Summer Fun!

Worried that your kids are suffering from a case of summer brain drain? I personally had to put together a schedule similar to the one my son had in his classroom this past year so both my kids weren't constantly sneaking off with their video games or the iPad. I included activities like handwriting, reading, Study Island and Xtra Math (programs they use at their school), art, piano practice, outdoor play and free choice. Sometimes it gets a little hard to keep them on track, but it's worked out pretty well for all of us so far and I feel like they have a good mix of enrichment and summer fun each day.

Right now, Discovery Place is running a fun essay contest featuring the theme of Animal Grossology. Say what? Here are the details from their website:

Essay Topic: Leeches are sometimes used after surgeries to assist in the healing process and scientists are studying the slime produced by slugs and snails for clues in treating cystic fibrosis. The seemingly "gross" characteristics of animals can be fascinating and even beneficial to humans. Write about a "gross" animal or animal behavior. How have you benefited or learned from this animal?
Eligibility: Rising Grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8Deadline: All entries must be received by July 15, 2013.One winner will be chosen from each grade range. Winning essays will be featured on the Discovery Place blog. Each winner also will receive a Family Membership to Discovery Place ($100 value) and a chance to meet 'n' greet some of our "gross" animal residents.

The essay contest ends soon so get your kids working on their essays! 

My kids are participating in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Summer Reading Program, but we also recently discovered that Barnes and Noble is running a free program this year. If your children want to earn a free book, they can read eight books at their reading level and complete a book journal with short reviews of each book. You can find more details here.

What are your kids doing for fun this summer?

-Renee

Amazing Animal Stories

This is Sonic. We adopted him from a rescue center almost three years ago. I like to describe him as a "grumpy old man in a puppy's body." He has lots of energy, but if he's taking a nap, don't mess with him. And don't even think about ignoring his requests for two walks a day (one at promptly 9 a.m., the other around 4:30 p.m.) If you don't comply with his orders, you will be stalked until you do.

All kidding aside, I love this little ball of fur. He helped me heal from the loss of my 16-year old dog, Odie, and he's definitely stolen my heart, even when he passive aggressively lets me know he's not happy with me. You decided to leave me at home alone while you ran errands? Oh, I think I'll just get sick on the rug!

Miraculously, for a small dog, he doesn't bark much. We actually thought something might be wrong with his vocal cords when we first brought him home. He waited several days before he finally barked, and then we were relieved! One day, about a year ago, I had returned from a morning run. I was stretching in our living room when Sonic started barking. The bark sounded urgent, which was very unusual. At first I ignored it, thinking Sonic was looking through a window at the front of the house and barking at someone outside. He persisted. Finally, I walked into the foyer only to spot Sonic standing in front of a black snake slithering across the floor!

To make a long story short, the snake was a harmless baby snake, but madness ensued. I panicked and called my husband at work. The snake spotted me and slithered into my office, of all places. It hid behind a basket of magazines (I vowed then and there I needed to get my magazine hoarding under control). We managed to get the snake out of the house and took it to some nearby woods, and I let Sonic know what a good job he had done.

Here at Little Ones, we're working on putting together our June/July issue, which features pet love. We'd love to include stories such as these from our readers. Has your family pet alerted you to an intruder? Found an unwanted critter on your property? Sensed a medical problem with a family member? Please leave your amazing animal story in the comments section of this post, and you might be featured in our next issue! We can't wait to hear from you.

--Renee

Blessed to Know Bright Blessings

We are so excited to announce that Amy and John Cervantes, along with their three sons, were recently honored as "Heroes Among Us" by People magazine for their work in founding Bright Blessings, a non-profit charity servings thousands of homeless children across the greater Charlotte region each year!

 Here is a little more about their story:

A full page in People's March 25 edition features a photo of the Cervantes family and information about how Bright Blessings first got started and the organization’s continuing impact.  

Bright Blessings began in 2005 as a family service project created by Mint Hill couple Amy and John Cervantes as way to help kids in need while fostering a love for volunteerism in their own young children. In 2008, they incorporated their service venture as a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit, quickly expanding the organization’s programs and services. Today, Bright Blessings reaches more than 3,000 local homeless children annually with its Bless-A-Birthday, Bless-A-Baby, and Gift of Literacy programs.  Bright Blessings began developing a National Affiliate Network in 2010 with several pilot affiliate chapters are already established in cities across the country.

"It is truly a family affair and we all pitch in to do whatever is needed, including the boys," says John, Sr. VP of Investments for Ballantyne's TCA Financial Group. "When Amy and I started this service project nearly eight years ago, our hope was bring some joy and support to needy kids while also giving our own boys an opportunity to learn the importance of serving others." 

To date, their family-service-project-turned-nonprofit has impacted more than 10,000 local homeless children through multiple programs and services.  "It is incredible to see how much Bright Blessings has grown over the years, thanks to the community's generosity and a group of amazing team members and volunteers who help make it all happen," says John. 

When asked about the People impact, Amy, a stay-at-home-mom and volunteer executive director for Bright Blessings, shares that the non-profit has been greatly affected: “This national media has helped elevate awareness for the important issue of family homelessness, not only in our local community but across the country as well. We continue to receive an outpouring of support from people all around the nation as a result, and it’s been a very humbling experience to hear from so many others who want to help make a difference for our local community’s homeless children.”

Congratulations Amy, John, Alex, Adam and Eli! Thank you so much for all the wonderful work you are doing. For more information, visit www.BrightBlessingsUSA.org.

Spring Consignment Sales in Bloom

I have a teeny little confession to make. I love a good deal. And I don't just mean I love one. I go crazy when I find a good deal. Take the cute little outfit in the picture below:

I picked up the entire outfit (and much much more, actually) at a great upscale consignment shop in Cornelius, N.C. called Fifi's. Would you say I spent $100, $85, or $75 for this ensemble? The bag is Kenneth Cole and the jeans are Citizens of Humanity. I actually picked this entire outfit up for $60, which was a steal in my book, especially when you can find deals just like this all over the store. I was able to pick up a few great pieces for an upcoming conference without breaking the bank, too, so I was thrilled.

All over Charlotte spring consignment sales are in bloom, such as the Back on the Rack Children, Teens and Women Consignment Sale this weekend at the Monroe Agricultural Center. And coming up later this month is the popular Green Jeans Eco Chic Consignment Sale in Lake Norman  April 17-20 (they held their SouthPark sale in March). Consigning clothes and buying gently-used items is just smart shopping, and it is good for the environment, too. I've been consigning my kids' clothes for years but only recently began discovering the joy of hitting up the consignment sales and stores for myself. My "new" items fit in nicely with my old wardrobe staples, and it is a win-win situation for everyone involved.

What are your favorite consignment sales/stores in Charlotte?

The Search for a Prom Dress

Photo by Themba Imagery

The night of April 26 will provide local moms with a reason to go shopping for a great little black dress and shoes to match . . . along with the opportunity to walk a "pink carpet" with their best girlfriends. Best of all, it's all for a great cause.

We're talking about The Queen City's Mom Prom, which will take place in Cornelius at the Havana Banquet & Ballroom. The event is the brainchild of a group of local moms who wanted to find a way to give back to the charitable organization Cookies for Kids' Cancer. As a result, they joined together to produce last year's inaugural event, which raised more than $20,000 for the cause.

Tickets to this much anticipated event are $50 in advance and $60 the day of the event. With your ticket, you will receive:

• free valet parking
• complimentary prom photos
• appetizers and desserts
• one free drink ticket
• one raffle ticket
• shopping at the "Mom Prom" boutique
• a swag bag from Thirty-One filled with goodies and special offers from event sponsors

"I attended the Mom Prom last year with a wonderful group of friends who have supported me 100 percent for the Cookies for Kids' Cancer cause," says Huntersville resident Julie Sparks. "It was a wonderful event, every detail taken care of, and a great night out for us moms. And I could not have been more impressed that a group of women got together to create such an event for such a great cause. I am the mother of a child who has battled cancer twice now, and continues this journey. And to see women put so much time and energy into something that supports our kids like this just amazes me."

To learn more about Cookies for Kids' Cancer, visit their website. You can also read more about this great event when the April/May issue of Little Ones hits the newsstands on April 1. Be sure to pick up your copy!

I actually found my dress yesterday and couldn't be more excited for the event. Have you found yours?

FlyWheel Winners!

A big "thank you" to all who entered our recent FlyWheel giveaway. See below to learn who our winners are: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Angie H., you are the winner of the FlyWheel classes, and Sue D. receives a chance to try out FlyBarre. Winners, please leave a comment below specifying which location you'd like to visit, Charlotte or Ballantyne, and we will leave your passes at the front desk. We've got more fun giveaways planned soon -- please check back on our blog so you don't miss anything!

Library Love

This morning, I'd like to talk a little about my absolute love for the library. Some of my most cherished childhood memories include exploring my school libraries, and as I got older, the intimate historic library located in the small town where I lived just outside of Asheville.

I have to admit these days I'm a little spoiled. The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library has 20 branch locations, so even if a book I want to read isn't at the branch closest to me, I can request it easily online and it will usually be ready for me within two weeks. They even have a selection of e-books available for download, and I'm slowly learning how to navigate through that system as well.

I've tried to teach my kids the value of using our library system as a resource. They get excited when they discover movies and books they've been looking for on the shelves. We have a great time making our monthly trips to the library and always come out loaded down with selections.

On March 21, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library will be operating with special hours as part of a national "EveryoneOn" campaign to promote digital literacy. Charlotte was chosen as one of five launch cities for the initiative, along with Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Macon, Ga. On this day, in addition to the basic library services offered every day, all Charlotte Mecklenburg Library locations will offer programs and activities that support digital literacy, plus $5 fine waivers. These activities will include one-on-one technology help, exploring the Library's resources, instructional video clips and library card sign-up.

EveryoneOn is a national public awareness campaign by Connect2Compete, a national nonprofit supported by the Knight Foundation. Connect2Compete aims to raise awareness of free digital literary training and Internet access opportunities throughout the US.
We often frequent North County Regional, Davidson and Cornelius locations. What is your favorite branch library in the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library system?