Book Review: Bread Winner, Bread Baker by Sandy Elsberg

Bread Winner, Bread Baker

by Sandy Elsberg

Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars

This book is another gift from my sister (and upline.)
  Although I understood how multi-level marketing companies worked before I read this book, it helped me see MLM's a little differently.

Most people look at MLM companies as a hobby (mostly for women); a way to make a supplemental income.  This book focuses on looking at MLM's as an opportunity to create a customer base, a team to mentor and a way to earn a full-time paycheck.

I believe the author's approach of looking at an MLM as a way to help others is great, but what you must keep in mind is that not all people will want to work their business in the same way as you may work yours.  You can teach others to the best of your ability, but it is up to the individuals to decide how much work, time and effort they put forth.

What I did not appreciate about this book was how 'easy' the author makes it sound to acquire customers and team members.  No matter what MLM company you are with, I believe it takes a lot of time, dedication, persistence and sacrifice to truly make wages that you can live off of.  This is why I believe most who are in MLM's do it as a part-time gig because they already have a full-time job and do not have the aforementioned time to make full-time wages.

On the positive side, the author shows how when a mentor takes the time to train a new MLM representative how this helps the company, the leader and the new representative.  It also shows the new team member how to teach anyone that they welcome into the company.  Focusing on learning about the company's products, finding customers, learning business practices and teaching how to be an all-around good business person is essential to making things come together as well.

I recommend this book for anyone who does not understand how MLM companies work or anyone thinking about joining one.   Most importantly, this book shows an inside view of how what comes of your business is solely up to you and the effort the individual puts forth into being successful.  Most of the outcome in this type of business is on the shoulders of the representative.  Being responsible for outcomes, whether good or bad.

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Posted at 10:29 AM  |  by Lisa Epler, AVON AMB & Gold Amb. Leader / 10 Star Ambassador

2nd Grade Addition & Subtraction Assessment

It's that time again.  Math facts assessment time!  

Back in April 2012 I created a blog post about my oldest daughter Em's 3rd Grade Multiplication Assessment Test .

This has been the most popular post on my blog thus far 

with 42,286 views!  

However, not one person has commented on that post.

If you check it out please leave some comment love, okay?

Today's post is about my youngest daughter Kaye and her addition and subtraction assessment tests.  They must have changed something because I remember Em taking addition in 1st grade and subtraction in 2nd grade, but Kaye has to do both this year.  

In the Fall the second grade teachers had the students cut out paper flash cards and they have two envelopes: Facts I Know and Facts I Am Working On.  I've asked Kaye a handful of times since then to practice facts with her and each time she'd say "I already know most of my facts." 

 Okay Miss Smarty-Pants.  

At teacher conferences a few weeks ago the teacher gave me two double-sided sheets of  practice tests for home use.

Last night was the first time we did a practice run and Kaye only got two wrong!  When she called for me to come check them she said, "Look at the timer Mom, I have 6:49 left."

I had set the oven timer and it was then that I realized I mustn't have set it properly because 6:49 was the actual time it was.  The test was good practice even if I didn't know how much time it took her to do it.

Next time I will be sure to take note of the time 

she begins and ends!

Here is Kaye's test from last night

Afterwards when I was checking it she said, 

"How could I get 3 + 2 wrong?  I know it's 5!"

I had to explain to her how sometimes when  you take a

test and you feel like you're under pressure to do well in

a short period of time, it affects your performance and you may forget things you really do know.  I also assured her that over time she will most likely do better

 because of all the practice she's doing.

Here are the quiz sheets for you to download

 for your personal use.

These are some featured products to help your 

elementary-aged student succeed in 

mastering their addition and subraction math facts.

I hope this post was helpful and that your student

 is successful when it comes time for their

 addition and subtraction assessments!

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Posted at 6:00 AM  |  by Elle

Mother's Day 2014

It is the 100th birthday of Mother's Day today!

Anna Jarvis, the woman who was inspired by her own mother, yet never had her own children, organized the first Mother's Day observance in 1908.

She wanted the day to be about ones own mother and this is why it is Mother's Day vs. Mothers' Day;  singular vs. plural.  

It wasn't until 1914 that President Woodrow Wilson declared the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.

Anna Jarvis viewed this special day as an intimate time with ones mother and was not pleased when the holiday began to become commercialized with the giving of cards, flowers, and candy.  She fervently protested this commercialism, which very well could've made her rich, but instead she opposed it until her death in 1948.

Although Mother's Day is celebrated on different days throughout the world,

 it is important to set aside some time on whatever specified date in your neck of the woods, for the woman who gave birth to you.

I hope you can enjoy some time with your mother today whether it be through a visit with her, Skyping online, a visit to he gravesite if she has passed on or a meaningful conversation over the phone.

Related articles:

• Some Facts About Mother's Day
• Mother's Day Turns 100: Its Surprisingly Dark History
• Woodrow Wilson proclaims the first Mother's Day holiday: 1914
• The Founder Of Mother's Day Hated What The Holiday Became
• How Mother's Day became Mother's Day
• The Delaware Valley's Role In The Founding Of Mother's Day
• Mother's Day: How It All Began
• 7 Reasons why I am my mother's daughter
• We're celebrating Mother's Day all wrong according to holiday's founder 
• Mother's Day Fun Facts

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Posted at 12:00 AM  |  by Elle

3rd Grade Multiplication Assessment

Every year starting in 1st grade the children in our school district must pass an assessment test in math in order to move onto the next grade.  In 1st grade they must master addition, 2nd grade subtraction, 3rd grade multiplication, 4th grade division.  I'm not sure what 5th graders must do.  When I went to school I do not remember doing this, but maybe we did?

Em is in 3rd grade and the first assessment test is tomorrow.  They give you 100 multiplication problems and you must get 90 correct in order to pass.  You have 7 minutes to take the test  If you get 90 correct the first time you take the test, you do not have to keep taking the assessment.  If you do not pass the test, you must take the test once a week until you pass it.  Then the following grade at the end of the year the students must re-take the test and pass it within 5 minutes before they can move on to the next lessons.

That said, a few weeks ago Em came home with this packet of  these pages of 100 Charts w/Skip Counting Circles.  Basically the students are memorizing the answers.  For example  the multiples of 7 are: 7,14,21,28,35,42,49,56,63,70,77 etc.  so they would highlight those numbers on the 100 chart and at the bottom of the page there are circles and they would fill in those circles with the multiples of that particular number.

So, last night we began studying for the test because she forgot to bring the packet home over Easter break.  I wanted to study with her using flash cards, but she insisted she needed the packet.  When I ask her what 7x6 is it takes her longer than it should for her to tell me the answer.  When I went to school we memorized the problem and answer.  I was having a difficult time studying with her because she is getting frustrated.  I was wondering what the assessment test will look like, because the quiz they had last week they just had the students write down the answers to each fact family.  The assessment tests in the previous grades were different problems mixed up on a sheet, so I am sure that is what tomorrow's test will be like. I think the way multiplication was presented is confusing her a bit  when I ask her the problems point blank since they haven't learned that way. Em says the test tomorrow is a  7 minute test, so it must be the problems mixed on the page like previous years.

So, today after school I ask her how math class was and she says  "Guess what Mom? We studied our math facts at the end of class using flash cards and I knew all the answers! Mrs. Haas said I must have been studying!"  Oh Lord, why do I listen to this child!  I guess they just introduce multiplication by using the 100 Charts with the skip counting circles, but don't expect them to study them that way (like Em thought, but she would not listen to me!)

This article explains more about the importance of using skip counting before mastering memorizing the multipliction facts:

The Importance of Memorizing the Times Tables

"Allow them to discover the patterns in the numbers by exploring a 100s chart, skip-counting tables and the times table chart. This is the time that they can discover multiplication strategies. However, there eventually comes a time when we need to highlight the importance of rapid recall. Students need to know that they should recall the answer instantaneously. Demonstrate the speed of this by having them quiz you and by practicing together."

I made up flash cards for Em and also printed out this nifty little multiplication table and laminated it for her:

http://www.mathsisfun.com/multiplication-table-small.html

×	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
1	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
2	2	4	6	8	10	12	14	16	18	20	22	24
3	3	6	9	12	15	18	21	24	27	30	33	36
4	4	8	12	16	20	24	28	32	36	40	44	48
5	5	10	15	20	25	30	35	40	45	50	55	60
6	6	12	18	24	30	36	42	48	54	60	66	72
7	7	14	21	28	35	42	49	56	63	70	77	84
8	8	16	24	32	40	48	56	64	72	80	88	96
9	9	18	27	36	45	54	63	72	81	90	99	108
10	10	20	30	40	50	60	70	80	90	100	110	120
11	11	22	33	44	55	66	77	88	99	110	121	132
12	12	24	36	48	60	72	84	96	108	120	132	144

Courtesy of MathsIsFun.com

Hopefully Em passes the test tomorrow, but even if she does, we will continue to study the multiplication facts because kids lose so much of what they learned during the school year during the summer.

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Posted at 8:32 PM  |  by Lisa E.