An email was sent to you. If you did not receive an email please contact me directly
Friday, January 31, 2020
Valentine's For Veterans #valentinesforvets #valentines
This week there was a post on the wall in my school asking for Valentine cards to be made so we can send them to veterans. Since I work with 2-3 year old children I figured just make them pretty simple.
They actually came out really cute.
I folded red and pink paper so the kids could have a choice. They choose the color and together we glued on a heart.
Then I let them just color the card however they wanted and with whatever color they wanted. I think they were excited to use the markers because we usually use crayons. Every single child sat and made out their card. I asked them to make some smiley faces and write their names. They think they did which is really sweet.
Then I wrote Happy Valentine's Day and their first name adding their age.
I would love to receive one of these myself. They are simple and cost pennies. The hearts were from Dollar Tree and the cards are construction paper.
They actually came out really cute.
I folded red and pink paper so the kids could have a choice. They choose the color and together we glued on a heart.
Then I let them just color the card however they wanted and with whatever color they wanted. I think they were excited to use the markers because we usually use crayons. Every single child sat and made out their card. I asked them to make some smiley faces and write their names. They think they did which is really sweet.
Then I wrote Happy Valentine's Day and their first name adding their age.
I would love to receive one of these myself. They are simple and cost pennies. The hearts were from Dollar Tree and the cards are construction paper.
Bigotry and Hatred in My Home Town???!!
Bigotry and Hatred in My Home Town???!!
Hate & Bigotry In My Quiet Little Hometown
Yesterday at the park no less, I met the most racist women I have ever met.
A friend called me over to introduce me. Let me clarify, they are not friends but she wanted me to hear how crazy this person is.
She spoke of racism, bigotry, hatred, and sub-par standard education in our school system. The friend I was with, has never encountered what this women stated was a normal occurrence in our schools. My friend has 4 kids in the school system and feels that the schools are excellent here. She tried to tell the women how she has to disagree with what she is saying but the women had an answer for everything.
This person spoke about teachers playing favorites “I know my kids are not angels but none of the teachers ever liked them. They almost killed my son’s spirit.”
About the teachers being too old, “we have no teachers out of school, none of them have that desire to teach. They are all just waiting out until their retirement. You have to encourage children not discourage them. My kids spirits were broken every day.”
She spoke about the schools academic curriculum being below average, “we have ghetto schools here. They aren’t even average, we are below average.”
She mentioned racism running rampart through my home town, “they are just a bunch of white faces looking out for themselves.”
Her children were home schooled for 2 years and now are in the schools that she despises. Ummm..interesting. Why are her children in such deporable conditions if she has a choice. She homeschooled in the past so why is she not still doing so? Are her children not worth a better curriculm. You have to wonder about people sometimes. I think sometimes people just like to complaine.
I think, if you chose to see the world through tinted glasses of bigotry and hate you will find it, but, if you chose to see past it, to greener pastures you will see that everyone is the same, people are generally good and we CAN ALL GET ALONG.
I have noticed that if someone discuss bigotry and hatred that it is them who is racist.
Last night I mentioned this conversation to someone and they said, wait is her name, blah, blah, blah. I told her yes and she said she knows her and they live in the same area. She also told me this women feels that people are trying to get in her house and are watching her so there you have it.
I just feel bad that these children are growing up hearing such hatred that they too will obviously have the same feelings when they are older.
Hatred breds hatred…these are the days of our lives. Sad.
Get Your Rachel, Ross, Joey, Chandler, Monica, and Phoebe Fix NOW #OwnFriendsTV
Are you a fan of this iconic show? Didn't you wish you had friendships as tight as Rachel, Ross, Joey, Chandler, Monica, and Phoebe? I was a huge fan and watched and talked about each episode with my friends often. We still quote our favorite episodes today!
I watched each and every season of Friends from the day they aired on September 22, 1994 until the last episode in 2004. If I happened to land on the re-runs I will sit, watch and laugh. It doesn't get old.
After 236 episodes and its ten season run on-air, the beloved series went into syndication episodes on a number of networks, and in 2015 Netflix acquired the exclusive rights to stream the series; eventually becoming one of most watched shows on the platform, until the close of 2019!
So where have your “Friends” been, now that its 2020? According to Ross, “We Were On A BREAK!” from streaming - but have no fear, you can still get all of your favorite episodes on Digital, Blu-ray and DVD today!
If you feel like splurging – there is something to be said for physically owning a hard copy of your favorite TV show! You can purchase the DVD or Blu-ray sets from all major retailers - including Walmart, Target, and Amazon. If you purchase the digitally remastered Blu-ray Complete Series set - you will get over 110 hours of content – including all 236 original broadcast episodes, plus 20 hours of special features. It’s like a dream come true!
Order the Complete Series
Thursday Thirteen – Things about Me starting with M
Thursday Thirteen – Things about Me starting with M
Thursday Thirteen
The meme for this week was, thirteen places you have visited that you would recommend. I am not sure that I could possibly come up with 13 places. How sad is that!!?
For more Thursday Thirteen come over here.
So I will write 13 things about about myself starting with the letter M since that is the first letter of my name. I have seen people do this on their blogs and it looks so damn complicated. Here’s to hoping I get through it.
M – Mommy, Yup you can call me that because honestly it is who I am. Everything about me and how I feel about my life and were I am right now is all summed up in that little word. I lost my own Mommy when I was 12 and being called Mommy is exactly what I have been wanting to hear since then.
M- Mom, what my little ones call me even though I insist on Mommy. I refer to myself as Mommy so I am not sure why they feel the need to shorten it.
M-Myself, I only know how to be me which is why I never progressed further in my career. I don’t know how to BS anyone. I suck at telling people what they want to hear, I pretty much just say it like it is but in a non-threatening, polite way. There isn’t a malicious bone in my body.
M-Multitasker, Is there any mom who cannot do at least 5 things at once while remembering the 30 things she will have to do in the next day or 2?
M- Married, I got married when I was 31. I knew I would be with this guy forever but I didn’t picture married. He didn’t seem like he was in any rush to get there and rightly so since he was 5 years younger than me.
M-Moment. Living in the moment is extremely important to our well-being. This is exactly why I have been able to keep my stress level down over the past 8 years or so. Something I learned from my husband is to not waste time worrying about things you have no control over. It is a waste of energy and time. Living in the moment has allowed me to be thankful for everything but most importantly it has enabled me to really know, understand and deal with my kids.
M-Moon, does everyone have this feeling about the moon? I adore spending time looking at it. Just gazing at the moon, noticing it every single night brings me such calm. I show it to my children and now they pull me over to the window to see it.
M-Moving. As most moms can attest, we are constantly moving. Even when we finally sit for that one moment a day, someone, or something gets us up. I think my butt finds a seat for about 5 minutes maybe 10 times a day. Sit at the computer for 20 minutes to type a blog entry, read email, surf or look something up and I will be pulled away at least 10 times to break up a fight, get a toy, set up a game, retrieve something that can’t be reached, clean someone who has come out of the bathroom, get a drink for someone, a snack, etc.
M-Misread. Why is it that there are people who can say anything and everyone takes it with a grain of salt and accepts them for who they are. I am constantly misread with some people in my life. The littlest things are misinterepreted and some people get hurt unintendedly. I am thankful that there are few who fall into this category but since these are people I would never want to hurt it bothers me.
M-Memories. When it comes down to it this is all we’ve got. Our memories about past experiences, people who have gone on before us, etc. I need to sit down and really write out some of them from my childhood. It is a great resource for our children to be able to know people who should be in their lives but are not.
M-Mushy and I am not talking about body type. I am a total mush when it comes to things that pull at my heart strings and there are many. I am a total mush when it comes to noticing things especially about my kids. I must say “awwwww, you are so cute” about 25 times a day. Seeing my husband with my kids or my kids with my friends or each other makes me cock my head to the side and reveal in the moment.
M-Meme lover. God damn I love memes. Being able to sit down with a specific writing project makes me so happy.
M-Motherly even to my friends. I love cooking and serving my friends when they come over. I love buying things for people that I know they will love. I love hugging, talking, and taking care of everyone and everything
Thursday, January 30, 2020
Just A Few Fill Ins from 2008
Head on over and play along.
1. Holidays in the summer are meaningful and not celebrated enough.
2. Steak and Chicken are my favorite things to grill.
3. My thoughts are with all who have loved and lost someone in time of war or with vets who are silently celebrating alone.
4. Relaxing and spending time with my husband and kids is what I’m most looking forward to this weekend!
5. My favorite book so far this summer is Stori Telling by Tori Spelling. Check out my amateur review here.
6. Coffee and hugging is the best way to begin a day.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to Ummm, some private time, wink wink, tomorrow my plans include working with the hub and playing with the kids and Sunday, I want to possibly go to the beach if the weather is good.
Come on play along.
Day Is Done
1. Last party you went to? Ozzfest 2007
2. Do you pee in the shower? Umm…if I really have to go, why dirty it when it’s clean if you know what I mean. I keep a spray bleach in the bathroom for everyday cleaning so when I am done I just shoot some bleach and scrub the bathroom.
3. Have you ever fired a gun? I have. I went to a firing range when I was younger. It was a blast. Hahaha…I crack myself up.
4. Where do you call home? NY
5. What’s your favorite board game? Trivia Pursuit and Life are right up there.
Wednesday, January 29, 2020
My To Do List In 2008
My To Do List
- Make appointment for kids at Peds (3 & 5 year check up)
- Get out invites for Son’s 5th Birthday
- Pick up all party stuff
- Go through Spring, Summer clothes to see what fits, what can be given away, what is going on EBay.
- Wash all clothes that will be worn by my kids that have been in storage.
- Think about birthday gifts for Son and best friend.
- Plan a trip with my sister for June to our Childhood town with our kids in tow.
- Finish spring cleaning
- Look into a bed for my daughter. (We promised her crib to best friend’s brother and the girl will need something to sleep on).
- Go through toys, book and games to see what is staying what is going.
- Think about communion gift for my nephew.
- Mother’s day is around the corner – Think about Grandma and Mother-in-law gifts.
- Get beach stuff out of storage and ready to rock n roll.
- Order contacts for myself.
- Order wood for next winter
- Clean out bedroom of all bags and stuff going to said best friend’s brother.
- Organize storage unit for fall and winter stuff.
- Clean all computers of old unused stuff.
- Order pictures because I will be a year behind this coming August.
- Get more photo albums
- Pick up water shoes and swim suits for both kids.
- Find a home for a car seat and stroller that are no longer needed.
- Clean out car of all fall & winter stuff.
Why do I like working from lists? Seeing all the things I have to do in one list makes me ill.
Monday, January 27, 2020
Nothing Cuter Than Than A 3 Year's Apology
Nothing Cuter Than Than A 3 Year's Apology
My Goddess cracks me up every day. She is funny, witty, lovable and just plain cute but when she apologizes I just want to cry. She always comes back and apologizes AFTER she has had time to think about it.
The other day, her father,
Such a grown up thing to do.. wait…, a lot of grown ups can’t even do this.
Oh where was I? Oh yeah, I digress, cute apologies.
The other day her father, asked her to stop pulling on the Wii remote. She didn’t. He asked her three times and then he took the remote from her.
The Goddess, Miss Dramatic, took off down the hall for the confides of her bedroom. She was in there about 10 minutes when I walked in and asked her if she wanted to go for a walk.
She said yes and we left for a casual 30 minute stroll around the block.
We got back to the house 40 minutes after the fiasco with Daddy and he opened the door when he saw us coming. The moment she saw him, she said, “I sowwy I was mad at you before.”
He said, “oh you are sorry.” He was probably unsure of what she was referring to since it really had been a while and it was not a big thing. There had been no yelling or tears.
They hugged and I tried not to laugh. It was so funny. Was she brooding about it the whole time? I have no idea because she was totally Miss Talkative the whole walk.
Today, at 5:30 she started a “I’m so tired tantrum” fight with her brother. He was sitting playing when she started crying and kicking him in the back. I went over and removed her. She went back and kicked at him. He came over and said, “Daddy, Goddess is pulling on the wire.” The husband who was eating, said, “mommy will be right there.” This was right after he told me to stop running over every time they fight.
Walking in, I removed her again. She ran into my room and closed the door.
5 minutes later, she knocked and said, “Mommy?”
Opening the door for her, she smiled at me. I said, “why did you shut the door?”
She put her arms up and I picked her up. “I sowwy I hurt your feelings mommy.” Then she hugged me and gave me a kiss on the cheek.
Hugging her and walking down the hall, Daddy calls out, “I want an apology too.”
I brought her over and she said, “I sowwy, Daddy.” They hugged and kissed and then she giggled and asked for crayons and paper.
Another moment etched on my heart.
Sunday, January 26, 2020
Celebrate National Random Acts of Kindness Day With 6 Things Kids Can Do to Promote Kindness
Help out a friend or neighbor anonymously
Make someone smile with no strings attached —shovel the snow from your neighbor’s sidewalk, or leave a basket of cookies just because, no thanks needed.
Be a baby/dog/cat-sitter– for free.
Many parents (of humans and fur babies) forego taking time out for themselves because sitters’ rates are often expensive. They will certainly appreciate your offer to look after their precious little ones without charge.
Bring out the chalk!
Everybody loves to be appreciated and cheered. On a nice day, surprise someone with a special message using sidewalk art! You may never realize how much it lifts someone’s mood.
Make a Kindness Jar!
Keep track of all acts of kindness with a Kindness Jar. Every time someone in your family does a random act of kindness, write it on a piece of paper with their name and put it in the jar. When it’s full, sort through it to see who was the kindest. Then, that person can pick an act of kindness that everyone else should do!
Celebrate a friend for being Awesome
For older kids, text/ message friends and let them know they are special with a fun silly gif video or go to www.GiveAnAwesome.com and celebrate a person for being and doing something Awesome.
Create a Kindness Challenge from the AWESOME app
Using the Kindness template, upload a photo or video clip, adding a title for your Kindness Challenge then put a short description. It will be available to all the thousands of users on AWESOME. You are also able to share it on any of your other social channels. When your friends and others join in the kindness challenge inside of AWESOME app, they get points and can level up and up the more kindness challenges they do.
About: Bert Pope is a father of four and the CEO of Awesome Company Worldwide, where he has launched the #BEAWESOME movement to make the world a better place. Awesome is the social network for kindness is also providing fun tools to help create kindness challenges, to share out to other platforms as BE.AWESOME.ONE where members are encouraged and rewarded for doing and sharing acts of kindness in their daily lives. Bert is a passionate and visionary leader and his enthusiasm for creating a movement that has a positive impact on humanity is contagious. He is a sincere and genuine person, a successful entrepreneur and a dynamic and relatable public speaker.
The Oak Ridge Boys Begin 20/20 Tour Across North America @OakRidgeBoys 2020tour
| ||||||
|
How Connecting Children To Nature Is Good For Both
 |
| My daughter thinks this leaf she found looks like an owl |
Plenty of older Americans hold fond childhood memories of climbing trees, catching frogs, and engaging in endless hours of tag or hide-and-seek with friends.
Most children today, though, spend much less time outdoors, with their recreational hours instead devoted to TV, video games and computers, a trend that has nature advocates concerned.
“If they don’t feel a connection to nature, they aren’t going to feel it’s important,” says Clyde Butcher (www.clydebutcher.com), a nature photographer who since the 1980s has helped bring national awareness to the Everglades through stunning black-and-white photographs that have been compared to the works of Ansel Adams.
“The question is, how do we get them to make that connection. The answer is that the responsibility lies with you and me. I think it’s important to educate both kids and grownups about the world’s environmental wonders.”
Advocacy groups are trying to do just that.
The National Wildlife Federation, for example, has a Green Hour program designed to encourage parents, grandparents, schools, and others to adopt a goal of an hour per day for children to play and learn outdoors in nature.
Butcher says that he tries to bring nature to people through his photography in the hopes they will be inspired to experience it for themselves.
“My goal is for them to say, ‘Wow, I want to go there. I want to see the real thing,’ ” he says.
Introducing children to the great outdoors is about more than just building extraordinary memories. Butcher and other nature proponents say benefits include:
Time outdoors can equal happiness. “Nature is one of those things that can really bring your spirits up,” Butcher says. Indeed, studies show that spending time outdoors is good for your mental health, and those who manage to do so are generally happier than those who stay cooped up inside. Butcher does his part to try to put people in touch with nature. Just recently, his gallery in the Big Cypress Swamp in south Florida sponsored a fall festival that included guided swamp-walk tours for children and adults alike. Those swamp walks provide what Butcher thinks of as education by immersion.
Time outdoors makes children healthier. A sedentary lifestyle can lead to children being overweight, which in turn increases their risk for a number of diseases, such as asthma and diabetes. When children spend time outdoors, they are almost certain to get more exercise, reducing those risks. Health professionals also say that, while over exposure to the sun can be harmful, some time absorbing the sun’s rays is helpful in such ways as boosting your body’s vitamin D.
Time outdoors makes children better stewards of the earth. It’s important to protect the environment, and to preserve natural wonders for future generations, but it’s difficult to truly appreciate nature without venturing out into it, Butcher says. Children who take the time to explore what nature has to offer, he says, are more likely to become advocates for protecting it.
“Sometimes, in the abstract, it’s difficult to understand why nature is so important,” Butcher says. “But when children step into it, and see it firsthand, they can fall in love with it. Then they begin to understand.”
About Clyde Butcher
Clyde Butcher (www.clydebutcher.com) is an acclaimed nature photographer who is best known for his striking black-and-white images of the Everglades in Florida. But he has photographed the beauty of nature in other locations as well. For more than 50 years, he has been preserving on film the untouched areas of the landscape. Butcher has been honored by the state of Florida with the Artist Hall of Fame Award. Other major awards and honors include the Lifetime Achievement Award from the North American Nature Photography Association; Humanitarian of the Year for 2005 from the International University; the 2011 Distinguished Artist Award from the Florida House in Washington, D.C.; and the Ansel Adams Conservation Award from the Sierra Club.
Olivia Wilde's Wake Up Starring Margaret Qualley
|
|
Saturday, January 25, 2020
Friday, January 24, 2020
A Guide to Opening Your Own Store
Establishing your own business is one of the most fulfilling and exciting things you can do, even if it is a lot of hard work! If you are at the stage of searching for space to lease for your store, you have already completed the business plan and secured some financial backing. This next step is important as it will determine how many customers will be coming through your door. Here’s some things to think about when selecting your store space.
Location
Location is everything, especially if your brand is not yet widely known. If potential customers can’t see or locate your store, they are unlikely to take the time to find it. Find a spot in the shopping mall or a street in your local town that has a lot of footfall going by it. These spaces might have more expensive leases due to their desirable positioning, but if you can afford it then certainly take it to ensure visibility to consumers.
Accessibility
Like location, the accessibility to your store is incredibly important. If some of your customers require the use of wheelchairs for example, having only steps leading up to your store cuts them off from it and you could lose out on the potential to build a relationship with a loyal customer. Make sure the space you choose has access ramps if it is in a raised position, and a door that is either automatic or is fitted with a disabled access button so you’re not alienating anyone.
Design
The interior design of your shop should reflect your business brand and style. It should look clean and crisp, and all displays should be clearly visible. Any shop should have its interior units fitted properly and professionally, but if you’re a fashion brand then you might want to opt for more of a luxury fit out to have a high-end feel to your store. The way your store looks will tell customers a lot about the business, therefore having proper shelving and storage units fitted to help keep the place clean and tidy is worth it.
Displays
Having your products displayed properly in store will ensure that your customers are seeing everything you have to offer. Choose lighting that will flatter your products, and check often to make sure they have not been dirtied (people will pick up and put down things in your shop while browsing). Clothing should be placed on racks around the store, you can color coordinate the different items of clothing which can by aesthetically pleasing, or group brands or styles together to make it easier for customers to find something specific. Be playful and creative in your window displays too, as these will catch the eyes of passers-by and tempt them to come into your store. For example, you could recreate a scene from a famous movie or TV show.
Opening your own store is an exciting venture and hopefully you will see nothing but success from the minute you open your doors. Keeping these few things in mind when starting out could be useful in ensuring that success
Thursday, January 23, 2020
Way Back Post – Writing in my 2 year old’s voice
Way Back Post – Writing in my 2 year old’s voice
When I had my daughter my son was going on 23 months. My daughter was colic and slept in 1/2 hour clips, and nursed when she wasn’t sleeping or crying and my son had a speech delay which made him prone to tantrums. Life wasn’t easy but I loved them both and writing has always been a great stress reliever for me.
I started a blog for my son called My Life As A Precocious Toddler and wrote in his voice. I found it both fun and therapeutic. Here is the first post ever written as my 2 year old.
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Parents Suck!
Parents Suck!
Hey, can we talk? I want to discuss my parents.
Dude I know I need them and everything, my being 2 and all but give me a freakin’ break.
Let’s take today for instance. I ask for a crayon. Mom looks at me and says “what?” I mean hello! How else do you say crayon? I try again all the while pointing to the shelf where she keeps the damn colored yum, yum taste so good sticks of wax.
I see a light bulb go off over her head and she hands me a broken piece of putrid green crayon and tells me to get my paper. I scream and slam my hand on the table.
A damn crayon women! She says, “that is all there is” and then I hear that pink bundle of “pain in the ass” start her opera.
My sister came into our home 2 months ago and nothing is right! Mom takes off to pick up the screeching pink bundle and I grab her legs as she tries to pass me. A crayon! Damn am I invisible?
I take the stupid piece of putrid wax that she handed me and reach for the flash cards she took out of the drawer an hour before. She said get paper and this sure looks like paper to me.
She moves the flashcards out from under my crayon and says, “not on those!” What? She didn’t specify what paper I can use. Paper is paper. Damn her, she is always stopping me from doing something I want to do.
While she sits down to place her plump, dripping, flesh pillow into my sister’s mouth I take the crayon and opps miss the little piece of paper she handed me. Wow, the crayon looks really good mixed with the color of the Ottoman. I keep going. Maybe just maybe, Mom and Dad will love my art work. They rave over every stupid mark I make on paper they are going to love this.
I take my time, putting a lot of thought into the amount of strokes, the direction of my lines and the amount of pressure I apply to my art project. I am totally in the zone and the next thing I know my mom is screaming “No!” God how I hate that word.
Ripping the crayon from my clenched fingers and placing me in time out. Huh? She is so ungrateful. That is the last time I try to impress her. As I sit in my time out I contemplate my next art project. I have been checking out the wall next to the TV, I think it could use a few dashes with a key to give it that subtle texture look.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)