HARTLYN KIDS

MULTICULTURAL CORNER AND GIVEAWAY: MEET MEI-LING HOPGOOD, AUTHOR OF HOW ESKIMOS KEEP THEIR BABIES WARM

2012-03-02T09:30:00.000-05:00

Have you ever wondered how parents around the globe raise their children?

Mei-Ling Hopgood has written a thought-provoking book based on research, travels, and interviews of the various parenting techniques from other cultures.

Please enjoy the trailer below about the book "How Eskimos Keep Their Babies Warm: And Other Adventures in Parenting" and our interview with Mei-Ling!

Name: Mei-Ling Hopgood

Family structure, spouse, children, pets: Family of 4, husband, Monte, two daughters, Sofia and Violet, ages 4 and 8+ months. No pets.

What are you hoping readers will learn from the book? I hope that readers will take away bits of wisdom to complement their own parenting, and a dose of global perspective.

How did you go about researching the book?
The research required travel, phone calls, lots of internet research -- parent bloggers in other countries helped a lot. Also used reporters in other countries when I couldn't be there. Many interviews with parents, scientists, doctors, researchers, child welfare specialists etc.

What were some interesting discoveries you made while writing the book?

Discovering how the Chinese went about potty training early (soon after they can walk, and even sit -- training them to pee/poop a little like Pavlov's dog), how kids were teaching and caring for kids in many places, and how parents didn't feel obligated to play with their kids because that was something other kids do. How the provincial French teach her children to love different kinds of food, and the "strange" stuff in other places (fish eyeballs, goat skin, raw meat) that kids WILL eat.

How has your global awareness of parenting affected the way you parent?

I think my global awareness has made me a more open minded parent, less inclined to go with the fad of the month. I appreciate the luxuries of a middle-class American life, but I also know there are many ways in the world to be a good parent and raise healthy kids.

What country would you travel to in the future?

I've been there already, but I'd would love to travel to Taiwan with my children when they are old enough not to drive me crazy on a 24-hour flight trip.I'd also love to take them to Spain, one of my favorite countries, and visit their cousins in Australia.

*****As an extra bonus, Algonquin is providing one of our fortunate readers a copy of Hopgood's book, How Eskimos Keep Their Babies Warm and Other Adventures in Parenting. Enter now by clicking "read more" below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

WHO RUNS THE WORLD: WOMEN!!! IT'S WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH!

2012-03-01T09:00:00.000-05:00

"How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!"

- Maya Angelou, African American poet

March is here and that means spring is coming, Easter is around the corner and it is time to celebrate women in history and women MAKING history.

All month long Hartlyn Kids will be spending the month highlighting female heroines, past and present. Come join us for our Women's Month Wednesday, where guest bloggers will tell us who their SHE-roes are.

Also, we will have some great giveaways from female-owned businesses so do come visit to learn about some great things that empowering women are do doing and have done!

LET'S START THE MONTH OFF WITH SOME DIALOGUE! Who are some of YOUR heroines, past, present, real or imaginary???

Black History Month Ends but the Information Just Begins

2012-02-29T09:00:00.000-05:00

This month we decided to focus in on Black History month with the emphasis on Black education, art, and music. We thought sharing guest blogs and interviews with some influential people in these areas would be a great way to bring more information to our readers with the hope and desire that you will be inspired to learn more.

Black History is American history.

The history of all cultures in America is American history.

Here are some highlights from this month's series:

Black Education

HBCU Guest Blog: The Accidental Right Choice

HBCU Guest Blog: What I Took Away From My HBCU Experience

HBCU Guest Blog: Why I Chose An HBCU

Guest Blog: Teaching Children About Black History Month

Guest Blog: The Women of Black History Month 2012

Interview with Karyn Parsons of Sweet Blackberry

Black Art

Black History Month Museum Spotlight

Interview with Nicole L. Updegraff, Author and Illustrator of "I Love My Cotton Candy Hair'

African-American Poets

Black Music

Teachable Music Moments, the Black History Month Edition

The Culture of Jazz - Jazz for Kids

We hope you enjoyed. Let us know which blogs were your favorite, most interesting or helpful. Did you take away any new information or knowledge?

Book Review: Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales

2012-02-28T09:00:00.000-05:00

Every so often you come across a book that you make a mental note to add to your personal library. Nelson Mandela's Favorite African Folktales has been that book I have been meaning to purchase. Lady A and I are really enjoying reading through the stories which contain a host of lessons about loyalty and explaining why certain animals have certain features.

I'm also a fan of the colorful illustrations that has a way of drawing you into the folktales. I also like to have Lady A point the continent on the globe before reading the folktales!

My favorite story in the book is entitled, Sakunaka, the Handsome Young Man, which is about a widow who had a handsome son who she did not want to get married, out of fear of being alone. (I hope that will never be me!)

With each purchase of the audiobook, the nonprofit, ANSA will donate 20% of the proceeds from Hatchette to the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund. So, you get a great audiobook and you get a chance to donate to a great cause!

Do you like to read folktales?

Christine

Painted Paper

2012-02-27T09:00:00.000-05:00

*****
In my ongoing quest to find art activities, I came across a really ~~addictive~~ fun activity to do with Lady A on the blog www.deepspacesparkle.com. It's called painted paper, and you are pretty much making textured paper that the child can use as a backdrop for future art projects.

What I love about this activity, you can really get creative using everyday activities from around the house. We used plastic forks, Q-Tips alongside paint brushes to make a interesting designs.

This is a picture Lady A made with one of her designs. We read Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats and then she made her own snow man. By the looks of this winter, I don't think she will ever get a chance to make a real one!

Christine

HBCU Guest Blog: Why I Chose An HBCU

2012-02-24T09:00:00.000-05:00

Our Black History Month blogs this year will focus on:

Education
Music
Art

Today, we are happy to feature the final profile on education and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Please enjoy and leave comments for our guest blogger!

___________

Why I Chose an HBCU

By Dr. Alisha Thompson-Congress

As a child who had only attended predominately white schools I had no real knowledge of HBCU's. My family members (including my father) had attended Miles College but I still didn't KNOW. I was placed in the gifted program at age 7 and remained in that program throughout my years of schooling so I'd had Harvard, Yale, Emory and the like pounded into my head...they were all I "knew" and were synonymous with prestige in my mind.

Having attended an International Baccalaureate high school, I had not had a shortage of diversity by any means but I was oftentimes the only African-American in my class. Fast forward to the age of 15 when I was introduced to Tracy Lyons who was a TRIO (Federal outreach and student services) counselor at Miles College at the time. Tracy introduced me to a whole new world...a world of Afrocentrism and self-awareness. I began to spend a great deal of time learning about my history and about the things that helped make me ME. We've all heard about Dr. King and Rosa Parks but it was deeper than that...much deeper. It was not long after that that I realized what I needed. I needed the history, the atmosphere and the nurturing that only an HBCU could provide. I didn't know WHICH HBCU I would attend but I knew that was the experience I needed.

I then started my quest.

I knew I didn't want to go far from home but I wanted to go far enough :-) I started applying and the acceptance letters started rolling in but I was like Tom Cruise in Jerry McGuire- "SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!" If they weren't offering money they were immediately removed from the list! So I had it narrowed down and started visiting my top choices. Still...something was missing. No where FELT right... My mom's coworker had tried and tried to introduce me to his beloved alma mater starting at my middle school years. It had gone in one ear and out the other...not even a passing thought. Finally, he thought he'd give it one last try and invite me down to the school's "High School Visitation Day". I reluctantly obliged <side eye> So...April 25, 1998 my parents and I left Hueytown, AL headed up I-20 East to Talladega, AL...a short 66 mile drive that would take me further than I could have ever imagined. A mere 1 hour or so later we pulled onto the campus of Historic Talladega College and I INSTANTLY knew I was home.

Swayne Hall

Founded in 1867 by 2 former slaves, it holds the distinction of being Alabama's oldest private HBCU and home of the famous Amistad murals; a place of so much history! The students had an enthusiasm that I hadn't seen. There was a genuine LOVE for the school that I couldn't help but love. It wasn't about partying (though we did our share), it wasn't about sports, it wasn't about anything else...it was just the spirit of Talladega. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was on that beautiful campus resting in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains that I would become the woman God had destined for me to be. I applied and received a full scholarship that day and my journey began. Those next few months I was in love with all things Talladega and anxiously awaited the beginning of that part of my life. All who know me are fully aware of my love for dear ol' Dega.. She gave me 3 of the best years of my life! I was surrounded by teachers who CARED that I existed. I wasn't just a number, I meant something to them and it mattered to them that I succeeded. It was not at all uncommon to receive a call in your dorm room from your professor because let's just say you hypothetically skipped a few classes <side eye> Sure, they got paid regardless but it had nothing to do with the money...you were FAMILY. Once you stepped foot through the doors of the esteemed Swayne Hall you were a Degan and that means someone ALWAYS has your back.

Silsby Science Hall

It was in Silsby Science Hall that my love for biology flourished. It was there that I was reminded daily that it didn't matter what "they" said, I could and I WOULD realize my dream of becoming a physician. It was there that I had instructors believe in me even when I didn't. I can say with confidence that I made one of the best decisions of my life when I decided to make Talladega my home. Deep in my heart I love my TC!!

As I was typing this I couldn't hold back the tears. On May 5, 2012 I will celebrate the 10th anniversary of my graduation and I can't wait to go back (just as I do EVERY year). Words couldn't begin to express the blessing that Talladega College was to me; how she brought color to my life (no pun intended). I will forever hold my experience dear and she will forever be the Alpha Lyrae Vega of them all...

______________________________

Bio:

Dr. Alisha Thompson-Congress is from Hueytown, AL which is a small suburb of Birmingham, AL. She is a Family Medicine Resident Physician in Tuscaloosa, AL and received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from Historic Talladega College in 2002. She has also received a Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Erie, PA. Alisha is a PROUD member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and was made by the MIGHTY Alpha Zeta Chapter at Talladega College. She enjoys spending what little free time she has these days with the love of her life and hubby of almost 11 months- Anthony, spending time with family, and worshiping the Lord at First Missionary Baptist Hueytown.

GUEST BLOG FROM SMH MAMA: Puerto Rico! Ho!

2012-02-23T09:00:00.000-05:00

From the moment we stepped outside and shed our winter garb, we new we weren't in Kansas anymore, and everyone was excited.

Naturally, we spent a lot of time a la playa (at the beach) and it is a land of many beaches todos estan muy bonita (all very beautiful). The sand was clean and the water was warm and bright teal.

We stayed in a town called Dorado which is about 30 minutes west of San Juan. It was a nice quiet town with a rustic quality to it. We spent a lot of time at Dorado Beach, and also visited another local beach called Balneario Cerro Gordo which also offers camping in a nearby forest area. We also visited Carolina beach which is the local section of Isla Verde.

Although Puerto Rico is an American territory and it's culture is somewhat Americanized, you can still see many aspects of island living all around you, like the palm trees with bunches of coconuts. Iguanas were everywhere, one even decided to cross the swimming pool while we were in it.

You can also find free range chicken and roosters walking down the streets as well as horses and wild dogs. Don't be alarmed though, the animals know their place and tend to stay away.

Besides the beaches, my favorite places to visit were Old San Juan and the El Yunque rainforest.

Old San Juan was absolutely beautiful. I fell in love with it immediately. The town is filled with history. We visited Castillo San Felipe del Morro or Fort del Morro, a 16th century citadel at the northwestern most point of San Juan. The fort was designed to guard the entrance to San Juan Bay and was declared a World Heritage site by the United Nations in 1989. Leading up to the fort is a great grassy area perfect for a picnic and flying kites due to the winds coming off the bay.

El Yunque was another favorite of mine. I enjoyed hiking through the rainforest, seeing natural rock formations, waterfalls, and swimming holes. We hiked to La Mina falls which, took about 30 minutes with kids. Strollers are useless on this path and we had to carry the little one to and fro, not a big deal if your baby is a light weight. The preschooler on the other hand, made it all the way to the falls on his own two feet, going back, however, became an issue, he was tuckered out and had to be carried too. If you have older kids this should be a breeze.

Another thing about the rainforest, is kinda cliche. Bottom line, it's a rainforest, so it gets a little wet. There will be puddles. For normal humans, this is not an issue. For puddle loving preschoolers, however, be sure to pack extra clothes and shoes. Consider yourself warned.

This was a great trip for mi familia. The boys had a great time and everyone was sad to return. Puerto Rico was an awesome adventure and it was great to experience another culture.

______________________________
Bio:

Feyella a.k.a SMHMama is a Guyanese born, NYC native living in Maryland suburbia. She is a proud, dude mom of 2 rambunctious little devils, Master M (the button pusher), 3 and J-dilla (the tyrant), 22 months. When she's not wifing and mothering, Feyella is a full time IT Business Analyst for a local insurance company by day. As much as she would like to have it all together, she's learned that with a dude house, chaos is the norm. In her spare time, she enjoys chasing toddlers, taking 3 minute showers, and removing food particles from her hair. She began blogging last year at Mama's Shaking My Head as a way to decompress from the shear madness that often surrounds her. Feyella loves the heck out of her family and enjoys sharing new experiences with them, like traveling and exploring new places. Feyella also writes a local blog at A Hip Mama's Guide for the local online paper.

Blogging has allowed her to meet some great people and sparked her entrepreneurial spirit. At the beginning of this year, Feyella launched her consulting firm Zonica Inc. which helps start-ups and small to medium sized businesses reach their strategic goals. The company website will be launched this Spring. You can follow her tweets @SMHMama or her blog at www.parentingsmh.com.

Wordless Wednesday: My D.I.Y

2012-02-22T09:00:00.000-05:00

BEFORE

AFTER

Christine

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS CARNIVAL CELEBRATED?

2012-02-21T09:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Carnival Tuesday!
Carnival is a festive season that typically takes place in February right before Lent. It involves public celebrations and parades and people masquerade during the celebrations.

The most famous of the Carnivals take place today in Venice, Rio, New Orleans and Trinidad but did you know that Carnival is an INTERNATIONAL event celebrated in many areas around the globe?

Here are some carnival celebrations that you might not know about:

PANAMA!!

URUGUAY!!

40 DAYS OF NON-STOP ACTION

THE NETHERLANDS!!

DutchDailyNews.Com

Other places with fairly famous carnivals: Haiti, Portugal, Nice, Bolivia, Malta, Greece, Macedonia, Hungary, Russia.... you name the country and ... they probably celebrate carnival!!!!!

Let us know if there is a country that you are from, visited or you know about that celebrates Carnival too!

GUEST BLOG: The Women of Black History 2012

2012-02-20T09:00:00.000-05:00

The Women of Black History 2012

BY Kimberly Reynolds

We have just begun Black History Month, when we celebrateand reflect upon the contributions of African Americans to our shared history. Blackhistory is studied in the classroom, watched on television, and talked about inour daily lives. This year’s theme is “BlackWomen in American Culture and History,” which was chosen by theAssociation for the Study of African-American Life and History. I urge othersto take this time to honor African-American women and the countless roles theyhave played in shaping our nation.

Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks is a pivotal figure in the fight for civil rights. Sherefused to give up her seat in the front of the bus for a white man during thetime of entrenched segregation, leading to her arrest and also a city-wide busboycott. This, in turn, led to the Supreme Court ruling that segregation oncity buses is unconstitutional.

Sojourner Truth
Sojourner Truth accomplished many things in her life. Born a slave, shefought for her freedom. After being freed, she continued her fight for civiland human rights. She became a preacher and dedicated her life to the abolitionof slavery and institution of women’s rights.

Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman devoted her life to fighting for women’s rights and gainingfreedom for herself and others. After she escaped from slavery, she travelednorth. While there, she helped numerous slaves along their journey to freedom bymeans of the Underground Railroad. Afterthe Civil War, Mrs. Tubman founded the Harriet Tubman Home for Aged Negroes locatedin New York.

Shirley Chisholm
Shirley Chisholm had a long political career, during which she fought forthe rights of women and minorities. She was the first African American electedto the United States Congress. She first worked as a teacher and then served asa New York state assemblywoman. Mrs. Chisholm was later elected as a Democratto the House of Representatives. During her seven terms in Congress, she ranfor a major-party presidential nomination, making her the firstAfrican-American woman to run for this nomination.

Madam C. J. Walker
Madam C.J. Walker is a primeexample of overcoming difficult circumstances. She was born a slave and died aninventor, businesswoman and self-made millionaire. Madam Walker developed manybeauty and hair care products for African-American women that became widelypopular. Most companies that sell black hair careproducts point to Madam Walker for theway we take care of our hair today.

Below is a quote from http://www.madamcjwalker.com/that I find inspiring:

“I am a woman who came fromthe cotton fields of the South. From there I was promoted to the washtub. Fromthere I was promoted to the cook kitchen. And, from there I promoted myselfinto the business of manufacturing hair goods and preparation … I have built myown factory on my own ground.”

--- Madam Walker, National NegroBusiness League Convention, July 1912

These are just a few of the prominent women that should behonored, not just during Black History Month, but year-round. We should thankthese women for their bravery, hope, and strength, thereby helping shape Americainto the country she is today. As a woman, I am truly grateful to have therights that are bestowed upon me, and I will forever be appreciative of thesewomen.

__________

Bio:

KimberlyReynolds is an online marketer at WrightIMC in Dallas, Texas. She has a passionfor learning new things and is currently working on mastering the piano. On atypical day after work, you may find her walking her dogs, Bella and Doug, reading,writing, and discussing the latest viral video on YouTube. She loves coconutbread pudding, hummus, music, and photography.

HBCU GUEST BLOG: What I took away from my HBCU experience...

2012-02-17T09:00:00.000-05:00

Our Black History Month blogs this year will focus on:

Education
Music
Art

Today, we are happy to feature the second profile on education and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Please enjoy and leave comments for our guest blogger!

__________________________

What I took away from my HBCU experience

By Paul Shaw

Pretty apparent to anyone that knows me, I am avery proud graduate of Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University (FAMU)! But unbeknownst to most, I never planned to attend an HBCU, and had never heard of FAMU until my senior year in high school when I was called down to the college counselor's office one fateful morning.

Starting from first grade, I grew up attending predominantly white schools. Throughout elementary, middle and high school, I grew accustomed to being the only black in the gifted classes, the only black chosen to represent the school when a little "diversity" was needed and the like. There were other black kids in my classes, and they weren't dummies, but I was uniquely designated as "the smart one"…and to some extent I bought into the hype. During high school I encountered other smart black kids from other schools, but I still felt like we were part of a very small minority. I had it planned in my mind that I was going to attend a PWI (pre-dominantly white institution) for college, where I would continue my long reign as "the smart black guy" and life would go on smoothly from there.

But then one day, Mrs. Wallace, my school's college counselor called me down to her office. Some school in Florida, FAMU, wanted to offer me a full-ride scholarship, with stipend, internships and more, solely based on my SAT/ACT scores!! I'd received all of the general solicitation junk mail from schools all across the country, but this was the first to actually go so far as to call and offer a full-ride without my even having submitted an application. Thus, it was added to the list of schools I was considering, despite its unfamiliarity. Growing up in St. Louis and with parents who didn't have 4-year college experience, I had limited exposure to HBCUs (since there are few in the midwest) and found myself mainly considering schools that had glossy pamphlets or that my white counterparts were choosing: Emory, Tulane, Georgetown, Washington University, etc. I was accepted into several of those schools, but when it came time to make a decision, my parents encouraged me based upon their wallets, thus I began the fall of 1997 on "the highest of Tallahassee's seven hills" at Florida A&M University.

Early on during my time at FAMU, and much to my dismay, I realized that I'm not THE smart black guy anymore!! There are several of us here, from all over the country and there are some who may even be smarter than me. While I found this to first be a daunting discovery, I quickly came to realize that this was a strange paradise where I was able to interact with other brilliant black minds day in and day out. This wasn't the black experience that I'd seen on the nightly news, in pop culture, on MTV and hardly even on BET. This was the black experience that I'd gotten a taste of from 'School Daze' and 'A Different World', but really didn't believe existed. I found myself surrounded by black students who were smart enough to excel in all fields, business, science, the arts and more. No longer did I see notable black Americans as people who I did not have anything in common with, instead suddenly I was literally walking down paths on campus that previously had been walked by the likes of notable entertainers, scientists, entrepreneurs and corporate executives. No longer did success seem like something that was rare for a black person to achieve, but rather the norm and standard for a FAMU graduate. I am especially proud of my classmates and friends who have upheld this standard gone on to excellent graduate schools and attain JDs, MBAs, PhDs and other advanced degrees, start their own film production company, and successfully become elected officials.

Another critical part of my FAMU experience was the depth of friendships I made. This was the first time where I wasn't expected to be friends with my classmates solely based upon our similar skin color. I was forced to find other bases upon which to build a relationship. I was able to find friends who had common interests such as types of music, career focus, other extracurricular interests. In my opinion, these relationships are stronger because their foundations are based on several facets and common factors versus the single dimension of race. Additionally, most of these friendships have lasted the test of time and distance. I have close friends that I have known for practically half of my life who live from all across the country and internationally. It astounds my parents and coworkers that I am able to travel extensively have close friends wherever I land. For my friends and me it is just the norm.

I know this blog is primarily targeted at parents, of which I have yet to become. But I am the son of parents who wanted the best for their child, and I can speak from that perspective. Many of you may be wary about what a black college can offer your child and whether they are really even relevant in today's continually integrated society. While I never had an HBCU on my radar growing up, it was hands-down the best choice I have ever made. My experience instilled a level of confidence within me as a young black person that I don't believe I could have received any place other than a black school. Not only did I witness and gain exposure to blacks succeeding in every facet of life, but I also was able to develop a strong sense of self. I was able to surround myself with individuals who cared for me for who I was as an individual full of nuances and quirks, and not just "friends" who would tolerate me because I was another black face in a sea of white ones. While I admit that an HBCU may not be the right choice for a few, it was the perfect choice for me.

_________

Bio:

Paul Shaw is a native of St. Louis, Missouri and after bouncing around from Florida to Chicago to Connecticut and Philly currently resides in Washington, DC where he serves as an internal consultant for a federal agency.

He holds an undergraduate degree in Business & Finance from Florida A&M University and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. In his spare time this “undiscovered comedic genius” enjoys bike riding, dining out, international & domestic travel and spending time with friends.

Teaching Children About Black History Month

2012-02-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

Our Black History Month blogs this year will focus on:

Education
Music
Art

In honor of Black History Month we are proud to celebrate Black education. We are grateful to have a great guest blog that provides suggestions and tips on teaching children (even young children) about Black history. This is a great one - please enjoy!

____________________________

Teaching Children About Black History Month

By Shanelle Henry Robinson

Recently I watched a YouTube video called, “What Do You Knowabout Black History?” I was aghastto find a white college student in blackface interviewing his fellow classmates(both white and black) about their knowledge, or lack thereof, about blackpeople and history. Students wereasked (on camera) questions like, “When is Black History Month?”(January?November? March?); “Can you name some black historical figures?”(aside from MLKand Malcolm X, answers ranged from “the lady on the bus,” Will Smith, SamuelJackson and 50 CENT); and “How do you celebrate Black History Month?” (“I watchcommercials,” “I listen to Jay-Z,” or “Eat fried chicken and drink grape juice”were some of the gems). In addition to the extremely racist minstrelreincarnation, what horrified me was not the limited knowledge on behalf of thewhite college students, but the utter lack of knowledge on behalf of the blackstudents who were interviewed. One black student, when asked how he celebratedBlack History Month, laughed and replied, “Ihonestly don’t know.” His ignorance was blissful.

Carter G. Woodson expressed, "Those who have no recordof what their forbearers have accomplished lose the inspiration, which comesfrom the teaching of biography and history." The founder of “Negro HistoryWeek,” Woodson’s efforts to integrate African American history into thehistorical narrative of American history led to the ultimate adoption ofFebruary (not January, November or March) as Black History Month. In fact, hechose February for the celebration because it is the birth month of bothFrederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, afact the students in the video probably wouldn’t know either. Woodson, astaunch advocate of education, forecasted that with each generation we wouldmove further from understanding those critical moments in American history andseemingly lose appreciation of traditions influenced by Americans with visibleAfrican ancestry. How apropos.

Daryl Davis, anauthor and lecturer from Silver Spring, Maryland, believes, “Every February welearn about a handful of black people — Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, HarrietTubman, Booker T. Washington, George Washington Carver and maybe one or twomore…so white kids, as well as young black kids, are subliminally beingbrainwashed that there was only a handful of black people who ever did anythingin this country because every year you keep learning about the same half adozen when there were many, many more.”

Indeed there weremany more. The 2001 Ebony magazine article,“How to Teach Your Child Black History,”begins with a note to parents:

“Yourchild shouldn't see a stoplight, flip a light switch, eat a peanut buttersandwich, or put on cotton pajamas without discussing black inventors. [Yourchild] shouldn't watch a baseball game, track meet, golf tournament or a tennismatch without discussing legendary black athletes. Your child shouldn't pass abus stop, lunch counter, water fountain or public bathroom without discussingthe Civil Rights Movement. And your child definitely shouldn't leave thelibrary or record store without knowing about famous black icons in publishingand entertainment.”

The article goes on to state, “The lessons of black historyare all around us-- teach [children] black history early and often.”

Parents, are you entrusting your children’s knowledge andeducation solely to the schools? Surely, as evidenced by the mock-umentary “WhatDo You Know about Black History?”, you can’t expect the school system to teachyour child everything they need to know about life or history. Or can you?

Teaching Tolerance is a wonderful resource for teachers (andparents). A project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, the site is “a place tofind thought-provoking news, conversation and support for those who care aboutdiversity, equal opportunity and respect for differences in schools.” Here youwill find archives of curriculum ideas, activities and lesson plans. Thearticle, Do's and Don'ts of Teaching Black History, asks the question:

“How do you ensurestudents get the most out of black history and Black History Month?” Here aresome of their suggestions on what teachers should know and do:

DO...

Incorporate black history year-round, not just inFebruary. Students (andadults alike) need to understand that the history of African Americans is Americanhistory. It's not something that can be (or should be) contained in one monthof the year.

Connect issues in the past to current issues tomake history relevant to students' lives. Black History Month goes beyond history. Inequalityisn't something that is only part of the past – it’s also part of the present.Discuss the ways that African Americans (and other groups) are still experiencingthe effects of racism, and broaden the discussion to include other kinds ofdiscrimination.

Relate lessons to other parts of your curriculum. For example, teaching children about theHarlem Renaissance has natural ties to music and ELA curriculum. The HarlemRenaissance was a cultural movement of black music and literature that spannedthe 1920s and 1930s. Hip-hop comes out of jazz and R&B and has links to poetsand musicians such as Langston Hughes and Ella Fitzgerald.

DO NOT...

Stop your "regular" curriculum. To do a separate lesson on Rosa Parks, onthe Civil Rights Act or on Martin Luther King Jr. trivializes and marginalizesanything you are teaching, making these leaders a token of their culture andethnicity. It sends a message to students that the diversion is not asimportant as the "regular" curriculum.

Focus on superficial cultural traits based onstereotypes. It's ok tocelebrate black music, but teachers should also explore the political and social contexts that gave rise to musical forms like hip-hop.

Teach with little or inaccurate information. Do your homework and review thematerials and texts you are using to make sure they are not promoting aEurocentric perspective. In addition, be sure to cover some of the less famousindividuals. For example, tell kids about Bessie Coleman, the first blackairplane pilot; Bayard Rustin, the organizer of the 1968 March on Washingtonand prominent black gay male activist; and Dr. Mae Jemison, the first black femaleastronaut.

Admittedly, teachingkindergarten-aged children about Black History Month can be difficult. Whileyou may want to teach about Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement, childrenmay struggle to understand the complexities of prejudice, racism anddiscrimination. A simpler way to approach this is by engaging young children ina discussion on "fair treatment." One of the most important themes ofBlack History Month is the African American struggle of obtaining equality in theUnited States and, while young children may not understand the laws of “JimCrow,” they can easily grasp the concept of fair and unfair. If you were to aska child if it's fair to have separate water fountains based on the color ofyour skin, if it’s fair for a bus driver to ask a woman to sit in the back ofthe bus once she's already sat down (Rosa Parks), or if it's fair to be deniedplaying a sport even if you're really good at the sport (Arthur Ashe, et. al.),I’m guessing children will probably answer "not fair" to eachquestion.

You can also teachyoung children about black history through the eyes of children in the civilrights era. For example, 6-year-old Ruby Bridges Hall was the first AfricanAmerican to integrate her New Orleans elementary school, and Barbara Johns wasa student who held a rally in her elementary school gym that eventually led tothe Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme Court school desegregation decision.

One lessonalarmingly apparent to me in that disturbing YouTube video is how important itis that we continue to read and educate (re-educate?) ourselves on blackhistory. To this end, the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) asksschools, churches, libraries, bookstores, community and professionalorganizations, and interested citizens to make literacy a significant part ofBlack History Month by hosting and coordinating a National African American Read-In in their community. For, as Edmund Burke reminds us, "Those who don't know history are destined to repeatit."

___________

Bio:

Shanelle Henry Robinson is Director of Diversity
& Multicultural Affairs at Friends Academy,
a K-12 independent, Quakerschool in Long Island,
New York and mom of two children.

Interview With Karyn Parsons of Sweet Blackberry

2012-02-15T09:00:00.000-05:00

Our Black History Month blogs this year will focus on:

Education
Music
Art

Today, we are happy to feature Karyn Parsons, for our profile on education.

You may remember her as Hillary Banks from the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, but Karyn Parsons is now the creator of Sweet Blackberry, a non-profit organization whose mission is to bring little known stories of African-American achievement to children everywhere!

Name: Karyn Parsons

What is the mission behind Sweet Blackberry?
Our mission is to bring little-known stories of African-American achievement to children everywhere.

Why did you decide to start the organization?
My mother was a librarian in the Black Resource Department of her library and would share incredible stories with me that my friends and I had never heard of. One day, she told me the story of Henry "Box" Brown, a slave who literally mailed himself to freedom in a box. He began in Virginia and shipped himself to Pennsylvania. When they opened the box, he was a free man.

I was bowled over by the story, and the fact that I had never of it, and no one I told it to had never heard it. I decided to create a series of books for children.

I made notes over the years on the project, but it wasn't until I was pregnant with my first child that I got serious about it. I was thinking a lot about my responsibility as a parent to supplement my child's education and apparently was talking about the project I wanted to do a lot. My husband pushed me to stop talking and "do it!"

What do you hope children can gain from watching these productions?
Not only are these important stories from American History, they are also empowering and inspiring. They illustrate for children that obstacles can actually be opportunities for greatness.

I also think that if children are introduced to these courageous individuals, and to the important contributions that African-Americans have made throughout history to this country, that they won't grow up thinking that once in a while a special Black person does something great. Unfortunately, by being taught only a handful of stories one month of the year, that's the message. Children of all races and ethnicities need to know these stories. They are American history and by being introduced to them early, children will feel a sense of shared history.

Please share with us the current DVDs you have available.
Right now, we have The Journey of Henry "Box'" Brown: The True Story of a Slave Who Mailed Himself to Freedom. It's narrated by Alfre Woodard. We [also] have Garrett's Gift: The Story of Garrett Morgan, the inventor of, among other things, the traffic signal. It's narrated by Queen Latifah.

How do you choose which African-American story you will feature?
There are so many incredible stories, and every day I discover a new one.

Finding a way to make children be able to relate to the story is vital. It's important that they're engaged and entertained. I don't want them thinking about history. I want them enjoying a great story...that happens to be true!

What is next for Sweet Blackberry?
Currently, we are working on our third film in the historical series, developing curriculum for teachers and parents, and building an expanded website, for parents, educators, and kids to enjoy.

Here's the trailer!

African-American Poets

2012-02-14T12:00:00.000-05:00

****

Our Black History Month blogs this year will focus on:

Education
Music
Art

In honor of Black History Month we are proud to celebrate Black art.

Valentine's Day is a fitting time to introduce love poems to those you love. Various versions of "roses are red, violets are blue" are fun but today we would like to introduce you to some beautiful love poetry written by African-Americans! Feel free to recite them to your loved one today!

Paul Laurence Dunbar

The poet, Paul Laurence Dunbar, was born in Dayton, Ohio in 1872 and wrote his first poem at the young age of six. He gave his first recital at the age of nine and went onto write a dozen books of poetry, four books of short stories, five novels and a play. He wrote lyrics for In Dahomey, the first musical written and performed by African-Americans on Broadway, in 1903. Dunbar was published in Harper's Weekly, the Denver Post and numerous other publications. He died of tuberculosis at the age of thirty-three. He has been known for his skillful use of dialect while retaining impressive structure.

Excerpt from "Invitation to Love"

Come when the nights are bright with stars

Or come when the moon is mellow;

Come when the sun his golden bars

Drops on the hay-field yellow.

Come in the twilight soft and gray,

Come in the night or come in the day,

Come, O love, whene'er you may,

And you are welcome, welcome.

Nikki Giovanni

Nikki Giovanni is one of the most renowned poets of our time. She entered the poetry circle during the Black Arts movement. She writes mostly of civil rights, equality and love. Ms. Giovanni has received some twenty-five honorary degrees and is the author of some 30 books for both adults and children. Nikki Giovanni is a University Distinguished Professor at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.

***As a side note, I had the pleasure of meeting Nikki Giovanni when I was working on a novel in my early twenties. She gladly agreed to read an excerpt and mailed me a handwritten card encouraging me to continue to write. I will never forget that! Of course, I saved the card!

Excerpt from "My House"

i spent all winter in

carpet stores gathering

patches so i could make

a quilt

does this really sound

like a silly poem

i mean i want to keep you

warm

Jessie Redmon Fauset

Born in New Jersey in 1882, Fauset was the first African-American to attend Cornell University and later went on to earn her Masters at University of Pennsylvania. Fauset also studied French and Latin at the Sorbonne. She served as an editor of NAACP's official publication, the Crisis and published works of renowned writers such as Countee Cullen and Langston Hughes. She went onto publish four novels There is Confusion, Plum Bun, The Chinaberry Tree and Comedy, American Style.

Excerpt from "Touche"

Dear, when we sit in that high, placid room,

'Loving' and 'doving' as all lovers do,

Laughing and leaning so close in the gloom, --

What is the change that creeps sharp over you?

Just as you raise your fine hand to my hair

Bringing that glance of mixed wonder and rue?

Who are some of your favorite African-American poets?

Christine

My First Parental Valentine's Day Craft!

2012-02-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

Lady C's Heart Shaped Ponytail

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYONE!!!!

When I was younger I really enjoyed getting Valentines from my classmates. Getting chocolates or hearts or stickers always made me feel extra special. Of course life became harder when the day became more about which boy liked which girl but before the hormones took effect.... It was a favorite day of mine.

My daughter is in a program that prepares her for school and she meets with classmates a few hours a week so I was EXTRA giddy that they are meeting on February 14 and I wanted to give that same moment of "feeling special" to each child in her class. My husband and I haven't celebrated the day since the first year we dated and although I am fine with that - it was fun to share the moment with my daughter, teach her about Valentine's Day and also have a little fun with crafts too!

What did we make? (Well, thank you for asking!)

We got heart shaped bath salts to use during bath time. These nifty things were grabbed from the $1 section at Target! I love love love that Red Dot Boutique... did I say love? Yeah, love.

We also made heart shaped crayons that I found on pinterest (um, love pinterest too). This was really easy and fun to make because we explored which colors to pick and it helps reinforce her knowledge of colors. You can find directions on how to do this on the Hartlyn Kids Valentine's Pin Board.

Our heart-shaped crayons

The most fun part though was decorating the bags of each of her classmates. We said each person's name and sounded out the letters (trying to instill a little phonics in her life) and then she "wrote" the name of each person with my full assistance of course. And then came the stickers- we went heart sticker happy on those bags. It was such a fun project and I hope her classmates enjoy!

Did you love getting valentines as a gift when you were a kid? Did you prepare any this year?

The Culture of Jazz - Jazz For Kids!

2012-02-13T09:00:00.000-05:00

Our Black History Month blogs this year will focus on:

Education
Music
Art

In honor of Black History Month we are proud to celebrate black music. Today we are delighted to share a great musical cultural experience for kids!!!

The Culture of Jazz - Jazz For Kids!

My husband and I like music.

Lady C likes music.

A great BBQ place in NYC has a weekly Sunday Brunch featuring a Jazz played by kids...

Sounds like a recipe for a great day right?

Absolutely.

As parents, we often put aside the things we love to do because we must take our children to play dates and parties and child-centered events. Eventually, we become inundated with Elmo, Fresh Beat Band and Olivia, all at the sacrifice of some of our prior favorite hobbies.

I am here to tell you - you don't have to give it all up! Sometimes there is a great middle ground if you can just find it. My husband and I love live music and my daughter loves ANY music. Seriously, she would dance to the sound of trash being collected. So when I heard about Jazz for Kids at Jazz Standard - I was all over it. My husband and I have been to Jazz Standard before (during adult nights) but it is hard to go often now that we have Lady C. This particular brunch allows you to bring your kids along, for free and listen to a band made up of talented young people, Jazz Standard Youth Orchestra.

We get to listen to music we like.

She gets to listen to music she likes.

We get to eat great food (not just nuggets and fries).

She eats from the kid menu. (And by the way, Jazz Standard donates $1 from each kid's menu sold to a charity of their choice).

We support the arts.

We teach her about brass instruments.

Admission is FREE.

The Jazz brunch is every Sunday from 2-3, doors open at 1.

Any jazz enthusiasts here??

I did not receive compensation for this review - just love sharing REAL life experiences with you all - must admit though, one of my best friends works at Jazz Standard and she did send us some cheese fries for free :)

MULTICULTURAL CORNER: MEET APRIL FROM ABSOLUTETRAVELADDICT.COM

2012-02-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

Today we would love you to meet April from AbsoluteTravelAddict.com ... if you could not guess - she is addicted to travel!!!! Her motto is "Explore our world and enjoy the journey!" Come meet April and see what inspires her to travel!

Name: April D. Thompson

What inspired you to start your blog "The Absolute Travel Addict"? After decidingnot to go to get an MBA, I really started to work on changing my mindsetand pursing my interests and passions. I started traveling more and more. OnceI got back from one trip, I was already thinking about where I would go next. Iwas constantly searching for great fares and how to travel for free usingloyalty points and mile. It’s an addiction, hence the name Absolute TravelAddict. I started getting questions from from friends and family on where and when to travel and decided to publish my trips to keep them aware of what I'm doing and how I'm doing it. Every amazing experienceand person I meet on the road and everyone who reaches out with questions orshares how I’ve encouraged them to do something new is motivation to keep doingthis.

Three words to describe how you feel when you travel:

1. reinvented -- When you travel to a new place,you can be anyone you want to be. I'm not saying create and act out a falseidentity, but you can easily leave the labels and title from back home at homeand be who you are at the core. Sometimes it's difficult to just be you athome, with all of the pressures and expectations from your job, family andfriends.
2. modest -- "Traveling makes one modest -you see what a tiny place you occupy in the world." -Paul Theroux. Despiteyour many accomplishments, accolades, material possessions or power, travel,for me at least, has a way of showing one how.
3. excited -- Arriving in a new destination is akin to achild's excitement on Christmas morning. You aren't sure what to expect, butyou are excited for the possibility of a whole lot of awesome.

We love the idea of your "30 by 30 challenge" - tell our readers a little about that and where you are in the process:

The 30 by 30 challenge came as a result of frustration with the direction I was headed in life. My work was mundane and I felt captive to my paycheck and condo. I had just completed an 18 month process to go to business school and at the last minute decided not to go. I knew I wanted to travel more and made a promise to myself to do so. Thus the 30 by 30 travel challenge was born. Setting this intention and sharing it with the world, really made me put plans in action to make it happen. In about a year since making this promise, I've visited 10 countries with a final tally of 19 to date. I'm not on track to make 30 by my 30th birthday (April 7, 2012), but that's OK. I'm really enjoying slowing down and enjoying a diving deeper into the places I visit and hope to continue this excitement for exploring new places for the rest of my life.

Of all the places that you have visited, name your top three favorite places:

1. South Africa -- While I'm not opposed to vising places where I'm different and stand out, there's something about connecting with people who view you as one of their own. I particularly enjoyed Durban, the Sun City, for its beautiful beaches and unique blend of African and Indian culture.

2. Jamaica -- Though it sounds cliche, Jamaica has solidified a top slot in my top favorite places. There's so much more to this little island than the resorts along the beaches of the north coast. From the majestic Blue Mountains to the hypnotizing reggae rhythms and everything in between. I've thoroughly enjoyed digging deeper into the music history and exploring new little known attractions like Jamaica Fire Water during my extended stay on the island.

3. Brazil -- I visited Rio de Janeiro for Reveillion, the new year's eve celebration, and had an amazing time bonding with Cariocas (residents of Rio) and foreigners from all over the world as we brought in the new year. As you can see, I'm a sucker for sun, beach, good food and amazing people.

Name one place that you want to visit in 2012:

I'm going to cheat a bit and give you two new places I want to visit this year -- Ethiopia and India. Ethiopia because I want to explore more of Africa and being in Jamaica, there's such a huge respect for Ethiopia (especially among Rastafarians) and it has me even more intrigued. Regarding India, I've been infatuated with the country for quite some time -- Bollywood movies, food, customs. I even tried Hindi lessons for a short while. I'm ready to take my India obsession to the next level with an extended visit.

We noticed that you are involved in some travel related philanthropic organizations - can you tell us a little about those?

The Passport Party Project is near and dear to my heart. The founder, Tracey Friley of OneBrownGirl.com has been a wonderful inspiration to me and many other travelers. I love her dedication to young girls and as a traveler always preaching the "Get a Passport" gospel, this initiative was a perfect match. I was a volunteer for the Los Angeles leg of the PPP and wrote an article on the event which was published in the Winter 2012 edition of Broughton Quarterly.

What piece of advice would you give to people who are too afraid to travel in order to encourage them to "Explore our world and enjoy the journey"

If you don’t have apassport, get one now! You never know when an opportunity to travel will ariseand you should be ready. I recently wona trip to the Bahamas and since I had my passport, I was ready to go 2 daysafter notification of winning. A passport is good for 10 years, so you haveplenty of time to pick a destination, plan your trip, save and go! Having apassport and getting out and exploring the world can be an amazing and lifealtering experience. And, given the competition in the global market place,having international experience makes you more marketable professionally. I'll also leave this quote, which was a big motivation for me to start pursuing the things I really dreamed about:

Twenty years from now you will bemore disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. Sothrow off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade windsin your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. -Mark Twain

Interview with Nicole L. Updegraff, Author and Illustrator

2012-02-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

Our Black History Month blogs this year will focus on:

Education
Music
Art

In honor of Black History Month we are proud to celebrate black art.

Meet Nicole L. Updegraff, the author and illustrator of "I Love My Cotton Candy Hair" and the creator of the Cotton Candy Playground.

_________________________

Name:

Nicole L. Updegraff

Children/Pets:

Charlie- age 7, Sierra- age 4,Cane- age 2, baby girl due to arrive this April :).

How long have you beendrawing and writing?

WellI've always been creative but it wasn't until a few years after I graduatedcollege that I started taking art seriously. I started painting children'sartwork in 2003 and it has continued to grow and evolve into what you seetoday. Likewise with writing. I have always been able to express myself prettywell on paper, but “I LOVE myCotton Candy Hair!” was my first major effort.

Tell us about your book, “ILove My Cotton Candy Hair!”

Iguess it can best be described as a little girl's love letter to her hair. Itis an incredibly adorable story about loving yourself, celebrating differences,and knowing that being able to recognize beauty in others doesn't mean that youare any less perfect the way you are.

Howdid you arrive at the idea for the book?

“I LOVE my Cotton Candy Hair!” wasinspired almost four years ago by my daughter Charlie's heartbreaking,teary-eyed plea for “straight and yellow” hair. She was three at thetime and I could not wrap my mind around the fact that my beautifulbaby had already found something about herself that she felt wasn't goodenough. My husband and I began a searchfor children's books which focused on self-love and acceptance butcouldn't really find any appropriate for a three year old's level ofunderstanding. A few years later I decided to take matters into my own hands.Seeing herself reflected in the story and comparing her hair to something asuniversally loved as cotton candy had an almost immediate impact on how feltabout herself.

What do you hope readerswill gain from reading the book?

Ijust want children to know that they are absolutely perfect just the way theyare, no matter what that way might be!

What tips can you provide to parents, caregivers and educators toencourage creativity with children?

To be just that,encouraging. If your children want to write, draw, paint, let them. Displaytheir work, on the fridge, in a frame, it doesn't matter. Tell them how greatthey are. When we consistently tell our kids they can't do things, they believeit. When we consistently tell them they can do anything, they believe that too.I want my children to believe they can do anything!

Guest Blog HBCU Spotlight: "The Accidental Right Choice"

2012-02-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

Our Black History Month blogs this year will focus on:

Education
Music
Art

Today, we are happy to feature the first profile on education and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Please enjoy and leave comments for our guest blogger!

______________________________

By Ebony N. McLean

Why an HBCU?

Truth be told, growing up I never heard about HBCUs and didn't really know about the difference between an HBCU and any other university. As I got older and in high school it was time for my college search to begin....I had it all set Duke (because of their colors...I mean isn't that how we all picked our college), Harvard (because I was smart too) or UCLA (it was sunny in Cali and the song said, it never rained).

I clearly remember the meeting I had with my school's college advisor and being told (in front of my mother) that Harvard wasn't the school for me and I would never get in. I quickly asked what do you mean I won't get in, I am running an A- average, taking college courses and got a 1200 on my SATs, which I took in the last part of my sophomore year. I wish I had a picture of her face, the shade of red she turned as she tried to tell me why she thought I won't get in to Harvard. She finally said, you may get in but won't be able to afford it and my grades were not high enough for a scholarship.

One Sunday morning, my church announced a college fair at another church and me and my best friend said we would go....what we didn't know is that this was an HBCU college fair....so I go and learn all about HBCUs and my list changed....Benedict College, Spelman, Bethune Cookman or bust.

I figured an HBCU would be the perfect way to end off my educational career. I started off in an all African-American elementary school (not by choice but by neighborhood), my middle school and high school years were more diverse, so why not end at an institution that was rich in African-American history??

I went to another college fair hosted at Midwood High School in Brooklyn, where I knew many schools were going to waive the application fee. So I picked up applications to Lincoln University (because their table was empty and I didn't like crowds), Spelman, Clark Atlanta, Benedict and Bethune Cookman.

Applications sent and I just knew I wanted to go to Benedict....then came my acceptance letters...Lincoln was the first YES, followed by Spelman, Benedict, Bethune Cokman and finally Clark Atlanta. Lincoln the first HBCU, the first to tell me YES and the first to send a financial aid package. Lincoln University....MY Alma Mater...good old Orange and Blue....Hail Hail Lincoln.

Loved the experience, wouldn't change my decision for the world...

______________________________

Bio:

Ebony N. McLean is a native of Brooklyn. She has an educational foundation from the Department of Education New York public school system. She holds an undergraduate degree in Accounting from Lincoln University. She also hold two Master's Degrees, one in Middle School Education (from Touro College) and Educational Administration (from The College of Saint Rose). Currently Ebony serves as the Middle School Math Educator and Budget Manger at PS. 161 - The Crown School in Brooklyn.

Big on Community Service and Sisterhood, Ebony became a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. (Delta Delta Chapter) in the spring of 1995 while attending Lincoln University. She currently serves her community and Zeta through Delta Mu Zeta chapter of the Sorority.

Teachable Music Moments: The Black History Month Edition

2012-02-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

Our Black History Month blogs this year will focus on:

Education
Music
Art

In honor of Black History Month we are proud to celebrate black music. Today we are delighted to share a guest blog from an ethnomusicolgist, featuring musical performances that you can share with children to encourage learning, understanding and appreciation. Please enjoy the blog and the celebration of African American music! And leave comments and questions!!

_________________________________________

By Dr. Fredara Hadley

It’s Black History Month 2012!

What a wonderful opportunity to learn more about theculture, legacy, and fortitude of African Americans. While June is Black MusicMonth, as an ethnomusicologist I believe that music is an easy and effectiveway to begin conversations with our younger ones about African Americanculture.

Below are several musical performances that can serve as aspringboard for talking about African American music and culture.

“Wade in the Water” performed by Sweet Honey in the Rock

Enslavement was a dark period in our nation’s history inwhich countless captured people were forced to work on plantations without pay.Negro Spirituals are not just
songs that we have from the period of enslavement,but their lyrics reveal how the African Americans felt about their faith andtheir freedom. “Wade in the Water” is agreat example of a song that has double meaning. The lyrics refer both to thebiblical story of God parting the Red Sea so that Moses and the children ofIsrael could cross and to the practice of runaway slaves crossing rivers at thesafest crossing.

“Aint Gonna Let Nobody (Turn Me ‘Round)” performed byBernice Johnson Reagon and the Freedom Singers

The Civil Rights Era of the 1950s and 1960s was a pivotalmoment in which countless Americans, Black and White, fought and died to forceAmerica to give equal rights to all of its citizens. Although there is stillwork to be done, the Civil Rights Movement was an important step towardsequality for all Americans. The music of that movement, or freedom songs,encouraged Movement participants by reinforcing its message of courage andperseverance. “Aint Gonna Let Nobody” is a great example of a freedom song thatwas simple enough for anyone to sing. In this White House performance freedomsinger, Bernice Johnson Reagon, sings the song with the same power and passionthat helped protestors to succeed in the face of violence and hatred.

“The Big Payback” performed by James Brown Live in Zaire1974

The 1970s are often called the “soul era.” While we thinkabout soul as a type of music the idea behind it is quite powerful. The 1970ssaw a pop cultural shift in how many African Americans saw themselves. In thelate 1960s and 1970s the idea that “Black is beautiful,” and not something ofwhich to be ashamed, started to spread within African American communities.“Soul” as a concept was a way to acknowledge the accepting of African Americansnew view of their hair, clothes, and music. The idea that Black is beautifulalso stretched beyond American shores to include people of African descent fromaround the world. In this 1974 performance, the Godfather of Soul, James Brownperforms his hit “The Big Payback” in front of tens of thousands of Africans inKinshasa, Zaire. This performance is a great example of African Americansbuilding musical bridges with their ancestral home of Africa.

Michael Jackson Halftime Tribute performed by The FloridaA&M University Marching 100 in Atlanta 2009

Black History is not only about the past it is also aboutthe future. Since the 19^th Century Historically Black Colleges andUniversities (HBCUs) have been an integral part of the success story of AfricanAmericans. Many heralded and unsung African Americans attended HBCUs includingMartin Luther King, Jr., Oprah Winfrey, and Erykah Badu. These schools continueto be an important place for students of all races to learn and study. One ofthe most exciting aspects of HBCUs are their marching bands. In this 2009performance the Florida A&M University Marching 100 perform a halftime tributeto Michael Jackson during the Atlanta Football Classic. Bands such as thiscontinue important musical traditions and provide talented students with theopportunity to perform and earn an education.

____________________________________________________________

Bio:

Fredara is an ethnomusicologistwho loves talking, teaching, and researching all things music and culture. Shefervently believes that we can learn more about ourselves and each other bytaking a closer look at the way create and experience music. Fredara is onehalf of the music nerd blog duo of Aja& Free and blogs about the music industry andmusic technology at Soul4 Sale.

Fredara is a jet-setting Florida girl living in Brooklyn. Follow her musicalmusings and misadventures on Twitter: @fredaraMareva

Egg Carton Math

2012-02-06T09:30:00.000-05:00

***

I recently came across a great idea on Pintrest. I like to call it Egg Carton Math! I love engaging in learning activities that does not require me to purchase more and more things from the store but to recycle items I already have.

In this activity, I simply use an empty egg carton, put numbers at the bottom of the tray and have Lady A count beads to the corresponding numbers.

I LOVE this activity because she's able to connect the numbers to the physical aspect of counting. It also helps her to remember her numbers.

Plus, you don't have to limit yourself to 1-12 but you can keep stretching children. I mix it up with the lower numbers like 5 and higher numbers like 30 to keep her guessing.

Christine

"PEOPLE WE DIG" CORNER: Meet Mimi Scarlett of Lipgloss and Binky

2012-02-03T09:30:00.000-05:00

We are really excited about starting our new corner featuring people we admire. Mimi Scarlett is the woman behind the mom blog, Lipgloss and Binky. What we love about her blog is that she writes candidly about motherhood, chasing dreams and style!

By the way, it's such a small world. Mimi and Christine went to Florida A&M University together and reunited through the blogosphere!

Name: Mimi Scarlett

Name of the blog: Lipgloss and Binky

How many children/pets? 3 children (2 biological 1 step) NO PETS!!!

What made you start Lipgloss and Binky? As a SAHM of a 3 month old I found my life getting rather monotonous and although I was thankful for the ability to stay home with my children I felt a bit disconnected from the outside world. I started to think about a blog and then at the urging of a friend of mine who has a very successful blog I officially started blogging in August of 2010.

We love your knack of finding bargains while thrifting! What are your suggestions when navigating the thrift store? You have to be in the mood, is the first thing I tell people. You have to have patience and look through each piece on the rack. From a glance it may look like nothing but when you really stop and take the time there are gems to be found. Sometimes they still have tags on them!

What is a low maintenance look mothers can maintain while juggling the demands of motherhood? I think nothing says pulled together like a well fitting pair of jeans, a nice crisp white blouse or nice fitted tee with the right amount of accessories and a nice flat shoe.

Congratulations on your new T-Shirt line, Divinitee! Please describe your company. As a Christian I noticed there weren't many faith based options as far as clothing was concerned for women. While there was some clothing available it just didn't fit my style. Then I started to notice some of the more inappropriate sayings that started showing up on shirts and on our youth. The idea to start my business came as a desire to offer today's modern woman a fashinable medium through which to display their faith. We can be found online at www.divinitee.com.

What are some places you would love to travel? Unlike most people I dove into my career straight out of college and soon after started my family so I haven't traveled much outside of the United States. London, France, and Turks and Caicos will be our first stops now that the children are old enough. Plans are underway for our first trip to Europe. We are excited!

Be sure to visit Mimi and learn more about her at Lipgloss and Binky!!

Black History Month Museum Spotlight: Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA)

2012-02-02T08:43:00.000-05:00

Our Black History Month blogs this year will focus on:

Education
Music
Art

In honor of Black History Month we are proud to celebrate black art.

In the heart of Brooklyn, NY there is a great museum with a mission to celebrate and rediscover valuable African cultural traditions that were lost during the slave trade and colonization of the continent. The Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA) informs and educates thousands of visitors each year about the cultures and art forms that have been developed as a result of the dispersal of people of African descent throughout the Americas, Europe and beyond.

MoCADA was created in 1999 by Laurie A. Cumbo in response to Brooklyn’s overwhelming need for a museum reflective of the diverse arts and cultures of the African Diaspora. Since the museum’s inception, MoCADA has established a reputation for cutting edge exhibitions and programs that cross artistic disciplines, challenge the boundaries of the traditional museum and engage with local and international audiences.

In addition to providing access to great artwork and exhibitions, MoCADA's mission also includes community change by way of public programs, free programs for the community and educational programs such as their Curatorial Fellowship, which is designed to provide professional guidance to young curators of African descent. I had the pleasure of speaking with, Isissa Komada-John, one of MoCADA's Curatorial Fellows, about MoCADA and their upcoming Black History Month program. Isissa has been a fellow since February 2011 and will be joining MoCADA's staff as an exhibition coordinator.

Aisha Greene: Tell me a little bit about what attracted you to join MoCADA's curatorial program.

Isissa Komada-John: I graduated with a degree in Africana Studies in 2010 and my focus was always on the arts. I returned home (to Brooklyn) after graduating and was happy to join MoCADA. The fall after graduation I was an intern at the museum and was accepted into the curatorial fellowship while I was an intern. I began my role as a Fellow a few months after my internship began at the museum.

What I love about MoCADA is the dedication to affecting change in the community.

AG: I am glad you mentioned the community aspect of MoCADA, could you tell me about a recent program the museum held that you are particularly proud of?

IKJ: At the end of January we had a DIY Festival showcasing the large DIY movement taking place and focused on members of the movement who are of African descent. Often, we think of DIY as part of white culture but it is very much apart of Black culture too.

AG: What were some of the programs that were included in the DIY Festival?

IKJ: We had demonstrations, mini workshops and a marketplace for people to sell goods. The presenters included a mixologist, nutritionist, jewelry maker and ceramics artist.

AG: Could you tell us about the upcoming Black History Month program at MoCADA?

IKJ: We will be screening independent African-American films and web series' on three separate dates, including the New York City premiere of the feature, An Oversimplification of Beauty by Terence Nance. The film is being shown at Sundance as well which is very exciting. We are also excited to screen the web series, The Misadventures of an Awkward Black Girl and Issa Rae, the creator will Skype In.

If you are in the New York area - consider checking out Pixelating: Indie Films in Black, a series of screenings held in the month of February in honor of Black History Month presented by MoCADA and Black Public Media. Screenings will take place throughout various venues in Brooklyn and New York City. The film series couples independently produced films with web series to promote and highlight emerging Black voices in film and television. Following each screening, there will be a discussion with the directors, producers, and players that make this series possible.

All screenings are free and open to the public.

For more information on MoCADA visit http://mocada.org/

For more information on the Black History Month Film series visit http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=3674390fa7c9426d0afdd5223&id=471b88ab6a&e=

HARTLYN KIDS CELEBRATES BLACK HISTORY MONTH

2012-02-01T09:00:00.000-05:00

What we need is nota history of selected races or nations, but the history of the world void ofnational bias, race hate and religious prejudice. ~Carter Woodson (1926)

FEBRUARY IS BLACKHISTORY MONTH !!!

WE ARE EXCITED TO CELEBRATEALL MONTH LONG !!!

We are super-excited about February as we have a host of featuresand deep discount sales on our inventory.

In honor of Black History month, our blog (www.HartlynKids.blogspot.com) will be highlighting thefollowing areas of black culture with guest posts and features from some greatindividuals:

Education
Music
Art

We will be featuring individuals who attended Historically BlackColleges; provide valuable feedback on how to prepare Black History MonthCurricula; showcase a guest post from an ethno-musicologist aboutAfrican-American music; feature an article on a Black-owned and operated museumin Brooklyn, New York and more!

There will also be fun giveaways and we will introduce a newseries entitled, People We Like where we feature individuals whomwe admire!

We could not end themonth without a discount on Hartlyn Kids products! We are introducing HalfOff Thursdays only for the month of February! You can get 50% off allof our inventory every Thursday, so you can provide a child with the gift oftravel for a super low price!

Please also join us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/HartlynKids)and follow us on Twitter (www.twitter.com/HartlynKids). All month long wewill be advertising our weekly deals, sharing Black History Month resources andsharing quotes and historical facts.

THANKS FOR JOINING US,

AISHA AND CHRISTINE

Am I Living My Life Only To Have Something to Blog About?

2012-01-31T09:13:00.000-05:00

Am I Living My Life Only To Have Something to Blog About?

“Would I do everything I do if I wasn't a blogger?”

When Christine and I decided to start this blog it seemed like a great way to memorialize some of the things we were already doing and planning to do with our children. We both love travel and culture and museums and cultural food. We wanted to show ways that others could incorporate those things into their lives even with children and show how WE do it. It was genuine... it IS genuine. It is also admittedly EXHAUSTING. I cannot even lie about that.

I love all of the things that we do as a family but often I am going them under a timeline that would best fit a blog schedule or a cultural holiday. Sometimes my plans are thwarted because someone in the family is not feeling well - so oh man - we have to miss that great Chinese New Year Festival that we planned to attend *grumble* - so, now what do we blog about??

I spend a significant amount of time researching cultural events taking place in my city. I also spend time thinking about ways that I can give my daughter more access to the great things that NYC culture offers. It is rewarding, but the other day as I sat highlighting a local magazine researching some fun and cheap cultural activities, I put the magazine down and wondered - would I be doing this AS much if I wasn't a blogger????

I think the answer to my question is a resounding YES. Yes, I would. The events that I attend, the food that I eat, the books that I read, the people that I meet are integral to my growth and my views on parenting. What would be different is the pressure of time lines, planning, picture taking and blogging. Even though it adds restrictions, the pressure of the blog keeps me focused on my real life goals and I hope you are enjoying the journey along the way. We will try to keep it interesting! Hope you will continue to follow!

For all you bloggers out there - do you find yourself doing things you would not ordinarily do because you blog? It is ok to admit it... we are all friends here :)

Get to Know: Bonita Jewel! Author of "Adventures That Lead To Home"

2012-01-30T09:00:00.000-05:00

Get to Know: Bonita Jewel!
Author of "Adventures That Lead To Home"

Many of you haveasked us about the authors of our books and we are very happy to introduce youto Bonita Jewel Hele, the author of our "trip" to India,"Adventures That Lead To Home". Please welcome Bonita. We are soexcited to have you learn a little more about her!

Name:Bonita Jewel Hele

Pleaseshare your family structure: I have been marriedfor seven years. My husband and I have three children: Jessica is seven, Allenis five, and Aiden is nearly three. I love being a mom!

How long have you been writing?For as long as I can remember (since I could write, that is), I’ve lovedcomposing things—poetry, short stories. Since April of 2010, writing has beenmore of a focus…a renewed passion, you might say. Since then, I have beenfreelancing as a writer and editor.

How long have you lived in India?My first memories are of India, as my parents moved to India when I was two andmoved back to California when I was nearly six. I returned to India at the ageof sixteen, and lived there until I was 28, so I’ve spent about half of my lifein India, nearly 15 years altogether.

What is the biggest challenge you faced from livingin a foreign country? A major adjustment at the beginningwas the weather—specifically, the heat! I arrived in Mumbai (Bombay) at thehottest time of year. Having spent the last eight years in Bangalore, southernIndia, where the climate is more temperate, I would have to say the heat was nolonger much of a challenge…though on days I would have loved having a poolclose by.

Cover of Adventures That Lead To Home

A personal adjustment that I had a difficult time with wasthe change in “space.” I enjoy times of thinking and reflection, taking walksand enjoying nature. Except for the times that I traveled through thecountryside of India, I lived in bigger cities—Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Bangalore—wherethe number of people per square mile is noticeably higher than I was used to.It was difficult to find a place to just sit and relax without receiving theextra attention that came with being a “foreigner.”

What inspired you to write “Adventures That Lead toHome”? Iwas always amazed at the diversity of India. When traveling between cities, Iwould drive through villages that probably looked much the same at they didhundreds of years ago—slow moving, peaceful, natural. The cities, on the otherhand, were modern, with the rapid advancement of information technology andmore. Still, you would see in the cities, from time to time, water buffaloslowly pulling a wagon filled with hay or logs, driven by an old villager,seemingly unaffected by the cars and buses whizzing by.

“Adventures That Lead to Home” was written with that inmind. I wanted to enable readers to experience the variety, and evencontradiction, between life in the village and life in the city. The old andthe new. The familiar and the modern. There are advantages to both ways of lifeand of course, what is most important to all, no matter where they might findthemselves in life, is to have a place they can call home.

What advice would you give to other writers? Startwriting! And readingas well. Nothing gives you the ability better than practice. Perhaps start ablog where you can jot down thoughts, stories, experiences, lessons. Or if youhave a story in mind, just start to write. It doesn’t have to be perfect…thatcan come later. Just write…and have fun!

If you could travel to any country, where would itbe? SinceI was a young teen, I always wanted to travel to both Scotland and Ireland—to talkwith people who speak with those cool accents,visit the old castles and see the beautiful countryside.

Provide three words to describe your time in India.

An unforgettable experience

Life-changing

Educational.

My time in another country helps me now see many things froma broader perspective. It’s easy to see things from only one point of view, butthere are so many other views, perspectives, experiences, and if we are wise,we will realize we have so much that we can learn from others, including (orperhaps especially) those from other countries and backgrounds.

Provide three words that describe your personality.

That’s almost as difficult as describing my time in India. I hope threestatements about me will be fine.

I love to learn and experience new things.

I enjoy meeting people and getting to know them throughinteresting and deep conversation.

My life’s goal is to make a difference for the bettersomehow in the lives of those with whom I come in contact.

Is there anything else you would like our readersto know about you?

Thanks for taking the time to read this! I hope you enjoythe book and that, through it, can experience some of the amazing and beautifulcountry of India.

If anyone is interested in knowing more about me or mywriting, I have three blogs and I try to post something on at least one of themevery week.

My parenting blog: positiveparentingblog.wordpress.com

My personal blog: danielandbonita.wordpress.com

My writing and editing blog: awordfitlywritten.wordpress.com

If you are also interested in also knowing more about our great illustrator - check out out interview with Lisa Butler here: Butler Interview

Multicultural Corner: Halle Butvin, Founder of One Mango Tree

2012-01-27T09:30:00.000-05:00

Meet Halle Butvin from the fair trade company, One Mango Tree. We love the concept of fair trade and conscience purchasing. We also adore the catalog of clothing and accessories you can find on the company's website. Be sure to check out the online store and meet the artisans behind each product!

1. Name

Halle Butvin

2. Tell us about your company, OneMango Tree.

One Mango Tree is a business that uses fair trade and designto create jobs in some of the harshest places in the world. We do this byworking with talented producers and artisans to create products to market andsell in the United States and Europe. We started One Mango Tree in NorthernUganda, a region devastated by more than 20 years of civil war, to create amarket for products created by women tailors.

3. What inspired you to start a fairtrade company?

I was initially very interested in working in internationaldevelopment, and had traveled to Uganda as a volunteer to learn more about theconflict in Northern Uganda. During conversations with Ugandans on that firsttrip, I asked repeatedly what they thought their country needed for sustainablepeace - the answer was invariably "jobs." I could see that noemployers were willing to take a risk to invest in this region, and when Ilearned that many women had been trained to sew, but had no market for their goods,the idea behind One Mango Tree began to take shape. I was saddened by thesituation in Northern Uganda, and by how few people in the United States knewwhat was going on there - I saw One Mango Tree as an opportunity not only tocreate jobs and sustainable livelihoods for these war-affected women, but alsoas a way to help educate consumers, both about the ethics of their consumption,and about this conflict in such a far-off place. The idea was to bring theconsumer closer to the producer and build a connection between the two.

4. What are some of the biggestchallenges you have faced with One Mango Tree?

There have been many challenges - Uganda is a land-lockedcountry, so we have to ship all of our products by air, which is expensive. Westarted working on organic cotton knit apparel in 2009, but because of theglobal cotton crisis in 2010, prices have increased drastically - it makes itvery hard to keep our prices competitive with our fair wage system. Uganda alsodoes not have a large industrial base, so many of the inputs for our bags(zippers, snaps, even the African printed fabric) is imported, and can bedifficult to find in local markets, and expensive to source from outsideUganda. Finally, and most recently, inflation in Uganda has been a hugechallenge, as it deflates wages - we have to constantly re-assess our wages tobe sure our staff are still making a living wage. Those are just a few!

5. How do you go about finding theartisans?

In Uganda, we grew our staffing through work with InternationalOrganization for Migration (IOM), which had identified vulnerable womenaffected by the war. In our apparel workshop in Kampala, we drew from a laborpool of women sewing operators who lost their jobs when the local factory wentout of business. As we continue to grow One Mango Tree and expand into othercountries, we'll seek out unique artisanship - groups with special skills likeweaving, embroidery, etc. and identify the right match - establishedcooperatives or talented individuals who meet One Mango Tree's underlyingprinciples and mission.

6. If you could travel to any placein the globe where would you go?

Wow, good question! I've been fortunate enough to travel tomany incredible places in recent years - most recently I spent time in Pakistanworking with women in the garment industry, and I just returned from a trip toIndia. I would love to explore some more of the craft work in South America, asthat is one place I have not had a lot of experience, and I speak fluentSpanish! It would be nice to put it to good work.

7. What are some of your favoriteblogs?

I travel a lot for work, and as a result don't get to spendtoo much time reading online. When I do get the chance, I love to browseDesign*Sponge, and I always feel inspired by Britt Bravo's great Big Visionpodcasts. I also follow Lisa Sonora Beam, an artist, teacher, and a goodfriend, who talks about the process of being both an artist and a creative.

8. Three words to describe yourself.

That's tricky! I'd say I'm adventurous, determined, andothers have told me I'm brave for starting One Mango Tree (though I don't knowthat I agree, I enjoy having that badge, so I'll put it on there!)

9. Three words to describe yourcurrent life in Uganda?

Well, I'm not currently living full time in Uganda - I splittime between Uganda and Washington, DC right now... but Uganda always feelslike coming home, and three words to describe that - community, vibrance,possibility.

10. Anything else you want ourreaders to know?

We're working on a line of men's and kids/babies apparel toadd for 2012!

Help Educate Children in Kenya and Rwanda

2012-01-26T09:22:00.000-05:00

We are proud to announce that we recently became affiliated with "Mom Bloggers for Social Good", a global coalition of mom bloggers who span fifteen countries – United States, Canada, UK, India, Spain, Nigeria, Singapore, Netherlands, Pakistan, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Bulgaria, Jamaica, and the Philippines – who care about spreading the good news about the amazing work non-profit organizations and NGOs are doing around the world. From time to time we will be posting about campaigns or fundraising efforts of organizations that are doing great things around the world.

Today, we would like to introduce you to the Nyanya Project.
We are particularly excited about promoting this project since we are in the process of trying to get some interest in producing a Hartlyn Kids book about a country in Africa.

The Nyanya Project is a registered 501c3 non-profit organization that has operated a preschool in the Kibera slums in Nairobi where grandmothers of AIDS orphans are paid to assist the teachers and prepare two hot meals each day for the children. Since the schools operate in the poorest areas of Africa, they charge very little for fees and need help in continuing to raise funds.

The Nyanya Project also needs help to continue operating the Kenyan preschool and to open one like it in the Rwandan countryside where there is desperate need to educate the youngest children.

If you are interested in helping out - please make a donation below:

Wordless Wednesday: Collage Work At MLK Celebration

2012-01-25T09:30:00.000-05:00

Christine

OUR FIRST TWITTER PARTY! Passport to Africa!

2012-01-24T14:40:00.001-05:00

As you know, we are in the thick of this new publishing business and introducing children and parents to other cultures. Christine and I have been attending lots of events and programs to provide people with more information about our book series and company. Every time we are out people ask the following question:

"WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE A BOOK ABOUT AN AFRICAN COUNTRY??"

Our response is always - soon... Soon because frankly, sales beget more books and we are pretty new in the market. We thought more critically about this and came across a great site called IndieGoGo.com, global funding platform that allows the community to get involved in funding a project.

There is a outcry for more books representing African countries

and

There is a global funding platform just to help people in our position...

As such, the campaign for a story about Africa has developed. We started a campaign too and now we are celebrating it with our FIRST twitter party ever!

Join Us for a Passport to Africa Twitter Party!

We invite you to a ‘Passport to Africa Twitter party’ to help raise funds for a NEW children’s book about a country in Africa!

Hartlyn Kids readers and supporters now have the chance to help this dream to become a reality!

Join us on January 31st for some fun trivia about Africa, lively discussion and excellent prizes during this LIVE event on Twitter! We’ll be talking multicultural life, travel and more!

PARTY DETAILS:

HOST: @mculturalfam

CO-HOSTS: @HartlynKids @MarocMama @BiculturalMama @WorldTravelMom

When: Tuesday, January 31st, 2012

What Time: From 9:00 PM to 10:30 PM EST

Where: Tweetgrid.com, Tweetchat.com, Twitter.com
Hashtag: #HKAfricaBook

Who to Follow: See host & co-hosts above.

RSVP: http://twtvite.com/HKAfricaBook

PRIZES:

One (1) $50 Amazon Gift Card

Three (3) Africa sticker book collection from Putumayo

One (1) The Africa Cookbook: Tastes of a Continent by Jessica B. Harris

One (1) World Travel Mom - E-book: “Mom’s Guide To Travel With Young Kids”

One (1) Call Me Okaasan: Adventures in Multicultural Mothering

One (1) Hartlyn Kids gift basket (Featuring India book, Philippines books & Hartlyn Kids passport)

LEARN MORE:

For a chance to win, you must RSVP, follow host/co-hosts and respond to giveaway questions.

Donate to Hartlyn Kids’ IndieGoGo Fund! http://bit.ly/vuzOQj

RSVP at: http://www.twtvite.com/HKAfricaBook

That Expression!

2012-01-24T09:30:00.000-05:00

****
I recently spent a great deal of time at the Apple store the other night, as I desperately tried to reclaim my valuable documents, music, and pictures from an old Mac. When I came home, my top priority was to pore over pictures I haven't seen in years, namely during my first pregnancy.

I couldn't help but notice the immense happiness I exuded as I proudly took pictures of my growing belly. My husband and I smiled as we looked at the then newlyweds who anxiously awaited the arrival of their baby girl. Of course I was a bit wet behind the ears and naive of what was to come but I was so fascinated with each detail of the pregnancy. I was never able to look at produce the same. 'Just think, my daughter is a size of a plum today!' I would think to myself.

Then, she came and it was that expression of uncontrollable love that I couldn't ignore as I looked at pictures of me kissing her on the forehead and proudly holding her up for a Kodak moment. Look at her, isn't she just amazing! It's a sheer sense of pride and gratitude that you are blessed to have a piece of you walking and moving outside of you! Then, I looked at pictures of my mom with me and there goes that similar glow!

Here's a picture of Lady A and I when she was younger.

Lady A and I

I also found a picture of Aisha and her daughter when she was a few months old.

Lady C and Aisha

I guess it's the same emotion that prompted Stevie to write Isn't She Lovely or the recent Jay-Z's song Glory that everyone has been buzzing about on cyberspace. No matter how you show this immense level of emotion, whether it's through gushing about what your toddler is now doing on her own, reminding yourself that your baby is real, or just smelling the toes of a newborn baby, it's hard to ignore the overflowing love parents have for their kids.

Although, I can't relate to Jay-Z and Beyonce's lavish lifestyle of traveling to exotic locales (although I can by way of reading books by Hartlyn Kids :) ) I can totally relate to the joy they are feeling right now. How about you?

Christine

How Much Do You Know About Chinese New Year?

2012-01-23T09:00:00.000-05:00

How Much Do You Know About Chinese New Year?

By now you should be well aware that January 23, 2012 marks the start of the Chinese New Year. We've set up a few basics questions to test your knowledge of the day. Try it out - you might not know every answer but you can most certainly walk away learning something fun and new. Be sure to share it with a child in your life so they can learn a little about a holiday that is the longest and most celebrated in the Chinese calendar and celebrated by billions across the globe.

1) This year marks the ______ year in the Chinese calendar
     a. 4708
   b. 4710
     c. 4712
     d. 4714

2) Last year was the year of which animal?
   a. rabbit
     b. rat
     c. dragon
     d. snake

3) True or False: The Year of the "Dragon" is said to be the most powerful animal in the Chinese Zodiac.

4) The Chinese New Year lasts for ___ days:
     a. 1
     b. 15
     c. 30
     d. 45

5) The final day of the Chinese New Year celebration ends with this kind of festival:
     a. lantern festival
     b. sunbeam festival
     c. dragon festival
     d. dance festival

6) The animal that represents my Chinese zodiac is: ______________
**I'm a sheep!**

Gong Xi Fa Ca! - "Wishing You Prosperity"! Check below for answers to our short quiz!

1. b; 2.a;3.T;4.b;5.a
6. See chart below for answer

Guest Blog: The Houseful Lives The Dream

2012-01-20T09:00:00.000-05:00

We have yet another wonderful guest blog! Please welcome one of our favorite guest bloggers, Natasha from Houseful of Nicholes!

*********************************************************************

"all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing"

For those of you that know me on a personal level, you will know that I, along with the company that I choose to keep, probably embody Dr. King's dream in a way that most of our ancestors never imagined.

I go to great lengths to make sure that I do not subconsciously segregate my children from other cultures because I don't want them to see the world as just black/white. I want them to see how wonderful it is to live in a society full of people of different shades of the rainbow. With hair silky straight, or wound as tightly as can be.

The cellist often says that the children in his class are interested in the things that we do. For example, we've gone skiing (which amazingly, not enough black people do) and he's had a great time. Not once was he intimidated by all of the people around us who did not LOOK like us, but was more worried with the people around us who could ski better than him!

I encourage the ladybug to make friends wherever she goes, and I love that she does. I love that she doesn't look at children who are different colors, or different ethnic backgrounds, or even different physical attributes, and think of them in regards to ONLY that. She looks as them as new playmates who can add significantly to her laughter and fun.

I feel that living the dream of Dr. King was instilled in me from a very young age. Between going to predominantly white schools all of my life, I've learned to not just box myself in as "that black girl." I'm Natasha. A fantastic wife, mother, sister, and friend. I'm a blogger, and a person who LOVES to laugh. I'm all about crafting and learning new ways to do things. I love my kids to the moon and back, and I love my husband with EVERY fiber of my being. Not one of those characteristics requires me to give my race, religious background, or anything that will put me in that box.

What it does do, is allows me to keep dreaming. And continue to push my children along in their dreams as well.

Natasha is one sixth of the Houseful Of Nicholes. Born and raised in Chicago, she is tourist of her own city. She is married to her high school sweetheart and a stay at home mom of four inquisitive children - ages 11(the cellist), 3(ladybug), and 1year old twins (Lil Miss & Sir Twizzler). While most seem to think that she effortlessly mothers and spouses on a day to day basis, she keeps it together from prayer and the desire to give her children the life that children should have. Her house can always be expected to be full of laughter, food, cloth diapers and maybe a little bit of homemade play-dough. She began blogging at Houseful Of Nicholes when she and her husband found out that their third child was indeed their third AND fourth child. Given the charge of transforming their house from one of four to that of six, she began researching everything to try and make her home life easier and her footprint on this earth a little bit better.

Blogging has led her into the wonderful world of sewing, canning, reading (again) and creating. Her home life may be a bit busy, but that's just the way that she likes it.You can follow her tweets @HFofNicholes or her online life at www.housefulofnicholes.com

Natasha is also Hartlyn Kids Affiliate and we appreciate her efforts in promoting Hartlyn Kids and the King Dream!

Guest Blog: Experiencing Culture Through Books

2012-01-19T09:00:00.000-05:00

We hope you will enjoy another edition of our guest blogs about "How to Live the King Dream".

Please welcome Meera Sriram who is living the King Dream through books!

**********************************************************************

Parenthood and reading have paved the way for celebratingcultures in our family. My husband and I have always enjoyed travel and foodfrom around the world. But when kids came along, reading to our children becamean enjoyable ritual, and books began to open doors to unexplored territories.Since my kids are small, we read a lot of picture books.

I remember the firstbook I ever bought for my kids (when my first child was a few months old). Itwas Gyo Fujukawa's Babies. I had liked seeing 'diverse' babies featured inthe book. I later read that the book, published in 1963, was thefirst children's book to depict infants of all races and nations. Eventoday, we have a natural tendency to pick out books that offer somethingculturally unique. We love Patricia Polacco's books that carry the distinct flavor of her Russian roots,Stephanie Stuve-Boden's Elizabeti series has taken us to a Tanzanian village in farawayAfrica, Minfong Ho, Grace Lin and Allen say books have exposed us toSouth Asian cultures. While it ends up being impractical to tangibly celebrateevery holiday from every culture, we use books to acknowledge them.

Books also introduceus to names of places, the language spoken, food, and other such elements of aculture. Our most recent favorite was The Dancing Pig, a Balinese folktale that had a lot of Balinese words(explained at the end of the book). We also consciously reach out for appropriatebooks during celebrations like the Black History Month or the Native AmericanHeritage month. This way we are constantly reminded of the diverse world welive in and the beauty of it. And often, when we eat a new food, look at a map,make a new friend, or hear a different language, my children go, “like in thatstory”. As an extension I also pick out books that have stories dealingwith culturally sensitive issues and immigrant perspectives.

It is important for us to impress upon our kids the value ofembracing cultures early on, and a book is the voice we adopt in our home.Books also help our little ones see more easily how people are all differentand yet similar, including children like them. Through books we experiencepeople and cultures, through cultures we celebrate humanity. And that ishow we live the MLK dream every day.

Thanks!

Best,

Meera Sriram

Meera moved to the U.S at the turn of the millennium from India. After graduate studies and a brief stint as an electrical engineer, she decided to express herself in other creative ways, primarily through writing. She has co-authored two books for children, both published in India. Her writing interests include people and cultures, nature, and life's everyday moments. Besides, she loves to recommend books for children and she does story time for toddlers in her community. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and two kids while balancing a writing career with family time. Curling up to read a good picture book with her little boy and girl is something she looks forward to everyday. She constantly fantasizes about a world with no boundaries over hot chai to help stay warm in foggy Northern California.

Check Aisha Out on Optimistic Mom!

2012-01-18T12:32:00.005-05:00

**
I was recently asked to guest blog on "Life Is Hard... Laugh Anyway" and was excited to do so. I decided to write about what motivated me to want to raise my daughter to be more culturally aware. I also gave five tips on how YOU can raise culturally aware children too. Here is a sample of what I wrote.

I grew up sheltered – culturally sheltered. It was not intentional by any means. My mother did not raise me and say, … “I only want you to know Black American Christians and that’s it”. However, that was my reality. I went to a Black American Baptist elementary school and if I met someone who was Caribbean or even Seventh Day Adventist – well they got “oooh and ahhhs”. I did not realize that I was sheltered until I started high school. Not only the sheer size (went from a school with 250 people total to 5,000 people) but the different people of all colors, races, religions, cultures… I was literally thrown into a cultural deep end … and I loved every second of it.....

To read the rest of the guest post please check it out on this great blog site!! http://www.lifeishardlaughanyway.com/2012/01/limitations-are-boring/

Guest Blog: Life is a Beautiful Evolution

2012-01-18T09:00:00.000-05:00

Please enjoy another guest blog in our series "Living the King Dream". Today's guest blog is authored by Aqueelah Muhammad... Please welcome her as we see how the King Dream affected her life and created an evolution.
*******************************************************************

When Martin Luther King wrote his famed speech "I Have a Dream" I was an eleven year old school girl, living in Brooklyn, New York. I knew the grownups were either in total agreement with his policies or they branded him an "Uncle Tom". My parents always spoke of race matters in hushed tones; a habit from their Southern upbringings and fear of white backlash. I know they held Dr. King in high esteem and respected his efforts. When he gave his famous speech, they and their friends talked about it for days. It was the highlight of the "ghetto" that this Black man had spoken so eloquently and without fear or shame...truthfully.

The Brooklyn of today is quite different from the Brooklyn I came up in. Although our neighborhood was Black and Latino...the people who owned the stores, transportation workers, teachers, utility workers, etc. were always white and we were segregated in the great state of New York. I recall, vividly, travelling with my parents down South to visit family. I actually remember "white only" on bathroom doors and water fountains; this was late 50s and early 60s. Once my dad was stopped by white deputies wanting to know "boy what you doing driving this car" (he always drove a Cadillac). Daddy transformed before my eyes and became docile and humble with them. And I remember the angry tirade he had after we were allowed to drive on, because he had been humiliated in front of his wife and child. Later on, I realized he saved our lives on a dark stretch of country road.

In 1966 I, along with a handful of black students, was sent to segregate a Queens, N.Y (another of the 5 boroughs of New York) high school. The first day was a nightmare for us as we were bombarded with signs that said "ni#$ers go home" or "2, 4, 6, 8, we don't want to integrate". An elderly white teacher actually yelled at us "why don't you go back to Africa?!" We were shocked, embarrassed, hurt; and the experience, I believe, formed many of the people that we later became. This was two years before Dr. King was killed and many of us were still living in "the dark and desolate valley of segregation" that he spoke of. James Brown was telling us to say it loud "I'm black and I'm proud"; the Black Panthers were spreading their message, the Nation of Islam was converting many of us, we were "going back to Africa". I don't think we even heeded Dr. King's speech until he was killed.

I remember one day in April all hell broke out in my neighborhood. Dr. King was dead! A large portion of Brooklyn was in chaos that night, stores broken into, fires started...nothing that the good minister would have condoned. My mother made me stay in the window and watch how not to act in a crisis...we saw people we knew running down the block with food, clothing, anything they could salvage from a store owner who had nothing to do with King's death. I was sixteen years old, and had decided to honor my blackness from then on. I can still see my mom's face when I stopped straightening my hair and started wearing African clothing. I was not yet living the dream because I had a strong dislike for white people that didn't begin to change until I had reached my twenties: I am reminded of his words "Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred". I drank long and hard.

In 1979 I was fortunate to become the assistant to the English department chairperson at a prominent college. This experience introduced me to a great boss (who was white), and a faculty/staff/student body that was as diverse as it gets. I met people from all over the world, and my mindset began to change. Another quote from Dr. King's speech comes to mind:

"The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny."

I had changed and become part of the dream...and I passed that on to my daughters. As I look back I am filled with gratitude to have lived it and to be here as a witness that, with time and patience, life is a beautiful evolution...free at last.

Aqueelah was born Sandra Diane in Harlem, N.Y. on April 30, 1952; adopted in 1954 and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y. She attended John Adams High School and Brooklyn College. Widowed; mother of two daughters and grandmother of eight wonderful people. Worked in various office settings; resigned from college administrative position due to loss of hearing in 1988 (delayed reaction to a childhood illness). Child care provider for ten years. Four year cancer survivor!

"Although I have a Muslim name, I claim no religious affiliation as I believe God is universal." - Aqueelah

Guest Blog: 5 Ways Families Can Honor Dr. King & The Dream

2012-01-17T09:00:00.000-05:00

We are delighted to bring you our first guest blog of the week - "5 Ways Family Can Honor Dr. King & The Dream" by Homa Sabet Tavanger

***********************************************

5 Ways Families Can Honor Dr. King & The Dream

I think it’s essential that kids grow up with memories of actively marking the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday and birthday. At most schools this is a day off, and a growing movement advocates making this a “day on.” When parents engage with their children on the important matters Dr. King spoke out for, it sticks. Here are 5 simple steps to get started.

Volunteer. Search local churches, service organizations, interfaith coalitions, and school groups for a volunteer activity you can plug into. You can look up the official National Service Day website, plug in your zip code and find out what’s going on: http://mlkday.gov. Talk about some of the service options you’ve found over dinner (or whenever your family can best have a conversation), so that this becomes an activity you all own, care about, and look forward to.

Read – more, new, different. Spend time educating your family on the sacrifices made to begin realizing racial justice and equality in the United States (or elsewhere, like South Africa in the post-apartheid struggle). For the youngest children, here’s a nice list of ten books from Kathleen Cross’s blog, which also model diverse images of beauty our children need to see.

This is the Dream by Diane Z. Shore and Jessica Alexander is perfect for about grade 2 and up – and by up, I mean really up – I showed it to my 16 year old, who also liked it. The delightful poetic verse along striking illustrations by James Ransome make the harsh realities of institutionalized racism hit home hard. Then, after a glimpse of courageous civil rights heroes, the picture of the world as we know it today (imperfect but better) depicts a contrast that’s particularly striking. My eight-year old daughter read it over and over again. Another lovely and inspiring one is Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
There’s a lot to learn and appreciate on this theme. Many books have been written of excellent quality. Just go on either of these amazon book pages and scroll down to “customers who bought this item also bought” to find other titles of interest. Then you can borrow from the library, buy on that site or go to your independent bookseller.

“Meet” more heroes. Beyond learning about Dr. King, I find it’s crucial to teach my children about a wide range of African-American visionaries, scientists, poets, philosophers, and inventors. In one speech Dr. King said, “We’re going to let our children know that the only philosophers that lived were not Plato and Aristotle, but W.E.B. Du Bois and Alain Locke came through the universe.” And beyond Rosa Parks, what about Robert Hayden, Robert Smalls, Ruth Simmons or Wilma Rudolph?

Pray. If you pray or meditate, include race unity in your thoughts and prayers. Racism is a spiritual disease, and a simple meditation to keep in mind can be: “… welcome all with the light of unity.” It is offered in this context:

“The diversity in the human family should be the cause of love and harmony, as it is in music where many different notes blend together in making the perfect chord. If you meet those of different race and color from yourself, do not mistrust them and withdraw into your shell of conventionality, but rather be glad and show them kindness. Think of them as different colored roses growing in the beautiful garden of humanity, and rejoice to be among them.”

James Taylor’s song honoring Dr. King is like a prayer. Listen and watch here.

Everyday @Home. An important lesson for any family that wishes to raise global citizens, free of prejudice, is to take the lesson home. Don’t just leave it up to your school to offer all the lessons and experiences around Dr. King and racial justice (even if your school is doing a great job with this lesson). Actions you take at home send a powerful signal that “this matters to us.” And kids who grow up marking MLK Day with a parent or family member will cherish the holiday and what it stands for. They’re the ones who will build the better world we all long for.

This is an article by Homa Sabet Tavanger author of the fantastic and nationally acclaimed book "Growing Up Global". This article was originally published on her website: www,growingupglobal.net and was reprinted with her express permission.

Happy Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

2012-01-16T09:30:00.000-05:00

We are extremely excited about this week of guest blogging. In honor of Dr. Martin Luther Jr. celebration, we thought it would be a great idea to include a variety of writers from different backgrounds to write about living the dream. Each writer has a different voice, perspective and experience that we trust you will enjoy. Starting tomorrow and the rest of the week - we hope you enjoy these great guest blogs. Please come back, comment and show your support for these wonderful writers.

Today we ask you - How do you live the dream? Will you be engaging in a day of service today?

Cooking with Spanish Clementines!!!

2012-01-13T09:00:00.000-05:00

This weekend my mother-in-law came over with a bag of Spanish clementines. I love clementines but there were sooo many and I did not want them to spoil so I decided to make Clementine Chicken! I've tried orange and pineapple chicken before so I thought... this can't be bad.

I pretty much made up my own recipe:

- 6 Spanish Clementines

- 8 chicken thighs (skinless)

- 3 tablespoons of olive oil

- salt

- butter

- 2 tablespoons of sugar

- lemon juice

I had my sous chef help me juice the clementines in a large bowl. It is great fun to include the little ones when you are cooking - and they love it though, until she squirted herself in the face!

I kept the clementine pulp for the marinade. I combined the chicken with the marinade which consisted of the clementine juice, pulp, olive oil, salt, lemon and butter and let it sit for an hour.

I then baked it for an hour at 400 degrees and voile! Added some rice and a veggie and it was a good! Try it out! Next time I will use less clementines and more sugar - it was a bit more tart than sweet for my taste.

Creating Portraits

2012-01-12T09:30:00.000-05:00

**
This activity was a lot of fun! It was also super easy. It's a great way to teach children about portraits and creating one of their own. You can start this activity by looking at portraits of other artists.

Frida Kahlo

Langston Hughes

Then, grab the following materials:

- Paper (I used a brown paper bag.)
- Yarn
- Crayons
- Glue

After some time at work, the artist may present something similar to this:

Christine

Wordless Wednesday: Pilates for Kids!

2012-01-11T09:30:00.000-05:00

Christine

Three Kings Crowns

2012-01-10T09:30:00.000-05:00

I never used to be a crafty person. However, I think something happened as Lady A got older and she'll look at me and say, "Okay, so what we're going to do now?" I guess playing with play dough after a while does not keep her entertained. One of the stumbling blocks I had to ignore when I branched into doing crafts with her, was to remind myself that the end result does not have to be perfect.

I got this idea from In Culture Parent and thought it would be a great way to talk about Three Kings Day. I used the following materials:

- Construction Paper

- Glue Stick

- Rhinestones

- Foil

- Crayons

- Scissors

- Pom poms

Lady A had fun coloring!

Then, she had a blast using her glue stick for the foil.

We worked on our crowns together for about 20 minutes. After it was dry, she had fun wearing hers around the house.

Christine

Clifford the Big Red Dog Live!!!

2012-01-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

He's Big.
He's Red.
He's a Dog!

He's Clifford the Big Red Dog and this weekend - he was LIVE in Brooklyn at the Brooklyn College Performing Arts Center. Recently Lady C has become a fan of Clifford and his friends so when I saw in Time Out Kids New York that there was a production taking place not too far from us, of course, I jumped at the chance.

Lady C absolutely loved seeing Clifford on stage and it is so great to be able to bring books to life for children - it makes them love it that much more and embrace it. The show was also quite interactive - the cast asked the children in the audience questions and sing along with them.

It is really great to see quality community theater - sponsored by Target so tickets were at the low low price of $10!

Here are a few more pictures from our adventure of seeing Clifford the Big Red Dog Live!! (Technically we were not supposed to take pictures so please bear with us on the stealth camera phone pictures)


Clifford with Cleo and T-Bone

Clifford, Emily Elizabeth and their friends

And I dressed Lady C in a "Big Red Outfit" for the show. You can't tell but her overalls have little dogs all over them. *Giggle* - Yes, I am THAT corny!

Do your children enjoy the Clifford the Big Red Dog series?

Our Recent Finds At the Library

2012-01-06T09:30:00.000-05:00

I LOVE the library. Don't you? I try to make it a point to go there at least once a week to see what new books are in stock. I'm the lady with a stack of books leaving the library. I've listed just a few of the goodies I brought home the other day.

French For Kids has a host of sing-along songs and native speakers who provide authentic pronunciation.

I enjoyed reading Bravo Tavo! by Brian Meunier and illustrated by Perky Edgerton. It's about a little boy from a Mexican village who loved to play basketball, but he didn't have enough money to buy a new pair of sneakers. However, instead of playing basketball he had to help his father open the ancient zanjas, or irrigation ditches to save everyone's crops during a drought season.

Cristina Kessler's book, The Best Beekeeper of Lalibela (illustrated by Leonard Jenkins) was also a gem. It tells a story of an Ethiopian girl who dreamed of becoming the best beekeeper in her town. Although the men scoffed at her, she stuck to her goal. My favorite line in the book is, "Who would have thought that she would succeed?"

Sesame Street still remains one of my favorite children's programs. Can you imagine the delight when I came across Sonia Manzano's book A Box Full of Kittens (illustrated by Matt Phelan)? Manzano is Maria from Sesame Street. It's a humorous book about a little girl who lived in the Bronx and had to keep her Aunt Juanita company because she was about to have a baby. She ran up and down the stairs buying food for her aunt. I got hungry thinking about the piragua, the coquito, and then the pasta de guayaba.

What have you been able to pick up from your local library?

Christine

CALLING ALL GUEST BLOGGERS!!!

2012-01-05T11:54:00.001-05:00

This year Martin Luther King Day will be observed on January 16, 2012. Dr. King's vision inspires us and our business on a daily basis. Dr. King believed in a world that embraced cultural dignity, respect and sensitivity which is a motivating factor behind the business mission of Hartlyn Kids.

Dr. King had a dream that:

"all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing"

Last year I did a guest blog on how I live the King Dream and now, we want to hear from you!!!!!

HOW ARE YOU "LIVING THE KING DREAM"? We are welcoming blog posts that will be shared during the week of January 16th which highlight how you as a parent, teacher, educator, librarian or guardian are embracing and living the King Dream in your own way or how you are preparing children to live the dream. It could be anything from traveling to various countries to learn about other cultures OR creating programs in your schools or religious institutions that teach about cultural awareness and respect OR purchasing cultural toys, books and items OR the creation of a business or blog that focuses on cultural awareness. We want to share ideas that may impact others.

If you are interested in submitting please email us your guest blog at info@hartlynkids.com. We are excited to see what others are doing to embrace cultural sensitivity, awareness and respect and then sharing that with the rest of our community. Submissions will be accepted through January 11, 2012.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Incorporating Arts Into Math & Reading

2012-01-05T09:30:00.000-05:00

I was inspired by Patty's blog, Deep Space Sparkle and how she uses children's books as a launching pad for art work. My inspiration for Lady A's art project came from Aaaarrgghh! Spider! by Lydia Monks.

It's a story about a spider who wants to be a pet. However, the family is disgusted with him until they see his sparkly spider web outside.

I thought it would be a great way to show Lady A that shapes are all around us. In fact, it was a great way to learn about parallelograms, trapezoids and triangles. I drew a web using these shapes in two corners of the paper and she then fitted the shapes into the spider web.

Lady A had a blast pasting the shapes into the spider web.

We added a piece of thread and made our our own little spider!

Christine

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY: I LOVE MY FAMILY

2012-01-04T09:04:00.000-05:00

Husband, my mom, Lady C, me, MIL, my cousin at Atlantis, in the Bahamas on Boxing Day

JOIN OUR ONLINE AFFILIATE PROGRAM!

2012-01-03T14:07:00.000-05:00

$$$
Hartlyn Kids needs your help to take our business to the next level in 2012! One of the great things about our company is that we are a small shop and work directly with the public. We attend book fairs, school fairs and events and receive wonderful feedback from our customers and clients. We process orders, we deliver them, we pick the stories and we pick the artists and it is all rewarding. Since we are small it is crucial that we rely, in large part, on recommendations and referrals from friends, family and customers to thrive.

Late last year we thought - why should we just rely on referrals for free - why not give YOU our valued readers and customers the opportunity to earn cash while telling others about Hartlyn Kids and our goal to help children travel the globe.... one book at a time through our reading series.

This notion gave birth to our Online Affiliate Program! Enrolling in the program is very easy. Once you sign up you will be given access to a unique URL that is directly linked to you. So, if someone purchases books or passports from us by using YOUR link you get a percentage of the sales. We also provide cool banners that you can download as well and the banners automatically contact YOUR unique link. So if you like what we are doing, want to spread the word AND earn cash too please consider signing up. Your url can be included in an email, text, facebook, twitter, blog post and as a banner on your personal blog or website. Of course, the more people you reach out to and the more outreach you do, more sales for us and more income for you.

Once the purchase is made, we take care of the rest! You don't do any mailing - and we mail YOU a check.

For more information please visit our website http://www.hartlynkids.com/Affiliate_info.asp

Also feel free to email us questions at info@hartlynkids.com

Lady C's Cultural Holidays Gifts

2012-01-03T09:07:00.001-05:00

**
This holiday season was a pretty special one. In lieu of a ton of gifts we took a family cruise but a few of our friends and family did give Lady C some pretty awesome gifts. We were pleased and surprised by the number of cultural gifts we received!!! Wanted to share them with you for some future ideas for gifts!

Colored pencils from Greece!!!

An Ethiopian doll from the company Hearts for Hearts Girls. I first learned about these dolls from TheCubicleChick.Com and fell in love immediately.

Last but not least - a Dim Sum playdoh set! We make dim sum and use our chopsticks to serve it!

WE THANK OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY FOR THESE GIFTS AND ADDING TO LADY C'S CULTURAL EXPERIENCE. THIS HOLIDAY SEASON SHE WAS ABLE TO TRAVEL TO CHINA, GREECE AND ETHIOPIA THROUGH GIFTS!

Top Ten Signs That Someone Is A Cruiser

2012-01-02T09:09:00.000-05:00

***
By now many of you know that I love family cruises but I also fully understand and know that they are corny. I like them because they are a great source of fun for family members of all ages and also it is a great way to get a snapshot of different countries in a short period of time and THE best way to meet people from different countries.

This year we did another family cruise and went to the Bahamas. As usual we had a fantastic time and as we sat around I started compiling a profile of what a "Cruiser" looks like.*

*Note: This does not reflect me AT ALL! I'm a cool cruiser :) - Not corny one bit

Top 10 Signs That Someone is a Cruiser

10. They have children that clearly hate them for dragging them along on cruises.

9. "Expert" Ballroom dancers.... what is up with that. Everyone who takes cruises also takes ballroom dancing classes??!?!?!

8. BINGO addicts - need I say more?

7. All of their T-shirts are vacation locations. Always. Every island in the Caribbean is represented in their closet.

6. They think they are an expert photographer and purchase the MOST expensive camera ever but only take pictures while they are on cruises.

5. They can only do line dances - no other dances -- just YMCA or Cha cha slide or Electric Side.

4. They walk around with IDs on extendo-cords....

3. They don't mind eating crappy mass produced food and in fact, they eat it by the truck load.

2. These are only people on the planet that own 27 visors and 13 fanny packs.

1. They cannot stand to be in one country for longer than 8 hours straight. After 8 hours they must get on the ship and leave immediately!

New Year's Resolution

2011-12-30T13:04:00.001-05:00

***
I'm going to lose weight.
I'm going to save more money.
I'm going to try for that promotion.

What is it about New Year's Eve that makes us want to vow to be a better person, to try harder, to be more present? The end of the year always puts me in a reflective state that at times it's hard for me to not look at my mistakes, failures, and triumphs.It doesn't help that my birthday is New Year's Eve, so it's like a double whammy! What did I do right this year? What could I have done differently? Where am I with my overall life goals? Then there's the clincher, "Am I where I'm supposed to be at this time of my life?" For some, these questions can prompt a triumphant smile while others it can lead to a slight sense of paranoia of running out of time to become more of who you are.

There are definitely some aspects of this year I'm pretty proud and thankful of accomplishing, namely this here company, Hartlyn Kids >smile<. I'm also pretty thankful that the end of the year of 2011, I was mourning the loss of my daughter and this year we are anxiously awaiting the birth of our son. It's funny what a difference a year makes. Then, there was a very bold and somewhat outrageous decision to quite a job that brought zero satisfaction and brought me complete misery on a daily basis. Then deciding to finish those last two graduate courses in education. If there was ever a time to walk in your gifts and talents and to second guess your career choice, it is when going to work brings stomach knots and almost a sense of panic. When you are constantly trying to find your happy place. Unlike my years of banking which I can count on one hand how many times I actually enjoyed it, my time in grad school was so invigorating and it almost came naturally. Not saying that it was a walk in a park, but it didn't seem forced.

How about you? What is your reaction as you look over 2011 and how are looking forward to 2012?

Christine