June 10th, 2010 by admin

Are you aware that forty years ago this month, the National Congress of Colored Parents and Teachers (NCCPT) and the National Congress of Mothers united to form the National PTA, adapting the same mission they had operated under separately: to improve the education and well being of every child?  Today, while many great accomplishments have been made there are still obstacles that we must conquer, both inside and outside of the classroom and across ethnic backgrounds.  So at this year’s national convention there will be much to tackle:

 The nation’s K-12 public education system is in crisis. 

• Our students lag behind compared to children in other countries in math and science – which is not a plus for their futures in a global economy and job market. 
• And our schools also face widespread funding shortages, a childhood obesity epidemic and unbalanced academic standards all across the country.

 In this LIVE webcast event from the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, National PTA President Chuck Saylors will be joined by actress, mother and National PTA Advisory Board member Tichina Arnold, National PTA representatives and Ambassadors; Tomeka Hart, Executive director of Memphis Urban League, University of Memphis student representative; as well as Barbara Andrews, director of Education and Interpretation for National Civil Rights Museum.  They will be discussing the challenges of educating the 21st century child in today’s classroom, and what needs to be done to close the achievement gap in education. 

 Want to learn ways in which you can take a more hands on approach in your child’s education?  You’re in luck, as during this webcast event you’ll have the opportunity to email your questions and have them potentially answered live during the event.  

To secure your spot visit www.visualwebcaster.com/event.asp?id=69462

April 5th, 2010 by admin

An All New Exciting Season of ARMY WIVES Starts April 11th!

Army Wives follows the struggles, dreams and friendships of a diverse group of women – and one man – living with their spouses and families on an active army post.  The series films in Charleston, South Carolina and stars Kim Delaney, Sally Pressman, Brigid Brannagh, Brian McNamara, Sterling K. Brown, Wendy Davis, Drew Fuller, Terry Serpico, Katelyn Pippy and Catherine Bell.

http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/army-wives

March 21st, 2010 by admin

By Joanne Kimes and R.J. Colleary with Rebecca Rutledge, PhD,
Authors of Teenagers Suck: What to do when missed curfews, texting, and “Mom can I have the keys?” make you miserable.

Once upon a time, a parent was left to their own creativity to come up with new and clever ways spy and snoop on their teenagers. Listen in on the extension phone? Sneak a peek at their personal diary? Check for contraband stashed in the underwear drawer? Your current teenager might actually injure themselves laughing at your Neanderthal ways.
“Wait a minute,” your teen says, while gasping for breath, “Didn’t they do those things on an episode of The Brady Bunch?”

Okay, already. I’m old. Don’t rub it in.

Today’s teens might dare you to try and crack the code of passwords protecting their blogs. Or snicker while you attempt to make sense of the net lingo shorthand on their text messages. And only underwear is in the underwear drawer. So, while your neighbor’s cat has been “friended” poor old Mom is still waiting patiently on the “facespaceplace” page for her shout out. Read the rest of this entry »

February 23rd, 2010 by admin

By Lidia Matticchio Bastianich,
Author of Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipes

There is a natural affinity between pasta and cheese, but they can’t be paired indiscriminately. In Italy, cheese is used with pasta very selectively, judiciously, and with proper timing.

Pasta does not always require cheese. In Italy, cheese is never served with seafood pasta, and it is sometimes omitted when serving game sauces or sauces containing hot pepper.

Cheese should be added to pasta as soon as the pasta is cooked and ready to serve — if extended heat is applied to cheese, the proteins will separate from the fat and you may end up with stringy cheese and oily pasta. To add a classic final touch you can grate or shave cheese over plated pasta.

The three cheeses that are most often used to dress pasta in Italy are Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, and Grana Padano. Each cheese has its own characteristics and its own uses. Read the rest of this entry »

February 12th, 2010 by admin

Care.com is hosting a contest in conjunction with New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures’ film “Valentine’s Day.”

One lucky Grand Prize winner will receive a trip for two to Los Angeles, including round-trip airfare, a two-night hotel stay at the luxury SLS Hotel (http://www.starwoodhotels.com/luxury/index.html in Beverly Hills) with dinner for two at SLS’s Bazaar restaurant and a private VIP tour of the Warner Bros. Studio lot, where “Valentine’s Day” was filmed. Twelve finalists will each receive two tickets to see the film. In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, Care.com will also provide the winners with a free one-month premium membership to find that perfect babysitter.

HOW TO ENTER:
Enter at: www.facebook.com/caredotcom, and tell us your most romantic or funniest Valentine’s Day memory. All entries should be rated PG. The twelve finalists will be selected during the months of January and February 2010. One Grand Prize Winner will be selected from among the 12 finalists in February. Three Finalists will be selected by a panel of judges on or around each of the following dates: January 23, 2010, January 30, 2010, February 6, 2010, and February 13, 2010. One Grand Prize Winner will be selected from among the 12 Finalists on or around February 13, 2010. ”

About Care.com
Founded in 2006, Care.com is the largest and fastest growing service used by families to find high-quality caregivers, providing a trusted place to easily connect, share caregiving experiences, and get advice. Care.com addresses the unique lifecycle of care needs that each family goes through-child care, special needs care, tutoring and lessons, senior care, pet care, housekeeping, and more. Care.com helps families find and select the best care possible based on detailed profiles, background checks, and references for hundreds of thousands of mom-reviewed providers who seek to share their services. Through its Care.com for Recruiters service, Care.com also enables companies to find high-quality caregiving employees.