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Give the Gift of Better Mornings This Holiday Season |
(StatePoint) The holiday season is the perfect time to show your friends and family you care about their well-being. And what better way to do that than with the gift of better mornings? From stay-at-home parents to nine-to-fivers, here are three gift ideas that will improve the early hours of their day.
1. Rise and shine: A morning is only as good as the night of sleep that preceded it. With a Restore device from Hatch, included wind down routines, soothing music, guided sleep exercises and sleep stories and sounds, can make falling and staying asleep easier at night. In the morning, an alarm light with 22 different colors makes for a gentler, individualized wake-up call, setting the tone for a peaceful and productive day.
2. The perfect cup of coffee: Those who like to linger over their morning cup of joe, or those who easily get distracted mid-cup by work tasks, meetings or parenting duties, know all too well that a great cup of coffee can lose its steam by the time it’s able to be enjoyed. Now, there is a solution for keeping one’s favorite hot beverage the perfect temperature -- from first sip to last. Nextmug, a ceramic, temperature-controlled, self-heating mug, maintains an individual’s beverage at their ideal temperature for hours. This eliminates trips to the microwave to reheat cold coffee, and means that whether one is stuck in an in-person meeting or a video call, their beverage will stay the right temperature the entire time. With three
settings, Warm (130 degrees), Hot (140 degrees) and Piping (150 degrees), there is room to customize one’s drink and enjoy it for hours. Ideal for home, the office or the home office, you can brighten and improve mornings, wherever they take place. To learn more, visit nextmug.com.
3. Jazz up the shower: Take shower time to new heights by letting your loved one bring their favorite audio entertainment in there with them, be it an intellectually stimulating podcast that broadens their horizons or their favorite pop tunes. For students, this gift could even improve their academic success. With so many textbooks now available as audio recordings, shower time can become an opportunity to creatively squeeze in a study session and brush up on the latest material. Just make sure the speaker is listed as safe for the shower and that it can be hung or mounted easily.
This holiday season, brighten your loved ones’ year ahead with gifts that make mornings easier, and more joyful and productive.
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The Best Holiday Gifts for Teachers |
(StatePoint) Have some teachers in your life? Use this subject-by-subject holiday gift guide to help them level up their lesson plans:
History
Spark a vibrant classroom discussion every day with the History Channel’s This Day in History boxed calendar. Featuring brief explanations of extraordinary happenings throughout the ages -- from groundbreaking inventions to declarations of war -- teachers, and their students -- will be treated to a breadth of information that can deepen their understanding of world events, all before they even begin their official coursework.
STEM
The latest enhancement to the scientific calculator is the fx-991CW ClassWiz from Casio, a gift well-suited for any advanced high school- or college-level math, science or engineering instructor. With an all-new quadruple graded LCD display and intuitive design, users will be able to easily find their cursor while writing and modifying expressions. Its circular, convex buttons prevent the mis-keying of information, helping teachers ace their lectures and demonstrations. With the ability to store up to nine variables, which can contain integers, computations, and functions that will persist in the calculator’s memory between uses, teachers will be ready to pick up where they left off between class sessions. By partnering the ClassWiz with an internet-capable mobile device, solutions can be graphed and
visualized through ClassPad.net, a free online tool that supports student learning by offering a clean and versatile workspace for computation, graphing, geometry, statistics and more.
English
Keep English teachers excited about their subject matter with Book of the Month. This service offers subscribers a choice of one of five to seven fiction books each month. Books range from literary fiction to thrillers and even YA to interest readers of all kinds. As the gift giver, you can choose between a 3-, 6- or 12-book membership, which recipients can receive at their own pace. Who knows? Your gift may just motivate them to create their own after school book club that will inspire their students to engage with literature on a deeper level.
Physical Education
Whether they’re running drills, refereeing the game or simply getting the class’s attention, your favorite PE teacher or team coach will feel their most official with a custom engraved whistle. Personalized with their name and favorite sport, they’ll feel both loved and appreciated on the court and field, and the results will show all season long.
This holiday season, get creative with your gift-giving, finding meaningful gifts for teachers who are passionate about what they do.
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How to Set Up the Ultimate Workstation for Kids at Home |
(StatePoint) Want to help guarantee your child’s academic success? While you can’t control what goes on in the classroom, you can facilitate their study time at home by setting up an A+ workstation. Here’s how:
1. Choose a location: Select a location that’s well-lit, preferably with some natural light, and away from noise and distractions. Whether it’s your child’s bedroom or a corner of the dining area, the area should be large enough for all their supplies and tech to stay organized.
2. Use color wisely: Research has shown that certain colors have the power to boost productivity and creativity or promote a sense of calm. Decorating the space with care could potentially help your student weather crunch periods with ease. You may also opt to color code binders, dividers and other supplies by coursework so that your child can quickly identify the items they need.
3. Update tech: Equip the workstation with the latest technology and educational tools. For easy essay composition, your child’s suite of devices should include a tablet or laptop and a printer. To get your student prepped for math and science classes, be sure to supply them with a graphing calculator featuring the latest capabilities. The fx9750GIII, for example, is not only stylishly available in trending colors, it’s capable of programming in CASIO Basic and MicroPython. Python files are easily stored and transferred via USB to a computer. With graph and statistical functions, exam compatibility mode and a suite educational resources, your student will be well prepared to take on all
their STEM coursework and test prep.
4. Prevent clutter: Clutter can pile up all too easily, making it difficult to find notes and assignments. Keep the mess to a minimum with the addition of a few organizational tools. Hang a corkboard to post reminders and to-do lists. Add wall shelving or a sorting tray to keep papers filed by subject area or due date, and use small baskets or cups to collect erasers, paper clips and other small supplies. Finally, be sure the workstation has its own waste bin, so that items that are no longer needed can be efficiently tossed or recycled.
5. Consider ergonomics: Eliminate distractions by making sure the workstation is ergonomic-friendly and comfy. If your child sits at a desk, ensure their computer monitor is at eye level and that their feet touch the floor. Adjustable laptop tables can transform a makeshift work area on the couch or bed into a comfortable workstation.
By setting up a dedicated homework area designed for productivity, you can help your student make the grade.
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