Yes, I know it’s quite a ways into the new year, and I’m just getting back into the “business” swing of things.  Believe me, this blog was a hard one to write.  It’s been on my mind for a long while and, as with many things on one’s “to do” list, the longer I put it off, the harder it was to sit down and get it done. 

My focus this year will continue to be on helping to lead children on the journey to self-expression through writing.  I am hoping to really focus on helping parents and teachers learn how to use a child’s natural environment to help create inspiration for their writing.

I would love to introduce to you a fabulous organization called GREEN HEARTS.  Their website is  http://www.greenheartsinc.org/ .  They have a really great resource called  ”A Parents’ Guide to Nature Play” .  This is free for you to download (please consider donating to this wonderful organization).  The following excerpt is from their website:

Green Hearts is a nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to restoring and strengthening the bonds between children and nature.  We believe that frequent, unstructured childhood play in natural settings is a crucial stage in the development of life-long conservation values – and thus helps lead to adult conservation behaviors.  This kind of “nature play” is now an endangered part of American childhood.  Green Hearts’ mission is to help bring it back.

Thanks to The Motherhood Muse - http://www.themotherhoodmuse.com/ - for turning me on to this great site.

WHY SHOULD KIDS JOURNAL?

Mark Akins is the author of the book, “The Lyric of Languague – A Writer’s Journey”.  His chapter on Journaling begins…

“Life, even for children, is seemingly a series of continuous events that fill each day.  Things that were accomplished, felt, struggled with, overcome, enjoyed, or brought disappointment yesterday or last week are often lost amid the need to do the next thing in the schedule.  Memories dim and the essence of an experience seems to lose its clarity. Keeping track of our thoughts and experiences on a regular basis is not only a way to make concrete our reflections, it can be an important vehicle to process emotions and events.  Journaling is valuable for the beginning writer who is newly experiencing life’s doings, as well as adults for whom writing and the workings of the world are old hat.  For those whose ages fall in between, recording life’s journey can help make sense of the adventure.”

Magic Lantern’s line of Theme Journals help children write freely by creating interest and excitement surrounding common themes in their lives – A Visit to the Zoo or the Nature and Science Museum, An Adventure in their own Backyard or a journey through the beauty of Mother Earth through the art of Environmental artist, Schim Schimmel.  Each journal includes beautiful pictures, writing prompts, and vocabulary words to help spark the writer’s imagination and get those creative ideas flowing.  Over 100 lined and blank pages for writing sketching complete these beautifully designed journals.  Your child will enjoy filling each journal with their thoughts, ideas, and feelings.  What a great way to help your child express themselves!

In partership with the Brio Dream Foundation, Magic Lantern is sending over a hundred journals and writing kits to an orphange in Brazil. Familia Santa Clara is not just an orphanage, it is a Family Home that celebrates children, love, and learning.

We can’t wait to see the stories these kids write.  Each child who opens a Kidz Story Kit for Christmas this year will have the opportunity to “tell their story”.  We are encouraging these kids to write about themselves, their lives, their “family” at FSC or about anything that inspires them.  I can’t wait to see the smiles on their faces when the receive their “professionally bound books” all about them!!

From the Familia Santa Clara website (http://www.familiasantaclara.org.br/ingles/index.asp):

The Santa Clara Family project is the realization of a dream of constructing a big family, a family that substitutes cold, impersonal shelters, broken homes and despotic institutions that lack focus on education and personal realization.

That’s what we are: a big family that opens up to children, teen-agers and young people that society has abaondoned. A family that embraces and takes in who has been sent to the streets, either by the government or by exclusion.

The Santa Clara Family is a real family, with a normal family routine, in a house that is very big but otherwise normal, in a place where the gates are always open to life and where help, education and love are fundamental.

We are a family just like yours, but from a different background. We came from shelters, from violence and from abandonment, but here we found a home, a house, education, love and dreams. A family a lot like yours, just a bit larger. We invite you to get to know our story and the life of the Santa Clara family: the everlasting dream and a future for all of us.

Please help support this project and the kids at Familia Santa Clara by visiting The Brio Dream Foundation at http://briodreamfoundation.org/.

MILE HIGH MAMAS REVIEWS MAGIC LANTERN

“MY FIRST BOOK KITS”

Mile High Mamas was created as an entertaining community resource for area moms. The site includes regular posts by some of Colorado’s most popular Mommy Bloggers, a message board, monthly cutest kid contest , and a Mama Drama advice column. We also hold regular giveaways and product reviews.

Laurie Cooper has given Magic Lantern a great review on the “My First Book Kits – Shapes and Colors”.  To see what she has to say go to…

http://www.milehighmamas.com/2009/11/11/magic-lantern-lighting-the-path-to-literacy/

Family World Fun is a Blog for families to find Fun Ideas, Crafts, Recipes, Vacation spots, Family Traditions and lots more.

Recently, Family World Fun reviewed Magic Lantern’s Kidz Story Kit.  My favorite part of the review was Caroline’s comment, “I can’t wait to do this with my son. Since the holidays are coming up and he is out of school (Thanksgiving Vacation, Christmas Vacation). This is a great project to do with him and of course the bonding between him and I will probably be just out of this world.”

Take a look at the product review and all that Family World Fun has to offer. There’s also a special give away for the Kidz Story Kit so be sure to enter to WIN!!!

http://familyworldfun1.blogspot.com/

I must admit that I am a procrastinator.  I have great intentions to organize my laundry room and file all of my pictures neatly into picture albums and boxes.  But, honestly many times these projects do not get finished or sometimes even started.  I love reading articles on organization, and as soon as the Container Store opened up in our area, I was one of the first ones there.   I have grand ideas of what my laundry room will one day look like, but I haven’t even made the first steps in starting the project.  My perfectionist tendencies tend to shine through, and sometimes, if I can’t achieve perfection, I don’t even attempt the task.

How does this relate to writing and helping young writers you may ask?  Well… I have been thinking.  When my daughters embark on a creative journey of drawing masterpieces or gluing magnificent leaves onto their collages, I want them to enjoy the experience from start to finish.  I don’t want them to get caught up on the need for perfection and not even attempt to try.  Writing and drawing are creative processes that require motivation, encouragement, and risk.

I want to ensure that I am providing a safe, fun, and creative environment for my children.  I am determined to set aside my need for perfection and allow them to express their creativity and enjoy the creative process.  So, I am going to shut down my computer, go grab a pile of paper and crayons, and make fall books outside.  How can you start writing with your child today?  Like the famous Nike logo states, “Just Do It!”

I’ve personally always loved Barefoot Books.  It started when my little girl was 2 months old and I saw a princess book, CD, and puppet from Barefoot Books at a friend’s Open House for Mom-run businesses.  This book was different from other Princess books.  It told tales of princesses from around the world who faced challenges and trials but found a way to triumph with bravery, compassion, ingenuity and a little bit of luck.  I’ve read it to my daughter, now 4 years old, over and over.  The Animal Boogie book and CD have been a favorite of all of my kids and The Bear book collection has been one of my favorites as well…  Bear on a Bike, Bear at Home, Bear in a Square, etc.  Most recently I’ve discovered a whole collection of environmental books offered through Barefoot Books such as The Barefoot Book of Earth Tales, Whole World, and the One World, One Planet Gift Collection.

Barefoot Books began with two mothers who wanted their children to have books that would feed the imagination, while instilling a respect for diversity and a love of the planet.  I loved this idea so much that I decided to partner with Barefoot Books to help expose more people to this beautiful community.  Please come and explore the world of Barefoot Books through Magic Lantern.  Your purchases on many products also help to support environmental causes.

http://www.barefootbooks.com/marketplace/8786/