Snapshot Of A New Photography Blogger

Your house is on fire! Besides your family members (pets included), what’s the one item you would try to save on the way out? My answer: My photo album. Okay, albums—as many as possible. My firefighter brother would frown upon my answer as he constantly warns people not to grab anything when fleeing a burning building, but then again photography is not his passion like it is mine. My name is Michele Cheplic and I will be joining Nicole Humphrey (who, by the way is doing an incredible job) here in the photography blog. Some of you may know me … Continue reading

Baby Blog Week in Review: August 7 to August 11

We have had a busy week in the baby blog! If you haven’t had time to catch up on all your reading, here it is all in one place. Grab a cup of coffee and have a seat! August 7 Why Banning Formula Isn’t Awful This week the New York City Department of Health banned free formula in New York City public hospitals in an effort to promote breastfeeding. The internet has been abuzz about the ban both for and against it. Although I actively promote breastfeeding when possible, I actually think that banning formula is good economic sense. Read … Continue reading

The Fitness Blog Week in Review June 17 – June 22

Happy Saturday and here’s hoping you’re having a great weekend. I still think this week went by too fast. The migraine I had this week likely contributed to that feeling. Losing a couple of days to just being in pain is never a lot of fun. We’re halfway through the year and summer officially began this week (though it’s been pretty warm this summer). In the meanwhile, let’s do a quick run down of our week in review: Sunday, June 17 We continue looking at what you can do to improve your health in More Computer Fitness Tips especially when … Continue reading

Baby Blog Week in Review: May 8 to May 27

Oops! The last few weekends have been filled with craziness and I have simply forgotten to do my week in review blogs! Between homeschooling conventions, a bout with croup, and year end activities–the time (and my brain) just escaped from me. So if you’ve missed anything recently. . .it’s here! Saturday, May 26 Babies Have Astounding Capabilities Scientists and researchers are learning more and more about how babies learn language. It’s changing the way we define intelligent and challenging our beliefs on the best ways to enhance development. Friday, May 25 Preemies Listening to Vivaldi? Check out this exciting research … Continue reading

The Fitness Week in Review for Jan 27-Feb 2

We’ve negotiated a smooth segue from January to February. For most of us, January is a month of transition, we’re recovering from the holidays, we’re going back to school, we’re going back to work, we’re getting started on new work out programs and new goals. February is different though. February means the New Year isn’t just arrived, it’s here, we’re in it, we’re down in the shallow end and we’re starting to really wade out into the year. It’s been an interesting week here for me and as I described in a blog I wrote late yesterday, I’m waiting on … Continue reading

Author Review – Rosemary Wells

Whenever I review several books by one author, I like to take a look at the author themselves and discover what makes them who they are and how they got the ideas for their projects. Let’s get to know Rosemary Wells. Her father was a playwright and actor, and her mother danced in the Russian ballet. Both of them loved to read, and her grandmother took her to the New York museums on a regular basis. Because of this classical upbringing, she was surrounded by music and art, and at the early age of two began to exhibit artistic skills. … Continue reading

Homeschooling Week in Review January 22- January 28, 2007

It has been a busy house here are the homeschool blog at families.com. Here is what we have been up to: Monday January 22, 2007 We started the week talking about homeschooling for others and hiring homeschoolers with I Want to Homeschool Your Child, I Want You to Homeschool My Child, and Homeschool Tutors must Manage Expectations, by yours truly (Andrea Hermitt). Karen Edmisten wrote Read-alouds: The best and biggest benefit, which speaks to the benefits of reading aloud to children. This article was part of a series on read-alouds started the previous week. Learning with Food Network by Karen … Continue reading

Author Review – Erle Stanley Gardner

Anyone who has ever watched late night television is familiar with Perry Mason, the savvy, smart and sophisticated lawyer played by Raymond Burr back when the show was filmed in black and white. Perry made several appearances on TV over the years, his hair growing more and more gray, but one thing never changed: he was the television lawyer. Matlock, LA Law, Law and Order – good shows, but none of them could ever be Perry Mason. Who is the man behind the character of Perry Mason? How did Mason come to be? The answer lies in the author, Erle … Continue reading

Author Review — Maya Angelou

Called “America’s Poet Laureate,” Maya Angelou has done more to forward African American literature than quite possibly any author we’ve had to date. Her words are powerful, earthy, moving and inspirational, but there was a time when she didn’t feel that way. She was abused by her mother’s boyfriend as a child, and when she told what had happened, her uncle beat the abuser to death. Maya became convinced that her words had killed a man, and from the age of eight, when the incident happened, until she was thirteen, she would not speak. Sent to live with her grandmother … Continue reading

Author Review – Susan Vreeland

Last summer, I reviewed Susan Vreeland’s novel “Girl in Hyacinth Blue,” and found it fascinating. Wanting to know more about the woman behind the book, I decided to focus this author review on her. Susan taught high school English for thirty years and in fact, wrote a handbook for students called “What Engish Teachers Want.” She began her writing career with magazine articles and newspaper stories in 1980, working her way into novels from there with her first fiction piece, “What Love Sees,” published in 1988 and later made into a television movie. Frequently mistaken to be the author of … Continue reading