A writer, dentist, and entrepreneur, Paula is the founder of DreamBoldLiveBold.com and AlltheRageRadio.com. She is the creator of Power Journaling, a fun and simple process to help you create positive change and live the life you want. She leads workshops and has written Power Journaling: Transform Your Life in 10 Minutes a Day, a ninety day guided journal

If you’ve been a victim of anger, or someone inflicting anger on others (or both)  it’s important to realize anger and resentment can hurt you – physically, emotionally and spiritually. Letting go of toxic emotions can change your health and your life now and for the long term.

Join Paula on ALL the RAGE Radio as we explore every side of anger, resentment and letting go. Get practical information to help you and your family live a happier, healthier, more spiritual life.

And take a listen to our recent guest appearance!

I recently came across a line of melamine plates designed for big brothers and big sisters! They are 100 percent dishwasher safe and BPA-free. If you are looking for a way to celebrate the arrival of a new sibling or encourage your kids to get thoughtful gifts for one another during the holidays, this is an awesome choice.

Designs for boys include guitar, crane, vintage, football, and bulldog. For girls, choose from crown, fleur, guitar, peace. Plus, you can personalize products with your child’s name.  $24 each.

Last year, we volunteered at an animal shelter. We painted and stenciled walls and made cat and dog treats for the animals in the shelter. We loved being there and seeing first hand the ones we were helping – the adorable dogs and cats!

This year we headed off to make care packages for the soldiers in the war zone. We had given the boys the choice and there is almost nothing they admire more than the men and women who fight in the war. Barbara Moore who ran the organization blew me away with all that she had to prepare and bring to the site so we could make over 40 packages that were jammed packed with food, cards and magazines! To begin our hard work, Barbara had us join around to see a shadow box that had been created and donated by a solider in Iraq after receiving the packages her team had sent the year prior. She shared a letter that a kind Lt. Douglas had written on his Unit’s behalf expressing their gratitude for the kindness. He also donated a flag that was flown “in the enemies face” last December as another token of appreciation. As if on cue, Lt. Douglas walked into our small site to thank us personally. My youngest looked at the Lt. awe-struck. They exchanged a handshake where they both thanked one another.

Sign ups begin in September for the next Great Day of Service. Friend them on Facebook as a constant reminder of how important giving back is for the entire family.

For little ones, you could use this creative time to point out different parts of the skeleton’s body such as arms, legs, rib cage and more.

Time: From 6:30 pm until 8:30 pm

Location: Sanctuary: New England Chapel in Franklin, MA

This workshop is designed for every parent who craves a little extra  peace & harmony at home.

Parents just want their kids to get along or, at the very least, stop fighting in the back seat of the car. Identical twin sisters and Bellingham moms – Heather Kempskie and Lisa Hanson – dare you to aim higher. With smart parental guidance and plenty of opportunities for sibling fun, you can achieve harmony in your home while setting the stage for a lifetime of closeness between your children.

This free event will provide childcare for those in need or FOR FUN! All children will have an opportunity to design crafts staright from the book!

  
For more information contact:
Amy Cornwell
amy@newenglandchapel.org

What to do with all those apples? Don’t know about you but I have a $12 bag of freshly picked apples and know I won’t get to eating them all.

Our Apple Tree art project is the perfect solution. Get out some butcher paper (or even a paper grocery bag) and paint a tree. Then use sliced apples as your paint brush!

Apple Art (page 315) Start to finish: 15 minutes
Supplies needed:
Apples (cut in half)
Popsicle sticks
Washable paint
Paper plates
Sheets of white paper
Yogurt (for children under 2)
Butcher paper
Crayons
Paper towels for apple seeds – instruct kids to put them in their fridge for two weeks and then transfer them to a cup with soil

Materials:

Leaves

Scissors

Paper grocery bags

Decorative paper (optional)

Glue sticks

Paint

Paintbrush

Contact paper

1. Cut paper grocery bags into 8-inch-by-11 inch rectangles.
2. Decorate the place mat using stickers, paper or crayons.
3. Lightly paint one side of a leaf and press the imprint onto the mat.
4. Glue leaves onto the homemade placemats.
5. When the finished place mats are dry, cover them with clear contact paper and trim the excess.

Source: “The Busy Siblings’ Busy Book: 200 Fun Activities for Kids of Different Ages” (2008) Used with permission by Meadowbrook Press.

Leaf observations

Curious what types of trees are in your neighborhood? You can start by examining the leaves you find. Here are some ways to get started:

Smooth-edge leaves as the name suggests have a smooth contour with no particular projections on the edges. Willow leaves are a perfect example of a smooth-edge leaf.

Lobed leaves have a contour that is divided by empty spaces called a sinuses that separate two lobes. The oak leaf is an example of a lobed leaf.

Leaves with pointed teeth of the same size are called toothed-edge leaves. Take a look at a Balsam poplar; it has leaves with toothed edges.

Some leaves have two sizes of teeth on their contour, large teeth which themselves contain smaller pointed teeth. These are called double-toothed leaves. You’ll see the small teeth more clearly with a magnifying glass with a white birch leaf.

For more information, visit Tree World at Domtar.com

(source: http://www.domtar.com/arbre/english/des_formes_formidables/feuillu_feuille.asp)

Some fall reading

Why Do Leaves Change Color?

By Betsy Maestro

$5.99

Leaf Man

By Lois Ehlert

$16

Apple Taste Test

Autumn is the perfect time to taste all kinds of apples!.

Materials   Baby    Toddler            Preschooler      School-Age Child         Parent

Several different kinds of apples (We recommend Granny Smith, Macintosh, and Golden Delicious.) Macintosh suggested. Peeled, sliced and mashed.   A few small pieces of each apple.          With our without peel, sliced or whole.  As is

Sheet of paper

Crayons

If possible, take your kids to a local apple orchard and pick a variety of apples together. If visiting an orchard isn’t possible, buy various kinds of apples at the supermarket. At home, gather your children together for a taste test.

Before eating the apples, your kids can examine them and describe their differences. Then for each apple, serve a piece to each child. Discuss its taste and have your school-age child record his siblings’ votes on a special chart.

Baby

If your baby is eating solids, her vote counts, too! Have her try each apple after it’s been mashed. (Macintosh is a good choice to start with because of its appealing sweet taste.) Does she seem to enjoy it? Have your other children decide.

If your baby isn’t eating solids, have a sibling hold an apple in front of her to see if she reacts to its color. You can record a coo or a smile on the chart!

Toddler

Even the pickiest toddler will likely try apples, although your toddler may “show” you he doesn’t care for a variety by spitting it out! This activity is a great opportunity to teach colors. Help him identify the color of each apple.

Preschooler

Adjectives are becoming a huge part of your preschooler’s vocabulary. Use this activity to encourage him to describe the look and taste of each apple. For example, he may use words like [I]sweet, crunchy, soft[I] or [I]chewy[I] to express his thoughts.

School-Age Child

To make the taste test chart, your school-age child can create one as shown here: [Insert chart featured below]. He can list the name of each apple variety down a sheet of paper, then record each sibling’s name across the top of the paper. As each sibling tastes each apple, your school-age child can record the response to the taste with a happy face or one with a frown.

Did you know?

There were at least 55 million tons of apples grown around the world in 2005.

We offer a fun-filled interactive workshop on the joys and challenges of raising siblings. From how to introduce a new member of the family to strategies to eliminate those back seat brawls, we help parents with simple tips and open up a world of bonding, love and fun for your little ones.

Check out our workshop page for more info!

“Wow! That looks good enough to eat.” That is when she is crawling towards the lego you dropped.

“Where have you been all this time?” This is when you pop up when playing a game of peek-a-boo!

“Will someone please change my diaper!’ This is when she smells stinky.

“I want to walk like he does.” He is taking about you!

“Wow! That looks good enough to eat!” That is when she is reaching for your pizza.

“Where are you going?” That is when you leave the room.

“I want that! I want that now!” This is when you take a way the lego!

“Please stay and play with me.” When you get up from playing with him.

“You are the coolest, funniest, kindest person I have ever met.” Everytime she looks at you.