Education has always been a very important part of my life from as far back as I can remember. I was raised by both of my parents and my father has always been a manual worker while my mother stayed at home to raise us kids. Although my father always worked hard, there never seemed to be enough to go around when it came to supporting a family of five. Don't get me wrong, we never went without eating but there were some scary times when we didn't know where the rent money was going to come from or how we were going to get basic school supplies to start school in the Fall. As a result, my parents always encouraged all of us to do well in school and to pursue higher education. They made it clear to us that having a career would ease some of the financial burden that we had seen them go through in our childhood. For the third year in a row, the Neutrogena® Wave for Change® campaign is bringing hope to thousands of kids in need. For every Wave for Change® video view on … [Read more...]
The Impact Of Education On My Life-Neutrogena® Wave for Change® #WaveForChange
Choose Skin Health With Neutrogena®! #ChooseSkinHealth
Although most of us have been touched in our families by a cancer diagnosis at one point or another, it is still devastating to find out that a loved one is ill. This is exactly how we felt a few years ago when we found out that the mother of my son's godmother was diagnosed with Skin Cancer. Finding out about her condition was especially shocking because this woman is especially health conscious and works very hard to take care of her body. She told me that, as a woman of color, she never really worried about protecting her skin from the sun and was shocked to find out that the mark on her leg was actually malignant. She recovered from this brush with cancer, however, it certainly made me more aware of the importance of wearing sunblock and shielding my skin from the sun's harmful rays. Additionally, it made me become more proactive in protecting my children from the sun as well, especially during the warm summer months when we spend a lot of time outdoors. … [Read more...]
Shining A Light On Heart of Haiti
As an educator, I believe that it is my responsibility to impart the concept of empathy to my students. It is important that they understand that their actions and contributions to society can have a profound impact on the circumstances of others. As a result, every holiday we work together to decorate holiday greeting cards for our servicemen and servicewomen who are serving our country overseas. By participating in this program, they learn the importance of giving back to their community. Macy's Heart of Haiti initiative is also aimed at making a difference and giving something back to the community. It does so by providing sustainable income to Haitian artisans whose lives, and those of their families, have been completely devastated by the 2010 earthquake. It has already led to the employment of 750 artists in Haiti thereby providing financial benefits for an estimated 8,500 people throughout the country. Heart of Haiti is a "trade not aid" program geared at … [Read more...]
Dance Up A Storm With Curious George®!
My six year old son loves to dance. It's almost as if his body is unable to stay still when any kind of song is playing. No matter what he is doing at the time, he will jump up and start swaying back and forth to the melody. The entire family enjoys watching him go when we get together for the holidays! His love of music and dance does not stop there. My husband and I have extensive home video collections of him dancing in places like the barber shop, the grocery store, and even in the backseat of the car. Lately, he even comes up with his own lyrics that he sings and dances to all day long. We have no doubt that he will continue to love singing and dancing for the rest of his life. Curious George® is celebrating the arts by hosting a dance contest for kids that is guaranteed to get them up and moving. Let's be honest, everyone loves to dance. Not only is it a great way to get great exercise, but it is also a way to express your individuality and show off some of … [Read more...]
Let Curious George® Help You Teach Your Children About the Arts!
I recently received an advanced screening DVD of some of Curious George's® adventures as he takes on the Arts in an all new season premiering Labor Day, September 5, 2011 on PBS KIDS®. Believe me, my boys were eagerly awaiting the package before it even arrived because they are long time fans of the Curious George® books by Margret and H.A. Rey. Since they were very little, we have shared in reading these wonderful books together about a little monkey who is curious and inquisitive about the world around him just like many young children are. These new series featuring Curious George® are designed to teach kids about science, math, and engineering all around them by presenting the topics in entertaining situations and episodes. Each episode lasts one half hour and includes two animated stories featuring George and all of his new friends. These episodes are then followed by short action pieces where real children are shown demonstrating the theories and ideas … [Read more...]
Stress Control Tips for a Healthy and Beautiful Back to School Look with Neutrogena®
There is nothing like the excitement of going back to school and connecting with all of the people that you haven't seen all Summer. In my case, since I am a teacher, I don't experience the same stresses about appearance that my students do but it is still very important for me to take very good care of my skin. Over the years, my skin care regimen has changed as my skin has changed and I have modified my skin care products to keep up with my skin's changing needs. The Summer can wreak havoc on your skin between the added sun exposure and the exposure to harsh chemicals like Chlorine in pool water. Along with the extra anxiety of preparing for school and accepting that vacation time can soon be over, stress can also affect your skin and complexion in a negative way. In my case, I have noticed that this additional stress causes the oily parts of my skin to become oilier. I'm sure I don't have to go into what the consequences of oily skin are like clogged pores, acne, and … [Read more...]
