Camp Rolling Hills is the perfect book for tweens 9-13. It would be a very good book if you are about to go to overnight camp for the first time. This book is about a certain group of kids going to camp. Each book switches between the perspectives of a girl and a boy. So this book would be perfect for both girls and boys (no matter how girly the cover looks, just check the back … [Read more...]
5 Fun, Family Flicks to Watch with Tweens
Grab the Popcorn for Family Movie Night! "How about Shrek?" I asked my eleven-year-old son. I held up the DVD case splashed with the picture of the lovable green ogre. "Mom," he replied. "NO." "What's wrong with Shrek?" I queried. We were going through our DVDs, trying to pick G- or PG-rated movies that his class could watch on the bus during their sixth grade field trip … [Read more...]
Which Commercial is the Best on YouTube?
Happy 10th Anniversary to YouTube! Did you know that YouTube turned TEN this year?! Your kids probably watch it a lot more than you do, but you have to confess.. you can't get thru the day without seeing something thru YouTube - can you even imagine a day without it now? Where would you go to find stupid pet videos and an endless stream of "how-to" videos? Here are some … [Read more...]
Podcast with Angelhood Author, A.J. Cattapan
We have A.J. Cattapan on the show this week and considering her audience is largely made up of young adults, we have a special teen host doing the interview! Sydney takes her turn at the mic and asks the questions that only a young adult can ask of Angelhood author, A.J. Cattapan! … [Read more...]
Special Mother’s Day Podcast with The Beer Dads
I'm sooooo excited to bring you this week's VERY special podcast which is a "simulcast" with 3 of my favorite guys, friends and DADS!! They have a great podcast called The Beer Dads and if you haven't listened to them, you definitely should. They're 3 friends who are dads and they hit on really great topics from a dad's point of view... while drinking a beer! The four of us … [Read more...]
Open Letter to the Composers of Frozen
No. I do not want to build a snowman or let it go. Okay, before I get to the actual letter, I want to say that I know the Frozen ship has sailed. It's had a long moment in the spotlight, and everyone is probably getting sick of the references (especially if you're a parent), but in my house? We're only just embarking on the Frozen journey. Because guess who got the DVD for … [Read more...]
Insurgent – Why Tris is Better than Katniss
Tris is better than Katniss…there, I’ve said it. “Insurgent,” the second movie based on the best-selling young adult dystopian trilogy, Divergent, opens this weekend. So last week, when my daughter Hannah was home for Spring Break from college, she and I decided to have a little mother/daughter bonding time by going to this “Meet the Writer” event with the author of the … [Read more...]
5 YA Books You Need to Get for Your Reader Right Now
It's a known fact... parents who read have kids who read. And if you're like us, you probably grab a few of the books your teens and tweens are reading (hello, Hunger Games?!) so we've got a list of 5 of our current favorite YA books you need to add to your reader AND your kid's reader! The Book Thief - It is 1939. Nazi Germany. The country is holding its breath. … [Read more...]
Why I Don’t Care About Fifty Shades of Grey
Okay, I have a confession to make: I NEVER read Fifty Shades of Grey. Yep, I just googled it and realized it is Fifty Shades of GrEy, not GrAy. See, I know NOTHING about these books. According to Wikipedia it is a trilogy, and has sold over 100 million copies worldwide. I know that many of my friends have read these books. Lots of giggles as they sat around talking … [Read more...]
Was TV Your Childcare Provider?
I'm coming clean when I say that PBS Kids TV helped me raise my toddlers. In fact, I probably should have claimed them as my childcare provider on my taxes. It all started as a casual fling, the occasional viewing of Clifford the Big Red Dog and a quick snippet of Sesame Street, but then it morphed into so much more. Do you know why? My babies actually stopped fussing and … [Read more...]
Playing an Instrument with Braces
Braces and brass don't always mix... here are some tips! Having personally experienced them for three years in my youth, and then another two as an adult, my memories are not too fond. So, is it hopeless if your child is getting braces? Absolutely not! Braces today are SOOOOO much different than 10, 15 even 20 years ago. The wires don’t seem to cut as much into the sides … [Read more...]
The Downside to Teens and the Mall
So your teen wants to go "hang out" at the mall? It's Friday night and your tween/teen wants to go to the mall to hang out with his or her friends. The mall seems like a safe enough place to hang out and you've seen lots of other kids there so it isn't like the mall being a Friday night hang out location is a surprise. Though you know that the mall is intended to be a place to … [Read more...]
Stop Blaming Video Games for Your Lack of Parental Judgement
Parenting is not supposed to be easy. Parenting is not supposed to be glamorous. Parenthood is supposed to challenge us, push us to our breaking point and test every ounce of our patience. Kids are kids. They will be awesome, hellions, adorable and pain in the butts. As parents, it is our job to embrace it all, enjoy the roller-coaster ride and happily cry when our babies grow … [Read more...]
Marvel’s The Avengers Super-Hero Dream Date Quiz
Sometimes you just have to lighten it up a bit! I'll admit that I'm just a "wee" excited for The Avengers to come out. I doubt that I'll run out on opening night but I guarantee I'll see it at some point very soon. With the opening right around the corner, I was sent this fun little quiz from the PR team and thought it would fun to throw it out there! You can take it... your … [Read more...]
