Category Archives: Guest Posts

Celebrate Earth Day with the Family at the Kid’s Fun Run

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Today we have a guest post by Sarah Mazzone. For all my readers in the Philadelphia area, I thought this would be a great event to share on the blog!

Sarah Mazzone is the community field organizer for the Southeastern Pennsylvania chapter of Moms Clean Air Force. Moms Clean Air Force is a national non-profit committed to fighting for clean air to protect our children’s health. To get involved or stay updated on other local events, please sign-up to join the force today!

Earth Day is the prefect time to teach our children about the importance of protecting our environment. As parents, our children serve as a great motivator to join the fight to ensure a clean air and healthy environment for generations to come. Taking our kids out to enjoy nature in a fun environment inspires awareness and action for protecting our natural resources. This Earth Day, consider participating in the 5K Run for Clean Air as a family and joining others in our community coming together to celebrate environmental health, clean air and sustainability.

The 5K Run for Clean Air, now in it’s 32nd year, is the largest Earth Day Festival in Philadelphia. Moms Clean Air Force, a non-profit over 120,000 concerned parents strong, is sponsoring a Kid’s Fun Run at the the 5K on April 20th. This new event will include a 250 yard dash for kids under 5 and a half-mile fun run for ages 6-12. The event will take place on the steps of the Art Museum with a course following Martin Luther King Drive. Family entertainment will include eco-friendly activities like rain stick making and Frisbee spin art and programming and giveaways from Radio Disney’s Green Team.

Kids Run Run

Moms Clean Air Force is a nation-wide non profit organization committed to protecting our children’s health from toxic air pollution. The Southeastern PA chapter is actively working for strong mercury and carbon standards to protect our most vulnerable citizens, including children with asthma, pregnant women and babies. We are active in the community raising awareness and support, while also connecting with our elected representatives to remind them to keep children’s health a top priority in legislative decision making. If you are interested in getting involved with Moms Clean Air Force, be sure to sign-up for action alerts and for updates on local events.

I hope to see you and your family at the 5k Run and Kid’s Fun Run on Saturday, April 20th, 2013! On-line pre-registration is open until April 15th and you can save 15% off the registration fee by using the promotion code IRUN4KIDS.

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Event Details:

5K Run for Clean Air, 3K Walk, and Kids’ Fun Run
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Register at www.5krunforcleanair.org
Race Day Registration Opens – 7:30 a.m.
Festivities Begin – 8:00 a.m.
Run and Walk Kick off – 9:00 a.m.
Kids’ Fun Run 9:45 – a.m.
Earth Day Celebration and Awards – 10:00 a.m.

Show Some Love

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Today we have a Guest Post by Mike Rich talking about the history of that romantic holiday tomorrow: Valentine’s Day!

Does Valentine’s Day mean something special to you? Most would probably say it’s the day for lovers, boyfriends and girlfriends to show their affection for each other with gifts and compliments. Couples go out for dinner and treat each other in ways that mean a lot to their partner. It’s the time of year where stores put out their red heart candy boxes and flower bouquets, and all things love and romance related are relentlessly promoted and shoved in our faces. For those in a relationship, this is the time to buy cards and gifts for that special person to show your love.
Valentine’s Day originated as a “Christian” holiday centuries ago as an honor to St. Valentine. It was designated as February 14, a day to show love and appreciation for those who mean a lot to us. In particular, it is a time to express affection for close friends and for romance between couples. Different countries and cultures across the world observe and celebrate this occasion also, in their own unique ways. Universally, it is a time for cupid to take aim with the “Magic Arrow” and do some serious damage. Or some may call it falling in love, depending on your sap tolerance. If there’s someone you call Baby, give them something special, let them know how much they mean to you.

How Music Shapes Us

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Today we have another guest post by Mike Rich. Mike Rich is from Painesville, OH. He has a BA in communications and writes for various publications. He enjoys music, acting, travel and the arts.

Is music important in your life? Has it always been there, did you grow up with it? Maybe it was played in your home growing up, where your parents took you, on TV, in the car, or wherever you went? For most people, music is a part of life, and you can’t imagine being without it. What would it be like to go a week without hearing your favorite songs, either from your collection, on TV, or in movies? Do you think life would be the same? Many could not imagine living without the music they grew up with, not to mention all the new songs we discover every month from countless sources.

Do you remember the songs from Sesame Street and other children’s programs? For many, that was the first taste we had of what music. When your parents drove you around, they had the radio playing and you were exposed to the hits of the 70′s and 80′s. This had more influence than you realized over what you enjoy and respond to as an adult. You think, “I’ve heard that song before, or that singer or group,” and you can trace it back to the radio or your parents’ or friend’s music collection. Somehow, all of it comes back to us in some way. Music even plays a role in shaping how you see the world, other cultures, and your own life. Part of your identity is influenced by what you enjoy.

It seems that most people would have a hard time if their music was taken away or limited. Music is an important part of freedom of expression, which is a basic right that those from all backgrounds hold dear. Your music helps define you. It enhances memories, and makes life more meaningful. It defines time periods and ideas. If you’re like me, it means the world to you.

Robot Birthday Party

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By Jenny Plassio

Jenny is a mother of two and one of the craftiest women I have ever met. She helps with craft projects at my local MOPS. When she said what she was doing for her son’s birthday, I asked her to share it with my readers. Thank you so much Jenny for taking the time to share with us!!!  Jenny took a lot of pictures, and I wanted to be able to share them as well!

How I made a 6th birthday robot party.

Welcome Signs

As with any party that I plan, first we come up with a theme for the party. This year’s was robots! My son Enzo loved working on his party this year. This is the first time that he really helped, which was pretty cool. So now you have a theme chosen, next think about what you would like to have at your party. For example: we made gift bags with some special treats inside (more information to follow later), special signs, thought about the food, etc… you get the idea.

Invitations: Now for the invitations for this year, we did our invitations electronically and sent them via email, which saves on stamps and printing cost. It worked great with Nino’s party and it went just a well with Enzo’s party. Enzo even chose what sounds he could add to the invitation and he loved it. We have card software which with capabilities in creating an electronic file to send out via email. If you do not happen to have software to create a card you can use Word or even check online for some free sites like Evitethat you can use to send your invitations via email. I really like creating my own invitations and sending them via email because it is so simple.

Nuts and Bolts Treat Bags

  Now for decorations and gift bags: Pretty much in my family once an event is over for this year they start talking about next years party, so I get to thinking about it all year. Well I know for most you don’t have that option and I’m thinking as Enzo gets older he may be changing his mind more. You really don’t need a lot of time to make decorations and gift bags, but I’m on the look out through out the year if I see something that may work I might get it depending on what the item is. I also use the internet to get a lot of my ideas or to see how I can take their ideas and make them mine. You gotta love the internet for idea surfing. Now since I was working on two parties so close together I pretty much did the same things with a few exceptions.

Robot Pillow

I found fabric with robots on it and  ended up making pillows and stuffed robots for everyone’s gift bags, which were a big hit. Then I went to a craft store to check out their scrap paper and found some paper that I could use for making tags and other decorative items. Just a few sheets is all that is needed. I always check out Oriental Trading Company as they always have something to go with your theme. They have rubber duckies in just about any theme imaginable. Then I tried to find one more item to put in the gift bag. This time it was wooden stamped robots that they could color.

You can also add a little snack to go in the bags I found online this nuts and bolt’s snack bag idea and just used labels and a stamp to make tags for the bags. As for the gift bags, I’ve had great success in finding bags at Target in their dollar section at the front of the store, but this year they didn’t have too much to choose from. I found a deal on fabric and had my mother-in-law help me out this year by making bags with the fabric. You don’t have to go that route, you can just get some plain bags and decorate them with the kids help or the birthday boy/girl’s help. I know that Enzo had fun creating new ideas of robots to draw on some of the extra bags.

Robot Signs

As for decorations, I really try not to go over board which is so easy to do. I had a few items that went with the theme, and the rest was just using Enzo’s favorite color and some non-themed items. For example, Enzo likes red, so the signs that we printed were all red. I got red stars as well as for the non-themed items. I picked up my table clothes and anything else that I needed from the Dollar Tree. I also shopped at some discount grocery stores which is a great place to get napkins, plastic silverware and plates. You don’t have to go with theme napkins and plates, plus you can use the leftovers for another time which is a great way to save.

Watermelon Robot

Food: You don’t have to crazy with food. I have in the past and really didn’t get a chance to enjoy previous parties. So this year we had made pasta and bread for Nino’s party, and we just froze it for Enzo’s, which worked out great. Then all I had to get was some salad items and a watermelon. I found a link to make a watermelon robot. Now they had a lot extra items to buy to make the robot, but I searched my kitchen and found what would work for the robot. Everyone loved it and never knew that I didn’t follow the instructions exactly. I do that a lot: I find an idea and use what I have on hand.

Robot Pinata

You don’t need to spend a lot of money to make a great party or even go overboard on a theme. Just have a few items to go with the theme and everything else just falls in place. Just remember that it’s not what you spend, it’s how you spend your day with the special people in your life that matters. Enjoy and loves ;0)

 

 

For more children’s party planning fun and party kits, please visit www.mybearhaven.net!

Robot Cake and a Happy Birthday Boy!

Let’s Go Somewhere!

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Today we have another guest post by Mike Rich. Mike Rich is from Painesville, OH. He has a BA in communications and writes for various publications. He enjoys music, acting, travel and the arts.

Some people love to travel. To them, there is no greater thrill or pleasure than going to a new, different place, whenever there is a chance. For some, vacation is enough travel; it’s just a break from the everyday grind of work, kids, etc. On the other hand, there are those for whom traveling extensively is a way of life, almost a driving force that makes life worthwhile. It is not enough to see distant locations and other ways of life reported on TV and in movies, they need experience it firsthand. Traveling to whichever locale strikes the imagination at the time and becomes a hobby which is pursued with passion and vigor.

This is often true for adults and many professionals from all backgrounds. The longing to see other places and be a part of a different culture burns deep in the soul. It helps if someone was raised on a diet of steady travel and long trips to exciting places. When kids go on vacations with parents and guardians, they are given a chance to broaden their perspectives of life and see how other people live. They can learn things firsthand about different regions and sometimes different countries. Along with getting a break from school and regular life, kids get to see things that they would only see in magazines or from friends who have been there.

Making journeys to very different environments, both at home and abroad, is a great way to learn about the world. You can make friends you never would have met otherwise and see the world through your own eyes and further develop your perspective of your relation to others.

What Can You Dream of?

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Today we have a guest post by Mike Rich. Mike Rich is from Painesville, OH. He has a BA in communications and writes for various publications. He enjoys music, acting, travel and the arts.

Of all the things I’ve learned growing up, one of the most evident is how important imagination is. It’s one of the first things children learn about themselves. It develops at an early age and gives children a great amount of creativity. Even if children are alone or have a hard time finding things to with themselves, they can think of things to create or play, even their own characters or special places. It’s amazing what kids can do with very little, just by using imagination and creativity. When I was younger, my thoughts were full of fantasy lands and characters, like Sesame Street, the Letter People, and Fraggle Rock. I loved many old cartoons and movies like The Wizard of Oz and Ghostbusters. There was no limit to the characters I could create and learn from.

 

It’s one of the most important things for children to be encouraged to use and learn from their imagination. Creativity helps kids figure things out for themselves and learn about the world around them, along with helping them find what they love and what makes them tick.

Hi, I’m new.

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by Tessa Sickinger. (Tessa has been a huge help to my business and will be writing posts from time to time. She currently helps at my local shop and also does all the window displays. I feel so blessed to have her sharing her talents with me!)

My mom shared with me the other day, a story of her childhood best friend’s birthday parties at which every attending kid got a full-blown wrapped present for their friend’s birthday. What a sweet and genuinely kind idea.

How often do we think about the little rules of growing up or what made our only tiny buds of life so magical?

They are so frequently the little itty-bitty, out of the ordinary things that leave such a fragrance of virtue in our minds.

For me it was not one, but TWO popsicles given out by a neighborhood mom in Summer, the friend that would actually help you clean up the mess you both made while playing, Mom being there for me when I needed her (sometimes all I needed was her leg to squeeze onto when I was scared or shy),  the  promise of “friends forever” written in all kinds of places (sidewalks, hands, notebooks, and floor boards in your closet),  the moments when my big sister and brother stood up for me.

Generous and free giving (whether of popsicles or of self), Security and reliability in family and friends, easy hope in eternal concepts. This is what’s been plucked from my memory today as I write my very, very first blog.

Maybe a little part of me is thinking this will be a hugely thought-provoking first entry, but mostly I think I’d just like to share what can come of the simple virtues we heard so much about as kids.  No matter how much I may forget and need reminding of them, they can and have had a pretty sizeable impact  on my whole life.

Well now that this idea went in a completely different direction than I originally expected…

I’m really wondering: What is your most unique childhood memory?

Lucy’s Tale

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By Lucia Polakovska. Lucy is one of our exchange students this year and is from Slovakia.

Hi everyone! My name is Lucy and it this article I am going to tell you my story of coming to the USA.

Since I was a child I have been being told about exchange programs, because my aunt travels a lot and she knows many students that became such a student. I did not like the idea at first and I kept saying “no” when somebody asked me if I wanted to become one too. My big decision was made two years ago, in October 2008. My former math teacher’s daughter was in France at that time and I heard that she liked it very much, so I start thinking about going somewhere. I was looking up information on the internet and found a great website about one student that went to Ohio for 10 months. I read all articles he posted there and I became fascinated by the idea of going to the United States. My mum didn’t want me to go so far from home at first, but after she had spoken to many people that had their children abroad, she made up her mind and allowed me to go. One year later, in September 2009, I started filling many application forms out. It was a really long process. I had to take an English test to confirm that my English abilities are good; I needed various medical vaccinations and also a recommendation from my English teacher. The very last thing I needed were visas, but it was not a problem because I was going to come here only for 5 months. Everything was finally settled and my date of departure was determined to be August 24. You may be asking why would I want to come to the USA, so far from my home, family and all my friends. Well, the answer is more than obvious. I wanted to experience as much as possible, I wanted to improve my English, I wanted to meet new people and make some friends and, of course, I wanted to know this amazing country with different culture and traditions. And if you are asking if I like it here, the answer is definitely YES. I do like it in here so much that I decided to extend my staying for another 5 months. :)

Becoming an Exchange Student

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By Mariana Rodrigues. This is Mariana’s tale about how she came to be here with us. Mariana is with our family for the entire school year and is from Brazil.

Becoming an exchange student takes a lot of planning, patience and openness to a different culture and ideas. It’s an important decision that is made with much thought. It’s a long and exciting process that I and other exchange students have been through.

After talking to a lot of people who did it, including my Mom, I realized that it was what I wanted for my life. So I went to a travel agency to choose my destination, duration, and other details relating to my school. After making my decisions, I completed my application and sent it a year before the date I was going to go to the US. Then I completed my medical screenings, American visa, and other documents.

The programs available were broken into five regions. I chose the Northeastern region with thirteen states available. I had a long time to get ready and prepare myself for my stay of almost an entire year in a different place with different people. During this period of time, I attended a few meetings with the agency to talk about the program and learn some things we needed to know. It was nice to meet other students that were in the same situation as me.

The worst part of the process was waiting because I didn’t want to create expectations on anything. I was afraid I wouldn’t get into the program I wanted. I was afraid I would not fit into my new school and home. I was anxious about everything.

I felt like I was in a holding pattern. June passed quickly and before I knew it, it was already August. My suitcase was packed with blank on the destination tag. In Brazil, the school year starts in February and goes until June. There is a break for the month of July, and then class resumes until December. So my friends and my brother went back to school, but I stayed home. Most of the other exchange students I knew had already left or were leaving soon, but I had no destination yet and was worried. Finally, I received my host family’s application, all the information about the family, and the name and some of the details of the place I was going to live for the next several months. With much relief, I was finally ready to go.

The support of my friends and family through this whole process was so important through this whole process. They helped me get through my frustrations of not knowing what was going to happen. However, it was very difficult to leave them behind in Brazil when I left to come here.

I stayed in New York City for three days with other exchange students from different countries like Germany, China, Mongolia, Slovakia, Poland, Czech Republic and others. All of us just arrived and were there for our orientation. It was an amazing experience meeting so many people from so many different places, and I had a really good time.

There are many differences between my country, my life in Brazil and my life here in the US, but I’m enjoying everything.  As I live here, I want to learn about American life and culture. My ambition can be summed up best by a phrase from a famous Brazilian explorer and sailor, Amyr Klink:

“A man needs to travel. By his own means, not by stories, images, books or TV. By his own, with his eyes and feet, to understand what he is. To some day plant his own trees and give them some value. To know the cold to enjoy the heat. To feel the distance and lack of shelter to be well under his own ceiling. A man needs to travel to places he doesn’t know to break this arrogance that makes us see the world as we imagine it, and not simply as it is or may be. That makes us teachers and doctors of what we have never seen, when we should just be learners, and simply go see it.”