In the kid lit book world it’s a thin line between sappy dad love and over the top machismo. Usually it’s the stereotype of a well intentioned dad trying to fix something that goes astray. It’s a close relative to the dumb dad that advertisers used to rely on far too much. If My Love Were A Fire Truck by Luke Reynolds with illustrations by Jeff Mack is children’s book that straddles that line with ease. It shows the father figure in the book doing all manner of activities with his son, albeit in his imagination.
With Father’s Day coming up one expects to see more than a couple children’s books aimed at dads. Some will succeed merely because they cater to dudes, while others will have heart, in addition to being able to be read by moms too.
A family vacation to Myrtle Beach is a go-to plan for families who live east of Ohio. Myrtle Beach has a big reputation for family fun. There are all manner of attractions, water sports, shows and entertainment that have lots to offer to tourists. Our experience at Myrtle Beach was a mixed bag, it certainly has lots to do, but depending upon where you stay and how old your kids are will dramatically impact the level of fun.
Benny and Penny in How To Say Goodbye starts out with the two best friends playing in a pile of leaves. Shortly after jumping in them and frolicking in the forest Penny discovers Little Red, a salamander that the two mice know. However, Little Red is limp and Penny supposes that he is dead. From here How To Say Goodbye turns into one of the most unlikely children’s books about loss that they need to read.
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CoachesvsCancer #CollectiveBias. Our oldest son is very much like me when I was his age in that basketball is his go-to sport. He’s 7, not particularly good at the sport, but absolutely loves playing it and has requested that mom and I not watch any of his games. One aspect of my life that I hope he doesn’t follow me in is a Cancer diagnosis. This February, college basketball teams are joining forces with the American Cancer Society. They’re tossing in some team spirit, raising money for every 3-point shot scored and asking fans of the teams to step up in Coaches Vs. Cancer!
My treatment was far simpler than the path of some survivors. I consider myself quite lucky. The thing about Cancer is it’s a paradigm shift that makes that cliché boardroom term appropriate in a real-world setting. Even after you beat it, the specter of its presence leaves a mark on you in some manner. It could be the bi-annual trips to the doctor or those photos that were taken as you being prepared for surgery. However, those photos or that doctor visit means that you beat it, so go on and put that feather in your cap.
Now that the home stretch of the college basketball season is within sight Coaches Vs. Cancer provides fans of the 3-pointer in college hoops, as well as, those that want to support American Cancer Society and their research. Any way you look at it, this is a win/win.
If you’re a basketball fan all you have to do is visit Coaches Vs. Cancer, go ahead, pledge now! From there you can find your favorite team, check out the conference rivalries and decide who you’d like to support. Once you pick your team just go to their page where you’ll see how much money they’ve set up as a campaign goal. Then decide whether you’d like to make a pledge for each 3-pointer made for the month or contribute a one-time flat donation. For you folks invested in conference rivalries, the ACC is dominating everyone right now. Much like their basketball games, the PAC-12 teams are but a faint glimmer in Wake Forrest’s rear view mirror.
As you look at each team you’ll see how much money they’re raising with each 3-pointer. The money that you donate is still the same, but the more people that join into the campaign makes each long shot from downtown worth more.
Coaches Vs. Cancer works. Since 1993 it’s raised over $100 million for American Cancer Society. As of this writing over 2900 3-pointers have been made with over $65,000 pledged to help defeat something that every team and everybody can team up against.
Join Your Team. Make a Pledge. Beat Cancer. Now are you going to jump into the team/conference rivalry or make a general donation to help waylay Cancer? Either way you’ve got a survivor out there who thanks you and a person in the future who will need the research that your money will provide. For more information please visit Coaches Vs. Cancer.
We’re a member of the Stream Team for Netflix and were compensated for this post. All thoughts are our own. Pan’s Labyrinth is one of my favorite films. Hellboy and its sequel, as well as Pacific Rim are also great films that blend creatures, magic, monsters and action to create movies that pay homage to the classic while maintaining their own identity. Suffice it to say, Guillermo Del Toro is a go-to name for entertainment in our house. Trollhunters is his latest creation; it’s based on a book co-written by Daniel Krauss and the first 26 episodes are streaming on Netflix.
We’re a Play Ambassador for Let’s Play and were compensated for this post. Let’s Play is an initiative by Dr Pepper Snapple Group that provides kids and families with the tools, places and inspiration to make active play a daily priority by building and improving playgrounds and donating sports equipment to groups in need. All thoughts are our own.
With the holidays here let’s get down to brass tacks about how the kids will play. There’s a lot going on this time of year and with school breaks, errands that need running, colder temperatures and kids that need to play, it can be difficult to fit everything into the same amount of waking hours. Here are a couple of the ways that we manage to do the trips and make it work. For all of our play ideas, please check out our column at Let’s Play.
Explore the differences
The tree that you see now is different than it was a couple of months ago. You can see its bark, the limbs look like arms and its leaves are blown all over the place. This time of year is perfect for going for a walk and pointing out those differences to children. If your experience is anything like ours, then this conversation will lead to more talk about nature, all the while continuing to get the exercise and play we all need.
New “icy” play
Regardless of where you live, there are some ‘ice’ opportunities for kids to play in. It could be the real icy deal if you live in a cold climate, or your community could have a temporary ice rink and snow pile at your city center to explore. Either way, this is golden playtime for kids. They’ll love it! Just remember to dress appropriately.
Shake up the errands
You’ve got food to buy for the holiday party, the kids need a new bike tire and you need to get some pants. These errands can all get done and the kids can play too. In our area we have a handle on the indoor (and free!) recreation and shopping centers that cover all these needs and we plan our days accordingly. This way, we can still do the things we need to do and get the kids some play time.
How do you play during the holiday time? If you have a go-to idea on keeping the play going during the holidays we’d love to hear it in the comments or on Twitter.
We were compensated for this post. All thoughts are our own. This year the intersection of The Coca-Cola Company, the United States military and the United Service Organizations (USO) all have in common the number 75, but for different reasons. The USO celebrates their 75th anniversary and it also marks that same number of years that The Coca-Cola Company has partnered with the organization and been committed to supporting the United States military.
“I’m going as Owlette”, she said. Well, that’s one reason why those two are such good friends, I thought to myself. Our oldest was leaving science club as he was having a conversation with her. PJ Masks is a popular topic of conversation at the early elementary school level. Being that it’s Halloween time the PJ Masks costumes will certainly be front and center at your door this year.
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