What's Safe? What's Not?

Every dog owner wants their pup to be safe, and that includes eating safe foods. We all know is a bad idea:
  
So why do we do it?
Truth is human food isn't all bad. In fact, it can even be beneficial for dogs! The trick is to know what human foods are good for Fido, and when you need to just stick to dog food. Just remember: Too much human food at once can be too much for your dog. Moderation is best!

Apples- Apples are good, with plenty of fiber, vitamin A, and vitamin C. Apple slice help freshen the breath, which is a big win! Make sure to take out the seeds and core, because they can be choking hazards. You may want to try skinless apple slices, just in case.

Mint- A couple leaves of mint, spearmint, or peppermint sprinkled into the dog dish can help freshen your dog's breath and help with digestion.

Eggs- Eggs have a lot of protein, but also a LOT of fat. Though the occasional bite may not hurt anybody, it's best to just stay away.

Carrots- Carrots are high and fiber and chewing on them could be helpful for the teeth. I recommend slicing carrot slices while training your dog to do a trick. That way, you'll have multiple mini treats, and your dog will really WANT to sit!

Butter- Butter is a big no-no!  fat is bad for dogs, so try to stay away from butter in general.

Onions- Pet Health Zone says "Onions contain an ingredient called thiosulphate which is toxic to cats and dogs. The ingestion of onions causes a condition called hemolytic  anemia, which is characterized by damage to the red blood cells. Onion toxicity can cause the red blood cells circulating through your pet's body to burst." Okay, so did anyone just shudder in horror there? I did. Let's just go ahead and say we shouldn't feed dogs onions. 

Rice- Rice is pretty much okay for dogs. However, a lot of butter and salt mixed in isn't. Ultimatehomelife.com came up with this recipe for cooking healthy rice for dogs:
1. Fill one cup of rice 
2. Put (in) 4 cups of water
3. Boil for 20-30 minutes

4. When it's done boiling and has properly cooled off, take some and mix it with other dog food or meat and feed it to your dog

Garlic- Garlic is very toxic to cats and dogs.

Peanut butter- Peanut butter is too high in sugar to be healthy for your pup. Need a better alternative? Kolchakpuggle.com has you covered! Click here for 5 Dog Friendly Alternatives to Peanut Butter.

That's all for know! Have a fantastic day!

The Selection by Kiera Cass

The Selection by Kiera Cass is about a beautiful girl named America. In Illéa, society is organized into castes, based on fame, wealth, power, etc. The first caste is the royal family; the second are inventors; Threes are doctors, dentists, writers, scientists, etc.; Fours are businessmen; Fives are actors, singers, painters, dancers, and circus performers; Sixes are inside workers, Sevens outside; and Eights Untouchables: homeless people, unwell people, addicts, and runaways. America is a Five, so there's hardly ever enough food to eat. Aspen is the one thing that keeps her going. But when a Selection is announced to find a wife for Prince Maxon, America's mother pressures her to enter. But America doesn't love Prince Maxon, she loves Aspen! But are America and Aspen really meant to be? Will rebel attacks prevail? Will Prince Maxon turn out to be not what America thought? 

Awkward

Awkward is about a girl named Penelope (Pippi). On the first day at her new school, her papers go flying everywhere. AWKWARD! Even more awkward? When a kind boy tries to help Pippi pick up her stuff, she pushes him aside.Ever since that terrible first day, she's been traumatized that the boy hates her. She tries to apologize, really she does! She just keeps chickening out. Besides, he's with the art club's greatest enemy . . . the science club!When the art club and science club battle for a school fair table, Pippi's caught in the crossfire! Can the art club win? Can Pippi apologize to the boy? Or will everything just be . . . AWKWARD?

Sorry I haven't posted the last couple days, go ahead and blame it all on Christmas. Christmas! That's a word you just have to put an exclamation mark after.
So . . . how was your holidays? Does your family partake in any traditions? We eat the most amazing butterscotch coffee cake for breakfast while listening to the Christmas story. We open presents in the morning, and stockings in the afternoon. What order do you open presents in? Any funny stories? Tell us in comments! And then go enjoy your family this holiday season!

'Beautiful Blue World'

                                                           


'Beautiful Blue World' is a story of young Mathilde while Sofarende is at war. Her family does not have much to eat, and aerials often appear in the searchlights. An opportunity for Mathilde's safety is offered. If Mathilde passes an exam, she will be in charge of the army, who will do anything they can do to protect her. Or so they say. Her family will get lots of money, along with weekly pays, and she is a promised a university education later on. It could save her, but could kill her.
Mathilde knows she probably won't be chosen. She's the youngest in the age range of test takers, and her best friend Megs is brilliant. She decides to take the chance.
It's a strange test, and Mathilde passes. She's taken to a strange school, knowing she will not see her family or Megs again, and isn't allowed to even write to them.
The "school's" children play strange games at playtime and have odd assignments. Soon, Mathilde gets an unusual assignment of her own. Can she help stop the war?

  Am I the only one who can read the books on my bookshelf over and over every night and never get tired of them? Is it so bad that I rotate between three books for read-alouds? Strawberry Shortcake and the Big Balloon Race never gets old!
  I know you can have bibliomania, but can you have oldbibliomania? Is that possible? Because if it is, I believe I have it. My social relations with the people reading these same books are being damaged.
  If you aren't a fellow old bibliomaniac, surely you just haven't read the right books. To help you out, I've listed a couple myself.

Strawberry Shortcake and the Big Balloon Race is a story with the classic Strawberry Shortcake. Strawberry and the other kids in Strawberryland celebrate the first harvest of strawberries with a big balloon race, but the evil Purple Pieman and his birds try to steal their crop!

                                                              

Bread and jam for Frances is about young Frances who won't eat anything but bread and jam. So her parents hatch a plan. Can Frances live on bread and jam forever? (This is a good book to read to picky eaters.

                               

The Princess Who Wore Glasses and The Patch are both books about girls with glasses or eye patches. The Princess Who Wore Glasses is about Princess Liana, who the queen and king find out can't see very far away. Liana can't see the birds in the tree or the stars in the sky! Liana's parents want to help her, so they take her to see the court magician, who gives her a stunning pair of glasses. The Patch features Becca, who has amblyopia, or lazy eye, and must wear an eye patch and glasses. Dismayed and embarrassed, Becca tells adventurous tales to her friends about why she's wearing them instead of the real reason. After reading these books, you'll find eye patches and glasses aren't so bad after all!

                                            

In Ruthie and the (Not So) Teeny Tiny Lie, Ruthie LOVES teeny tiny treasures. One day at recess, when Ruthie was twirling on the twirling bar, she spotted an minuscule camera. Ruthie adores it! But her classmate, Martin, claims it's his! Laura Rankin says it perfectly: "But Ruthie wanted that teeny tiny camera in the worst way." So she lies. A little one. Or is it?

These are just a couple! What are the books you read over and over? Tell us in comments!

   

Bridge to Terabithia: The Movie

 

The movie Bridge to Terabithia, starring AnnaSophia Robb and Josh Hutcherson

 The movie Bridge to Terabithia is rated PG. The Goodreads review of the book says, "Jess Aarons' greatest ambition is to be the fastest runner in his grade. He's been practicing all summer and can't wait to see his classmates' faces when he beats them all. But on the first day of school, a new girl boldly crosses over to the boys' side and outruns everyone. That's not a very promising beginning for a friendship, but Jess and Leslie Burke become inseparable. Together they create Terabithia, a magical kingdom in the woods where the two of them reign as king and queen, and their imaginations set the only limits." It's pretty kid-friendly, but there is a death, so you may need to prepare the younger watchers. Our class read the book before watching the movie, so that's an option as well. Bridge to Terabithia is a terrific movie, great for a pizza and movie night!

                                                          

Ever since I checked this out from the library, I've read it many times, picking out my favorite scenes and witty conversations. A good book is a book that you can enjoy while you read, but a great book is a book that you can enjoy over and over again. Nola has been neighbors with the Swift boys forever, but she's still never told them she saw their daddy leave. Nola and the boys, chatty Kevin, serious, but always allowing her to tag along Brian, and her best friend Canaan, have always been great friends. But after Mr. Swift leaves, Brian too leaves home, Canaan starts hanging out with a couple of bullies, Kevin stops talking, and Nola sets out on quest to find their dad. Will Mr. Swift come home? Will Nola find Brian? Will Kevin start talking again? And will Nola ever get her best friend back? The Swift Boys & Me is an enthralling story that will surely sweep you off your feet.

Don't Throw the Pen Away Yet!

It's a beautiful day . . . I played in the snow a couple days ago  . . . the sun is smiling . . . I'm smiling . . . I WON NANOWRIMO!

*pant, pant* Isn't it wonderful? I wrote a total of 22, 788 words, which is a LOT for me. Who else did it? Whether you won or not, there's something about wiping that smirk off the graph that says you  have a long while to go. And you participants did go a long, long way. 

Every day of November, I sat down at the computer and wrote. Sometimes words plunked out every minute or two and sometimes it was fast and furious. But I wrote.

Now that it's December, I haven't been writing. I'll do the occasional school writing assignment and, you know, there's always Christmas cards. But I haven't really been writing. I mean, come on, it's Christmas time! At least, that's the excuse the little voice in my head tells me. So how do I, in the middle of all that chaos, really write?

One thing that really kept me going in November was goals. Goals that everyone would be asking me if I reached, people I would hate to tell them that I failed, to hear their sympathetic coos. Because sympathetic has the word pathetic in it, and I would feel pathetic. And who likes that? So here's the deal: we are going to push through together. In this week, write a short story. Write a confession. Write a poem. Write a pep talk. Write. 

Another great thing with NaNoWriMo was that people were encouraging me. People online, my family, and everyone I could possibly tell what I was doing. So encourage each other! In the comments, tell each other success stories, failures you learned from, and just plain encouragement. 'Cause us writers need someone to rally us on. Be that someone like someone else was for you! 

Don't stare at the computer screen any longer. Go write!

"Tools and Turf"

I read in a writing book that it is very important to have the right "tools and turf" when you write. K. M. Weiland wrote a wonderful blog post titled 20 Christmas Gifts for Writers That Should Be On Your List, which includes some truly awesome gifts, including desk foot hammocks, a note dashboard for your computer, and Jane Austen socks. Christmas is coming up, so get out there and put a foot heaven device on your wish list!
K. M. Weiland has written many books, including Dreamlander, which is currently free on Amazon.

How To Improve Writing Elementary School Style Part 2

Hi! I'm back today with a How To Improve Writing Elementary School Style Part 2. Today, we're going to be exploring figurative language and different types of sentences. Get ready to rock and roll!

Different Types of Sentences

Take a look at these two excerpts. 

1. 

"I don't know why you thought it was okay."

"I made a mistake. I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well, I don't think we can be friends anymore."

"Drama queen. I want a soda."

2.

"I don't know why you thought it was okay!"

"I know! I know! I made a mistake! I'm sorry! Now can you please get over it?"

"Yeah, well, I don't think we can be friends anymore."

"Drama queen. Now get me a soda."

Which one is more interesting to read? The second one, right? What do you think makes it so? One reason could be different kinds of sentences. Take a look at these different kinds:

1. Interrogative

2. Declarative

3. Exclamatory

4. Imperative

If you're going whaaaat, hang on! Let's break this down. Interrogative is the question sentence, like: "Now can you please get over it?" Hmm . . . let's see what could help us remember . . . cake! What would you do if you were at a birthday party and someone announced that you were going to eat interrogative cake, instead of vanilla or chocolate? Ask questions, right? That can help you remember that interrogative (cake) has questions. A declarative sentence is a statement. Often, writing can tend to be lots and lots of declarative sentences, like the first example did. You need to have a variety! Some examples of declarative sentences are: "Yeah, well, I don't think we can be friends anymore," and "Drama queen." Do you know why "Now get me a soda" is NOT a declarative sentence? Because it's imperative! Not all sentences that end with a period are declarative. Do you know anyone bossy? An employee or friend? Maybe it is yourself! People who are sometimes bossy like to be in charge and sometimes they give commands. An imperative sentence is a command. It doesn't matter if you say please, if your mom is telling you to clean up your room, or if you are on your knees and begging. It's still declarative! Picking apart these two sentences can be a little tricky. Have you ever asked two people the same thing and got two of the same kind of answers? Well, that could be just the thing to help you remember.  If you were asking them about wanting an apple, the conversation could go like this:
Donald Declarative:
"Yeah. Apples are nice. I really want one." 
Izzy Imperative:
"Ooohh . . . please get one."
The difference between the two are that Donald Declarative is simply stating facts- he wants an apple. Izzy Imperative, however, is asking you to go get her one. Exclamatory sentences get excited! Often, they end in exclamation points! Like! I! Am! Right! Now! Can't you just see this sentence jumping up and down on a pogo stick? An example of exclamatory sentences from our example are: "I know! I know! I made a mistake!" A sentence to help you remember this could be: "Edna Exclamatory is often in fits of ecstasy."

Want to practice more? Print a worksheet, lesson, and other printables here for some more practice.


Figurative Language

There are lots of figurative language. Today, we are going to be discussing similes, metaphors, personification, onomatopoeia, idioms, and hyperboles. You ready?

Section 1: Similes and Metaphors
Similes and metaphors both compare one thing to another. However, a metaphor says that the thing we are comparing to something else is that thing, while simile compares it using "like" or "as." If we were comparing a hot day at the beach to the Sahara desert, a metaphor would say something like: "The Saturday morning at the beach was the Sahara desert." Our clue that this is a metaphor instead of a simile is the word was. The words was and is are key words for metaphors. If it was a simile, it could say something like: "The Saturday morning at the beach was like the Sahara desert." Our clue that this is a simile is the word like. Like and as are key words for similes. 

Section 2: Personification
Look at the word personification closely. What do you see? If you just try to pronounce it like it's spelled, you'll say "person." That's because we are turning the item we are talking about into a "person!" Let's pretend we were talking about the wind. "The wind blew around us" is boring. "The wind danced and spun around us, knocking us off our feet" is an example of personification and sounds more interesting.

Section 3: Onomatopoeia
Though "onomatopoeia" is a big word, you've heard it a lot of times before. Onomatopoeia are sound words, like BAM!, POP!, and hiss. Onomatopoeia is a great way to start stories and chapters. 

Section 4: Idioms and Hyperboles
Hyperboles are exaggerations. "The speech went on forever" and "I have a billon things to do" are both examples of hyperboles. Of course it isn't true, but it can make reading more fun for your audience. 
Idioms are not like exaggerations, they actually don 't mean what they say. "Penny for your thoughts" doesn't mean they're actually going to give you a penny if you tell them what you're thinking (if it did, we'd make them change it to a dollar), it means they want to know what you are thinking.

Figurative language is a terrific way to make your writing more fun to read!


Hope you enjoyed the post! Tell me in the comments what you think. I love hearing back from my readers!

Three! by Tia Perkin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a great (and very realistic) book about whats it's like to spend a day with a 3 year old. I'm amazed Tia Perkins could write this with THREE three year olds. Whew.
It was a very sweet, funny book that makes for a wonderful read aloud. I especially liked the part where the mom tells the boy no more water in the tub and when the dad steps on the little red train. We all know those stories! I got this as a free book for an honest review. This is a quick read good for younger children. Overall, great book!