Dream Big! That's the message that Kristi Yamaguchi sends in her new book Dream Big, Little Pig. Isn't she adorable. Her name is Poppy. Poppy is an ice skater, and has been invited to skate at the World Games ice skating championship in Paris. Poppy is nervous about heading to Paris. She lives in New York, and becomes anxious about heading to France. It's so far away. She is encouraged by her friend, Emma, who tells her to "Dream Big, Pig!" Poppy's grandparents said, "You go girl!" and her parents give her comfort by letting her know that they would be with her every step of the way.
Emma gives Poppy a good luck charm, and Poppy heads to Paris. Once she arrives at the World Athlete Village, she is nervous and bumps into a snowboarder from China named Li. Li and Poppy become friends and walk the village together to find the athlete check-in. Poppy becomes hungry and decides to head to the dining hall. The dining hall is full and she scans the room for a seat. A skier from Italy waved to Poppy and offers her a seat at her table. They too become friends.
Poppy leaves the dining hall and heads to the practice rink. There she meets another skater from Japan. They admire each other's costumes and become friends. Poppy skated from her heart during the competition and remembered all the friends and discoveries that she had made during the trip. Her parents were there to support her and decided they would stay for the remainder of the week so they could visit the Eiffel Tower, museums and eat French food. It turned out to be a beautiful trip, one that Poppy would always remember.
Personally, I think the book is adorable and highly recommend it. My daughter and I were big fans of Kristi's and followed her during the Olympics and on Season 6 of Dancing With The Stars. The lesson in her book is clear. It teaches children to work through their fears and follow their dreams. It also teaches them to experience new things and meet new people. The world is a big place and should be experienced. It also teaches children about being kind and helping another person.
The illustrations in the book are colorful and fun and the book has a hardback cover that will help withstand little hands. I'm sure it will become a favorite bedtime story for many children. I'm looking forward to reading it to my granddaughter. The only thing missing in Kristi Yamaguchi's book is her autograph. Now if I could just figure out how to get this book signed, lol.
Kristi has written a sequel to Dream Big Little Pig. It's A Big World, Little Pig is on the horizon and due out March 6, 2012. The book will sell for $16.99 in the US. All proceeds will benefit childhood literacy programs supported by Kriti's Always Dream Foundation.
3:24 PM
Categories:
book reviews,
children's books,
children's gifts,
Dream Big Little Pig,
gold medalists,
Kristi Yamaguchi,
Olympics.
Author: rmgales
This is Mother 2 Mother's first post from our Guest Bloggers. Our guest blogger today is Elaine K. Stephen who is a work at home Christian Mom and the Sole Proprietor of the
Inspirational Gift Gallery and Inspirational Sympathy Gifts. Elaine sells affordable gifts, including Baptism gifts, that express God’s word,
Christ's sacrifice and inspire Christian love, comfort and joy. Elaine also
enjoys writing for her Inspirational Christian Stories, Poems, Gifts blog. Elaine shares tips on how to plan a great Christening Day below.
A child is the most precious of all earthly gifts from God. In acceptance of our
gift, we promise our Lord that we will raise our child in Christian faith.
Depending on your Christian denomination, your may Christen your baby, have a
Baby Dedication or Baptize an older child. No matter which, the ceremony day is
a day of celebration.
As with any celebration, moms want to do it right.
We want to make the day special and the celebration memorable. Planning in
advance is crucial. There are so many things to do and so many people to honor
in our Christening, Baby Dedication or child’s Baptism celebration.
OK,
I’ll just say it. It’s a party! But for Christian moms, one of the most
important parties we’ll ever host. So where do we start? No matter what the
occasion, I always start with a list of guests. Everything you purchase for your
celebration depends upon the guest list. For most parties the number of
families, adults and children is sufficient. But when selecting guests for a
Christening, Baby Dedication or Baptism celebration, it’s important to remember
the place of honor each guest has during the ceremony and celebration as
well.
- The total number of families will tell us how many invitations and
thank you cards we need to purchase. The invitations should include what the
celebration is, who the celebration is for, the time and Church location for the
ceremony. The time and location of the celebration and the RSVP information.
It’s important to remember to leave at least an hour between church ceremony and
the start of the celebration for both traveling and freshening up time for your
guests as well as preparation time for yourself.
- The total number of
adults and children will tell us how much food we should prepare or order. If
your celebration is to be held at a restaurant or you are having it catered in
your home, the planning of food is left up to the professionals. But for those
moms who prepare their own food, we need to calculate. We want to make sure we
have enough food and don’t run out, but we also don’t want to over spend and
waste a lot of food. As a rule of thumb, each guest will consume approximately
one pound of food. For example, if you're serving four items, such as an
appetizer, a salad, a main dish, and a side dish, you can multiply 1/4 pound of
each food item per person. Of course, people of different sizes consume
differently. Children may eat less, teenage boys may eat more. So to be on the
safe side, add 10% to your total food. I certainly have nothing against
leftovers and my guess is most of you moms don’t either.
- The place of
honor the guests hold will tell us how many and what type of keepsake gifts we
need to purchase. When you plan a wedding reception, all the guest receive the
same keepsake gifts at their place setting. When you plan a child’s birthday
party, all the children receive the same goody bags. But when you plan a
Christening, Baby Dedication or Baptism celebration, this is not true. We will
need to purchase different keepsake gifts for the people of honor in the
ceremony, clothes relatives and general keepsake gifts for all other family
members and friends.
- Godparents should be honored with a special keepsake
gift. A Godparent love’s your child and promises to assist you in the rearing of
your child in Christian faith. They usually are selected to rear your child in
your absence. This is a great gift to you and your child and a respectable
undertaking.
- Grandparents should be honored with a special keepsake gift
as well. Grandparents are the driving force behind your Christian rearing and
your child’s. They love you and your child and provide a lifetime of experience.
Surely their wisdom will be of great assistance to both you and your child
throughout the years to come.
- Since your guests support your child’s
Christening, Baby Dedication or Baptism and show their love for you and your
child with gifts, it is important for us to show our appreciation with small
keepsakes. If your child’s Christening, Baby Dedication or Baptism celebration
will be a sit down dinner, then a place setting keepsake gift is appropriate. If
you are having a buffet, then a basket of keepsake gifts at the door personally
handed out by mom and dad as your guest depart is wonderful way to say thank
you.
- Decorations will make your child‘s Christening, Baby Dedication or
Baptism celebration beautiful. For decorations, a simple white and silver or
white and gold color theme is usually selected. White symbolizes your child’s
purity. Silver is said to symbolize the connection between man and God. Gold is
said to symbolize rejoicing in our blessings. A Christian symbol should be
selected as well. A cross is the most common, but a dove of peace or angel theme
is perfectly acceptable. Paper goods, room decorations and your keepsake gifts
should be unified in color and Christian symbol.
- Your baby’s outfit
is a special one which will follow your color and Christian symbol theme and
become keepsakes as well. For the ceremony, depending on the child’s age, a
gown, dress or suit, a bonnet or hat, and baby booties or shoes and socks are a
must. There are so many additions to the basics available these days including
jewelry and handkerchiefs. But don‘t forget a change of clothes for your child
in case of a mishap. And don‘t forget about your own and the rest of your
families outfits for the day.
- Entertainment suitable? I say yes.
Almost anywhere you hold your Christening, Baby Dedication or Baptism
celebration can accommodate Christian music. Either a CD player or a DJ will do
the trick. If small children will be in attendance, Bible story coloring books,
games and puzzles will keep them entertained.
- Keep the memories alive for
a lifetime with photographs. Your going to be busy! You have guest to talk to
and a child to care for. Ask a family member or friend who is good to take
pictures and video if possible. If you can manage it, a professional photographer
can’t be beat. If you like candid photos, supply some disposable cameras your
guests can use.
- Lastly, don’t forget about accommodations for your out of
town guests. You may be able to house close family member or friends. If you can
not or there are just too many, supply a list of local hotels in your
invitation. If the out of town guest is a Godparent, you should offer to pay for
their accommodations. After all, they are an honored part of your ceremony and
celebration.
10:42 AM
Categories:
baby's christening,
baptism,
christening,
Christening day tips,
Inspiration gifts.
Author: rmgales
Finally a picture of Beyonce and Blue Ivy Carter and oh what a beautiful baby she is. Who would expect anything less from the famous mother and now most famous baby in the world. Beyonce looks like a proud mother, and she looks fabulous just weeks after giving birth to this little bundle of joy. I love the fact that mom and dad decided to trademark the name Blue Ivy Carter. So if you had plans to try to duplicate little Blue Ivy, forget about it. How savvy is that, lol.
Here's a picture of Blue Ivy's crib. Daddy, Jay-Z, shelled out $22,00 for the coach at Posh Tots. That's a bundle of money for me, but when you're worth several hundred million it's a drop in the bucket. Personally, if I had millions I would purchase this adorable crib for my little princess. Actually, Jay-Z is quite frugal compared to Mariah Carey. Check out the coach she purchased for her little princess. That baby starts at $47,000, lol.
Oprah sent a trunk full of her favorite children's books and friend Gwyneth Paltrow has gifted Blue Ivy with a top of the line special edition Bugaboo Cameleon stroller. The Bugaboo Cameleon is the stroller of choice for the stars. Friend Kelly Rowland give her BFF a Swarovski-crystal studded Baby Diamond Bathtub worth $5,200. I love royalty in America, lol. I wish Beyonce and little Blue Ivy the best, and hope she enjoys being a mother as much as I do.
4:09 PM
Categories:
Beyonce,
Beyonce's baby,
Blue Ivy Carter,
celebrity baby gifts,
Gwyneth Paltrow,
Jay Z,
Kelly Rowland,
Oprah Winfrey.
Author: rmgales
Social Media has changed the way we do business, communicate and meet new friends. It seems to have taken over a big portion of my life. I was thinking about my life before Social Media became a part of it and here's how I lived it before I became a Social Butterfly:
- Visited family
- Went to stores to shop
- Cooked frequently
- Cleaned the house
- Made to do list
- Watched TV occasionally
- Talked on the house phone
- More physically active
- Met friends/family at Social Functions and for lunch or dinner
- Visited the library
As a result of Social Media I now:
- Talk to family on Facebook
- Send text messages
- Shop on-line
- Rarely cook
- Hired a maid
- Watch television while I'm on the computer
- Rarely spend time with friends
- Less active and spreading like the flu
- Meet new friends on-line
- Share my thoughts on Twitter
- Own a Kindle Fire to read books & magazines
- Blog
I have started to spend less time on the computer. I'm now gardening, scrapbooking, and walking 1.5 - 2 miles each morning. Leave us a comment, we would love to know how Social Media has changed your life.
4:50 PM
Categories:
blogs,
Facebook,
social media,
Twitter,
You Tube.
Author: rmgales
Would you put your teen daughter on birth control? Are we naive to think that our teen daughters won't engage in sex? Statistics state that 3 in 10 teen girls in the US will get pregnant at least once before age 20? That's about 745,000 teen pregnancies each year. The average cost of raising a baby through the age of 18 is approximately $269,520. Statistics show that the US has the highest birth rate followed by the United Kingdom.
Sexually active teens prefer the condom. They also engage in sex using the withdrawal method and the pill is their third choice of birth control. In March 2011, a study showed that teenage sex had decreased. There was no explanation as to why, but it was assumed that they were concerned with sexually transmitted diseases. Wouldn't it be nice to think our children will remain abstinent until they get married. I live in the real world, and I know that chances of that happening are slim to none. As a result, can we have a dialogue about birth control please.
Students at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania can get the "morning-after" pill by sliding $25 into a vending machine. They can purchase a condom from the same machine or a pregnancy test. Some experts have concerns that making Plan B so readily available isn't a good idea. They are equating it to the abortion pill. Experts feel that teens should at least have to go to a pharmacy to obtain Plan B, so they can discuss the risk factors. Now I'm not saying that discussing risk factors isn't a good idea, but I would venture to say that it won't be a priority for a teen who didn't use protection. As far as being educated on the risks, they will probably see Google as a better alternative than having to drive to a pharmacy to discuss Plan B over the counter. Lets say they did drive to the pharmacy, rregardless of what the pharmacist says, they will more than likely take the pill.
When I read the article, I wondered what the difference was from a teen purchasing the morning after pill out of a vending machine versus them being able to go to a clinic and getting birth control for free. I don't want to make this a pro-abortion or pro-choice post. I try hard to leave my political beliefs out of my posts. However, twenty-one states allow minors to obtain birth control without parental consent. Somebody must be coming into the clinics to get them or it wouldn't be an issue.
Personally, I preferred to take my daughter to obtain contraception rather than her going on her own, and I did. Yes, I sure did. Some may see me as condoning her having sex, but I saw it as a preventive measure. In my mind, I thought it would be best if she had if and when she decided to become active. Why, because I didn't want her to become a teen mom and I wasn't naive enough to think that she wouldn't become active once she was out of my control. As a single mother, I didn't want to raise another child. Most importantly, I didn't want her to be a statistic. I was a teen mother. I became pregnant with my daughter at seventeen and gave birth at eighteen. Although I had a supportive mom and dad, raising her was not easy. I didn't pawn her off on my parents, I took responsibility for her.
I was thankful that I had a good job with potential to move up in the federal government and I did. I had excellent benefits, and was lucky enough to be able to provide a good life for her. I never lived off the taxpayer's dollar, received food stamps or WIC. She didn't receive free meals at school and the taxpayer didn't pay for her medical expense. I married a year later, and my husband provided well for us. Most teens are not in a position to be able to provide and they usually don't marry and have their husbands provide for them. The taxpayer usually ends up with the expense. I am so grateful that I wasn't a welfare statistic nor did I have to go through the trauma of giving my child up for adoption.
I believe that we can preach to the choir, but will they truly hear the sermon. We can try our best to be examples, but when hormones are jumping and our teens are influenced should we supply them with protection. My daughter married after she completed her college degree, and she didn't have children until after she was married. I often wonder if that is because of me helping to protect her as a teen.
For my readers who are currently raising a teenage daughter or will have a teenage daughter in the future, would you take your daughter to get birth control? Do you think birth control should be dispensed from a vending machine? Do you have experience as a teen mother or as a single mom? I would love to hear your views on this subject.
8:22 PM
Categories:
birth control,
birth control pills,
morning after pill,
Plan B,
teen pregnancy.
Author: rmgales
I love Superbowl. Not because I'm a big football fan I don't watch it to be honest, but I do watch the Superbowl commericals. Why, because I love the commericals and I want to see why a company has spent a millions dollars on a commerical. Here's my list of best and worst commericals in no particular order:
Best
- Doritos: Man's Best Friend
- Audi: Vampire Party
- Chevy: Happy Grads
- Fiat: Seduction (still laughing about this one)
- Honda: Matthew's Days Off
- Pepsi: The Lava Lizard (Elton John and Flavor Flav)
- Cars.com: Neck
Worst
- Chevy: 2012
- Bud Light: Dog Rescue
- Acura: Jerry Steinfield
- Hulu: Hulaboratory
- Go Daddy: The Cloud
If I had to choose one from the Best List, it would be the Fiat commerical, and from the Worst List it would be Go Daddy. I'm so sick of Go Daddy using half naked women to sell their brand. That type of advertising is just not appealing to me. What where your favorite and less favorite commericals?
4:03 PM
Categories:
football,
football commericals,
Super Bowl,
Super Bowl 2012,
Super Bowl commericals.
Author: rmgales
