Cure for Mondays

EVO 3D Books Make Learning Fun and Beneficial for Kids

Remember the very first time you opened a pop-up book? There are times when memories of those books would come to mind and remind me how magical the experience was. It still is. So when I go to bookstores {I especially like those hole-in-the-wall book shops with old, old books} I still scan the shelves for aged books. I had Three Little Pigs and Cinderella, but my favorite was Little Red Riding Hood. One of the pages had a tab you could pull on the side if you wanted the big bad wolf to stick its tongue out. I’d skip all other pages to get to that one first.

The concept of moving books had been around for a very long time. Mechanical and movable books were first used to illustrate concepts in Astronomy and were designed for the purpose of teaching. It wasn’t until the 1700’s when pop-up books for children were created and started becoming popular.

Today, books continue to change in beautiful ways. The EVO 3D Augmented Reality Books are bringing us a unique experience in reading and learning. My daughter calls them her “phone books”. If you come from a generation where phone books were still relevant and useful in people’s lives, you’d understand why the comment is quite amusing.

You need to download a free app to enjoy the 3D aspect of the EVO books. Attika says she loves how animals in her books come to life. She has both the EVO Birds and EVO Ocean and more than just the joy of being able to see animals in her books move, they are also interactive. You can control them and let them move around, learn about the food that they eat, their environment, their skeletal structures and the sounds they make.

Here are ways 3D Augmented Reality Books Make Fun Learning and Beneficial for Kids

Complex ideas are made easier.

My daughter is just learning how to read and these 3D books are helping her appreciate and learn concepts that are a bit too complex to learn through reading for her age. For example, an interactive tool of EVO teaches her what certain birds eat and how they move.

Visual learning is engaging.

Young learners are stimulated by movements, colors and sounds, so kids don’t get bored and even enjoy repeating information, thereby allowing them to absorb the information faster.

There is control in the use of technology.

Unlike other learning tools or games online, kids cannot just skip to other activities that are not related to what they’re currently learning. They can repeat parts of the book that interest them and they learn faster that way.

Attika can tell you more about the EVO books in this video. You might need to use a headphone for this one though. We're still working on our video editing dexterity (wink, wink!)

You can find EVO books on different topics, coloring books and learning cards from Kidoozi. They also have a wide range of high-quality toys, top products that will make your parenting journey memorable. They are an online store, so you can shop for your kids’ toys from home!

CURE FOR MONDAYS IS A WOMEN'S BLOG, BEST HOMESCHOOL WEBSITE, FAMILY ISSUES BLOG, HOMESCHOOL PROBLEMS, SOCIALIZATION, INSPIRATION, MANILA MOMMY BLOGGER, SAHM, ASIAN HOMESCHOOLER, BLOGGYS 2015 WINNER, BENEFITS OF BEING A STAY-AT-HOME-MOM, WORK FROM HOME, BEST JOB, HIGH-PAYING JOB, TOP CAREER, EVO BOOKS, 3D AUGMENTED REALITY BOOKS, LEARNING TOOLS FOR KIDS, FUN LEARNING FOR KIDS, KIDOOZIE

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, by Frances Beldia

Money Matters

Why You Feel Like You Never Have Enough and What You Can Do About It

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, by Frances Beldia

Budgeting Tips

On a Tight Budget this Summer? 10 Tips for Moms

There are so many things that you can do with your kids this summer. I looked up activities, events, workshops, camps and lessons and there is an endless list that cater to all kinds of interests. The camps are particularly exciting since the summer provides campers the perfect weather so they can make the most out of their time away from home learning new things and meeting new friends. I remember the bonfires we had as kids and those still top my list of the most exciting experiences I had living in the province as a young person. The beach was nearby and some of my friends had huge backyards where we built bonfires, shared ghost stories and successfully did not burn down a house.

While the articles you see online about summer activities are very helpful, I found that most of them come with a hefty price. Summer sports and music lessons can be anything from PhP3,000 to PhP10,000 depending on the location and the person or company giving the training. A two-day teen camp I was eyeing for my son costs PhP15,000 (around USD302) and although I understand the value and worth of the camp, it just might be challenging to put together the funds for that one camp especially that both our kids are also enrolled in other classes. My 15-year-old son is taking up a two-year course in Fine Arts and our five-year old daughter regularly goes to ballet school. Until it rains cash on my side of the town, we would have to plan our summer wisely so both kids can enjoy the season without missing out on other things that they want to do.

A friend of mine is a bit worried that they might have to “skip summer” this year. Her family is going through a mild case of financial crisis and said they might not be able to afford going to events and attending summer activities this time. Sometimes we go through unexpected twists and turns in life and might have to realign our finances. Is this entirely bad? Of course not. There is no such thing as a permanent experience, and experiences make people better -- if they know how to caper around a bad situation, that is. When I reminded her that the best summers of our lives were spent climbing trees, reading books in hammocks and going to fiestas and getting our fill with all the free food, that put a smile on her face.

We may now be living in a marketing-run world where you feel compelled to have money and pay for everything to be happy, but happiness is still a very subjective thing as it is a choice.

So if you’re a mom on a tight budget, please know that skipping summer is not an option, but making it fun for your kids is.

Do volunteer work for neighbors in need or organizations that accept volunteers with little or no experience. Helping others is an opportunity more than anything. It will help the kids have better understanding about important matters in life, have a sense of responsibility and develop a deeper understanding of humanity. Organizations like Kids International Ministries and Gawad Kalinga are in need of people who want to offer their time regardless of age and experience. All you need is a big, big heart to help those in need.

Soak up on a lot of reading in public libraries. Why not? It’s about time we tell our (non-bookworm) kids the truth that reading is not only for school. It should be a continuing affair with literature. Here is a list of public libraries in Metro Manila. There might be one near you.

Hold a garage sale. Summer is a good time time for you to clear out those cabinets and closets. You won’t only be decluttering your house, you will also be earning from all the dust magnets you’ve been keeping. You will be surprised at how much you can earn from a garage sale. I joined one in our condo when we moved here last year and I earned PhP8,000 from old clothes, bags and shoes that were just collecting dust in our house anyway. I sold a lot of our stuff for only PhP10, and the lowest I got paid for an item was five pesos. That sounds like a giveaway, I know, but the smile on the yaya's face was priceless. She said she'd send it to her apo in the province.

Sell ice candy. You will need very little capital for this. Everyone loves ice candies and everyone needs them in this heat. But more than an entrepreneurial venture for you and your kids, selling ice candy is fun and fulfilling. You won’t need to leave the house and you have the neighborhood kids as your captured market. When I was pregnant with Cole 16 years ago, bored and had read up all the books in my father’s old house, I decided to sell ice candy and earned a net of P100/a day. It wasn’t much, but it also did not require any effort. I still have a good laugh about that until now and I always share that story every chance I get.

Encourage your kids to learn a new musical instrument. You might have one that’s only been lying around unnoticed or you can borrow a musical instrument from friends or cousins. There are countless YouTube instructional videos on different instruments for beginners. If they go online, it better be for a good purpose such as this.

Give your home a makeover. This is one of my favorite things to do. We have done this with very little budget. Read Decorating your Home on a Budget here.

Spend time in the pool. There are inexpensive pools in Metro Manila, if you don't have a neighborhood or private pool. Here’s a list of some of them.

Do origami or learn it if you haven't yet. The art of the paper is one of the most engaging activities known to man. You can do it anywhere and you can put to good use those pieces of scratch paper lying around while you’re still practicing.

Turn to good old classic board games. Young people are spending too much screen time these days. You can always borrow or exchange with other families so you get a load of fun from different games every time.

If you have other ideas, I would love to hear from you and include your suggestions on this list. Hope you all have a fun-filled summer this year!

CURE FOR MONDAYS IS A WOMEN'S BLOG, BEST HOMESCHOOL WEBSITE, FAMILY ISSUES BLOG, HOMESCHOOL PROBLEMS, SOCIALIZATION, INSPIRATION, MANILA MOMMY BLOGGER, SAHM, ASIAN HOMESCHOOLER, BLOGGYS 2015 WINNER, DEALING WITH STRESS, CAUSES OF STRESS, HOW TO DEAL WITH DEPRESSION, summer activities, low budget activities, fun summer events, free public pools manila, cheap summer fun

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, by Frances Beldia

Summer Promo

An Early Summer Treat for All Young Scientists!

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, by Frances Beldia

Homeschool Science

Jeepneed Brings Labs to Home Schools

Science -- from grade school through high school you were either in love with it or were terrified by it. We find out later in life though, post terror Science teachers and all, that every moment you spent in all those Science classes did not need to be scary. No information could be too big nor too small for a curious learner. There’s you and all the amazing things in the world that surround you. Learning Science is fun and should be engaging for both the learner and the teacher. But sometimes this is easier said than done. When we started homeschooling years ago, one of the first few challenges that my husband and I dealt with was becoming the Science teachers that our then 10-year old son would not fall asleep on.

One study conducted in Indiana University High School concluded that in a class 30% of the students demonstrated boredom because they said there was a lack of interaction between them and their teachers, and 70% said the materials their teachers used were simply not interesting. This is a situation that could be true across classrooms in different parts of the world.

Through Makerspace Pilipinas and Jeepneed, we were so glad to discover during their event at The Mind Museum that homeschooling families like us have better, more creative and definitely more engaging ways to teach Science classes. You just can’t toss a book to your kids and tell them to learn and remember as much as they can. It is not enough to show them pictures of microscopes, science laboratories and what’s inside them, etc. Experiments and various activities help them understand facts, theories and concepts better and help them retain knowledge through their own discoveries. Science materials available in bookstores though are a bit too pricey or are not that easy to source. So if you are planning a series of activities for a school year, it could bore a hole in your the pocket.

Photos courtesy of Jeepneed

4 Reasons Why Homeschoolers Should Know About Jeepneed’s Lab in a Box:

1. Jeepneed’s goals are aligned with the common goals of homeschoolers. Two of these are “to build observation skills and creative problem solving skills essential beyond Science as a subject”; and “to get kids off the screen and on to discover the world”.

2. Affordable Science Kits and Lab in a Box. You get materials for four or more activities for every box. The longer your subscription is the cheaper it will be for you. The price for their experiment boxes are way, way cheaper than the ones you will typically find in bookstores. And yes, it is done by subscriptions, so they bring the lab to your door!

3. It’s not just school work, it’s a fun family activity. Everyone in the family can share ideas and discuss facts while doing the experiment. Bigger siblings can assist the younger members of the family, so they get to discover processes and results together.

4. Lab anywhere! As homeschoolers, we enjoy the benefit of being able to “work” anywhere. The Techie Microscope and the Pocket Microscope are certainly fun to have when spending time outdoors.

What my kids think about Lab in a Box:

We were given the opportunity to try the Electronics Kit and the Biology Kit. I can’t remember the last time I peeked into the wonders of the world through a microscope, so it was a whole new experience for me. I confess I had to try very hard to patiently wait for my turn to use the Pocket and Techie Microscopes.

Cole on the Electronics Kit: Papa has taught me a few things about electronics and I believe it's one of the very important things to learn. During the Makerspace event, it was so much fun learning how to create a circuit board. It helped me understand electricity and basic electric circuitry faster than just reading them from the book.

Attika on the Biology Kit: I wondered why a microscope had a glass in front of it. I liked it so much because it's like having super powers! I could see tiny things. My skin looked strange under the microscope!

Jeepneed is Driving Education. Learn more about them here.

CURE FOR MONDAYS IS A WOMEN'S BLOG, BEST HOMESCHOOL WEBSITE, FAMILY ISSUES BLOG, HOMESCHOOL PROBLEMS, SOCIALIZATION, INSPIRATION, MANILA MOMMY BLOGGER, SAHM, ASIAN HOMESCHOOLER, BLOGGYS 2015 WINNER, BENEFITS OF BEING A STAY-AT-HOME-MOM, WORK FROM HOME, BEST JOB, HIGH-PAYING JOB, TOP CAREER, PRACTICAL GUIDE TO HOMESCHOOLING, makerspace pilipinas, jeepneed, hoemschool science class, home laboratory, lab in a box, mini microscope, fun science lessons, the mind museum bgc

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, by Frances Beldia

Spaces

Homeschool Classroom: Decorating Your Home on a Budget

The moment we get settled in to a new home, the first thing each of us does is to find a spot we strongly connect to. Mine would always be by a window, while my husband needs the most quiet corner because of his virtual meetings. Both kids, although they have their own rooms to mess with, share a common learning area. That way they can share ideas, and Cole, being the older sibling, can read stories to Attika and give her painting lessons from time to time. The bickering may not stop on some days, but for as long as they hug and say their “I love yous” before hitting the sack, I’m fine with that.

We are a home-based family. We homeschool, we work from home and run a business from home, so we need functional spaces where we can do our responsibilities without feeling like everything is work. People get curious when we say we homeschool and want to know how our “school” looks like. I’m giving you a glimpse of our working spaces at home, but first, I’d like to answer some of the questions I have been asked recently.

Is it important to have individual working spaces at home?

Yes. It is important, although you should not let the idea of creating work spaces at home intimidate you. The idea of spending time together at home is wonderful, but we all work on different things and projects, which all require a physical space where we can accomplish them.

Do we need to personalize work spaces?

The choice is yours. We encouraged our kids to personalize their desks to make them feel comfortable and so they can claim a space that they can call their own. Deciding what to put on their desks and decorating them was a jolt to their creativity.

Cole painted an old teapot for Attika's pen organizer

It is also easier to keep track of their learning activities and having their own desks means having the responsibility of cleaning up and making sure things are in order. Seeing neat desks most of the time though is being too optimistic in our case because Cole paints and Attika is a very “busy” five-year-old girl.

I like to work on a clean desk and my husband gets more creative with mess and creates more with the mess that he makes. My best friend OCD is not friends with him, so we have to have separate working areas where he won’t constantly be battling with my nosy friend.

Does it mean we have to spend more for home improvement?

Definitely not! We put the reduce, reuse, recycle principle into practice. Unless you want to and if you have squeezed it in your budget, you don’t need to hire people to create your work areas. Any home improvement project that does not require the expertise of carpenters, electricians, plumber, etc., is a good way of spending quality time with your family. Take time to plan specific projects with them like adding shelves in a corner or painting old desks. It would help to create a timeline. If the kids are old enough to take on small home improvement projects, discuss who will be responsible for what. This is a good way to teach kids basic project planning.

All of the carpentry work at home were done by Alex and Cole. Alex started teaching Cole basic carpentry at the age of 10. The paint job in their study area were also mostly done by Cole.

Remember that the word is "personal" not "grand". It's a space that grows with you, a space that says you.

What if we don’t have enough space at home?

The kitchen is always a good area to study and do projects. Or the living room. Or the floor somewhere. No matter how small your home is, there will always be that spot where you can study or let your creativity flow. If you have to share a common space, just remember to keep the place tidy so the rest of the family can also use the space without wasting time tidying up. Remind the kids to keep the house in order because studies show that a tidy, clean house attracts more positive energy.

We have also worked and studied in kitchens and hallways and it doesn’t matter. Don’t let 'not having enough space' stop you from being productive and from creating memories in that beautiful space you call home. Still, the most important thing is the abundance of love and support that we give our children. I like being best friends with my family, and even if it means not being able to control half-screams sometimes -- because we’re humans in a real world -- we know that we have each other’s backs at all times.

Our "classroom", our home, our playground

Welcome to our “classroom” where everything is refurbished, reused, recycled. The old jars sitting in our storage have become pen holders; old frames (which we bought from a flea market seven years ago) have been repurposed into cork board frames; boxes of sorts were made into paint brush holders. Other things you might find here are repainted letter holders, chipped-off teapots, organizers made from old newspapers, Attika's old boot-turned-flower-vase, old shoe box repurposed as desk organizer and curios that we have collected over the years.

Cole's and Attika's desks used to be our old dining table, which the boys cut in half and turned into study tables. A little bit of carpentry work and viola!

Cole's Corner

Attika's Corner

Cole and Attika's shared space

The "classroom" occupies the space under Cole's customized loft bed (meaning, it's also DIY). Alex thought it would be great to hang a hammock that can be easily detached on one side and hung on the other side (like you would a shirt) if not in use, for anyone who wants to read, watch the sky or just lie around on lazy days. We sometimes miss life on the island and this is the closest thing that brings us back to that time when we lived and homeschooled in Boracay Island for a year.

The stairs leading up to Cole's bed is our old aluminum multipurpose ladder that also doubles as a book organizer. The ladder is still being used around the house for the occasional lightbulb changes and other purposes.

Alex's Nook

Alex's desk, storage, man cave and sometimes Attika's "playground"

Alex converted our old bench into his desk. I love all the accents that he used for his nook. We have an obsession for house decorating, refurbishing and repurposing old stuff, so we only throw away things that can't be saved anymore. We may argue and fight a little about nitty-gritty details of how to decorate our house, but we always end up compromising and being happy with the result of our projects.

Meet our old friend, a leopard named Tiger

My space

The old-ish mommy nook

My desk is one of the antique panels with Capiz shells that have traveled with us to many different houses. Alex attached it to a tree trunk, yes a real one, that our old neighbor in Antipolo cut from his backyard and was about to send for garbage disposal. Our heads popped up behind his backyard fence and asked him if we could have it instead, without the slightest idea what to do with it. I like keeping knickknacks within my reach, so I have a plate of stones that friends picked up for me from different places. Alex picked up interesting looking stones from the beach in Brighton, UK, for Cole and I asked if I could use them to decorate my desk. Most of the things that you see on my desk are gifts from different people.

The only novel item at my nook is the bar chair that we had customized. I have gotten the "but how can you stay long on that chair when it doesn't look that comfortable like an office chair?" reaction from guests. I tell them I did that on purpose to remind me to take a breather and do stretching as often as I can.

One more thing in the kids shared space is Attika's ballet bar for home practice...and for momentary sampayan (clothes rod).

CURE FOR MONDAYS IS A WOMEN'S BLOG, BEST HOMESCHOOL WEBSITE, FAMILY ISSUES BLOG, HOMESCHOOL PROBLEMS, SOCIALIZATION, INSPIRATION, MANILA MOMMY BLOGGER, SAHM, ASIAN HOMESCHOOLER, BLOGGYS 2015 WINNER, BENEFITS OF BEING A STAY-AT-HOME-MOM, WORK FROM HOME, BEST JOB, decorating home on a budget, repurposing house items, carpentry for kids, project management, projects for kids, fun kids activities, antiques at home

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, by Frances Beldia

Travel

Sea, No Evil: Mommy Beach Break

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, by Frances Beldia

event

Announcing the Winner of Ticket Giveaway!

A warm thanks and congratulations to Mr. Allan Sarion for winning one ticket to "Building Blocks of Homeschooling" happening on December 9, 2016 at the Sunlife Center Bonifacio Global City.

Allan wrote...

"The article "What is the Best Homeschooling Approach?" which was published last September 11, 2015 has been helpful to me because the time when I came across that blog post, it was when I and my wife Lyn were asking ourselves if homeschooling will work for us. The article served as a primer for us on how we will go about our HS journey.

This year, my daughter Eana is on her Kinder-1 level. Looking at how she gain knowledge and learn new skills so far kind of affirmed that HS is something that our family can pursue.

But we still feel that we are on our square one stage. As the saying goes, "Marami pang kakaining bigas" or "Papunta pa lang kami". We still need to attend seminars and read more materials on HS. And of course, visiting websites like Cure for Mondays is a good habit to have for added guidance from HS parents who have "been there" already.

I hope we'll be lucky enough to win the ticket to "Building Blocks of Homeschooling" Seminar.

Have a nice day!"

Who doesn't have a soft spot for hands-on, homeschooling-enthusiast dads?

It was a heartwarming experience to read e-mails from readers and to know that we have somehow helped people in one way or another throughout these years. I got the hubby and the kids involved, so it was not just me who decided who the winner should be.

I would like to sincerely thank all those who sent e-mails. A lot of moms also expressed the desire to go to the event, but their tight schedules just won't permit them. Let's just continue inspiring each other. Light and love to everyone!

CURE FOR MONDAYS IS A WOMEN'S BLOG, BEST HOMESCHOOL WEBSITE, FAMILY ISSUES BLOG, HOMESCHOOL PROBLEMS, SOCIALIZATION, INSPIRATION, MANILA MOMMY BLOGGER, SAHM, ASIAN HOMESCHOOLER, BLOGGYS 2015 WINNER, BENEFITS OF BEING A STAY-AT-HOME-MOM, WORK FROM HOME, BEST JOB, HIGH-PAYING JOB, TOP CAREER, TICKET GIVEAWAY, MANILA HOMESCHOOL SEMINAR, MARICEL LAXA-PANGILINAN, PRACTICAL GUIDE TO HOMESCHOOLING, ticket giveaway winner

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, by Frances Beldia

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Homeschooling Seminar: Ticket Giveaway!

Beginning a homeschooling year sounds like a colossal mission -- and it is. If you haven’t started homeschooling yet and are planning to do so in the near future, you have to know that through and through it will be challenging and fun and tiring and exciting. The best part about it is getting to spend more time with your family and being there for your children as their main influencer.

There are several different approaches to homeschooling and you can find some of the most popular ones here. Whichever approach you think best suits your family, and whether you choose to do it independently or enroll in a homeschool-affiliated program, it is best to keep on learning and to keep on finding inspiration as you go along the way.

I have been getting messages from dedicated moms who are interested in homeschooling, but don’t know where or how to start. I was exactly at the same point five years ago. One way of preparing yourself is to do in-depth research (I mentioned that in the article “Working Mom to SAHM to Homeschooling Mom”) and interview homeschooling families and know more about their personal experiences as a homeschooling family. Another way would be to attend seminars that will help you learn from experts.

The Master's Lighthouse Foundation headed by Mr. Anthony Pangilinan invited me to a public seminar called Building Blocks of Homeschooling happening on December 9, 2016. After five years of homeschooling we are continuing to reap the benefits of educating our children at home, and we want nothing more but for families to experience the same.

That is why I would love to take you to...

Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan

Learn from no less than homeschooling experts Dr. Donna Simpao and Ms. Felichi Buizon, with the special participation of Ms. Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan. This is a rare opportunity for us to know more about foundational and practical guides to homeschooling, so make sure you mark this event on your calendar.

The registration fee to Building Blocks of Homeschooling is PhP 2,500 and I’m giving it to you for free! Just e-mail me and tell me which homeschooling article at Cure for Mondays has been helpful to you and why.

I will pick ONE (1) winner between now and Wednesday, December 7, 2016. Announcement of winner will be on December 7, 2016 at 5 P.M.

Waiting for your e-mails! You can keep your e-mail either sweet and short or long and engaging. You decide. I'm just here to find the worthy one. Blessed be!