Simple Trick: Busy Mom's Reviewer

My 12-hour workdays make it impossible for me to make my own reviewers & practice tests for Noah. So here are simple tricks that allow me to still provide my young gradeschooler with practice tests.

For previously answered worksheets, all you need are some post-its and a pair of scissors. Just cut out small strips (in this case, squares) of post-its to cover the old answers.

I love that I get to use my stacks of freebie post-its from here and there. 

All you need to do is go snip-snip on the part with adhesive and stick them on top of old answers. And voila! A reviewer ready for Noah to practice on!

Here's Noah busy working on the practice worksheet I "made" for him in 2 minutes.

The only problem is that I don't know what to do with the leftover strips of post-it ends - the parts without adhesive. :(

Now for unanswered worksheets, I remembered Pat-of-101gramsofeyecandy's quick tip here to use clear acrylic sheets. I didn't have such sheets, but I did have the plastic cover that some folders come in.

So I tucked the unanswered worksheet into the plastic cover flap and took out a whiteboard marker.

And they worked perfectly! Of course, I don't know how long this plastic cover will last so Pat's acrylic sheets might be a much better long-term idea.

The great thing is that Noah enjoyed writing with the marker more than his pencil so we even used the plastic-covered folder for his spelling review (I dictated the words and he wrote on the plastic with the marker). He had fun and we got to save a tree!

I love that Noah gets some advance practice and his teacher doesn't even have to know about it! :)

Oh, and I found a use for the leftover strips of non-sticky post-it parts... I used some as whiteboard marker eraser! Of course, we didn't get to use the whole stack so if you have any ideas on what to do with my leftover strips, please do email me or leave a comment on this post. 

Now, my 12-hour workdays don't need to interfere with my motherly (tutoring) duties.

Photos are my own, edited with pixlr, and from annnniegirl.

Click here for previous posts from the Simple Trick series.

some polka dots i spotted...

I've always loved pretty prints. On notebooks and on wrapping paper. On clothes too, but I have to admit that not all pretty prints look good when worn lest you want to look like upholstery. On pillows like the Bungalow 300 ones that Trisha of Playtime Break posted about here and on bed linens (baby or otherwise)  like Trisha's Dwell Studio picks here. But after watching this video, I found another item in my house I'd like to have pretty prints on: tea towels!

I never knew what tea towels were until I saw the video of 12 ways to use a tea towel. I'm not even sure what their original use is, but I love all these uses. First up is a place to drip-dry cups & glasses.

Use #2: a cushion for food preparation.

Use #3: a towel to wipe newly-washed dishes & glasses dry.

Use #4: as a pot (-er, kettle) holder.

Use #5: as a vegetable crisper. Except this use is lost on me since I am so undomesticated.

Use #6: not sure if this is technically a usage option. Though I have to say, I find this bunch of printed tea towels so pretty, I might store some like this just to prettify my kitchen!

Use #7: as a placemat.

Use #8: as a pretty way to serve bread.

Use #9: as an apron.

Use #10: as a gift wrapper.

Use #11: as a gift.

Use #12: as an environmental way to dry your hands.

Polka dots or not, I looove these studiopatro tea towels in pretty prints! If only Bungalow 300 and Dwell Studio made tea towels...

Photos are from screencaps of the video.

Click here for previous posts from the Some Polka Dots I Spotted... series.

my farm-to-table pumpkin experience

Two Halloweens ago, I went pumpkin-picking in New Jersey. It was surreal enough to see real pumpkins since we don't grow pumpkins in the Philippines, what more a whole field of them! For some reason, these enormous orange fruits just made me smile!

This inconspicuous sign (we were lucky we noticed it!) on the side of the apple-cider-store barn really cracked me up!

Then the pumpkin-carving began...

And voila! Mine is the third from the left. Was obviously the amateur -- I didn't cut the "holes" big enough so my pumpkin had the dimmest light. But my pumpkin turned out pretty cute, right? I can't help smile when I see its Cachupoy "hair" [Cachupoy was a famous Filipino comedian whose trademark was sporting hair parted in the middle]. 

These would be perfect for tonight when we turn out our lights at 8pm for our family's monthly earth hour (see related post here), which Isabella so responsibly reminds us of every 30th.

For those of you going trick-or-treating tonight, Happy Halloween!

Photos are all my own. How-To layout by moi.

saving the earth one little step at a time

It is comforting to see that our country is taking steps toward saving the environment. For a couple of years now, we've seen how more and more cities and supermarkets are saying No To Plastic. Am sure you're familiar with the supermarkets that ban plastic bags on Wednesdays. For these days, these leather totes would be useful! Yes, they're leather! Isn't it funny that they look like plastic sando bags?

Also on Wednesdays, I learned that the McDonald's on Pearl Drive does not give out plastic straws. They don't replace them with these gorgeous stainless steel ones, but who says we need to drink from a straw when we can drink from the glass and use a little less plastic? I overheard a McDonald's customer get annoyed saying, "What's the point of banning straws if they use plastic cups?" While she had a point - because we really could do much more, I am still glad that McDonald's is taking that little step rather than none.

And it is such a little step. Like the Earth Hour. Right after this year's Earth Hour, the minute we turned the lights on, my daughter asked, "Why do we only do one hour a year?" True. Why do we just do one hour a year when we can easily do more? So to that woman in McDonald's point, we have decided to take a bigger step as a family. Just a little bit bigger. Earth Hour once a month. We've decided on the 30th because it doesn't fall on anyone's birthday or Hallmark holiday. We're starting this month and Isabella is in-charge of making sure we follow through on it. Will you join us on this monthly Earth Hour endeavor to help save the earth, one little hour at a time?

For more tips on green living, catch Green Living on ANC every Tuesday at 9:30pm, Wednesday at 4:00am and 2:30pm, Saturday at 3:30am and 8:30pm and Sunday at 12:30am, 10:30am and 9:00pm.

Photos from lushlee and here.