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2012 List of Summer Reading Programs

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Photograph Credit: TD Bank

In searching for summer reading programs, I highlighted a few of our family’s favorites with separate posts.

Some programs have changed since last year and are only open to certain residents. I will do my best to give you the details in this list of summer reading programs. Enjoy! 🙂

1. Barnes & Noble

Read 8 books, record in reading journal, and receive a free book. Expires September 4, 2012

2. Book Adventure

This on-line reading program provides the books to read, quizzes to test comprehension, and prizes to earn.

3. Chuck E. Cheese

Read daily for two weeks and redeem your record for 10 tokens when you make a food purchase. Offer expires on December 31, 2012.

4. Half Price Books

The Feed Your Brain program offers students ages 14 and younger a $5 gift certificate to Half Price Books when they reach 300 minutes on their reading log after reading for 15 minutes per day for a month. For June submissions the deadline is July 8, 2012. The last day to enter for July is August 5, 2012.   

5. H-E-B Grocery Store

Read 10 books and received a prize package. The reading log states “for Texas residents only.” Reading log must be postmarked by October 1, 2012.

6. National Amusement Theaters

Bookworm Wednesdays entitles kids to free admission to a select children’s film when they present a book report at a participating Cinema de Lux, Showcase, or Multiplex cinemas’ box office.
Accompanying parents or guardians and children under six years of age receive free admission and do not need to provide a book report. Program completion varies by box office.

7. PBS Kids

Beginning June 18, the Summer Reading Community Challenge starts its 6-week program. After registering, you will receive a daily assignment by e-mail where readers can earn prizes.

This is a new program for me. I signed up and will know more when the program begins.

8. Pottery Barn Kids

This summer reading challenge provides reading lists. Choose a list, record your reading on the log, and redeem for a free book at your local store. Program ends on August 22, 2012.

9. Scholastic

Summer Challenge encourages children to read, log their minutes on-line, earn digital rewards, and enter sweepstakes for fun prizes.

10. TD Bank

Read 10 books for a $10 deposit into a new or existing TD Young Saver’s bank account. Program expires on September 29, 2012.

NOTE: You will need to supply your picture ID and social security number. You will also need your child’s social security number to open their account.

11. Local Bookstores

Check websites for more summer reading programs near you.

12. Local Libraries

Our library offers free entertainment programs to summer reader participants. The reading log is the ticket to the show: magic, bubbles, animals, musicians, and puppets.

My children are already working on their summer reading for the library as they will receive a water park pass and ticket voucher for a minor league baseball game when they reach their goal. Since Chick-fil-A has withdrawn their sponsorship this year, two toys will replace the kids’ meal and dessert coupons.

My younger daughter will miss out on these older-kid rewards since the program changed to ages 4 and up. However, she can earn a board book by listening to the stories I read to her and her sister.

Summer reading programs offer incentives for our young readers. Though our family does not engage in every one of these programs, I love the variety and opportunity for my children to earn rewards. Happy reading!

Question: What programs did I miss?

2012 Summer Reading: H-E-Buddy Reading Club

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Photograph Credit: HEB.com

With the state of our economy, many retailers have scaled back their community relations.

Unfortunately, H-E-B grocery stores is limiting their summer reading club to Texas residents only.

My children participated in this program for 3 years. The prizes for reading 10 books included a tee-shirt, certificate, pencil, bookmark, and stickers.

Though we will be reading our books this summer, we will miss our free tee-shirts with Buddy the Bag on the front.

If you live in the state of Texas, then this reading program is worth your time.

Participation involves the following:

1. Print out the form,

2. Record the titles of the books read,

3. Confirm their reading with your initials, and

4. Mail the completed form to:

H•E•Buddy® 2012 Summer Reading Program

10530 Sentinel, San Antonio, TX 78217

Your form must be postmarked by October 1, 2012.

As you continue working on summer reading, enjoy the benefits of summer reading programs, like the H-E-Buddy Reading Club.

Since we have participated each year, I will send in our forms and see what happens. We are not Texas residents, but we have entered each year. I’ll let you know if we get rewarded. Happy reading!

CardStore.com: Free Father’s Day Card on June 8, 2012

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Photograph Credit: CardStore.com

With 9 more days until Father’s Day, Cardstore.com is offering a free personalized card until midnight tonight – June 8, 2012.

There is a limit of one free card per account.

After you choose your card and personalize it, you need to register for an account using an e-mail address.

At checkout, enter promotional code LUVDAD2 and check that your total comes to $0 with free shipping to the registered account’s address. If you choose to mail the card directly to the recipient, then you will pay for the postage ($.45).

Do not delay. You only have until midnight to get your free card.

In using time wisely to create your free card, you will save money, energy, and time from running out to purchase a last-minute card to celebrate Father’s Day on Sunday, June 17, 2012. Happy creating!

2012: Garden Journal – June Edition

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May was a great month for our garden. The rain and the pruning resulted in new and continued growth.

In addition to watching the garden, my children take turns watering the garden twice a day. My daughter had this responsibility during the school week. But with summer, my son wanted his turn as well. No matter who waters, I appreciate the extra help as we watch our garden change.

Strawberries

Since losing strawberries in April, our plants rebounded and are growing again. To deter the birds, I plan to purchase a net within the next week to protect our fruit.

Tomatoes

Our one cherry tomato plant produced 5 tomatoes. We harvested 4 of them while one continues to grow. The other cherry tomato plant has 5 green tomatoes growing. I am looking forward to harvesting those this month.

  

Cucumbers

Our two plants are beginning to show the prickly buds under the flowers. Growth is slow, but steady.

Onions

Thought I killed the onions. The green stalks had shriveled to brown, so I decided to remove them from the garden. To my surprise, I uprooted 3 perfectly round, white onions.

Realizing that my onions were doing well, I replanted them and continue to water. Though the pictures show the stalks as brown, the onions are alive and well. (Did I mention that I am new to gardening? Guess I should just let them grow. Oops!)

Lettuce

Our bibb lettuce and Romaine took off this month. With lots of pruning and focused watering, the lettuce has grown sturdy and tall. I look forward to watching our spinach take off once the plants sprout.

 

Though still waiting on the bell peppers, carrots, and spinach to produce, our family watches the growth, waters the squares, and harvests the fruit.

 

In using time wisely, I find our garden a source of joy and excitement for our entire family. Happy tending!

Question: Did you harvest any items from your garden this month? 

Using Time Wisely: Counting my Blessings (63 – 77)

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Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

This series on counting my blessings is one of my favorites because I have so much for which to be thankful. I began the series after a bout of allergies in our home. Now I plan to keep this series with a post at least once a month.

At the moment, I am in the calm after the storm. The month of May was the storm. From those events, I am recovering, resting, rejuvenating, and counting these blessings:

63. Safety while taking students on three field trips during May. Two of these field trips were over an hour away.

64. Successful completion of the Live History Fair.

65. Flexibility of the soccer staff to switch my daughter to a team with her friend.

66. Chatting with friends during soccer games.

67. Watching my son improve his soccer skills throughout the season.

68. Thankful that soccer season has come to a close.

69. My family’s patience during a season lacking menu planning. We practiced pairing coupons and specials to feed our family on double game nights without breaking the bank and staying within our budget.

70. Participating in a Gullah Feast, Field Day, and Awards Ceremony at our school.

71. Successful completion of the school year where my son received a certificate for receiving all “E’s” (Excellents – equivalent to “A” honor roll) for the school year.

72. A wonderful family lunch after the awards ceremony to celebrate a job well done for the school year.

73. Opportunity to send our children to a fantastic school.

74. My kindergartener’s excitement in awaking on our first day of summer asking, “How many more days until August?”

75. Time to stay home and relax.

76. Long warms baths and early bedtimes.

77. Enjoying spending time with my precious family.

Even with a busy May, I found lots of blessings in the midst of our hectic schedule. In dwelling on counting my blessings, I forget about the piles of laundry, stacks of bills, rooms that need cleaning, and items that I just did not get to this month.

Before life passes you by, stop to count your blessings while using time wisely.

Question: What blessings are you counting today?