I'm so over McDonalds! I ain't Lovin it Anymore!

So when was it that McDonalds become more expensive than most take away restuarants? I was tempted to write fast food, but they aren't fast food anymore really are they. We went to McDonalds as a family on Monday night and we purchased the following:

2 x double cheeseburger small meals
2 x 3 nugget happy meals
1 x Quarter Pounder small meal
1x McChicken small meal

All of this to feed our family cost us $36.10. I was a little shocked! I didn't expect it to cost our family this much and we all had small sized meals. In the past, we have chosen the family meal dinner boxes that start at $19.95, which I am now realising is a really good price. That being said, it doesn't feed our whole family and we do need to purchase more drinks and at least an extra burger. Still its better than the above price. The dinner boxes were not on the menu where we were, are they still on the menu at all? If I considered purchasing a healthier meal alternative from their menu, I would guess that our bill would have gone beyond the $40 mark. If we also ordered medium sized meal deals, again we could even be looking at close to or beyond $50.

In comparison about 2 weeks ago I purchased some Thai food from the down the road and even with a delivery fee it only cost us about $42.  We ordered:

Pad Se Ew chicken
Chicken Green Curry
Peanut chicken
and a Lamb dish I can't remember what it was!

I did make my own rice, but who doesn't when you order from home? Basically the food was sufficient for our family and we even had left overs. So for a little bit more, you get quality food, with left overs, and personally, it tastes much better, and some dishes arguably a better choice in terms of health. We have also eaten at Mad Mex for around $50, which includes refillable drinks. Why then do I bother with McDonalds at all?

Since McDonalds began their healthier eating campaign, their burger and portion sizes have got smaller, but their prices have gone up. Why should I pay more for pretty much the same burger but much smaller in size? I also think the taste of the burgers have changed and I think they aren't as tastey as they used to be. Healthier burgers doesn't mean, take the taste away.

When we do eat out, I am preferring more and more to eat at other places where the costs are the same or might be slightly more, but the taste buds and family are more satisfied. The only draw card that I can find at this stage that will get me going back to McDonalds in future is the drive through and the playland. Even then, you won't find me there much.

McDonalds...I ain't Lovin it anymore!!

Anyone else have 'issues' with McDonalds and want to vent??

I know I need a break when......

I have been awake longer than I have been asleep!
When I make my kids Nutella sandwiches for dinner!
When I spend close to $100 each time I go to the supermarket and then don't remember why I bought any of it.
Or the last time I went, spent almost $100 again, get home and realise the only thing I was ment to get, I forgot!
When I realise my kids ate all the ice-creams that I only bought the day before and think, oh well!
When putting my son's pull-up on and he does a little drizzle on my hand and I think, its only wee!
When the last tantrum in the shops occured, I felt like walking away.......and not coming back, even when my son starts running after me! ( I did stop for him, I'm not 'there' yet!!!)
When I am so tired, and should be in bed, but stay up to make food for tomorrow's picnic....and write this post....
I know I need a break most, when I think I am a bad mother....and all I need is a break to know/remember how good I actually am:)

Only 2 more sleeps until my break...I am very much looking forward to it:) Well, that is, if I actually make myself sleep!!!!

When do you know you need a break?

Fun on Youtube for children and children with Special Needs

In my last post, I shared some websites and apps that I like to use as a teacher. I also thought I should share some videos that I use for a range of purposes in the classroom. Another amazing form of technology that was introduced into our classroom late last year was the Interactive White Board (IWB) or a SMART Board. I think most classrooms have one of these now, or at least a couple in the one school. The IWB is an amazing tool for both mainstream and special needs schools. We love ours because it opens the classroom learning to all our students. In the past, we had to share a small computer, and this meant that usually only 1, sometimes 2, but usually 1 student could sit at the computer to do an activity with the teacher. Now, we can have all the students be part of an activity. They can either see it or hear it, and then be part of the experience. It also gives some students the opportunity to be part of an activity by just touching the board. Before, we would have to rely solely on adaptive technology (eg, a switch, or adapted mouse) to achieve similar outcomes. One particular thing I like to do with my students is help them write/spell(hand over hand) their names on the IWB. Then I let them use the pointer we use to decorate the page that their name is on. They love it! They love seeing that their touch on the board can make a squiggly line, or change the background colour. There are many other amazing things you can do with a IWB which I can touch on in future posts.

I also wanted to mention some fun things we do to fill in time. I use YouTube for songs that make our students smile. They like all types of music, from Shakira Waka Waka, to Black Eyed Peas Pump It. I personally love music so, I like to have it going as often as I can throughout the day. It keeps my feeling happy, and my students respond well to the different types of music that are played. On a side note, there are many studies that have proven that music and music therapy have positive affects on students with special needs. Some students that I have taught who are quite shy and quiet, become different kids when exposed to music, musical instruments, and singing. Its really an emotional experience as a teacher to see the students brighten up and participate.

Back  to what I like to put on Youtube. One particular group that I always play and my students absolutely love is GiggleBellies.  The clips are super bright and on an IWB the characters are quite large, so students with vision impairments are more likely to see the characters, or at least follow movements. The bright colours also help students with vision impairments and they are more likely to watch the screen in amazement or curiosity. As for the songs, well, there are all types like Incy Wincy Spider, Wheels on the Bus, and Five Little Monkeys. There are other that are new to me, but I can;t be sure if they are their own songs, or borrowed songs. I tend to have these songs going to, first thing in the morning when the kids are being bought to the classroom. It tends to set the mood for the morning program. Here is an example of one that one student in particular loves so much. It's called, "Mr Sun Sun,Mr Golden Sun".

As you can see, the colours are bright, and the song is cute. As for the characters, its up to you. Some might find them a little weird and quirky, but you can't deny how colourful they are and how happy they look. They are winners in my class and my son also loves the GiggleBellies and he is turning 3 in a couple of weeks.

Another I want to share with you is the timeless classic, "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". There are many versions available, even GiggleBellies do a version, but the one I love best and my son loves, and my students, is done by SuperSimpleSongs. There is also an App available for Ipad, which, if I had an Ipad would be one of the first things I would purchase. This has been viewed on YouTube over 66million times! Take a look at the other Super Simple Songs, the animations are so cute!

Before I go, I want to mention another App site that I was recommended to check out. Apps for children with Special Needs is a site, by Dr Gary who is dedicated to reviewing great Iphone, Ipad apps that are suitable for children with special needs. There are some really good apps here and some that I have not seen before. I particularly like how Dr Gary does a video review of the apps as well. This gives you a sense of what it looks like, how it works, and what features you get, basically kinda like a try before you buy, but without you using it yourself. It also helps you know whether or not a particular app is suitable for your child or student, and this is so helpful! They are not brief videos, they are comprehensive and detailed, and I love this feature.

Anyway, take a look, he is currently reviewing his top25 apps for 2011. Already, I want to purchase Fun Words Deluxe and Bob's Books! I just wish I had an Ipad, it's much nicer to use a bigger screen than the Iphone.

I will be adding more over the Summer Holidays, so please follow me, or use the E-mail subscription link.

Educational Apps and websites for young Children and Students with Special Needs

As a teacher, I get asked a lot what kinds of sites are good for kids at home. On the spot, I always choke and can't think of them. So I decided to compile a few of them I can refer people here and I know where to come when I forget!!!

Currently, I work in special education and it has been an absolutely inspiring and delightful high in my career. I never thought I would end up in Special Education. I always felt it took a special person to take on Special Education, and 10 years ago, thought it could never be me. Maybe becoming a mother changed me, or at least bought something out it me I had, but didn't see. Either way, I am happy and love learning from my students as much as we teach them.

One particular site that we use quite often is Help Kidz Learn. This is a great site for students particularly in primary school,  but is catered for children with special needs. If your student or child uses a switch and it can be connected to the computer, this is an awesome site. If your students or child is in mainstream, you can use this site on the IWB (interactive whiteboard) and computer. Its heaps of fun and activities range in games, stories, art and a few others. Some games are for free, and others you will need to pay for. You will need to create a login to be able access the website, in the past this was not the case, but its an easy process. My students currently love the Christmas present game and Mystery Egg. Both of these games are cause and effect based. A present is on the screen and the student must touch the screen, or press the switch within a certain time frame to see/hear what happens next. An angel, reindeer, santa, or elf  pops out and christmas music plays. This is similar with the mystery Egg game but a monter or dinosaur pops out of the egg. There are heaps more games to enjoy. This is a great site for early learners too.

Just a little side note. A switch is a communication device. They come in all shapes and sizes and are used in many different ways. An adaptive switch can be connected to a specialised computer mouse, so that the switch works like a mouse would. Its so amazing and opens up so many more opportunities for students. I have added a photo so you can see what a basic adaptive switch looks like.

We use other switches like VOCA, which is stands for Voice Output Communication Apparatus. This is is like the above, but doesn't have a cord. We can record our voice to help a student communicate their wishes or a choice. For example, I could record my voice saying "More Please". On the switch I would have a picture symbol attached that represents this request. When feeding the student, I would stop momentarily and ask them, "What would you like" and they would learn to press the switch "More Please". If they don't want anymore, they don't press the switch. It takes time to teach this, but when it works, it awesome!
Another that comes to mind that is perfect for Early learners is STARFALL. This is an american site, not that it matters, but the voices have an american accents and there are American themed holidays and the sign language part is in ASL (American Sign Language) not Auslan (Australian Sign Language) and this does matter because there are big differences between the two.

I was actually referred to this site by one of my children's teachers a couple of years ago and I mentioned it to a teacher at school and they found it a wonderful tool for students at our school who are more independant and higher functioning in their learning ability. It basically starts with the alphabet and phonics. You learn about a letter (again its an american accent) and say words that start with that letter. There are activities for the letter too. Stage 2 helps you with reading with read-a-long books. Your child can read independantly and if they are unsure of a word, they use the mouse to have it said to them. Its also a good way to learn reading, by having the book read (modelled) first, then the child can read the book themselves, and use the mouse to help with words they get stuck on. These are great on the IWB, and I can assist my students to turn the page using a switch.  My students can't read, but we use the read-a-long feature, or I read to them.  You can also find STARFALL on the iPhone, Ipod, Ipad. Its a great all-rounder.

I will leave you this time with one more, that I use with one particular class. The students are older, and are quite good with their knowledge of maths and money. We go out into the community once a week to practise purchasing items. We have been practising money skills and we found, MATHS IS FUN. This site covers a range of topics. On the front page if you look to the left of the screen, you will see the Money topic. This is an awesome feature. We choose Money Master, which helps our students learn how many coins and which coins make up the amount requested. Its a lot of fun, very visual for the visual learners. You can choose your currency from quite a number of choices, which can come in handy if you are heading overseas and want to practice what the coins look like and how to use them!!
I had a lot of fun using it myself!!

I also want to share with you a site I found this evening. I came across THE IMUM. A mum who is in love with her MAC and became a little crazy over it decided to share her tips and reviews for apps found in the App Store for Iphone, Ipod, and Ipad. As there are so many apps, its great to come to a site with great recommendations, and especially the FREE ones!! I like how she details which Apps are suitabel for which devices, and what model. A lot of my apps, I find for my youngest and then realise they can be used in the classroom and vice versa. My students love watching and listening to books on the Ipad, so I was excited to see more FREE books that they can enjoy!  So thanks Imum for creating such a wonderful site for us to utilise:)

Before I leave you, if you have even been fascinated with AUSLAN, Australian sign language like I have then there is a really cool app available that can help you with the basic signs for AUSLAN. It is owned by the Royal Institute for the Deaf and Blind Centre. Its very interesting and easy to follow and the basic or key signs version is free. You can purchase other apps that are more detailed. The App is called, Auslan Tutor.

That's it for now, I will write more soon:)

Winners of the Aussie Handmade Giveaways

Firstly, thanks goes to all who have taken the time view our giveaway! Its nice to see so many people consider or continue to support Aussie Handmade. If you don't purchase something now for Christmas, please do consider it in the near future. I have introduced you to some amazing talent, and there is plenty more across Australia to discover.

I am a little late posting this, its that time of year!!! To add to the chaos my youngest has got a cold and I am getting one too. When you are rushing around trying to get things done and not giving yourself anough sleep, you are more likely to get sick, so learn from me! Be kind to yourself and make sure you don't sacrifice too much sleep!

Now to what you really want to hear! We had 14 comments which was really nice to see. Everyone's comment is appreciated and I love that the common link is that everyone loves Christmas because its a time to share with out loved ones, no matter where we are.

So, with no further ado, the winner for the Aussie Bag goes to..........Stephanie! Congratulations. She was comment no. 14, if you wish to see what was said.

As we have only one entrant for the Worldwide bag, it will go to Jared, comment. No. 13.

Thanks again to all who entered, it was a tough decision and as its my first time running a giveaway as a chance of skill, it took me some time to read through and re-read through each of the Aussie entrants.

Support Aussie Handmade and have a wonderful Christmas!