ABCs, blankets and lambs

One of the fun aspects of blogging is coming into contact with individuals that use their talents, skills and interests in ways that benefit others. I’ve had the honor of meeting (virtually, because I am a semi-hermit and like to stay home) several small business owners that challenge me in how I run my business. Obviously, there are WAY to many to share on my blog, but today I wanted to highlight three totally different ones that might interest you.

I remember when my oldest learned to read. He had an amazing kindergarten teacher and I was in complete awe of her ability to teach my son to read. She was animated, full of songs, engaging. As a result, when it came time for me to start teaching I was more than intimidated. With 5 kids at totally different stages in reading, we use a lot of different curriculum. Most of our curriculum is stuff you can find on Amazon or at a homeschool bookstore. However, I’ve recently started using parts of the All of Me Literacy program. I have not dived into all the curriculum provides – it is a complete curriculum starting from letter recognition. Most of the files can be downloaded. Melanie, the creator, is also an ESL teacher and designed the curriculum to teach ESL worldwide. Melanie is passionate about teaching children to read, especially those struggling. The curriculum is very affordable…and she willingly donates downloadable materials to worthy causes. The photos below only provide a glimpse into about 2% of program.

I was introduced to Dignify last year when working on a Christmas related project. The story behind Dignify is beautiful. I can’t do it justice…click here and then scroll down to the part where it says “It All Began With A Wedding Gift”.  Kantha blankets are hand-stitched in Bangladesh from six layers of sari cloth by women who were previously on the streets in dire circumstances. The kids fight over who gets to use it because it is so soft. When I see them wrapped in it, I often wonder about the woman who stitched it. I wish I could hear her story.

My girls recently got two little lambs from Live Sweet Shop. They came with their own bags, bows and skirts. The girls have been playing with them non-stop. Part of the proceeds from their purchase goes towards helping families adopt. the receiving family changes each month). Those girls and their little lambs…melt me.