-
Health :: The Many Benefits of Reflexology Massage
Part of my journey to get healthier this past year after a 4-day stay at the hospital back in September has included monthly Reflexology Massages. The doctors never really did have any answers about what happened to me even after 11 liters pumped in to me via IV (ouch) that included potassium, magnesium, calcium, water, a chest x-ray, a heart monitor attached to my chest the entire stay, spinal tap (ouch), and blood tests every couple hours. All I know was one minute I was sitting in a Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) event at Cal State Fullerton, and the next minute I was extremely sick and had to be rushed to the emergency room. Some…
-
Plan :: Keeping Your Paperwork Under Control
Tips to Keep Your Paperwork Under Control I am often asked how best to organize bills, checks, receipts and the like. Honestly, there is no “right” answer to that question. First, I would say ask who needs to access and use those documents. If it is only you then you will need to come up with a system that works for you. But, more often than not, someone else is going to need to find something contained in your system. So the key is to find a balance between what makes sense and works for you and making it simple enough for someone else to understand. I find…
-
Culture :: Celebrating Independence Day
While travelling after college in Southeast Asia, I had my first real experience with foreigners who were not USA fans – to say the least. We would sit at dinner at the local hot spot in Bangkok, Thailand and they would tell me all the reasons why America was not as great a country as I was raised to believe. I was young(er) and impressionable, but even then, I didn’t stray far from my love of this country. Yes, of course, our nation has made mistakes, or done things we don’t all agree upon – but overall we live in one of the greatest countries in the world. I am…
-
Instagram of the Week :: Enjoying the Moments
One of this weeks Momism of the Day really hit home with me. “We do not remember days; we remember moments,” by Cesare Pavese (1908-1950); who was a Poet and a Novelist. Life is so much about enjoying the moments that make up your life. It is so true isn’t it? That when we think back to our own childhood, we remember moments or snippets of time and hopefully most of them are good memories. Lately, I have been thinking about what types of moments do I want my daughter to remember once she is grown. Though I can’t control what she does look back on with fondness when she’s…
-
Dandelion Moms Project Kindness :: July
We were inspired to create the dandelion moms project kindness after watching a video from one of my favorite children’s authors Amy Krouse Rosenthal and her Beckoning of Lovely project. We can always use more loveliness and kindness sent out into the world so we created the dandelion moms project kindness where we feature grass-roots organizations and people who are doing great things and could use some help. One month the dandelion moms community helped to create a much-needed library in the Dominican Republic and sent over 150 books that will be used the local townspeople in their new library. Another month dandelion moms sent in old shoes and gently used…
-
Parenting :: Safe from the Summer Slide
You have definitely heard these two warm weather catch phrases: summer reading and summer slide. Nationwide, in both educational and literacy circles, parents, teachers, librarians and elected officials discuss ways in which to keep children actively learning throughout the summer months, especially as it relates to reading and math. There is definitely something to be said for the idea of keeping the brain active and not wanting kids to “forget” all of the skills they learned during their 180 days spent in school (as a stay-at-home mom for many years, I can relate…insert “mommy brain”). The amazing part to me…study after study reveals the same thing. And the…
