Pocoyo Supports Earth Day #GIVEAWAY

 WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO DO TO HELP THE PLANET?  IT’S TIME FOR FUN & GAMES WITH POCOYO IN SUPPORT OF EARTH HOUR 2012 
ON MARCH 31, 2012

Earth Day is tomorrow what are you doing to support Earth Day? 

Here are some ideas:

1. Make invitations out of recycled paper or send an email invite.
2. Use organic and locally sustained food.
3. Serve finger foods to skip using plates and utensils, and use cloth napkins that can be washed and used again. 
4. Make dishes that don’t require the oven or electricity to prepare.
5. Be creative with food, ie, licorice ends can be cut off to make edible straws for the kids.
6. Family craft project – try making the special Keepsake holder out of an old cereal box (see instructions below).
7. Have a nighttime, outdoor, eco-friendly scavenger hunt by flashlight - hunt for recyclable items like milk cartons, egg cartons, etc.  Once the items are found, explain how they are used for recycling and to save our environment.
8. Have a recycled book exchange for the kids and adults, instead of favors.
9. Have fun and remember to have enough candles and flashlights for everyone to see! 

As part of the new 2012 Earth Hour campaign, Zinkia Entertainment introduced POCOYO’s Recycling Game, available through www.pocoyo.com, Earth Hour’s website (www.earthhour.org) and the Official POCOYO Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pocoyo).  POCOYO pledged to plant one tree, up to 10,000 trees, for everyone who played the new POCOYO Recycling Game.  The goal was reached in record time so Zinkia’s Chairman pledged to plant more trees, up to 10,000, for each person who played the recycle game. And, that goal was reached too in just a few days! The game has been so popular that Pocoyo has brought his challenge to entirely new level! NOW, if 100,000 people play Pocoyo's Recycle Game, Pocoyo will plant a total of 50,000 trees! The trees will be planted by Trees for the Future, Zinkia’s charity partner whose mission for 2012 is to plant 17 million trees!  You can also plant trees (.10 cents/tree) for Earth Hour by visiting http://www.plant-trees.org

See the Original Titanic Movie April 3rd!

COMMEMORATE THE 100^TH ANNIVERSARY OF

THE R.M.S TITANIC DISASTER WHEN

THE ACADEMY AWARD^® WINNING CLASSIC FILM

COMES TO BLU-RAY^™

 

 Marking the 100^th Anniversary of the Infamous Maiden Voyage,

The Iconic Film Comes to Blu-ray for the First Time April 3

Coinciding with the 100^th Anniversary of the sinking of the famous passenger liner, TITANIC, the 1953 Academy Award^® Winner for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay, bursts onto Blu-ray for the first time April 3^rd from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.  The influential film features a stellar cast including Golden Globe^® winner and Academy Award^® nominee Clifton Webb (Stars and Stripes Forever), Academy Award^® and Emmy^® winner Barbara Stanwyck (Double Indemnity) and Audrey Dalton (Separate Tables).  Showcasing a fully re-mastered version of the film, as well as incredible special features including commentary from the cast and crew, TITANIC on Blu-ray is a must-have for any classic film enthusiast and history buff.

Determined to leave the superficial, high-society world in which her husband Richard (Clifton Webb) is engrossed, Julia Sturges (Barbara Stanwyck) boards the R.M.S. Titanic in England to travel to America, along with her two children. Hoping to reconcile with his family, Richard purchases a steerage ticket aboard the ship, unaware of the fateful events that loom ahead.

Prebook is March 7^th.

TITANIC Blu-ray Special Features:

• Commentary by Film Critic Richard Schickel
• Commentary by Cinematographer Michael D. Lonzo, Actors Audrey Dalton and Robert Wagner, and Historian Sylvia Stoddard
• MovieTone News
• “Titanic” Premiere Thrills South
• CinemaScope and “The Robe” Win Oscars
• Titanic Aftermath: Audio Essay by Silvia Stoddard
• Theatrical Trailer
• Still Gallery

About Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, LLC (TCFHE) is a recognized global industry leader and a subsidiary of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, a News Corporation company. Representing 75 years of innovative and award-winning filmmaking from Twentieth Century Fox, TCFHE is the worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox film and television programming, acquisitions and original productions on DVD, Blu-ray Disc Digital Copy, Video On Demand and Digital Download. The company also releases all products globally for MGM Home Entertainment. Each year TCFHE introduces hundreds of new and newly enhanced products, which it services to retail outlets from mass merchants and warehouse clubs to specialty stores and e-commerce throughout the world.

# # #

 Follow Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment on Twitter @FoxHomeEnt

I Hate You Kelly Donahue by Mark Svartz

The 411 by Maria

Well, first...I love the whole look of the book. Written in handwritten diary form complete with little drawings and attached emails and photos. So very cute for a book written about how much someone despises another.  Basically Mark spends most of the book laying out his plan to "KILL" Kelly (can someone please check on Kelly?). One of his plots includes the soundtrack of David Hasselhoff blasting in the background and an uneaten plate of German bratwurst and sauerkraut.  Enjoyable book!

The Taker by Alma Katsu #Giveaway

Overview

True love can last an eternity . . . but immortality comes at a price.

On the midnight shift at a hospital in rural St. Andrew, Maine, Dr. Luke Findley is expecting a quiet evening. Until a mysterious woman arrives in his ER, escorted by police—Lanore McIlvrae is a murder suspect—and Luke is inexplicably drawn to her. As Lanny tells him her story, an impassioned account of love and betrayal that transcends time and mortality, she changes his life forever. . . . At the turn of the nineteenth century, when St. Andrew was a Puritan settlement, Lanny was consumed as a child by her love for the son of the town’s founder, and she will do anything to be with him forever. But the price she pays is steep—an immortal bond that chains her to a terrible fate for eternity.

The Taker by Alma Katsu

Blok Squad Construction Unit

Recently we were sent the Mega Block Blok Squad Construction Unit for review. I am happy to report that that whole house loves it, fom Teach on down! We are all playing with it.

All missions are possible when you team up with the three Construction vehicles of the Blok Squad Construction Site! Build the Construction Vehicle 4x4 - a worker’s truck with optional trailer designed to haul more than a truck alone.

Features: Buildable Construction Site team of Construction 4x4 Truck, Track Loader and Road Roller with 395 pieces Includes 3 Blok Squad Construction Workers Collect them all and combine Blok Squad vehicles to build heavy-duty machines to complete any Construction

The 411 by Maria and family:

The house has been on lock down for various illness over the past month but here is our review:
There are so many pieces you think you won't be able to build the units featured on the box but surprisingly you will. Each piece comes with complete instructions from the ground up including which pieces and how many. At first, I was ready to hand it off to Teach for follow through but with him being so busy lately (new job) I tried it myself. Well, Goddess and I started it. Low and behold, we had rolling units in no time.

What we like about this set most is the amount of pieces and how easy it is to recreate the pieces or create a few of your own designs.  There is something about blocks that make people work together. We have the pieces in a container and whenever someone starts making something, someone else sits down to work with on their own. Before you know it, socialization and isn't that what most families wish they had more of. Any toys that are going to engage my family in conversation are good!

Ideal for children ages 5 and up!

Amazon has it for a great price. So many pieces and only $16.72. 

Playing Around With Videos & Pinnacle

This is some video from this past Thanksgiving of the kids and their cousins.
Made it using Pinnacle Studio



 Love Pinnacle Studio. Teach got if for me this past Christmas
and while it is incredible, I have touched the tip of it's capabilities. Can't wait until I am as good as some of these kids I see on You Tube.

Little Angels Easter Cards Available - Email me!

About Little Angels:

Discover the joy of learning and friendship with this season’s most heavenly new collection! From executive producer Roma Downey (“Touched by an Angel”) comes the first three volumes of a fresh, fun and inspiring educational series that children and their parents (and grandparents too) can enjoy together in LITTLE ANGELS ABC’s, LITTLE ANGELS ANIMALS, and LITTLE ANGELS 1,2,3’s, now available on DVD with Digital Copy from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

Roma Downey stated, "For many years I had the privilege of playing an angel on television, bringing a message of God's love to millions of Americans.  As a mother, I have longed to be part of a project that would help to bring that same message to children by not only teaching them the foundations of education - but also providing strong examples of good behavior.  Little Angels does just that.  It offers critical learning skills through the lens of timeless and age appropriate Bible stories. I only wish this series had been available when my kids were younger!"

LITTLE ANGELS is an animated DVD series and has been created for pre-school aged children to teach practical learning skills like ABCs and numbers. The series is presented in a captivating and entertaining format that will help parents to teach their little angels a big love of learning while also providing hours of fun to enjoy together with exciting DVD extras.

Pre-school twins Alex and Zoe are blessed to have eight Little Angels watching over them – literally! These Little Angels live on the ceiling of their bedroom, painted there so they are the first things the kids see when they wake up in the morning and the last thing they see before they fall asleep at night. The angels come to life when the children need them most, helping guide them through the challenges of their young lives.

 Featuring a great deal of interactive DVD extras including charming music videos and downloadable activity sheets, plus a downloadable bonus digital copy of each lesson that will allow for learning on the go, the LITTLE ANGELS ABC’s, LITTLE ANGELS ANIMALS, and LITTLE ANGELS 1, 2, 3’s DVDs are a great value moms can feel good about sharing with their little angels.

Chick-fil-A Meal Giveaway

I don't have a Chick-fil-A near me but if you do, they have a new Nutritious Chick-fil-A Kid’s Meals to help fuel active family fun! Spring is here and what better way to promote an active lifestyle, and enjoy the great outdoors than with some old school games for your family to enjoy. So take a spin on the Old School Wheel and play some family friendly games that get you all moving and laughing.

Alvin & The Chipmunks Chipwrecked: A GIVEAWAY & Our Review Is Here

The Chipmunks, Chipettes and their caretaker Dave Seville (Jason Lee; “My Name is Earl”) embark on a trip of a lifetime aboard the Carnival Dream cruise ship. Seeking fun and excitement, the Chipmunks turn the luxury cruise liner into their own personal playground. But the ultimate vacation quickly becomes a disaster when the Chipmunks, Dave and Carnival cruise pelican mascot, who turns out to be the chipmunks’ old manager, Ian Hawke (David Cross; Megamind), accidentally fall overboard and find themselves ‘chipwrecked’ on a remote island. Stuck in an unfamiliar territory, the six furry castaways are separated from Dave and must figure out a way to survive on their own for the first time in their lives.

Written and produced by husband and wife duo Ross Bagdasarian, Jr. and Janice Karman, ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: CHIPWRECKED features a star-studded voice cast with Justin Long (Dodgeball) as Alvin, Matthew Gray Gubler (“Criminal Minds”) as Simon, Jesse McCartney (Horton Hears a Who!) as Theodore, Christina Applegate (“Up All Night”) as Brittany, Anna Faris (What’s Your Number?) as Jeanette, and Amy Poehler (“Parks and Recreation”) as Eleanor.

The 411 by Maria, Handsome and Goddess:

We were able to watch this on Wednesday which happened to be a day off due to teacher conferences or some jazz. We loved the last chipmunk movie so we had high expectations for this one.  Personally, I wasn't sure that they would be able to carry on the franchise in a way that was interesting and fresh man was I wrong. We sang through the whole movie. It is a really cute story. Goddess was in love with all the music. She has a favorite chipmunk and stated so through the whole movie. Handsome liked anytime Dave and Ian were on screen. He thinks the Chipmunks former manger is hysterical especially in the pelican suit.

In Chipwrecked, Dave takes the Chipmunks and the Chippettes on a cruise. Alvin of course ends up getting them all grounded while Dave heads to dinner to talk with the captain. Poor little Theodore ends up watching TV that is way too scary for him. My kids thought it was so cute how he couldn't just change the channel and sat there mesmerized at the creepy images before his eyes. They do the same if they wake in the middle of the night to see us watching something on Sci-Fi.

When everyone ends up overboard the chipmunks must work together to survive on an island, and yes, they do sing "I'm a survivor". The songs are some of the best parts of the movie!

If you have chipmunk fans in the house, you can't go wrong with this family friendly movie. Yes, I have seen some reviews were people talk about the "suggestive" dance moves of the Chippettes but I was watching the same stuff on the Bugs Bunny Show and Tom and Jerry too. Nothing different! I didn't see it as sexy than, and I don't see it as sexy now. Just a good family friendly movie!

#WIN i Know Animals, Letters & Sounds DVD Vol 1Giveaway

Once upon a time, long ago, when the animals inhabited the Earth, many animal groups lived together as one big family known as The Sunmoona Pride. In this interactive adventure series, children are taken on a fun-filled journey around the world to learn about the animal kingdom through engaging sing-a-longs, stunning 3D animation and a captivating storyline.

iKnow Letters, Animals & Sounds is an imaginative TV series that captivates the hearts and minds of young children like no other television program. The animals in The Pride make learning the alphabet, basic reading skills and elementary science concepts come to life! In volume 1, children will discover the secret letters L, M, S, Z, G, B and F, the sounds they make and animals that start with these letters while at the same time learning about the environment.

Genre: Children Run Time: 3 hr 1 min Starring: Lion, Monkey, Sea Lion Co-Starring: Zebra, Gorilla, Bee Language: English Rating: TV-Y Number of Discs: 1

Dare to Live!

365 Day Challenge - Playing Catch Up - Day 60 - 64

March 1, 2012 - The school has an anti-bullying program in full effect. The band reads Don't be cruel to be cool! I wear it daily.

March 2, 2012 - There is just something about that little red guy sitting among all that brown and grey. Not a great photo but I love it anyway.

March 3, 2012 - My Handsome is getting so big, coming up to my eyeballs with the top of his head. I am mostly aware where I step in to help him step out of the tub. He so doesn't need me anymore but I have a slipping fear with the kids in the tub and ask them to call when they are done. Mostly it is to help them out and warm them up with a big towel. Than I ushered them to their room and leave. Here he is enjoying some much needed outdoor time.

March 4, 2012 - Goddess loves wearing her Backyard Safari gear. She received the bird caller set for Christmas and couldn't wait to use it. Not sure if she got any birds but I was on alert with my camera.

Small business growth

Guest post of the week by Brittany Booker

I guess we have had t1.xo at our Dulles office for six months now. We opened our office up in that area so we could serve our clients around the area. Really I guess we have customers almost from Winchester to Oakton now, which is big considering we started out with two customers and a few leads. It has been pretty important for us to have an affordable Internet service provider. The affordable part is big when you are making nearly nothing in the first year of business! We have a good few people who need the connectivity and the ability to make calls. We expect that number to grow too. That is the fun thing about small businesses. The needs are always growing. There is always a little bit of time where you worry about what profits will be and if you will make it to the next month or year, but beyond that point, it is growth. I really love that aspect of being a small business. Maybe we will never be the biggest dogs out there, but we are definitely growing and I know having good services like Internet and phone are the enablers of our success at the end of the day.

Around Kids? Get the Kid Dictionary!

The 411:

When I first brought Handsome home from the hospital. My first thought was they are sending us home with a baby? Are they crazy! Teach and I looked at each other and said, "now what do we do?"  You hear people say all the time, they wish the baby came with a manual. Well people, as the babies turn into kids we realize the baby part was THE easy part. Umm...humor is what gets me through as a mom. Kids are naturally funny and this book is perfect for anyone who spends any amount of time with kids.  Did you know that a Hairricane is a girls knotty, messy hair and the ensuing tantrums that erupt when her mother tries to comb them out?? Now you do!

Adorable pocket size book with whimsical, nonsensical words that actually might make complete sense to you when you read them! I'm a parent and I knew about 85% of them although I didn't know there were actual words for them. Made up a couple of my own along the way too! Had no idea that Goddess was a Stocktease, A child who lets you buy large quantities of her favorite food then suddenly doesn't like it anymore.

Great gift idea or just for a fun read!

LIKE RETRO CARTOONS? #WIN 10 Episodes of The Best of Jayce and The Wheeled Warriors

Thundering across the stars to save the universe from the Monster Minds, Jayce searches for his father to unite the Magic Root and lead his Lightning League to victory over the changing form of Saw Boss. Wheeled Warriors explode into battle…Lightning Strikes! Based on the popular line of Mattel toys, and scripted by acclaimed writers such as J. Michael Straczynski (creator of Babylon 5), these Top 10 episodes make their way to DVD, taking nostalgic action to a whole new level!

CONTENTS:
1. Escape from the Garden
2. The Vase of Xiang
3. Steel Against Shadow
4. The Silver Crusaders
5. Ghostship
6. Flora, Flora and the Monster Minds
7. Fire and Ice
8. Space Outlaws
9. Future of the Future
10. Underwater

Bonus episode - C.O.P.S.: THE CASE OF THE BIG LITTLE GREEN MEN

Genre: Children Run Time: 3 hr 40 min Starring: Jayce, Flora, Gillian Co-Starring: Herc, Oon, Sawboss Language: English Rating: TV-Y7 Number of Discs: 1

Hunger Games Is Box Office Gold!

Not surprised in the least of the record numbers Hunger Games is showing. With over 63 Million on opening day, it has so far taken in a record high of $155 million.

While I have yet to read the Hunger Games, I know so many who have. At least 10 of my female friends are reading the books now because they are dying to see the movie but don't want to without reading the book. Not sure if I understand this mentality but to each his own. While I am dying to read the book and see the movie getting to the book in the next few is probably not going to happen. It is on my Need to Read list but will have to wait. Hoping that I get to the movie even if it is before I read it!

The ratings for the movie are incredible and if these numbers prove anything, it is that writers need to up their game when writing their books. 

The Hunger Games posted the fifth-best opening day EVER!

Have you read it yet? Do you plan on seeing it?

Kindle Readers can head over to Amazon and if you are a Prime Member it is FREE otherwise, it is only $5.00!

The Love Filled Bridge

Goddess loves being outside. She will go out everyday and stay out for hours always finding something to keep herself busy. She explores our backyard and is a great finder of long forgotten items or items that we didn't even know were lost. She took her chalk and decorated our bridge the other day. I loved how she looked while doing it and the straight shadows all around her from the sun streaming through the naked trees.

Admiring her own work!

The Woodcarver on DVD is a Family Friendly Movie!

Description:

Restoring their faith in God and in Life.

Matthew Stevenson is a troubled kid from a broken home. When he vandalizes the local church to get back at his parents, Matthew has to repair the damage to the church to avoid criminal charges. While working at the church, he meets Ernest (John Ratzenberger), an accomplished wood carver who created the intricate woodwork decoration that Matthew destroyed. Ernest has become something of a hermit, but reluctantly comes out of reclusion to help repair the church. Now Ernest and Matthew must work together to preserve the church's beautiful antiquity, and along the way, they also manage to restore their faith in God and in life.

The 411 by Maria:
As someone who is more spiritual than religious I look for movies that are about people and life rather than preachy. A story where the message comes through without overdoing the religious bible thumping, brow beating, believe in God and all will be saved. That may get some negativity from those preach the bible and live their lives for the Lord. Mostly, I like to know that the story could stand on its own without bible references and this story can!

Matthew,  like most kids is a very good boy, he has issues like everyone else and is living between two parents who are going through a volatile separation.  After taking out his aggression on a church, smashing windows and writing liar on the side, he is caught a forced to repair the damage he has done.

As a parent or a caring adult, this would have been a big wake up call that things have to change but no, they yell at him and eventually he runs away. He eventually meets Ernest played by John Ratzenberger from Cheers fame who does in incredible job of playing a God fearing widow who recently lost his wife. His moments of remembrance brought tears to my eyes. 

Ernest and Matthew are exactly what the other needs. Matthew needs attention and someone to steer him on the path of his greatest potential and Ernest needs something to focus his attention on.

This is a wonderful movie that may slip off the radars of those who may think it is a "religious" movie. It is that, but it is mostly a movie about people, friends, family and that what we give is what we get.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary DVD for the purpose of this review from Vivendi Entertainment.

LIKE RETRO CARTOONS? #WIN 10 Episodes of Cops Volume 2

The concept is simple: collect the very best officers that the country had to offer and begin a campaign to eradicate organized crime. The members of C.O.P.S. are all extraordinary crime fighters -- each one a master of a special skill, each one dedicated to the cause of justice. Though the concept may be simple, the job isn't easy: The Big Boss and his gang are the roughest and most persistent bunch of criminals to challenge law and order in Empire City.

The year: 2020. The place: Empire City. The situation: Brandon “Big Boss” Babel, along with his gang of crooks, is holding the entire city under the palm of his iron hand and the Empire City Police Department can do nothing to stop him. As a last resort, Mayor Davis sends in CyberCOP Baldwin P. Vess (Codename: Bulletproof) to take him down. This DVD collection features 10 thrilling episodes from the TV series based on the popular toy line from Hasbro® C.O.P.S 'N' C.R.O.O.K.S.

Genre: Children Run Time: 4 hr 4 min Starring: Bulletproof, Long Arm, Big Boss Co-Starring: Berserko, Hardtop, Mainframe Language: English Rating: TV-Y7 Number of Discs: 1

#WIN i Know Animals, Letters & Sounds DVD Giveaway

Once upon a time, long ago, when the animals inhabited the Earth, many animal groups lived together as one big family known as The Sunmoona Pride.  In this interactive adventure series, children are taken on a fun-filled journey around the world to learn about the animal kingdom through engaging sing-a-longs, stunning 3D animation and a captivating storyline.

iKnow Letters, Animals & Sounds is an imaginative TV series that captivates the hearts and minds of young children like no other television program. The animals in The Pride make learning the alphabet, basic reading skills and elementary science concepts come to life! Children will discover the secret letters W, C, E, P, J and O, the sounds they make, animals that start with these letters and about the environment the animals live in.

Genre: Children Run Time: 2 hr 35 min Starring: Wildebeest, Camel, Elephant Co-Starring: Panda, Jaguar, Otter Language: English Rating: TV-Y Number of Discs: 1

We're Moving On Up....

Hooray!!!!!

I did it! I took the plunge and finally became a

www.reesspace.blogspot.com is NOW: www.mariasspace.com and you don't have to do a thing! Love Google and Blogspot! Thanks for working together guys to make everything soooo easy for us bloggers and keeping the cost down. You guys rock!!!!

The Sitter on DVD & Blu-ray & Digital Copy

Adventures in Babysitting meets "Superbad" in this raunchy comedy starring Jonah Hill as Noah, a suspended college student who becomes the unlikely--and unqualified--sitter to his neighbor's children (Max Records, Landry Bender, Kevin Hernandez). But his girlfriend's (Ari Gaynor) promise of sex in exchange for cocaine forces Noah to bring the kids along on a wild trek across the city, pursued by a psychotic drug dealer (Sam Rockwell). With J.B. Smoove, Method Man. R-rated version; 81 min./Unrated version; 87 min. Widescreen; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, DVS Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital Surround, Spanish Dolby Digital Surround; Subtitles: English (SDH), Spanish; featurettes; gag reel.

Great Giveaways In The Blogging World

Enter to win The Gruffalo Prize Pack at 2Boys + 1 Girl = One Crazy Mom

Learning Math In A Fun Way with TrickOMatics

I am always on the look out for fun, educational resources that makes my "Mommy School" time with the kids both enjoyable and a learning experience. Recently I heard about a program called Trickomatics, a company that specializes in just this. Your children won't even realize they are learning.

The powers that be over at Trickomatics believe exactly how I do! "Why should homework be such a monumental pain in the butt for them, especially when they’re in elementary school?" I am in complete agreement with this concept. The kids are in school from 8:50 - 3:20 and don't get home until 4:00 than we have to do homework which takes 1/2 to an hour. When do they get to play? Dinner, bath and bed before they have to do it all over again the next day!  Trickomatics was created- to reach kids in a different way that incorporates fun and there’s no reason on earth that kids shouldn’t have fun while learning and I wish more schools would follow this concept!

Trickomatics has an All Star Team led by the following individuals:

·      The legendary Ann McCormick (Founder of the Learning Company, known for Reader Rabbit who sold her company to Mattel for $3.8 Billion)

·      Marketing Maverick Clint Schmidt (Chief Marketer at Half.com who sold the company to Ebay for $350 million),

 

·      Creative Geniuses led by Renegade Animation (second to largest animation company in the U.S. who’ve done work for prominent Fortune 500 companies)

The Original Story that describes how Trickomatics was born.

Ever lay awake worried about your children?  It’s the three AM conversation with yourself that starts with the gnawing question – am I doing enough for my kids? Does this ring a bell?  If so, you’re not alone.   

Every parent wants to prepare their children for the big, scary, competitive world that awaits them when they leave the cocoon of childhood -- everyone including Rebecca Ehrlich, a speech-language pathologist in New York City.  She was one of those people staring at the ceiling at three AM, wondering if she could do more for her children.  Only they weren’t her own children she was worried about – they were other people’s children- the kids she was tutoring in after-school programs who were struggling to understand core math concepts.

So who do we blame?

Sure, public education is an easy target.  Despite larger class sizes and shrinking budgets schools are expected to perform better with far less.  Complicating the issue is the fact that children are being asked to learn more than their parents when they were their age.  Add to it the speed at which teachers must work to accomplish grade level standards and it becomes painfully clear why so many kids are being left behind. 

“Professor John Richards, a social policy scholar said something that haunts me to this day” said Rebecca.  “Children who eventually drop out of school start falling behind by Grade 3.  Grade 3!  This is scary stuff we’re talking about.  Once a student falls behind, it’s very difficult to get them back on track.”  

Simply put, children fall behind in math because it’s a vertical learning experience. You cannot become skilled at D, if you don’t understand A, B, and C.  Once gaps form in understanding, it becomes increasingly difficult to keep up. This makes it critical to reach kids before it’s too late, but how? If your home budget doesn’t include the enormous cost of expensive after-school tutoring programs parents are left with a fist full of flashcards and a frustrated child who’s one step closer to believing the voice in their head that says something is wrong with them.

But here’s the deal – plenty of smart kids struggle with core math concepts, just ask Rebecca. “I was one of those kids.  I know what it feels like to believe that your brain isn’t wired for math.  I know what it’s like to feel stupid in a classroom and it’s a horrible feeling.  I can understand why students give up and what each and every one of those students needs to understand is that it is not them. It is how they’re being taught.”  

Despite Rebecca’s post-graduate degrees and honors she struggled with something as simple as calculating a tip to a restaurant meal.  Enter Barrett, Rebecca’s future husband, a successful investment banker with a passion for numbers.  

“One night I mustered up the confidence to ask him, how do you calculate numbers like that?  I’ll never forget that night – in mere seconds he showed me some simple tricks that changed the way I looked at math.”

Rebecca found that the methods Barrett taught her were created in ancient Asia hundreds of years ago.  Wanting to know more, Rebecca looked at math test scores from around the world and discovered that the most successful students share one trait in common- they think in numbers.  

Armed with this realization she brought this discovery to her school district as well as the students she tutors after school.  When met with startling results she couldn’t stop there.   She needed to share her new teaching techniques with everyone.  So together with Barrett, they combined their passions and created a fun, entertaining, and effective math program using an alternative approach of Hollywood entertainment and interactive technology for teaching children, ages 7 -11, how to think in numbers.

To learn more about this revolutionary new product, visit 

www.trickomatics.com