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    • sight words
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    • books
    • comprehension
      • activating schema
      • connecting
      • inferring
      • predicting
      • questioning
      • retelling / summarizing
      • visualizing
    • concepts of print
    • environmental print
    • fluency
    • non-fiction
    • spelling
    • word building
    • word consciousness
    • vocabulary
  • writing
    • creative writing
    • grammar
    • informative writing
    • tripod grip
  • math
    • computation
    • counting
    • numbers
  • science
    • animals
    • plants
    • science experiments for kids
  • Activities
    • birthdays
    • cooking
      • new for us foods
    • crafts
    • foundations
      • colors
      • critical thinking
      • fine arts
      • listening
      • pretend play
      • sorting
      • speaking
    • holidays
      • new year’s
      • valentine’s day
      • president’s day
      • st. patrick’s day
      • april fool’s day
      • easter
      • mother’s day
      • teacher appreciation
      • father’s day
      • july 4th
      • halloween
      • thanksgiving
      • christmas
    • family life
      • family fun
      • giving back
      • lunchbox love notes
      • school
    • indoor activities
    • outdoor activities
  • digital literacy
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new for us friday: SitterScout = more ME time!

home / family life / parenting / new for us friday: SitterScout = more ME time!
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Parenting is a pretty hard gig. A very hard gig.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it every day because it’s so true. Anyone who tells you otherwise is totally lying.

And just when you think you’ve got things under control, somebody throws you for a loop.

Your first kiddo was a napping, sleeping dream; your second was a nightmare, spending more hours awake than you ever thought possible.

Your second one required tight swaddle to sleep–your third kicked it off from day one. Two kids who refused pacifiers, and the third wants to marry hers.

One kid is a crafty-crafter and willing artist, the other makes preschool teachers worry because he won’t draw as much as a circle on a piece of paper. One is meticulous in everything she does, and the other couldn’t give a hoot about detail, neatness, or cleanliness. A dirt-lover and a water lover. Two early teethers, and one who waited over a year for the first tooth to pop through. Some like fruit, one refuses fruit, each kiddo nurses differently, learns differently, grows differently.

It’s hard. Really hard. So I am a firm believer that some things have to be made easy.

This New For Us Friday, I’m sharing something that I have found takes one thing off of a busy mom’s (or dad’s) plate. It’s a little something that makes this parenting gig just a tad easier.

Here’s the skinny. . .

  • SitterScout: SitterScout is a tool that works from any smartphone (or on your computer) to help you book your existing babysitters faster, by instantly contacting the sitters you choose and enabling the sitters to respond via text messaging.

Setting up SitterScout took literally three minutes. . .

 

. . . and before I knew it I received a happy confirmation email!

SitterScout doesn’t find you sitters–and that is something I love about this service. I don’t need any new sitters; I have a handful whom I trust and whom the kids adore, and for that I am extremely grateful. SitterScout helps you schedule your babysitters–the ones you already have.

SitterScout ‘gifts’ me a few minutes. It eliminates the time it takes to call the sitter’s home or cell, the return call, the phone tag, the figuring out of ‘Plan B’ if the first sitter doesn’t work out. When getting out of the house is the hard part, it makes locking in a sitter the easy part.

And I know that sounds simple, but honestly, I’ll take anything–anything!–I can get as far as ‘me time’ is concerned because, quite frankly, I don’t get a whole lot of it at this point in my life.

I tried SitterScout for the first time a few weeks ago, when I was scheduling a sitter for a night out for my husband and some friends, and I was thrilled at how easy it was.

Very simply, I:

  1. Signed up at: http://www.sitterscout.com (I signed in using my Facebook account);
  2. I entered my sitters’ names, cell numbers, and emails (emails only if I had them);
  3. I added a ‘job’ — the date and timeframe for time I needed a sitter;
  4. I chose my ‘Round 1′ and ‘Round 2’ sitter choices;
  5. I clicked ‘Finished’;
  6. I waited for my sitter to be booked!

Within an hour or so, I received a notice on my phone and via email that I had a sitter (woo-hoo!) and it took no time at all to make the plans!! Yay! I was going out! It may have been days and days away, but I. Was. Going. Out!

I happened to see the very same sitter I booked the very same afternoon I booked her as Cora and I walked up to school to pick up Maddy and Owen, and we laughed when we saw each other.

Kinda crazy that we made plans for this weekend but we never really said a word to each other, huh? Is that totally weird, or is it okay with you? I asked her. I’m so tech-savvy that sometimes I am in awe of myself. . . No really, someone told me about this site and I thought I’d try it. Is it okay?

Yeah, Mrs. Mascott. It’s funny–kinda surprised me at first, but it was actually a really cool service, she said. I like it.

So do I, my friend. So do I. . .

See you Saturday night! I said, smiling big.

And that’s it–a super-simple, totally cool and *FREE!* service that gives me a few extra minutes of time to myself–or time with my husband or friends or whomever. Believe it, friends. It’s F-R-E-E. No giveaway this week. Nothing. Zip. Nada. Why? Because this week, EVERYONE WINS!

You can add multiple parents. Love it. (So maybe my husband will schedule a surprise date night?!) You can add messages to sitters. You can send certain sitters messages. Love, love it.

Feel free to try out SitterScout and let me know what you think! What will YOU do with your ‘gifted’ few minutes? Your ‘ME’ time? Does it make your life any easier?

fyi: I was asked to write about this service as part of a Splash Creative Media campaign on behalf of SitterScout.com. All opinions are my own, influenced only by my own desperate need for occasional ME time and date nights and girls’ nights out and yoga classes or trips to the salon or gym. But honestly? I am surprised at how easy this was and how happy it made me to use it.

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About amy mascott

teacher, mother, dreamer. lover of literacy, fun learning, good food, and three crazy-cool kids. finder of four-leaf clovers | dc metro ยท http://about.me/amymascott
tweet with me: @teachmama

Previous Post:meet THE melissa of melissa & doug!
Next Post:number hunt 2.0: hide, seek, and name numbers!number hunt | play with numbers | teachmama.com

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hereโ€™s the link that will get you AN ADDITIONAL 15% off โ€”> zulily.gfpv.net/JrDdbE

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#ad #linkinbio #besttoysforkids #dealoftheday

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THE perfect gift for the tweens and teens in your life: zulily.gfpv.net/gb2NAA

@zulily #ad #giftsfortweens #giftsforteens
View
Open
Celebrate, we will! โ€˜Cause life is short but sweet for certain. . . 

What a weekend. So incredibly proud of all of these talented athletes!

๐Ÿ† 3rd in the state of Maryland for @sherwoodcheerleading ๐Ÿ’™๐Ÿค

UMD Womenโ€™s Basketball won todayโ€” great job by @marylandcheer โค๏ธ๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿ–ค

#lovethesegirls #cheerweekend #marylandlife #lifeinmaryland #moco
View
Open
This Sugarfina Advent Calendar is what your teens want. 

$33 shipped TO YOUR DOOR w my 10% off and FREE SHIPPING!

Normally itโ€™s $60! 

I have been sharing my fave, super-COOL, Advent Calendars for teens and adults in my stories today!

This one right here was ours from last year, and we โค๏ธ LOVED it!

It is made by @sugarfina and each day we were surprised with FABULOUS sweet treats! 

Good-bye to the ole, crappy, tinfoil chocolates. Weโ€™re taking fun, new, and different candies each day of the month!

Grab it here: zulily.gfpv.net/MX9Ngn

#linkinbio @zulily #adventcalendars #adventforteens
View
Open
Hey #MoCo Voters, Itโ€™s #ElectionDay2022! 

Do you need a ride to the polls? If you do, @VOTE411 and @lyft has got you covered! 

So, #NoExcuses. Get out there and make your voice heard!

#VotePlan #VoteReady #expectus #MomsDemandAction #appleballot #MCEA
View
Open
Get out and VOTE. 

Please. 

Not sure where to vote? https://www.vote.org/polling-place-locator/

#midtermelections #getoutandvote๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ #linkinbio
View
Open
Did you have a chance to join my IG live today?

It was a rainy, gross Sunday here in Maryland, and I shared one of my top picks for the holidaysโ€”> LEGO but for BIG KIDS. 

Or GRANDPARENTS. 

Or PARENTS. 

Actually ANY grown-up who likes to unplug once in a while and CREATE. 

I showed how I was doing with the LEGO Flower Bouquet (๐ŸŒท๐ŸŒบ๐Ÿ’๐ŸŒผ) and how many other awesome sets are 15% off and FREE SHIPPING (yayyyyy!!) over on @zulily ๐Ÿ’œ. 

Check it out. Theyโ€™ve got a ton of sets to choose from, like 
Marvel, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Friends, Disney, Mario Brosโ€”you name it. 

Find them here: https://zulily.gfpv.net/jWqkmn

Fab prices + free shipping = BIG WIN. 

#linkinbio #ad #LEGOforgrownups #everyonelovesLEGO #holidaypicks
View
Open
LEGO at 15% off and FREE SHIPPING! 

Check out the AWESOME set that is PERFECT for teens, grandparents, and ANY grownup who likes to create! 

This bouquet will last forever!

๐ŸŒผ๐ŸŒท๐ŸŒบ๐Ÿ’

Use this link โ€”> zulily.gfpv.net/jWqkmn

#bestgiftsforkids #grandparentgifts #ad #LEGOforgrownups @zulily
View
Open
WHAT HAS ARRIVED FROM @zulily !?

Since Zulily carries such a vast array of items, it could be ANYthing: 

๐Ÿ’œ boutique-style clothes or shoes

๐Ÿค brand-name clothing & shoes

๐Ÿ’œ toys

๐Ÿค books or magazines 

๐Ÿ’œ pantry items, snacks, & treats

๐Ÿค haircare or cosmetics 

๐Ÿ’œ pet toys, treats, or accessories 

๐Ÿค personalized gifts

๐Ÿ’œ houseplants, seeds, or bulbs

๐Ÿค basics for kids through adults

๐Ÿ’œ craft supplies and kits

๐Ÿค furniture or home goods

๐Ÿ’œ designer handbags, sunglasses, or belts

๐Ÿค luxury items and gifts

๐Ÿ’œ sports equipment 

๐Ÿค sports gear for ALL fansโ€”NFL, MLB, NCAA, you name it

๐Ÿ’œ small appliances & kitchen items

๐Ÿค towels, sheets, blankets, linens

๐Ÿ’œ home storage & organization items

๐Ÿค coats, hats, scarves 

๐Ÿ’œ just about anything you can imagine!

Follow my stories for the deals and steals for families and educators, or check the Zulily Highlight!

Especially nowโ€”as we move into the exciting holiday seasonโ€”I will more frequently share items, and they will MOVE QUICKLY! 

So make sure you are checking in regularly, and pleaseโ€”if you are looking for specific items and a specific price point, let me know! 

I am happy to do some research to help you out!

๐Ÿ’œ๐Ÿค๐Ÿ’œ๐Ÿค๐Ÿ’œ

#zulilypartner #linkinbio #ad #holiday #giftgiving bestgifts

Want to check it out for yourself? zulily.gfpv.net/teachmama
View
Open
๐ŸŸฆ๐ŸŸฅ๐ŸŸฉ๐ŸŸจ

THE best toy for kidsโ€”and classrooms!โ€”is on sale right now. 

The 101-piece PicassoTile Building Set (WITH CARRYING CASE!)
is only $34.99 on Zulily WITH an extra 15% off!

Stock upโ€”think: teachers, daycare providers, classrooms!
AND birthdays, holidays or rainy days!

This is a toy that I cannot recommend highly enoughโ€”perfect for littles through elemor middle school. 

From a tween I know and love: The *click* of the magnetic blocks is so satisfying, and honestly, theyโ€™re just really fun and relaxing to use. 

๐ŸŸฆ๐ŸŸช๐ŸŸง๐ŸŸฉ

hereโ€™s the link that will get you AN ADDITIONAL 15% off โ€”> zulily.gfpv.net/JrDdbE

And remember: FREE SHIPPING ON orders of $89+

#ad #linkinbio #besttoysforkids #dealoftheday

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