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PearlMountain Image Converter Review and Giveaway – 20 Winners (Total ARV $600)!

Written on May 3, 2012 by Deb Chitwood in Blogging and Networking, Giveaways

The giveaway is now closed. Please see the bottom of the post right under the Rafflecopter form for the announcement of the 20 winners!

Need Watermarking and Image Conversion?

I LOVE Pinterest, but Pinterest has made it necessary to learn how to watermark photos. Otherwise, it’s simply too easy for images to be pinned and repinned without a link or clue to the original source. And blog scrapers make the situation even worse.

PearlMountain Image Converter

I was wondering about watermarking software as well as simple options for labeling photos and resizing images. Fortunately, I was given the opportunity to review PearlMountain Image Converter and host a Mother’s Day giveaway of 20 full licenses of PearlMountain Image Converter software (ARV $30 each)!

Reviewing PearlMountain Image Converter was a very pleasant experience. PearlMountain Image Converter is an easy method for batch converting and processing images. It allows you to convert images to other formats, resize, rotate, crop, add watermark, apply effects, and add a border to many images at a time. It’s simple to adjust digital photos for printing or for your blog, e-mail, or any other web-based use. You can even save operations as profiles for future use.

PearlMountain Image Converter supports 60+ image formats, including JPEG, BMP, TIFF, PNG, PSD, GIF, TGA, ICO, PDF, and RAW. I tried converting JPGs to PNGs, resizing, and adding a watermark to a number of images at once. It worked well!

Here’s an image from my Montessori-Inspired Lorax Activities that I updated with the PearlMountain Image Converter. I resized it, added a label, and added a watermark.

There are many ways my image could be changed, but this was my first attempt … and it didn’t take me too long to figure out how to use the software.

PearlMountain Image Converter System Requirements

Microsoft Windows 2000, 2003, XP, Vista (32- and 64-bit), Windows 7 (32- and 64-bit)
300 MHz processor or faster processor
256MB RAM (512MB or more recommended)
5MB hard disk space for installation

Disclosure: I was given a full license of PearlMountain Image Converter to review. I was not required to give a positive review, and the opinions expressed here are my own.

Now for the Giveaway:

What You Will Win:

20 winners will receive a full license for PearlMountain Image Converter Software (ARV $30 each)

Who is Eligible:

This giveaway is open to anyone 18 and older worldwide. The first entry is mandatory. You must leave a blog post comment telling why you want to win (and be sure to say you did that on the Rafflecopter form)! After you’ve completed your mandatory entry, there are lots of optional entries. You have many chances to win! (Note: For the extra entries, you may count ways of following that you already do. For example, if you previously “liked” Living Montessori Now on Facebook, you may still count that for your “like” Living Montessori Now on Facebook entry!)

It’s easy to enter giveaways with Rafflecopter! Just follow the directions to enter. You must complete the Mandatory Entry to qualify for any additional entries. The giveaway closes 10:01pm MST on Thursday, May 10. Best of luck!

Here’s a 45-second video with quick directions for entering through Rafflecopter:

How to Enter Rafflecopter Giveaways from Rafflecopter on Vimeo.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

UPDATE:

It’s Friday morning, May 11. And I have 20 lucky winners of the PearlMountain Image Converter!!! They were selected using Random.org through Rafflecopter.

Here are the winners:

My Boys’ Teacher from What DID We Do All Day?
Marthalynn R.
Joanna P. from Mom Again at 40
Tracey B. from Don’t Mess with Mama
Nicole S.
Inez M. from Inez by Design
Jenny C. from I’m a Full-Time Mummy
Claudia from For the Love of Coupons and Deals
Heather S.
Ginnette C. (Gigi) from Montessori Spanish
Tiffany from Stuff Parents Need
Gricelda C.
Mieke G. from Lesson Plans to Pots and Pans
Julie C. from The Adventures of Bear
Maegan M.
Lillea B.
Kerry M.
Lisa S.
Deanna from Deanna Time
Jen

I’m in the process of sending out all the license codes via email. If you don’t receive your license code this morning, be sure to let me know!

CONGRATULATIONS to everyone who won!!! Thanks so much to PearlMountain Technology for sponsoring the giveaway – and thank you to everyone who entered!

If you didn’t win, you can still purchase a copy of the software here: PearlMountain Image Converter software

As always, thanks so much to all my blog sponsors!

Montessori Print Shop

Montessori Compass

Total Yearbooks

Montessori at Home

Maestro Classics

Linked with Contest Girl and Free Sweepstakes and Contests

Tags: blogging, giveaway, image conversion, PearlMountain Image Converter, photo, Pinterest, watermark

Thank You’s for April 2012

Written on May 1, 2012 by Deb Chitwood in Thank You's

3 Comments - Leave a comment!

From my Google Analytics report for April 2012

Thank you to all my referrers!

Top 10 Referring Sites (Not counting sites like Facebook, Networked Blogs, Pinterest, Google, Twitter, Blogger, and Stumble Upon)

1. No Time for Flash Cards

2. Passionate Homemaking

3. Teach Preschool

4. PreK + K Sharing

5. Montessori Print Shop

6. Leptir

7. Pre-K Pages

8. 1+1+1=1

9. Carrots Are Orange

10. Early Education with Antek and Kuba

Thank you to all my readers!

Thank you to all my followers!

Thank you so much to everyone who follows me! If you were following me on Google Friend Connect, you won’t be receiving my updates, though. In the beginning of March, Google Friend Connect was discontinued for WordPress blogs.

If you were following me via Google Friend Connect, please sign up through my RSS feed (blog posts in a reader), Twitter (blog posts by me and others along with the Parent/Teacher Daily and other interesting information), Living Montessori Now Facebook page (links to my posts and lots of posts from around the blogosphere along with a featured Free Printable of the Day), Pinterest (lots of Montessori-, holiday-, and theme-related boards), and/or Google+ (post updates). And of course, don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter in the right-hand sidebar to receive Karen Tyler’s AMS Montessori geography album and the Mom Bloggers Talk Montessori: Favorite Ideas and Activities eBook FREE along with a weekly newsletter containing a note from me with any important reminders and links to my posts from the week! I truly appreciate all my followers!

Thank you for photo permissions!

Thank you to the wonderful bloggers who have given me permission to use your photos in my posts (with credit to you, a link to your post, and a comment letting you know I’m using your photo, of course)! If you haven’t seen my request for permissions, here’s a link to my post: Request for Montessori Photo Permissions.

If I may have permission to use photos from your blog, please let me know! Although I use Montessori photos most often, I also link to posts with crafts, art projects, and educational activities (especially unit studies posts with family activities). If you have posts with similar activities, I’d really appreciate photo permissions for them. I love that the photos add to the post content and also bring attention to your link.

Thank you to link-up participants!

Thank you to everyone who links up and to everyone who reads and comments on the Montessori Monday posts! I always enjoy seeing the ideas that are linked up each week, and I appreciate the encouragement you give to each other in using Montessori education at home or school.

Thank you to everyone who links up and/or visits the participants in my Family-Friendly Giveaway Linky (which you can link up with at any time and has outdated links removed each Sunday)!

Thank you to my sponsors!

My sponsors all have products I wish would have been around when I had a Montessori preschool and when I homeschooled my children!

Thank you to Montessori Print Shop, who has free printables, beautiful inexpensive printables, a wonderful blog, and lots of great information and resources (see all the drop-down menus at the top of the Montessori Print Shop site)! For more information, read my Sponsor Spotlight – Montessori Print Shop. And be sure to check out the two Montessori at Home bundles!

Thank you to Montessori Compass, an incredibly user-friendly, web-based software application that provides online Montessori record keeping, school management, and parent communication from any web-enabled device. Read my Montessori Compass Sponsor Spotlight to learn more about Montessori Compass. Sign up for Montessori Compass using the promo code LivingMontessoriNow and get a 30-day free trial and 50% discount for the first 3 months!

Thank you to Total Yearbooks, who has competitive pricing (including bulk pricing) for yearbooks for homeschools, sports teams, preschools, and other schools as well as books for sports memories, graduations, weddings, baby memories, and more. The yearbooks can easily be put together online through templates ready to go. You also have the option to upload a PDF or jpgs created with digital scrapbooking software and print books through Total Yearbooks! For more information, read my Total Yearbooks Sponsor Spotlight.

Thank you to John Bowman and Montessori at Home, with the newly revised eBook Montessori at Home: The Complete Guide to Doing Montessori Early Learning Activities at Home, and the condensed version in paperback Help Your Preschooler Build a Better Brain: Early Learning Activities for 2-6 Year Old Children. In the e-book, you get over 250 Montessori early-learning activities for use at home with 3-7 yr. olds. Read my review of Montessori at Home for more information.

Thank you to Maestro Classics, who has award-winning CDs that introduce children to classical music through stories. Each CD is performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra: Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel; Peter and the Wolf; Tortoise and the Hare; My Name is Handel; Juanita the Spanish Lobster; Swan Lake; Casey at the Bat; Sorcerer’s Apprentice; The Soldier’s Tale; and Juanita la langosta! Maestro Classics offers Special Packages, Educational Materials, and Kids Club! To learn more about Maestro Classics, read my Maestro Classics Sponsor Spotlight.

Thank you to my affiliates!

Please check out my products page for my affiliates, who have wonderful products! I only become an affiliate for companies with products I believe in. I really appreciate if you go through my affiliate links when you’re ordering because I’ll receive a small commission. It won’t affect your order or prices in any way (unless you go through a discount link of mine and receive a better price than normal!)

I’m an affiliate for My Memories Digital Scrapbooking Software, Montessori Helper, iTunes, App Store, Hearth Song, Magic Beans, Melissa & Doug, Plow & Hearth, Problem Solvers, Christian Book, Inspire 4 Less, and Barnes and Noble.

Thank you to my affiliate My Memories, who sponsored the giveaway in August of My Memories Suite 2.0 digital scrapbooking software and continues to offer a special My Memories coupon code for all my readers (and your friends and family). If you use the coupon code STMMMS48784 at My Memories upon checkout, you’ll receive a $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook software and a $10 coupon for the MyMemories.com store – a $20 value!

Thanks again, everyone! Happy spring!

Tags: sponsors, thank you's, top 10 referring sites, top 10 visited posts

Montessori Monday – Montessori-Inspired Farm Unit

Written on April 30, 2012 by Deb Chitwood in Activity of the Week, Montessori Monday, Unit Studies

28 Comments - Leave a comment!

Pig and Corn Cards and Counters (Photo from Our Country Road)

Spring was my favorite season growing up on a farm. And spring is a great time for a farm unit with a mixture of indoor- and outdoor activities. Of course, a farm unit is fun at any time of the year.

A Montessori-inspired farm theme fits well with Montessori education’s emphasis on real-life work. There are even Montessori schools that were created with the theme of providing real-life farm experiences. And many Montessori schools provide a few farm experiences in the middle of a city. When I taught at Tempe Montessori School in the late 1970s, the school had a sheep in part of the school’s large backyard.

Here are some wonderful activities for a Montessori-inspired farm unit I found online that work well at home or school.

Montessori-Inspired Farm Activities

Farm Posts and P is for Pig (free printables – photo at the top of this post) from Our Country Road

Farm Animal Matching (Photo from Montessori MOMents)

Farm Animal Families (free printable cards) and Farm Animals for all Ages (photo) from Montessori MOMents

Farmyard Families and Farm Animal Matching Cards (free printable cards) from The Helpful Garden

Farm Animal Nomenclature (free printable cards) from Montessori for Everyone

Farm Printables and Where Does It Come From? Cards (available inexpensively) from Montessori Print Shop

Farm Printables (purple links are free) from Montesori Materials

Toddler Farm Matching (Photo from 1+1+1=1)

Farm Printables and Activities from 1+1+1=1 (Photo from Tot School ~ Letter Gg)

Matching Farm Animals with Miss Ava from Making Montessori Ours

C is for Cow Farm Unit (with free printable) at Living Life Intentionally

Washing the Horse Activity (Photo from Discovery Days and Montessori Moments)

Farm Theme from Discovery Days and Montessori Moments

Farm-Themed Open and Close (Photo from Homeschool Mo)

Tot Time – Fun on the Farm from Homeschool Mo

Farm Sensory Tub (Photo from Counting Coconuts)

Farm Posts from Counting Coconuts (Photo from May Sensory Tub – Farm)

Pouring "Milk" from Milk Jugs (Photo from Chestnut Grove Academy)

Farm Sensory Tub from Carrots Are Orange

Farm Posts from Chestnut Grove Academy (Photo from Workbox Wednesday)

Farm Unit from Five Hazelnuts

Counting with Grain Bins from hands on : as we grow

How Many Spots? (Photo from The Preschool Experiment)

Farm Posts from The Preschool Experiment (Photo from Farm Theme Tot Trays)

Montessori Grammar Farm (Photo from Making Montessori Ours)

Montessori Grammar Farm (my roundup post) – Photo from More Montessori Grammar Farm Work from Making Montessori Ours

Grain Matching (Photo from United Montessori Association)

Corn Unit Study (my roundup post) – Photo from Grain Matching – Food Unit from United Montessori Association

Free Montessori Botany Materials for a Gardening Unit

Erdkinder – The Montessori Answer to Adolescence from Montessori for Everyone

Farm Unit Study Pinterest Board

I have a Farm Unit Study Pinterest board with activities of all types. I’ll be continually adding to it.

Have you done many farm activities at your home or school?

Montessori Monday Link-Up

If you have some Montessori activity trays/lessons to share, please link up below. It’s fine to link up a post from your archives – and you may link up anytime during the week! Please place the Montessori Monday button (using the code from the right sidebar) in your post or put a link back to this post.

Let’s use Montessori Monday to gain inspiration/ideas and to encourage each other! If you would leave an encouraging comment on the post linked up ahead of you (along with any other posts you’re drawn to), that would be awesome! Thanks for participating!

Note: If you have a giveaway on your blog, please add it to my Family-Friendly Giveaway Linky Page! If you enjoy entering giveaways, you’ll always find some great giveaways there! There are 3 Montessori giveaways linked up right now!

Linked to AfterSchool Linky Party, The Mommy Club Resources and Solutions at Milk and Cuddles and Crystal & Co. , What’s on the Tray Wednesday, Thrifty Thursday, The Weekly Kid’s Co-op, Fun Stuff Fridays, Living Life Intentionally Linky Party, The Weekly Kid’s Co-op, Preschool Corner, Show-and-Share Saturday, The Sunday Showcase at Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas and Classified: Mom, and Link & Learn.

Tags: Activity of the Week, farm activities, farm unit study, Montessori, Montessori Monday, Montessori-inspired farm unit, spring

Montessori-Inspired Rainbow Activities and Rainbow Blog Hop

Written on April 26, 2012 by Deb Chitwood in Holidays and Celebrations, Unit Studies

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Dyeing Wool Yarn (Photo from Olives and Pickles)

Rainbow activities are great a number of times during the year … for St. Patrick’s Day, a study of colors, a weather unit, April showers unit, any rainy season, or just a rainy day. Today, I’m going to bring together a number of wonderful Montessori-inspired rainbow activities I found online.

Montessori-Inspired Rainbow Activities from Around the Blogosphere

March Activities (with a rainbow theme), Rainbow Art Activities, Dyeing Wool Yarn Tutorial (photo at the top of this post) from Olives and Pickles

Fruit Loop Rainbows (Photo from Little Wonders' Days)

Rainbow posts from Little Wonders’ Days (Photo from Fruit Loop Rainbows)

Beaded Rainbow (Photo from To the Lesson!)

Beaded Rainbow, Rainbow Art, and Color Mixing Extravaganza from To the Lesson!

Rainbow Bead Stringing (Photo from The Education of Ours)

Rainbow Scooping and Rainbow Bead Stringing and Color Mixing from The Education of Ours

DIY Color Tablets (Photo from Pink and Green Mama)

DIY Color Tablets (my roundup post, including Homemade Montessori Color Tablet Game {photo} from Pink and Green Mama)

Rainbow Posts from Pink and Green Mama

Water Transfer and Color Mixing (Photo from Chasing Cheerios)

Water Transfer and Color Mixing, Rainbow Rice for Our Rice Pit, Catching a Rainbow Science Experiment, Raining Rainbows, and Collecting a Rainbow of Nature’s Colors from Chasing Cheerios

Desk Set Up for Rainbow Week (Photo from 1+1+1=1)

Rainbow Posts from 1+1+1=1 (Photo from Tot School – Rainbows)

Rainbow Sensory Tub (Photo from Homeschool Mo)

Rainbow Sensory Tub and Rainbow Fish Activities from Homeschool Mo

Rainbow Sensory Bin from Trial & Error Mama

Vegetable Rainbow (Photo by Julie from The Adventures of Bear)

Rainbow Pegs and Cups, Gluing a Vegetable Rainbow, Rainbow Lunches, and Letter Hunt in Rainbow Rice from The Adventures of Bear

Lots of Rainbow Ideas from Rockabye Butterfly

Rainbow Trays from 1 Mommy’s Journey

Rainbow with Colored Chips, Rainbow Mural, Collaborative Rainbow Project, and Rainbow-Making Work from My Montessori Journey

Rainbow Numbers and Counters

Rainbow Numbers and Counters in my Montessori-Inspired St. Patrick’s Day Math Activities at PreK + K Sharing.

Rainbow Addition and Subtraction Game (Photo from Counting Coconuts)

April Sensory Tub and Playdough – Rainbows, Rainbow Activities – Part I, Rainbow Activities – Part II, Rainbow Rainstick, and Rainbow Addition and Subtraction Game from Counting Coconuts

Noah’s Ark and Rainbow Godly Play in my Old Testament Godly Play post

Rainbow Blog Hop

If you have kids’ rainbow activities of any type (they don’t need to be Montessori-inspired), please link up with the Kids’ Rainbow Art, Eats & Activities Blog Hop organized by Outlaw Mom!

Linked to AfterSchool Linky Party, What’s on the Tray Wednesday, The Mommy Club Resources and Solutions at Milk and Cuddles and Crystal & Co., Thrifty Thursday, The Weekly Kid’s Co-op, Fun Stuff Fridays, Living Life Intentionally Linky Party, Preschool Corner, Fun Frugal Friday, Show-and-Share Saturday, The Sunday Showcase at Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas and Classified: Mom, and Link & Learn.

Tags: April Showers, Montessori, Montessori unit study, Montessori-inspired rainbow activities, rainbow, rainbow blog hop, St. Patrick's Day, weather

Montessori-Inspired Poetry Activities

Written on April 24, 2012 by Deb Chitwood in Activities - Language

8 Comments - Leave a comment!

Springtime Poetry Basket (Photo from Counting Coconuts)

April 22-28 is the Week of the Young Child, a celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. April is also National Poetry Month. This is a great time to start some poetry activities with young children if you haven’t started them already!

Teaching poetry to young children is one of my favorite activities. Even when I was the director of my school and not teaching full-time, I still taught poetry and music twice a week at group time and creative writing during individual work time.

There are so many fun activities that can be used to introduce young children to poetry and rhythm. Today, I’ll share some Montessori-inspired poetry activities that can be used for a poetry unit or as individual poetry activities. There are many types of songs, rhymes, and fingerplays for young children that are wonderful for group activities, too.

Montessori-Inspired Preschool Poetry Activities

Oh, Precious Words from My Montessori Journey

Poetry Basket Posts from Counting Coconuts (photo at the top of this post from April Poetry Basket)

The Little Turtle Poetry Basket (Photo from Chasing Cheerios)

Our Summer Poetry Basket from Chasing Cheerios

Poetry: ‘Springtime’ from To the Lesson!

Poem of the Week (Photo from Our Montessori Home)

Poem of the Week from Our Montessori Home

Lady Poetry Basket (Photo from Discovery Days and Montessori Moments)

Ladybug Poetry Basket from Discovery Days and Montessori Moments

Bear Poetry Basket (Photo by Julie from The Adventures of Bear)

Bear Poetry Basket, Cloud Poetry Basket, and Ladybug Poetry Basket from The Adventures of Bear

Poetic Play from The Little List

Poetry Lives from Countryside Montessori School

Poetry for Kids Kit (available for purchase) from Montessori for Everyone

Montessori Services Poetry Materials (available for purchase)

Montessori Elementary Poetry Activities

April: National Poetry Month! (or How to Eat a Poem) from It’s Elementary!

World Poetry Day from Contemplating Montessori

Poetry Posts from The Very Montessori Blog

A Closer Look from MariaMontessori.com

Montessori Language Arts: Summer and Poetry from North American Montessori Center

Poetry Reading List from Middleburg Montessori School

When Poetry Meets Grammar from Keystone Montessori School

Montessori Students Explore Poetry and Life as a Poet (Children’s Meeting House Montessori School in Loveland) in Loveland Magazine

Animal Poetry (Original poetry based on the animals of Africa by elementary Montessori students who worked with a performance artist) from Montessori Magnet School

Montessori Coffee House from Maria Montessori School

Poetry Café for Valentines’ Day from Country Village Montessori School

Center Montessori Poetry Café: Brennan and R.J.

Poetry Posts and How to Memorize a Poem for elementary and up from Montessori Muddle