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Let The Fall Season Begin!
As an interior decorator, every year about this time, a twinge of excitement leaps through me like a kid in a candy store. I begin to entertain ideas for my fall home decorating plan! After lengthy consideration, it never fails, I ultimately ask myself the big question; how can I do FABULOUS simply and quickly? Well, as the hundreds of retail catalogues begin to arrive, overwhelming us with so many wonderful styles and items for the new fall season, the answer to that question can easily become daunting and challenging. I have a few suggestions that might help make the idea of fall decorating a bit easier and less stressful. …
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Talk Like a Pirate Facebook Party on September 19th!
One of our favorite holidays is just around the corner! No, I am not talking about Halloween (which just might be my favorite), but International Talk Like a Pirate Day on September 19th! I was told about this “holiday” last year from a friend who knew about my children’s picture book and app, Penelope the Purple Pirate. When she told me that there was an actual day that was dedicated to only speaking in pirate ALL day – I was estatic! So, after some research, I discovered it was two shipmates, John Baur and Mark Summers, who created this day back in the 1990’s on a raquetball court. They had…
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JetBlue and PBS Kids Soar with Reading Program
Karl Alexander is a professor of sociology at John Hopkins University in Baltimore. He has studied the same group of almost 800 people over a span of 27 years. His research has concluded that children from less affluent, less educated backgrounds fare worse later in life than those who come from more privileged backgrounds. But his research also shows that what children do over the summer as far as educational activities can close this achievement gap. He has concluded that education outside the classroom, through summertime activities rooted in family life, can boost a child’s prospects for the future. (Source: www.cslspreads.org). A Lack of Resources: The problem is that many of these less affluent…
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Zucchini Pasta Carbonara
It can be challenging to get your kids to eat vegetables or anything good for them for that matter. When I first met my would be stepchildren, their favourite thing was chicken nuggets and barely any vegetables! Now here we are 7 years later and they ask for more vegetables and wouldn’t even consider eating chicken nuggets! That is progress! This recipe is a great way bulk up a pasta dinner with vegetables. With Fall fast approaching, squash of all forms are so readily available and a staple in my kitchen! This is a great recipe to have on hand when you don’t have a lot of time…
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Scout Out Other Possibilities
There are stories I have worked on for months – years – that may not see the publishing light of day. Yet I invested so much time and brainpower in developing them, I hate to see that go to waste. What to do? Rewrite. A couple of years ago, I came across an article about Daisy Low, the founder of the Girl Scouts. I learned that the 100th anniversary of the organization was in 2012. After checking on Amazon to see what books were already written about her, I discovered that there were no current picture books. Aha! Opportunity! My book idea was filled with hooks – the Girl Scout…
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Six Easy Tips To Get Your Kids to Eat Healthy
It’s always a challenge to get kids to eat healthy. With their first introduction to food, kids are testing and learning about their environment. Whether you’re feeding your baby their first food or trying to get your two-year-old to eat celery, these tips will help. 1. Start Early Keep the food as close to nature as possible. Avoid added sugar, which can create early problems with weight and diabetes. Type II diabetes in children is on the rise. 2. Be the Parent You have power over what your child eats and you know what’s healthy. Nurturing a helpless, dependent human being into an independent adult is not a job for…
