Tree Smart & Super Why: Review

By Tania Reuben

Tree Smart

Tree Smart is a company based in Oregon that makes something useful out of old newspapers. They turn it into a myriad of products, most notably pencils! They make both regular pencils & mini-colored pencils. As well as rulers and pens.

Evey 2 foot stack of newspapers they use manufacturing their products saves one pine tree.

Tree Smart recently sent me a few to try out. They were great. They write nicely, sharpen and have erasers on top, just like any other pencil .

The mini colored pencils the colors were comparable to others I’ve used and are about the size of a regular crayon.

The Tree Smart Pen looks and feels like a cardboard tube and fared better when handled with wet hands than I thought they would – the water dried and it looked as good as new in minutes. A small piece of smooth bamboo makes the pocket clip which is a little larger than it’s plastic counterparts, but didn’t get in the way when writing.

There products also make great promotional items ~ through September 30, 2009 they are offering free set up for custom art with a minimum 1000 piece order.

All in all – I can’t think of why I’d ever need a pencil made from a tree again!

Treesmart has agreed to give a lucky reader a $15 dollar gift certificate.

Wait – there’s more…

Super Why

Earlier this year I was invited to sit in on a round table with PBS and the Creator of Super Why, Angela Sontomero.

In general I’m pretty strict in the quantity and quality of the shows I allow the kidlette’s to watch. We typically limit TV time to Saturday mornings and perhaps one or two other times a week they will talk Dad into turning on a show. We use a DVR, which is great for bypassing all the promos!

Super Why is an excellent programming choice for parents who want to instill reading in their children. The makers of the show actually create the curriculum they want to covered in an episode and build the show around the curriculum. More typically, a lesson is squeezed into the storyline somewhere.

Both my 2 year and 4 year old love the show and it has given us an additional forum to discuss reading skills. My daughter is constantly telling me what letters various words start with. That’s what I love about this show, it instills the desire in your children ~ they want to learn more and will start asking you questions about words and letters. Super Why music is also the top music request in the car! Check out the Super Why Three Little Pigs ONLINE now.

Check out some of the Super Why interactive games online.

The show’s creators and Super Why also created a reading camp curriculum that has been used around country. The one week camp has had a measurable improvement in attendees reading skills. PBS & Super Why are sharing the curriculum materials at no cost, so you can create your own camp…. on your own or with a few other families. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.

PBS has agreed to give a lucky reader a Super Why DVD ~ Goldilocks and the Three Bears & Jack and the Beanstock.

WINNER – Jess – Has been notified and has 24 hours to claim her prize!

WIN

$15 TreeSmart Gift Certificate & Super Why DVD!

HOW TO ENTER:

There are a few ways you can enter, leave separate comments for each entry.

Mandatory:

Become a Email Subscriber to Pure Natural Diva using the form in the sidebar.
– Already Subscriber. Leave a comment letting me know you’re an email subscriber and have completed any one of the additional entries options.

Additional Entries

1. Go to www.treesmart.com – tell PND what you would use your gift certificate towards.

2. Stumble, Digg or Technorati Favorite this post. Leave a comment with your name and the link for each. Leave a separate comment for each entry.

3. Follow @purenaturaldiva on twitter (use link on the sidebar). Tweet this giveaway. Copy and paste “@PureNaturalDiva – Diva Giveaway Super Why DVD plus $15 Tree Smart Gift Certificate http://bit.ly/15T1xD”. Leave your twittername & tweet link in comment.

4. Become a Fan of Pure Natural Diva on Facebook and post this giveaway as an update, leave your FB Name or Name with a copy of your update in a separate comment. One entry for each.

5. Add the Pure Natural Diva Button to your Blog. Grab the code from the Sidebar.  Come back and leave a comment that includes a link where the button is located.

6. Write a post on your blog linking to my blog and to either PBS or TreeSmart website – Good for two entries. Leave this comment twice so you get both entries!

This giveaway will run through midnight on Sept 30, 2009 PDT, with winner being announced the morning of October 2, 2009. Winner will be chosen using Random.org from all valid entries and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to contact me before another winner is chosen.

Giveaway is open to residents of the U.S

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