Looking for something fun to do with kids of all ages this summer?

Fenway News Online reports that Design Squad, the PBS engineering reality competition series, is offering kids a chance to get in on the action this summer.

The 2010 Trash to Treasure Competition challenges kids, ages 5-19, to recycle, reuse, and re-engineer everyday materials into out-of-the-box inventions. Three winners will win a trip to Boston to see their designs built and appear on an episode of Design Squad.

Twenty-five finalists will be featured on the series website and will receive a Design Squad t-shirt. Entries will be accepted through September 5, 2010. For more information go here.

Photo by PBS.

About Kathy Peterson

Kathy Peterson is a highly published and sought after Celebrity Spokesperson and Design Expert who offers an easy lifestyle approach for casual living, decorating, painting, crafting and entertaining. For the last decade, she has been featured weekly on her national TV series Town & Country Crafts with Kathy Peterson reaching 15 to 30 million HH broadcast on The Family Net TV Network and other cable networks. Kathy has written 5 design books and she is consistently quoted or featured in numerous shelter, trade and women’s magazines. Her licensed designs have been included in 150 Oscar Bags and she has made 100+ guest TV appearances on HGTV, DIY Network, TNN, Discovery Channel, PBS, E! and network affiliates.

Kathy Peterson’s clever approach to home décor and inspiring DIY projects has helped people discover their own personal creative style. Kathy’s fun and decorative approach is reflected in all her DIY projects using simple, colorful and creative methods.

Kathy began her career working for Hank Williams, Jr. as an assistant then later went to work for The Grammy Awards in Nashville, Tennessee where she worked on music showcases and memberships for four years. Thereafter, she went on to become a successful national television producer, director and writer producing the long lived PM MAGAZINE lifestyle TV series. In 1984, Kathy Peterson Productions, Inc. was launched where she produced hundreds of corporate videos for large corporations. She also produced and directed numerous television segments directing Ed Begley, Jr., Roy Rogers & Dale Evans, Sam Snead and other celebrities.

Today, Kathy Peterson Productions, Inc. (www.KathyPeterson.com) focuses on celebrity spokesperson services, creative design, product launches, licensing, product development and consulting, television, endorsements, and publishing. In addition to her diversified career, Kathy also was a successful retailer of a small antiques business selling and hand painting vintage furniture and accessories before shabby chic became a trend.

For the last 20 years, Kathy has resided in South Florida with her husband Tom of 20 years along with her four step children. Although born in Minnesota, she considers herself a southern girl having lived in Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee.

For more information, please CLICK HERE.

Summer is here and many of you will be traveling with your babies and toddlers. Thought you would enjoy this article.

15 Tips for Traveling with Your Little Ones

If you are planning a summer trip with your baby or toddler, make sure to plan ahead. Here are fifteen sure-fire ways to make traveling easy and fun.

1. Before your trip, visit the dollar store and stock up on coloring books, paint with water books, and age appropriate toys for your toddler. And save them for a trip.  There is nothing better than something new!

2. If you have a small video player, stock up on age appropriate movies for your little one. Baby Einstein has some great videos for a younger baby.

3. If you can plan your plane schedule around your child’s nap-time, your trip will be a breeze.

4. When traveling on a plane, feed the baby while the plane is taking off and landing. This keeps the Eustachian tubes open so the baby’s ears won’t hurt.

5. When traveling on a plane with a toddler, it’s sometimes difficult to sit still during take-off and landing. Give him a sippy cup and some goldfish crackers and play a counting game with the crackers. It will be fifteen minutes of fun, instead of fifteen minutes of tantrums.

6. Always take a change of clothes, extra diapers, wipes and socks for your baby or toddler. Spills happen in the blink of an eye.

7. Remember to take a change of clothes for yourself on the plane. There is nothing worse than meeting the family smelling like formula.

8. Bring lots of healthy snacks for your toddler whether you are traveling by car or plane. Buying them at convenience stores can get very costly.

9. Bring extra formula for your baby when traveling. One spill could result in lots of tears.

10. When staying in a hotel, bring along the lullaby CD that you play at home. Most hotels have CD players or you can request one. There is nothing more comforting than the sounds of home.

11. And don’t forget to bring your toddler’s favorite lovey and bedtime book along.

12. Try and stick to your bedtime rituals while away the best you can. Consistency makes everything easier.

13. If your toddler has a difficult time falling asleep in a different crib or bed, let him listen to your Ipod. He will be snoring away before you can count to ten.

14. If you are staying in a hotel and are going to hire a sitter for the evening, ask that she come and meet your children a few hours before you leave. It is worth it not to have that dreaded phone call to come back.

15. Don’t forget to bring along extra batteries, photo card for your camera and protein bars for you.
 
Have Fun and Happy Traveling!!   

Blythe Lipman is the president of Baby Instructions. She is passionate about babies, toddlers and their parents. After working in the field for over twenty-five years, she wrote her third award-winning book, HELP! MY BABY CAME WITHOUT INSTRUCTIONS which is available at  www.babyinstructions.com  and all major bookstores . You can hear Blythe’s weekly radio show on Mondays, 11am EST @ www.toginet.com  Blythe is available for in-home, video and telephone consultations. ©Blythe Lipman 2010

About Amy:

Parenting expert Amy McCready has been creating and delivering training programs for over 20 years in Fortune 500 companies and community organizations.

Amy founded Positive Parenting Solutions, Inc. in 2004 and developed the popular and successful Breakthrough Course that has changed the lives of thousands of parents through in-person seminars, speeches and online parenting training webinars.

Due to demand from parents around the country and abroad, Positive Parenting Solutions Online was developed in 2008 to give parents everywhere the skills, knowledge and tools to correct their children’s misbehaviors permanently without nagging, reminding or yelling. She speaks to them “one-on-one” through the most advanced and thorough Web 2.0 parenting course available today.

Amy McCready is frequently asked to provide expert parenting advice for print and online parenting articles. She is a sought after speaker, writer, parenting coach, trainer and most importantly – Mom!

Amy received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance from Penn State University and is certified as a Positive Discipline Parent Educator.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Amy at: Amy@PositiveParentingSolutions.com

For more information, please CLICK HERE.

I am so excited and pleased to announce that The Clutter Diet® is partnering with Goodwill Industries International to launch the Donate Movement! Visit donate.goodwill.org to see all of the details. I am in Tacoma today serving as their national spokesperson and ambassador of the movement, speaking at the launch event and doing a radio media tour, and soon you’ll see our Public Service Announcement commercials airing all over the country.

You can get a sneak peek now on YouTube! We have three PSAs, one featuring me and a bunch of stuff popping into my outstretched hands… and the other two explaining more about the choices we make about our stuff and the impact they have.

“Just as there are things you recycle, there are things you donate” (the one I’m in)

“Donations = Chances” showing the impact your donations have

“Think Twice: Donate for Your Community and the Environment” showing the choices we make every day that make a difference

Many people get organized and donate their household items without ever considering the impact those donations are having on their neighborhoods and the world. We want to create a culture of Conscious Donation, and have people consider where they are making their donations of belongings as carefully as they would consider where they are making a financial donation.

Did you know that, according to a survey we just commissioned, we found that for every one item of clothing consumers donate, they have at least 30 more that are ready to be donated? Get organized, get that stagnant stuff out of your house, and use it to put people to work and build strong families and communities! Visit donate.goodwill.org to see the impact of your donations on people and the planet. And if you need help getting organized, you know our expert team can help anybody, affordably, from anywhere… Read more about our Clutter Diet®  program that gives you the tools and support you need at less than the cost of a pizza.

Oh, and PS: I purchased the fabulous red shirt I am wearing in the commercial at my local Goodwill store on Lake Austin Boulevard! 

Look for the Donate icon on Levi’s care tags (and other partners’ products coming soon)! And watch for tweets with the #Donate hashtag!

Thanks so much from Lorie from The Clutter Diet!

Stacey Kannenberg, Get Ready to Learn Mom!

Well now is your chance, as you’re setting your goals for the upcoming year, to bring focus to developing greater balance in your life. Smart Phones, laptops, and PDAs are getting more affordable; Fast internet access is pervasive, along with great tools and online services that make it easier then ever to work productively from anywhere.

Avoiding a daily commute and gaining more control over your work schedule can not only make you more productive, it can help you achieve the balance you have been longing for in your life.

Click Here to read more…

Make a to-do list

Good. Now, make that to-do list realistic. Cross off everything that doesn’t need to be completed until after New Year’s. You don’t really need to re-brand your company or invent something new this instant. Instead, focus on short-term goals that will keep your momentum, and prepare you for your exciting new endeavors come January.

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1. Accept that life is an eternal work in progress.
It is not supposed to be all done. This goes for life in general, but especially around the holidays. Let go of perfectionism and the need to do everything on your lists. Each day, take a breather to reflect on your accomplishments and feel proud.

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