It's a Friday night and I'm sitting here at my desk reading my Facebook page. This week has been really busy but thankfully, it draws to a close as I left school a few hours ago. Then suddenly, the sweet and tempting aroma of baked brownies distracted me. Brownies? Did I hear it right?...
Brownies--our all-time family favourite was lovingly baked by my two kids and husband. Apparently, I didn't participate in this family baking activity today. My family was kind enough to prepare it themselves and that gave my two kids the opportunity to develop their baking skills further--thanks to my husband who is also the official family chef since I started school last year.
Many times before I would bake many kinds of goodies like chocolate cakes, banana breads, peanut butter cookies, apple pies, oatmeal chocolate cookies, and many others. Everything I bake has become my kids' favourite.
In a short while, we'll be eating our home-made brownies. Now I'd like to share with you a recipe that is truly one of my personal favourites--a recipe by Julie Van Rosendaal in her book, One Smart Cookie.
Here's the recipe to help you prepare--ENJOY!
MARSHMALLOW MUDSLIDE COOKIES
Ingredients:
1 large egg
2 large egg whites
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup cocoa
1 tbsp. margarine or butter, melted
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
18 regular marshmallows, cut in half widthwise
Procedure:
* Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
* In a large bowl, combine egg, egg whites, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla and mix until well blended and smooth.
* In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the egg mixure and stir just until combined.
* Transfer half of the batter into a medim bowl. Stir coconut into the remaining batter and spread evenly in an 8" x 8" pan that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.
* Add cocoa, margarine and nuts to the remaining batter and stir just until blended. With a spatula, gently spread the chocolate batter over the coconut batter.
* Bake for 25-30 minutes, until just set. Remove from oven and place marshmallows cut side down in rows on top of the brownies. Return to the oven for 2-5 minutes, until marshmallows are pale golden and puffed.
* To make Chocolate Drizzle, whisk together icing, sugar, cocoa and milk in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle over marshmallows. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
* Makes 12 brownies.
When you walk outside, you see the ice thawing and the high pile of snow melting. Yes, spring is almost here and I can almost feel it coming!
The air may be chilly but the sun's rays are beginning to smile on me! I feel like playing outside and just have fun with my kids but maybe I just have to wait till the snow is gone and wait for the sky to clear and see the sunshine stream down on the ground, calling for the green grass to grow.
Spring reminds me of butterflies! And yes, we can have butterflies as early as now- right inside our homes! Invite your kids for a weekday afternoon fun of crafts that they'll surely enjoy!
If you are looking for some fresh new ideas on what to do this coming spring break, watch this video on how to make pretty spring butterflies.
Think about the times when your day doesn't turn out the way you planned it, and you've got to make adjustments and be flexible to any changes.
For those of you who have been following my blog, you may already have an idea that I'm one busy mom. Not only do I wear the apron and serve as the light-bearer of my household, or that person who does volunteer work in her community and has work on the side, but I am also a full-time student.
I take pride in the things I do but most importantly, take pride in my family. Yes, my loving family- my kids who are the angels of my life, and my husband, the subject of my love (and who also happens to be my best friend). Think of it as 'mushy,' 'corny,' or even 'dramatic,'- but that's what I really want to say and just to point out that no matter how busy my schedule is even if I have tons of projects or homeworks to do, I just have to drop them all and be at the bedside of my child who is sick.
Last night's original plan was for me to take a rest, a full rest so to speak. In fact, I wasn't able to get any sleep at all the night before. I only had two hours of sleep because of a journalism article I have to finish. Don't dare think that I was doing things last minute or I was procrastinating because I've left things undone- I wasn't. After being a mom of almost 10 years, there's no excuse for me not to be organized or not to plan things ahead of time. The truth is, I went to see a hockey game on Tuesday night as part of our course requirement and it has to be done on that night. After seeing the game, I went home to write my article which has to be submitted on or before 8 a.m. the day after.
I have planned ahead of time what I was supposed to do. And so when I got home and started writing on my article, I was surprised to see how time flew by so quickly and that I only have a couple of hours left to sleep before I would wake up and get myself ready for school (and prepare a few things for my kids).
That morning, I went to school and submitted my article. I was happy that I was able to get that one done. And so on that day, I had already pre-conditioned myself that I will go to bed early so I could catch up with some sleep. Although I have tons of assignments to do which are relatively lengthy and require a lot of thinking, I just simply have to put them aside and look after my physical well-being. But all that has changed- since my child was sick, I just have to take care of her, look after her, and make sure that she'll be okay till the morning after. And so, I threw my plan of sleeping early or do any kind of homework- I just attended to my sick child. After all, I'm still a mother (and will always be) and mothers care for their children. This happening also reminded me of a few times when I just had to stay awake all night and look after my kids who were in the hospital getting treatment, or at home getting well. It happened before and I knew how it was like. The welfare of my kids would always come first in my priorities and I believe as a mother, you won't feel settled until you make sure your kids will be okay.
So, how will I now survive with my tons of homeworks?... Strategy! I still have a few days left and those next few days will be spent on doing those homeworks due for submission next week.
Here are a couple of quotes which I find very interesting so read on!
One afternoon right after classes had ended, I headed down the streets of downtown Winnipeg and thought that "visiting an art gallery might be a good idea."
I walked to McDermot Avenue and went inside an art gallery where an exhibit was ongoing. As I reached the second floor, the sound of strings playing echoed into my ears. The room looked empty with cracked posts supporting the high celings. After all, it's an old building but the sound of music flowing in the air was enough to entice me to walk around and search for something I had no clue.
As I looked over to my right, I saw the names of several people posted on the white wall. Since it's an art gallery, I already thought that those were the names of the exhibitors. A young lady with billowy short hair and an inviting smile welcomed me into the premises. "I think I would have to give you a personal tour of our gallery," the lady said, who later introduced herself as one of the staff in that gallery.
I learned that the exhibit belongs to Bonnie Devine- artist, curator, wrtier, and educator. She is a member of the Serpent River First Nation in Northern Ontario. Devine's exhibit remodels the act of 'writing home' into an actualization of her correspondence with home, specifically Serpent River. Through photographs, sound, and impressions cast in glass, the artist presents her home, replete in texture and history.
I walked around and saw the amazing artworks on display--several of them were photographs of rocks (the most beautiful rocks I had ever seen) taken in Serpent River. Alongside the photographs were handwritten artworks with threads sewn on them. It was really interesting to see all the artworks on display. I really felt something while I viewed each piece of artwork--guess that was the 'connection' I had with the artist's masterpieces and the meanings behind them which touched my inner being.
There were also these blocks of glass-like material placed on each suspended wooden shelf. I initially thought those displays were 'empty' but only to find out later on that those glass bases were the artist's artworks--simply called, glass impressions. I felt each impression and got to feel the texture of the artist's hometown. It was fascinating to touch those impressions because I felt like I was being transported to Serpent River and actually feel those rocks myself.
So next time you walk along McDermot Avenue, do something different- drop by Urban Shaman Gallery where Bonnie Devine's exhibit is still on show until the 27th of March. It will surely be a walk to remember.
How noble the efforts are of some groups or even individuals who give their support for a good cause.
Brematson & Associates (a company that helps people with disabilities gain access to funding) is shelling-out $25,000 to Millennium Library in downtown Winnipeg, so it can build a collection of specialized books for disabled children.
The $25,000 donated by Brematson is the first given to the program, which the city hopes will generate to $1.5 million a year in sponsorship money.
There are certain mornings we find it just hard to get up from our beds and start off with our day. But once we’re in front of our computer or laptop screens, our fingers just can’t stop tinkering away those keys to share what’s been going on in our lives with the rest of the world.
The use of social media such as Twitter and Facebook, has been a vital part of most people’s lives including mine. Honestly, I have never thought that I would let social media be part of my life not until three years ago, when a friend invited me to join Facebook.
Although I have only been using Facebook for three years now and joined the Twitter community five months ago, I can say that there is still so much more to learn as I go along.
Twitter vs. Facebook
If you want to reach millions of people directly and would want to send short messages called “tweets” on any topic and likewise receive tweets from other people you choose to follow, then Twitter is the right one for you.
Twitter is a “micro-blogging” site that allows you to send short messages of 140 characters or less. Twitter allows you to send messages instantly, post a link to an interesting site, and ‘re-tweet’ someone else’s post/comment for others to see.
What I also find interesting about Twitter (and which makes it totally different from Facebook) is the fact that I can know of the latest news instantly. Since I follow a certain news organization, its tweets are all about news updates which I find very useful.
As with Facebook, it’s a totally different stage. As a social networking site, you enjoy communicating with your friends much deeper by sending and receiving emails; sharing photos and videos; writing comments or updates on your wall or someone else’s wall; and even allow for a string of discussions on a certain topic. Facebook also allows you to display or share your profile with others, which eventually becomes your ‘online resume’ (at least this is what I consider it to be). The site’s extensive privacy controls allows you to control which people can view your photos, videos, wall postings, profile, etc.
So if you like to keep in touch with your old friends and classmates way back in primary years, or better yet keep in touch with fellow co-workers, then Facebook is the right one for you. The great thing about Facebook is that it allows its users to create event or fan pages. If you have an important event coming up that you want to promote online and simply create more awareness among Facebook users (and even non-Facebook users), then a Facebook event page will be a good tool for you.
How do I use each one—at least for me?
Somehow by discussing the differences between Twitter and Facebook, you are already getting a grasp on how I use each one. Most of the time, I would use Facebook just because that most of my acquaintances, friends, and family are in it. I find it easier to share what’s going on in my life with others by posting a comment on my wall which allows them to give their feedback instantly. By putting up a comment on my wall also gives me the option to share a link, photo, video, event, and others. There are also third-party applications which I used long time ago like “send your friend a smile” but later on discontinued its use after learning that these third-party suppliers are not connected with Facebook in any way and uses my personal information for the purposes of their business. Overall, I don’t feel comfortable with this. So every time I receive a request to play a game or receive a virtual gift, (except for friend and event requests), I simply ignore it so I can better protect myself from a third party accessing any part of my personal information.
And so, how about my friends and family—how do they use each one?
For them, they would use Facebook more than Twitter because their friends, colleagues, and family members are on Facebook, too. Just like how I use each one, they use Facebook more for personal stuff since they can socialize more with it by sharing personal photos and videos. On Twitter, most have a combination of ‘strangers’ following them and people that they know of personally. Generally, they would tweet of things that could be of great interest to everyone, while they would communicate personal messages through Facebook. When asked what characterizes a ‘good’ person to follow or friend, the answers I got range from people who share the same school, company, interests, or even friends (on Facebook). As with people to follow on Twitter, the criteria is more varied and loose; some would follow people who they know personally or are in the same company or network they belong to; for the others, it’s a matter of common topics they’re interested in or simply finding that person popular enough to follow.
What do these all mean for a strategic use of Facebook and Twitter on PR?
If we have an upcoming event let’s say, the launching of a children’s book, a Facebook event page can be put up to invite potential guests to come. In Facebook you will be able to include more information about the event by putting up a promotional video and even a link to the actual website. If you are hoping to get more exposure let’s say, to your target audience of university students in Manitoba, your event page will be shown on the news feed of those people who recently responded to your event by way of leaving a comment on your wall or confirming their attendance. With Facebook, you can target more specific groups or networks of people who are more likely to be your target audience.
Generally what we are looking for in here are the different behaviours of people on how and why they use Twitter and Facebook distinctly to meet their individual purposes. As it turns out, Facebook for most is for sharing more personal information, messages, and interests. It’s basically a platform to ‘present’ oneself to others. As it becomes, one’s Facebook is like an online identification card and resume, promoting one’s interests, updates, and other information to other people. So if there is any event or product that you would like to create more awareness for and more direct responses from other people, then Facebook will be a good place to start. If it’s more for creating “buzz” for your event or product, Twitter will be a good platform solely because that the way the site allows messages to be sent through (in short lengths), people will readily be notified or updated—and if interested, a link can be provided or attached by the sender along with the original post. If it’s really more for the “buzz” and for the purpose of sending out the message in a way similar to word-of-mouth (this time it’s done virtually), Twitter gives you that benefit of sending out your message instantly to the public—allowing anyone to read it and give you the benefit of having let's say, hundreds of people to read it. Twitter will be very useful if you are meaning to send out the message to the general public and get feedbacks, responses, and even leads instantly. Remember, we can create more “buzz” on Twitter if used in the right way for the purposes of your PR plan—consider using “trending topics” when needed.
Here's a fun video on social media which you may find interesting- enjoy!
As an adult, I experience stress on different levels. Be it a deadline to meet, juggling time among family, work, and school, or even upon hearing bad news from a loved one.
It didn’t take me a minute to realize that stress hits kids, too. As a parent, I would know when my own kids are caught in the gloom, and are in need of help. But do we have to wait until they are overly stressed? I guess not.
So here are my 5 stress management techniques for children-
1. Be positive—You would be surprised to find out that your attitude and way of thinking affects our children. When things don’t go our way (or even their own way), it’s highly possible that our kids get upset and feel stressed. If this happens, have a talk with them and explain. There is no fast rule on how to handle situations and what exactly to say but to be sincere to our children and explaining things at their level will somehow alleviate stress on their part.
2. Watch your kids’ shows with them—After a busy week of school, my kids surely need to unwind and have some form of relaxation. Watching their favourite shows as a family, bring up those sparkles in their eyes. Not only is this a good way to spend time with them (although I would suggest to find more productive activities other than watching television), but it only shows that we are interested in the things that they are interested in. So if your kid had a bad day in school, try to give him first a mug of hot chocolate with mini-marshmallows in it—that will surely brighten up their day. After that, go to the family room and watch their favourite shows.
3. Tune in to their mood—With my busy schedule in school, I always go home tired. But that is not an excuse for me not to ask my kids how they’re doing or what happened to them during the day. Ask questions like, “How’s school? Did you have fun?...”, or maybe you can ask them how things went in their class especially if you’re aware of their day-to-day activities. This will give you the opportunity to discuss things with your children and just be concerned of their feelings and thoughts. You would be surprised to know how easily kids can open up on a lot of things if you just take the time to slow down, pause , and get into their world.
4. Reward your kids—When my kids have been through a rough time, I make it a point that there are treats or sweets at home. Grab a candy or chocolate bar and give it to them, or better yet, hand them their favourite snacks—you would just see how that would lighten up their faces and feel relaxed.
5. Do some breathing exercises—Yes, breathing exercises can help relieve stress. As young as they are, you can teach a breathing exercise that will help them to relax. What I would do is tell my kids to breathe in deeply through their nostrils and then hold their breaths for 6 seconds, and then release it through their mouths. This breathing technique is very useful especially if your kids had gone through a tough day in school or if they’re having trouble finishing their homework.
So, there you go! My five techniques in children’s stress management. These techniques are not only limited to kids—you may also use any of them to help handle your own stress.
