Want to hear a story from Betty White? Or print off Barbie summer camp activities? And help kids in need at the same time? Then we’ve got the program for you!
Save the Children just launched its annual summer reading campaign, 100 Days of Reading. The website is packed with fun activities and ideas to keep kids reading and learning this summer. You’ll find book suggestions, playlists, imaginary activities and more—plus new things are added every week!
Better yet, every link that is clicked or tapped will help impoverished children across rural America. These actions unlock donations of books, educational materials and healthy food for 750,000 kids. Save the Children’s mission is to ensure kids are getting the early support they need to be successful in school and in life. If you want to take it one step further, you can join in a summer fundraising program. Create your own page, choose an activity (like selling lemonade or gardening) and share on social to make even more of an impact!
Ready to get started? Visit the 100 Days of Reading website and start exploring the site and logging your reading minutes. It’s one more way to help your kids have the ultimate summer of fun and learning, while giving back at the same time!
It’s almost Memorial Day weekend, and Dunkin’ is here for the hot weather! The brand is celebrating the end of the school year with brand new lemonade refreshers, donuts and MUNCHKINS that will get you in the summer spirit.
The new menu items will be available for a limited time, and DD Perks members will get extra goodies, too. From May 26 through Jun. 8 members will earn points toward a free beverage reward three times as fast with 3X points on all Dunkin’ Lemonade Refresher purchases. That’s 15 points per dollar!
There are three new options to choose from when it comes to Dunkin’ Lemonade Refreshers: Strawberry flavored lemonade, Peach flavored lemonade and Blueberry flavored lemonade. Each one is made with lemonade, B vitamins and flavored fruit concentrate which means a bright and cheery drink.
Be sure to pick up a few Berry Powdered Donuts and MUNCHKINS donut hole treats! The items feature a new berry powder that packs a sweet berry punch, not to mention a sweet pink look.
Dunkin’ is also getting ready for National Donut Day––with a free donut. Head to your local shop on Fri. Jun. 4 to snag a free classic donut with the purchase of your drink.
Don’t forget to deck out for the big day with the #NationalDonutDay collection that is rife with limited-edition customizable donut-themed fashions! The special line officially drops at 12:00 p.m. EST on Thur., Jun. 3, only at shopdunkin.com.
Summer is almost here—and Sam’s Club has the perfect sweet treat for the season! If you’re a fan of the fab foodie fare you’d find at a summer-time carnival, the Fun Sweets Summer Cotton Candy Assortment is a must-have.
Forget about the typical cotton candy flavors you’ve enjoyed for decades. The Fun Sweets Summer Cotton Candy Assortment has all-new tastes you won’t expect from the spun sugary goodie.
photo courtesy of Sam’s Club
With flavors such as watermelon, orange cream and pink lemonade, this cotton candy 12-pack pairs perfectly with your summer picnic or BBQ meal. Not only does this wispy treat come in creative mix of tastes, it’s also free of gluten, GMOs, fat, peanuts and tree nuts.
Between family get-togethers, summer-time outdoor playdates and everything else you’ll do in the warm weather season, you need sweet snacks to quickly divvy up between the kiddos. The 12 individual tubs of cotton candy won’t keep you in the kitchen splitting treats into tiny pieces or force you to spend time making individual goody bags. Instead, give each child their fave flavor in their own tub.
Find this 12-pack assortment in Sam’s Club stores nationwide or online for $9.98.
Whether currently, or at one time or another in our lives, I think most of us have experienced the feeling of not having control in a situation, or not knowing what to do, or what is the best decision to make. Perhaps you’ve felt helpless, emotionally overwhelmed, or as if you just couldn’t stand one more thing occurring. Being the mom of a child with profound special needs definitely generates those feelings in me on a frequent basis.
In my opinion, life is about learning to cherish every moment granted to us, especially the sorrowful or ordinary ones because each moment that passes us by holds eternal weight. I’ve identified three ways to encourage myself to retrain my daily focus—to learn, appreciate and soak up how each moment, happy or difficult adds value to the overall story of my life.
Seize the Day
How often do we tell ourselves that we will call our friend later, start eating healthy, focusing on self-care or we’ll start working on accomplishing that life-long dream when the timing is right—then never actually do it? It seems that we are always putting things off because we tell ourselves that we don’t have time right now. If the COVID quarantine has taught us anything it’s that ‘timing’ isn’t the issue. What we may be lacking is the motivation or confidence to live for today and identify the value in the little things.
Regardless of the challenges each day may bring, and with special needs children those can be unique and plentiful, remember your ‘Why.’ Each day presents an opportunity, whether it’s large or small to push ourselves to grow and learn and appreciate the now. That is my ‘why.’ By seizing the most out of each day, I’m modeling for my kids the importance of never settling and to keep seeking ways to turn lemons into lemonade.
Especially on days when I’ve lost my patience because my son has thrown his food to the floor and his hitting was at an all-time high, all while I was extremely sleep deprived, I recognize that how I handled those tough moments doesn’t define me or my entire day—but rather refines me and how I will handle adversity in the future. I instead choose to be grateful for the sweet family moments, random acts of kindness, laughter and the chance to experience it all again tomorrow.
Attitude Is Everything
The longer I live, the more I realize the impact a positive attitude has on one’s life. I truly believe a person’s attitude is more important than money, than failures or successes, and certainly more important than outward appearances and social-media profiles.
We have a choice every day regarding the attitude we embrace for that day. We cannot change how others act, the things they say (or post), or the inevitable outcome of many situations. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. We are in charge of our attitude!
I also hold onto a strong belief that everything happens for a reason. I wake up each day with the intention of smiling and laughing more while not wasting energy on gossip, negative thoughts, or things beyond my control. The benefit of maintaining a positive attitude (and constant resetting throughout the day if needed) is that when situations go awry it’s so much more productive to laugh and develop an alternative solution rather than being stressed and angry.
Stop & Appreciate the Beauty in & around You
It is so easy to become hypnotized by a daily routine and feel that everyday actions such as driving to work or coordinating therapy sessions are mundane and monotonous thus causing fatigue and burnout. I would wager that we don’t get burned out because of what we do. We get burned out because we forget why we do it.
We must remind ourselves that we are surrounded by the beauty of God’s creation and we ourselves are a part of that. Choose to focus on what you “get to” do versus what you “have to” do. Life is a gift, not an obligation.
“Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don’t wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it’s at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored.” ― Earl Nightingale
Looking for something fun and out of the ordinary? The Venice Canals are a perfect outing for families of all ages. Moms love tucking their little bundles into the stroller for a scenic walk while older kids dart around looking for ducks and race across the many arched bridges.
Tucked just a few blocks from the famous Muscle Beach and Venice Pier, this network of man-made canals were built in 1905 by developer Abbot Kinney as a homage to Venice, Italy. Back in the day gondolas took tourists on a tour while today small boats and canoes belonging to homeowners are moored along the route. Four canals stretch east-west, Carroll, Linnie, Howland, and Sherman while the Eastern and Grand Canals run north-south. This quaint neighborhood feels like a hidden pocket of Los Angeles, and the quiet atmosphere and fresh, ocean air does wonders!
When to Go: Year around, which is why we love this easy trip. During the winter months, the temperatures may be chilly and foggy (with cooler temperatures stretching into the spring) while the summer months provide cooling ocean breezes.
How to Get There: Aim for the intersection Dell and South Venice Blvd. Heading West on Venice Blvd., this will land you smack in the middle of the canals.
Parking: Parking is plentiful if you make the trip on a weekday. Look for spots at the top of the canals. Street cleaning is Tues. from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., so parking can be difficult. Weekends are always busy so hedge your bets and get there early.
Good to Know: Beachside is always cooler than expected, so always have a light jacket or cover up on hand. Yes, even in the summer!
What to Do: The walkways and bridges make a fun runway for kids of all ages to explore. Armadas of ducks float along the canals, the occasional pelican swoops in for a bite of fish, plus there are plenty of butterflies, squirrels, and housecats that make for a fun game of I Spy. Note that while most of the sidewalks along the canals are shielded by bushes, there are open spaces for the kids to get close to the water, so you’ll want to keep a hand on little ones. Signs are posted requesting visitors to not feed the ducks, but you might want to pack a few morsels of bread, just in case (wink wink).
Lunch Spots: Abbott Kinney is a short 5-10 minute walk from the canals and is brimming with places to shop and eat. Lemonade (1661 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice) is the closest destination and situated on the corner of Abbot Kinney and Venice. The chic buffet serves up light salads, specialty sandwiches, and the kid-perfect macaroni and cheese—not to mention refreshing blueberry lemonade. A surefire food fix is Abbott’s Pizza Company (1407 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice) where you can grab a slice or order up a pie.
Cost of Trip: Free, unless food or other souvenirs are desired.
Bonus: For some retail therapy for the children, hit up Burro Goods on Abbot Kinney (1409 Abbot Kinney, Venice). The boutique has lovely gifts, adorable clothes, and unique books and games.
Summer may not be what we expected, but let’s take these lemons and make them into lemonade. Hello Bello wants to help with their new August lemonade stand diaper bundle box. Each purchase will also help raise funds for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, a nonprofit fighting childhood cancer.
Simply order your Hello Bello diaper subscription, build the box into a stand, post a photo using #HBLemonAid and Hello Bello will donate $1 to the cause (max donation is $10k).
Proceeds from this virtual fundraiser will go directly to Alex’s Lemonade Stand to help change the lives of children with cancer through funding impactful research, raising awareness, supporting families and empowering everyone to help cure childhood cancer.
Hello Bello always goes the extra mile to provide families with fun and unique experiences through their diaper bundle boxes. Their July boxes transformed into rockets, May boxes were designed like treasure boxes and the holiday themed boxes turned into cute gingerbread houses.
Summertime means lemonade. Unfortunately due to social distancing guidelines, lemonade stands across the country are closed. To help the smallest of small businesses, kids’ lemonade stands, Country Time is launching the Littlest Bailout Relief Fund, a fund to send stimulus checks to kids who had to close their lemonade stands due to COVID-19.
“The small business government bailouts helped some not-so-small companies and Country Time hopes to help a real small business near and dear to us – lemonade stands”
The Country Time Bailout Relief Fund will send stimulus checks to help kids preserve the values of lemonade stands, honest work and entrepreneurship, while putting a little juice back into the economy. For a chance to receive Country Time Bailout Relief funds, simply visit www.countrytimebailout.com and apply for a bailout check. Check your email to find out if you have been randomly selected to receive a bailout, which will come in the form of a commemorative check in the mail and a prepaid gift card by email.
country-time-giving-money-kids-lemonade-stands-closedand can be saved, or better yet, spent to help invest in the local economy.
“The small business government bailouts helped some not-so-small companies and Country Time hopes to help a real small business near and dear to us – lemonade stands,” says Andrew Deckert of Country Time, “Country Time has a history of helping lemonade stands when they are in trouble, like stepping in to pay for permit fees and fines, and this year is no different. Due to social distancing guidelines, lemonade stands aren’t what they used to be, and we want to help kids foster their entrepreneurial spirit by offering a small relief to those who can’t operate their lemonade stands this summer.”
The Littlest Bailout comes after Country Time launched Legal-Ade in 2018, which helped kids across the country pay permit fees and fines on their lemonade stands due to outdated permit laws. Legal-Ade prompted legislation in several states across the country, including Colorado and Texas, to legalize lemonade stands by excluding them from businesses that need a permit to operate. This year, Country Time will continue helping kids and their lemonade stands to ensure even the smallest of businesses can keep their entrepreneurial dreams alive. So, when life gives you social distancing, make lemonade.
When the text arrived with the pic of a long-ago acquired recipe for “Cheezy Pretzels” from a former Little Folks School parent, Nicole Bagley, I had two reactions. The first was sheer joy at the memory of Nicole and her beautiful family; her two children, Dylan (now age 17) and Ella (now age 12) had attended the Little Folks School when they were young. And secondly, I laughed out loud at her message which stated that after 13 years—while sheltering in place in Colorado—they were finally getting around to making the pretzels!
At the Little Folks Summer Camp in Washington, DC, it is an annual tradition to hold a “Pretzel and Lemonade Sale” every July. Besides being a favorite activity that everyone in our community looks forward to, it is loaded with learning. The children work hard to measure out ingredients, to mix and knead the pretzel dough, and then to make it into shapes for baking. Children choose a job: welcoming customers, selling tickets, taking orders for pretzels and lemonade, holding signs, or passing out napkins. Our little bakers and entrepreneurs usually earn enough money to fund special treats at the end-of-camp Music and Art Fair!
Mid-day, family members and friends arrive to purchase the refreshments…and even the recipe!
Each year the campers make more and more pretzels, and no matter how many we make, they are always sold out. Not only is it fun to remember this fantastic event, but it is great to be reminded of this delicious and fun recipe, especially while we are staying at home and looking for activities to pass the time.
Remembering the bright spots from the past, and creating new memories, goes a long way to keep us feeling positive.
Maybe you can make a batch of pretzels and along with some fun memories with your children right now!
LITTLE FOLKS SCHOOL CHEEZY PRETZELS
Ingredients:
4 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 package dry yeast
! tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 cup warm water
1 teaspoon salt
4-5 cups of flour
1 egg
coarse salt
Directions:
Dissolve yeast and sugar in water. Combine salt, 4 cups of flour, and cheese. Stir in yeast mixture, adding more flour if needed to make a stiff dough. Knead 5-10 minutes until the dough is smooth.
For traditional pretzels break off small pieces of dough and shape into a long snake, twisting to make a pretzel shape. It is also fun to makes circles, numbers, letters, etc…
Place pretzels on uncreased pans allowing space between them.
Brush each with beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse salt.
I am a parent and grandparent with over four decades of experience in early childhood education. I share my passion, wisdom and experience, with parents and the people who care for and about children at Little Folks Big Questions, where we're out to answer the questions parents face in today's world.
Break out your peg legs and your eye patches— you’ve gotta celebrate at every meal with your little buccaneers. From pirate ship cakes to hearty turkey legs, no pirate will be able to resist the siren call of these treats. Click through the slideshow to get inspayarrrred.
Get inspired by Thirsty for Tea to add a pirate-themed twist to your lunch. A layer of seaweed adds a crispy, savory touch to an otherwise classic grilled cheese. To get the recipe, click here.
We love these seafaring cupcakes from An Edible Mosaic—the blue and purple frosting makes a perfectly frothy ocean, and the cupcake base (inspired by the cocktail of the same name) is spiced with rum extract, ginger and molasses for moistness. To get the recipe, click here.
Any pirate worth their salt would be happy to gorge on a giant turkey leg after arriving in port. This version from Nutmeg Nanny fancies it up a bit with a homemade peach barbecue sauce. Grab the recipe by clicking here.
Savvy pirates had to be sure to include citrus in their diet to keep the scurvy at bay. Get the kiddos their vitamin C fix with The Iron You’s tasty lemonade recipe. To find out how it's made, click here.
Frosting and a bit of creativity go a long way. Check out this awesome cake from Baked Bree and get inspired to make a swashbuckling creation of your own. To find out how it’s done, click here.
Take a cue from the pirate diet and make this healthier take on fish and chips from Chelsea’s Messy Apron. Kiddos will love munching on the extra crispy bites, and a 5-minute tartar sauce tops it all off. Click here to grab the recipe.
Kids can pretend to be pirates sailing away on these cute boats from Food with Feeling. Stuffed with black beans, peppers and spices, it’s a lightning fast weeknight meal, too. To get the recipe, click here.
Keep the ocean theme rolling with this sparkling drink from Baking Beauty. With a Swedish fish or two as a garnish, it’s super eye-catching and tasty too. To see the recipe, click here.
Keep it simple by making these cute hot dogs from Pizzazzerie. Your budding buccaneers will love this outside-the-box take on an everyday lunch. To get the details, click here.
With winter underway, most of us are longing for the warmer days of spring and summer. If you can’t wait to feel the sun on your face, you’ll want to get your hands on the newest craze to hit the Starbucks secret menu, the “Orange Drink.”
With a flavor that mirrors peach gummy rings, this perfect for summer beverage has just the right sweet and sour taste. So how do you order one?
According to Totally The Bomb, start your drink by ordering a Venti with half-sweet Black Tea Lemonade. Add peach tea (or peach juice if your Starbucks doesn’t have peach tea) and a splash of soy milk and serve over ice.
