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A Curious Thing About Stamps
Although there hasn't been much rejoicing about the stamp rate increase, these new stamps have softened the blow. At least in our office, where they've been a big hit. They feature picture book animals like Curious George, Olivia, and one of Maurice Sendak's Wild Things. Good stuff. …
Time Travel on a Budget
Be honest. When was the last time you read a children's book...minus the audience of a child nearby? It's been a while for me, but I can easily remember some of my favorites: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Where the Wild Things Are, George's Marvelous Medicine, The Twits, and Where the Sidewalk Ends. True classics. My third grade teacher read the Roald Dahl books (Medicine and Twits) to us in class, and I still remember the colorful descriptions painted in words. Jen Robinson has a pretty cool blog promoting "the love of books by children and the continued reading of children's books by …
Sweet Tooth’s Trip Down Memory Lane
I'd wager a bet that you probably have a list of favorite candy from your youth. Between Little League games and swimming lessons, my family spent a lot of time at the park, patronizing concession stands. (In fact, I was co-manager of the Peru pool concession stand one summer.) I remember being a master at stretching my allowance, claiming an assortment of Pixi Stix, Blow Pops, and Laffy Taffys for just 50¢. I've wondered if they still make any of these treasured candies, or if they're only available on the shelf of my memory. …
Ron Burgundy Wins Best Actor Award
The entertainment award season is upon us. Question: Why don't more comedies get nominated for the big awards? Answer: Because the people voting for the awards are stricken with Adultitis. …
Skipping Into the New Year
When is the last time you skipped? Truly skipped? Yes, the popular activity of most six-year-old girls. Today I discovered iskip.com. It is a site dedicated to promoting the positive effects of skipping. The site shares that skipping just a few steps can instantly lift your mood and help you reconnect with your buoyant, exuberant, childlike spirit. Hey, that sounds like something I'm trying to do. Who knew? Skipping! The founder Kim Corbin believes that, "Today's world needs as much positive skipping energy as possible. That is why we are on a mission to share the joy and freedom of …
Hello, This is Santa
One more take on Kris Kringle. Reveries magazine reports on a new way for the kiddies to chat with Santa. Maybe the thought of sitting on Santa's lap is a tad too terrifying for little Jason...but what if Santa made a phone call? “She didn’t want to have anything to do with the big fat man,” says Cindy Richards, referring to her 3-year-old daughter’s response to a real, live, retail Santa Claus. It was another reaction entirely when Santa rang her up by phone, however. Little Cassidy Richards “froze in giddy shock, the phone locked to her ear … ‘I love you Santa,’ she whispered.” …
Are You Sloopless?
Got an e-mail today from the publicist over at Cereality (you know, the super cool cereal cafe sent from heaven.) I'm happy to report that they are franchising, which means that it's only a matter of time before one opens up in Madison and I begin eating all meals there. The location in Chicago is close, yet so far away. …
Must Have…Sleep
I've said this before, but if I had to guess, moms are probably the biggest group of Adultitis-havin' human beings on the planet. (Most planets, I'd wager.) It's hard not to see why -- they're usually the ones with the most things on their to-do list. And working moms have a propensity for Adultitis that is too dangerous for me to even speak of. The Guardian featured a story last summer about how modern mothers suffer more stress and get less sleep than their own mothers and grandmothers. It cited a poll that found that "the average new mother gets 3.5 hours of uninterrupted sleep a night …
Instant Cure
In search for a little peace this morning, I decided to imitate art. Actually I can’t take all of the credit for the idea. A friend of mine named Renee asked me to make a snow angel for her. She did her undergrad in Duluth, MN and now lives in Seattle, WA, where they do not get the snow that she was once accustomed to. I have to admit, the idea of getting snow on my wrists and ankles made me think twice. It doesn’t matter how many gloves or socks I have on, it is inevitable. “Kim” the character and I share that pet peeve. …