Freebies for Good Grades on Report Cards!

School's almost out and after all the hard work your kids put in this year they can kick off the summer with some great rewards. Following is a list of some freebies that I've heard may offer your kids a "reward" for their good grades! Make sure you phone ahead to see if your particular store is offering these freebies though.

*Baskin-Robbins -- Get a free scoop of ice cream for good grades on your report card!

*Blockbuster -- Get a free family friendly movie rental for A's on your report card for grades K-12!

*Cheryl & Co -- Get a free cookie for every A on your report card!

*Chick-fil-A -- Bring in your report card showing all A's and B's and receive a FREE 8-pack of nuggets!

*Chuck E. Cheese -- Bring in your most recent report card and your child will receive FREE tokens for good grades (up to 15 tokens per child)!

*Family Video -- Get a free rental when you show your good report card!

*Krispy Kreme -- Get a free donut for each A (up to 6 A's)!

*McDonalds -- Students with straight A's can get a FREE Happy Meal!

*Pizza Hut -- Each marking period, any child who has 3 A's or the equivalent thereof, will receive one Personal Pan Pizza and a small soft drink or carton of milk by presenting their report card to the manager (dine-in only and for Elementary and Middle School children)!

*Sbarro Pizza -- Any student with A's and B's on their report card automatically becomes one of our PizzAchievers. Sbarro will provide every PizzAchiever and an accompanying adult with a FREE slice of cheese or pepperoni pizza and a small soda!

*Topps -- The Topps of the Class program has been created to give you a great trading card gift when you put your mind to work. Every time you bring in a report card to this store, the manager awards you with a gift!

*Limited Too -- Get $5 off any Limited Too purchase when you take your report card to the retail store within 30 days! I wonder if Justice will honor this now...may need to make a call on this one!

*Credit Unions -- I've heard that some credit unions will deposit $5 in your child's account for a good report card. Anyone been able to take advantage of this and what Credit Union??

*IBC Bakery Outlet Store -- Students with A's and/or B's will receive a FREE Hostess or Dolly Madison snack cake and parents will receive one FREE loaf of bread at participating bakery outlets; click here for more information.

I have not personally taken advantage of these but read about them on the internet through various couponing websites. As soon as we get those report cards though, we will be making some calls to see who in our area is participating! Do any of you have any other "grade deals" that you can let us know about in the comment section or have you tried any of the above offers??

Primitive Easter Eggs & Practical Parenting

Look what I made the other day! These primitive Easter eggs were a fun and easy craft to make. I found them online a few months ago here and decided I just had to make them. It was an inexpensive craft made from the plastic eggs that everyone fills with Easter candy and some cinnamon. I also wrapped them in cheese cloth to give them a nice primitive texture but you can't really see it in the photo.

They smell soooo good! They are sitting in my foyer and each time I walk past them the sweet smell of cinnamon greets me. I would have liked to have left them out on a country plate or in a shallow country bowl but I knew that it would be too big of a temptation for our kittens. I didn’t want to wake up one morning and find cinnamon all over my white carpet! Now, I’ve got a BIG surprise coming up tomorrow but it will remain a secret until then. So come back and see what the suspense is all about!

Now on to the Practical Parenting… This week, it is discussing the “final leg” of school as summer is on the horizon and how we can help our kids motivated.

The “final leg” and the “last leg.” These are two very similar phrases, but with very different meanings. When we return from Spring Break we will be starting our 3rd quarter of school – you might say we are on the final leg of our school year. So, how do you keep your child motivated and help them finish this final leg of the year strong? How do you keep them from feeling that they are on the last leg?

One thing that is very important is your attitude about the last quarter of school. If you express to your child that you are tired and can’t wait until summer break – guess what they will begin to express? That right – your child will oftentimes mirror your feelings and emotions. What your child needs from you at this time of year is renewed excitement and encouragement to do their best.

The last quarter of the school year is one where many new and challenging concepts are introduced, and the final touches are made to be sure your child is ready for the academics of the next grade level. I have seen many children “fade” at this time of the year. As a school, we will keep your child as motivated as we can, but we need your help as well.

Keep giving your child that position motivation and reinforcement that you gave them at the beginning of this school year. Now would be a good time to be checking on their homework situation, and on projects that are in the works.

Determine now how you will help your child think this time of year is as important as the beginning of the year. Pray daily with your student for God’s strength and motivation to help them finish strong. Pray that very thing for yourself as well. Approach this time of the year with the determination to finish strong on this “final leg” of the school year.

So, remember to stop by tomorrow for my BIG surprise. Until then, have a great day!

Okay...you twisted my arm! I'll give you a little hint. 100th post tomorrow and a give-away!!!