it’s summer, does the lunch stress change? Or does it just shift? It still means meal planning.  If you are out at the park, play dates, on vacation at the cottage or sending your kids to camp – lunch preparation may take on a whole new level of panic.

To help with your meal planning this week, we’ll be posting recipes on Facebook and Twitter from our Lunchtime Solutions chef Tracey Black that she has previously shared with us. They are easy, delicious and family friendly.

We’d love to hear from you too! What are your favourite summer lunches?  Do you find the lunch rush easier in the summer or is it the same?  Have a recipe that other parents may find useful? Please share in the comments below.

Posted by Rebecca, Community Engagement Manager for Best Tools for Schools