Bonus Stuff 27
National Learn to Swim Day
Tomorrow, May 20th is
National Learn to Swim Day.
Hey GEMS: We think this is a great time to think about water safety because lots of pools are getting ready to open for the summer. Yay! We love going to the pool and we hope you do too!
If you haven’t learned to swim yet, don’t be embarrassed. And don’t miss out on the fun! You can learn to swim and have fun with all your friends at the pool this summer! Here’s how to start.
First get used to putting your face in the water, like Mercedes!
Practice in the shower or a sprinkler. Let the water run on your face.
The best way to learn to swim is to take swimming lessons, or have an adult teach you. But here are some things you can do until you can take lessons. Ask your parent to take you to a pool to practice. Find a pool with a lifeguard, and have an adult stay with you to be sure you are safe.
Things you’ll need:
- Swim goggles will keep the chemicals in the pool water out of your eyes.
- A swim cap will keep your hair out of your face. Or if you have long hair, put it in a braid.
Here are 5 things to practice to learn how to swim.
1. Water Walking
Get in the shallow end and walk around. Get used to the water and how it feels different than walking on land. Start with water at your knees, then go deeper gradually to armpits. At first you may be a little afraid. That’s normal. Don’t worry if this takes a few visits until you’re comfortable going this far into the pool.
Mother’s Day Free Gift Ideas
Mother’s day is next Sunday May 14th.
Hey GEMS: We want to tell you how much we appreciate our mom. She is so amazing! She is beautiful, funny, and talented.
We all want to share something we love about our Mom!
From Giselle: I love my mom because when I need help she is always there.
From Evangeline: I love mom because when I make a problem, she makes it right.
From Mercedes: I love my mom because she makes me laugh.
We know you are probably just like us and want to get your mom a nice present for Mother’s Day. But that’s hard if you don’t have any money! To help with this, we came up with some ideas of things that are free that you could do for your mom on Mother’s day.
Mom’s Day Off:
- Mom gets the day off to do whatever she wants all day! The whole family pitches in and does all of the stuff mom usually has to deal with, so she can have a relaxing day.
Coupon book:
Make a coupon book for your Mom. She can use the coupons whenever she wants, and you have to do what you wrote on that coupon. You could make coupons for a lot of different things. Here are some ideas.
- Foot massage
- I promise to stop complaining!
- Help with younger brother or sister
- Make Mom’s bed
- Fold Laundry
- Clean the Kitchen
Teacher Appreciation Week
Hey GEMS: This week May 1st through May 5th is
Teacher Appreciation Week!
We have great teachers in our lives. We bet You do too! There are all different kinds of teachers. Some of us go to public or private school. We may have one teacher, or a different teacher for each subject. Some of us are home schooled, so your parent may be your teacher. We may have special lessons that we take, and have different teachers for those.
All of our teachers do such an awesome job helping us learn. Let’s tell every one of them this week how much we appreciate them!
Everyone learns differently, so teachers have their own special ways of helping you understand. One way of learning might work great for one person, and not so great for another.
Some teachers use a blackboard and books.
Some teachers use a more ‘hands on’ method of teaching.
Other teachers use computers.
It’s great for our brains to learn in a different ways, besides being more fun!
“I Don’t Get it!”
Sometimes you just can’t understand something in your school work. You just don’t get it no matter how hard you think. But a really great teacher will have another way of explaining it. Suddenly a light bulb turns on in your brain. You got it!
Teachers are easy to talk to.
Your teacher loves to help you. Your teacher wants you to have a great time in class.
Some teachers don’t teach at a school.
You might take special lessons from a different kind of teacher. There are LOTS of things you could learn. For example: guitar, piano, dance, yoga, soccer. The list of things you could take lessons for is endless. Your teacher is really great at whatever that is. They want to help you be great at it too!
We should never stop learning our entire lives. There is a whole world of things you could learn.
GEMS: Be sure to tell your teachers how much you appreciate them this week.
Put the boy teacher or girl teacher emoji in the comments. Put an emoji for every teacher you have! Or make a comment about why you like your teacher.
5 Tips to Avoid Spring Sniffles
How to NOT Catch a Cold!
First Evangeline had the sniffles. As soon as she started to feel better Mercedes started coughing. Giselle is hoping she doesn’t catch the bug too! Does this sound familiar to you? We figured the same thing is probably going on at your house too! We decided we are going to fight back, and hope you join us in the fight to NOT catch the cold or flu bug. This is war!
Know Who You’re Fighting!
First off we need to understand our enemy. No, this isn’t a real picture of cold and flu virus. They are so tiny the only way you can see them is with a microscope. But this is how we imagine they look. Yuck! Are you ready to fight now? We thought so. First off we need to know how you get this bug.
You catch the bug from someone else who has it, or if you touch something they have touched (think phones, light switches, door knobs). These virus are everywhere, so how can we win this war? Here are some things we can do to keep us from getting sick!
1. Be Careful!
Germs are everywhere! Every time you touch something other people have touched there could be germs there. But don’t be afraid to touch things! Of course we need to use our phones, computers, and open doors. Just try to remember not to touch your nose, eyes, or mouth with your fingers if you’re not sure your hands are clean.
2. Wash your hands!
One of the best things you can do is wash your hands. Wash after you use the bathroom, before you eat, and when you get home from school, or any time you’ve touched things that could have germs.
Do a Really Good Job: First wet your hands, then turn off the faucet. Put on the soap and really scrub. Sing the Happy Birthday Song twice to yourself as you wash everywhere: bottoms, tops, under fingernails, and between fingers. Then turn the water back on and rinse really well. If you’re using a paper towel to dry, you can turn the water off with the paper towel in your hand so you don’t touch the handle with your clean hands. You can also use the paper towel to open the door before you throw it away. If you are somewhere that you can’t wash your hands, use hand sanitizer.
3. Super-Foods!
We are all going to come in contact with some of these bad bugs. But, we can make our body super strong so that it can fight off the virus. Some foods have special vitamins to make us stronger. Drink fruit juices like orange juice. Eat lots of raw fruits and veggies. And don’t forget to drink lots of water!
4. Be Active!
It’s important to be active. When we exercise it makes our body stronger all over. When we’re stronger we can win the fight against the gross cold and flu bugs. Do whatever activity that YOU like. We are not all the same. You might like to play a sport, or you might like to ride your bike, scooter or skateboard. You might like to swim, run or do Yoga. Just find the thing that you like, and try to be active almost every day.
5. Get lots of rest!
It is so tempting to stay up late playing on our phones or computers, watching TV, or reading a book. But when we know we have to get up early in the morning we need to get to bed earlier. Getting enough sleep will make our body strong to fight off the cold and flu bugs. We should be getting 9-11 hours of sleep every night. Of course we’ll have more time for those fun things because we’re NOT sick with a cold!
GEMS: We hope You don’t get the cold or flu sniffles this Spring! There are too many fun things to be doing instead of staying home sick! If you have other tips to help us stay healthy, please leave them in the comments for everyone to enjoy.
5 Reasons Why You’re Awesome!
To our GEMS:
You are so special to us!
You are truly amazing! Each and every day you encourage us by watching our videos, visiting our website, and social medias. You are the reason we work so hard to put up new videos and fun things. When you write us comments or send us mail, it makes our day. You are always encouraging us, so we want to tell you how awesome we think you are!
1. Your smile makes people happy!
Your smile brightens everyone’s day. If someone is feeling down, your smile can make them feel good again.
2. You appreciate beauty.
You recognize beauty in many things: a sunny day, flowers, butterflies, a colorful drawing, or even someone’s pretty new dress. This makes beauty shine from inside you for everyone else to see.
3.You are extraordinary!
There is NO one else on this earth who is exactly like you. Just like a snowflake, or a fingerprint, you are one of a kind. You are so very unique! No one else was born to do the things you were born to do.
4. You are a gift to others!
You like to make other people feel good about themselves. This is why just being with you is a gift to them. You always make someone’s day complete.
5. You love others!
Loving others makes them love you. You’re not afraid to look goofy if it makes someone happy. You see why others are special, and that makes you very special.
Be your best and that is all that matters. When you are at your best, everything you do is awesome. You do not have to prove anything to anybody. You are AMAZINGLY AWESOME just the way you are. We LOVE you GEMS!
GEMS, if you have other ideas about what makes people in your life special, please share them in the comments.
Earth Day
Earth Day is This Saturday April 22nd!
Earth day reminds us that this is the only planet we have, and so we need to take good care of it. We were thinking about the things we can do to help our beautiful planet. Here is what we came up with.
Recycle
Recycling is a great way to help the earth. It can save energy, water, and natural resources.
Recycling is easy! Water bottles, cans, glass jars are things that we all can recycle instead of throwing in the garbage. You can also recycle paper products, like old school papers, junk mail, old magazines, and cardboard boxes. These things are sorted and sold to different factories to be cleaned and made into new products!
Reduce
Reduce the amount of things that need to be recycled. Why use plastic water bottles that you use once, then throw away? You can buy a water bottle that you can re-fill. That way you can use it over and over. You can buy water bottles that are stainless steel, glass or plastic.
Re-usable Lunch Box
Pack your lunch in a lunch box instead of using plastic or paper bags that you have to throw away each time. Inside the lunch box you can put your food in reusable containers instead of throw away plastic bags.
Plant Something
Our air gets polluted and dirty. Plants use the energy of the sun to make oxygen and clean up the air. You could plant flowers, vegetables, fruit bushes, or even a tree. Trees can live a REALLY long time. Some trees are hundreds of years old, so they would clean up the air and make oxygen all that time!
Clean it up!
You and your family could go on a walk and pick up any litter that you see. Then you could recycle it!
Use Less Water
If we use less water it helps keep our earth healthy. It takes a lot of energy to treat the water that we use in our houses. If we all use less, there will be more for everyone else. An easy way to use less water is to turn the water off when you are brushing your teeth. Turn it back on when you’re done to rinse your toothbrush and get a drink. Another way to use less water is to take a shorter shower. Your parents will also be happy because they’ll be saving money on the water bill!
Enjoy Nature!
Get outside and enjoy our beautiful Earth!
GEMS, We hope you like these ideas for Earth Day. We love nature! So, we are going try to do these things all the time.Then every day will be Earth Day! If You have any other ideas for Earth Day, please share them in the comments.
5 Fun Ways to Keep a Secret
Hey GEMS! Have You ever tried to keep a secret?
It’s really hard! Sometimes it’s your own secret, and sometimes it’s someone else’s secret that you need to keep. We’re not the best at keeping secrets, so we wrote this article to help get better at it!
How to Keep a Secret:
Knowing a secret can be both fun and hard. You should be honored that someone trusts you enough to tell you a secret, but be careful. You don’t want to lose their trust. You may also be keeping your own secret, which can be hard too!
“How long?”
If someone tells you they have a secret to tell you, ask how long you will need to keep the secret. Decide if you want to know it or not. You might want to if it’s just for a short time — that’s way easier than keeping a secret forever. If you don’t want to keep a secret, you should probably just tell them, “Sorry, but no, thank you.” They will understand if you explain that you’re not good at keeping secrets.
I know a secret!
If you decide to hear their secret, it’s going to be HARD! You’ll probably want to tell someone else. That would not be good. Because you promised to keep the secret! You try not to think about it, but it’s all you can think about!!! One thing that might help is to tell your favorite Beanie Boo the secret. Make sure you are all alone, and no one else can hear as you whisper the secret in it’s ear.
“I must tell someone!”
That might not work for you, because you want to tell a real person – not a stuffed animal. Another idea is to tell the secret to yourself in a mirror. That way you’ll feel like you’re telling a real person. BUT be very careful to make sure you are all alone, and whisper the secret real quietly!
“I don’t know anything. Really, I don’t!”
Sometimes other people try to get you to tell the secret. It might even be a fun secret, and they know that something is up. They want to know for sure, so they try to get details from you. Be careful! The best thing to do is pretend you don’t know anything. Otherwise … oops! … you may accidentally tell the secret without meaning to!
“Should I ever tell a secret?”
If the secret is something dangerous, and you’re afraid that someone could get hurt, then you should tell an adult the secret. Your parents are great at keeping secrets. They will make sure that no one gets hurt.
GEMS, we hope these ideas help you the next time you need to keep a secret. If you have any other ways that help you keep secrets, share them in the comments!
Spring Fun!
Hey GEMS! Are you enjoying Spring as much as we are?
Spring is so much FUN! We’re always happy to say good-bye to the cold weather of winter, and hello to the warm days of Spring.
In Spring everything comes alive. The grass turns green. Trees get leaves. Flowers start to bloom! We got to thinking about all of the fun things you can do in Spring, and wanted to share them with you!
1. Plant spring flowers – Pansies are great for for spring, because even if you have a cold day with frost or snow – it doesn’t hurt them! They don’t mind a little cold. A lot of stores will have them for sale. Just put them in the ground, or in a pot and they will brighten your day. We think Pansies look like they have little faces on them. Do you think so too?
2. Pick a bouquet of spring flowers. Be sure to ask if it’s OK first.
3. Have a picnic. Pack up a lunch and eat it outside. You could even do this in your own backyard!
4. “April Showers Bring May Flowers.” Have you ever heard this saying? Don’t be sad if it’s a rainy day. All of the rain in April makes the flowers bloom even more in May!
5. Yes, it does rain a lot in Spring. That’s OK. Put on your raincoat, and rubber boots. It’s FUN to splash in puddles!
6. Rainbow! After it gets done raining, see if you can find the rainbow.
7. Decorate your room for spring. Turn your room into an outdoor wonderland. Draw Spring Pictures. Here are some things you could draw:
- Flowers
- Butterflies
- Rainbows
- Flowering Trees
- Green Grass
- Rain
- The Sun
- Anything else that makes you think of Spring!
8. Go for an adventure walk with an adult. See how many flowers you can find, and which trees have leaves or flowers. See which yards have the grass turning green. What has changed in your neighborhood since winter?
9. Ride your bike or scooter. It will feel great to get out in the fresh air and ride after you’ve spent a lot of time inside over the winter.
10. Go to the park. Have fun on the playground! Swing, climb, and ride the teeter totter with a friend. It’s Spring! Have Fun!
We hope you get to do some of these fun things for Spring. We want to know what is your favorite thing about Spring? Tell us in the comments.
5 Free Things You Can Do For Your BFF’s Birthday
Your BFF’s birthday is coming up and you want to buy a special present, but you have no money! No one knows your friend like you! So even if you don’t have any money, you can still give an awesome gift! Here are five super ideas.
#1.CUPCAKES!
Have an adult help you bake some yummy cupcakes. Then decorate them with frosting and sprinkles. Use your friend’s favorite color for the frosting to make the cupcakes extra special.
#2. Candy Card!
Fold a piece of paper in half to make a special card. Use small candies to write happy birthday. Use glue to attach gum, and suckers to the outside of the card. Leave the wrappers on so she can eat the candy! On the inside tell about all the special things you love about your BFF!
#3. Sleepover!
Invite your friend to a sleepover at your house. Eat pizza! Watch Movies! Sing Songs! Do all of your BFF’s favorite things!
#4.Spa Day!
Give your BFF a mani pedi!
5. Musical.ly!
Make a special Musical.ly for your BFF!
Hey GEMS! We hope you enjoyed these free birthday present ideas. If you have more free birthday gift ideas, share them in the comments!
Our Favorite April Fools Day Pranks
Hey GEMS! This Saturday is April Fool’s Day! We just LOVE to play pranks on each other. If You love to play pranks too, here are some awesome ones you can pull on your friends and family!
1. Back-Pack Surprise
In our family Mercedes is the biggest prankster. Here’s a really funny one she pulled on Evangeline. As they were getting ready to leave for school, Mercedes put a huge stack of underwear into Evangeline’s backpack.
When Evangeline got to class and opened her back-pack, her eyes nearly popped out of her head when she saw that it was filled with underwear! She shut it real quick, but not before her friends saw what was inside. At first she was embarrassed, but then everyone, including Evangeline, was cracking up about Mercedes’ crazy prank.
2. Minty Oreo Cookies
Evangeline likes to pull pranks on her sisters too. Here is a fun one she pulled on Giselle.
Evangeline took an Oreo cookie out of the package. She opened the cookie, and used a butter-knife to scrape off all the frosting. Then she squirted mint flavored tooth-paste on the cookie, and smoothed it with the butter knife.
Then she took the cookie to Giselle and said, “Mom said we can have a snack. I brought you a cookie.”
Giselle was excited, cuz she loves Oreos! She took a big bite, and gagged. “This is horrible! I don’t think mint goes with Oreos!”
“It’s a prank! You can spit it out!” Evangeline said, and handed her a real cookie.
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