In 1926 historian, Carter G. Woodson and some other influentials created, “Negro History Week”, however the beginnings of what is now, “Black History Month,” began years before. His goal was to educate people about African-American history, their cultural backgrounds and reputable achievements. In 1976, February was proclaimed “Black History Month” and continues to be observed each calendar year.

As you know DaddyB and I have two beautiful girls, who are almost 2 and 5. He is African American and a smidge Native American and I am Caucasian (Anglo-Saxon) and that makes our girls AMAZING!! Oh yeah, and they’re multi-racial. We are very blessed to be living in the world today, as opposed to several years ago, and while we’ve seen our share of racism displayed in many ways, we are thankful to those who paved the path for where we now stand.

This time of year last year I got to visit an amazing exhibit called, “RACE: Are We So Different,” and it was amazing, I learned so much and really enjoyed it, definitely wish I could have bottled all of that information to show the girls as they grow since some of the material was way over their heads. Miss A did get to play with some puppets from different races and check out some other aspects and Baby C was thrilled to sit in her stroller and people watch.

We may be naïve, but we see each person as they are and love our family just how we are too. Because I do not know as much as I would like about Black Culture both in the states and around the world, I have spend some hours online educating myself and trying to figure out how to best celebrate this month, Black History Month with my family. Since my girls are still quite young we want to make sure we engage in activities and practices that are age appropriate and family appropriate.

I have always said, and will always say that as a parent or caregiver, you have to do what you think is best for your own family, so while we may not choose to celebrate how another family celebrates that’s what makes us unique and our very own family of four. We don’t want race to be the only determining factor in their life, however we do want them to embrace and celebrate their background. I know many African-American people who do not celebrate and also some who are very diligent about it, would love help figuring out the best fits for our family to introduce our daughters to this side of their heritage.

We want our girls to have a balanced life and most of all to love and honor God, each other and others.

If you have any tips, blog posts or ideas on how you and your family celebrate, I would love to hear them. Thanks in advance for the support.

Photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons: User dbking

Leaving the “yellow shirt” slot open, Sam Moran stepped in. Sam had been a part of The Wiggles show since 1998 and was a great addition when he stepped up to take the lead singer position for The Wiggles. Now that Greg is rejoining The Wiggles, Sam will be taking time to continue working on his own personal music ventures, (he released The Colour of Love in 2010) and also to spend time with his family.

Thankfully, there was a great person who was able to step in for a time and also step back from this position. Sam has been praised for continuing the success of The Wiggles during Greg’s leave. Yet when the day comes for Greg to rejoin the group and appear in his yellow shirt this year, there may be some confused or upset children.

With any television show there is a chance that characters will need to be replaced. I featured this story on The Fresh Beat Band replacing their, “Marina” character: What Happened to the Fresh Beat’s Marina? And with all of the traffic and comments it has had you can tell the change certainly struck a nerve in viewing homes. Recently other children’s television shows that have replaced characters or voices have been Dora the Explorer, Go, Diego, Go!, and one who did it well, Blues Clues.

Not all shows give such great transition to a new character as Blues Clues with their switch from Steve to Joe, so as parents we need to learn the best ways to deal with these changes, because like it or not, they will happen. You may adapt these tips for your own child depending on their age and maturity.

1. Watch TV with your child – this gives your child an opportunity to discuss with you and you and opportunity to ask them questions, gauge their comfort with the changes and opens lines of communication.
2. Do your homework - if your child has a favorite show, why not set it up for a Google Alert or receive newsletters from that show so you can be abreast of changes before they even appear on the tube.
3. Explain TV vs Reality - of course this depends on the show and your child’s age, but in an age appropriate manner discuss what they think differences between television and real-life are and have fun with it.
4. Keep a positive attitude - so many of us parents are upset when characters change even when often, our children move on easily. When we aren’t disturbed by things, occasionally it will help our kids deal as well.
5. Choose different programming - if your child is very upset and no amount of discussion will ease their minds choose to watch something else on TV, but keep in mind characters in some shows may change. You can always opt to watch recorded versions of that show as well to keep with the consistency however boredom is a factor there.
6. Turn off the TV - when all else fails, or if TV seems to be more of an issue in your household, perhaps it’s time for a break from shows and the television in general. Get your kids interested in puzzles, coloring books, imaginative play, and if it’s nice weather head outside for some fresh air.

Do you have any tips to add?

Have any children’s television character switches effected your home?

I’m admittedly a bit of a self-help fanatic. I’ve read numerous books and I’ve used a few different productivity software programs. Mindbloom looks like nothing I have encountered. It includes points, a gaming system, and an immersive, multimedia environment centered around your life tree. The branches of the tree are based on the areas of your life that you want to improve. You can choose as many or as few as you want. They include: Career, Creativity, Finances, Health, Lifestyle, Relationships, and Spirituality.

After you pick your life areas, you add the actions that you need to take to improve that area. You can create your own action or choose from the tool’s many suggested actions. For example, in the Health area, under Nutrition, there’s a pre-loaded action called: “Drink Water”. You can then schedule the actions on a calendar.

As you do your good deeds, log in, and record what you’ve done, you earn seeds which are like points that can be used to redeem things. You can use the points to unlock songs for inspiration or send a friend sunshine or water for their life tree.

Here is a great video to help understand what Mindbloom is:

Inspirational Aspects
I like how Mindbloom incorporates inspiration. It’s been something that I feel other personal improvement systems have lacked. Typically, they offer no more than quotes. Mindbloom has images, quotes, and even songs to provide a kind of inspirational slideshow to encourage you. What inspires one person may be drastically different from what might get someone else going. With this in mind, Mindbloom allows members to upload their own images or music. Logging in and seeing a picture that reminds you of your goal or hearing an inspirational song could have a big impact on your overall success.

The Bloom App’s Reminders
The recently launched Bloom app for iPods and iPhones will help extend the benefits of Mindbloom. The app’s reminders may be entire system’s most powerful feature. Getting a reminder to stay on track with that new habit could make all the difference in the battle to make a change stick. It’s easy to forget that new commitment you’ve made when you get back into the groove of your regular day. An occasional buzz from your phone could shake you out of your routine and remind you to incorporate that new habit.

The Mindbloom program for your laptop or desktop computer if mostly free. It includes that great immersive experience that I described. There’s also a paid pro version that gives you access to all of the music and all of the images. The mobile iPhone app (Bloom) is free as well, but it seems to focus on just the inspiration and reminder aspects.

With any self-improvement system, book, or app of any kind, it all comes down to your likelihood to use it on a regular basis. I feel that Mindbloom’s social capabilities, tied into sites that you’re already engaged in, and the Bloom app’s reminders may be the biggest strengths to make it a winning software. Try it out and see if you can make those changes in your life that you’ve been putting off.

Learn more about Mindbloom from their website: http://www.mindbloom.com/ and check them out on Facebook too: http://www.facebook.com/mindbloom

This is a sponsored post and I was able to try the Mindbloom program for free in order to complete this review. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are my own, honest opinions. Yours may vary.

Dawn Sandomeno and Elizabeth Mascali are entertaining experts, authors of Plan To Party, and founders of The Party Bluprints Blog, they have appeared as featured experts on TV, radio, and in national publications like the Today Show, Martha Stewart Radio, Good Housekeeping, Redbook and Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazines. These two moms get it what it means to be a busy mom and that we don’t have unlimited budgets when it comes to gift shopping and hosting Holiday parties. Their approach to gift giving is the same as planning parties: always make it fabulous, but use tricks that save you time and money!

This Holiday season Dawn and Elizabeth teamed up with CheapSally.com to find the best deals for the gifts they recommend in their Holiday Gift Guide. This means that you will find the best deals on the hottest 40 items mentioned in their gift guide, and you will save time and money. They recommend shopping already on Black Friday or Cyber Monday to get the lowest prices of the season.

Best Holiday Tips You Need to Know

See all Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals in One Place
The easiest way to get all Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals is by getting all from one place. Many deals sell out quickly so you need to locate and act on the information fast! Save time and money by visiting CheapSally.com’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday pages, they aggregate all the best deals across the internet for you, offering a one-stop resource for saving.

Gift Trends of 2011
Tech the halls this Holiday season: iPhone, iPod Touch and accessories for them is a hot gift trend. Save money and get more bang for your buck by buying one large tech gift for the family, instead of many larger gifts. Kinect for XBox 360 is popular gift for families this year.

Dawn and Elizabeth also recommend giving gifts that offer double-duty by paying it forward; for example TOMS Shoes donate a pair of shoes for those in need for every pair sold. Check out the hottest gifts for everyone in your list from the Party Bluprint Blog’s Best Holiday Gift Ideas for 2011.

Holiday 2011 Decorating Trends
“Traditional” is trendy and “Retro” is hot, be inspired by a 60’s or 70’s look. Peace signs as accessories on Christmas trees, wreaths, mantles or in any décor are hot for the holidays! Also, less is more this Holiday season, let simplicity shine and try a minimalistic decorating style. The mantle is a great place to start: a few candles and stockings in a monochromatic theme. This makes shopping for decorations easy too and you can get it all done once on Black Friday.

Tips for Holiday Entertaining

Plan your holiday parties properly to make sure also you can enjoy the parties. Making memories for your family, friends and especially the children in your life is a gift you give each guest as a hostess, but you don’t need to sacrifice your own enjoyment to give it.

Make it easy by letting your guests make their own hot drinks by using a single serve coffee maker, like Keurig, in the bar area. Make ahead meals like casseroles are great for holiday entertaining. Or skip the dinner entirely and host a desserts only Holiday party.

Graciously accept guests’ offer to help, this makes many people feel good. Invite them to bring a side dish or dessert or help serve or clear dishes. Enlist the help of teens at the party to watch the little ones for a while so you can join in conversation and eat a hot meal! And don’t forget the entertainment for the kids, like setting up a Wii party with the new Just Dance 3 game.

Whatever you will do – remember that the Holidays are all about the family and spending time together!

This is a sponsored guest post. The opinions expressed in this post are not my own, however I endorse the above message and would not post it if I didn’t feel that it was a resourceful message on Holiday Tips.

Well, now they’re asking moms to try them. I’m a mom, I don’t hate Heelys and secretly thought they would be fun to try out, although DaddyB said I should take out some extra liability and life insurance before attempting to manuver on Heelys.

My first few tries at Heelys were slow going, of course I wanted to make sure I didn’t die seeing that I still need to work on my will, and the girls would probably miss me. But after a few good tries I was rolling around in the kitchen and dining room.

Where will I wear my Heelys? Again because I personally feel that Heelys are appropriate for certain locations I will not wear the wheels in places like grocery stores, church, my daughter’s school. However, when I take the girls to the park I am totally down for using them. Here is a great resource from Heelys for Responsible Skating Guidelines: http://www.heelys.com/media/PDFs/Heelys_Responsible_Skating_Contract_FINAL.pdf

My overall thoughts

• Visually – Heelys look cool. If you are not one to wear normal skater or converse-type shoes then Heelys may not be for you, however if you’re considering wearing Heelys in the first place you probably fit the style. Here are a couple that I really liked (Wave and Dash) and one shot of mine {Sassy, appropriately named if I do say so myself}:

• Comfort- In my opinion, I would totally buy these just as sneakers, they are that comfortable. They fit snug around my feet, which is great for fit and of course for skating safety too. They are easy to get on and off {the shoes themselves, we’ll talk about the wheels in another bullet.}

• Use- Once you learn how to skate and get the hang of it these shoes are fun and great exercise {because you’re lifting up your toes and engaging your leg muscles}, my only wish was that the wheels somehow snapped into the shoe for storage {like I had actually assumed they did before I saw a pair,} however I know that may not be possible with how the shoe is engineered. For me it was a little difficult to snap the wheels into place, but almost impossible for me to snap the wheels out, not for strength but for getting the right leverage and angle to snap them out. My husband got them out a little easier, but even he had to take a few shots at it.

Also, you have to remember you’ll be carrying the wheels with you if you don’t intend to wear them during your entire outing, so plan on bringing a backpack or bag with you so you don’t have to carry them in your hands or pockets. {a tad inconvenient.}

Also, here’s a clip of me showing off the first pair of Heelys I received on one of Charlotte’s local news stations WCNC. Mention is around minute marker 2:14 if you want to skip ahead.

If you have kiddos and you are thinking about buying some for them consider this: Heelys HX2 is great for beginners or young children because it has 2 wheels and acts as a training-wheel system. You can remove one wheel once the child starts to feel more comfortable Heeling. {I wish they made them for adults too.} and……..

Heelys is throwing a Black Friday special!! Between Nov 25-Nov 28, Buy any pair of Heelys, get the second pair for $25. Or buy a Nano, and get a pair of shoes for $25, and get free ground shipping on all orders! Wahoo!! Check them out here: http://www.heelys.com and on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/heelys

Would you ever try/buy a pair of Heelys for yourself? How about for your kiddos?

I was provided with a pair of Heelys in order to complete this review. The opinions expressed in the post above are my own based on my personal experiences with Heelys skate shoes, yours may vary.

In the digital world, filled with social media platforms, it is a blessing to be able to stay connected. Being friends on Facebook or following each other on Twitter is a great way to stay connected and just like any relationship, a friendship takes effort. Of course you have to make yourself available, but being interactive with your friends is essential.

Here are 10 ideas to be a better friend in a digital world.

1. Create laughter by sending YouTube videos that remind your friends of memories, fun songs, funny videos that make you think of her.

2. Remind them of your friendship by emailing goofy pictures of you and your family to let her know you still are you even though you are far away.

3. Be thoughtful by sending surprises via snail mail for no particular reason.

4. Plan get-togethers by visiting each other often. Even if it is an occasional girls lunch, or night out. If you can be together, make it a priority, (don’t forget to compliment her on something or bring a small gift.)

5. Hear each others voice by setting up time for all of your girlfriends to log on to google+ to share a glass of wine or morning cup of coffee via web cam. Call on the phone just to say a knock knock joke.

6. Communicate and bond by trying to find something in common that you have of interest today with each other. Whether it is your old college sports teams or the latest episode of Dancing with the Stars, watch it and talk about it.

7. Never grow-up by playing madlibs or silly games randomly. Play games that remind them of fun times together too.

8. Talk about abstract things by reading the same book and talking about it when you get together. Share thoughts and start conversations.

9. Be competative buy similar phones so you can play “words with friends”, “tetris”, or “scrabble” with your smart phones together.

10. Keep it real by remembering to go all out for special days in their life. Don’t just leave a 2 worded message on Facebook or text them, make it seem like their special days are special for you too.

It is hard to stay truly connected in a crazy world. With connections and a number of online platforms.  We can battle the crazy schedules, sickness, and work but only with intention can relationships fully grow. Be an intended friend today!

Elizabeth Norton, is a former party planner by trade now turned mom, wife, and so much more. She owns a birthday party ideas site called Party Planning Professor. Elizabeth Norton is currently writing an ebook on how to throw a princess party. You can follow Elizabeth on twitter @Elizabeth_N.

Life lessons from a six-month-old:

Don’t wish infanthood [childhood] away.

*E’s mom has mentioned it several times. I vaguely remember it myself. All the late-night feedings, unpredictability, and most of all, the sheer amount of packing that is required to transport an infant anywhere is overwhelming. When you’re exhausted you think, “Goodness, I can’t wait until s/he can ____.”

I have literally watched E go from doing things he couldn’t do the day before to doing them like a champ. Like sit up unassisted. He is now starting to crawl. It is amazing to watch. I barely remember my own children reaching these milestones.

Now that my own children are becoming increasingly more self-sufficient, I don’t want to miss anything. I won’t say that I haven’t wished time would speed up when one of the tweens is having an attitude, but I am doing my best to enjoy the last few years of childhood we have left.

Keep a journal.

Take pictures and videos. Write in a spiral notebook. Develop a website. Whatever you can get your hands on, write down/document the things the baby has done that day. I had good intentions with each of my children, with most of the documentation starting with my oldest. I thought I would remember everything.

I didn’t.

I started writing a blog when my boys were preschool-aged. While I now have those precious memories, a lot of things that happened prior to that are gone. I have probably taken more pictures of E in the last two months than of own children in the last year.

None of my children want to be written about online anymore, so it’s all private now, but I still do it, and grab a snapshot when I can. Clearly, relying on my memory is not an option.

Enjoy each day. Even the crappy ones.

Like most Type-A personalities, I give myself a to-do list every day. It is typically more than I can ever accomplish, but I wake up optimistic. However, E has taught me that while some things can’t be ignored – we need clean clothes, hot food, and clean dishes — other things can wait. The dusting, the ironing, or painting the laundry room can wait. Why not take an hour to giggle over the dogs? Or play with a ball?

Or make silly faces with each other?

I always thought it was important to get the work done and then play. And while my OCD tendencies keep me itching at times, I am getting better at ignoring it for the greater good. For example, this past Saturday, I had planned a full day of writing and editing. But my twelve-year-old read in the local paper that there was a Civil War battle reenactment nearby. As much as I needed to get some work done, I took them to the reenactment.

The work was waiting on me when we returned home. No one was hurt or inconvenienced. (That I am currently aware.)

“Nap when the baby naps.”

Everyone has heard this adage. Just do it. A power nap never hurt anyone. Whether there are babies in the house or not.

There are many more little life lessons that E has shown me every day that I have him. He will forever hold a special place in my heart, not only because he is absolutely adorable, but because he showed me how precious life is.

*Name withheld for personal reasons.

Heather spends her days (and many late nights) trying to meet the demands of life as a wife, mother, and writer. She blogs about nothing in particular at Cool and Hip, I am Not and is occasionally spotted on Twitter @coolandhip.

The Mr. Handyman blog has step-by-step instructions for each of the carving techniques in the video, as well as free printable pumpkin carving patterns, including: Bats, Cat, Crescent Moon, Howling Wolf, Cute Jack-o-Lattern, Scary Jack-o-Lanterns, Skull, Ghost, and Scarecrow.

Check it out and tell me if you plan on using any of the techniques shared by Mr. Handyman or if you decorate your pumpkins in a different way.

This is a sponsored video post from Mr. Handyman. The opinions expressed in this post are my own words and thoughts yours may vary.

As a frequent road tripper, I’ve compiled a list of tips on how to have an enjoyable road trip with your family:

1. Pack Wisely – You’ll be spending a lot of time in your car, so keep it comfortable. Pack the luggage in the back or on top. Leave room for the things you’ll need and want close by in the passenger section. This isn’t the type of trip where you want to be packed in like a sardine.

2. Download Music – Come on and admit it, you sing in the car. So why not have your family join in? Download favorite songs for every member of the family and take turns listening to them and singing along.

3. Play Games – Bring along travel size games. Find odd color cars. Pack pens, markers, and paper. Travel trays make it easier for your children to make use of games and crafts. Just leave the noisy toys at home for everyone’s sanity.

4. Pace Yourself – Take time to stop and see the sights. Even if you have a deadline for your drive time, stop to let the kids run around, for you to hold the baby and to take some photos. If you have more time, stay overnight in a motel and enjoy a swim in the pool, or a side trip.

5. Take Food – Bring along lots of snacks and drinks. A cooler works well to organize and keep them cold. Don’t forget napkins, wipes and hand sanitizer.

6. Souvenir Shopping – You don’t need to go to a tourist trap or spend a lot of money, instead pick up something at a gas station or a shop near a restaurant. Place a limit on the amount of money you’ll spend. You can even use this as a reward for good behavior. Bribery does work!

7. Talk and Talk Some More – Discuss what you’ll be doing on your trip to get the conversation started. Ask open ended questions of your quiet tweens and teens. Let you toddler babble away. Soak it all in. You can even video this special time for your memories later on.

8. Surprise Gifts – Buy some things before you start your trip and wrap them to give to your children when the going gets rough. Think dollar item toys, DVDs, coloring books, and iTunes gift cards.

9. Restaurant Choices – Let the children choose the place to eat, within limits. Give them a few choices that fit your budget and the type of food your family prefers. If you have more than one child, let one choose for lunch and one choose for dinner, or one chooses one day and the other chooses the next day.

10. Have Patience – Sitting in a vehicle for long periods of time can be tough for some children, no matter the age. Being more patient and tolerant will make things go much smoother for everyone concerned. A road trip isn’t the time for punishment or too much scolding. If you use the tips provided, you’ll help prevent the need for either.

Hopefully, these tips for a fun family road trip will stop your children from whining and complaining. And you won’t hear the dreaded, “When will we get there?” or “I’m bored!”

What are some activities or tips that you use for a family road trip?

Connie Roberts is best known as @ConnieFoggles. Her blog Brain Foggles, focuses on parenting, social causes, and being an advocate for her daughter, who has multiple medical conditions.

Photo courtesy of Cea’s via Flickr Creative Commons, they do not personally endorsed this post or this website.