Waddlee-Ah-Chaa, a Website Created by Sisters for Children, Parents, & Teachers (& a Giveaway!)

 Jeannine Aristeguieta and Joyce Poe.

“Waddlee-ah-chaa waddele-ah-chaa doodle-doo doodle-doo waddle-ah-chaa waddle-ah-chaa doode-doo doodle-do, simplest thing, there ain’t much to it, all you gotta do is doodle-doo it. I like the rest, but the part I like the best is doodle, doodle doo. Hey!” This little children’s song was part of the inspiration for sisters Jeanine Aristeguieta and Joyce Poe to create their website, Waddlee-ah-chaa. “It is a fun song and since we believe life and learning should be joyful it felt like a good fit. We found an entire ‘waddlee-ah-chaa’ approach to life within the words of this simple song!” Jeannine said.
Waddlee-Ah-Chaa is a website that is designed especially for children, parents, and teachers. Their website features weekly book giveaways, free book printables, a daily blog, and more.
Jeannine and Joyce grew up in two totally different generations. Jeannine explained, “Joyce got married when I was seven. Her first son was born when I was ten. Growing up, I always felt like I was the big sister to Joyce’s children.”

Jeannine Aristeguieta and Joyce Poe.

Despite the age gap between these two sisters, they have always been close to one another. Joyce said, “People say opposites attract, but in our case we’re a lot alike! We’re both high energy and have a passion for education and children. And most important, we love shrimp and old musicals! What more is there?” Jeannine added, “There are actually three sisters…I don’t really know how to explain it, but we are all best friends. I know I can always count on them.”
The sisters are from a small town in Texas. Jeannine has a background in elementary education. She currently homeschools her five-year-old son, MacGeyver. Jeannine explained on her blog why she chose to homeschool her son. She wrote, "I’m not sure how or when the homeschooling seed was planted, but I’ve known forever that I would homeschool my children. Education is my passion. Teaching nurtures my soul and I want my children’s education to nurture their souls. So I figure if I can teach other children and nurture their souls, I should be able to teach my own children?”
Jeannine offered advice to parents that are considering homeschooling or that may be just starting out with it. She said, “Educate yourself. Research and read, and find the path that best fits your children. No two children are the same!”
Joyce also has a background in education. She taught preschool for more than thirty years and recently retired. Joyce said, “Now I’ve started a new phase in my life and I’m even becoming computer literate for the first time in my life!”
Joyce said that the one thing she wished that every parent and teacher realized about teaching children is to “keep it simple.” Their Waddlee-Ah-Chaa homepage states, “Learning is at its premium when it is experienced in an uncomplicated, spontaneous manner.”
Sisters Jeannine and Joyce share a love for reading. Jeannine had an affinity for reading as a little girl, but Joyce’s zeal toward reading materialized much later on in life. Joyce said, “I struggled with reading as a child and did not enjoy reading growing up. Once I became a preschool teacher, I discovered a passion for children’s literature, which lead to a love for reading as an adult.”

"Wilfred Gordon MacDonald Partridge"

Jeannine shared a couple of her most beloved books from her childhood. She said, “One of my favorites for over 20 years has been ‘Wilfred Gordon MacDonald Partridge’ by Mem Fox. I find this book so incredibly touching. I cannot read this without crying. Okay, one more book, ‘My Great-Aunt Arizona’ by Gloria Houston. This is why teachers become teachers! When I read this aloud to teachers, tears always flow.”
Jeannine’s favorite book of all time is “To Kill a Mockingbird”by Harper Lee. She said, “Each time I begin reading this book… yes, I’ve read it MANY times, I feel like I’m listening to an old friend. And what a powerful story!”

"The Giving Tree"

Joyce’s favorite book is “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein. Joyce said, “It is really an adult message, written in simple text for children. We can all learn from ‘The Giving Tree’.”
Jeannine and Joyce launched their website in March of 2010. “Joyce and I were doing teacher training and consulting. We were looking for a way to bring parents, teachers and homeschoolers together to share life and a love for learning,” Jeannine said.
Jeannine discussed the process of collaboration that she and Joyce go through each week in working on the website. She said, “We get together and brainstorm all the ways we can make the world a better place for children. Then we read each other’s posts and make each other laugh and cry. We always say, ‘At least we’re entertaining each other!’”
Every single week Jeannine and Joyce host a children’s book giveaway on their website. Jeannine explained how she and Joyce select books for their giveaways. She stated, “We go to the bookstore, grab a big pile of books and start reading. We have a hug bin of books we’ve collected. When it’s time to write a post, we select a book that fits right in with the topic.”
A couple of Jeannine’s favorite books that have been given away include “The Stray Dog” and “Sergio Makes a Splash” because she said that “both of these books hit close to home.” One of Joyce’s favorite book finds so far has been “Lizards for Lunch.” She said, “I found it on a trip to one of my favorite places, Big Bend National Park.”
Joyce and Jeannine also write their own children’s books which are available to their website readers to print, free of charge. Jeannine discussed how she first began writing these books. She said, “When I began homeschooling, I started making these little early literacy readers for my son... Now both Joyce and I take pictures and write the books. Our focus is on early literacy development: repetitive text, building a core of known words, and highlighting high frequency words.”

"My Umbrella Day"

Jeannine said her favorite printable book so far is “My Umbrella Day” She said, “This is a day that just happened by accident when MacGyver decided to play with an old umbrella in the rain. It was a joy watching him play! This is a special memory for me.”

"Going to the Park"

The printable book “Going to the Park” holds a special place in Joyce’s heart. “This is about a special day I shared with all four of my grandsons,” she said.
Jeannine and Joyce are both so proud of their new website and what the future holds in store for them. “Right now I am shocked that I am hosting a blog! I don’t know anything about computers or blogs, but I’m the 'technology' department of Waddleeahchaa.com. Really, this is mind-blowing!” Jeannine said.
Joyce said of the website,“Originally, I thought I could share my experiences in early childhood education. Now I’m just having fun.”
This Fall Jeannine and Joyce are doing a huge theme on the animal kingdom over at Waddlee-ah-chaa. They will be featuring animal species, habitats, geography, and endangered and extinct animals.

Giveaway

Jeannine and Joyce are graciously giving away the book "What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?" by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page to one of you readers! "What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?" is a children's book and is also a Caldecott Honor Book. Simply leave a comment below to be entered into the giveaway. (One entery per person.) Jeannine said, "This book is perfect for our study about animals and habitats. The pictures are amazing!"

"What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?"

Ludalu Handmade Photo Cards (and a Giveaway)

Jenny Hanson and son, Noah.

"So many things in our modern world are digital and soulless. Giving and receiving an actual ‘thing’ has so much more meaning and importance. It’s like saying, ‘I care about you so much that I’m going to take the time to write something down on a paper card and mail it to you’.” That’s Jenny Hanson’s philosophy as to why people still prefer receiving cards the snail-mail way, even in today's technology-driven era. Jenny has opened up her own Etsy store, Ludalu, where she sells beautiful handmade photo cards.
Jenny grew up in Lake Oswego, Oregon and currently resides in Salt Lake City, Utah. She is a proud Mother of two boys, ages five and two. Jenny first began shooting photography when she was in high school. She said, “I didn't really ‘learn’ as much as just practice doing something that I loved from an early age.” One of Jenny's strengths in photography that she identified was her ability to “compose a great picture, not necessarily all of the technical stuff.”

"Villa Hermosa Cat," a Ludalu handmade photo card.

Jenny describes her style of photography as a “mix of the ordinary with the unexpected.” She said, “I try to capture what is special about each moment that I photograph by using interesting compositions and a touch of editing. I try not to over-edit my photos, because I still want there to be an element of realism for people to relate with.”
Jenny shared why she has come to love photography so much. She said, "A photograph can capture and even enhance a memory or experience. Photography is a way to document our lives in a fun, creative and expressive way. I want to inspire those who see my pictures to think about something they might not have otherwise thought about or maybe see something in a different way than they did before. If I can do this, then I feel like I have accomplished something."
Jenny shoots with a Canon Rebel XS camera and uses a Canon f1.8-50mm lens. She specializes in portrait and abstract photography. “I love to shoot my kids and children in general, animals, flowers, cool buildings, random objects, etc.,” she said.

"Colombine,"a Ludalu handmade photo card.

Recently Jenny decided to couple her love of photography with another long-time hobby of hers, creating handmade cards. She explained, “I’ve been making cards for my family and friends for a long time, and I thought it would be fun to start selling them.” She launched her Etsy store, Ludalu, in May of 2010. She discussed how she came up with the name for her store. “I have a two-year-old named Luke. We started calling him Lulu from time to time. (We are big on nicknames). That then morphed into Ludalu. I like that it's simple and short.”
Jenny offered a few words of advice to others considering starting their own small businesses. "It takes a lot of time to get it going, but just hang in there. Don't worry about how much actual profit you are making when you first start out or else it will discourage you," she said.
Jenny concluded by stating that she would like to share her "vision of the world and the happiness I receive from photographing it with many, many people...I would also like many, many people to buy my cards!"
Ludalu handmade photo cards are made out of recycled white cardstock. The photographs are of the highest quality, printed on matte paper in a professional lab. Each card comes in a clear plastic sleeve. They can be purchased individually for $3 a card or in sets of four ($10), six ($13.50), or ten ($20). She has received 100% positive feedback from her Etsy customers.

"Ukulele," a Ludalu handmade photo card

Giveaway
Comment number four, Emily, was the winner of the photo card set. Congratulations!  
Jenny Hanson is graciously offering one of my readers a set of four handmade Ludalu photo cards (a $10 value). Simply leave a comment below to be entered into this giveaway (one entry per person). If you have a couple of extra minutes, drop by Ludalu (www.etsy.com/shop/ludalu) and let us know which set of photo cards you would select if you won. You can even leave Jenny some love by hearting her Etsy store while you're there!

One winner will be selected at random after October 31, 2010. Winner will be contacted by email.

Special Offer
(Expired) If you're not the big winner of the giveaway, Jenny is offering two exclusive deals for my blog readers.
• Buy one photo card, and get one free.
• Half-priced shipping on any photo sets.

Just send Jenny a message through the "contact buyer" feature before Checkout. Offer valid through October 31, 2010. (Expired)