ML Interest Tag: mentor

The NEW Harry Potter LEGO Collab Is Wingardium LeviAwesome (Sneak Peek!)

by Shahrzad Warkentin

Harry Potter and LEGO are no strangers. They have shared many awesome playsets over the years, but the latest collaboration between the Potter and LEGO empires is something entirely different. A Harry Potter LEGO minifgure series is coming Aug. 1 and we got a sneak peek of some of the highlights. Featuring characters from both Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts, the minifig collection recently had a photoshoot in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter studio in London. Scroll down to see the pics!

The Most Magical Minifigures

LEGO

This new blind bag minifigure collection will feature 22 different characters from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. 

Fantastic Figures

LEGO

Besides the classic Hogwarts-era cast, there will also be six characters from the Fantastic Beasts including Newt Scamander accompanied by Niffler.

Accessorized

LEGO

Each figure comes packaged with an awesome accessory, like Harry and his Invisibility Cloak.

The Dark Side

LEGO

And of course there are villains, like He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his beloved Nagini.

A Little Help Around the House

LEGO

Don't be surprised if you step on Dobby more than once as he makes his way about your house....

Weasleys are Represented

LEGO

Because, no hero can win against evil without his sidekick best friend. 

Hogwart's Best Heroine

LEGO

Or the problem-solving Herminone Granger and her cranky cat Crookshanks.

Wise Old Wizard

LEGO

Every young wizard needs a magical mentor. This one comes complete with his own pensieve.

The Comedic Foils

LEGO

Every famous wizard needs a few wacky sidekicks and Luna Lovegood comes ready to stir up some laughs with a copy of the Quibbler hot of the plastic presses.

The Cast of 22

LEGO

While many favorites, like Dumbledore, Dobby and Mad Eye Moody, are in the set, there are a few surprising characters missing, like Hagrid, Snape and Belatrix Lestrange. We can only hope that means this is simply the first wave in what is sure to be one of the most popular LEGO minifigure collections ever.

The new Harry Potter minifigures will be available starting August 1, starting at $3.99 and available at lego.com and wherever LEGO products are sold!

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: LEGO

RELATED STORIES:

Harry Potter Fans Can Totally Live Stream the World Quidditch Cup

The IKEA & LEGO Collab You’ve Always Wanted Is Actually Happening

After Plant-Based Bricks, LEGO Aims for 100% Sustainable Packaging

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How Positive Parenting Saved My Relationship with My Teenage Daughter

By Eddie Lee

Mother and daughter fights were unheard of in my household growing up. I did what my mother said, and that was the end of it, but my daughter didn’t get that memo. Before Makhyli was a teenager, I bragged about how wonderful she was to anyone who would listen. I thought God divinely and carefully crafted this perfect child out of loving angel tears specifically for me to enjoy my time here on planet Earth.

Then she turned 13 and it shook me to my core.

In the beginning, it took a lot of patience when she started to push back, and even more patience when she started to talk back and roll her eyes at any and everything I said. I have a strong personality and a tough and intimidating reputation, but Makhyli didn’t see me that way or didn’t care. She seemed to love pushing my buttons, so she could hear me scream and watch me go off! If I said the sky was blue, she argued it was orange.

I remember watching her yawn a thousand times before telling her to get to bed. She told me she wasn’t tired. She forced herself to stay awake, only to fall asleep five minutes later on the couch. We had countless moments like this that drove me crazy. She was turning me into the mother I swore I would not be, a mother I didn’t even know I could be. Suddenly, Makhyli felt impossible to raise, especially alone.

After several incidents caused me to blow up and later reflect and feel ashamed for losing control and being petty Eddie, I realized I had to figure out a better way to deal with this new challenging (to say the very least) daughter I was raising. Here’s what I discovered.

Mutual Respect

Many people don’t understand they can’t demand respect from anyone including their child. A parent may demand their child do as they are told, but demanding respect doesn’t work the same way; it must be mutual. Your child is a person and all people want to be respected. When a child loses respect for a parent there is no amount of yelling, threatening or punishing that will get it back, it will have to be earned and as a parent, you must be willing to earn it.

Discipline with Love

There’s a difference between disciplining and punishing. Some parents take their teen’s transgressions personally; they get angry and punish them only to make them suffer instead of disciplining them to teach them. It’s normal to get angry when your teen breaks a rule but lashing out and doing something that breaks their spirit or hurts them emotionally or physically is counterproductive and will cause more issues in the long run.

Critical Thinking

This may be tough, but you must allow your child to figure out things on their own; allow them to make mistakes and deal with age-appropriate problems. Give them an opportunity to use their resources and critical thinking skills to get out of tough situations or solve their own issues. This will serve them long into their adult life.

Unparent 

What do I mean by unparent? Of course, you are the parent and that will never change, but there are times when you must teach, mentor or coach your teen and not parent them. Some situations cause for having heartfelt conversations, explaining yourself and giving guidance and direction instead of disciplining or punishing.

Think Before You Say No 

Many parents don’t feel the need to explain themselves to their teen; if the answer is no, the answer is no. One way of positive parenting is explaining your no’s; it’s also a way to make your teen feel respected. Sometimes the answer is no because it’s the easiest answer and it flies out of our mouth with no logic or reason. Other times we tell our teens no because they are asking to do something our parents didn’t let us do as teens, like wearing make-up at 14 instead of 16; it’s been a traditional no, so we keep with a tradition.

Challenge yourself to find a legit reason and offer an explanation before your answer is no, this will cause fewer fights and more understanding for the teen.

Never Forget

Don’t forget you were once a teenager and you made some stupid mistakes or judgment calls and you ended up okay (for the most part), your teen will likely do the same thing. Instead of punishing them, be open and honest; don’t pretend you were some perfect teen that never made a mistake. Take this as an opportunity to tell them about something stupid or similar you did and bond over the lesson you learned (this isn’t instead of discipline, but a part of coaching and mentoring).

Featured Photo Courtesy: Evisionsmedia

I'm a mother of two to an adult son and teen daughter. I am a co-author, creative partner and manager-talent with my daughter. Our fun-filled activity book, Changing Directions, is about our crazy and journey through these teen years includes a shared journal, writing prompts and funny stories all parents can relate to.

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What Kind of Digital Parent Are You?

By Tyler Jacobson

Parents in today’s digital world are raising the future of technology. Building children’s confidence and resilience is key for them to get the best of a sometimes-overwhelming but incredible and useful digital world. There are 3 very distinct approaches to digital parenting each with benefits and downfalls. Find out which technique you use most frequently and learn about the others to incorporate all positive aspects of digital parenting in your home.

Digital Parent #1: The Limiter

Limiter parents essentially keep their kids offline for the most part and strictly limit screen time. They see what a tough place the digital world can be and keep their children out of the digital world for as long as possible. This happens more frequently in younger years. Limiters typically take the front seat with the internet at home but don’t teach their children how to use technology, the internet or apps responsibly.

Often times, limiter parents do less research on specific programs or apps that their children will be using and rarely enroll their children in some type of class or workshop that teaches tech skills. In turn, the limiting will often produce children who statistically tend to access pornography, bully others and impersonate an adult at a higher rate than the two other digital groups of kids.

Digital Parent #2: The Enabler

Enabler parents give their children a good amount of trust to their kids and let them make their own choices when it comes to online use. While recognizing what a huge part the digital world will play in their kids’ lives, enablers often times leave it up to their children to explore technology without guiding them through it.

About 1 in 3 enabler parents provide technology guidance at least once a week through interactive play in video games and taking opportunities to teach online responsibility or resources teaching about technology such as articles or videos. Once kids reach high school, more parents fall into this category of digital parenting. Because of this, enablers’ kids at school-age have a higher rate of engaging with strangers online.

Digital Parent #3: The Mentor

Mentor parents take an active role in preparing their children to be responsible citizens in a digital world. They guide their children’s online usage by spending time online with them, encouraging online learning and helping their children develop digital skills. Because this approach works well with all ages, mentor parents make up about a third of parents in each age group. This approach creates digital kids who are least likely of all three groups to engage in any online misbehavior.

Parents’ approach to managing technology in the home directly influences their child’s behavior in the online world. To ensure they are safe, choose to be a mentor parent that will guide and instruct them.

Featured Photo Courtesy: Wavebreak Media via Shutterstock

Tyler Jacobson is a happy husband, father of three, writer and outreach specialist with experience with organizations that help troubled teens and parents. His areas of focus include: parenting, social media, addiction, mental illness, and issues facing teenagers today.

 
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How to Check If Your Local Toys”R”Us Store Is Closing

by Erica Loop

According to bankruptcy court documents filed Wednesday by Toys“R”Us, the company is poised to close just over 180 of their U.S. stores. Following a rocky 2017, it looks like the new year hasn’t done much to improve the mega toy retailer’s sales. After declaring bankruptcy last year, the company now needs to close almost one-fifth of their stores as part of its restructuring effort. So which stores are closing? Here’s the complete list of Toys”R”Us store closures (pending court approval).

 

Alabama

2600 McFarland Blvd. East, Tuscaloosa AL

335 Summit Blvd., Birmingham AL

 

Arizona

801 W. 32nd Street, Yuma AZ

12801 North Tatum Blvd., Paradise Valley AZ

9139 Indian Bend Rd., Scottsdale 4619 N. Oracle Rd., Tucson AZ

7000 E. Mayo Blvd., Scottsdale AZ

US 60 and Signal Butte Rd., Mesa AZ

 

Arkansas

2616 S. Shackleford Rd., Little Rock AR

 

California

42500 Jackson St., Indio CA

1189 Simi Town Ctr. Way, Simi Valley CA

26573 Carl Boyer Dr., Santa Clarita CA

960 Lakes Dr., Covina CA

1600 S. Azusa Ave., Puente Hills CA

2575 E. Imperial Highway, Brea CA

530 Westminster Mall, Westminster CA

20120 Hawthorne Blvd., Torrance CA

2550 Canyon Springs Pkwy S., Riverside CA

700 “A” Onstott Rd., Yuba City CA

2785 E. Bidwell St., Folsom CA

1330 Fitzgerald, Pinole CA

4505 Century Blvd., Pittsburg CA

600 Francisco Blvd., San Rafael CA

5461 Lone Tree Way, Brentwood CA

1400 Gateway Blvd., Fairfield CA

3938 Horton, Emeryville CA

2179 Monterey Hwy., E. San Jose CA

865 Blossom Hill Rd., San Jose / Almeda CA

3520 W. Shaw Ave., Fresno CA

31250 Court House Dr., Union City CA

10640 Trinity Pkwy., Stockton CA

3900 Bristol Street, Santa Ana CA

3665 Grand Oaks, Corona CA

1240 W. Morena Blvd., Mission Bay CA

8181 Mira Mesa Blvd., Mira Mesa CA

1990 University Drive, Vista CA

 

Colorado

1150 S. Ironton, Aurora CO

 

Connecticut

376 North Universal Drive, North Haven CT

275 Union St., Waterbury CT

3491 Berlin Turnpike, Newington CT

169 Hale Road, Manchester CT

 

Delaware

1061 N. Dupont Highway, Dover DE

 

Florida

1625 Apalachee Pkwy., Tallahassee FL

1900 Tyrone Blvd., St. Petersburg FL

3908 West Hillsborough Avenue, Tampa FL

6001 Argyle Forest Blvd., Orange Park FL

Spring 708 West State Rd. 436, Altamonte FL

21697 State Road #7, Boca Raton FL

10732 SW Village Pkwy., Port St. Lucie FL

450 South SR 7, Royal Palm Beach FL

2601 W.Osceola Parkway, Kissimmee FL

6001 West Sample Road, Coral Springs FL

3214 N John Young Pkwy., Kissimmee FL

 

Georgia

2601 Dawson Rd., Albany GA

2955 Cobb Parkway, Smyrna GA

6380 No. Point Parkway, Alpharetta GA

1155 Mt. Vernon Hwy., Dunwoody GA

6875 Douglas Boulevard, Douglasville GA

8160 Mall Parkway, Conyers GA

221 Newnan Crossing Bypass, Newnan GA

132 Pavilion Parkway, Fayetteville GA

 

Indiana

3928 E 82nd Street, Indianapolis IN

8800 US 31 South, Greenwood IN

 

Iowa

1211 E. Army Post Rd., S. Des Moines IA

8801 University Ave., Des Moines IA

 

Illinois

1610 Deerfield Rd., Highland Park IL

16 East Golf Rd., Schaumburg IL

295 Center Drive, Vernon Hills IL

5001 Lincoln Highway, Matteson IL

6420 W. Fullerton, Bricktown IL

7750 South Cicero Avenue, Burbank IL

5660 Touhy Avenue, Niles IL

 

Kansas

4646 W. Kellogg, Wichita KS

8500 W 135th Street, Overland Park KS

 

Kentucky

4900 Shelbyville Rd., St. Mathews KY

1155 Buck Creek Rd., Simpsonville KY

1965 Star Shoot Parkway, Lexington KY

 

Louisiana

137 Northshore Blvd., Slidell LA

 

Maine

6 Bangor Mall Blvd., Bangor ME

200 Running Hill Road, Portland ME

 

Maryland

8401 Mike Shapiro Drive, Clinton MD

 

Massachusetts

302 Providence, Dedham MA

70 Worcester Providence Tpk/Rt. 146, Millbury MA

50 Holyoke Street, Holyoke MA

217 Hartford Ave., Bellingham MA

6110 Shops Way, Northborough MA

Shoppers World Plaza, 1 Worcester Road, Framingham MA

 

Michigan

5363 Harvey Street, Muskegon MI

2620 Crossing Circle, Traverse City MI

5900 W. Saginaw Highway, Lansing MI

4923 28th Street South East, Grand Rapids MI

3725 Carpenter Road, Ann Arbor MI

3725 Washtenaw, Ann Arbor MI

 

Minnesota

14100 Wayzata Blvd., Minnetonka MN

170 89th Ave., Blaine MN

8236 Tamarack Village, Woodbury MN

900 West 78th Street South, Richfield MN

 

Mississippi

1003 Bonita Lakes Circle, Meridian MS

200 Bass Pro Dr., Pearl MS

 

Missouri

1901 Bernadette, Columbia MO

201 Silver Springs Rd., Cape Girardeau MO

5590 St. Louis Mills Blvd., Bridgeton MO

220 THF Blvd., Chesterfield MO

 

Nebraska

3505 S. 140th Plaza, Omaha NE

 

Nevada

2150 North Rainbow Blvd., Las Vegas NV

7020 Arroyo Crossing Parkway, Spring Valley NV

 

New Mexico

45 Hotel Circle, Albuquerque NM

 

North Carolina

801 Fairview Road, Asheville NC

7001 Fayetteville Road, Durham NC

3300 Westgate Drive, Durham NC

 

New Hampshire

29 Gusabel Avenue, Nashua NH

 

New Jersey

1280 Rt. 22 & St. James Ave., Phillipsburg NJ

137 Route 35, Eatontown NJ

100 Promenade Blvd., Bridgewater NJ

2700 Route 22 East., Union NJ

909 US Hwy 1 South., North Brunswick NJ

Rt. 541 & Cadillac Road, Burlington NJ

2135 Route 38, Cherry Hill NJ

7 Wayne Hills Mall, Wayne NJ

545 Route 17 South, Paramus NJ

98 Route 10 West., East Hanover NJ

Kids World 900 Center Drive, Elizabeth NJ

50 International Drive South, Mt. Olive NJ

 

New York

139-19 20th Ave., College Point NY

24-30 Union Square E, Union Square NY

5181 Sunrise Hwy., Sayville NY

5214 Sunrise Hwy., Massapequa NY

2335 Marketplace Drive, Henrietta NY

1569 Niagara Falls Blvd., Buffalo NY

401 Frank Sottile Boulevard, Kingston NY

708 Upper Glen St., Glens Falls NY

221 Wade Road Extension, Latham NY

2700 Central Park Ave., Yonkers NY

66 Metropolitan Ave., Middle Village NY

1350 Corporate Drive, Westbury NY

108 Veterans Memorial Highway, Commack NY

461 Lycoming Mall Cir, Williamsport NY

1530 Ridge Rd. West, Greece NY

 

Ohio

6251 Glenway Ave., Western Hills OH

2661 Miamisburg-Centerville Rd., Dayton OH

7841 Mentor Ave., Mentor OH

3610 West Dublin-Granville Rd., Dublin OH

 

Oklahoma

1119 SE 66th St., Oklahoma City OK

5609-E Rogers Ave., Fort Smith OK

560 Ed Noble Pkwy., Norman OK

 

Pennsylvania

100 Welsh Road, Horsham PA

6680 Peach St., Erie PA

3700 William Penn Highway, Monroeville PA

104 Bartlett Ave., Exton PA

2003 Cheryl Dr., Ross Park Mall PA

301 Oakspring Road, Washington PA

18/Valley View Dr., Beaver Valley Route PA

 

Rhode Island

300 Quaker Lane, Warwick RI

 

South Carolina

254 Harbison Boulevard, Columbia SC

 

South Dakota

450 E. Disk Drive, Rapid City SD

 

Tennessee

7676 Polo Ground Blvd., Memphis TN

5731 Nolensville Rd., Nashville TN

 

Texas

801 Mesa Hills Dr., West El Paso TX

9730 Katy Freeway, Houston TX

170 E. Stacy Road, Allen TX

7730 N. MacArthur Blvd, Irving TX

420 E. Round Grove Rd., Lewisville TX

13710 Dallas Parkway, Dallas Galleria TX

1309 W. Pipeline Rd., Hurst TX

5800 Overton Ridge Blvd., Hulen TX

 

Utah

4042 Riverdale Rd., Ogden UT

1122 Fort Union Boulevard, Midvale UT

 

Virginia

14173 Crossing Place, Potomac Mills VA

12153 Jefferson Ave., Newport News VA

 

Washington

3567 N.W. Randall Way, Silverdale WA

1325A S.E. Everett Mall Parkway, Everett WA

6104 N. Division Street, Spokane WA

 

Wisconsin

18550 W. Bluemound Rd., Brookfield WI

2161 Zeier Road, Madison WI

 

What do you think about the store closures? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

—Erica Loop

 

RELATED STORIES:

Toys”R”Us Wants to Bring You Back to Its Stores

Toys”R”Us Might Close Down 100 of Its Stores, Even During Its Busiest Season

The Awesome Changes Coming to Toys”R”Us Thanks to That Bankruptcy

 

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These Kid Musicians Totally Rock Our World

by Gabby Cullen

Your wanna-be B.B. King keeps creating riffs while your little Quest Love is keeping the beat. Good news! Your kids love music as much as you do, and they aren’t the only ones tuning in. From a musical prodigy to a second grader whose lyrics really flow, flip through our album below to check out a group of incredible (and musical) kids that move to the beat of their own drum.

Malachi Samedy

When Malachi Samedy was 18 months old, his father gave him a set of drumsticks and a drum pad. At age two, Malachi got his first “real” drum set and at age four, when it was clear that he had a real talent, Malachi was accepted into Mark Murphy’s School of Music in New Jersey. Considered to be a musical child prodigy—having learned and mastered music three times faster than kids twice his age at Mark Murphy’s—he also studies composition, Classical Piano and Big Band at The Thurnauer School of music while using his gift to make the world a better place. As his father Nasser Samedy says “He’s a giving soul. He has a huge heart.”

At age six, Malachi performed with grammy-award winning musician Roy Wooten in the Sending Our Love to Haiti benefit concert. At the age of seven, he was selected by CNBC to be a featured artist at the Night of Hope benefit. In 2016 he was selected to be one of over two thousand kids from around the world to perform at the World Children’s Festival on the White House lawn—he sang the Star Spangled Banner and rocked out on the drums. Last year, Malachi was also a featured performer in Season One of Little Big Shots with Steve Harvey.

Malachi was one of the original members of the smash-hit Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, School of Rock. He was able to work with Webber one-on-one, and attend the workshop held prior to the musical's Broadway opening. Nowadays he writes songs and practices piano, drums, and guitar for a few hours every day. He still takes lessons, and has had the good fortune to call master-drummer Billy Cobham a mentor. His father says “It’s been an amazing ride, but kids are only ‘kids’ for a little while. We want him to be able to enjoy that time.”

When Malachi isn’t playing or working with musicians or producers, he goes to school, spends time with family, rides bikes, plays Little Big Planet, and does other normal kids stuff. We’ve got a feeling you’ll be seeing a lot more from Malachi Samedy. He hopes to attend Juilliard School in New York City, and after meeting with Billy Drummond—Professor of Jazz Drums at Juilliard—early this year, there’s a chance he’ll begin college prep courses later in 2017.

Find out more: malachimusic.com

photo: courtesy J. Ryan Roberts 

Does your kid like to play or perform music? Share with us in a comment below!

—Gabby Cullen

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Cool D.C. Parent to Know: The Career Changer

by Ayren Jackson-Cannady

More and more, mamas and papas are leaving their desk jobs behind to start their own businesses (cue the mompreneur phenomenon). But before you put in your notice, you should meet Caroline Greene. Caroline’s a recovering lawyer turned life and business coach (and best-selling Amazon author) who helps moms start businesses and build lives that truly matter to them. This D.C.-based mom of two daughters shared some of her wisdom for moms as well as some local family hangouts that you’ll want to check out asap. 

Photo: Caroline Greene

 

You’re the author of two Determined Mom’s Guides. What will readers find in these guides?
The Determined Mom’s Guides are short, easy-to-read books with actionable steps to help moms be the parents, partners and whole people they want to be. My first book, MATTER, tells the story of how I went from being an Ivy-league educated lawyer to a stay-at-home mom to a life coach, and shares the tips and tools I learned along the way to help other moms find meaningful work. My second book, NEXT, shares all of the mistakes I made when launching my business (and provides a practical, step-by-step guide on how to avoid them) to help moms can start successful businesses that are right for them and their families without making all the same missteps I did!

What’s the one thing you’d tell a parent looking to start a new business in the DMV?
Don’t do it alone. The myth of self-sufficiency is an all-powerful one, especially in the DMV area. All too often it tells us that if we’re “good enough” to start a business then we’d better be “good enough” to do it all by ourselves. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Whether it’s getting more help in the house, reworking your tacit arrangements with your partner, or hiring a guide or mentor to help you navigate your business launch, get the help that’s right for you so that you can enjoy your time – at work and home.

You’ve got a free hour between appointments and pick-up. Where do you go for some “me time”?
You know, not too long ago, that very question would have put me into a panic. “What is ‘me’ time? Who gets to have that? I don’t even know what that means! “ But I’m delighted to tell you that with the help of my own coach, I’ve finally tapped into the things that bring me joy and actually give myself permission to do them. My current favorites are taking a walk or heading down to the Key Bridge Boathouse to jump on a paddleboard.

What’s your favorite go-to restaurant for family dinners?
If I’m choosing, Cactus Cantina! If the kids are choosing, Café Deluxe (which they call Lucky Moo Moos. I have absolutely no idea why.)

What’s the best part of being a parent in D.C.?
As someone who would rather be on the beach year round than live in a big city, I sometimes find it hard to embrace living in D.C., but the truth is, it’s a wonderful place to raise a family. Between the Kennedy Center, the Udvar-Hazy center, and the beautiful parks and playgrounds all over the city, there is never a shortage of things to do—assuming I can get everybody out of the house to go do them!

Do you know a cool mom or dad that everyone in the District should know, too? Tell us about them in the comments below. 

—Sarah Vogel

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10 Moms Who Know the Power of Healthy Living

by Gabby Cullen

When it comes to a clean, green, healthy lifestyle, who better than mom to set the standard? After all, she’s got pint-sized fans watching her every move. From holistic celebrity chefs to moms who fight for clean air, these 10 amazing women work hard, play hard, and are powerhouses when it comes to the eco-tastic life. Flip through the album below to meet our Green Living Power Moms of 2016.

Afya Ibomu – Co-Founder, RGB Fit Club, Certified Holistic Nutritionist

Afya is the author of four successful books (two crocheting books,The Vegan Remix—named one of the best cookbooks of the year by Vegetarian Times Magazine, and The Vegan Soulfood Guide to the a Galaxy——nominated for an African American Literary Award). She’s a celebrity chef and recently, she and her her husband (Stic.man of hip-hop music group Dead Prez) founded RBGfitclub, a business that offers cool courses, merchandise, and music to encourage and equip people in their transition to a holistic lifestyle. Their strong partnership goes way beyond the professional realm; they’ve been together for 23 years and are the proud parents of two wonderful boys: teenager Itwela and 16-month-old Nkosua.

Afya lives and breathes a green, holistic lifestyle. She's been eating a plant-based diet since 1990, had two home-birth pregnancies and is a breastfeeding advocate. Afya continues to share her knowledge and expertise through cooking classes, workshops, being a mentor to teen girls and much more. She’s also a huge believer in scheduling self time. She says, “be ok with everything not getting done. As moms we try to do it all! But I had to realize if I really tried that I would kill myself-literally! Accept the help, it’s OK!”

Find out more: rbgfitclub.com

Do you know a Green Power Mom? Tell us about her in a Comment below!

—Gabby Cullen

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Cartoon Characters Who Play the Saxophone

by Amber Guetebier

Duke Silver might be the first name that comes to mind when thinking of fictional sax players but he’s in good company with these animated musicians. Here’s a sweet little list here in honor of #nationalsaxophone day that is sure to make you smile. Read on for our top four favorite cartoon characters who play the sax.

1. Lisa Simpson
She knows how to make her sax wail louder than Homer’s cries of protest.


photo: Nerea Marta via flickr

2. “Bleeding Gums” Murphy
Lisa’s fleeting but inspiring mentor, “Bleeding Gums” sax was actually played by Dan Higgins, a contemporary saxophonist who has performed with everyone from Aerosmith to Maroon 5 to The Tempataions.

photo: L. via flickr

3. Joe Cool aka Snoopy
Woodstock loves to dance around to the sound of Joe Cool’s soothing melodies.

photo: fortfan via flickr

4. Zoot
This muppet is the only saxophone player in Dr. Teeth’s Electric Mayhem band, and his sounds have been providing a musical backdrop to The Muppets since 1975. 

photo: sjmck via flickr 


Who is your favorite fictional saxophone player? Share with us in the comments. 

—Amber Guetebier

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