Monday's Grants: Laura Bush Foundation Grant- Deadline 12/31/11

Laura Bush Foundation (LBF) Grant

Deadline: 12/31/11

Amount: Up to $6,000 to update school library book collections

The purpose of this grant is to provide books and reading materials to the school libraries and students that most need them to promote a love of reading.

Only schools where a minimum of 50% of the student body qualify for the Free or Reduced Lunch (FRL) program are eligible to apply however, LBF gives selection preference to schools in which 90% or more of the students receive free or reduced lunches and are likely to have the fewest books and reading materials at home.

To apply, please visit: http://laurabushfoundation.unt.edu/

Monday's Grants: Using Music to Teach Mathematics Grant- Deadline11/11/11

Using Music to Teach Mathematics Grants for Grades PreK-2 Teachers

Deadline: 11/11/11

Amount: $3,000 on average

The purpose of this grant is to incorporate music into the elementary school classroom to help young students learn mathematics. For 2012–2013, grants with a maximum of $3,000 each will be awarded to persons currently teaching mathematics in grades PreK–2 level. This award is for individual classroom teachers* or small groups of teachers collaborating in one grade or across grade levels. Any acquisition of equipment must support the proposed plan but not be the primary focus of the grant. Proposals must address the following: the combining of mathematics and music; the plan for improving students’ learning of mathematics; and the anticipated impact on students’ achievement.

To apply, please visit: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics http://www.nctm.org/resources/content.aspx?id=1318

Monday's Grants: Fuel up to Play 60 Grant- Deadline 12/01/11

Monday's Grants

Fuel Up to Play 60 Grant

Deadline:

There are three funding application deadlines left during the 2011-12 school year:

• December 1, 2011
• February 1, 2012
• June 1, 2012 (If approved for funding, the money will be distributed after June 30, 2012, and will count toward the school’s funding for the 2012-13 school year.

Amount: $300-$4,000 per year


What is the purpose of the Funds?
The purpose of Funds for Fuel Up to Play 60 is to help your school increase:

• student awareness of the importance of healthy eating and increased physical activity;
• student access to and consumption of nutrient-rich foods, including low-fat and fat-free dairy, fruits, vegetables and whole grains;
• student opportunities for and participation in physical activity in school;
• sustainable changes in making your school a healthier place.

How can our school use the Funds?

Funds for Fuel Up to Play 60 may be used to support a range of different program-related activities. Perhaps you need funding to help implement specific Healthy Eating or Physical Activity Plays. The Fuel Up to Play 60 Playbook provides dozens of possible Plays, or action strategies, your school can use or adapt – or you can develop your own Plays.

Additionally, you might ask for Funds to help with project expenses, equipment or other out-of-pocket costs. Or perhaps you want funding to assist with the costs of general program initiatives, such as promotion, student engagement and motivation, staff engagement, family engagement and outreach and/or tracking and measurement.

Whether you’re requesting Funds to help with specific Plays or to support general program initiatives, you must explain how you’re addressing both healthy eating and physical activity in your Fuel Up to Play 60 program.

Funds for Fuel Up to Play 60

Up to $4,000 per year is available to any qualifying K-12 school enrolled in Fuel Up to Play 60. The competitive, nationwide funding program can help your school jumpstart and sustain healthy nutrition and physical activity improvements.
Whether you’re just starting out with Fuel Up to Play 60 or looking to expand and extend an initiative that’s already in motion, Funds for Fuel Up to Play 60 can help.

UPCOMING APPLICATION DEADLINE: 12/1/2011

Eligibility
Schools applying for Funds for Fuel Up to Play 60 must:

• Be enrolled in Fuel Up to Play 60 for the 2011-12 school year (if your school is not enrolled, enroll here)
• Participate in the National School Lunch Program
• Complete and submit an online Funds for Fuel Up to Play 60 application form (download a PDF of the application form here)
• Complete the School Wellness Investigation (schools may work on the funding application before completing the School Wellness Investigation, but before the funding application may be submitted, the School Wellness Investigation must be completed and submitted online)
• Have support and involvement from the school principal, school nutrition professional, lead physical education teacher and the school’s Fuel Up to Play 60 Program Advisor

Remember: Your school must be enrolled in Fuel Up to Play 60 for the 2011-2012 school year to be eligible to apply for Funds. Enroll today. 

Application Deadlines
There are four funding application deadlines during the 2011-12 school year:

• October 1, 2011
• December 1, 2011
• February 1, 2012
• June 1, 2012 (If approved for funding, the money will be distributed after June 30, 2012, and will count toward the school’s funding for the 2012-13 school year.)

Schools may submit an application during more than one funding cycle per school year. The total amount of money awarded for the 2011-12 school year (June/October/December 2011 and February 2012 deadlines) can be up to $4,000. The request for funds in the June 1, 2012, application deadline can be up to $4,000 and will count toward the school’s funding for the 2012-13 school year.

To apply, please visit: Fuel up to Play 60

Starting my weight loss journey, um, once again.

                           When I look at this pic with the beautiful background, my eye goes to my middle :(


A couple of days ago I decide to really take the time to focus on myself and try to take off the pounds that have slowly crept up on me.  With a petite frame of 5'2 and at my highest weight ever of 149 pounds (not including pregnancy or right after pregnancy), my body mass index or BMI is calculated at 27.2 which is considered overweight.  I went to The National Hearl Lung and Blood Intitute's website to calculate this.  One indicator of health and risks associated with weight is your waist size.  I have not measured my waist but that is where all of my weight is, my arms are fine, my legs are a bit big, but they've always been that way.  Where I've really noticed it is around my waist- which is no more apparent than when getting dressed.  Anyone else who is also on a journey, I invite you to join me and we can help support each other!

Wordless Wednesday: First Day of Kindergarten #WW

First day of Kindergarten last Wednesday! Oh my heart :)

Monday's Grants: Fuel up to Play 60 Grant- 1st Deadline 10/01/11

Monday's Grants

Fuel Up to Play 60 Grant

Deadline: 

There are four funding application deadlines during the 2011-12 school year:

• October 1, 2011
• December 1, 2011
• February 1, 2012
• June 1, 2012 (If approved for funding, the money will be distributed after June 30, 2012, and will count toward the school’s funding for the 2012-13 school year.

Amount: $300-$4,000 per year


What is the purpose of the Funds?
The purpose of Funds for Fuel Up to Play 60 is to help your school increase:

• student awareness of the importance of healthy eating and increased physical activity;
• student access to and consumption of nutrient-rich foods, including low-fat and fat-free dairy, fruits, vegetables and whole grains;
• student opportunities for and participation in physical activity in school;
• sustainable changes in making your school a healthier place.

How can our school use the Funds?

Funds for Fuel Up to Play 60 may be used to support a range of different program-related activities. Perhaps you need funding to help implement specific Healthy Eating or Physical Activity Plays. The Fuel Up to Play 60 Playbook provides dozens of possible Plays, or action strategies, your school can use or adapt – or you can develop your own Plays.

Additionally, you might ask for Funds to help with project expenses, equipment or other out-of-pocket costs. Or perhaps you want funding to assist with the costs of general program initiatives, such as promotion, student engagement and motivation, staff engagement, family engagement and outreach and/or tracking and measurement.

Whether you’re requesting Funds to help with specific Plays or to support general program initiatives, you must explain how you’re addressing both healthy eating and physical activity in your Fuel Up to Play 60 program.

Funds for Fuel Up to Play 60

Up to $4,000 per year is available to any qualifying K-12 school enrolled in Fuel Up to Play 60. The competitive, nationwide funding program can help your school jumpstart and sustain healthy nutrition and physical activity improvements.
Whether you’re just starting out with Fuel Up to Play 60 or looking to expand and extend an initiative that’s already in motion, Funds for Fuel Up to Play 60 can help.

UPCOMING APPLICATION DEADLINE: 10/1/2011

Eligibility
Schools applying for Funds for Fuel Up to Play 60 must:

• Be enrolled in Fuel Up to Play 60 for the 2011-12 school year (if your school is not enrolled, enroll here)
• Participate in the National School Lunch Program
• Complete and submit an online Funds for Fuel Up to Play 60 application form (download a PDF of the application form here)
• Complete the School Wellness Investigation (schools may work on the funding application before completing the School Wellness Investigation, but before the funding application may be submitted, the School Wellness Investigation must be completed and submitted online)
• Have support and involvement from the school principal, school nutrition professional, lead physical education teacher and the school’s Fuel Up to Play 60 Program Advisor

Remember: Your school must be enrolled in Fuel Up to Play 60 for the 2011-2012 school year to be eligible to apply for Funds. Enroll today. 

Application Deadlines
There are four funding application deadlines during the 2011-12 school year:

• October 1, 2011
• December 1, 2011
• February 1, 2012
• June 1, 2012 (If approved for funding, the money will be distributed after June 30, 2012, and will count toward the school’s funding for the 2012-13 school year.)

Schools may submit an application during more than one funding cycle per school year. The total amount of money awarded for the 2011-12 school year (June/October/December 2011 and February 2012 deadlines) can be up to $4,000. The request for funds in the June 1, 2012, application deadline can be up to $4,000 and will count toward the school’s funding for the 2012-13 school year.

To apply, please visit: Fuel up to Play 60

Hurricane Irene Delaware Locations Supply List, Events & Tips

I been hearing of many Delaware locations that are out of certain items and others that still have the items we need to prepare for hurricane Irene.  I thought it would be helpful to put together a list for everyone.  Send me your tips!

Target- Naamans Road

Out of Water

Out of Flashlights

Has Bread

Almost out of Milk

Super G's- location?

Out of D batteries 

Out of Water

Lowe's-location?

Out of D batteries  

Out of Water

Walgreens-location?

Out of D batteries 

Out of Water

Kmart-location?

Out of D batteries 

Out of Water

Events:
Newark Foods Farmers Market Cancelled this Sunday 8/28
The Phillie Phanatic Rinse & Raise Fundraiser has been rescheduled for Sun. 9/18/11. Phillie Phanatic will meet you at Seasons -Concord Pike

Other tips:
Gas is running low in Sussex County Delaware as commuters leave the Resorts
Caution Rt 50 and Rt 90 Jams, Rt 1 is closed in many locations
Most of this info is from word of mouth, If you find any info to be inaccurate, please let me know.

Recommended Items to Include in a Basic Emergency Supply Kit:

• Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation
• Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
• Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Whistle to signal for help
• Dust mask, to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
• Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
• Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
• Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food)
• Local maps
• Cell phone with chargers, inverter or solar charger

Additional Items to Consider Adding to an Emergency Supply Kit:

• Prescription medications and glasses
• Infant formula and diapers
• Pet food and extra water for your pet
• Cash or traveler's checks and change
• Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records in a waterproof, portable container. You can use the Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK) - PDF, 277Kb) developed by Operation Hope, FEMA and Citizen Corps to help you organize your information.
• Emergency reference material such as a first aid book or information from www.ready.gov.
• Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person. Consider additional bedding if you live in a cold-weather climate.
• Complete change of clothing including a long sleeved shirt, long pants and sturdy shoes. Consider additional clothing if you live in a cold-weather climate.
• Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper – When diluted nine parts water to one part bleach, bleach can be used as a disinfectant. Or in an emergency, you can use it to treat water by using 16 drops of regular household liquid bleach per gallon of water. Do not use scented, color safe or bleaches with added cleaners.
• Fire Extinguisher
• Matches in a waterproof container
• Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items
• Mess kits, paper cups, plates and plastic utensils, paper towels
• Paper and pencil
• Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children

List found at www.Ready.gov

Last updated Friday 10:28 am

Monday's Grants: Lowe’s Toolbox for Education grant program- Deadline 10/14/2011

Monday's Grants

As we all know, women play so many roles, we're mothers, we're daughters, we're friends, we're wives, we're amazing!  One of my roles is that of a social worker.  I've been a stay at home mom for the past 5 years and I have loved it!  But during that time, I also continued my education and received my Master's in Social Work.  I really believe that I was put on this earth to make a difference in people's lives and be a change agent.  In order to provide change as a social worker, you often need funding!  I keep updated on grants and funding that is available and I thought since I'm doing the research anyway, I might as well share my found information with individuals or groups who could also use it. So I've decided to start Monday's Grants. I will post grants weekly that may be useful to nonprofits, groups, teachers, individuals and more.  Many grants will be RFP's (Request for Proposals), but I will try to include a selection of different grants. Enjoy!

Lowe's Toolbox for Education Grant

Deadline: October 14, 2011
Amount: $2,000 to $5,000





It’s almost that easy when you take advantage of Lowe’s Toolbox for Education grant program. Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation (LCEF) knows how hard you work for your kids and your community and we’re dedicated to helping your parent-teacher group achieve even more for your school. Apply for our Toolbox for Education Grant now and build on your already impressive parent group success with Lowe’s.

Now in its 6th year of helping build better schools and communities, the Lowe's Toolbox for Education program has provided nearly $25 million to more than 5,000 schools across the country.

For more than 60 years, Lowe's has supported the communities we call home. At a time when schools and community groups are struggling to make ends meet, Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation recognizes that we must increase our focus on basic, one-time project needs.
Again, this year, we challenge ourselves to seek ways to provide the tools that help our educators and parent groups through these challenging times efficiently and with the greatest impact. In 2011-2012, basic needs will take priority. Please keep this focus in mind as you apply for a Toolbox for Education grant in the 2011-2012 academic year.

Sample Project Ideas: 

1. Reading Garden 2. Vegetable Garden 3. Physical Fitness Area

4. School Landscaping Project 5. School Nature Trail 6. Parent Involvement Center

7. Peer Tutoring Center 8. Playground 9. Rotating Student Art Exhibit

The Fall 2011 cycle is now open. The deadline for submitting applications for this grant cycle is October 14, 2011. However, if 1500 applications are received before the application deadline, then the application process will close.

To apply for this grant, please go to:   Toolbox for Education

Monday's Grants: Michael and Susan Dell Foundation Grant: No Deadline

Monday's Grants

As we all know, women play so many roles, we're mothers, we're daughters, we're friends, we're wives, we're amazing!  One of my roles is that of a social worker.  I've been a stay at home mom for the past 5 years and I have loved it!  But during that time, I also continued my education and received my Master's in Social Work.  I really believe that I was put on this earth to make a difference in people's lives and be a change agent.  In order to provide change as a social worker, you often need funding!  I keep updated on grants and funding that is available and I thought since I'm doing the research anyway, I might as well share my found information with individuals or groups who could also use it. So I've decided to start Monday's Grants. I will post grants weekly that may be useful to nonprofits, groups, teachers, individuals and more.  Many grants will be RFP's (Request for Proposals), but I will try to include a selection of different grants. Enjoy!

Michael and Susan Dell Foundation Grant

Deadline: Applications Accepted Year Round
Amount: $500-Several Million

 Inspired by their passion for children and by a shared desire to improve the lives of children living in urban poverty, Michael and Susan Dell established their Austin, Texas-based foundation in 1999. In its early years, the foundation's work focused on improving education and children’s health in Central Texas. But within a few short years, our reach expanded, first nationally and then globally. To date, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation has committed more than $700 million to assist nonprofit organizations working in major urban communities in the United States, South Africa and India. We focus on opportunities with the greatest potential to directly and measurably transform the lifelong outcomes of impoverished urban children around the globe. Learn more about our programs.

Welcoming Partnerships
Working with innovative organizations around the globe, we seek to identify, test, refine and grow non-obvious solutions to big, obvious problems. We believe that through this work, we can transform the lives of children living in urban poverty today and improve the future for every generation. To help us achieve our goals, we seek global partners who work to:

• Ensure children have access to quality educations
• Encourage healthy behaviors, and provide access to basic health care and services
• Foster stable families through microfinance   

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation’s primary goal is to support and initiate programs that directly serve the needs of children living in urban poverty. Priority is given to initiatives addressing children’s health, education and microfinance as well as initiatives in India and Central Texas that specifically address the needs of children. In general, the foundation does not support programs or organizations that fall outside of our key focus areas, nor do we accept proposals to support individuals, medical research projects, event fundraisers or sponsorships, endowments, or lobbying of any kind.

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation is currently accepting unsolicited proposals for education, health and microfinance programs. To learn more about the types of grants we fund, please review our foundation programs.

Please note that the foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals by mail. All grant requests should be submitted via our online form.

To apply, go to: MSDF Grant Application

Delaware State Parks Guide- there's an app for that!

When I heard there was a Delaware State Parks app, I was excited because I love all that our state parks have to offer, but I know that there is a lot out there to enjoy that I'm not even aware of.  So I happily downloaded the free app (lite version) to see what it had to offer.

One of the first things that I noticed on this app was the Severe Weather Alert that popped up telling me that minor tidal flooding was possible with the evening tide.  Whenever there is a Severe Weather Alert (more recently it's been about heat warnings) then the alert will pop up. You can choose to have the severe weather alert turned on or off if you find it annoying, but I thought it was quite helpful.

The first tab on the app is the Park Activities, where you can choose from activities such as Adventure Race, Baseball, Beaches, Bird Watching, Camping, Fishing and much more and find out which state parks have these activities.  For instance I clicked on Geocaching, which I am interested in doing in the future and it gave me 5 tabs, a Good-to-Know tab that explains what Geocaching is, and a tab for Brandywine Creek State Park, Cape Henlopen State Park, First State Heritage Park and Killens Pond State Park.  

One of my favorite features is the events tab where you can click on any day to see different events available at our state parks. Today it listed the audio and walking tours of the Dover Green at the First State Heritage Park.  Also, if you decide that an event sounds fun and you want to invite others, there is a handy invite button that automatically prepares an email for you.  One thing that I would like to see on the events calendar is a button to highlight which day it currently is, but that's only because I often have to pause a minute to figure out the date. 

While on this app, you are able to continue your social networking by signing in to Facebook and Twitter, which is always handy.

As I mentioned, the Official Delaware State Parks Guide app is free, but you are able to also purchase a pro version for $3.99 which contains additional tools such as GPS mapping, a tool to locate the parks nearest you (love!), a friend finder that let's you keep track of companions while on a trail and more.

To download either the free version or the $3.99 Pro GPS version, you can go to: DE State Park Apps

Also, if you decide to download the Pro GPS version, a substantial portion of your purchase is given back to the Delaware State Parks.  Not many apps do that!



So go check out the Official Delaware State Parks Guide app and if you know anything about geocaching, let me know :)

Monday's Grants: W.K. Kellogg Foundation Positive Childhood Development: No Deadline

Monday's Grants

As we all know, women play so many roles, we're mothers, we're daughters, we're friends, we're wives, we're amazing!  One of my roles is that of a social worker.  I've been a stay at home mom for the past 5 years and I have loved it!  But during that time, I also continued my education and received my Master's in Social Work.  I really believe that I was put on this earth to make a difference in people's lives and be a change agent.  In order to provide change as a social worker, you often need funding!  I keep updated on grants and funding that is available and I thought since I'm doing the research anyway, I might as well share my found information with individuals or groups who could also use it. So I've decided to start Monday's Grants. I will post grants weekly that may be useful to nonprofits, groups, teachers, individuals and more.  Many grants will be RFP's (Request for Proposals), but I will try to include a selection of different grants. Enjoy!

W.K. Kellogg Foundation

Grants for Positive Childhood Development

Deadline: Applications Accepted Year Round
Amount: Up to $10,000 

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation supports children, families, and communities as they create conditions that propel vulnerable children to achieve success as individuals and as contributors to their larger community and society. The Foundation approach is one of whole child development: ensuring the emotional, social, cognitive, physical, cultural, and civic development of young children, ages 0-8, within the context of families and communities. The Foundation’s work, which embodies a commitment to racial equity and civic and community engagement, focuses on educated kids, healthy kids, and secure families.

There is no application deadline--applications are accepted year around.

To apply, please visit their online application at WK Kellogg Foundation

Wordless Wednesday: Dining out with Kids #WW

Buca Di Beppo is a good restaurant to take kids like mine who crack themselves up, are a bit too loud and lick Parmesan cheese off their hands :)

Monday's Grants: Build-A-Bear Workshop Foundation- Deadline 10/28/11

Monday's Grants

As we all know, women play so many roles, we're mothers, we're daughters, we're friends, we're wives, we're amazing!  One of my roles is that of a social worker.  I've been a stay at home mom for the past 5 years and I have loved it!  But during that time, I also continued my education and received my Master's in Social Work.  I really believe that I was put on this earth to make a difference in people's lives and be a change agent.  In order to provide change as a social worker, you often need funding!  I keep updated on grants and funding that is available and I thought since I'm doing the research anyway, I might as well share my found information with individuals or groups who could also use it. So I've decided to start Monday's Grants. I will post grants weekly that may be useful to nonprofits, groups, teachers, individuals and more.  Many grants will be RFP's (Request for Proposals), but I will try to include a selection of different grants. Enjoy!

 Build-A-Bear Workshop Foundation

Deadline: October 28, 2011 
Amount: Up to $10,000

Build-A-Bear Workshop® believes in the teddy bear philosophy of being good people and good bears. In living those values, we provide grants through the Build-A-Bear Workshop Foundation and the Build-A-Bear Workshop Bear Hugs Foundation to 501(c)(3) public charities or registered Canadian charities that support beary special causes, such as children's health and wellness, animals, and literacy and education.

Children's Health & Wellness

We desire to provide direct support for children in the areas of health and wellness such as childhood disease research foundations, child safety organizations and organizations that serve children with special needs. Our goal is to provide grants to help many programs that are working hard to make the world a healthier and happier place for kids.

These grants are funded through the sale of Champ – A Champion Fur Kids. One dollar from the sale of Champ bear is donated through the Build-A-Bear Workshop Bear Hugs Foundation to children's health and wellness causes throughout the United States and Canada. Click here for details on Nikki's Legacy, the inspiration behind these efforts.

For 2011, we will be accepting children’s health and wellness grant requests from March until October and we will review them on a rolling basis.

Click here to access the online grant application.
Click here for specific guidelines for our children's health and wellness grants.
Click here for a list of 2010 Children's Health and Wellness Grants.

Domestic Pets
We seek to provide direct support for animals in domestic pet programs including animal welfare organizations, pet rescue and rehabilitation organizations, and therapeutic and humane education pet programs.
These grants are funded through the sale of our Bearemy's Kennel Pals^®. One dollar from the sale of each plush animal in this line is donated through the Build-A-Bear Workshop Bear Hugs Foundation to organizations working with or on behalf of domestic pets throughout the United States and Canada.
For 2011, we will be accepting domestic pet grant requests from March until October and we will review them on a rolling basis.
Click here to access the online grant application.
Click here for our specific guidelines for our domestic pet grants.
Click here for a list of 2010 Domestic Pet Grants.

Literacy and Education We want to provide direct support for children in literacy and education programs such as summer reading programs, early childhood education programs and literacy programs for children with special needs. These grants are made possible through the sale of Turner the Owl – a special furry friend available in all Build A Bear Workshop® stores. With the sale of each Turner the Owl, 50 cents is donated to First Book and 50 cents is donated through the Build-A-Bear Workshop Bear Hugs Foundation to other literacy programs throughout the United States and Canada. For 2011, we will be accepting literacy and education grant requests from March until October and we will review them on a rolling basis. Click here to access the online grant application. Click here for specific guidelines for our literacy and education grants. Click here for a list of 2010 Literacy and Education Grants.

Miscellaneous Grant Requests
We also will consider grant requests from organizations and programs that support children, families, and animals that are not easily categorized.
For 2011, we will be accepting grant requests from March until October and we will review them on a rolling basis.
Click here to access the online grant application.
Click here for specific guidelines for our miscellaneous grant program.
Click here for a list of 2010 Build-A-Bear Workshop Foundation Grant Recipients.
For more information about any of our grant programs, e-mail giving@buildabear.com

To apply for a Grant, please go to BuildABear.com

Mom of 2 boys, BMBH, and Poop

                                                    Please do NOT wake sleeping children!

M.O.B. Society First Annual Boy Mom Blog Hop

Welcome to any new Boy Mom Readers!

Yesterday I wrote a short blog that was titled "So Tired" because I was so tired :b  It was a very short post that I said I would try to continue, but I think I knew in the back of my head that the post would never be finished and it was really just a chance for me to vent.  So why was I so tired?

Because I'm a mom of two boys!  In general I think just being a mom of any amount of children and any gender is going to make you pretty tired.  But there really is just something about boys.

  I'm doing okay today, but yesterday was rough.  It started with my 2 1/2 year old waking up around 5 something.  I tried getting him to fall back asleep but he was set on going downstairs.  So we went downstairs to lay on the couch and thank goodness we both were able to fall back asleep for a short period.

It was my 5 year old's last day of camp, so we drove the 40 minute drive that I've been doing for 3 days a week the past 6 weeks to get to Hockessin (it was an excellent camp, so it was totally worth it).  Then me and Chunka (my 2 1/2 year old) went to Kmart to return an item.  Then Chunka had Little Gym at 10 am.  Then we stopped at a store to pick up a baby shower gift.  Then I picked Beluga (my 5 year old) up from camp.  Then we drove 40 minutes home so we could be home in time for Chunka's speech therapy.  Chunka usually loves playing with his speech therapist but yesterday he was just in a mood.  He didn't want to do anything he was asked.  He is also at his "me do" period where he wants to do everything himself.  So he had a complete meltdown when I wouldn't let him cut up his own strawberries.  Then I tried putting him down for a nap which had quite a few interruptions due to the fact that he now almost daily goes poop in his pull up at nap time. He pooped twice yesterday during his nap, the last one requiring a bath and the end of his nap.

                                        (Not poop, just mud, although it could very easily be poop)
                
And that's where I was at yesterday when I wrote that I was so tired and still had lots to do for the rest of the day (which included physical therapy and swim class).  Mind you all of this could have been exactly the same with two little girls, but in my experience (which isn't a lot because I have two boys!) boys are especially great at pushing things.  And I can't speak for all boys, but mine are especially energetic.  Most days you will see the two of them running around and around the coffee table yelling and laughing.  One a their favorite parts of the day it when daddy comes home, he has about 7 minutes to get changed before hearing "Daddy, let's wrestle!"  Yesterday I was worn down, but most days I love it more than anything!!  I always imagined that I would have at least one girl, because I'm so girly.  Plus my husband had one sibling, a sister and I had one sibling, a brother, so that's what we were used to.  But now I think it is so nice that to see my boys being brothers!  It's a really unique special bond that they have.  Plus I'm girly enough for our family. 

Chocolate, not poop, although this child did eat a worm once.

Have you noticed a difference between raising boys or girls?
Please note: the writing of this post was interrupted because I heard Chunka up from his nap.  Why? Because he was poopy of course!  Also, please note, spell check does not recognize poopy as a word :b

So tired!

I'm soo tired right now.  I have a whole list that I could write about my day and my kids (one in particular) to explain why I'm so tired, but I'm too tired to write that right now.  So for now I'm going to hope that my 2 1/2 year old stays down for his nap so I can sit down and eat lunch.  Maybe after that, I'll vent some more about my day.  Until then,

To be continued, maybe.

Wordless Wednesday- Date Night

Date Night Picture: Since I have yet to do a post :)

Monday's Grants: Green Thumb Challenge- Deadline 9/30/11

Monday's Grants

As we all know, women play so many roles, we're mothers, we're daughters, we're friends, we're wives, we're amazing!  One of my roles is that of a social worker.  I've been a stay at home mom for the past 5 years and I have loved it!  But during that time, I also continued my education and received my Master's in Social Work.  I really believe that I was put on this earth to make a difference in people's lives and be a change agent.  In order to provide change as a social worker, you often need funding!  I keep updated on grants and funding that is available and I thought since I'm doing the research anyway, I might as well share my found information with individuals or groups who could also use it. So I've decided to start Monday's Grants. I will post grants weekly that may be useful to nonprofits, groups, teachers, individuals and more.  Many grants will be RFP's (Request for Proposals), but I will try to include a selection of different grants. Enjoy!

Green Thumb Challenge

Deadline: September 30, 2011

Amount: $5,000 

Green Education Foundation (GEF) and Gardener’s Supply Company have teamed up on an exciting funding opportunity for established youth garden projects nationwide! The organizations are calling on schools and youth groups to submit chronicles of their garden projects in a race to win a $5,000 prize. The award is designed to support the continued sustainability of an exceptional youth garden program that has demonstrated success, and has impacted the lives of kids and their community. Green Thumb Challenge participants may submit any of the following, or a combination. (Not a member? Click here to sign up for free!)

• An overview describing your garden project
• One video, up to ten minutes long
• A digital portfolio, comprising up to ten photos with captions
• Scanned artwork with descriptions

Videos, photographs and scanned artwork will be uploaded to the Green Thumb Challenge website.

Please submit the following information with your mailed or emailed submission:
Completed Grant Application (View Application in PDF Format)
Completed Contest Disclaimer (View Disclaimer in PDF Format)

Deadline: September 30, 2011

Eligible Contestants: Garden programs involving children currently in grades K-12, from schools and youth groups nationwide.

Grant Guidelines:

• To submit a grant you must first sign up on our online community. (Not a member? Click here to sign up for free!)

• Entries must be submitted by designated deadline.
• A class/group/school may enter the contest only once.
• Submissions must include garden materials (as outlined above), application and completed disclaimer
• Awards must be allocated towards the sustainability of current garden program
• Winners will be selected through a fair and impartial selection process by the Selection Committee appointed by the organizers.

Remember to include a completed disclaimer and general application with submission. Projects that have been submitted without completed disclaimers will not be entered into the contest.
Note that by entering the competition, you have assigned copyright of your garden project materials to the organizers. Photographs, videos and other submitted media may be further utilized in exhibition, websites, posters, publications, etc.

Mailing address:

Green Education Foundation (GEF)
Attn: Green Thumb Challenge Award
153 Washington St., 4th Floor
East Walpole, MA 02032

To apply for Grant, please go to:

Green Education Foundation

Our version of The Upside Down Show

My 5 year old is all about videos, he watches them on youtube and he's made a few of them himself.  They usually revolve around Thomas the Tank Engine, but for his last video, he wanted to do the Upside Down Show.  If you've seen the Upside Down Show before, you will get it, if you have not, you will not.  Sorry it got cut off, my camera ran out of space!

Monday's Grants- Ruddie Memorial Youth Foundation- Deadline 7/27/2011

Monday's Grants

As we all know, women play so many roles, we're mothers, we're daughters, we're friends, we're wives, we're amazing!  One of my roles is that of a social worker.  I've been a stay at home mom for the past 5 years and I have loved it!  But during that time, I also continued my education and received my Master's degree in Social Work.  I really believe that I was put on this earth to make a difference in people's lives and be a change agent.  In order to provide change as a social worker, you often need funding!  I keep updated on grants and funding that is available and I thought since I'm doing the research anyway, I might as well share my found information with individuals or groups who could also use it. So I've decided to start Monday's Grants. I will post grants weekly that may be useful to nonprofits, groups, teachers, individuals and more.  Many grants will be RFP's (Request for Proposals), but I will try to include a selection of different grants. Enjoy!

The first grant I'm bringing to you is from the Ruddie Memorial Youth Foundation

Ruddie Memorial Youth Foundation Accepting Applications for Innovative Youth Program Evaluation Grants

Deadline: July 27, 2011
Amount:  Grants will range from $5,000 to $30,000.

Evaluation grant

RMYF helps assess the effectiveness of innovative youth programs by offering Evaluation Grants. These grants range from $5,000 - $25,000. Evaluation grants are targeted to innovative programs or innovative components of programs serving disadvantaged youth. These are the only RMYF grants available to first time applicants. As the purpose of these grants is to identify effective innovations in the field, RMYF will not fund the evaluation of programs that are not innovative. Applicants that use traditional approaches to serving youth are asked to seek funding from sources that fund such approaches. In addition to learning about the effectiveness of their innovative approach, grant recipients are expected to use evaluation results to improve their services and possibly replicate the program. If an organization demonstrates through their RMYF-funded evaluation that their innovative methods are effective in helping youth reach their full potential, RMYF will encourage them to apply for replication or dissemination grants to help spread the use of their innovative approach elsewhere. We highly recommend that you have an evaluator review, or participate in, the development of your evaluation grant application. There are many types of evaluation. For example, some evaluations measure satisfaction, others measure program day-to-day operations, and others measure cost-benefit ratios. However, RMYF funds a very specific type of evaluation, called utilization-focused outcome program evaluation. This type of evaluation meets the following criteria: Outcome-based - We help programs measure the degree to which their services effect meaningful changes in the youth they serve. Logic-model-based - The logic model is a way to approach evaluation where that which is measured (in this case, outcomes) is the logical extension of the program's overall strategy. For example, in a logic model, the outcomes are a direct extension of the mission and are achieved through the programs activities. For more on the logic model, see the University of Wisconsin - Extension Web site . Quantifiable- We request that the evaluation collect data that can be expressed in numbers - for example, data that are absolute numbers, scales, or categories. Valid - We request that the evaluation meet minimum standards of validity. E.g., that it measure what it purports to measure. Utilization-focused - While research is very valuable, RMYF does not fund general research. Instead, it funds evaluation that is designed to generate findings that are usable by real people in the real world to help underprivileged youth reach their full potential. Professional - Although we hope that programs are closely involved in their evaluation, we require that the evaluations we fund be conducted or overseen by a professional evaluator or someone with equivalent credentials, experience and expertise. For suggestions on identifying an evaluator, see below. Abiding by experimental design (if possible) - Although we don't require evaluations to follow the experimental design (e.g., have a comparison group to test causality), we favor those that do.

Replication grant

Replication Grants fund the growth of practices that RMYF-funded outcome evaluation have shown to be effective in helping disadvantaged youth reach their full potential. The purpose of Replication Grants is to increase the number of youth that benefit from a newly-identified best practice. For example, replication grants can support the expansion of a current program or the creation of a new program that uses the newly-discovered effective practice. These grants are open only to organizations that have received RMYF Evaluation or Dissemination Grants in the past. These grants range from $5,000 - $30,000. Former RMYF grantees make a request for more info: contact@rmyf.org.

Dissemination grant

Dissemination Grants fund the diffusion of practices that RMYF-funded outcome evaluation has shown to be effective in helping disadvantaged youth reach their full potential. These grants fund, for example, conference presentations, articles, Websites, consultations and other methods for “getting the word out” on a newly-discovered effective practice. These grants are open only to organizations that have received RMYF Evaluation or Replication Grants and range from $5,000 to $30,0000. Former RMYF Grantees make a request for more info: contact@rmyf.org.

Wordless Wednesday- Beach with Cool Pop

My boys at the beach with their Cool Papa Bob aka their grandfather/ my dad.

Our new family go to beach- Lewes Beach

We're very lucky to have a house in Rehoboth that we can go to anytime we want for free- my grandparents place! My husband took off on Monday so that we could enjoy a long weekend. We headed down Saturday morning and came back home to Wilmington Monday early afternoon. In that time, we went to Lewes Beach twice, out to eat, to the Rehoboth Boardwalk and my husband took our five year old to Mini Golf for his first time. And of course we spent time with my grandparents, my parents and cousins.

My family's favorite beach for a while now has been Tower Beach (which is a state park) because it used to be pretty uncrowded.  But I think the secret is out now, because it seems like for the past couple of years Tower Beach has gotten a lot more crowds. 

Now that we have young kids, the beach that we tend to go to is Lewes Beach because the waves are much more calm and we can feel more comfortable with our 2 1/2 year old and 5 year old playing in the water.

My parents are major beach bums who will stay on the beach for up to 8 hours each day.  While we enjoy the beach that's just too much for us with kids (even without).  We've found that it works out best for us to bring the kids onto the beach after 2:30/3 and then to stay for a couple of hours.  By this time, the crowds have died down a bit, it's easier to find parking and the sun is not too hot.  When parking at Lewes Beach during prime times, it can be very difficult to find a parking spot, my husband once spent over an hour trying to find a spot.  But every time we have gone later in the afternoon we have had no problems at all.  Parking is $1.50 per hour, so bring lots of quarters with you. 

Don't worry Rehoboth, your boardwalk still has my heart :)

Embracing Diversity at Home

I'm trying to start a non-profit after school program and one aspect that I would like to focus on is embracing diversity and cultural competence.  I found a great article on ways that this can be done at home called:
Messages for Parents: Embracing Diversity Teaching Your Child to Appreciate the Differences That Make People Special

Some of the tips given for helping your child to embrace diversity include:

*Read books or watch videos with tolerance, diversity and multicultural themes with your children.
*Encourage your childrens’ friendships with people who are different from them.
*Work with your child’s school or PTA to start a diversity book list or diversity organization. Let your child’s school board know that diversity in schools is important to you.
*Enroll your child in schools, camps, learning programs, day care and after-school programs that celebrate diversity.
*Be honest about differences between people. Tell children that people are not all the same; Explain that we all experience the world in different ways and those experiences are important. Help your children to understand the viewpoints and ideas of others.

To read more of the tips, go to:
Messages for Parents: Embracing Diversity Teaching Your Child to Appreciate the Differences That Make People Special

Waited late to start your garden? How frugal of you

As I was driving on Kirkwood Highway, I saw a sign that said 50% off Vegetable Plants from Leon's Garden World.  I wanted to take a pic of that sign, but if texting and driving is illegal in Delaware, I'm thinking that taking photos while driving would also be frowned upon. But I did get a picture inside the Garden Center.

 
I picked out a selection of peppers and strawberries.  Total cost for plants- $7

Although, I'll admit, I was not smart and left the plants inside my hot car for about 5 hours.  Hoping they can recouperate!

Our tomato plant

For years I wanted to have a small garden to have the kids help me grow a few veggies. I think it's great for children to have the opportunity to learn about how some food is grown and be involved in the process.

I finally took the leap and put in a raised cedar garden kit, with some help of course.

But truthfully, my father in law came and helped me screw it together.  He even brought over two tomato plants.  I planted two tomato plants that he had (three if you count the teeny tiny one in the middle). As of right now we have five possible tomatoes that may turn out.

The funny thing is neither my husband nor I like plain tomatoes, but both the boys do. So far they've enjoyed watering the plants and checking to see if the tomatoes had grown.

 If you have any gardening advice for me, such as tips on how not to kill all the plants, I'd love to hear from you!

Want an unlimited Data Plan for your Smartphone? You have until Thursday

I just heard the news that Verizon Wireless will be changing it's unlimited data plan for Smartphones (including the iPhone) on Thursday July 7th.  New customers who purchase a smart phone will now have tiered options to choose from which are:

$10 a month for 75MB
$30 a month for 2GB
$50 a month for 5GB
$80 a month for 10GB

Also, if you go over your plan, you will be charged $10 per GB over.


Currently Verizon's data plan is $30 a month for unlimited usage. 

This is not new in the industry, Apple also has a tiered data plan, which is slightly less than Verizon's will be.

What does this mean for you?   If you use under 2GB a month, then you won't be affected much, in fact you may be able to change your plan over to $10 a month. However if you are close to that 2GB, you may need to keep a close eye on your usage each month.  Verizon says (I called them) that most customers do not use more than 2GB a month and therefore most of their customers will not be affected by this change.

But what if you do use more than 2GB a month, say you are a blogger who uses your smartphone for most of your work.  Well there are two options, the first option is, if you are already a Verizon customer you should be grandfathered in to the unlimited data plan.  This should count if you upgrade your phone also (notice I said should).  But you will most likely only be grandfathered with an upgrade on the same brand. So an iPhone 4 upgraded to an iPhone 5, still grandfathered. An Iphone upgraded to a Droid, probably not going to happen.

What if you aren't a Verizon customer, or you don't have a smartphone that would be included.  Option two is to sign up before Thursday July 7th.  I know, there's not a lot of time!

The third option is to just suck it up and pay the additional costs if you get a new smartphone from Verizon after July 7th. 

I choose Option 2.  I'm already a Verizon customer, but not with a great phone.  I've been planning on getting an iPhone for awhile now, I've just been waiting for the prices to go down.  I don't know if I'll go over the 2GB a month or not, but now I feel comfortable knowing that I won't have one more thing to worry about each month.  But I'm sure the prices on the iPhone will go down very shortly now!

To learn more, you can check out these articles. 
Dvice
Apple Insider
Byte Now
AllThingsD

Boys and Mud

What is it with boys (at least my boys) that they love playing in the dirt and mud so much? I'm sure that some little girls also enjoy playing in the mud, but that was not me. I'm a bit of a Girly girl. I don't mind letting my kids getting messy while having fun, but it was more than once that I told them "Don't touch mommy". And you can bet that they went straight in the tub after this!