CEOmum - Parenting is a Full Time Job

Top Time Savers for Busy Families

2011-08-26T16:26:00.000-05:00

We are pleased to have our guest poster Jessi today. Jessi is from PartSelect, the complete online resource for the do-it-yourself repair market and distributor of Refrigerator Parts. She brings some smart time savers to CEOmum. I love the pillow case trick. Which is your favorite?

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If you’ve ever had one of those days where you’re late for everything and nothing goes as planned, well – we feel your pain. What’s worse, is that they always seem to happen when you have the busiest possible day ahead and not a second to breathe. Take heart – stuff like this doesn’t need to ruin your whole day. Read on for some great time saving tips that will help you handle life’s curveballs and even avoid them when you can.

Make Lists Your Friend

Lists are the busy Mom or Dad’s best friend. They help streamline tasks, categorize similar activities and can be a fun way to get the whole family involved. There are a few different ways you can use lists to your time-saving advantage.

Start categorizing your shopping lists. Do you need milk? File it under necessities. If you need light bulbs and batteries, they would be considered a household need.

Get the kids involved by creating a list of to-do’s just for them and stick it on the fridge. Make crossing things off a really positive experience by using stickers or allotting allowances based on completed tasks.

Create a family calendar and put it somewhere everyone has access to it. Include things that need to be done daily, weekly and monthly so that it’s clear what’s on the agenda. If you need to, write down who is responsible for what to ensure things get done properly.

Chalkboards or white boards can make lists really fun and super easy to update. They don’t cost very much so you can even keep one in each major room if you feel so inclined.

If and when you can, prioritize. Label what’s most important and what’s least important so that the necessary things get finished on time.

10 Second Tidy

Don’t wait until a problem arises or things are at their dirtiest before getting involved. Spend 5 minutes a day dealing with the little things that tend to add up over time.

Once a week set aside some time to clean bad food out of the fridge and wipe down the shelves
Designate a day of the week to each room of your house and spend 2 - 5 minutes tidying and/or dusting, windexing etc.

Rinse your dishes and put them right in the dishwasher instead of letting them pile up in the sink. A good rule of thumb is not to touch a dish twice, deal with it as soon as it’s dirty. There is an exception to this rule for stuck on dirt – don’t spend too much time trying to scrub it off, let it soak and come back to it later.

Create a lost and found! Instead of trying to track down the mate to a lonely sock or figure out whose missing a white t-shirt, pick a spot in your house for lost items and throw anything out of place in there.

If you’re looking for ideas, check out The House of Smiths for a great tutorial on how to create a laundry room wanted board.

Think Ahead

Trying to get out the door, plan for the day or whip up a meal when you’re tired or in a rush can be a big time struggle. Instead of putting yourself through the stress, plan ahead of time and keep your whole day running at a smooth pace.

If you have school aged children or typically bring lunch to work, think about lunches for the week early on and pack them the night before. Bentobox lunches are all the rage right now and a really cool take on the traditional meal.

Cook double portions of your favorite meals and freeze them. You can even try alternating weeks, cooking for one and eating precooked meals the next.

Pick one or two days a week to do your grocery shopping – Tuesday and Saturday work well for scattering it throughout the week.

If your morning will be busy, set out your clothing at night so it’s not something you have to think about when you wake up.

Organize

Some people can’t imagine living an unorganized life, others scoff at the thought of everything having a place. Whether you agree or not, knowing where things are can save a lot of time and frustration.

Avoid losing your keys in your home, even for a second by giving them a designated spot and putting them there all the time. Even if it’s just a tack on the wall, knowing where they are will give you peace of mind when you’re on the go.

Keep your linen closet crazy-free by using baskets to organize unsightly items. Sheets have a funny tendency of looking messy, no matter how they’re folded. Put each set inside of one of it’s pillow cases to keep things looking nice.

Use baskets in your fridge – it will free up space and make clean-up a lot easier.

Check out these before and after shots from blogger Apple’s With Honey.

There are lots of ways to save time during the day, these are just a few of our favs. Although some of them may seem like a lot of work at the start, once you’ve worked them into your daily routine they should take less than 10 minutes a day. We promise you’ll appreciate that extra effort the next time you wake up late and have the world’s busiest day ahead.
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What Will They Think of Next

2011-07-25T10:20:00.001-05:00

A 3d Printer! He used a wrench in this example. Can you begin to imagine other applications of this technology?

Freedom Rides

2011-05-18T20:29:00.002-05:00

From Washington DC to New Orleans - not just any ordinary bus ride but a Freedom Ride to the Deep
South

Watch the full episode. See more American Experience.

Visit ClassWish.org NOW

2011-05-08T15:21:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the command in my heading but for those visitors who are as passionate as I am about providing opportunities for our children to learn to read, classwish.org is just fabulous.

Ok so what is Class Wish all about?

As its About US page says it's a nonprofit organization that allows for a positive change in children's lives by empowering those who care to provide them with the supplies they need to learn, grow and excel.

The notion of the wish is grounded in ClassWish encouraging parents and teachers to set out their educational needs for their school communities. This is the Wish List! Supporters then do what they can to assist these under-funded and school-supplies-poor schools. And it's tax deductible.

Students seeking a summer internship can work with Class Wish in NYC or virtually to promote the program.

They are seeking a wide range of skills namely: "graphic designers, videographers, writers, researchers, creative thinkers, analytical sorts, community organizers, social media stars, people with great communication skills, MBA students, and more."

Get involved by spreading the word, donating, searching for schools to find wish lists, bringing in other schools into the program.

So as I said before visit ClassWish.org NOW!

Getting Personal

2011-03-09T16:31:00.001-05:00

Have you ever been upbraided about getting too personal? Ever been told stick to the issues or avoid dealing with personalities? Well if you are in the midst of a heated discussion that's fine but when it comes to giving a birthday or graduation or some other gift, I love getting personal as you will note from my CEOmum store. The first gift I gave my husband was a pen with a wacky inscription. Only he and I understood the significance of that little message. :).

So when looking for gifts I like to look at promo items which I can jazz up with a little creativity. Have you ever seen those cute water bottles or have you ever travelled abroad and picked up a little something in the form of a travel mug which costs more than a little, but you buy anyway because it's Mexican or Costa Rican or simply foreign? Here's a secret, those promotional mugs could cost a lot less and say a lot more if your customized them yourself. And as much as I love foreign travel, I love to do so at a bargain. So check them out for St. Patrick's Day or whatever occasion suits your mind.

Speaking of a bargain, have you heard of the latest software that is causing a buzz? It's Empowerkit. For those moms who having managed to leverage the work at home industry but who aren't that tech savvy, empowerkit software is an attractive option. It allows you to write content easily, integrate easily with social media, send out newletters and more. Oh and of course keeping with our getting personal theme. It is customizable. Sign up is free so check it out.

Study Abroad - Simply Beautiful

2011-01-27T20:40:00.001-05:00

Can you imagine living in the tropics all of your life and taking this scene for granted?:

For some of us who grew up on a tropical island believe it or not this kind of scene is something we saw pretty much everyday.

Now imagine that person being the beneficiary of a scholarship to study abroad in more temperate climes. This is what they could see today when the Northeast United States was bathed in the glow of snow.

Both are beautiful and both should be experienced equally.

This reflects in pictures quite simply why living abroad is an experience that shouldn't be missed.

Source(s):
Frenchman's Cove - AllPosters
Winter at Princeton - Sean Paul Ashley

Study Abroad and Other Exchange Programs

2010-12-10T20:30:00.001-05:00

Recently my son and I were discussing opportunities being offered by his college for summer internship and study abroad programs. Of course, given that I have gushed so often over the years about the value I placed on my own student travel abroad experience, I had nothing to offer but encouragement, with the necessary caution of course.

The last few decades of the 20th century and thereafter have seen the world growing smaller and smaller, with international travel and internet communication bringing people from all countries, of varied cultures, colours and classes together. This international congregation has been just phenomenal, sensitizing people to the similarities and differences of neighbors.

How then can we not support programs that continue this global love affair? At the rate that economies are shrinking and growing, it has become imperative that students experience foreign travel, learn to speak a foreign language and understand how to communicate in a cross-cultural way.

If you take a glance around colleges and universities you will note the growth and development of diversity programs, international scholar/student services and other such initiatives which pay homage to the globalization trends. These have given rise to new job titles ranging from visa specialist to global studies advisor. And despite the hassle of international travel, there is every indication that the trends will continue.

There are all kinds of work/study abroad programs. Some like Princeton in Spain focus on enhancing foreign language skills, others like the American Field Service teach about the benefits of intercultural study and still others offer internship and volunteer opportunities.

Students, you should give serious thought to grabbing the opportunity to live abroad. It will provide you with a deeper understanding of your international friends and surprisingly you may learn a lot more about your own culture and yourself. Finally, your resume will thank you for it.

Early Childhood Learning - The Best Time for Bilingual Education

2010-12-03T00:23:00.002-05:00

Kathleen Thomas of Primrose Schools contacted me about a topic which I find intriguing: teaching children one or more foreign languages. I am a certified ESL instructor myself and am a huge supporter of the total immersion method.
Here's what Kathleen and her co-writer Emily have to say.

Of course, nobody knows what the future will hold – but if current trends continue, your child will grow up to enter a workforce in which the competition for decent-paying jobs will be nothing short of cut-throat. Despite the calls for greater co-operation and "interdependence," human nature being what it is, it's a good bet that the economy of the the future will operate according to the Law of the Jungle. It goes without saying that a good education is one of the best ways to prepare that child for survival in that economic jungle of the future.

The Bilingual Future

One of the future trends that has become certain is the existence of a diverse, global society. Nowhere is this more true than in the United States. Almost from the beginning, the U.S. has been a land of immigrants, and while the "melting pot" has been an interesting theory, it has not happened in practice. On the contrary, most major U.S. population centers have become more of an ethnic and linguistic checkerboard; Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese and Chinese speakers represent some of the fastest-growing segments of the immigrant U.S. population.

In addition, with the rise of China, English may very well lose its preeminence as the international language of business; at best, it will have to share that top status with Mandarin in decades to come.

Getting Ready

Traditional wisdom has been to start teaching a second language in middle school, or even high school. Yet numerous research studies clearly demonstrate that the optimal period in a child's life for multilingual education is during the preschool years – at exactly the same time they are learning their first language. Yes, it is possible to learn a second and third language later in life, but it is more difficult, because that neurological "window of opportunity" – when the brain is most malleable – has passed.

According to Dr. Fred Genessee, Professor of Psychology at McGill University in Montreal, it's as easy for young children to learn two or three languages as it is for them to learn one. He's not alone; educators throughout the world (in countries that often have two or even three official languages) have understood this for decades.

The way a child learns a second language is by actually speaking it in a total immersion environment. You may recall an episode of the animated series The Simpsons in which young Bart gets trapped on a farm in France – and by the end of the episode, finds he's actually speaking the language. While this was a fictional scenario, the phenomenon is real; anyone who has taken young children abroad to stay with relatives in a foreign country for any length of time has observed this happening.

Enrollment in a preschool program that offers immersion in other languages is the best way to get your child started. This investment will make him/her much more competitive in the job market later on.

Co-written by Emily Patterson and Kathleen Thomas

Emily and Kathleen are Communications Coordinators for the Atlanta day care facility, a member of the AdvancED® accredited family of Primrose Schools (located in 16 states throughout the U.S.) and part of the network of day care preschools delivering progressive, early childhood, Balanced Learning® curriculum.

Busy and Loving it.

2010-11-23T00:38:00.001-05:00

I have been busy and loving it. Sorry if I haven't been visiting my blogging buddies.

This time I'm trying out a competitor - wordpress. I actually love their designs as you know. It's also fun (though time consuming) to play around with web design. Anyway to satisfy your curiosity I will introduce you to my latest projects.

My Gifts Site - I intend to get into more about gift basket supplies but with Xmas coming, it's great to highlight some of the great gift ideas for friends and family.
My Resume Cover Letter Site - This one just flowed out of my LeavetheBar blogger site which you can find on my About page.

I can barely find the time to read these days but I'll be back to tell you about the Xmas goodies I found for you especially those fun educational stuff for you kids.

From 1 to 150

2010-10-11T13:51:00.000-05:00

When I was a little girl we had a black and white TV. They didn't have color TV where I grew up until around the early 1980's. Now there are so many option to "watch tv" that it almost boggles the mind.

In addition to black and white, we started out with one channel. That was it, we got all our news from that one channel and when it signed off around midnight, you had no other options. Seriously we couldn't wait for it to sign on again around 2pm or so the next afternoon, so that we could watch cartoons and Sesame Street - yep we watched a grey Big Bird.

Now we have options galore what with cable and watching TV on your PC and of course Direct TV Offers that will make your brain spin with excitement. Now that I have been exposed to Dexter, how in heavens name can I avoid looking at Direct TV packages. You've watched Dexter right. In a nut shell it's the Showtime series where the socially inept blood spatter expert at the Miami Police Department murders bad guys. And we find ourselves in the strange position of rooting for him, not wanting him to be caught.

Now if I accept the most basic offer of the Direct TV Deals ($29.99 per month) I can get Showtime at no additional charge for three months and Startz too plus over 150 channels more in TV, Sports, and music. You see Dexter's new season has started. Yes I watched all four seasons previously but did not do so from the comfort of my own living room. Now I can grab a glass of cran-apple juice (gotta be red) and sit back and enjoy a ride with Dexter's dark passenger.

Coming from one station, this is bliss although I do love a classic black and white on occasion.

Anthropology as a College Major

2010-06-12T08:35:00.002-05:00

My son has been toying with the notion of majoring in Anthropology. Since that concentration wasn't available when I went to college. I decided to do a bit of reading on the subject, and what a broad subject it is, covering biological, cultural, linguistic and archaeological perspectives on human origins and behaviour. While exploring this exciting inter-disciplinary field, I visited the American Anthropological Association and came across this video on race.

I plan to find time to visit the tour exhibit on RACE which explores the complex story of race. It's a trevelling exhibit which goes until 5/2013.

If my son wants to pursue this discipline (it seems like disciplines really) I'll encourage him. Since his interests are wide-ranging, it seems ideal for him and with so many different aspects maybe he won't be likely to fall into that common trap of switching majors. Further he will develop sharper skills at observing, analyzing, recording and thinking.

Of Guns and Tea

2010-06-05T09:53:00.002-05:00

Last week was a loong week, especially since most of it was spent inside, what with gun battles raging in the city as cronies of Christopher Coke sought to engage the state in a mini war designed to retaliate for agreeing to proceed with his extradition.Anyway things are somewhat back to normal (fingers crossed)

Meanwhile as gunshots barked I found solace in a new discovery: tea. I never enjoyed tea until now. For years coffee of all sorts was my hot beverage of choice. Blue Mountain Peak was my favorite and on a trip to Costa Rica I fell in love with their Cafe Britt, but recently after enduring some aches and pains I discovered Taheebo tea and I am hooked.

Another name for it is Pau d' Arco . It is made from the inner bark of the Red Lapacho Tree found in South America. What is amazing about this tree is that while it grows in the hot, red, forests it appears to repel fungus. While the other trees may be covered with the stuff, you won't find a spot on the Red Lapacho.

It's reputed to have a host of health benefits and is an amazing source of anti-oxidants. I'm not a doctor but I can attest to the fact that my aches and pains have gone and I have gotten quite accustomed to the taste, which is mildly bitter and very soothing. Oh and where did I discover it? My aunt is a 20 year cancer survivor and she lives on the stuff. I scored 3 boxes from her.

I'm going to do some more research as I think this is the same tree we grew up calling the Poui tree. We used to mark the times for studying for exams according to the flowering periods. We had yellow Poui and the pink Poui. It would be interesting if those very trees are the source of this amazing tea. Just goes to show we produce the positive in abundance but our island is unfortunately marred by the negative depiction of a nation in the arms of criminals.

Canvas Print Giveaway Winner

2010-05-15T15:19:00.002-05:00

I am pleased to annouce the winner of our Canvas Print Giveaway is: WWillows6 .

This is what she said she would do with her Canvas Print Prize

I have a new baby girl and I would love to get my favorite photo of my three older children holding her together in front of our lilac bush.

Congrats WWillows6.

Prayer to St. Jude

2010-05-01T20:11:00.000-05:00

I have said this prayer to St. Jude many times over the years.
St. Jude is the Patron of Hopeless & Desperate Causes.

May the sacred heart of Jesus be adored, glorified, loved, and preserved throughout the world, now and forever.

Sacred heart of Jesus pray for us.

Saint Jude worker of miracles, pray for us.

Saint Jude help of the hopeless, pray for us.

Some scholars identify St. Jude and Thaddeus the disciple as one and the same person. He is said to have been a blood relative of Jesus Christ and is the author of the Book of Jude - a short letter in the New Testament. In his letter he stresses the need to have faith especially in times

If you have ever seen a newspaper publication of the words"Thank you St. Jude" It's usually from someone who has said the St. Jude novena (a prayer said for nine consecutive days). Read about Danny Thomas' prayer to St. Jude and the birth of St. Jude Children's Hospital.

If you have a friend in need say a prayer. Or say it for yourself.

Enter Our Canvas Print Giveaway

2010-04-30T22:37:00.061-05:00

Our friends at Uprinting are sponsoring a giveaway that is fabulous and it comes just at the right time. Hey Mother's Day is just around the corner and trust me as a Mom I would love a gift like this. but hey you can give it as a wedding gift, a birthday gift, anniversary, you name it.

Giveaway Prize

It is a 16 x 20 Rolled Canvas Print. Take a look at the picture at the left. Yes you can get your favorite photo of you, your sisters, mom's sisters, mom or whatever tickles your fancy printed on canvas as big as 16 X 20. That is sweet. When we think of canvas we think of part of a painter's arsenal. Paintings enliven your rooms and make them look rich. Well you can get your own photograph right on canvas by following these easy rules:

Rules

Leave a comment telling us which photo you would choose to print on canvas.
Bonus entry: Follow this blog and comment to let us know you are following.
2 bonus entries: follow me on twitter and tweet about this giveaway. Comment and let me know you tweeted.
You must be a US resident to enter this giveaway.
Shipping is FREE from those lovely folks at Uprinting
You must enter by May 13. (OK it's past Mother's Day but they give one one business day turnaround).
Please make sure that you provide me with a means of contacting you via email. If you are a blogger ensure that your contact information is on your profile page. If you aren't, please leave you emsil address along with your comment.

So what are you waiting for.

NB. Please see my disclosure policy.
Contest Now Closed

Free Valentine Gift for Kids

2010-02-10T10:19:00.006-05:00

Since I've been playing truant for such a long time that it is only fair that I come bearing gifts.

This is exclusively for the kids and can be found at:

The Simple HomeSchool.

I never home schooled but I did play an integral role in my son's education throughout his elementary and high school life. I taught him to read, paid attention to his progress, followed up with his teachers and often bought educational toys, games you name it, because I think it is critical that parents ensure that their kids are well educated and at the very least encourage a love of learning.

Every month the simple Homeschool offers a freebie via their newsletter.

Last month it was:

* The Forensic Science Freebie and this month it is the

* The Free Valentine Day fun book.

So what are you waiting for?

Go sign up for her newsletter so you can get these great freebies too.

A Rebuke from the Haitian Ambassador

2010-01-15T17:34:00.000-05:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Effects of Haiti Earthquake on Video

2010-01-13T11:23:00.002-05:00

Update: To give a donation towards these poor devastated people please contact The American Red Cross. Their Relief Disaster Donation Line: 1-800-435-7669

The Earth Moved Today

2010-01-12T17:54:00.004-05:00

Today at about 4:56pm I was sitting right here at my computer when I felt a strange sensation. It was as if I was not solid. I was floating kind of and when I looked down I realized what was happening. The ground was moving, swaying. My husband yelled:

EARTHQUAKE!

It didn't last long, but it was unnerving. I immediately recalled having another unnerving experience with an earthquake about 17 years ago.

It came to mind because that too was in the month of January. The good ole internet came to my rescue. Indeed it was on January 13, 1993 that I left my infant son in my room to collect something (I can't recall what it was) from out in my yard and the earthquake struck. I panicked and tried to run. Now if you've ever tried to run while an earthquake is in motion you would understand. You feel like you are not going anywhere, you are running on spot. Luckily for us it only lasted a few seconds and relieved, I was able to make my way back inside. That one measured 5.4 on the richter scale.

But January seems to be a month for earthquakes in this part of the world for it was on January 14, 1907 that we experienced a violent earthquake costing 800 lives. Our capital was in ruins. My grandfather was a young boy then living miles away in St. Elizabeth. He was so frightened I am told, he climbed a tree to escape the trembling of the earth. With a country that is only 146 miles long and 51 miles wide I guess I can understand how such a movement would be felt in a place that takes me around two hours to get by car.

It was shocking for me to learn later this evening however that the epicentre of the earthquake was located near Carrefour in Haiti. Haiti! While Haiti is our neighbour to the east, I was flabbergasted to hear that the earthquake measured a catastrophic 7.0 on the Richter scale and I was feeling it over one hundred miles away. Sadly Haiti the poorest country in the Western hemisphere is again bearing the brunt of a disastrous occurrence. Reports state that a hospital crumbled and tsunami alerts went out. What next for that impoverished country. We were spared but poor poor Haiti has been struck again. We pray for our Caribbean cousins.

Happy New Year

2010-01-11T16:33:00.002-05:00

My happy new year is over one week late, but it's still happy nonetheless.

I had no access to internet for the last two weeks and so no blogging.

It was fun spending time in the cold in Florida though. What is up with that?

Right now I'm loving this balmy 72 degrees.

Get 2 Xbox Deals for $29.99 today only

2009-12-02T01:04:00.004-05:00

Ok these are not the educational gifts I was thinking about but you have got to get in on these deals today- if you or someone you know is an Xbox lover of course.

The Nintendo Wii lovers can check out the raffle.

Pardon my Absence

2009-11-29T18:18:00.004-05:00

Pardon my absence.

There just aren't enough hours in the day.

Since I love learning, I find I am always getting caught up in a number of projects and neglecting other important activities, like this my beloved blog.

Speakng of learning, I will soon be adding some information about wonderful educational gifts for kids this Christmas. Yes this quilt you see displayed is a baby toy. It is an interactive security blanket.

Meanwhile please enjoy the latest educational video I have added to the right.

250 Business Cards Winner

2009-10-22T18:51:00.002-05:00

The Winner of our 250 Business Cards Giveaway sponsored by Uprinting is Tanisha Renee of Girl, Lemme Tell You.

For those of you who didn't win, keep checking back we will have more great giveaways on offer.

From Boarding School to College

2009-10-13T22:55:00.005-05:00

View Larger Map

One of the benefits of having a kid who went to boarding school is not having to worry about how he will transition to college. If my son is to provide a basis for measurement as far as this is concerned I have to say he is doing fine, in fact too fine. I know this because:

He was so excited to start he insisted on going to his college Pre-orientation a full week before the real orientation that the majority of freshmen attend;
He is never in his room. What I really mean is he only sleeps there.
He only calls when it is absolutely necessary meaning when he is in crisis mode like when the pharmacist couldn't find any evidence that he had health insurance.
Mom am I insured?
He doesn't seem as excited as I to know that I will only be one hour away from him for a week starting tomorrow.
He does seem excited to be staying on campus for Thanksgiving and has even been talking about Christmas.

Anyway heading to la belle New York tomorrow.

7 Tips for Your Halloween Party

2009-10-12T13:19:00.009-05:00

My husband is now responsible for the dishes being to be served at the monthly meetings at his club and he is freaking out :). Sheessh so you know who is now responsible.

When people are thrown into the position of hosting parties or preparing menus and they have had no experience they usually need to find help fast.

Lynette over at BlogEnergiser has offered me these tips to offer to my readers. With Halloween coming up to avoid being poked by the cold finger of fear, you might find these very helpful.

7 Tips Halloween Party Success

And for those husbands who don't want to join in the fun.

How about you entice them with these. You never know they might just take the bait and your Halloween party night could end up being more successful than you ever expected.

250 Business Cards Giveaway

2009-10-09T17:26:00.010-05:00

Aah yes it is that time again when we offer a fabulous giveaway to our readers. This time the prize is truly nifty from a nifty online printing company.

Here is what you will get:

250 free business cards
you can choose from four sizes - 2 x 3.5”, 2 x 3”, 2 x 2”, or 1.5 x 3.5”
you can choose from three types of papers - glossy, matte or recycled uncoated

Easy Requirement for Entry

All you have to do is leave a comment telling us what you would do if you won 250 free business cards.

Would you wish to announce the launch of a new website or how about the opening of a new estore or what about to market that blog that you have re-designed?

We know that someone out there would appreciate this free gift and we would like nothing more than to make your day. If you blog about it you can increase your chances of winning as you get an extra entry. Please make sure that you provide me with a means of contacting you via email. If you are a blogger ensure that your contact information is on your profile page. If you aren't, please leave you emsil address along with your comment.

If you live in the United States you get free UPS ground shipping. While Canadians are eligible too, they will have pay for shipping and taxes. Residents of other countries are ineligible.

Those guys over at Uprinting are so generous, they have offered me the same prize. I will get the same 250 Free Business Cards just like our lucky winner, just for offering this giveaway to you.

Giveaway ends October 20, 2009 so what are you waiting for? Let's hear it. What would you do with 250 free business cards?

Wordless Wednesday

2009-10-07T11:17:00.003-05:00

This is a nice opportunity to pay tribute to my new website and to join 5 mins for moms Wordless Wednesday post.

WAHM It

2009-10-05T20:28:00.011-05:00

After reading some comments and emails related to my last post, I have decided to post some pics and say a little bit about Stay at Home Moms who have built their own businesses using Site build it. For all inclusive case studies click here.

Inspiring and sincere, these ladies are doing what they love and making a living at it.

Michelle of style-hair-magazine.com says:

Just four years ago, I didn't even own a computer. If someone had told me then that I'd own a profitable web business in the near future, I would have thought they'd inhaled too much of their hairspray that morning!

By 2007 her husband was able to quit his oilfield job in Alberta and they moved to live by the ocean.

Tracy of tips-to-organize-life.com quit her 9-5 job and not only makes enough but reaps the benefit of staying with her family and avoiding the hassle and cost of commuting.

18 months after Luisa of ViequesTravelGuide.com started with Site build It she said,

I already make as much money as I used to in my previous full time job. Google Adsense alone is enough to support my family. On top of that I provide advertising for businesses on the island and I am doing very well with selected affiliate programs.

Since I have started with SBI I have come to the conclusion that this program is the genuine stuff, the real mckoy. It is not just about hosting a website, it is a program that gives you full time support to build a business. From the beginning they help you to brainstorm ideas for your business, they assist you by encouraging you to explore your own strengths; they help you to discover which of them has solid potential and they show you how to actually build and grow the site even if you had no previous computer or business experience. In other words it's a full service center that provides all the tools, support and advice (in a simplified way) so that you feel that you are a part of a family who helps you to just do it. Just wait until you discover "Brainstorm it".!!

So I would recommend it to the SAHMs who are thinking about becoming WAHMs and the 9-5ers who wish you were self-employed. As for those creative bloggers I bump into ever so often; SBI even has a tool called Infin it which allows you to plug third party resources into your SBI! site. You can add forums, shopping carts, datafeeds and your blogs right to your website so if you are happy with you blog but feel you would like to take it further, this could be the place for you.

Why I Have Been Busy

2009-10-01T00:46:00.007-05:00

The reason I haven't been blogging very often is that I have been busy building a website. This is what happens when attacked by the empty nest syndrome.

Yes I have been learning about CSS etc through SBI. It's not been easy but very, very engaging. I am hooked and exhausted. How couldn't I be? You see they offer great support they offer, (not only them but also the other SBIers like me and the many work at home moms like my fellow bloggers) and they are totally scam free.

I love how the owner's teenage daughter built her own site too about Anguilla Beaches. There is a whole lotta love at SBI. Check this out.

Winner - Free Poster Giveaway

2009-09-30T14:43:00.005-05:00

The Winner of our Free Poster Giveaway is The Girl With Flour in her Hair

As she said the "shadow puppet pictures would make an awesome poster!"

For those who didn't win another Upringting giveaway will be announced shortly, so come back and enter then.

Fabulous Free Poster Giveaway

2009-09-21T20:55:00.011-05:00

OMG you have got to get in on my fabulous poster giveaway. On my trip to my son's new college, his home away from home, I realize what an amazing role posters play away from home. They not only decorate and add life to your dorms, but they also can help to remind you of home, of your dreams, of your hero(in)es. And for those who are not away at school posters can brighten up your homes and your work space too.

Check out below how you can use your own design and get your own (1) 18x24” rolled poster print FREE FREE FREE from Uprinting.com.

Got the sweetest photo of your baby, toddler or twins? Bet you would love to see it all blown up before they are all grown up. That would be a wonderful keepsake. Or maybe you are an awesome designer and can create your own marvelous images. Or if you wish you can use the templates provided online and rock an splendid ad for your home business. Whatever the source, you could be the lucky winner of a huge, yes that is an 18X24", FREE poster print courtesy of Uprinting's Poster Printing.

Here is a Simpsonized version of my son I created. His birthday is coming up in November and I can just see him trying to figure it out.

So try your luck. Here are the rules to enter:

It's very simple just leave a comment explaining how you would use the Poster Print if you won.
Ok, ok if you blog about it and link to this post you will get 2 more entries. That is TWO. Just leave a comment confirming your post.
It's free UPS Ground shipping guys and girls so don't hesitate.
Contest ends September 29.

Winner will be chosen by Paul. Yeah he will decide who has the best idea for the poster. So please remember to make your contact info available. All I should have to do is visit your profile to find your email, or you can just leave it in your comments. I'll need to send you your coupon code see.

Back From College

2009-09-17T19:57:00.008-05:00

Well it was a nice (though expensive) little trip to see my son off to college. He has settled in nicely in a single room in which he feels comfortable and today was his first class, "Political Theory". He was a bit miffed that "Human Adaptation" was filled but it will also be taught next semester.

Here are some stuff he just had to get once we arrived:

A standing lamp. The room which would be big if it measured 100 sq ft. looked like a small cave to me, but it holds him and his stuff quite fine and the standing lamp made a world of difference.
A laundry bag/hamper thingy to hold soiled clothes until they get done.
A cactus (don't ask)
A fan
Oust and cedar rounds
Flipflops for the shared shower.
Posters. Yes he got the one you see displayed here.
Wallmounts. 3M has some pretty good ones.
Food. The dining hall took a while to open.
Iphone. This thing is cool but as I said he is paying for it.

Surely this is not where all of my money went. Luckily my mom was there. Yes it was quite the family send off but not once did we whip out the Kleenex. We were all so brave.

Heading to College

2009-08-25T10:09:00.007-05:00

Next week right about this time I'm scheduled to take my son to college. When we visited in May the campus seemed rather intimidating and beautiful but in a Harry Potter sort of way if you know what I mean. The campus you see is huge and green and kept in tip top shape and the architecture is unmistakeably Gothic in style. The place simply breathes history and excellence and starting next Tuesday my son will be spending the next four years of his life in this environment where he will no doubt undergo life changing experiences.

To get ready he had to:

Apply for his student visa. Luckily we had been through this before when he got accepted to boarding school so we knew the ropes including the payment of the SEVIS fee, the completion of the various application forms, the taking of photographs, the submission of acceptance letter, proof of finances (thank God for financial aid), the waiting in line, the interview and finally return of passport with visa.
Do his medical. Yes your immunization record has to be up to date and some stuff that you might never have heard of before will be required like mantoux tests. If not you won't be registered. That was quite a headache but after the inoculation and testing and letter writing (for those who wish medical exemption etc) and another bill payment at least there was one bright note with my choice of almonds for the picking.
Read a ton of stuff. The school sent loads of emails and attachments along with regular snail mail during the summer. There is so much paper once you print and collate everything. There are forms relating to college employment, room assignments, foriegn language placement and course choices. There are cute colorful cards directing you to websites or other wonderful places like laundry agencies or outside stores and where to go when moving in.
Pay his fee. Nope he didn't. The salary he earned this summer just didn't cut it so that was our job but he has saved his money for the things he plans to pay for like the cell phone and the related bills. Who you're gonna call? ....is what I'd like to know. Somehow I don't think it's me.:)
Discuss money. Yeah this is a biggie and related to the one above. These days seemingly more than ever budgeting is critical. He won't be getting a credit card but will participate in the debit card thingy at his school and will open a bank account. This will be a good learning experience.
Buy Small Stuff at Home. One of the benefits of attending boarding school is that you understand pretty quickly how easy it is to buy too much stuff and how storage can become a problem. Since my son went to boarding school in a wintry place, he loved taking tropical posters and other little things to remind him off home. He'll do it again for college. Nothing like having the sun setting over the ocean while it's 10 degrees out. When you are traveling by plane however it can get costly and also dorm rooms aren't that big so it will basically be the small stuff.
Make a list. For all the other things we will have to do when we get there.

He can't wait.

Win $200

2009-08-23T17:47:00.006-05:00

My friend Alicia is having a giveaway over at her jewelery site. Yep you can win $200 US from LuShae Jewelry and it is so easy to enter. All you have to do is give your boyfriend or husband a subtle hint. Hopefully he reads your blog :) or mine. And please, please please send an email to alicia at jewelryartdesigns.com to let her know you heard about her contest here. Oh and its a monthly draw.

Whozzat

2009-08-19T00:00:00.001-05:00

Is she a natural beauty?

New Words

2009-08-17T09:59:00.004-05:00

I was amused recently, particularly in light of my recent post to come across this neologism from one of my favorite sites Word Spy:

intexticated: Preoccupied by reading or sending text messages, particularly while driving a car.

Word spy highlights words, phrases or acronyms that have been newly coined. In some cases you will find that they have already made their way into your vocabulary and in others they haven't but once you see it you might just get it, because they reflect current trends. Here are some for 2009. They are jumbled. See if you can match the number with the corresponding letter:

1. Weisure A. The energy and other resources used while preparing meals.
2. HENRY B. Posting a series of messages that reflect one's current thoughts, ideas, passions, observations, readings, and other intellectual interests.
3. Generation O C. An event where people support an environmentally-friendly store by gathering en masse to purchase the store's products.
4. Rumortrage D A silent phone call received from a person who has inadvertently dialed or selected the number on their mobile phone.
5. Sexting E. A website where a couple posts information about their upcoming or recent wedding.
6. Mindcasting F. Generation of people approximately 18 to 35 years old who voted for or supported Barack Obama
7. Carrotmob G. A person with a substantial income, but who is not yet wealthy.
8. Wedsite H. Free time spent doing work or work-related tasks.
9. Ghost call I. Sending a salacious text message.
10. Cookprint J. Spreading false or misleading information about a company to take advantage of the subsequent move in the company's stock price

1.Weisure		A.
2. HENRY		B.
3. Generation O		C.
4. Rumortrage		D
5. Sexting		E.
6. Mindcasting		F.
7. Carrotmob		G.
8. Wedsite		H.
9. Ghost call		I.
10. Cookprint		J.

The Day Time Stopped - 9.58

2009-08-16T16:19:00.005-05:00

My friends know that I am a track and field fanatic and an unapologetic fan of Usain Bolt, the man who has ~~cemented~~ reinforced his standing as the Fastest Man of all Time.

One year to the day that Usain crushed the field in the 100 m at the Beijing Olympics in a world record time of 9.69 secs, he erased .11 seconds off to sear into our minds a mind boggling superhuman record of 9.58 secs. One minute he was in the start up line at one with the best in the business. 20 metres later he was ahead of the field and in fact it was all over. By the time he cleared the finish line, leaving such stars as Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell in his wake, he had left no doubt, that here was a human machine, a bionic man and the mere mortals behind him despite running their very best were simple pedestrians.

Once again this man left me speechless, time stopped, the world passed by in slow motion as I tried to figure out WTF just happened. It was as if I had looked up then down and Bolt, bolted by in a blur. Then reality took,

"9.58, 9.58", I screamed.

The phone rang and rang. My husband answered and told the caller.

"I can't speak"

We had to watch the replay, no interruptions allowed. What just happened? Can man do this? Is physics being turned on its head? Is there any stopping this man? I hope not. Today August 16, 2009 I witnessed history again and it was sweeter than before as this time, there were no criticisms of showboating, the man had matured and executed his plan with amazing calm. He was so cool, so confident and without question stamped his authority on the event outclassing the very best in track and field.

Hats off to you Usain Bolt, the most fantastic athlete I have ever had the pleasure to watch.

Almond - the Fruit

2009-08-13T19:23:00.007-05:00

My son loved science as a toddler and throughout his early years, mainly because we taught him that science was all around him and made life exciting. Like most young boys he loved building stuff. Lego was the blocks of choice. Dinosaurs were hot as were crocodiles, alligators and other scary looking creatures. We had great fun too going to the country and picking tropical fruits that somehow he never heard about in the books he read.

Eating unusual fruits can be a great science lesson. Recently when I took him to get his medical for college, he and I knew exactly what to do when we spotted some juicy almonds hanging low in the parking lot.

I was transported back to my early years when I was about 7 or 8 and I am sure he was too when almonds were a daily snack. Yes the fruit. When people talk about almonds they tend to talk about the nut but for us, almonds supply a double pleasure and getting to the nut is so much fun. One thing we learned early is that the nut is not a true nut, it is actually the seed of the fruit which we got to by whacking the hard shell (kinda like a peach pit) that we came upon after eating the leathery skin and the flesh of the fruit. As kids we'd just whack it with a rock unlike commercial growers who leave the fruit to split open on the tree.

Usually there was only one nut per fruit so we'd have to bludgeon quite a few almond shells to get to the healthy seed but as fun activities go whacking hard shells was pretty good and my son learned the science word for it - endocarp - pretty early.

You see the almond tree with it big green leaves, tends to provide a wide umbrella like shield. If you've ever been to the beach in a tropical country or state you might have seen one. It grows pretty well in sandy soil. It spreads like a canopy and so as kids we'd sit in the shade and pick, munch, whack and munch again happily.

Pity we couldn't do that at the doctor. We only managed to pick them but once we got home we did the rest. Aah to be a child again.

Watch the Trumpet Lady

2009-08-05T09:01:00.001-05:00

Where is the trumpet?

If you liked this version of Pink Panther you can enjoy more of Denise Reis here.

Remember Dark Shadows

2009-07-30T14:58:00.006-05:00

For some reason I have always enjoyed horror shows. Dracula, Frankenstein, Psycho and the Exorcist are some shows involving the supernatural that kept me on the edge of my seat and wanting more. Last night I enjoyed a good round of Ghost Hunters International although I found it somewhat tame, but I am very excited about the upcoming Dark Shadows Movie that is schedules to come out in 2010. Let's take a little trip down memory lane when Bactine enjoyed popularity.

DARK SHADOWS EPISODE 1

Did you Drink Soda Today

2009-07-27T02:52:00.003-05:00

I hardly drink soda but only because I love water and fruits so it hasn't been much of a problem. I notice when my son eats out though that he loves to order Pepsi and it has never really bothered me because he doesn't have the opportunity to do it often at home and he guzzles a lot of water.

Yet the statistics which I found at Mercola.com regarding soda consumption are not at all encouraging. here are some tidbits

One can of soda has about 10 teaspoons of sugar, 150 calories, 30 to 55 mg of caffeine, and is loaded with artificial food colors and sulphites.

The average soda consumption among teenage males between ages 13 and 18 is three or more cans a day, and 10% drink seven or more cans a day.

Of 13- to 18-year-old girls who drink the beverages, the average intake is more than two cans a day, and 10% of those teenagers drink more than five cans a day.

For each additional daily serving of sugar-sweetened soft drink consumed during the nearly two-year study, the risk of obesity increased 1.6 times.

There is a direct link between tooth decay and soft drinks.

Animal studies demonstrate that, a common ingredient in soda, can deplete bones of calcium.

A 1994 Harvard study of bone fractures in teenage athletes found a strong association between cola beverage consumption and bone fractures in 14-year-old girls.

I think I feel a lot better knowing I drink lots of water but you've been hearing some weird stories about the bottled ones too. Personally I boil my water and I lots of people I know have theirs filtered. So instead of reaching for soda today how about regulate filtered tap water.

It's Coconut Water not Coconut Milk

2009-07-24T01:11:00.003-05:00

After what seemed like an unusually hot couple of days I did what I usually do when I get very thirsty and want something other than water - which I love by the way - I buy coconut water, yes water not milk.

Every few months, I post about the wonderful tropical fruits I enjoy especially during the summer months.

Now some people only know about the dry coconut and the hard meat inside. I've often marvelled at the fact that some people in Florida have the coconut palm trees and don't use the coconuts.

The water inside the coconut, known simply as coconut water is natural, refreshing, sweet (depending on the fruits maturity) and good for you. The water is almost clear and it has got loads of potassium and electrolytes. Sports drink lovers are welcome to try it. I'm told too (ahem by high school biology student) that its makeup is just like blood plasma. I haven't seen any scientific studies but I did see the Jackie Chan movie ;).

Now some of you may be wondering what is the difference between this and coconut milk. Coconut milk is derived from the coconut meat itself. When the coconut is mature the nut gets hard and the husk dry. Put small pieces of the coconut in the blender with water, grate it and voila, you get coconut milk and it looks like the white stuff too. That milk and the hard nut is what you use in your recipes but when the fruit is young that meat is think like gelatin and makes for a lovely snack.

So I bought 5 coconuts - not the mature one. I had my coconut vendor chop off the top like in the picture. When I got home I stuck a sharp knife in the top (look for the tender spot and it will be easy) and it filled my pitcher. Refreshing!

Next I opened the hole a bit more with the knife and then I grabbed a spoon and scooped out the meat which we call coconut jelly. Kids love this.

If you have friends with a coconut tree, tell them to try the water, just be careful with the knife. It's sad to make this go to waste and there must be a reason why the canned stuff is flying off the shelves in stores.

Get the Scoop on Going to College - Before and After

2009-07-22T09:21:00.005-05:00

The Carnival of College Admissions goes live usually once per month and is up today. it includes some informative and thoughtful perspectives on a range of issues like fun stuff such as building will power, technology in the classroom, campus cuisine and heavy stuff like college drinking and fiscal responsibility. Oh and its all wrapped up in ice cream.

Those sweet people over at College Surfing Insider even bothered to include CEOmum. Thanks Dawn.

Define Expand

2009-07-21T12:05:00.010-05:00

I'm sure Peter is an expert at SMS. In language, context is important even in math class.

Check out Peter's interpretation of "expand" on his math test.

He expanded alright.

Source

Buying New Glasses

2009-07-21T00:18:00.001-05:00

My son needs new glasses. He had a fancy pair with transition lenses. The child who at sixteen thinks he is cool hardly wears them, except of course when he is sitting at the back of the class. His reasoning: wearing them makes him dependent and his vision actually deteriorates. So why does he need new glasses?

It's not because his sight has gotten worse, nnno those fancy glasses, those high tech transition lenses have started to strip, to peel and of course to look real shabby, not to mention it's now difficult to see with all that peeling inside. So we went to the optician to see if anything could be done and they had never seen anything like it. Recommendation: Get a new pair.

Now the price of the fancy pair was consistent with the fanciness and we are not looking forward to the prospect of paying any more fancy prices. But the child is going off to school in September and he will need to see the board. Hence we are looking around for affordable eyeglasses that are cool enough for a teen. Zennioptical.com looks to be the best bet. To say they are affordable is an understatement as they start at eight bucks and they are stylish too with cute colors for kids like blue, purple, pink, silver, orange and fashionable frames ranging from plastic to stainless steel and rimless and half rim frames.

Now the thing is you order these glasses online so you must have your prescription ready. Sometimes though you prescription doesn't have the pupillary distance included, that is the distance between your pupils, but the optometrist will have this information so I'll just ask him.

I like these. I haven't placed the order yet but will let you know about my and his experience when I do.

Uprinting Custom Stickers Winner

2009-07-20T09:40:00.004-05:00

The winner of our Uprinting Free Custom Stickers giveaway is Frantic Mummy.

This is what Frantic Mummy would do with the stickers:

I would love the stickers and would use them to promote a business I am starting. Lakes Area Mom Squad is a not-for-profit way for Mom-owned business market together in the form of free coupon packs in our community. We could use the stickers to pass the word and introduce the website for LAMS. My fingers and toes are crossed!

Now you can uncross them digits Frantic Mummy.

Thanks to all entrants. Hope to have more giveaways to offer soon, soon, soon.

AP Free Response

2009-07-20T05:47:00.001-05:00

My son has graduated from high school and has been accepted to college so why did he bother to take AP's in his senior year? You see you get your college acceptances at the end of March or the beginning of April and you sit the AP's in May, by which date you are usually already in.

The fact is AP's aren't a requirement for college entry but since they are college level courses, colleges will offer credit for some courses if you score high, meaning a four or five - hence the name Advanced Placement. In some cases students might complete their college education earlier thus in the end it can save you money. Also everyone is doing it so in order to seem just as competitive others join in the fun too. Except that it costs a hefty fee in the first place ($86) and it requires more discipline than you'd wish to exercise in the last month of your senior year; also despite your best efforts you might get a result like fellow SITS member, K who is on her way to college but who is exasperated at The College Board. Here is where she gives, shall we say her "Free Response".

K ruminates on the consequences of her unexpectedly low score on Literature and Composition. If you'd like to have an idea of what K's exam was all about the questions are right here.

Bear in mind that K has until October to challenge her score by requesting that it be re-scored for a fee of $25. That applies to the multiple choice only.

Given K's performance in English previously I think she should have sat the test in her Junior year.

On another annoying note highlighted by K, The College Board does not allow you to access your scores online. You have two options: get them via phone at a charge of US$8 or wait for them in the mail.

Is it any wonder that teachers responded to this poll so strongly at the recent AP conference?

Let us hope that The College Board initiatives will include giving students this option too.

SMS or English as a Foreign Language

2009-07-17T22:31:00.014-05:00

I have to admit to being slightly miffed about the ~~contraction~~ butchering of words in the English language. No, no I'm not talking about the shortened version of cannot (can't) or let us (let's) or even how did/how would (how'd). I mean those words, letters and symbols that have taken over in the name of instant communication or should I say IM and SMS. Sure I love emoticons and cute abbreviations and I'd like to think that I'm as hip and trendy as any other CEOmum, SAHM or WAHM, but when this landed in my email inbox today

"I tried to get ur email addy......i want to ask u if u could send me..... ...i will b offline"

I wondered whether something was wrong with me. This was from an adult who was asking me to forward some information. Although I have never written an email in said format I was quick on the draw having deciphered the lingo in a nanosecond, well maybe a second after my brief pause. No I didn't reply in kind I jut figured out what she meant. Of course it wasn't difficult just a bit unusual considering the source.

My knowledge of text speak isn't really that bad. I'm quite familiar with <3, and WTF. Last week with my son's help I improved adding SMH, SMDH and MEH to my vocabulary. To be fair some of them are acronyms to which we have grown accustomed and some are plain intuitive. For example, I'm sure you can figure out:

OMGYG2BK
SNAFU
DIY
HWK
CYA
C%L
?4U
L8
CU

But some are downright foreign.

While I'm appreciative of the convenience, speed and money saving quality of these newfangled abbreviations and while I tend to be perspicacious particularly when it comes to the spoken word I was simply flummoxed by some of these chat words. I mean WTH (note absence of expletive) do these mean:

459
831
OTTOMH
NSISR
NBFAB
GIRL (it spells girl doesn't it?)
WH5
9

I mean seriously, if the goal is speed then it justifies the shortcut, but if the reader takes forever to decipher the message then what is the point? Is communication taking place? Is it time to rise up in defense of the English language or to take out the funeral attire? Is this the beginning of the end?

You see, young people (under 30, 25 or 20?) are so comfortable with these informal expressions that they are now incorporating them at school. Yes, teachers report seeing them in essays and other written assignments and despite their objections, the trend is growing. Like me, teachers may have to resort to code crackers like online dictionaries and translators. Indeed in England and Scotland they have gone as far as to allow text language in exams much to the horror of some parents and the teachers too.

Yet the youngsters are quick remind of the dynamic nature of language, of the fact that in-house, spork, skort, pop-up and wannabe are of relatively recent vintage and this just expands not eclipses English as we know it. My teenage son doesn't believe that the English language is in jeopardy at all arguing that the text language comprises abbreviations and acronyms for which there will always be a place and it's a mechanism that levels the playing field helping all kids to communicate with their peers. There is some truth to that. How many of us hear the word scuba diving and recall the meaning of SCUBA? Further texting is not limited to English, there are SMS versions in German, Spanish and more, even Hebrew.

Yet I'm still not sure as I can't shake the feeling that this culture of shorthand writing seems to have taken over. Doesn't it just encourage laziness? No says my son. Think of the computer, the automobile and the dishwasher. You are capable of writing, walking and washing but you use the alternative when its appropriate. Kids can still write, spell and think but texting is just quicker and easier.

Well I have no statistics and it is somewhat off-putting that I'm already deemed old school but I haven't gotten into the habit of texting, I still enjoy a beautiful turn of phrase and a card or letter via snail mail, well that is just a pleasure.

Sex Ed in the 50's

2009-07-16T19:51:00.008-05:00

I found this sex ed film from the 50's. I am struck by the fact that the high school coach plays the role that my mother played.

Could he do that today in your kid's school?

How involved were your parents in your sex education?

How involved are you in alerting your kids to the changes in their bodies?

Also the kids are comparably naive to the high school freshmen of today. At what age will you start talking to your kids about sex? Thoughts?

More Children's Books

2009-07-14T13:30:00.002-05:00

In my last post I was struck by the fact that most of the people who commented had never heard of English author, Enid Blyton, 11 August 1897 - 28 November 1968 Then I thought of another English author, J.K. Rowling and marveled at how times have changed. Aah the wonders of modern technology in the information age!

Then a comment by Carma about her love of Mad Magazine reminded me of another series I enjoyed, except I encountered these as a seventeen year old on my summer trip to France. I found a stack of these books in my assigned room, they were entitled Asterix and Obelix

In case you don't know, Asterix and Obelix is a French comic series about the star, Asterix and his rotund friend Obelix. They are Gauls whose exploits focus on fighting off Julius Caesar's forces who attempt repeatedly to occupy their little village. Magic potions, superhero abilities and wild boar feature often in this "band dessinée" which I read to enhance my understanding of french idioms.

Of course having left France I never saw those books in a bookstore again but one day I saw them in my library in English and can you guess what I did? That's right, I borrowed them for my son. As they are seemingly the precursor to the modern graphic novel it is no surprise that many adults love them too.

Books I Read as a Child

2009-07-13T00:01:00.001-05:00

I took a pleasant trip down memory lane as my eyes caught sight of a very familiar and famous signature:

I spent many a holiday or weekend curled up with a book from one of her series, getting caught up with the antics and adventures of the Famous Five, Secret Seven and the Twins at St. Clare's. One of my favourite characters was George, a girl who objected to being called by her real name Georgina and whose father, the quintessential mad scientist, was not very tolerant of her and her cousins' antics.

These characters who played junior detectives didn't have costumes, or super powers and they certainly didn't morph into super heroes but they had secret passwords, a headquarters in the garden shed and smarts. Ginger beer was the drink of choice and holidays were spent outside solving mysteries and in the case of the twins, their life at boarding school was positively exciting. They introduced me to lacrosse. A game we certainly never played. All of this took place of course in the absence of video games, computers and the like. Aah the simple life.

Then there was the Magical Faraway Tree series
starring a huge magic tree in an enchanted wood. I made a point of buying these for my son and wasn't slightly surprised to see that the characters had changed. Oh he would have loved the original set, but those were written long, long ago in the 1940's.

My American friends didn't know these books when I was a little girl and I wonder whether much has changed. I did a little search and found them at Amazon but quite a few were "out of stock" - still in demand I guess.

I was thrilled however to find that there was a tv version of the Famous Five Series. I guess I had grown up by then. :) . Take a look, but I'd really love it if you could find the book. If I am successful I might even host an Enid Blyton giveaway.

That SAT Sentence Completion

2009-07-10T20:25:00.013-05:00

My son is helping kids with their SAT prep and SSAT prep. That's his summer job, and he has been expressing surprise at the problems the students have been having with vocabulary. It is true English is a tricky language, just check out the video below, but that is particularly so for those persons for whom it is a foreign language. If English is your native language you may have the homonyms and heteronyms down pat but the English language comprises a lot of words - some say around one quarter of a million, the most of comparable languages - and so you may be a bit intimidated when faced with the prospect of learning more.

The SAT critical reading includes a section called Sentence Completion. You have to complete the sentence by filling in one or two blanks. Here are some examples:

___________by nature, John spoke rarely, even to his own family.

(a) garrulous
(b) equivocal
(c) taciturn
(d) arrogant
(e) gregarious
The intellectual flexibility inherent in a multicultural nation has been________in classrooms where emphasis on British-American literature has not reflected the cultural_______of our country.

(a) eradicated - unanimity
(b) encouraged - aspirations
(c) stifled - diversity
(d) thwarted - uniformity
(e) inculcated - divide

I'd love if you would try it out by leaving your answers in your comments :D.

Many students have difficulty with this section because their vocabulary is just not well developed. These words aren't "hard" but some consider them "bigger" than the words they are accustomed to use in normal conversation. Hello, these are everyday words for people who are considered "educated". So don't leave school without them.

Want some ideas on how to expand your vocabulary?

Read. I cannot emphasize this enough. Read widely: science fiction, periodicals, newspapers, murder mysteries and more. When you read and discover that you don't know a word, stop and consult a dictionary. If you don't have access to one write down the word to research later and if you don't have a note pad underline the word and check it out later. It is an advantage to learn words through reading as you see the word in context which helps you to understand it more.

Play Word Games. Yes I believe in engaging in fun activities to help to educate. Scrabble, crosswords and word puzzle books are sources you may consider.

Learn and Use a New Word everyday. You can commit to looking up a new word or you can register with Wordsmith.org or a similar site to get your word -a -day via email. Some words this week were panalopy, somnolent, defenestrate. If you are reading this and don't know the meanings then grab that dictionary or open a new tab and head to dictionary.com.

Make a Word List. Each time you learn a new word add it to your list. along with the definition and an example of usage. You may even add synonyms and antonyms. Keep the list so that you can consult it regularly. It is not necessary or recommended to make a long list at once as that can become overwhelming and counter-productive. Go slow. Try to use the words you learn and this will help you to remember them.

CEOmum's First Giveaway - Free Custom Stickers

2009-07-09T07:47:00.015-05:00

I'm so thrilled to be able to offer my loyal readers the opportunity to enter CEOmum's first ever giveaway.

CEOmum's sponsor Uprinting, the sticker printing experts will be offering one of you, 250 printed custom stickers

Some of you are so insanely creative, I know you are just going to love this, because you get to be the designer. I lean more towards the practical side than the creative myself but I came up with my own CEOmum design. You can do better than me I'm sure and you can blow your competition out of the water with your one of a kind hot promotional sticker on envelops, cards, folders or even your kids lunch box.

So what do you have to do to enter to win you own imaginative unique one of a kind stickers to promote your business? Remember they can be any size between 2.75 x 2.75" to 11 x 17".

It's simple, all you have to do is leave a comment below telling us how you would use 250 custom stickers. That's mandatory. You don't have to follow or twitter or anything else, but if you do you'll get a bonus entry :D for each follow. Just let me know.

Also if you come up with a new idea as to how to use the stickers you can leave another comment and of course you will get a bonus entry for each comment left with new ideas. Make sure your contact information is available. If it's not, drop me an email so I know how to get in touch with you. The contest will end on Friday July 17, 2009 at 12midnight EST. The winner will be announced on Monday, July 20, 2009.

Uprinting regrets that the contest will be open only to US and Canadian residents, also shipping is not included. Further the winner's designs must not be obscene or offensive and can be used by Uprinting as examples for promotional purposes. NOTE these will be examples only, they won't be printed or distributed commercially.

Judith Hill Can Blow

2009-07-08T13:29:00.004-05:00

If you watched the Michael Jackson memorial and wondered who was that lovely lady singing lead on "Heal the World". It was Judith Hill. This is her official website.

Listen to her again.

Source:Rollingstone.com

Experience Travel Abroad

2009-07-06T06:57:00.008-05:00

When I was in high school I had the opportunity to travel to France through the American Field Service (AFS) Program on a summer abroad program. I spent two months with a family who opened their home to me. They fed me, did my laundry, took me on road trips around France and gave me accommodation free of charge. The experience was so positive I wished that I had opted to spend the year and so I have always encouraged students to seek and grab all such opportunities.

The experience helped me in several ways, for eg:

Being fully immersed in a non-English speaking country (especially when your hosts don't speak English pretty much forced me to find creative ways to communicate even though I was studying the language at school. Certain phrases just escape the text books.
Since I was taking French at school I found that my comprehension improved significantly even though my speaking ability didn't develop as quickly.
As to the speaking I didn't become fluent but my accent and my pronunciation (oh that sexy french "U") became decidedly less anglicized.
My exposure to foreign cultures helped me to appreciate differences, embrace unusual lifestyles and become more open to and accepting of people. It is true that les Francais ne se baignent pas aussi souvent que nous and they have no problem with that. Hey we had a pool! More interestingly, my host family bred dogs and raced and showed them. It was different, exciting and unfamiliar to see the extent to which the dogs were a part of the family.
Living away for two months, I had to eat and grilled chicken was not a typical meal. It was interesting to hear the teenagers say how they loved their meat "almost raw" - not a problem as they were willing to apply more heat for me; but frog legs and fish roe weren't typical dinner fare in my home, neither was wine for that matter. Yes I lost some weight.
I learned to articulate on matters related to my background, family, country and culture in general. In other words I learned to represent my country in a positive way.
I made lifelong friends with whom I am communicating more now - thanks to modern technology - that I did when I just returned home.

Overall it was a fantastic experience that I thoroughly enjoyed and so I recommend these programs. However one caveat is that the program should be accredited. Make sure that you do your homework and if possible get feedback from previous beneficiaries.

In the video, President JFK is addressing AFS students, so you see that program has pedigree.

Tree for U

2009-07-05T13:30:00.006-05:00

Courtesy of Paul

Weekly Wrap Up

2009-07-04T18:25:00.006-05:00

Joining in the weekly wrap up over at Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers. That name alone is a treasure but in addition her posts are very engaging - no "unsocialized" at all. I will therefore be adding her to my blogroll.

This week was the start of my new gym program. The great thing about it is that my gym allows us to take our teenagers (from age 14) along for free. That has thrilled son no end who at 6'2" and weighing around 170 thinks he is "jacked" and knowing of all things related to the human body. Oh lord a couple years of high school Biology and he is an expert on gym training.

In other news well you know I redesigned this blog, joined twitter and I plan to be posting more often. This of course should be possible since I got my new contact lenses yesterday. Suddenly I had found myself imitating old librarians, looking over my glasses or holding pages at arms length. Ah age.

Work of course continued to annoy but I made progress in a matter that seemed headed for endless delay.

Then today my son started his summer job. It seems that he reads this blog or learned something from his last two years of SAT and college prep as he is teaching critical reading and writing to kids who hope to go to college in the States. Yay, he's earning by doing something useful!!

New Look

2009-07-03T23:43:00.005-05:00

Well as you can see, I am trying something new. I've been learning about Css and java script and all those esoteric phrases that just roll off the lips of computer lovers. This design is by falconhive.com

I am still tweaking and fixing and taking advice and inviting feedback. the problem is I lost all my haloscan comments and worse I procrastinated about starting my twitter account and look what happened! She even spells it like me.

So finally I am on twitter @Ceomummy.

To the right I have placed a section for a feature video. I will try to update it regularly to highlight online learning and matters related.

Since it is summer though and my son is home I am taking it slow.

Summer Home School

2009-06-26T23:36:00.008-05:00

Some stay at home parents have considered homeschooling their kids but are reluctant to take the plunge. for a number of reasons In some cases they are intimidated by the "difficult" subjects in which they didn't excel at school; on the other hand they prefer to avoid the disapproving remarks they get from family, friends or other parents who think homeschooling is "bad" for kids.

For these parents, summer is the ideal time for them to try out a bit of homeschooling. The summer is long and kids will get bored, so it is a great opportunity for parents to get involved in teaching at home without the attendant criticism.

Summer provides a wonderful occasion to have fun and one of the great things about learning is that it can be fun. This is what I have been stressing in my posts entitled:

The important thing is to encourage kids' curiosity and seek to encourage them to find answers. The internet is a great resource tool that can help generate ideas for fun, engaging activities and most of the resources are free.

One great site to which I subscribe is the-simple-homeschool.com which is chockful of helpful materials and ideas to get you going. Take a look at their Student Help Center. I love the Astronomy for Kids section. Your kids will love looking at the sky with their binoculars. What can be cooler than going to school at night? Free stuff include a skymap, a desktop planetarium and tons of other stuff.

Explore your online options and interract with your kids this summer. There is a fabulous world of educational fun out there: free movies, card games, planning sheets etc. Who knows they might enjoy it so much that by the time September rolls around they'll be clamouring for Fall Home School.

Have Summer Fun in the Big Apple

2009-06-18T10:49:00.002-05:00

If you live in New York or New Jersey or if you will be visiting there this summer, you are lucky to have so many wonderful opportunities to enjoy yourselves.

Concerts, plays,games and more abound. What makes this so exciting too is that lots of them are FREE. So just scroll down and check out the all the fun.

That Summer Before College

2009-06-04T17:00:00.003-05:00

Well the APs. proms, commencement ceremonies, senior parties and Praise the Lord! college applications are over and for seniors the summer before college has begun. What to do?

* Nothing - That is what my son will be doing for the first couple of weeks. Coming home after nine months away at school where he did what he was sent to do does give him some justification. In addition there is not a thing wrong with getting some R & R. Summer will be three months long so there is time enough to do something "constructive" and it gives him time to re-charge his batteries. Meanwhile "doing nothing" involves sleeping (he is still striving to grow taller), keeping in touch with friends - most of whom live abroad - via Facebook, watching movies, eating - the tall issue is still at work here, thinking about life and reading of course.

* Get a Job - Kids need to learn how to budget and manage money. With the global economy in a sad way, if a teenager can get a job he should grab it. College costs money and even if you managed to get full aid you will need extra funds for expenses. Not everything is covered by financial aid sure tuition, books and boarding may be covered but you may need to travel off campus, find something else to eat, do your laundry, find a cell phone provider, remember there is health insurance and you should always have emergency funds. Remember Murphy's law.

* Read the College Stuff - Yes your college would have started sending you stuff in the regular mail, online and on your phones. Read them! You must know when college starts and get there for orientation. You should also note when the semster ends. Family vacations are being planned, plane tickets are to be bought, deals are not usually to be had at the last minute neither are finals handled well when they clash with intervening events. Before that you may need to return important documents duly signed. If you are an international student you will need to get the relevant documents to present to the embassy for the appriate student visa. Figure out the requirements early including must-do courses. Ascertain registration dates so that you don't end up just filling slots that are left. The college website is one place with which you must become familiar.

* Find or Revive a Hobby - The long summer months provide the perfect opportunity to refine or learn a new skill without the many interruptions that school can bring. Learn to drive, build a website, make money online (if you can't get a job) or sharpen your artistic are athletic talents which were newly budding in your last few years of high school.

* Exercise - Some kids roll their eyes at adults who grumble about their weight but they are yet to understand about age, hormones and metabolism. With college can come bad eating habits and a falling off from the active lifestyle they once followed. How many of us watched in helpless surprise as the pounds piled on in college? I have found the best way to exercise is to play a sport, any sport you enjoy. So get out of the house even if you have opted to do nothing for a while exercise should play a part.

7 Free Gifts and Deals for Parents and Kids

2009-05-16T08:56:00.008-05:00

Those of you who have come here often enough know that I am a real advocate for kids education. I have been very busy and so haven't been posting much. Nevertheless, anything that encourages learning just grabs my attention. Hope to grab yours and make up for my absence with these contests, ideas and deals.

I've met many bloggers here who enjoy writing (hey isn't that what blogging is all about) and have dreams of authoring a book. Heck I even completed a children's writing course eons ago. So if you'd like to make your dream a reality how about entering the Cherrios Spoonsful of Stories Children's Book Contest. The grand prize is a whopping $5,000.00. Entries close July 15.
Are you one of those people who is just addicted to your computer. If you'd rather look at a screen than read a book or if you love getting free book you can download these for free. Wow Salem's Lot is there and I want to read that again.
If your kids enjoy the computer let it be educational. Here is a site with some wonderful illustrated children's books which you and your kids can read for free with just the click of this link.
Your kids will love their certificates awarded for improvement in reading or just for completing their art work, a book or a chore. Make their certificates with the Certificate Maker from Crayola. Reigster for free.
I know some of you adults love the Harry Potter books. Nothing is greater than enjoying books together with your kids. Get free Harry Potter bookmarks here.
Your kids won't learn if they lack nourishment. Hunger and learning do not go well together. So check out these places where your kids can eat for free.
Don't bother to buy expensive software to help your kids to learn more about the world. They can do that for free right here. Just give them room to explore.

And ah yes how could I forget. Rush to take advantage of this opportunity at restaurant.com where today you can get a $25 gift certificate for 3 bucks. Just type in discount code TASTY.

Picture of the Month

2009-05-03T13:51:00.002-05:00

ShopWiki for Mom

2009-05-02T11:40:00.004-05:00

With Mother's Day on the horizon, husbands, partners and kids are trying to figure out the perfect gift for mom. At Shopwiki you can choose from over 230 million products and what I love about this collection of stores is the guidance you receive on the various options available.

So if your mom has a passion for sewing you can head over to the Housewares section and take a look at their sewing machines. You can bet that like other machines, these have come a far way from the old clunker Mom used back in the day. A list of the major manufacturers is available from which to choose and all kinds of assistance is provided for you to select the ideal one.

Most moms I know love a well organized bathroom and here you can get great tips and products to help mom to organize her bathroom so she can soak in comfort and style. From the over toilet storage tower to the ultimate shower organizer, there are a myriad of items to please your neat loving mom.

One the other hand if mom is susceptible to allergies or she just gave birth to a new born, she might appreciate the addition of moist air from a humidifier. The buying guide for these is very helpful allowing you to decide whether you want the cool or warm mist and providing you with reviews and comparable prices. Of course while mom is priceless to be sure, this Mother's Day cost is an important factor in any decision making process.

10 Celebs Who are Ivy Educated

2009-04-09T15:13:00.003-05:00

Some of us have the notion that only certain types study at Ivy league Universities. Our guest Kelly Kilpatrick is here today with us again and we are sure you will enjoy her post.

Because of the roles they play, or perhaps because it’s easier to reconcile our own mundane lives with the possibility of celebrity by assuming beautiful, talented, rich people can’t also be smart, it’s easy to underestimate the true intelligence of our favorite stars. But whether it makes you feel worse about yourself or not, an Ivy-League education doesn’t lie. These celebrities may have starred in comic book films and comedy TV shows, but they’re also super smart.

David Duchovny: Actor David Duchovny has gone from The X-Files to Californication, and from a seemingly happy marriage to Tea Leoni to a rehab stint for sex addiction. He has been nominated for an Emmy four times, and is a two-time Golden Globe winner, but Duchovny is also a graduate of two Ivy League universities. Raised in New York City, Duchovny attended the elite Collegiate School for Boys, and then enrolled in Princeton University, where he won a college prize from the Academy of American Poets. Duchovny also has a Master’s degree in English literature from Yale University.
Wentworth Miller: Wentworth Miller has penetrating eyes, a pretty-boy face, and probably a killer paycheck. Miller stars as Michael Scofield on the Fox TV show Prison Break, but the British-born, Brooklyn-raised actor started performing in high school with an annual musical production group. After high school, Miller attended Princeton, where he studied English literature and was a member of the a capella group the Princeton Tigertones.
Natalie Portman: Natalie Portman was a famous, successful actress long before her Harvard days, and that’s why it’s no secret that the stunningly gorgeous actress from Long Island is just as smart as she is beautiful and talented. Portman was born in Jerusalem, and when she was three years old, her family moved to Washington, D.C., then Connecticut, and then to Long Island, NY. While in school, Portman appeared in movies like The Professional, Mars Attacks!and Everyone Says I Love You. When Portman joined the cast of the new Star Warsprequel trilogy, she became an international star, while she was still in high school. Portman continued to film the Star Wars films while on breaks from Harvard where she studied psychology. She graduated in 2003, and in 2004, she began graduate work at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In addition to acting in important films like Cold Mountain, V for Vendetta, and Goya’s Ghosts. Portman has also served as a guest lecturer at Columbia University, was named a Ambassador of Hope for FINCA International during a trip to Ecuador, and has supported numerous advocacy groups for animal rights, humanitarian efforts, environmental causes, the Democratic party, and more.
Amanda Peet: Film actress Amanda Peet got her big break after appearing in The Whole Nine Yards and has acted steadily since then, in movies like Something’s Gotta Give, The Ex, The X-Files: I Want to Believe and Syriana. Peet credits an acting class she took at Columbia University with inspiring her to become a professional actress. She graduated from Columbia with a degree in history, and then began appearing in commercials, TV shows and independent films.
Edward Norton: Edward Norton has enjoyed a successful career as an actor, screenwriter and director since the 1990s. His breakout role was Aaron Stampler in Primal Fear, for which he won a Golden Globe and Academy Award nomination. Norton has also acted in Rounders, Fight Club, The Illusionist, The Hulk, and 25th Hour, among other films. Norton acted at summer camp and as a history student at Yale. His friends at school there include Paul Giamatti and Ron Livingston.
Joy Bryant: Joy Bryant is a beautiful model and actress who often shows up on the red carpet, at Fashion Week and at other social events and parties in LA and New York. But she was discovered by a modeling scout when she was a student at Yale University. Bryant dropped out of Yale and has worked for Tommy Hilfiger, RocaWear, and other brands. As an actress, Bryant appeared in Get Rich or Die Tryin, Antwone Fisher, and other films.
Rashida Jones: When Rashida Jones joined the cast of The Office, her character was known as the girl who gave Pam competition for being "the token hot girl" at work. In real life, the beautiful Rashida Jones is the daughter of Quincy Jones and Peggy Lipton, and grew up in Sherman Oaks, CA, where she was a classically trained musician and top student. She was voted "Most Likely to Succeed" in high school, and then went on to Harvard to study law. Instead, Jones turned to theater and music, and even composed the score for one of the annual Hasty Pudding Theatricals performances. Jones graduated from Harvard in 1997 after studying religion and philosophy.
John Krasinski: John Krasinski, better known as Jim from The Officeis a very smart, very creative guy. He grew up in Boston, MA, and attended high school with future Office co-star B.J. Novak, with whom he collaborated on theatre projects. After taking a semester off post-graduation, Krasinski attended Brown University and studied playwriting. He graduated from Brown in 2001, and acted in commercials, TV shows and off-Broadway shows. Besides The Office, Krasinski acted in films like Kinsey, Jarhead and Leatherheads. Krasinski’s own project, Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, an adaptation of the David Foster Wallace work which Krasinski wrote and directed, will open in 2009.
Famke Janssen: Famke Janssen is a Dutch actress who plays sexy, smart roles in films like the X-Men movies and Golden Eye. In the 1980s, Janssen was a model with Elite Model Management. After working for top brands like Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent, Janssen attended Columbia University, where she studied writing and literature. Despite the success she has enjoyed for more commercial films, Janssen continues to pursue more thoughtful work through films like Turn the River, for which she won the Special Jury Best Actress Award by the Hamptons International Film Festival in 2007. In 2008, Janssen was named a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador for Integrity.
Maggie Gyllenhaal: Maggie Gyllenhaal is an indie film actress who, thanks to her role in The Dark Knight, has started receiving broader recognition for her work. Gyllenhaal, who is the sister of actor Jake Gyllenhaal and daughter of Eric Foner, a history professor at Columbia University, began her film acting career when she was just 15. After graduating high school in Los Angeles, she attended Columbia in New York, where she studied literature and Eastern religions. Gyllenhaal graduated in 1999 and then moved to London to study at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

Xposted at Rated Colleges

Breast Surgery is an Option

2009-04-04T15:10:00.001-05:00

When my friend was in her early thirties she had Breast Surgeryspecifically a lumpectomy to treat her breast cancer. I can't help but wonder if she opted for that instead of a mastectomy due to her fear of appearing deformed somewhat. She wasn't married, she didn't have kids and so she wanted to maintain what is a most feminine feature, her breasts.

Today cosmetic surgery procedures are so advanced that you can just about get yourself shaped up any way you wish. Whether it is plumped up, trimmed down, removed or tucked, you can re-shape your body to look amazing in light of the advances that have been made in medicine. At MYA or Make Yourself Amazing a group of cosmetic surgery clinics in the UK a range of services are offered.

If you want to get a boob job or breast enhancement, you can consider yourself normal. As this is one of the most common procedures and the beneficiaries give MYA high marks. Recovery takes one week.

Some women on the other hand have such huge breasts they have health problems - back pain for example. The solution: breast reduction which involves the removal of fat and re-arrangement of the nipple to make your breasts look real nice.

Then there is the breast uplift for those of us who may be fighting gravity due to the effects of childbirth or weightloss. Got drooping breasts, the docs at MYA can make them pert again and you only have to spend 2 nights.

Some people think that getting your body fixed is a tad superficial but this can be a very helpful alternative for many for a host of reasons including psychological.

Sometimes I speculate that if my friend had had the mastectomy maybe she would be free of the cancer today.

College Decisions Are Out

2009-04-02T07:33:00.008-05:00

The last few weeks have been nerve wracking for some seniors who have been waiting with bated breath for the results of the college applications. Those poor kids who applied at UC San Diego had a nightmarish experience that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Imagine being informed that you have been accepted and then being told 2 hours later that it was a mistake. A cause for strong reproof if you ask me.

Some kids had applied early and were lucky enough to find out that they had been accepted at their first choice early in the year and so didn't have to undergo the suffering experienced by those who applied regular decision. But from the results of the early applications one had an inkling that March would be testing. Strong feelings abounded: endurance, indifference, stoicism, nervousness and downright fear were among the emotions on display. It was and in some cases still is a roller coaster ride.

March 31, 2009 arrived and the countdown began in earnest. Now it was a matter of hours. For although February and early March saw early writes, likely letters and final decisions from dream schools, top and lower tier liberal arts colleges giving appeasement to many. Some kids weren't getting any responses and still others were being faced with the distressing waitlist or rejection after rejection. High GPA's and perfect SAT scores just were enough for MIT who titillated and softened the blow with their announcement on March 14 at 1:59pm. Get it? It's all about PI. Solid schools some considered shoe-ins just weren't coming through or even if they did weren't dreamy or prestigious enough for some who thought Harvard was "the IT school". So now it was left to the 8 Ivies and Stanford.

The results arrived at or after 5pm. Yes all 8 agreed to issue their results at the same time, they were sent via email or a special decisions page with access to the URL granted with the appropriate username/password. Of course in 2.0 world where students were applying from as far away around the globe as you could imagine, snail mail just wouldn't cut it. Students cluttered forums, presenting stats and results in bold letters, RED and GREEN were the order of the day. ACCEPTED, REJECTED and WAITLISTED screamed across various threads, shouts of joy mingled with tears of sorrow. Disbelief accompanied both acceptance and rejection. "I got in, I don't believe it" shared space with "Rejected, how could this happen?"

After last year's slaughter, demonstrated by discouragingly low acceptance rates however, most applicants seemed to recognize that space is limited and so it is risky to apply to a few top schools. They have cast their nets wide and so most people have indicated that they have been accepted somewhere even if it isn't to their dream school, so the emotions have or will change to favourable reception and a willingness to embrace their next new school.

Some like my son are lucky enough to have been accepted by several top schools and incredibly are now in the position of having to choose. Stanford or Princeton? Go figure.

Harvard Admissions Dean Crunches the Numbers

2009-03-21T10:56:00.004-05:00

The big day for regular decision results is fast approaching.

Take note of how Harvard Admissions Dean breaks down the numbers for the successful applicants. Hear what he says about the 1600 out of the 2100 acceptances.

Don't stress about the 25,000 rejections.

Kids and Spring Break

2009-02-28T23:09:00.006-05:00

Well Spring is around the corner, but not as close as Spring Break and kids are gearing themselves up to have a blast to celebrate the end of winter and the dreariest term of the school year.

Being from the tropics myself, I never experienced "winter or spring break". We had Easter holidays which was celebrated quite differently and so I don't really relate, but I understand the need to unwind.

Now my son tells me that members of his senior class will be celebrating by heading to Cancun!! He of course wishes to go so that he can avoid being "that guy". Assurances have been made, adult chaperones will be attending, he is mature and won't do anyting stupid, blah,blah blah.

Fortunately, yes fortunately for him, he will be the one, that one, yeah that guy, this year for a number of reasons.

He is too young. The child is 16, yes he is a senior but a pretty young one. His classmates are 17 and 18 year olds and could be inclined to take more risks and get involved in more adult activities;
At 6'2", he does not look his age, and likes to pretend to be the same age as his friends;
I will not be one of the chaperones;
Take a look at wikipedia and see what it says about common practices at Spring Break. Now with the real time information that is common these days, and memories of our own youth, we don't really need wiki to remind us that binge drinking, casual sex and rec drugs form part of the spring break tradition but zeroing in on Cancun as wiki does, makes the point a lot stronger;
The principal sent out an email reminding us of the dangers and reinforced that the trip is not endorsed by the school;
He is a border, and should be seeing his parents during vacation;
We are in a recession for chrissakes.
Does anyone remember Natalie Holloway?

Parenting involves making decisions to protect our kids. If these decisions are unpopular so be it. This is not to say we have not raised them to protect themselves, but why tempt fate especially knowing that our world has become such an unsafe place? There are lots of other ways to have good fun closer to home and in any event kids don't need to grow up too fast do they?

Leave it for college, high schoolers.

As an aside, see how Spring Break was born here.

Out of the Mouth ............

2009-02-20T21:51:00.003-05:00

It is always engaging to see kids who are comfortable participating in public speaking, declamations or other oratory competitions.

The young lady you see below won 1st place in this year's MLK Oratory competition. the topic:

"If Dr. King were alive today, what do you think he would say about current events?

Time: 5 minutes. I know many adults who couldn't muster the courage to do this.

Presidents Day Give Away

2009-02-16T16:34:00.003-05:00

Hey Valentines Day is over but for my friends in the States you don't have to scrimp and hold back. You can still eat out on the cheap as today you can get $25 gift certificates to dine at Restaurants nationwide in the U.S. for only $3.00 at Restaurant.com .

Let me explain this. Everyday at restaurant.com you can choose to purchase a $25 git certificate for the cost of $10 at participating restaurants. But today only if you use the coupon code PREZ they'll chop another 70% off the $10 making it only $3. Yes you heard me right so what are you waiting for?

Got get your gift certificate NOW.

Picture of the Month

2009-02-15T22:41:00.005-05:00

Courtesy of Paul

Sleek is In

2009-02-14T14:14:00.005-05:00

Have you noticed that everything is sleek nowadays ?We have flat screen TV's, slim phones, bags that can hold everything while concealing the bulk, skinny pants, even slim lattes are on offer.

My son eats like horse and he is sleek too. Tall and slim like a string bean. He has no idea of his weight and no interest in it. When I returned from my long weekend trip my husband had slimmed down, so of course I dare not buck the trend. At my age which we will call "around middle" that caramel frappuccino that I consumed as mentioned below can be deemed taking a risk. Somehow women who are accustomed to being slender can all of a sudden find the pounds creeping on as the years grow and their metabolism slows down. What to do?

Personally I love to walk and from reports, doctors consider it a great form of exercise; but since I don't live in a walking friendly city like New York I have to find a convenient place for walking and if the scenery isn't spectacular I might find myself getting bored with it and have to head for the good old gym.

But what about people who are too big or too embarrassed to go to the gym? Well they could work out at home or try using a slimming product to lose weight before heading out to work more off or they could go under the knife. With the high cost of health care and the many health insurance issues I would unless it would otherwise be a health risk, resist the latter. As for pills well some reports say some diet pills do work but before choosing this option I'd go to my doctor. One product that is getting great reviews is lipofuze . It gets a big thumbs up in terms of its effectiveness, its record of safety. its value for money and its ingredients. It contains ginger, green tea and cinnamon among other ingredients. Some people say it is so good they have had to lower the dosage as the weight started to peel off too fast, with no other side effects. At weightlossresearch.net this pill is highly recommended.

Come Monday, I think I'll be heading to the gym. Hey, it has air conditioning and I do live in the tropics.

Read The Reader

2009-02-11T17:16:00.011-05:00

For some reason I have been so busy that my blogging has fallen off. Nevertheless I had such a wonderful weekend in New York celebrating my aunt's 80th birthday and what turned out to be something of a family reunion, I now have the opportunity to take a breather.

One of my favourite things to do when I am in New York City is to visit bookstores. I spent Monday afternoon in Barnes and Noble where I read the novel The Reader. The title of the book is what caught my eye because I so enjoy reading. I had no idea that it was the basis for an oscar nominated movie with big names like Ralph fiennes and Kate Winslet. I enjoy reading more than seeing movies but plan to see this one. Kate Winslet plays a woman who is portrayed in the book as a complex and proud character and her performance is supposed to be excellent.

The book was gripping and I couldn't believe that I had finished it with one cup of caramel frappucino and a cinnamon scone as sustenance. The notion of a teenager getting his first sexual experience from an older woman is nothing new but this woman Hannah Schmitz is 21 years older than her lover Michael Berg and there is more about her that makes the relationship disturbing. At 15 he learns about sex from this tram conductor who it turns out is illiterate but Michael who is ordered to read by Hannah each day after their lovemaking does not figure this out until years later. The books he reads are classics like the Odyssey.

The subsquent disappearance of Hannah, Michael's obsession with her, his discovery of her when he is a law student and she a defendant at a Nazi war crimes trial are told in a stark, simple, clear prose. This has the effect keeping the reader on the edge right up to the point of Michael's realization that he and Hannah have a secret - that of Hannah's illiteracy and he like Hannah does not disclose it although it plays a significant role in Hannah'sconviction. Michael who did not miss a day of the trial eventually starts sending Hannah tapings of readings of books but does not respond to her letters. Hannah you see, has learned to read by borrowing the same books and following the words she hears on tape.

I don't think I should reveal anymore except to say that the themes and questions raised in this book are relevant to all humankind. They concern love, forgiveness, guilt, responsibility and more. The questions posed by the Jewish woman at the end are salient. Oh yes, in case you are wondering, Michael does eventually see Hannah again.

This book by Bernhard Schlink, is a must have for book lovers and for those who want a quick, easy and stirring read.

During the Course of This Presentation................

2009-01-24T09:21:00.003-05:00

As they say "time and tides wait for no man".

Did You Know?

Learn, Save and ShopWiki

2009-01-17T11:23:00.008-05:00

While not a shopoholic, I do love to shop. I especially love shopping (particularly the window variety) when I travel. But with the economy in crisis and the retail industry struggling to keep afloat, everybody is cutting back. My way of dealing with it is to comparison shop online. My research led me to discover a fabulous shopping search engine: ShopWiki, which crawls more than 200,000 online stores. At ShopWiki you don't actually shop but you find products, the stores that sell the products and their prices. When I checked them out today they had 223,963,832 products in their database.

What sets Shopwiki apart however is that they are also one huge shopping guide. For example if you want to purchase a washing machine, you can visit their Housewares and Home Maintenance section. When you select washing machine you will discover quite a bit of useful information to assist in choosing the right washing machine for you. If you want a space saver, there are several options. They offer recommendations and the pros and cons for the standard top loader, the front loader and the top loading high efficiency types. They even let you in on the latest in washing machine technology.

I spent a good half hour on their Home and Garden section examining their garden guides and other goodies. Of course they have guides for all regions from the dry tropical south to the wet pacific northwest. The outdoor accents got my attention too, as I always wished for a water fountain approached by stepping stones. Maybe one day. Right now I'm heading to explore the warming drawers.

College Interview

2009-01-16T19:17:00.004-05:00

Despite my incredibly busy schedule which even involves starting a new website, I have decided to share some suggestions I gave to my son who had a college interview yesterday.

• Firstly I stressed that he was not to be late. Get there early.
• In terms of dress I reminded him to dress neatly. Since his school dress includes shirt, tie and blazer I told him to go in class dress.
• I reminded him to address the interviewer politely. Greet with a good solid handshake and smile and call him by his/her name. Also avoid expressions such as "you know", "like" and hmm hmm.

With respect to answering the questions. I suggested that there were two main considerations:

1. What do you have to offer the school - Here is where stock is taken of your character, your academic achievements/interests, your extra curricular and co curricular activities.
2. What does the school have to offer you - This involves why you want to go to that school and can it meet your academic and extra curricular needs?

To me it is best to avoid studying interview questions and practising answers as you may sound too programmed. This is not to say that kids should not be prepared. My advice though is to know yourself and be yourself. So if you have a resume, take a look at it to remind you of your talents and accomplishments (nerves can be the greatest memory extinguisher).

Finally the interviewer can and most likely will come up with questions or discussions from way out of left field. My son told me that for a good part of the interview he was engaged in a discussion of Usain Bolt's world record sprint in the Beijing Olympics. So get ready to talk.

Mother Africa

2009-01-14T16:42:00.002-05:00

AFRICA

Publish at Scribd or explore others: History

Welcome Back

2009-01-12T23:37:00.004-05:00

Wow it seems like ages since I've been here but the truth is I've been visiting family and then had to regroup on my return. During my absence I learned that my mother who is retired is fitter than ~~ever~~ I. How depressing! We went walking in the mornings and she left me in the dust. Then when my son entered the fray he took off like a jet leaving us behind in his wake. the consumption of rum soaked fruit cake, ham and sorrel didn't help. What is sorrel you ask? A drink of course. It is made from the sorrel flower, steeped in boiling water to which is added ginger and sugar. Though typically served in the Caribbean at Christmas it was very much present in the Asian store I visited in New York.

Life is good. School and work are back in session and blogging will continue.

Seasons Greetings

2008-12-27T20:28:00.002-05:00

Courtesy of Paul

After The Acceptance Letter

2008-12-15T05:59:00.000-05:00

Today I'm pleased tp welcome guest blogger Kelly Kilpatrick who writes on the subject of university accreditaion. I particularly enjoyed her article 100 Awesome Ivy League Video Lectures at Online Universities.com and 100 Free College Rides You Don't Need Daddy to Pay For.

Kelly Kilpatrick

Sometimes we fail to see the forest for the trees. We get caught up in the shuffle of things and fail to see what looms ahead of us. This couldn’t apply more to the hard work required to simply get into a college. Through the constant barrage of forms, we fail to remember that once those kids are in school, they may not be prepared for what lies ahead.

Many college students get where they want to be, only to fall miserably behind because of some conversations that never took place before they left home. Parents need to have some serious talks with their children before they leave and throw away years of hard work. What follows is a list of things college students need to know before they head out for school.

Always Attend Class

So many students fall into the class-skipping trap when they find out professors don’t take attendance. Why would you pay hard-earned money to not go to class? Young students need to realize that every single class is valuable and that professors know who is attending their class regularly, whether they know your name or not.

Get to Know Your Professors

This is directly correlated to the first item on this list. If you make an effort to get to know your professors, you begin to forge a relationship – and this can really help when it comes to crunch time. Attending classes and getting some face time with professors shows that you care as a student and is a sign of respect.

Budget Time Wisely

With a full class load, it can be easy o get bogged down. Many students fall behind because they don’t have someone on their case to get them to finish their work. Ultimately, students must take responsibility for their own actions, but they must learn how to budget their time wisely.

Prioritize

This goes hand in hand with budgeting time, and relates to how students must select what to get done first. Reading, projects, papers, social engagements – what should come first? Teaching students how to evaluate what should get their attention first is a necessary skill for students of all ages and helps prevent procrastination.

Financial Responsibility

This is especially important for students that will not be working. Perhaps they will be living on a set allowance; they must know how to budget this money so that it lasts for the amount of time intended. Additionally, acquiring credit cards should be discouraged. Have the money talk with your future college student before they leave and get in over their head financially.

Kelly invites your feedback at kellykilpatrick24 at gmail dot com

Struggling to Read No More

2008-12-10T20:24:00.005-05:00

As most people who come here know, I adore reading and believe strongly in encouraging children to read. So I was more than pleased to come across the eReading Pro blog. This is a blog by Denese Mcdonald, the founder of eReading Pro, who is passionate about teaching reading to struggling readers. Her job actually entails travelling around the world to demonstrate her reading program and she shares her journeys with her readers.

What is eReading Pro

Denese explains that it is designed primarily for the visual reader. The reader who struggles with learning to read phonetically; these include readers with dyslexia, add/adhd, down's syndrome and other disabilities.

Denese explains:

"[visual] readers tend to use the right side of their brain for reading rather than the left side. In doing so, words are remembered as pictures, rather than by way of the phonetic decoding methods that are used by the left side of the brain. Children who are visual learners tend to have weaker auditory processing skills along with weaker auditory memory. For these children, remembering how letters and sounds fit together to make up a word can be challenging."

Denese recommends that parents have children start reading at an early age, a view with which I agree. I actually taught my son to read and it developed his language skills remarkably. Not many parents feel competent to teach their kids to read and in this case the eReading Pro could prove very useful. If you detect that your child is a visual learner then this product is perfect but any young reader would enjoy using this tool and kids who are not learning disabled learn to read using both visual and phonetic methods anyway.

One more thing I hope Denese continues to recommend good books. I am getting the Lawrence Hill book "Someone Knows My Name". The reviews are fantastic and I anticipate buying this book with great excitement.

FAFSA In A Nutshell

2008-12-04T22:32:00.006-05:00

Sometime ago I published a post on Financial Aid for International Students, which addressed the various aspects of the IFSAA form to be completed by student applicants and their parents. Most student applicants to US colleges however are citizens or permanent residents and they are required to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) - a form which many consider tedious if not brutal. So since many people enjoy video guides,I found one for them.

One of the best tips here is to Get All the Information You Need Before You Start. Watching this is a great beginning, believe me your parents will appreciate it.

Tropical Fruits in cold New York

2008-11-30T14:37:00.005-05:00

One of the great things about a cosmopolitan city like New York is that you can get the same foods you find at home, sometimes when they are out of season. So it was that I purchased a box of luscious tamarinds and some juicy pomegranates on a stop in an Asian market last evening. The place simply rocked with tropical fruits and foodstuffs from all parts of the globe. I spotted some hot tamarind balls, Jamaican mackerel in tomato sauce, scrumptious peppered shrimps and even some West Indian newspapers.

Usually I am able to pick tamarinds from the tree that droops over my wall and when that is laden I can get my fill from the fruits that turn the ground into a brown carpet. But the neighbour cut his tree so my supply has diminished somewhat yet that has not in any way affected my desire for this fruit which can range from an extremely sour to an unusually sweet taste.

For those of you who have not had the pleasure of sampling this tart fruit in a pod, you may not know that it is a main ingredient in Worcestershire sauce, that condiment that adds the "pick me up" to your recipes. Of course as I do in most cases, I enjoy the raw fruit. My son and I struggled to avoid finishing the pack last night. It was ssssooo good. Be careful though it is so acidic that over consumption can leave the tongue and roof of the mouth feeling sore. It can be enjoyed as a drink, a chutney, a sauce and as a candy rolled in sugar.

The leaves of the tree which can grow up to 20 metres are said to have medicinal qualities. I have known persons who swear that bathing in water boiled with tamarind leaves will reduce body pain, help to heal the blisters and fevers associated with chicken pox and measles.

I think I might grab another box as I won't be seeing the fruit until around spring next year.

Save Buckets on Gifts

2008-11-28T20:00:00.004-05:00

My google analytics reports that visitors come to this blog from all over the world, mostly to read my views on issues in the sphere of education. Since the time of good cheer, happiness and gift giving is upon us concurrent with considerations of economic restraint I'm alerting my readers to a site that allows you to compare prices of thousands of gifts which can be shipped anywhere in the world.

I am a sucker for a girly fragrance with staying power. Whenever I get the chance I browse the perfume counters looking for that perfect scent, then I check the price. Now I can go home with my pocket book smelling nice (with all those testers) and quite possibly not too much lighter since I can price compare online. Sometimes I hear about or smell a fabulous perfume on someone and want to add it to my list of gift ideas but I just cannot find it in my usual stores. Again online shopping at Save Buckets can come to the rescue.

My son is quite amused at my ignorance about the ipod and my claims of youthfulness. Yes I don't have one yet, so as a gift to myself I will be checking out the cheapest, sleekest one I can find to keep me humming on the move. He'll smile but it will be mine.

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T09:29:00.003-05:00

Well I'm here in Florida enjoying ~~the beach,~~ an American tradition and a welcome holiday. Turkey is in the oven, mum is in the kitchen, son is in bed, the macy's parade is on and life is good. It is a fine concept, this idea of taking time to give thanks as we engage in fellowship with family and friends. While not a part of the culture in which I grew up the Thanksgiving tradition is easy to embrace and appreciate.

Of course after we read the novel we have been meaning to complete for weeks, watch a slew a movies and show gratitude for all the wonderful people and experiences we have known , some of us will try to take advantage of Black Friday. At least we hope that we will be able to keep our our economy's status in the black, whether it is by scouting for deals of just enjoying the view. If you'd like some help in doing the former, check out the Black Friday Strategy guide for great tips on how to find the best loacations, deals and prices. You will receive a bonus, the top Cyber-Monday products based on value and overall discount. The best thing is it is free. So go download it, print it and take it with you tomorrow.

Credit Crunch - College Challenge

2008-11-18T12:23:00.008-05:00

Over the last few weeks there have been several reports of the negative effects of the economic crisis on the financial health of US colleges and universities. The picture is not a rosy one. From Harvard, the ~~prince~~ king of endowments, to Florida Community College resources have taken flight. Endowment fund managers like most investors participate in the stock market and with the topsy turvy nature of the market nowadays, educational institutions are in a state of flux. Here are some examples:

1. Oberlin College endowment of nearly $750 million shrunk by about 15% in the past four months.
2. Dartmouth College's endowment lost $220 million.
3. Harvard's President indicated that they should expect a 30 % reduction in endowments this fiscal year.
4. University of Northern Florida's endowment decreased from $96.8 million in June to $81 million by the end of September.

Of course prospective and continuing students are concerned because there are indications that in order to survive schools are going to take steps to reduce spending and increase earnings. They will therefore exercise options like hiring freezes, layoffs, tuition increases and financial aid decreases. The last option is one that students are especially worried about. The New York Times alerts us to this possibility at Tufts University which previously enjoyed the status of being "need blind". Tufts' president Lawrence Bacow lamented “.. with what’s happening in the larger economy, we expect that the incoming class is going to be needier. That’s the real uncertainty.”

This is not a problem which affects private institutions only as the government is also concerned with slashing expenses, thus state universities may also be seeking to increase fees, but in general these tuition costs will still be comparatively lower.

All is not doom and gloom however. Vassar will remain need blind and is said to be looking at increasing financial aid - $1 million more to be exact - for the upcoming year. Boston University will be granting scholarships to Boston public schools graduates. Harvard will continue to grant financial assistance on the basis of need charging nothing to those whose income amounts to less than US$60,000.00. On the government side the LATimes quoted the Secretary of Education who said,

"I want to reassure students and their families that federal student aid -- both grants and loans -- remains available to eligible students."

Nevertheless everyone must be prepared to bite the bullet and explore alternatives to financing their education.

• Remember some colleges also offer merit based aid. There is the well known Jefferson Scholarship available at the University of Virginia, the Robertson Scholarship at Duke University and the Honor and University Scholarships at the University of Chicago but check out some more which may not be so well known along with government grants at Scholarships.com

• There are federal loans available such as the Stafford loans and Perkins loans but there have been a diminution in the number of financial institutions in the student loan business and the remaining ones have tightened their standards.

• Some colleges also encourage students to participate in campus employment to supplement their income and to contribute to their tuition. At Swarthmore for example with a student population of approximately 1500, there are 1,100 students working part-time on campus.

No doubt everyone will be required to tighten his belt but hopefully this will not be at the expense of young people whose desire to maximize their potential and contribute to society in a positive way includes getting a college education.

Sources: Jacksonville.Com
New York Times

Fun With Figures

2008-11-16T00:12:00.010-05:00

My friend was complaining to me recently about the problems her daughter was having with math. She doesn't understand how she has gone from an A student up to 5th grade and now suddenly she has lost interest and accuses her teacher of giving tedious mental math exercises. It reminded me of my earlier post Math is Fun Too - if taught in a way that kids find interesting and even exciting. The key I think is to bring math home to the child in a way that he can relate to in his own life.

My son however told me about this E-book called Fun with Figures which a friend shared with him. He said it was cool, addictive and so much easier than the traditional methods, he didn't understand why they didn't use those methods in school. Now can you imagine being addicted to math? The idea behind it is to show plain, simple, logical techniques to quickly figure out problems.

Whether you're in 5th grade or in your 50's math will a necessary part of your lfie but Fun with Figures makes it so easy you don't need to reach for the calculator. We know for those aptitude tests like the SSAT and the SAT 1 you aren't allowed to use a calculator anyway so under timed conditions mental agility is key and practising with Fun With Figures will take you there.

What does Need-Blind Mean

2008-11-14T08:15:00.013-05:00

My husband who has hardly a clue about the ins and outs of the US college application process recently asked me about the significance of need blind colleges, since this is a real factor that was taken into consideration by my son in deciding which schools to select.

Need blind merely means that the college does not take into consideration the financial circumstances of the applicant when they are assessing his application and determining whether to accept or reject same. When you hear such a definition then the assumption is, well if these colleges aren’t turned off by considerations of financial standing then they must be sufficiently well endowed to facilitate the attendance of students who are in need. There are in fact a fair amount of need blind colleges in the United States, some of these are:

Amherst College	Middlebury College	Boston College
Brown University	Northwestern University	Rice University
Claremont McKenna College	Pomona College	Columbia University
University of Chicago	Princeton University	University of Notre Dame
Dartmouth College	Swarthmore College	University of Rochester
Davidson College	University of Pennsylvania	Duke University
University of Rochester	Emory University	Vanderbilt University
Georgetown University	Wake Forest University	Grinnell College
Harvard University	Haverford College	Wesleyan University
Mass. Institute of Technology	Williams College	Yale University

Among these though, only those highlighted in red are need blind in relation to international students. A few of them, namely Amherst and Dartmouth only came on board a year or so ago. When my son went to a college fair last year, he said that the Dartmouth rep was very enthusiastic about selling this new financial aid initiative adopted by the college. The colleges which do this view the extension of this support as a means to enhance diversity at their college and to enrich the school's academic, social and cultural environment. It is almost trite to make the point that this is a costly endeavour. The high cost of college tuition is so well known; just take a look at some of these '08-'09 figures:

• Yale - $35,300.00 ,
• MIT - $36,140.00
• Dartmouth - $36,915.00
• Princeton - $$35,440.00 .

Oh if you could Go to College Almost for Free!

It is important to note that this does not cover room and board which can climb up to $11,000.00. Consequently international students who hope to take advantage of the opportunity offered by these schools should prepare themselves in terms of their academics, extra curricular activities and reputation in high school. They will need to convince admission officials they are worth it. Remember the common application form does in fact contain a section for the applicant to state whether they will be applying for need-based financial aid, so admission officials do have that information at hand. So although school policy states, sometimes emphatically, that financial need is not a factor affecting admission one cannot know for sure whether in the final analysis the subconscious is at work, especially under current harsh financial conditions, and puts its ghostly hand of rejection on your application.

Despite the “blind” perspective taken by these colleges it would be absurd to think that they’d be willing to assist an international student who is in need but who does not demonstrate the ability to manage the course load and college lifestyle and give something beneficial back to the school. The need blind colleges are few so competition is fierce. Make yourself standout so that the officials will “see” you in more than financial terms or at least as a huge return on their investment.

Another point of note is that colleges which are not need blind to foreign applicants - the appropriate phrase is "need aware" - such as Columbia and Stanford, will offer need based aid once they accept the applicant. Columbia's website states:

"if you are admitted then we will meet 100% of your demonstrated financial need."

That "once you are admitted" is the clincher though. So financial need is considered in determining whether to admit; but once they admit, your financial needs are addressed. It's clear therefore that at need aware schools, you have got to be an outstanding applicant to surmount the hurdle of being needy.

Report Annoying Phone Calls

2008-11-12T16:21:00.002-05:00

Just giving you a heads up on a website I discovered that allows you to view reports of unwelcome phone calls that people have received and comments they have made about the calls.

At Report Phone Numbers you can search a database of over one hundred thousand phone numbers to see whether that repeat phone call is coming from a telemarketer, your ex-husband's new "friend" or some other harasser. You can also take the opportunity to register your own experiences by commenting and in so doing perhaps help someone.

Twittering With Excitement.

2008-11-11T10:39:00.000-05:00

Technology is moving so fast. I have been hearing about Twitter for some time now, but did not get on board. I Just saw a good desciption of how it works on Nicole Black's Practising Law in the 21st Century. So sometime this week I am going to get at Twitter account, so that I'll be able to keep abreast of what is going on and not get left behind. If I don't I know my son will roll his eyes.

Picture of the Month

2008-11-10T21:01:00.004-05:00

Courtesy of Paul

Interview on Helicopter Parenting

2008-11-06T09:50:00.003-05:00

Jillianne Hamilton interviewed me recently at myusearchblog. Her focus: Avoiding Helicopter Parenting When Choosing a College.

Check it out here.

Ivy League of Leaders

2008-11-05T19:05:00.009-05:00

Barack Obama joins a respectable list of American leaders who have been products of the Ivy League. In recent years we have seen George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush all of whom attended Yale. For those who didn’t know, George W. Bush also attended Harvard Business School. Now there are those of you who may be quick to smirk or retort that some products of these schools – you can guess who - could hardly be considered worthy recommendation. Indeed this scathing article touches on some of the arguments often employed but even in science there is sometimes the need for certain assumptions to be re-defined.

Nevertheless if one were to examine the alumni of the eight (8) Ivy League schools it would be difficult to dispute the fact that the Ivy League consortium has produced an extraordinary group of persons who have gone on to rule not just America but the world.

Apart from the above mentioned, let us take a quick look at some notable graduate leaders:

Brown: No presidents or vice presidents although Charles Evans Hughes former Governor of New York, US Secy. of State and Chief Justice lost as Republican candidate in 1916 election to Woodrow Wilson.
Columbia: Theodore Roosevelt (US Pres. 1901-09), Dwight Eisenhower (US Pres. 1953-61), Barack Obama (US President Elect 2008)
Cornell: Mario Garcia Menocal (Pres of Cuba 1913-21), Jamshid Amuzegar (PM of Iran 1977-78), Lee Teng-hui (Pres of Republic of China (Taiwan) 1988-2000)
Dartmouth: Nelson Rockefeller (US. VP 1974 –77)
Harvard: John Adams (US. Pres 1797-1801), John Quicy Adams (US. Pres 1825-29), Felipe de Jesus Calderon (Pres. of Mexico 2006-present), Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-45), Edward Seaga (PM of Jamaica 1980-1989), JFKennedy (US Pres. 1960-63)
Princeton: Aaron Burr (US VP 1801-5) James Madison (US. Pres. 1809-17), Syngman Rhee (Pres. Rep. of Korea), Woodrow Wilson (US. Pres. 1913-21)
University of Pennsylvania: William H. Harrison (US Pres. 1841), Cesar Virata (PM of the Phillippines 1981-86), Nnamdi Azikiwe (Pres. of Nigeria 1963-66) Ernesto P. Balladares (1994-99), Kwame Nkrumah (Pres of Ghana 1957-60)
Yale: William Howard Taft (US. Pres. 1909-13), Gerald Ford (US. Pres. 1974-77), Karl Carstens (Pres. Of Germany (1979-84), Ernest Zedillo (Pres. of Mexico 1994-2000) and Dick Cheney (US. VP 2000-2008)

When one observes this distinguished output it may be justifiable to speculate whether the purpose behind the formation of this group of colleges was to create a slew of chiefs whose main objective was to take the reigns of leadership in whichever organization they found themselves. Let me remind you however that the Ivy League came out of an athletic conference. It was an association of schools which came together with a common objective to “[reaffirm] their intention of continuing intercollegiate football in such a way as to maintain the values of the game”, not to rule the world. Yet the high level of intellectual vigor, social conscience and passion for scholarship required to gain entry to these schools coupled with the reported strength and vitality of their academic programs leave little room for questioning why they’ve generated and will no doubt continue to generate graduates who aspire towards positions of leadership.

Some people think that leaders are born not made. Who knows? Perhaps there are methods, programs or models employed as part of the official or unofficial curriculum or perhaps it is ingrained in the philosophy that permeates the traditions followed over the years, or still perhaps the students who make it in are already so disposed to focusing on getting high results that it is a natural progression.

Whatever the reasons and despite the scorn that is sometimes cast on the role played by legacy, affirmative action and athletic scholarships in paving the path for entry to these schools the fact that Obama like many of the word’s leaders has attended these schools is nothing to scoff at and gives support to the view that the Ivy League grooms leaders. This will likely further drive the number of applications to and rejections from these schools.

The Exotic Breadfruit

2008-11-04T15:10:00.008-05:00

Today while being bombarded with news of the US elections I had a real Jamaican lunch of saltfish, fried breadfruit and johnny cakes. I recalled telling a foreigner about the breadfruit and he had no idea what it was so this is for those others out there who might be wondering the same thing.

The breadfruit is as its name suggests a fruit that is commonly found in the Caribbean. It is round to spherical, with rugged green skin, dense and fairly weighty (five pounds is not unusual). Here is what it looks like on the tree:

It is quite common to find the tree growing in many yards in Jamaica, even in urban areas, which is interesting because this tree can be enormous reaching heights of up to 66 feet. The rich green leaves as you can see are quite beautiful and resemble the fig leaves. Some say they can be crushed and used as a remedy to lower high blood pressure.

In Jamaica the most popular method of preparing the breadfruit is to roast it. This is done by putting the whole fruit on the grill and cooking until the skin turns brownish black. It is then peeled, cored and served. Some people enjoy it boiled and yet others fry it after it has been roasted. Like the banana, potato and plantain, it can be made into chips too. By the way, its name is not accidental as it does remind of the taste of bread. Here are some more pics.

This fruit like so many others came to the Caribbean from the pacific islands. It is said that 352 plants were specifically brought to Jamaica by Captain Bligh from Tahiti. It was hoped that it would provide good food to the slaves on the plantations as it was, like rice and potato, rich in carbohydrates and considered a good staple. The slaves however hated it and instead fed it to the animals.

Today it can be found in many Jamaican restaurants and is a favourite side to our national dish ackee and saltfish. Oh ackee, you don't know what that is? I'll write about that soon.

Hunt With Nikon ATB Gear

2008-11-02T19:53:00.007-05:00

One of the many stories we've heard in the US Presidential campaign is of the hunting skills of the Republican candidate for VP, Sarah Palin. We've seen the pictures of her posing with the caribou and with her rifle and heard of her shooting exploits from a helicopter. In a hilarious prank yesterday we even heard a comedian engage her as he pretended to share in her pastime. The comedian did not sound like a tough guy so if he were to carry this prank further he would perhaps need to get some high precision optics like the binoculars available at Nikon Pro Gear.

If any of you are hunters or you'd like to get in on the hunting craze you can get some pretty cool and professional hunting equipment and even some Free ATB Pro Gear. ATB refers to All Terrain Binocular and their line of products are pretty wide ranging from the rugged to the light. If you purchase an eligible Nikon ATB up to December 31, 2008 Binocular you'll get a $50 gift card and if you purchase a Trailblazer ATB, an Action Extreme ATB, or a ProStaff binocular you'll get a $25 gift card. Check out more details here. Someone's life may depend on it.

Financial Aid for International Students

2008-11-02T00:41:00.009-05:00

Phew! If you hate preparing tax returns, balancing cheque books, examining financial records or merely filling out forms you will truly despise the process of applying for financial aid to support your kids in their bid to go to college. Nevertheless we are all grateful for the schools which do give financial support to students especially in the case of international students.

At schools which offer need based awards to international students ie. those students who are not citizens or permanent residents of the United States, the student and parents are required to complete the International Student Financial Aid Application(ISFAA). This form can be purchased on the college board website or it can be downloaded for free from the website of colleges that offer need based aid to International Students. For example at Amherst's financial aid office you can find the form in pdf format here. Interestingly, Amherst only just started including international students in its need blind admissions policy.

The form comprises seven sections.Section A deals wtih the student's personal information such as name, address, citizenship, visa type, marital status and names of colleges. Section B addresses the parents' personal information, including name of their employer and educational nformation family members currently in college . Section C is where it starts getting into the financial fineprint and this goes right through to Section G. One important piece of information that is required is the exchange rate of your currency to the US dollar. You need to state this and declare the dollar values required in US dollar terms.

The financial information required is detailed. You must submit documentation such as tax forms, employer statement or bank statement to support your declaration regarding your income. You are examined as to all sources of household income including from other members of the household and you are encouraged to speculate as to your expectations of a decrease/increase in next year's income. I would love to meet someone who is expecting an increase next year.

You are probed about your assets. So get the details of your family home to hand. The year of purchase, purchase price, amount owing, present market value of the family home and the value of other real estate is required along with investments, savings, students' assets, money owed to family and even artwork is enquired about. The assets include those owned outside of your home country. So make an inventory. it is important to note that the family business is considered here. If the parents do in fact own a famly business then the school will request that they also complete a business/farm statement which like the (ISFAA) can be found on the relevant school's website.

They are quite thorough about expenses too. Rent, utilities, food, clothing, medical espenses, insurance payments, car maintenance, vacation and even servants are among the items listed. Your debt situation is considered too. So get out those receipt, bank account and credit card statements. Your memory will not be enough and you will be required to do some mental jujitsu or even anticipate proof of developing some fundraising talents as Section F demands you list the expected support from the student, family, friends, government, private sponsor and the ubiquitous other, for educational expenses over the four year period your child will be in college.

The final section moves away from - for many - the terrifying numbers to the more comfortable prose. This means you are allowed to express yourselves as to any unuusual expenses or special circumstances which you'd like the college to consider.

Finally the student and the parents get to sign. It is important that students and parents note the deadline for filing these forms. For early action, you should be shipping them out if you haven't already. This makes it a bit tougher as if you file tax returns in your country you probably will have to get th information together a bit earlier than normal or do some speculation. For the regular decision applicants however most schools have a February deadline to submit this financial aid application. So get ready there is lots of counting ahead and remember to read the school's website to determine their policy as to aid, how financial aid packages are calculated and what you might be expected to contribute. Inform yourselves.

Jamaicans for Obama

2008-10-28T07:27:00.014-05:00

Jamaicans love a good race and so it is no surprise that they are focused like crazy on what appears to be the biggest race of this decade occurring right now in the United States of America. I know many persons who spend their evenings switching from channel to channel in a bid to get the latest on the political hustings. They are keeping abreast of the Poll of polls, comparing AP, Zogby and CNN and even participating in mock online polls. McCain's utterances are analyzed to see whether his offerings amount to anything but slurs or attacks on Obama while Obama is embraced as the agent of change, the man who will restore America's image, the man who stands as an example that skin colour oughtn't be a determinant of abilities or character, the man who makes them proud. Oh if the world could vote, Obama would win by not just a landslide but a tsunami!

This was reinforced last week when I encountered a messenger at an office where I had some business. The man was so engrossed in the political discussion on CNN that I decided to engage him.

"Did you see the article in the Observer this morning stating that almost 95% of Jamaicans support Obama?"

"Of course Miss," he replied, "but I want to know who are the other 5%; must be some upper class people."

I had to smile. Firstly he seemed to be offended by the fact that some Jamaicans actually support McCain and secondly he assumed that those supporters are of a certain class.

This was not surprising. Historically Jamaicans have warmed to leaders who lobby for the cause of the poor. In the 1970's when Michael Manley burst on the scene in the early 70’s with his “better must come” theme wrapped around the principle of self reliance, the masses enveloped him. His eloquence and bold rhetoric stirred souls until economic woes (self reliance notwithstanding) and fears of communism stoked by the opposing party who latched on to Manley’s pursuit of democratic socialism helped to sweep him out of power in 1980. Nevertheless by 1989 he was back, no longer in the kariba suits of the socialist 70’s but suitably adorned in the suit and tie, the acceptable “get-up” of leaders. Manley blew away the more conservative Seaga, a friend of big business, who was born in the USA to parents of Arab and Scottish descent. Interestingly he too had succeeded in connecting with the working class. It was not enough however as he acknowledged that he needed to address social issues on a larger scale.

In Jamaica we have had white and black leaders and yes a woman too but somehow the issues that have always taken center stage are the economy, crime and social infrastructure and perhaps ideology but not race, not age, not gender.

Many say that Jamaicans’ support for Obama is influenced by his race and for sure that cannot be discounted after all this is a society that is 90% black, that gave birth to the black nationalist Marcus Garvey and the socially conscious Bob Marley. Hell yes race is an issue and we know that on the flip side there are white people including registered Democrats who just cannot stomach the idea of voting for Obama because he is black. But is it really that simple that black supporters are favouring Obama just because he is black? On some level yes, but Obama offers a redoubtable counter to a stubborn image presented of many young black men in society as shiftless, uneducated and unambitious. Further he has been able to convince the majority of the black populace that he has a grasp of and a clear plan of action to address the issues they care about.

To be sure, Obama had more opportunities than many but he has managed to navigate a path using his brains, skills and no doubt connections to get to this place and he beat the formidable Clintons in the process. That is no ordinary feat and no ordinary black man and it is that demonstration of brilliance and tactical dexterity executed while articulating liberal views that keeps people in awe. Professor Dyson touches on it in this video.

So this time around when issues of abortion, religion and gun control have taken a back seat, the television sets in Jamaica are blazing with American political news and views. Most of the people I speak with express admiration for Obama because he has found a way with the support of the white man to be within reach of a goal previously thought attainable only by a white man. To them he is the underdog and that is what makes it so compelling to watch.

Get A House for $10

2008-10-18T11:56:00.005-05:00

As an attorney whose practice includes lots of real estate work this story in Business Week caught my eye. According to the article, Brown University in Providence, rhode Island is offering three homes on its campus for $10. The University needs space to construct its Mind Behaviour Building and instead of demolition it is choosing to sell the homes but you must have figured by now that if they want the space it means the buyer has got to haul the homes away. The homes are 19th century homes by the way so if you love old homes, you should check it out.

Have you ever watched the HGTV show Haulin' House with its tagline "when it's time for a change of address, Haulin' House gives just pick up and move a whole new meaning? They lift the homes from its foundation using hydraulic jacks and move it ever so slowly to its new location. When you see it in action it is non-stop keeping your fingers crossed. The trees, bridges, street lamps and so on become obstacles like never before.

I have no idea what hauling those homes cost but as a sweetener the university is offering to assist with relocation expenses. So if you have got the land, go grab your historic $10 house.

Get Your Halloween Costumes Early

2008-10-17T21:16:00.005-05:00

When my son went to school in the USA he took to the Halloween celebration - which we don't really do as much in my country - like a fish to water. Every October he spends time deciding on what to wear to his school Halloween party. Sometimes it isn't so easy to find the perfect costume but usually he ends up doing fine. One year he tried Malcom X. Last year he went as a secret agent.

If you and your kids have faced this problem you should check out Halloween Adventure the Masters of Masquerade. This place is awesome with some 5,000 new products including Pirate Costumes - who doesn't love Jack the Sparrow, - witches, devils, werewolves and of course movie characters.

What is nice is how relevant these costumes are. They have in stock great representations of Iron man, Harry Potter and Indiana Jones. We know too that kids love being heroes and the classic superhero costumes are in high demand. In keeping with the movie inspirational costume Batman is hot.

This site is not for kids alone though. For adults if your workplace is having a dress up day you can join in by masquerading as Abraham Lincoln or a 50's starlet. The range is wide. Indeed Halloween Adventure is known to have the largest supply of costumes and party supplies on the web and so it is more than certain that you will find something affordable. If you order for friends and family you might be able to benefit from free economy shipping on orders over $100.