Daycare Deals

Sunday mornings are important in my family because we spend time together before we leave for church. However, I rarely get to sleep in anymore, so I like to have quick breakfasts in the morning. I really enjoy making Pillsbury Flaky Cinnamon Rolls for my family. My daughter licks every drop of the buttercream frosting off before attacking the rest of the cinnamon roll! These are great treats that are quick to make and taste so good.

MyBlogSpark provided me with a coupon to try the product and some scrapbooking materials. I really enjoyed this because I love documenting moments in my daughter's life!

MyBlogSpark is offering one reader a gift pack!!! The winner will receive a Pillsbury Flaky Cinnamon Rolls prize pack that includes a scrapbooking kit, scrapbooking supplies like scrapbook scissors and glue as well as a coupon for the new Pillsbury® Flaky Cinnamon Rolls to help bring your family together to indulge in a delicious Sunday morning breakfast.

To enter the giveaway, you have 3 chances (leave an email address so I can contact you):

1). Leave a separate comment telling me how you spend your Sunday mornings. (Please leave an email address.)

2). Leave a separate comment if you follow on Facebook.  (Please leave an email address.)


3). Leave a separate comment telling me how you document your favorite moments. (Please leave an email address.)

The giveaway ends at 11:59pm on November 28th. The winner will be posted November 29th.

Today's Groupon is an amazaing deal! $10 for $20 Worth of Make-Your-Own-Bears or $25 for $50 Toward Any Build-A-Party Celebration at Build-A-Bear Workshop.

The $20 option expires 12-31-10, so this would make for perfect Chrismas presents.
The party option expires 3-31-10.

This Groupon can be purchased all weekend!

1. Get a free sample of Folgers special roast coffee here and other free samples through Freeflys.

Get a coupon for $1 off a Renuzit cone by liking Renuzit on Facebook. The $1 coupon is enough to get this item free at Target, Walmart and other stores because they sell them for less than $1. They are offering this to their first 30,000 fans. I got it at around 1700, so you should have a good chance at this. If it's taking awhile, be patient.

Kansas is starting a professional mentor/protege program for providers new and experienced. Around 50 providers were chosen to be mentors for this program. I am one of the mentors. So, I would like to extend an invitation to all providers.

We're still looking for proteges for the program. If you are interested in this program, you can contact the head of the program, Monica DuttonHurt. Her information is at the end of this post.

This program is to help providers. The mentors are meant to support their proteges. We're there to help through the bad days and celebrate on the good ones.

I am very excited about this program because I felt isolated most of my first year doing daycare. I started off doing everything wrong. I charged per day and soon found out that some parents take advantage of that. :(  Please join the program as a protege if you would like someone to talk to about daycare. It is very helpful to have another provider to go to when you are feeling burnt out or just need to talk to someone who understands. It's also great to connect with others in the daycare business for new ideas. I networked during my mentor-training weekend, and I met so many new people. I learned so much from everyone.

This is a great program, and you can be a part of it!

Contact Monica DuttonHurt for an application:
E-mail: mduttonhurt@thefamilyconservancy.org
Phone: 913-342-1110 ext. 1976

If you haven't sent in your grant proposals yet, you only have this last week to complete them. They have to be postmarked by October 31st.

Find the information for the grants here.

Get a free sample from Costco of Dove Go Fresh Deodorant. *You do not have to be a Costco member.

With Lexie's Law, one requirement is to get 15 hours of training. I've come up with a list of free/cheap trainings for you:

CHILDREN'S ALLIANCE OF KANSAS:
Childally.org offers free online classes that you can take to get your training hours. These online classes include:

(3 Hour Class) Medical Administration: This course is designed to meet the KDHE licensing requirements. It provides a basic knowledge of these topics: • Types, forms, and purposes of medication • Safe administration of medication, categories, usage and potential side effects of various medications • Look-a-like and sound-a-like medications This is an online, self-directed course. The training material is broken down into 5 training modules. After you read each module you will be asked a series of questions in relation to the material read. After answering all questions correctly in all modules, you will be sent a certificate to the e-mail you provide.


Sign up for Medical Administration Here
 
(1 Hour Class) Universal Precautions: This class was developed as a self paced online course to assist you in understanding exposure to bloodborne pathogens in your work. The class is divided into 11 sections. You will be asked to take a pre and post test, watch a video and answer discussion questions. You must score 80% on the post-test and answer the discussion questions to successfully complete the course.


Sign up for Universal Precautions Here

 
FOOD PROGRAMS:
 
Your food program training counts as 2 hours.
 
FOOD HANDLERS CARD:
 
You can get your food handler's card for 2 hours of training. The cost is free. Here is a list of dates in Wichita. Check your local health department to see if they offer this training as well.
 
OCTOBER 2010 WICHITA TRAININGS:
 
If you live around the Wichita area, here are some trainings for 2 hours that only cost $10 each:
 
19th- First Aid Introduction and Refresher


21st- Signs of Child Abuse and Neglect and Symptoms of Childhood Illness

27th- Toddlers: What to Expect and What Not to Expect

 
All trainings will be held at 3700 E Douglas #85 at 6:30pm and will be $10.


Please call to reserve your spot, You can also call about any questions you have about the trainings.

316-641-1485.

OTHER IDEAS:

First Aid/CPR classes

Read books (every 50 pages counts for 1 hour)

Watch videos (get from local libraries or places like Childstart)

***If you have any ideas of trainings, please leave a comment.

Welcome to Daycare Deals! If some of you are finding my blog after I mentioned it in the Mentor Training in Council Grove, thank you for stopping by.

I am always looking for ideas for information that childcare professionals would like to know about. Please email me at daycaredeals@gmail.com if you have any ideas for what information you would like.

Thanks.

*Below this message, I'll repost some previous entries that contain relevant information.

2010 KAEYC Pre-Conference & Annual Conference

Dates: October 22-23, 2010

Location: KSU Student Union
Manhattan, KS

Cost: *Depends on if you want to attend both Friday night and Saturday all day
Friday night
KAEYC Member/Student--$15
Non Member--$25
Parking (KSU Union parking garage)--$4

Saturday night
Member--$50
Non Member--$80
Student--$30
Parking (KSU parking garage)--$4

Continuing Education Hours (8 total possible)--$30  

Featuring:
Lisa Murphy is the ooey gooey lady®!


Lisa is the founder and CEO of Ooey Gooey, Inc. As the ooey gooey lady®, Lisa presents over 150 workshops each year to audiences across the country on various topics related to early childhood education, specifically how to be more play-based in the classroom. She has been featured in various publications including Child Care Business Exchange, Parents and Pre-K Today. Lisa has authored four books and has created dozens of teacher training DVD’s. A highly sought after keynoter for educational conferences, Lisa uses humor and real life anecdotes to reach and engage her audiences. Lisa’s standing room only seminars have become nationally known for their information, humor, inspiration and energetic delivery. Frequently asked if she has ever been a stand up comic, Lisa practices what she preaches and continues to blend the laughter with the learning! Lisa has become known for her ability to link hands-on activities to educational standards and is dedicated to creating child-centered, play-based early childhood environments.

Website: http://www.kaeyc.net/index.htm


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34th Annual Governor's Conference for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect

Dates: November 3-5, 2010

Location: Hyatt Regency
Wichita, KS

Cost: $150/1 day, $200/2 days, or $250/3 days *Registration is open. A $25 late fee applies after October 12, 2010.

Objectives:
1.To provide information about exemplary models of prevention and intervention services for children and families.


2.To provide a networking opportunity for Kansans interested in the welfare of children.

3.To recognize individuals or organizations who have provided outstanding services to children.

4.To publicize the needs of children and families and the opportunities to meet those needs.

5.To provide certifiable training opportunities for individuals who work professionally providing services for the benefit of children and families
 
Website: https://www.kcsl.org/training_conference.aspx

Starting in September 2010, the Kansas Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (KACCRRA) will have professioal development scholarship applications available to child care providers in Kansas who plan to attend an in-state conference. These conferences could include KAEYC, CCPC, BELIEF Institute or other local/regional conferences.

Scholarships will also be available to pay for the Child Development Associate (CDA) National Credential application fee of $325. All professional development scholarships are funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

Applications will be available for scholarship funding on the KACCRRA website by September 1, 2010.

*The KACCRRA will be known soon as Child Care Aware of Kansas. Please note the name change in case you want to look into these scholarships.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Grant Funding will also be available soon from KACCRRA. They have 3 types of grants:

1. Children will special needs (max. $5000)
2. Child Care Center (max. $10,000)
3. After-School (max. $5000)

Purpose: Grant funding will soon be available to center and family-based child care providers in Kansas to support increased quality of care for children across Kansas. These grants are funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Grants will be available to Child Care Centers, After-school programs, and programs that care for or plan for children with special needs.

ELIGIBILITY:
*Licensed by KDHE.
*Been in business for 6 months or more.
*Must have at least one child receiving subsidy (SRS, United Way, Smart Start, etc).
*Must attend a minimum of 18 hours of professional development directly associated with the grant being requested.
*Separate grant applications must be completed to request multiple grant awards.
*Self assessment of program must be completed with grant applications (tool will be provided).
*Funding must be spent no later than July 31, 2011.

Grant applications must be postmarked no later than January 3, 2011.

Get a free 6-pk of books from Pacific Learning for free!!! After you register with them, you'll be sent a link to the form. Choose from level Pre-K up to 9-12 grade.

Target is offering a free sample of Garnier Moisture Rescue. Get this here.

Sign up for these free samples from Walmart:

1. Garnier Moisture Rescue Gel-Cream

2. Garnier Fructis Anti-Dandruff Shampoo

3. Crest Pro-Health Clinical Gum ProtectionToothpaste

"Like" ScotchBlue Painter's Tape on Facebook for a free sampleof their new ScotchBlue Painter's Tape with Edge-Lock Paint Line Protector.

Target is offering two free samples: Tide detergent and Hefty Odorshield trash bags. Sign up for these samples here. *It took a few seconds before the window loaded for me, so be patient. You have to answer a few questions to get these samples, such as what products you normally use.

If you're quick, you might be able to score a free item coupon for a 24ct bottle of Advil tablets or 20ct. bottle of Advil Liqui-Gels! Get this here.

***If a security message pops up, click NO. Then the page should load for you.

Sedgwick County Zoo is doing Night of the Living Zoo on October 22, 23 & 24 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Bring your ghouls and goblins for a night of not-too-scary Halloween fun at the Sedgwick County Zoo! Several ghoulish activities, like pumpkin bowling and beanbag tosses, can be found throughout the Zoo. Take a stroll down jack-o-lantern lane, creep up to candy stations and let your spirit come alive!

Advanced tickets:

$6 at area QuikTrip stores, starting Oct. 1

Tickets purchased at gate:

$6 for Zoo members

$8 for nonmembers

Children 2 and under do not need a ticket.

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Winter Wednesdays


Every Wednesday November 2010 through February 2011: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Grab your coats, throw on your mittens and head over to the Sedgwick County Zoo for Winter Wednesdays! Spend the day in the refreshing outdoors for a discounted admission price every Wednesday in November through February.

Kroger is doing another instant win game. This one is the Kroger Kick off to Savings Instant Win Game! You can play this one daily through October 1st. ***This time each person can win 2 prizes instead of just 1!

I played this morning and won right away. I got a free 20 oz bottle of Coke 0. I love these games, and past prizes (from past Kroger instant win games) for me have been Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats, Bounty paper towels, Energizer batteries, and Reeses candy bars.

If you have never played one of Kroger's instant win games before, here are some instructions:

1). Go here to play.
2). Sign in or register your Dillons or other Kroger affiliate card.
3). Follow the instructions for the game.
4). If you win, choose to claim your prize.
5). Redeem your prize at Dillons or other Kroger affiliates by just using your Plus (loyalty) card.

Good luck!!!

Here are some trainings available for those who need to get their 15 licensing hours or just some renewal ones. These classes count for 2 hours and cost $10. Trainings start at 6:30pm. Call 316-641-1485 to reserve your spot because space is limited. You can also email to reserve your spot angela.bitker@yahoo.com.

October


4th- First Aid Introduction and Refresher

6th- Signs of Child Abuse and Neglect and Symptoms of Childhood Illness

12th- Basic Training- Health and Safety

14th- Basic Training- Child Development and Discipline Techniques

19th- First Aid Introduction and Refresher

21st- Signs of Child Abuse and Neglect and Symptoms of Childhood Illness

27th- Toddlers: What to Expect and What Not to Expect

Fisher-Price is recalling more than 10 million tricycles, toys and high chairs over safety concerns.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission said Thursday that two of the products being recalled involved injuries.

In the recall of about 7 million Fisher-Price Trikes and Tough Trikes toddler tricycles, the agency is aware of 10 reports of children being hurt. Six of them required medical attention.

The trikes — some of which which feature popular characters like Dora the Explorer and Barbie — have a protruding plastic ignition key near the seat that children can strike, sit on or fall on, leading to injuries that the commission said can include genital bleeding.

Fisher-Price is also recalling more than 1 million Healthy Care, Easy Clean and Close to Me High Chairs, after 14 reports of problems. Seven children required stitches, the commission said.

The pegs on the back of the high chairs can be used to store the tray, but children can fall on them, resulting in cuts and other injuries.

The two other Fisher-Price recalls were:


_More than 2.8 million Baby Playzone Crawl & Cruise Playground toys, Baby Playzone Crawl & Slide Arcade toys, Baby Gymtastics Play Wall toys, Ocean Wonders Kick & Crawl Aquarium toys, 1-2-3 Tetherball toys and Bat & Score Goal toys. The valve of the inflatable ball on the toys can come off and pose a choking hazard to children, said CPSC. The agency said there were more than 50 reports of the valves coming off the balls.

_About 100,000 Fisher-Price Little People Wheelies Stand 'n Play Rampway toys. The wheels on the purple and green cars can come off, posing a choking hazard.


Information from Kake.com. Find the article here.

You can sign up here for a ticket for free admission to a museum of your choice on September 25, 2010. I love this day because I can take my daughter to Exploration Place for free! (She's still free, but my husband and I don't have to shell out $20 to take her on this day.) Last year, we went with my sister-in-law and her kids, so it was a good family day! I've listed the participating museums in Kansas (the cities are listed under the museum's name).

Allen County History Museum


Iola

Augusta Historical Museum

Augusta

Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery

Lindsborg

Botanica, The Wichita Gardens

Wichita

Clearwater Historical Society

Wichita

Derby Historical Museum

Derby

Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum

Abilene

Exploration Place

Wichita

Gardner Museum and Historical Society

Gardner

Great Plains Transportation Museum

Wichita

Harvey County Historical Museum & Archives

Newton

Kansas Cosmosphere & Space Center

Hutchinson

Kansas Firefighters Museum

Wichita

Kansas Museum of History

Topeka

Kansas Sports Museum

Newton

Kauffman Museum

North Newton

Lake Afton Public Observatory

Goddard

Lowell D. Holmes Museum of Anthropology

Wichita

Mid-America All-Indian Center

Wichita

Museum of World Treasures

Wichita

Old Cowtown Museum

Wichita

Old Depot Museum

Ottawa

Old Jail Museum of Allen County

Iola

OZ Museum

Wamego

Territorial Capital Museum

Lecompton

The Kansas African American Museum

Wichita

Ulrich Museum of Art

Wichita

Wichita Art Museum

Wichita

Wichita Center for the Arts

Wichita

Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum

Wichita

Wonderscope Children's Museum of Kansas City

Shawnee

As the weather finally starts to cool down, out come the deals on soup. This happens to be my husband's favorite time of the year: Campbells soups for $1 each. From 9/22-9/28, Dillons has Campbells soups on sale for $10 for 10 cans. We buy the Chunky version because they're Justin's favorites!

We were just at Dillons tonight buying a few items, and he was wondering when they would start this sale. Stock up now on Campbells soup!

Have you signed up with JCPennys yet to receive emails from them? I did this around Christmas last year, and I've received approximately 5 coupons for $10 off a $10 purchase. JCPenney emails give you advance notice of great online offers as well as valuable in-store coupons. Sign up for emails here. *I've heard that a coupon for $10 off a $10 purchase (including sales and clearance items) might be coming in the mail soon!

I just received a $10 off a $10 purchase from Kohls last week. Sign up for their email list here. I've received the same amount of these coupons from Kohls as from JCPennys!

Get a free sample of Cinnabon Cream of Wheat here. Skip the video to get to the sample by clicking the "x" to close the window.

Get a free tub of Cottonelle fresh wipes and send one to a friend.

Get a free sample of Nature's Bounty Your Life adult gummies multivitamin.

Get a free sample of Jergens Overnight Repair here.
Get a sample of Thomas Coffee here.

Sign up here for a free sample of Wisk laundry detergent from Sam's Club. A Sams membership is not required. Click on the white shape on the left of the bottle to request the sample.

Congratulations to sdmo56! The comment was "I would use the bag and blanket to take my grandkids on a picnic."

Vocalpoint has 2 new samples available. The first is a sample of New Ultra Downy April Fresh. Get this sample here before samples are gone.

Vocalpoint is also offering a free sample of Kashi Go Lean Crisp cereal. Get this here.

Yoplait has come up with a new yogurt option. Yoplait Splitz is a new yogurt that tastes like a sundae. Yoplait Splitz is a good source of calcium and vitamin D. This yogurt has no artificial flavors or sweeteners and no high fructose corn syrup. Yoplait Splitz is also only 90 calories. It is available in three flavors: Strawberry Sundae, Strawberry Banana Split, and Rainbow Sherbet.

MyBlogSpark gave me the opportunity to try this new yogurt. My daughter loves it. I liked this yogurt option because of the dessert flavors. I can feed this to my daughter without feeling guilty. It can also be frozen, so she thinks it's like a popsicle. MyBlogSpark also offered me the gift pack as seen in the photo below: a free item coupon to try Yoplait Splitz, a picnic bag, and a picnic blanket. The bag is insulated picnic and the blanket rolls up for easy storage. We just took the bag and blanket with us to Table Rock Lake, and they worked out great. MyBlogSpark is giving one lucky winner this gift pack.

You have 3 chances to win (make sure to leave a valid email address):

1. Leave a comment with the flavor of Yoplait Splitz that you would like to try (make sure to leave a valid email address).

2. Leave a comment telling me what you would use the blanket and picnic bag for (make sure to leave a valid email address).

3. Leave a comment if you "Like" Daycare Deals on Facebook (make sure to leave a valid email address). You can "Like" it here.

This giveaway starts now and ends at 11:59pm on September 9th, 2010.

Surviving the first week of child care can be difficult for children, parents, and providers. I've had two new children start in the last two weeks, so I thought I'd post about how I have learned to "survive" the first week. My first boy is dealing with a full week of daycare at 17 months when he's never been to daycare before. The last two days have been teary for him. This is what I've done with and for him in order to make him and me more comfortable.

1. Let him have a toy and blanket from home. His mom let him bring these over, and he seems to like the connection.

2. Cuddle time. This morning, I held him for about 30 minutes while we waited for the next arrival. He seemed to enjoy the closeness. I've also been hugging him all day while he got teary. (It's been a hard day today.)

I found that taking the time to get to know him and let him have his connections to home make it easy for me to transition him from being home with Mom to being here with 5 other children and a stranger.

Boy #2:

1. Let him have his space. This one likes anything with wheels or anything that spins. I take the toys over to him and let him be by himself as he adjusts. He started out in my hallway, moved to my dining room, and finally moved himself into the living room within an hour.

2. Cuddle time. He likes to be rocked to sleep even at 17 months. I sing and cuddle him on my lap until he falls asleep. This time allows us to bond and establish a trusting relationship.

I found that letting him have his space made him more comfortable.

So, my advice for surviving the first week:

1. Test out what works (personal toys/belongings, space, etc) and then use that.

2. Do your best to establish a strong, trusting relationship.

3. Know that small steps might end up being larger than you think. (I finally got the first boy to eat today!)

Now, if anyone can tell me how to get new kids to eat the first week, please do! I finally found out that the first boy loves corn. It absolutely made my day!

This is just my two cents. Any advice/suggestions are always welcome!

Get a free sample of Shout Color Catcher here. They are also offering a .55 coupon.

If you're quick, you'll be able to get a coupon for free 4-pk AA Energizer Recharge Batteries. The first 30,000 to like the page will get this. I was somewhere in the 22,000+ range when I just signed up. Sign up here.

Get a free sample of IdeaPaint here. This paint turns any surface into a dry erase board. Think of how fun this would be for daycares/homes!!!

Get your free sample and coupons for FLIX dental flossing sticks here.

Get your free All Bran 7-day Promise Pack here. You might have to register first if you don't have the All-K pass.

When times have been slow with the daycare, I've tried to find alternate ways to earn a little extra cash for things like vacations/fun activities. These are some things that I've found to make a little extra.*

SWAGBUCKS
This is a search and win site. I didn't join until February, but I'm up to 5200 swagbucks. I could cash out for $5 via Paypal for 700 swagbucks (5200 would mean $35). The best option for Swagbucks that I've found though is Amazon gift certificates. They cash out for $5 per 450 swagbucks. (I have enough swagbucks for $55 worth of Amazon gift certificates. I'm saving these for Christmas time.) Sign up here.

ONLINE SURVEYS
This is one that is not for everyone. Some surveys take a long time and pay little. It also usually takes a large amount before you can cash out with these sites. These are the best sites I've found. I've also listed good benefits from taking surveys.

InboxDollars--This company only pays .50 per survey usually. You also have to earn $40 the first time you want to cash out. It takes a long time, but it's the first site I used. The only part I use with Inbox Dollars are their paid emails. I earn .02 per paid email. Sign up here. (I've earned $40 and cashed out once with this company.)

Surveyhead--These surveys pay anywhere from .50-$5. You do have to earn $25 before you can cash out. It also takes weeks (sometimes months) to get credit. It also takes weeks to get your money once you finally cash out. Sign up here. (I've earned $156 with this company.)

SurveySpot--This company offers surveys that don't pay. I only do the ones that do pay; I find these in my email. Cashing out with this company only requires $10. It's an automatic transfer to your Paypal account. Sign up here. (I've earned $69.50 with this company.)

Toluna--This company offers surveys as well, but I use it for the polls. They have polls that take only a few seconds to answer. I earn usually about 15-75 points per poll. It adds up slowly because 60,000 points equals out to $20. To cash out, you have to earn 60,000 points first. Sign up here. (I've earned $20 with this company.)

Opinion Outpost--This is my favorite company. They are usually correct on the estimated times that the surveys will take to complete. Cashing out is only $5, and checks usually arrive in a week. Sign up here. (I've earned $138 with this company.)

Benefits of Suveys:

Product Samples--I've taken surveys and been sent full-size product samples of food and beauty items. This is a nice perk.

Easy surveys worth $$$--I took one survey in which I just had to call a customer service number and ask about my phone. I earned $15 for this.

Focus Groups--One focus group was an hour-long discussion online; it paid $15. Another focus group was an hour-long phone discussion; it paid $25.

Online Communities--I'm a part of a few online communities. I took a survey and qualified for these communities. One of my communities pays me with Amazon credit. Another rewards me with free beauty items.

MYSTERY SHOPPING
I just started mystery shopping in June. These require writing samples and lots of time. Most shops require digital cameras, scanners, and watches with a second hand. Volition has a job board with mystery shop opportunities.

*This is not for everyone. These activities sometimes take a lot of time for very little money. However, I've earned a decent amount since January. You always need to include any extra income in your taxes.

On Sunday, August 29th, 2010, Sedgwick County Zoo is offering $2 admission if you recycle your old phone books. *One $2 admission per book. Hours are 8:30am-5pm.

*My daughter has never been to the zoo, so this might be the day that I decide to take her for the first time!!!

If you need any more free classes for your licensing hours, Wesley is hosting a free health fair on Saturday August 28th from 9am-4pm. This is being held at Health Strategies (across from Wesley MC). Address: 551 N Hillside. Some of the classes include:

Infant Massage
Stroller fit
Breastfeeding
Caring for Baby
Developmental Milestones
Dad's Class
Safe Sleep (important for daycare providers)
*Plus More...

More informaton here

~~~This is free and space is limited. Get there early if you really need a specific class.

The WalMart off of West Kellogg has 32 ounce Powerade bottles for only .35!!! *I've only found these for this price at the West Kellogg location.

My husband and I just purchased 10 cases (15 bottles each case). Some of these are for us, and some of them are for our families. They have all kinds of flavors, and the Powerade Zero is also this price.

Get a free sample of Post-it Durable Tabs & Label Pads.

"Like" Hot Pockets on Facebook to get a $1 coupon for Hot Pocket Side Shots. Hot Pockets, Lean Pockets, and Side Shots are on sale for $1.64 this week at Dillons. Match this coupon with the Mega 8 Event at Dillons this week for a box of Side Shots for only .64!

Get a free sample of Post-it's Super Sticky notes here.

Get a free sample of Cheetos Mighty Zingers. Sign up here, then click on the Be Snack Ready Alert box. This will take you to the free sample information page.

Get a free sample of Miracle of Aloe's Miracle Foot Repair for dry, cracked feet.

Get a free sample of Vitafusion's HeartOne Gummy Vitamins here.

Wrigley is offering a free sample of their newest gum: Extra Dessert Delights. *Once you click on the page, use promotion code 353637.  This gum is sugar free. You can choose from 3 flavors: Strawberry Shortcake, Key Lime Pie, and Mint Chocolate Chip.

The Kansas State-Provider Cooperation Committee (SPCC), composed of Child Care Providers Together (CCPT), SRS, and KDHE have established a Healthy and Safety Fund to assit home based child care providers improve the quality of care they are providing to Kansas' kids. They are offering two grants at this time: Equipment and Materials Upgrade and Facility Upgrade.

EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS

Overview: This grant will be awarded to home based child care providers for a wide range of projects that achieve educational, licensing, and health and safety improvements to home based child care facilities. Some projects for this grant could include:

Child safe car seats
Audio/visual equipment and learning materials
Books
Toys

Eligibilty:
*Full and Complete Grant application
*Kansas business address
*Proof of current registration or license
*Proof of twelve (12) months of current or continuing registered or licensed child care in Kansas.
*Proof of Completion/Certification of Infant/Child First Aid, CPR, and Safe Sleep/SIDS

Application information: This application asks question such as if you have provided care for an SRS subsidized family, if you attended the Professional Development Day provided by the Health and Safety Fund, and about any additional professional development activites. *These are just some of the questions on the application.

Purpose of Grant Money:

*Meet required health, safety, or licensing standards
*Create or enhance the development and early learning of children in your care
*Replace damaged or worn out equipment or materials
*Increase the sustainability of your child care business

Maximum Grant Allowance: $600
____________________________________________________________
FACILITY UPGRADE GRANT

Overview: This grant will be awarded to home based child care providers for a wide range of projects that achieve structural improvements to home based child care facilities. Some ideas include:

Fencing and gates
Playground surface
Outdoor play equipment that meets KDHE safety and licensure standards
Indoor child safe furniture
Guardrails for stairs

Eligibilty:

*Full and Complete Grant application
*Kansas business address
*Proof of current registration or license
*Proof of twelve (12) months of current or continuing registered or licensed child care in Kansas.
*Proof of Completion/Certification of Infant/Child First Aid, CPR, and Safe Sleep/SIDS

Purpose of Grant Money:

*Meet required health, safety, or licensing standards
*Improve accessibility for children with special needs
*Replace damaged or worn out facilities
*Increase the sustainability of your child care business

Maximum Grant Allowance: $2000

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To obtain a copy of the grant applications if you did not attend one of the Professional Development Days or just didn't get/lost a copy, contact Alexandra Townsend.  E-mail: townsend@afscmecouncil72.org
I believe this is the correct email, but I don't know. *If anyone got her phone number, please comment with it for others. Thanks!

Applications must be complete and postmarked on or before October 31, 2010.

It was nice to meet some new providers on Saturday at the Early Childhood Professional Development Day held at Butler CC campus. I was thrilled with the opportunity to take free classes and to get paid $100. The classes I attended were KDHE & SRS, Pediatric First Aid, and CPR. I wanted to write briefly about each class I attended. I'd also enjoy any comments about any classes others went to.

KDHE & SRS

I understand the importance of providers accepting SRS families, but the SRS part of the class scared me away. I was not thrilled with the stories I heard or about the chances for fraud. However, the class did teach me a few things about SRS:

*New providers will be sent an approval notice within 10 days.
*Providers no longer receive the copy of the childcare plan because SRS wants parents to take responsibility.
*SRS does not mediate in payment issues; they expect providers to treat them just as they would with a private pay family.
*SRS does not want providers to use a substitute unless in an extreme emergency.
*Providers need to keep records for SRS children for 3 years.

The KDHE part of the meeting was informative. I just wish we'd had more time with Kristi to find out more or ask more questions. Some highlights include:

*Lexie's Law should bring about more consistent trainings for providers as funded by the higher costs for renewals.
*If Registered to Licensed providers do have citations for noncompliance, these providers will have 5 days to come up with a plan.
*If a provider disagrees with a citation, she can complete a written statement for an Administrative review. If the finding turns out to be invalid, it will be taken off the provider's record. If it is valid, KDHE will explain how to fix the citation.
*KDHE has to take every complaint even if it is not a substantiated one.
*Providers will have 60 days to complete their 15 initial training hours. If she cannot get this, KDHE will give out up to 2 more temporary permits and up to 180 days.
*The local health departments will call to set up initial inspections of Registered to Licensed providers.
*If you send in a late renewal, the fee doubles to $170. Renewals more than 30 days late result in the daycare considered to be without a license. The provider would then need to start over.
*The open records part of Lexie's Law goes into effect May 2011. As I've written before, they are still working on how and what with this system. It likely will include the daycare name and address.
*Kristi Lawent can b reached at 785-296-1275.

Pediatric First Aid

We watched a video that we mostly laughed at. The best part of this class was practicing with an Epi pen.

CPR

This was the best CPR class that I've ever taken. The instructor was humorous. I loved how interactive the class was. Instead of read a book, watch a video, practice like the Red Cross classes I've taken, this class allowed us to interact with each other, one of the instructor's helpers, and the dummies. I learned more in this time than I've learned previously. If you took the class, you will know what I'm writing next!

Stayin' alive.


Ah, ha, ha, ha,

Stayin' alive.

Information on the childcare conference in El Dorado today will be coming soon. If you attended a great class today, let me know. I only attended the KDHE, First Aid, and CPR classes, so I'd really like to know about some of the others.

Sometimes it seems that Swagbucks will never let me win any, especially when I first started using it. I've found that the more I search, the better my chances are at winning quicker. If I've been searching a lot and winning about 3/4 times per day, then I can usually win some within 1 or 2 searches the morning of the next day. Other tips for winning easy swagbucks. If you haven't signed up already, you can sign up here. Friday is Mega Swagbucks Day, which increases your chances of winning! I've earned almost enough points for $50 worth of Amazon gift cards (saving for Christmas time) and cashed out for $5 cash via Paypal.

Special Offers: You can go to this page daily. Choose "No" or "Next offer" from the No Obligation Offers if you would not like the offer listed. You'll win 1 swagbuck per day just by visiting and getting through the Special Offers.

Daily Polls: Take a poll daily and win 1 swagbuck.

Toolbar: If you have the Swagbucks toolbar, you'll earn 1 swagbuck per day just for having it. It gives you the swagbuck every morning.

Trusted Surveys: I have not completed any of these, but you can earn Swagbucks by qualifying and completing the surveys. *This causes problems if you are a member of the Surveyhead site, and they might delete your account for using Swagbucks' Trusted Surveys. This is why I don't do the surveys on Swagbucks.

Codes: Swagbucks usually offers at least one code per day. This code is not supposed to be posted, so I can't do more than direct you to where you might find one. *I'll do this if I'm able.

Other than these tips for easy Swagbucks, just doing searches will earn you Swagbucks.

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This week (July 18th-24th), K-mart is offering an additional 50% off clearance toys. This would be great if you have any birthdays coming up or want to start stocking up on Christmas presents!