Parenting
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Thank You Notes – Why Good Manners Are Always in Style
Do you get your children to write thank you notes? While they might relish the thought of writing thank you notes about as much as a trip to the dentist, it’s worth teaching our kids that thanks and appreciation cost nothing and mean a great deal. It’s never too early to start teaching our kids good manners. Kids might groan at the prospect of sitting down and writing a thank you note so it often helps to explain why a thank you note is important. Someone took time out of their day to choose a present, purchase it with their own money, wrap it, choose a card and send it.…
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Artist Robin Kaplan
It is easy to walk into the children’s section of a bookstore and get lost in the magical worlds that the authors and illustrators create. That has always been a favorite pastime of mine to do with my young daughter. There is something special about opening up a beautifully illustrated children’s book for the first time. The ability to illustrate in such a way takes practice and a natural ability to create such worlds. Robin Kaplan is such an illustrator and she will be releasing her first book with Penguin, a young reader’s edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz which is coming out February 2nd. Robin is also…
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The Benefits of Having a Penpal for Your Child
If you’re looking for a way to teach your child more about the world and broaden their horizons, consider signing them up for a penpal program. You might be surprised at how many social and learning advantages it brings. Having a penpal is a wonderful way to help our kids to learn more about the world around them. The ability to appreciate, understand and respect other cultures is an important quality. Children are more likely to be interested in what another child is telling them first hand, rather than by reading about a country in a book or watching a documentary. The world is such an amazing place. Different countries…
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Inspirational Mom: Annie Fox
Annie Fox is a mother, author and business owner and has recently released a new book called Teaching Kids to Be Good People. In a time of news stories about the increase of social media bullying, it is nice to have this book available to help parents and educators teach about an important life skill – the importance of treating others with kindness and respect. I had a chance to speak to Annie about their new book and the importance to taking care of your own health while juggling many roles. Tell us more about your new book Teaching Kids to Be Good People and the inspiration…
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Creative Budget-Friendly Party Planning Tips
Huge extravaganzas, blockbuster affaires, five-star entertaining…who has the energy or disposable income these days to plan over-the-top parties anymore? And, really, it’s just not necessary if what you care about is bringing friends and family together to celebrate or mark a special occasion. As someone who has done her fair share of events for work and pleasure, my most successful endeavors come from summoning up a little creative MOJO, some DIY spirit, and keeping it simple. Pick an Un-Themed Theme Rather than pick something standard or choose the latest, popular character theme, try to brainstorm a bit about the guests of honor and the people who will be attending. Think…
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Ruby’s Studio: The Friendship Show
The Mother Company and Ruby’s Studio was started by two friends, Abbie Schiller and Samantha Kurtzman-Counter who both have a background in television. They wanted to create a slower-paced and educational program for children that would focus on topics such as emotional literacy. With award winning Ruby’s studio we find adorable Ruby talking to groups of children about various topics. They described Ruby’s Show as a mix between Mr. Rogers meets Mary Poppins. Ruby has such a magical way to interact and speak to children that my daughter immediately responded to the show. In their newest release “The Friendship Show” they talk about the importance of friendship using adorable animated segments, art…