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SWAGTRON®, the affordable—swag—choice in innovative, quality electric rideables for riders of all ages, today is announcing its lowest prices of the year plus free shipping on hoverboards, electric scooters, e-bikes, and electric skateboards by giving shoppers the opportunity to receive up to $100 or more off select rideables. Deals change every 24-hours at Swagtron.com.

Don't wait for training wheels. Teach your tots proper riding technique now rather than later.
3 RIDE-ON TOYS IN 1
Your young ones will learn to SWAG in stages with a single ride-on toy. Go from balance trike to tricycle to balance bike.

Smooth. Sleek. Undeniable. Carving the streets is serious business. Suit up.
PERFECT FOR KIDS & TEENS
The height of stem can be adjusted to either 28″ or 40″, for riders 40″ to 72″ tall, to adapt to growing riders.

"Goodtimer is the hottest new educational toy of 2020! Developed for kids ages 3-10, this five-time award-winning product is all about encouraging kids to do their best every day! Goodtimer is an interactive and friendly clock-like companion that glows with soothing green lights and encouraging sounds that motivate kids to earn Good Time©. What's Good Time?  Unlike "time outs" that punish bad behavior, Goodtimer helps kids earn Good Time when they're following your family's house rules. What's great about Goodtimer is it's customizable to meet your family's unique values. Good Time can be earned for anything that kids and parents agree to, such as simple age-appropriate tasks like making their bed, household chores, getting homework done, brushing their teeth, or just being good listeners. With Goodtimer, it's totally up to your family.  The best part is, kids LOVE feeling celebrated for their accomplishments when they earn Goodtimer tokens they can save and exchange for fun incentives

More than just a toy that kids will play with once and then get bored with, Goodtimer's smart software and adjustable difficulty settings will grow with your child, encouraging them to form healthy habits for years to come.  No wonder both parents and kids love Goodtimer! Discover why Goodtimer is getting noticed by Mothering Magazine, The Toy Insider, and more; and why Creative Child Magazine made Goodtimer their 2020 Product of the year!   

Each Goodtimer includes the Goodtimer device, the Goodtimer children's book, a decorative sticker sheet, a charging cable, 32 reusable tokens, a plush token pouch, 24/7 customer support from certified parenting experts, and exclusive access to positive parenting resources. Available at www.gogoodtimer.com and Amazon.”

 Looking for a great holiday gift idea for young children? See why thousands of parents are calling @GoGoodTimer “The Must-Have Holiday Gift of 2020”.  Also, Goodtimer is running an BIG promotion beginning on Thanksgiving morning and continuing through Cyber Monday where you purchase Goodtimer for ONLY $48 with promo code GIVE40. 

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Shop #GoGoodtimer: https://gogoodtimer.com/

From the hottest houseplants to “victory garden-ready” tools, the Garden Media Group 2020 Holiday Gift Guide has the trending plant gifts to bring beauty home this holiday season.

Back-to-school is coming even if we are ready or not! Some families will be home schooling, some will have online school, some a mix of on-site and online, but everyone, no matter where or how school happens, will need pencils and supplies. Experts are predicting that some kids may need two sets of supplies, one at home and one at school, so value is more important than ever.

USA Gold and USA Titanium offers high-quality wood pencils sourced with American wood and finished in Tennessee.  With almost 60 years of pencil making, USA Titanium continues a family-run legacy in Lewisburg, Tennessee and a vital part of an American community.   

·      USA Titanium pencils are high quality, high value.  Compare them to your favorite pencil and see what a difference American quality can make!  With their satin smooth black finish for enhanced writing comfort,  USA Titanium pencils are available exclusively at Walmart in packs of 12, 24, and 36 pencils. Last year, these were the No. 1 selling pencil at Walmart for 2019 BTS time frame.

·      A favorite with moms, teachers and kids, Scribble Stuff Felt Tip Pens are bold and bright. Kids find it easier to take notes and study with colorful pens and add some pizzazz to drawing and art projects!  And teachers will find they make paper grading fun. These long lasting, vivid pens have a fine point tip for easy of writing and won’t bleed through the paper.  Available in 24 bright colors and an awesome price make it easy to add some fabulous fun to your child’s school day. Scribble Stuff also makes popular gel pens and scented gel pens. Available in assorted packs at Walmart, Target and Amazon.com

This September was a bittersweet one for our family, we had college Freshman and a two hour trip with a lot of stuff! We not only have the emotional roller coaster of dropping your son/daughter off at college. But wait, there is also the logistics of how will this stuff all fit in our car!

We knew we could not fit the comforters, back pillows, clothes, end tables, tv's, ect. for 2 Freshman in our car! Instead of packing 2 cars we were lucky enough to have a 2020 Chevy Silverado! This truck is amazing and fit everything! The cargo storage in the 2020 Silverado bed has more cargo volume, a higher-strength steel bed floor and more tie downs with a power up/ down tailgate. We fit everything in the truck for not one but 2 freshman to live comfortably in their dorm rooms.

Tutions, computers and filling a dorm room to keep them comfortable is expensive. Another wonderful perk of the 2020 Chevy Silverado is the Fuel Efficiency. The Silverado is a full-size track with an EPA-estimated rating of 29 mpg highway and 23 mpg city. The engineers started with a clean-sheet design to develop the all-new engine for the first diesel offered in Chevy’s light-duty truck lineup since 1997. This Silverado 3.oL Turbo-Diesel is perfect for those who want the capability and driving range of a diesel in a lightweight truck.

The two hour drive with teenagers is much better when you have Carplay and Android Auto. Both of these applications enable phone users to display certain apps and functionality from their phone on the vehicle‘s infotainment display. Thus allowing them to control those apps and functions via the vehicle‘s infotainment system touchscreen or voice commands. The teenagers loved this feature and took it over immediately. Of course, the built-in Wi-Fi hotspot capability of pairing up to seven devices, as well as improved access to existing OnStar and security services were also a big hit!

The trip was so much easier with the 2020 Chevy Silverado, and took a lot of stress out of an emotional day! See you in November as I drove home in an empty but comfortable Silverado.

Many parents are currently navigating an entirely new normal: Working from home while taking care of their kids full-time. As school picks back up and many kids remain at home for remote learning, figuring out how to balance their schedule and a full-time job sometimes feels totally unmanageable.

Most parents have had experience working remotely in one-off, unplanned situations. However, working at home day in and day out for the foreseeable future while also caring for (and in some cases, teaching) kids at home proves to be a major struggle without careful planning where needed and flexibility when possible.

Read on to learn how to create better routines and habits that can help parents maintain a healthy work-life integration:

1. When possible, keep things flexible
This is often easier said than done. However, when you do have the ability, consider getting creative with your work schedule to base your hours around your kids’ schedules. Giving yourself the flexibility to work differently during this time is crucial to maintaining work-life balance. 

This can work in a variety of ways. For example, if you’re an early morning person or a night owl, or you are used to commuting a long way, consider working on projects during these times when kids are usually sleeping. Of course, there will always be vital tasks and meetings that require collaboration with your colleagues during regular work hours, but finding ways to give yourself time for small breaks during the day will help you and your kids stay on track.            
 
2. Establish a kid-free zone
There will be times when you need to hunker down and complete work items free from distractions, which is why it is important to establish an area of the house where you can separate yourself from your family. 
 
Not only is it important for this space to be free from other people, but it also needs to be free from other distractions such as dirty laundry and other messes. Keeping the area clean and organized will keep you from wanting to disengage from work to complete other tasks.

3. Clearly communicate with your family
If you have a partner who is also working from home and sharing kid duties with you, it is crucial to communicate the times you can and cannot help out during the day. Setting these expectations will allow for a much smoother daily routine.

It is also important to communicate with your children if they are old enough. Set expectations for when there will be breaks in your day that you can check-in, whether it be a quick snack break, lunch, or even hourly check-ins. 

4. Utilize special toys and screen time during work hours
Set aside designated toys and other gadgets, as well as movies or TV shows, to be used when you need to focus-in during the day. This will give your kids something to look forward to and will allow for some distraction-free work time.
 
5. Don’t overwork
During this time, it can be easy to feel like we need to push ourselves to work extra hours, but the reality is that taking the time to unplug and reset each day is critical to success as a parent and an employee.
 
With schools and offices closed, parents are likely finding themselves faced with a to-do list that has only grown. Although many of us have now had a few months to settle into fully-remote work, that does not mean keeping up with distance-learning while figuring out the best way to accomplish your work has gotten any easier. Designing a schedule that fits your needs is easier said than done, but following the above tips should help ensure you are on the right track.

Should you find yourself out of work during this time, consider that there are other work options out there, such as freelance and contract work, that may help you meet your scheduling and finance needs. Freelancing is also a great source of supplemental income for people while they look for new full-time employment. Just make sure you choose the right platform to help you get the right kind of projects, such as Bunny Studio. 

By: Sheyla Scaffo, People Experience Associate & Executive Business Administrator at Bunny Studio

If you’ve stumbled into an education conversation or joined a parent discussion group recently, you’ve surely heard of pods or micro-schools. As families grapple with a changing education environment, some hope to find the flexibility, safety, and community they desire in small, local learning arrangements called learning pods.

Micro-schools, pods, pandemic pods, and learning pods all refer to the same concept, one that is pretty easy to understand: students gathering together in a small group – with adult supervision – to learn, explore, and socialize. Usually, pods are formed when families in a neighborhood or vicinity bring children similar in age group together. Parents and students in a learning pod have significant flexibility. Based on the needs of the community it serves, a pod may gather for just 10-20 hours a week or only certain days. Families may work independently the remainder of the time.

Why pods? Interest in pods has spiked due to the pandemic. In pods, many families see an education environment where their children can learn and socialize with fewer health and safety concerns. In a recent poll of families nationwide, just 1/3 of parents said they were comfortable sending their child back to school under the present circumstances. This means there’s a lot of parents who are looking for alternative learning environments. For many, pods seem like a way to both prioritize safety and engage in much-needed in-person learning and community. In fact, the Chicago Tribune described pods as “Equal parts traditional homeschooling and Mary Poppins-style nurturing — with a COVID-19 sheltering-in-place twist.”

Learning pods may be a popular topic of conversation, but It’s important to understand what kind of pod you’re signing up for and whether it meets your child’s necessary school requirements. Pods can take a variety of legal forms. Some pods are private micro-schools, others are support groups for online schools, and some are simply homeschool co-ops.  

National School Choice Week’s guide to school choice in Connecticut includes all the details on how to start or join a learning pod. Beyond pods, it lays out information on all types of school choice in Connecticut: traditional public school, public charter school, public magnet school, private school, online school, and homeschooling. Whether it’s a learning pod or your neighborhood public school, finding the right fit for your family this year starts with knowing your options.  

National School Choice Week is an independent, non-political, non-partisan public awareness effort that works to inform parents about the options they have for their child’s education. 

We were lucky enough to have a 2020 Buick Enclave Avenir for a weekend so the kids and I decided to go on an adventure! We jumped in a 2020 Buick Enclave Avenir, which is such a beautiful and roomy car!

For the ride, my son used the wireless charging pad and hooked "his" music up to the bluetooth. We were off to seek out the gems in outside gems of Connecticut.

Silver Sands State Park in Milford was our destination. This is one of the great state parks in Connecticut. Silver Sands has 297 -acres of a massive recreation area that is home to many dunes, restored salt marsh, open areas, woodlands, a beach, and the bird sanctuary. We had a full day of swimming walking and walking the boardwalk.

At the end of the day we climbed back into the 2020 Buick Enclave Avenir for our hour ride home. This car comfortably fit all 5 of us plus our beach gear and extras we brought with us. Our ride home was comfortable and enjoyable for all.

If you are seaching for a new family car, this one is a beauty!

Some important features to note on the 2020 Buick Enclave Avenir:
- Premium Appointments: Everything from the wood tone accents to the leather appointed seats, there is luxury in every detail.
- Advanced Technology: (based on what you used!)
o Wireless Charging - modern amenities like a standard wireless smartphone charging pad
o Apple CarPlay/Android Auto – enables you to display certain apps and functionality from your phone on the vehicle‘s infotainment display
o 4G LTE WiFi Connectivity – comes with built-in Wi-Fi hotspot capable of pairing up to seven devices so everyone stays connected
- Safety: To help raise your awareness when driving, Enclave Avenir empowers you with an advanced suite of safety technologies, including standard features like Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert.

Getting kids ready to go back to school is always a bit stressful for parents. With the added tension and pressure of COVID-19, this year is bound to be one of the most challenging yet. There are so many decisions to make and so many changes to prepare for, so it’s understandable for parents to feel overwhelmed right now. If you’re a concerned parent, hopefully the back-to-school resources in this guide can relieve some pressure.

Social-Distancing & Shopping for School Supplies

Even before coronavirus, shopping for your kids’s school supplies could feel stressful. Social-distancing has made things more complicated but these tips can help:

●     Know that you can pick up everything your kids need online and have it delivered.

●     Most major retailers, including Target, are also offering free curbside pickup.

●     With an emphasis on handwashing, you can bet that hand soap is on the list.

●     But you may also need to pick up some essential supplies for at-home learning.

Keeping Coronavirus & Other Germs Out of Homes

If your kids will be attending school in-person, you may be worried about them tracking harmful germs back into your home. To ease your fears, be sure to take these safety precautions:

●     Plan a good deep cleaning so it will be easier to keep your home germ and COVID-free.

●     As an added bonus, a clean home can also help lower your stress levels.

●     You can pick up cleaners and disinfectants for your home online as well.

●     Just be sure to use these COVID cleaning tips to ensure maximum safety.

Preparing Children for a Safe & Productive New Year

Safety is going to be your top concern for this school year but getting your kids back into the groove of learning can also help reduce worries and tension. These tips can help:

●     Start early when it comes to adjusting your kids’ routine.

●     Plan educational activities to prevent learning loss and set your kids up for success.

●     You can also set your kids up for success by ensuring they get enough sleep at night.

●     Go over safety guidelines, like social-distancing, before the new year begins.

Deciding Whether Kids Should Continue Learning at Home

There are quite a few ways you can help your kids get ready to get back into the classroom, but you may feel safer keeping them at home for now. If so, use these tips to keep them learning:

●     Check with your school district to see whether online classes are an option.

●     If online classes are not available, you can always consider homeschooling your kids.

●     As you may already know, learning at home can require a very different schedule.

●     No matter how your kids learn online, security and safety should be a priority.

Even with the resources above, navigating this back-to-school season can be pretty tough. So have some patience with yourself and your children as you work through all of the changes. With any hope, we will see this pandemic draw to a close as the school year progresses and we will all be able to breathe a sigh of relief.

Photo Credit: Rawpixel

As families continue to navigate the impacts of the COVID pandemic, there’s one thing most families have in common: they have been at home, sheltering in place, self-isolating or quarantining…children have had to adjust to learning virtually, leaving many parents with taking on the role of “teacher,” entertainer and more – all while continuing to run a household and complete their own work from home.

With no foreseeable end in sight, it’s important we all learn how to live (or re-live) with family members and find new ways to forge ahead, adapting to the “new normal.” While some children will return to school in the Fall, countless kiddos will continue remote, distanced learning or even a hybrid of both – making it essential to have a comfortable home office the whole family can use.

With this in mind, we’ve tested and reviewed three products sure to not only upgrade the family’s in-home workspace, but increase productivity. 

1.    X-Yoyo Active Stool – need more support in your less than traditional work-space? Meet the X-Yoyo...Renowned Norwegian industrial designer Svein Asbjørnsen developed the breakthrough Floating Pitch™ mechanism in order to enable users to effortlessly float their spine into its natural posture, thereby increasing blood flow and reducing muscle fatigue. The best part, it allows users to transition from sitting to standing, seamlessly and comfortably, throughout the day. The active stool also offers a height adjustment range making it perfect for parents and kids alike, as well as an auto-return Ergo-Saddle™, so you can easily use the X-Yoyo at any workstation, be it a traditional desk, height adjustable table of makeshift workstation. It’s also incredibly simple and intuitive due to the 360° swivel, tilting and auto-return. Active seating has been proven to increase concentration and productivity, encouraging free movement. We found it both stimulating and relaxing, and we hope you’ll give it a try.

2.    X-FlexTop Adjustable Standing Desk – one to two hours per day is the optimal amount of time to work while standing, and the X-FlexTop Adjustable Standing Desk rises to the occasion and helps the entire family achieve this goal. You can also use the X-FlexTop to change your desk height, making sure your monitor or laptop are at a comfortable height when sitting in your X-Chair or X-Yoyo active stool, which is key for sharing your WFH space with your kids, big or small. We must mention, it’s easy to adjust, very sturdy, portable and discrete, has a sleek, stylish yet minimal design and comes in both black and white. Constant movement is one of the key factors to staying comfortable, productive and happy, and it also promotes a healthy, active lifestyle, thus making this product a must-have for the family’s home office.

3.    X-TS Monitor Arm – if you’re looking to instantly increase the usable surface space on your desk, this is the product for you! Immediately upon using the X-TS Monitor Arm, we noticed an instant improvement in our posture as well – having the monitor elevated and being able to adjust the screen to eye-level provides an ergonomic workspace, and is especially important for protecting children from future back or vision problems. The X-TS Monitor Arm was designed to make life easy and productive, and it delivers. Creating an organized and healthy work environment for your family doesn’t have to require an ergonomist and a handyman…In 10 minutes or less, YOU will be able to set up your new X-TS arm and be back to work with more space on your desk and a level of comfort previously unimaginable.

Over the past few months, we’ve all observed how chaotic and distracting the reality of working from home has become. This is the time to shift gears, change direction, and invest in creating a quality home office the whole family can use, and ergonomically designed products, such as the items outlined here, can pay health dividends for many years to come!

For more information or to purchase these products, please visit www.xchair.com.