One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a serious case of FOMO on the daily, gets hiccups more than anyone we know and has perpetual bed head. She’s quite the unique roommate but may be exactly what our home needed. 💛
I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw th I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw that @njdotcom had picked six bagel shops at the “best in the state,” and one was reasonably local, all the sudden I needed one. I was never one to fall prey to peer pressure, but I’m very definitely a marketer’s dream. 😂 Alfa Bagels is on Route 10 in Randolph and has a good assortment of bagels, including all the usual suspects, but with a few others like rainbow, Asiago and French Toast throw in for good measure. Their bagels always seem to have a nice chew, which I appreciate and I love their sesame one. My go-to order lately is a double toasted flagel with lox spread and tomato. Their lox spread is a little ho hum, but the bagel is delish. Check them out next time you’ve got a craving (or get motivated by a local news story 😝). What’s your bagel order?
✌🏻 ✌🏻
When you really really really want to be best frie When you really really really want to be best friends. 💛
When a stressful week with deadlines ends with Nat When a stressful week with deadlines ends with National Cheese Lovers Day, how could I not partake? Tbh, I wasn’t especially hungry, and the appetizers are always the best section of any menu, so the queso blanco from El Mejicano in town wasn’t too hard a choice. It’s smoky and cheesy and I could have licked the bowl clean, but a girl’s gotta have some boundaries. Happy weekend, friends! ✨
A friend saw this placard and said it reminded her A friend saw this placard and said it reminded her of me and dropped it off in our mailbox, which really touched me. 💛 Life is too freaking short not to make conscious decisions to do more of what makes you happy, and to cut out the things that don’t. Rainbow Rowell said it best, “So, what if, instead of thinking about solving you whole life, you just think about adding additional good things. One at a time. Just let your pile of good things grow.”
The face and the daily hiccups… 😍 The face and the daily hiccups… 😍
I mean, I might have a slight obsession but also m I mean, I might have a slight obsession but also my lips are never chapped, so there’s that. 😂 And this is only one of my refill stashes. When I was in middle school, I had literally THE WORST chapped lips ever. Like a complete red ring around my top and bottom lips. I don’t think that’s where my lip balm obsession started, but it certainly didn’t help. Jersey winters are no joke (or our hot summers), so don’t mind me while I just add to my collection. What’s your fave?
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Food and Life

Book Review: Bedtime Math {Laura Overdeck}

July 4, 2013 · Narrative

Bedtime MathLast year, when Nick was in fourth grade, he fell in love with Math. And it was all because of one teacher. Mrs. Daniels loved to teach. She loves math. And she loves her fourth grade students. She had been teaching fourth graders for many years and when she stood in front of her class, you could feel her passion for her kids and her subject matter.

And that made all the difference in the world.

It was through his time with her that Nick developed major Math skills. And it continued through this year as well, even though he had a different teacher.

I am forever grateful for the teachers that teach because they love it. The kids. Their subjects. Finding new ways to reach their students. Because it resonates ten thousand fold.

So when I was asked if I wanted to review Bedtime Math, Laura Overdeck’s first book, I immediately said yes. I was intrigued by the concept of brushing up, learning, or practicing Math skills at bedtime. It all started when Laura and her husband would count their daughter’s stuffed animals as they put her to bed. Two more kids later, and it evolved into small Math problems and stories. Then, on a lark, she started e-mailing the Math problems to friends and family members, and just a few short months later, with their encouragement and countless e-mail forwards, there was a web site, an e-mail marketing plan, and 20,000 followers on facebook.

Each page in the book has a short story, giving some background on a fact:

Getting a Jump On It
Thanks to their big, strong hind legs, kangaroos can leap up to 30 feet with a running start. The biggest kind, the red kangaroo, can spring as far as 40 feet! And kangaroos don’t just jump far, they fly high – almost 9 feet up into the air. If you could jump that far and that high, you could get around the house a lot faster than you do walking, but you’d hit your head on the ceiling more, too.

Now, after you read the little story, the facing page is where the Math problems are:

Wee ones: A kangaroo has 4 legs. How many legs do a mama kangaroo and the baby in her pouch have together?
Little kids: If a kangaroo takes 3 giant leaps and each leap is 20 feet long, how far does the kangaroo travel?
Big kids: If cars are 6 feet wide, how many cars parked side by side could your pet kangaroo clear with a 24-foot leap?

So beyond the idea that you are reading fun little stories that are educational, you also get a little bit of Math in as well. And past that? This book is perfect for such a wide age range because it has the three different Math problems alongside each story, designed to target different age groups and skill levels.

Love that. It means that the book works for both Madeline *and* Nick, even though they’re almost six years apart.

Both kids loved Bedtime Math, and the whole idea behind it, especially because it was so different than the usual bedtime story. The topics of the little stories throughout the book are quite varied, from animals and food to even roller coasters, and it’s also beautifully colored with eye-catching drawings that pop.

And a bonus? The answers are written in small print, upside down, on every page so you can check your kids’ Math answers as you go.

A big thumbs up from the O’Malley crew.

Hungry for more book reviews? Here are a few of our favorites.
Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun is all about embracing the different.
If I Could Keep You Little is one of my favorites, and a wonderful reminder on how quickly this time goes.
A Bad Case of Stripes is a run, lively, colorful story that your kids will love.

Tomorrow? Fourth of July pictures in review.

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Posted In: Narrative · Tagged: Bedtime Math, children's book review, Laura Overdeck, math

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One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a serious case of FOMO on the daily, gets hiccups more than anyone we know and has perpetual bed head. She’s quite the unique roommate but may be exactly what our home needed. 💛
I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw th I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw that @njdotcom had picked six bagel shops at the “best in the state,” and one was reasonably local, all the sudden I needed one. I was never one to fall prey to peer pressure, but I’m very definitely a marketer’s dream. 😂 Alfa Bagels is on Route 10 in Randolph and has a good assortment of bagels, including all the usual suspects, but with a few others like rainbow, Asiago and French Toast throw in for good measure. Their bagels always seem to have a nice chew, which I appreciate and I love their sesame one. My go-to order lately is a double toasted flagel with lox spread and tomato. Their lox spread is a little ho hum, but the bagel is delish. Check them out next time you’ve got a craving (or get motivated by a local news story 😝). What’s your bagel order?
✌🏻 ✌🏻
When you really really really want to be best frie When you really really really want to be best friends. 💛

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One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a serious case of FOMO on the daily, gets hiccups more than anyone we know and has perpetual bed head. She’s quite the unique roommate but may be exactly what our home needed. 💛
I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw th I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw that @njdotcom had picked six bagel shops at the “best in the state,” and one was reasonably local, all the sudden I needed one. I was never one to fall prey to peer pressure, but I’m very definitely a marketer’s dream. 😂 Alfa Bagels is on Route 10 in Randolph and has a good assortment of bagels, including all the usual suspects, but with a few others like rainbow, Asiago and French Toast throw in for good measure. Their bagels always seem to have a nice chew, which I appreciate and I love their sesame one. My go-to order lately is a double toasted flagel with lox spread and tomato. Their lox spread is a little ho hum, but the bagel is delish. Check them out next time you’ve got a craving (or get motivated by a local news story 😝). What’s your bagel order?
✌🏻 ✌🏻
When you really really really want to be best frie When you really really really want to be best friends. 💛
When a stressful week with deadlines ends with Nat When a stressful week with deadlines ends with National Cheese Lovers Day, how could I not partake? Tbh, I wasn’t especially hungry, and the appetizers are always the best section of any menu, so the queso blanco from El Mejicano in town wasn’t too hard a choice. It’s smoky and cheesy and I could have licked the bowl clean, but a girl’s gotta have some boundaries. Happy weekend, friends! ✨
A friend saw this placard and said it reminded her A friend saw this placard and said it reminded her of me and dropped it off in our mailbox, which really touched me. 💛 Life is too freaking short not to make conscious decisions to do more of what makes you happy, and to cut out the things that don’t. Rainbow Rowell said it best, “So, what if, instead of thinking about solving you whole life, you just think about adding additional good things. One at a time. Just let your pile of good things grow.”
The face and the daily hiccups… 😍 The face and the daily hiccups… 😍
I mean, I might have a slight obsession but also m I mean, I might have a slight obsession but also my lips are never chapped, so there’s that. 😂 And this is only one of my refill stashes. When I was in middle school, I had literally THE WORST chapped lips ever. Like a complete red ring around my top and bottom lips. I don’t think that’s where my lip balm obsession started, but it certainly didn’t help. Jersey winters are no joke (or our hot summers), so don’t mind me while I just add to my collection. What’s your fave?

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