Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Priddy Books, Staples on any Child's Bookshelf

 *This post was created in collaboration with MomsMeet and Priddy Books. All opinions are 100% mine. Thanks for supporting Prim and Propah and the brands that help us go and grow!



When I had my first baby shower, we got so many books to fill the little corner bookshelf that we'd built for the nursery. Classic children's stories and colorful little board books filled the little baby library basket during gift time. It was amazing to see so many people wanting to encourage reading to my new little baby. We've read so many over the years but Aamong some of the favorite books that my kids have "read" from even the earliest age have been board books from Priddy Books. You've likely seen these books yourself when looking for kids' gifts or to enrich the lives of your own kids. They're timeless in that they can be passed from kid to kid and then on to other families without losing their value!



These books have always brought a smile to my face because they're wholesome and actually help our kids learn in the most fundamental ways, by viewing shapes, letters, numbers, animals etc. Some of our favorites have even incorporated touch into the equation, giving an added sensory bonus to the reading experience.

As my kids have gotten older, we've seen books come and go but I've had a hard time handing these awesome board books onto other kids. I taught my oldest all about colors and animals every night laying in bed when it was just me and him. Now my oldest works with my little guy on the same things, though they do get into more disagreements than I would. But I love seeing them read together even if it's just talking about what they're seeing.



I've also taken to adding books like this to baby shower gifts heading out to friends having new little ones. These are awesome additions to little collections because you know they're going to be great, even when the babies are only just sitting up and looking at things. The bright colors and familiar objects make for a fun introduction to books that will hopefully encourage a lifelong love of reading. Out of all the Priddy Books, which ones are your favorites?


You can find Priddy Books online, on Facebook and Twitter! Purchase easily on Amazon!



Monday, August 17, 2020

An Update on Comcast's Internet Essentials Program

*This post was created in collaboration with Comcast New England. Any opinions are my own.

I’ve written about Comcast before. I’m sure you’ve even read a post or two. I have loved working with them and continue to be interested in all the things that they are doing entertainment-wise and also within the company. I’m continually impressed with them and the initiatives that they feel are important. Last week, Comcast made announcements about their Internet Essentials program that will most certainly make a huge difference with low-income students and families, especially headed into this new school year where so much is unknown about how our kids are going to be learning.



As a parent to at least one school aged child, I do not know what we would do without reliable access to the internet. Literally every piece of remote learning is done via an app or through shared drives. Thinking about families struggling to have access to the internet makes me so worried for them. But thanks to programs like Comcast’s Internet Essentials Partnership Program (IEPP), cities, schools and nonprofits can work together to ensure that large numbers of school aged children, grades K-12, are able to access internet service and also be connected to devices like laptops and tablets. When the pandemic hit, Comcast jumped to and they have already signed up more than 70 schools across the country, serving more than 200,000 students. Distance learning may be a reality for a lot of Americans as we head into Fall. Access to essentials should not be an added worry for these families.

“We’ve seen firsthand that low-cost Internet access is an important part of improving digital equity and creating positive opportunities for low-income students and families,” said Dana Strong, President of Xfinity Consumer Services. “Through this new partnership program, we are accelerating the efforts of cities, schools, philanthropies, nonprofits, and private citizens to collaborate and open the doors of Internet access for more families in need.”

 


 

In nearly ten years, Internet Essentials has become the nation’s largest and most successful low-income Internet adoption program and has connected millions of people to the Internet. It offers households low-cost, broadband Internet service for $9.95/month, the option to purchase a heavily subsidized computer, and multiple options for digital literacy training. Comcast continues to offer new Internet Essentials customers two months of free internet access if they sign up before the end of 2020. So here’s where they are making this accessible to so many more people. They are providing a necessary service at an extremely affordable price. The Comcast team is bringing these resources to the communities that need them the most. And I’m here for it.


You can see the cities where Comcast has already secured partnerships here. If you are finding that you think you may need to apply for the Internet Essentials program, you can access that information here. The team over there really does want to expand and provide internet access to as many people as possible and I find that admirable, especially in such an uncertain time when people need to have access to their communities, families, friends and remote education.