In the past few years, we have seen the explosive growth of the e-book market. The easy accessibility of online books, through readers like the Amazon Kindle or apps on smartphones and tablets, has resulted in well over 1000% growth of the market over the last 5 years.

At first I was sceptical about reading a book off a screen. I have always been one to love the feel of a book as much as what’s written in it, and have accumulated what seems to be a small library in my study. I love seeing all my old favourites arranged on the shelf and am happy to pass books on to friends and family.

It was after Christmas dinner last year that my sister showed off her brand new Amazon Kindle which her partner had given her. After a few cynical jibes (partly in defence of my much loved library), I actually found myself guiltily falling for it, and spent the rest of the afternoon reading through The Hunger Games ebook.I managed to fight off my sister’s attempts to reclaim her present with similar ferocity as the fighting characters of the book! The prerogative to set an example to the kids to share their new presents went straight out the window. I was hooked.

As much as I enjoyed the story, I just found the Kindle so easy to read. I fought my way through the crowds of the boxing day sales to pick up my own and downloaded the 50 Economic Ideas ebook by Edmund Conway, as part of Christmas “homework” as instructed by my manager at work. I had the original at home ready to read, but I found that with the Kindle I was able to read just about anywhere, finishing it 1 week quicker than expected. I even found I was learning about the world of business, economics and trading whilst ordering a coffee.

Sometimes I like to re-read small parts of my favourite stories, and a Kindle has made it so much easier to do this. So in the tube I often re-read some of the paragraphs of The Hobbit ebook – one that I used to read when I was still young.

Don’t get me wrong, I still LOVE paper books; the library is still there. But having discovered how easy and enjoyable reading with a Kindle is, there is no surprise that “real book” sales are actually in decline.

Tags: Educational Materials

Summer is just one of the vacation months that the kids are waiting for. It is their longest break after months of studying and going to school.

The kids love to play and do every thing what they want to during this time. They wanted their summer to become more fun, excitement and memorable one, of course. However, bringing the kids to the malls, beaches and resorts are the usual things we do the past years and I want them to have a different summer getaway than ever. I am thinking of sending and letting them join to a Youth Summer Camp. What do you think of that?

Youth summer camp, for all we know and for some who have experienced such, allows kids to meet new friends – play and make fun of the summer days with them. This also allows them to learn new things other than those learned in school. Kids will also experience independence from their parents and learn to work with other kids as well – to experience teamwork and sportsmanship as well. I am pretty sure that the youth summer camp with the kids would be a wonderful and adventurous experience for them.

There are several activities which the youth and kids would love to do together. Some of these fun activities are kiddie mini-trekking, fishing and grilling, and a lot more. One can also check the National Camp Association for more recommended activities for the youth and kids as well. They are one of the recognized organization when it comes to summer camp.

Tags: Kids

I’ve asked a number of mommies — both working moms and stay at home mommies, of what they usually do during their free time.

Mommy and a Kid (image source and credits)

For working mommies, most of them said they usually play with their kids, go to the mall with the whole family or opt to stay at home and watch TV together. Others said, they reign the kitchen and cook and prepare the most favorite foods for their kids and family.

However, for those stay at home mommies, there are evident differences. Many said they go shopping for their-selves and for the kids as well. While some said, they find time to check their online accounts like Facebook, emails and even play online games like those applications in Facebook.

If I were to ask, though I am not a mommy per se yet, I am just a mommy to my niece and nephews — I don’t have a baby, a child of my own, and if that time comes, there might be only two things I would love to do during my free time. First is to go shopping for myself and of course, I would never forget my online gaming.

Shopping for me is a way to de-stress and a relaxant from the busy world. Even this time, that I am still studying and looking forward for a busier career and profession soon, I really try to find myself a time to go to the mall and stop by at any of my fave boutiques and stores. They eventually take all my stresses away.

Online games, like Wink Bingo, they are my stopgap before a shift to any of my mental works. They freshen up my busy minds for an hour or two of playing. Still, a relaxant for me.

Tags: Mommy Moments

It is summer and time to get outside again, so time to get the backyard ready. There’s a lot to do – yard work, décor, pest control, maintenance, gardening, and more await you.

Start out by working on the yard. Raking is a great place to start on those early, cool summer days. Don’t forget to jump in all the leftover crunchy leaves before getting into the weed pulling and gardening phase. The yard work can be hard, but is also relaxing and definitely worth it. You’ll need to do so mowing, fertilizing, trimming, and planting, but it will be well worth it in the end.

Once the grass is cut, edging complete, and the trees trimmed it’s time for getting out the décor. Dust of those cushions and set up the deck table and chairs. Don’t forget the umbrella for the shade! If you live somewhere that gets pretty hot you’ll want to set up some misters all over the yard as well. The misters can be turned on and off or put on timers, so there is no need to worry about wasting water.

You’ll need to get the pool set up, which includes cleanings and having the pool guys come out to get the right chemicals in and all balanced out. This preparation can sometimes take weeks, so be sure to prepare ahead for those early summer swim parties. Getting out all the pool toys is essential. Blow up the inner tubes and wipe off the cobwebs. Be sure and get the barbeque cleaned and the gas can filled up so that you can have some good food after you’re all worn out from swimming.

Don’t forget to have your house sprayed before the guests arrive as well. You won’t want all those pesky bugs ruining their fun or the fumes for that matter. Get on top of that sometime in the spring once the ground starts warming up and the bugs start coming out to play. Find your local Vancouver, WA pest control company to make sure you get properly taken care of.

Spend the summer months in between all of your partying maintaining your garden and yard. Keep the pool clean, pull the weeds, and enjoy your vegetables. Bask in the warmth of the sun and enjoy every moment that you put into your yard. The summer months leave all too soon and you’ll be stuck inside with nothing to do, but dust and wish for fresh air.

Tags: Home

When the kids are off school it may be hard for you to find them something to do. Here are some tips on making sure that they are entertained during the long summer holidays.

Beaches

If you are lucky enough to live near a beach then you can have a day out on the sand building sandcastles or paddling in the sea. Bucket and spades are a must as you create sculptures in the sand. Going to the beach doesn’t have to mean a great expense, take a picnic to eat so that you aren’t spending a lot of money at the vendors, still ice creams on a hot day are nice.

Parks

If you aren’t lucky enough to live near the coast then you can take your children to the local park. Parks and the great outdoors can be a fun place for kids of all ages. Most parks have swings, roundabouts and slides but some more modern ones have skate ramps, sports courts and gardens to wander round. Looking for animals is a good way to get your children interested in nature and the great outdoors.

Tourist Attractions

Thinking about the holidays is hard and you should maybe think about doing educational things too. Not sitting your kids down at the table and giving them homework to do, why not take them to an old castle or tourist attraction. This way they can learn and have some fun exploring at the same time. The history of a certain place can be fun to find out for any child.

Games

If it is raining or a dull day and you don’t want to venture outdoors then there are plenty of things to do indoors. Grab some board games. I remember playing board games when I was younger to while away the hours on a rainy day. If you don’t have any then card games are good too. Kids can learn from playing card games, addition and counting are just a few things that they may get better at.

Computer Games

Now a days there are of course computers. Playstation’s and Xbox’s for the children to play on whilst you tidy around them. There is also the internet that your kids can play on. There are masses of online games that can be played for free. Or if you want to teach the kids things then you can set them challenges for them to find out information about certain things.

Relaxation

After all the busy days you will be glad when the kids are back at school so that you can have a break of your own. Perhaps settling back down to the normal life once again. That may involve day time TV, playing Tasty Bingo online or just sitting in the peace and quiet of an empty house.

Tags: Didong, Kids