Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories 2012
May 17, 2012 | 
Author Recently the US News & World Reports released the High School Rankings for each state. I was appalled at some of the numbers for certain areas of the country. While it is no secret that low-income school districts typically have lower scores than high-income areas, it amazes me year after year that many schools have a reading proficiency rating of less than 2.5%.
Forty-two percent of children in the
United States – more than 30 million – live in low-income households and don’t have age-appropriate books at home or at school.
It is upsetting that children are passed through the school system year after year and cannot read or write as they enter high school. And in many cases,they still can’t at their high school graduation.
Cheerios continues to lead the fight against illiteracy. This year marks the 10th anniversary for the Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories® program.
Cheerios is distributing six million bilingual children’s books from award-winning authors free inside cereal boxes. Cheerios is also giving 50,000 children’s books and $300,000 to First Book, an award winning literacy non-profit.
Worms, monsters, zebras and hippopotamuses are only a few of the imaginative children’s book characters to appear in specially marked Cheerios® this year. I received a few of this year’s books and my kids and I loved them. I was a little 
disappointed they didn’t do the Author contest this year but then again, how can you be disappointed when you receive a children’s book written by Nobel Prize winning author Toni Morrison.
This year’s books are all from award-winning authors and appropriate for ages 3-8. They include:
- Peeny Butter Fudge, by Toni and Slade Morrison
- Mostly Monsterly, by Tammi Sauer
- Noodle & Lou, by Elizabeth Garton Scanlon
-If I Were a Jungle Animal, by Amanda Ellery
- Hello Baby, by Mem Fox
- Can I Just Take a Nap?, by Ron Rauss
Fusspot really liked Noodle & Lou. When I was done reading it she tried to absorb
everything it had to offer by eating it. The illustrations are very colorful. She kept staring at them as I read.
So, go buy a specially marked box of Cheerios today and share a few moments with a child by bonding over the characters in these great stories.
To learn more about Spoonfuls of Stories or to donate to First Book, go here.
*By texting Books2Kids to 20222, a $5 donation will be made (and will appear on the primary subscriber’s cell phone bill), providing two new books to a child in need. Standard messaging rates will apply.
Disclaimer: I received several of the in-pack books from Cheerios. No other compensation was received. All opinions are mine and were not influenced in any way.
Posted in Books, Charity/Fundraising | 
Tags: cheerios, childrens books, free offers, literacy | 
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10 Random Facts About Me – Blog Hop
I was on Twitter the other night and #20thingsaboutme was trending. I wondered if I could come up with 20 random facts about me. I only came up with 10.
If you’re a blogger, post 10 random facts about you on your blog and link back here. Leave a comment here with a link to your post.
If you are not a blogger, leave me a comment with an interesting fact about you. I love learning about people. You can even post on Facebook and tag others so they can do the same. Have fun.
1. You only get one chance – don’t screw it up.
2. I never liked the beach. I like concrete under my feet. Sand is icky. Being wet and getting sand stuck in places it shouldn’t be is even ickier.
3. When I was a kid at girl scout camp, I failed my deep water swimming test on purpose so I wouldn’t have to swim in the lake. Seriously, there is sea weed in there and they expected me to put my high tops in that water. No thank you. I’ll sun bathe on a large towel instead.
4. I didn’t even want to go to girl scout camp but mom made me. Sleeping outside with bugs, no air-conditioning and forest animals was not my idea of a good way to spend the summer. I’m not Snow White.
5. I’m not an overprotective mom – kids need to be kids and experience life with limited filtering. But if you mess with my cubs you will get attacked by the bear. You don’t want that.
6. I suck at math. Unless a shoe sale is involved.
7. I’ll never be a size 6 again and I’m ok with that. It doesn’t deter me from eating ice cream. In fact, I enjoy it that much more.
8. I love listening to the conversations of young children. They. Crack. Me. Up.
9. I hate pumping my own gas. Respectable girls from NJ don’t do that sort of thing.
10. I once had an allergic reaction to penicillin. My only symptom was that my tongue turned black and the medical community couldn’t figure out why. To this day doctors don’t believe me so I just started telling them my throat closes up.
Posted in Blogging, Random - Life In General | Tags: #10thingsaboutme, #20thingsaboutme, blog hop, what you like about me | No Comments »
AMF’s Summer Bowling Program- Free For Kids/Discounted For Adults
School is out in just 8 days for Bruce. He will be spending the summer at a few different camps and he can’t wait. He’ll get to hang out with his friends at camp so he is looking forward to running around all day. But, with the Florida heat so intense we often have to find indoor places to play.
We love bowling. We get very competitive and Bruce and I are always battling it out until the last frame.
Unfortunately, I don’t live that close to an AMF theater but hopefully some of you might be able to enjoy the air conditioning while enjoying free bowling.
AMF’s Summer Unplugged program offers free bowling every day until 8pm thru September3, 2012. Kids 15 and can bowl two free games of bowling per day (Shoe rental not included, but they’re worth paying for.). To make sure the kids stay energized they are also offering $3.29 Kids Meals.
To find a participating AMF bowling alley near you go here. Select a participating center (over 250 locations) and complete a simple registration form.
The adults aren’t expected to sit and watch the kids have all the fun. AMF is also offering a Summer Pass. For $29.95 up to four adults 16 and over can bowl two free games per day all summer long. To get your Summer Pass, go here.
| For more info and great promotions all summer long, check out AMF on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, |
Disclosure: I participated in this campaign as a member of One2One Network and am eligible for a prize drawing. All opinions stated in the post are my own.
Posted in kids, Sports, Things to Do | Tags: AMF Bowling Alley, bowling, fun stuff, summer activities | No Comments »
Ocean Spray® Fruit Flavored Snacks Coupon
Looking for a new lighter snack to get you thru the summer? Try Ocean Spray® Fruit Flavored Snacks. They are available in two varieties and made with real fruit juice+ and natural colors* and flavors. Ocean Spray® Fruit Flavored Snacks provide kids with the great tasting snacks they crave and parents with the confidence that they come from a good place. They also contain 100% daily dose of your Vitamin C, are gluten-free, contain only 80 calories, and are available with double Box Tops all year-long!
Want to check out Ocean Spray® Fruit Flavored Snacks? Go here to download your coupon and save $1.10 when you buy any TWO boxes of Ocean Spray® Fruit Flavored Snacks.
*colors from natural sources
+These Fruit Flavored Snacks are made with apple, pear, and cranberry juice concentrate. See package for a list of complete ingredients. They are not intended to replace fruit in the diet.
Disclosure: I received this information and the coupon offer from Ocean Spray® through MyBlogSpark. This post in no way indicates an endorsement of any product or company other than to offer information and a money-saving coupon to readers.
Posted in Couponing, Food | Tags: couponing, fruit snacks coupon, ocean spray coupon | No Comments »
What Is A Tech Writer?
A colleague of mine sent me this today:
I have been a tech writer in one way or another for over 15 years. Usually when people ask me what I do and I tell them I am a tech writer I immediately get the deer in the headlights look.
Sounds so mysterious. I promise, it’s a lot less glamorous than it sounds. How often do you see pictures online of Tech Writers walking the red carpet?
When someone asks Ryan Reynolds what I do he usually says “Something with computers”. Bruce says I “ don’t do anything all day but type on a computer. And that’s easy – I do it every Wednesday at Computer class”.
Developers often think a Tech Writer’s job is easy because anyone can write. That might be true- technically a monkey can write with a crayon if you give them the right tools. But, that doesn’t mean it will be any good. Is it written for the intended audience? Is it translated into easy to understand English for the average person without an engineering degree? Does it address the topics an average user would be interested in?
I got into Tech Writing the way most do - by accident. There was no Tech Writer Barbie that I dreamed to emulate. I knew I wanted to do something that involved writing, so I majored in English and minored in Communications while in college. Most people think the only thing an English degree is good for is teaching. But, that’s not true. An English degree opens so many doors because you are not tied down to one focused area as you would be with an Accounting degree or an Engineering degree.
I have been a journalist, graphic designers, copy editor, writer, speech writer, web designer, blogger, high school English teacher, writing tutor, Policy and Procedures writer, Public Relations associate, Corporate Communications Coordinator, event planner, sports writer, and magazine writer, among other things.
An English literature degree doesn’t prove you are qualified to do a specific job; it proves that you are qualified and capable of thinking for yourself. In today’s world where most new employees learn by fire that is a huge asset to a potential employer. You will be able to jump right in, get your hands dirty and make informed decisions about the issues that come across your desk daily. And that is more valuable to an employer than anything.
