Wellness :: Kids and Healthy Food Choices

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  Being a parent can a frustrating struggle, especially when you are engaged in a battle to get your rambunctious toddler, child, or preteen to eat healthier foods. We’ve all been there at one time or another. At the end of our rope and still the little tyke screws up his nose at the nutritious peas that you have provided him. Then comes the demand for curly fries cooked in the deep fryer. Fear not—if you begin young enough—there are methods to instill a healthy eating mindset. Below I will provide some methods that can be used … [Read more...]

Longview World of Wonders Provides Hands-On Discovery

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  The woman of the twenty-first century often wears many hats. Mine include wife, mom, educator, gardener, leader, volunteer, accountant, chef, planner, story teller, wonder woman and currently, facilities chairman of Longview World of Wonders, a children’s hands-on discovery center in the making.   Longview World of Wonders: Over the past four years, LongviewWOW, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, has operated as a museum without walls serving East Texas children and their families in educational and hands-on programming … [Read more...]

Community :: How We Can Help the Families in Oklahoma

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  It is so upsetting to watch the news and see the damage Monday's tornado left behind in the community of Moore, Oklahoma. The Associated Press is reporting that 51 people - including at least 20 children - lost their lives yesterday.  As parents, keeping our children safe is one of our major concerns and it is events like the Newton shootings and natural disasters that makes us feel one so vulnerable to forces out of our control.  This morning I had several conversations (with myself) about whether or not I should take my … [Read more...]

Play :: 12 Great Summer Activities

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  If you’re lucky enough to live where the weather’s warming up then you’ll soon have long hot summer days stretching out in front of you. Summer holidays are so much fun but it’s easy to run out of ideas for things to do. For those times when you need some inspiration, here are 12 great warm weather activities to keep you and your family busy this summer.   12 Great Summer Activities: When you feel like something sweet and cold to eat, try frozen fruit. Orange segments and frozen grapes make awesome … [Read more...]

Dove’s “Let’s Make Girls Unstoppable” Initiative

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A few weeks back I attended the Mom 2.0 Summit at The Ritz Carlton Hotel in Laguna Niguel.  The setting was amazing with the ocean views and salt-watered breeze, but what impressed me the most about the event was the Dove's "Let's Make Girls Unstoppable" campaign.   You might have seen the Dove commercials showcasing women of all sizes to stress the importance of women accepting themselves as they are.  Well, their Dove Self-Esteem Project aims to start teaching this important message to our young girls and will focus on self-esteem … [Read more...]

Introducing the new Sesame Street Character :: Mando!

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©2013 Sesame Workshop. All rights reserved.   Many of us grew up watching Grover, Cookie Monster and Big Bird and have fond memories of Sesame Street.  I love that my daughter enjoys watching this quality and educational program and we can laugh together at Cookie Monster's antics!  Sesame Street was conceived in 1966, and was first aired on public broadcasting television stations November 10, 1969, and will celebrate it's 44th season this coming September.  The history of Sesame Street has reflected changing attitudes to … [Read more...]

Kids :: Enjoy Summer with the BabbaBox

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  Have you ever woken up on summer morning, and asked "What am I going to do with my kids today"?  Summer break is an amazing time of exploration, growth and bonding for you and yours.  But it can also be taxing (ok, even maddening) for parents as we are faced with keeping our kids occupied all day with fun, enriching activities and picking up where school left off.  As my daughter is still in kindergarten and only goes to school a few hours each day - there are some days when  I ask myself what am I going to do today?  My … [Read more...]

Musings :: How Becoming a Mother Changed Me

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  The journey to become a mom was not an easy one for my husband and I.  It wasn't until the 9/11 tragedy that I woke up and realized how life can be so uncertain and that not only did I want to get married (had been with my now-husband for 7 years), but I also wanted to have children.  Yes, it was 9/11 as well as a quote I read in an article that completely altered my life.  I was reading a magazine article that was written by a playwright who talked about all these experiences she had in life, traveling the world, dinners at … [Read more...]

PBS Kids WordGirl vs. The Energy Monster Review and Giveaway

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We are big fans of the PBS Kids Emmy Award-Winning WordGirl and just love her side kick, Huggy Face.  My daughter and I will watch it together and I like that she will learn new words and is taught how to use them in sentences.  She is always asking me the meaning of words and I think part of this curiosity can be traced back to this program.  PBS Kids is releasing “WORDGIRL VS. THE ENERGY MONSTER” on DVD May 14th.  “WordGirl®”  follows the life and super hero adventures of WordGirl as she fights crime and enriches vocabulary … [Read more...]