Thanks to my mom–who paints walls AND canvases, as well as creates window decor–I’ve always liked making beautiful things (and making things beautiful). Over the years, I’ve made gift baskets, floral arrangements, Christmas ornaments and Christmas wreaths. I once even made two velvety, gold-painted royal thrones and a standing rose bush for a school play, but that was a huge project that I’m fairly certain will only be revisited through photos and our memories! However, for various reasons, I haven’t done this during the past few years. But, I think that’s about to change. And, I kicked off my craft-making comeback this week by creating a colorful fall door wreath!…
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Happy Spanish Language Day!
If you read my article about the United Nation’s creation of French Language Day, you may remember that my oldest daughter has been studying French for several years and that my husband studied the language for a while years ago. You may also remember that Spanish is one of the other official languages that was honored with a special “holiday” with the hope that people will become more aware of the importance of learning other languages. What I didn’t share in that piece was that my youngest daughter decided to take Spanish when she started high school a few years ago, a move that made me (someone who wishes she’d…
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Celebrate French Language Day
Happy French Language Day! French Language Day was established in 2010 by the United Nation’s Department of Public Information to honor multilingualism, cultural diversity, and the equal usage of its six official languages. There are also special days for the other official languages–English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic and Russian. But, due to the fact that my oldest daughter has been studying French for six years (and my husband also studied the language for a while), I thought it was fitting to set aside time today to consider how families could celebrate French Language Day. Some reports about the French language indicate it is one of the most studied languages, as well…
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Three Ways to Think Outside the Box This Christmas
Do you get overwhelmed driving from store to store to find the most popular gifts for your loved ones during the Christmas season? Has hosting that big dinner every year become even more overwhelming than it used to be? If you answered “yes” to either of these questions, please keep reading to learn about a few ways you can think out of the box this Christmas and help your family celebrate the holiday without you–or your bank account–getting exhausted. (If you answered “no” to the above questions, I still hope you’ll keep reading. The ideas may help you discover a new tradition your family will want to adopt this year.)…
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Concerts Can Keep You in Tune With Your Kids
My husband and I love listening to music and have exposed our children to our favorite genres since they were very young. Because of this, their musical interests are quite varied. In fact, it would not be unusual for us to listen to urban contemporary gospel, pop, jazz, and classical music all on the same day. And, since they’ve been performing in musicals for the past four years, we also like listening to show tunes together. Our willingness to support and foster our children’s appreciation for such a significant part of American culture is one of the reasons we did something when they were only seven and four years old…
