Activities that create life-long lessons are great for creating memories, especially for kids. Baking with kids is a brilliant way to teach, share and connect. Whether it was just measuring ingredients, stirring batter, watching the oven, or (my all-time favorite) being the taste-tester, I always enjoyed helping my mom in the kitchen.

In addition to making tasty goodies, baking is a great way to apply mathematics in real-world scenarios. Fractions, measuring, converting, dividing–they’re all a part of baking! Not only that, but baking also helps develop patience and precision, improves reading comprehension and vocabulary, promotes scientific curiosity, and–last but not least– teaches kids to organize and follow through. And at the end of it all, they’ll have a tasty treat to enjoy!

Start off baking projects with proper and positive expectations. Remember to periodically praise kids when they finish a task. After all, it is a learning experience and we want to reward them for a job well done! Depending on age and the appropriate occasion, children of all ages can help from decorating, to operating blenders and other electric equipment with caution.

Safety first! Without making children feel anxious or afraid, go over the basic safety precautions around the kitchen. Beginners in the kitchen should stay clear from sharp knives and burners. Other safety elements that need to be mentioned are slips and falls and basic hygiene.

Some of the best advice for a lot of parents, besides safety, is how to minimize mess! Here are a few tips to keep the mess to a minimum, which include cleaning as you go, and laying down newspapers to avoid sticky countertops.

Teaching, sharing and connecting over baking projects is a great way to create fond memories that your children will be forever thankful for. Kids do grow up too fast to let these opportunities pass you by!

]]> http://snagwiremedia.com/baking-with-kids/feed/ http://snagwiremedia.com/kevin-jonas-is-engaged-now-look/ http://snagwiremedia.com/kevin-jonas-is-engaged-now-look/#comments Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:24:16 +0000 Manny http://snagwiremedia.com/?p=14581

Reports of Kevin Jonas getting engaged to long time girlfriend, Danielle Deleasa have already hit the headlines, and girls’ hearts are breaking all over the world.  I don’t blame them!  I’d cry too if I got this whopper of a ring!

This little trinket is a 3-carat solitaire cushion-cut diamond, surrounded by 210 round brilliant-cut pave diamonds.  It was made by the same Jewler that did Mariah Carrey’s ring, Jacob & Co. Very nice!

He proposed July 1 at her front doorstep, he reported to People. I have yet to see any pictures of Kevin Jonas proposing, but I’m sure it was sweet.   It’s a great way to start of the holiday weekend!  Imagine she would have said no?!

One of the many joys of parenting is finding fun activities that you and your children can both enjoy together. Personally, many of my favorite childhood memories with my mom took place in the kitchen. I remember many nights spent stirring cookie dough and enjoying the final results!

Domino® Sugar and C&H® Sugar not only provide a key ingredient to making great- tasting desserts, but they also bring parents and their children together through sweet treats. There are so many great-tasting ideas on their website that make baking easy for parents–and fun for kids, too! Here are a few of the great baking ideas for kids that I thought sounded fun:

Party Central is the key to making the perfect theme for any bake sale, birthday party or a simple fun activity with kids. Here you can find great ideas and themes, complete with decorating ideas, featured recipes, and tasty snack ideas. This really is a must for planning a party for any occasion.

Here are just a few party ideas:

Backyard Olympics

This idea comes complete with a recipe for an “Olympic Champion” cake and fun activity and game suggestions like a Tricycle-athon.

Baking Party

Have a bake sale coming up and dreading having to make dozens of baked goods by yourself? Throw a baking party and split the work!

Dinosaur Party

Does your kid love themed Birthday cakes? Take it a few steps further with this Dinosaur inspired party – there’s a recipe for a T-Rex cake and activity suggestions like Creative Caveman where all the kids can work together to create their own story with cave drawings.

There are a lot of fun ideas to choose from that will make planning a fun themed party for both parents and kids. Enjoy!

If you’re a fan of the original Superman, then you probably already know who Christopher Reeve is. Little did anyone realize just how much Christopher Reeve would live up to that huge title, in more ways than one.

In 1995, Christopher Reeve was involved an unfortunate accident that left him paralyzed. Christopher Reeves didn’t want to let this obstacle take control of his life, and he decided to do something about it. That’s when he joined the crusade towards finding a cure for spinal paralysis. Reeve contributed his life, passion, drive, as well as his name to this noble cause. Today, the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation continue to work towards this wondrous goal.

The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation is hosting its 1^st Reeve Rocks benefit show to raise support to find a cure that can help the lives of thousands. This awesome concert has gotten together some really great artists from all across the country.

On the bill to play the show is

• Jamie McLean
• Edison
• Jesse Ruben

So when and where is this awesome concert taking place?

Venue: Le Poisson Rouge 158 Bleecker Street New York NY
Date: Tuesday, July 28th, 2009
Time: Doors open at 7pm.

This is going to be a great show for an even greater cause, so be a part of it!!!

As Christopher once stated,

It comes down to us. You have to take action, and believe me, it works. We have the power to make an enormous difference.

Let’s make a difference people! If you know someone who would like to be a part of this, let them know and Forward This Event and Info to A Friend!

You can find additional info here:

Buy Tickets to Reeve Rocks

Reeve Rock Concert info

Christopher Reeve Foundation

Want to Get Even MORE involved, join the Champions Committee!

Since 2003, more than 1.3 million people have participated in the “Great American Bake Sale”, raising nearly $5 million to help fight against child hunger. People from all walks of life participate, ranging from celebrities like Sandra Lee and Duff Goldman to teachers and moms. The Great American Bake Sale is a great way to help feed kids as well as support after-school and summer feeding programs through local bake sales. Hundreds of thousands of kids depend on these feeding programs every day. Unlike other fundraisers that require people to train for six months, run marathons, or move schedules around to participate, this fun solution allows people to conveniently schedule a fundraiser to share the strength that many of us already have and enjoy–baking. One hundred percent (100%) of the proceeds go towards a great cause — helping children get the food they need.

Here are a few resources that can help you make a great impact on such a worthy cause:

Sign up now to receive your Participant Kit, including Official Bake Sale poster, Participant Brochure with recipes and tips, and valuable coupons from the sponsors.

You’ll also have your own team Web page to promote your bake sale and collect donations online.

Not only that, but there are dozens of recipes on both the C&H Sugar and Domino Sugar sites that can help make your bake sale a great success. There are recipes and ideas for all kinds of sweet treats that will help make the bake sale fun and something parents and kids can do together.

Check out these great ideas to add to the success—and the fun!

• A lemonade stand
• Chocomint Brownies
• Fruit Desserts
• How to make your own Candy
• Themes for added fun to the Bake Sale

With these C&H® Sugar and Domino® Sugar recipes and ideas, your bake sale will make for a sweet success. When people come together to benefit kids , everybody wins! Sign up for your own Bake-Sale or support your local bake sale today!

Childhood hunger is not a topic that most people touch upon in daily conversations. Unfortunately, hunger is a reality for children in America every day whether we’re talking about it or not. To some this is very surprising, particularly given that the U.S. is the richest nation in the world.

By the end of the year, more than 12 million children in America will worry about where their next meal will come from. A staggering 1-out-of-6 children are at risk of hunger in America today, and the problem is only getting worse. Over 500,000 more children are living in poverty now than a year ago; that’s half a million hungry kids throughout America. Luckily, there is help out there and there are opportunities for you to get involved and make a difference!

C&H Sugar and Domino Sugar are teaming up to help fight childhood hunger, by sponsoring the Great American Bake Sale. Along with Share our Strength, they are helping people organize bake sales to combat these heartbreaking statistics. Since 2003, the “Great American Bake Sale” has raised nearly $5 Million! Find out how you can host your own bake-sale or even sponsor one in your community by visiting www.DominoBakeSale.com or www.CandHBakeSale.com. This is a great opportunity to have an impact on a growing problem throughout our nation.

]]> http://snagwiremedia.com/hunger-in-america-make-difference/feed/ http://snagwiremedia.com/cooking-with-coupons/ http://snagwiremedia.com/cooking-with-coupons/#comments Wed, 03 Jun 2009 19:11:29 +0000 Manny http://snagwiremedia.com/?p=14526

One of the biggest struggles I have with trying to decide what meals to make actually starts before I even open the refrigerator. I have heard that one of the best ways to manage this is by scheduling your meals before you head out to the grocery store. The perk to this approach is that you can use coupons to map out your meals and make your dollar go further..

To help you kick start this new approach to meal time planning, there are a variety great coupons available through Kraft’s Summer Savings program. Knowing what you are going to buy before heading to the store (with all your coupons in hand), will not only help your wallet but it will also save a lot of time…. which we can all use more of these days.

KRAFT is making it easy to save with great coupons but they didn’t stop there. They now have a “Budget Wi$e” section on their site that really helps stretch your dollar. Another great tool they have on there is suggestion on recipes where you can buy one bag of groceries and get 5 dinners made out of it. LOVE IT!

Check out the coupons so you can map your own “Budget Wi$e” shopping list and stretch your dollar while making delicious meals.

Global warming is a topic that has somewhat fallen out of view this past year.  The talk has certainly died down, but after watching this video, it’s obvious that the problem is anything but gone.

This video was handed down to me at work and it had some very interesting and shocking information.  The images shown almost look like they’re out of some blockbuster movie, but they’re actually a chill reminder of our reality.  The images really surprised me, but I was almost just as shocked when I read that it was made by a 14 year old!  Take a look at what this video has to offer, and see if you can do your part to help fight against this growing problem.  It looks to me like Al Gore and Leonardo DiCaprio have a new recruit on their hands…

Summer is all about having fun with friends and family.  Picnics and barbeques are one of the best ways to bring loved ones together, and KRAFT is making it even easier with their biggest offer ever! 

It’s no secret that KRAFT and summer barbeques and delicious summer drinks always go hand-in-hand. What’s even better is that with KRAFT’s new Summer Savings coupons, you can save on a lot this summer on your favorite products! 

Some of the sweet summer savings KRAFT is offering are: 

$1.00 on Any KRAFT Salad Dressing

$1.00 on Any CRYSTAL LIGHT Drink Mix

$1.00 on Any A.1. Steak Sauce,

$1.00 on Any COOL WHIP Whipped Topping in a CAN

$1.00 on KRAFT Singles

The list of savings go on and on! 

Check it all out on kraftfoods.com/summersavings

Take advantage of these coupons and plan your next budget friendly barbeque, and watch the savings pile up!

Megan Fox is a beauty, no doubt about it.   Have you seen her in real life though?  She is definitely under the “hot” category, and if you want to come across her in the street, I recommend you start shopping.

Well, You can find Megan doing her shopping at the Whole Foods in Los Angeles, enjoy!  If you bump into her, tell her I said hello.