Parenting
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Parenting :: Swimming the Tide of Autism
This spring marks two years since my son’s Asperger diagnosis. His younger sister has been professionally diagnosed with Asperger’s and nowhere near the spectrum. I am currently in the midst of a divorce with their father, who is a walking billboard for autistic characteristics but refuses my pleas to get evaluated. When April came celebrating Autism awareness, I felt I was already not only quite aware but drowning in a sea of autism. Somehow, I managed to swim the tides for two years unaware of many frequently vicious debates within the autism community. I naively put a blue bulb on our porch on April second, then read such frightening attacks…
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The Happiness Project
Hap-pi-ness n. 1.good fortune: prosperity 2.a state of well-being and contentment: joy 3.a pleasurable satisfaction While perusing through many big-box book sellers’ shelves, you are bound to come across a precipitous amount of self-help guides and list-it journals. You might find some on weight loss or dealing with spouses, but more so than not, you will definitely come across books regarding the most elusive and sought after human condition – happiness. To be honest with you, I haven’t really read many self-help guides in the past, but recently I came across Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project. In fact, I’m not sure I would personally classify it as self-help, rather…
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Crafts :: Fun and Easy Earth Day Craft for Kids!
Celebrate Earth Day With An Easy Craft: With Earth Day approaching, many are wondering how to show kids how important our earth really is to us. My kids are too young to really understand what Earth Day is all about but that did not stop me from looking for a fun (and easy) craft idea to do with them. I found this craft while doing a bit of research and was immediately drawn to the simplicity of it. I have two girls who are ages 3 and 2 so easy is important. I look for ideas that will keep them engaged while being fun to do. And what toddler doesn’t…
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Awareness :: Bake Sale for No Kid Hungry
Last year I did research for a post I wrote for a community website about the hungry in America. I was absolutely shocked at the number of children in the states who go to bed hungry. In the state of California, the Childhood Food Insecurity Rate is at 26.8% which equates to 2,453,770 children. These numbers just break my heart and I make it a point to drop off canned goods at our local food bank with my daughter as often as I can. Recently, I came across an organization that is helping to end childhood hunger and I wanted to share this with you to see if you and your kids would like to get involved! I…
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PBS Kids Premieres “Curious George Swings Into Spring” on Earth Day Review & Giveaway
One of my favorite shows of PBS Kids is the two-time Emmy Award winning daily series Curious George. I love how this classic story that we enjoyed as a kid is available for our kids to watch as a series. The television show is designed to inspire kids to explore science, math and engineering in the world around them in a fun and entertaining way. The shows encourages inquiry and curiosity, promotes hands-on exploration and shows parents and caregivers how to support children’s science and math-related play. And who best to teach kids about science and math play than our pal Curious George! Celebrate Earth Day with Curious George! PBS Kids will premiere Curious George…
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Inspirational Mom: Jodi Murphy of Geek Club Books
This week we are featuring mom Jodi Murphy who is quite inspirational in that she is creating a book and storybook app from characters that her son dreamed up. I love how she is the type of person who looks at life as the glass being half full – if not overflowing. She demonstrates with her Can Do attitude that anything is possible and that with love and support magical things can happen! I had a chance to speak to Jodi about the process of creating Geek Club Books and she provides some insight on steps she took to realize her dream. The message of Geek Club Books is…