Archive for January, 2010
Grammy Award Make-Up Artist helps Tina in LA
Mara Rouse has a history of exceptional credits to her resume to add another jam packed filled week of applying make-up for the celebrity pre-parties to the Grammys as well as the Grammys this year, 2010. Mara Rouse is now the make-up artist for any parties or shoots we do while in Los Angeles.
Mara specializes in Special Effects but loves it all. If it involves applying make-up she has interest. Mara moved here from Washington state to pursue her career working and apprenticing with Top people in the business. Hard work and perseverence got her to where she is now and we are very proud to have her as part of our LA team.
While in LA there are many times we need a little make-up done on the kids or me ( not Danny of course), to look just a bit better on a video or film shoot with the lighting. She has helped in the past and she has officially signed on as our “team”, unless something more important comes up- like the Grammys.
Mara Rouse is available fo hire: http://www.myspace.com/maramakeup
Thank you Mara. Tina Turbin
Writing by Moonlight: Lovely Review of Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy
Adline Ghani from Malaysia and of the website “Writing by Moonlight” has posted a most wonderful review of my book Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy.
I am so pleased to share this with you and I do hope that you leave a comment at Adline’s beautiful website. Click here to read the review.
Sincerely,
Tina Turbin
Danny the Dragon Contest Winner- January
Alejandra Vargas is the lucky winner this month. She drew a lovely picture which she submitted accompanied by her very proud and caring father, Bernardo Vargas Sanchez. Thank you Alejandra!
Packing the Kids a Healthy Lunch
What exactly should you look for in a healthy, well-balanced lunch? You should make sure to include whole grains, fruits and vegetables, calcium, and lean protein. The USDA has daily recommendations for children for each of these food groups, and you should aim to provide as much as possible in each category when preparing your child’s lunch.
Collect recipes just as you would for dinners which can deliver to your child the nutrition he needs in a variety of creative ways. You can make lunch for the whole family in large servings—for Mom, Dad, and all the kids. Not only will this ensure that you’re feeding your child a variety of tasty foods, since you’ll be eating it yourself, but you’ll also save money and time by simplifying lunch-making.
If you’re strapped for time, get your kids to prepare their own lunches the night before (this is usually better than rushing in the morning). Kids are actually happy to help with cooking are able to pull it off with success with some supervision. It is with this in mind that I’ve created Danny the Dragon Children’s Cookbook as part of my Danny the Dragon children’s series.
Give your child the daily gift of a well-balanced lunch and watch him thrive!
Homework Help Advice to Parents
First of all, consistency is key. Except for when extracurricular activities interfere, your child should aim to do his homework at the same time every day as part of his daily afterschool routine. You can test to see when the best time is for homework. Make sure your child has eaten a healthy, high-protein snack before he begins his homework, and studies have shown that many children perform work better after physical exercise, which can increase a child’s concentration.
Another part of the routine is where your child will study. It’s important to create a regular study space. If they settle down at the kitchen table near you, they will be able to get the help they need, and you’ll be able to get them back on track if they start wandering from their task. Make sure you provide lots of room and keep supplies well-stocked and nearby.
Next, it’s important to reduce distractions. I recommend making study time a family affair with all kids doing their homework at the same time while you sit down with your own “homework” such as bills or some reading. This will help create an atmosphere of diligence and concentration, as your kids will follow the example you set. Also, make it a rule that there’s to be no TV or videogames, or other distractions, until your child is done with his homework.
Aim to help your child become an independent student. Elementary-school kids usually need help, but you can check with your child’s teacher to see how much you should be helping him and how much he should be able to do on his own. Sometimes teachers prefer that parental involvement in homework stay at a minimum so they can determine the progress of your child. Show your child how to use a dictionary and encyclopedia so he can try helping himself before he goes to you for help.
Probiotics Can Prevent Children’s Flu
A recent study shows that preschoolers who were given probiotic supplements twice a day were less likely to experience fevers, coughs, and runny noses than preschoolers who weren’t taking any during flu season. Probiotics are “good germs,” which promote a healthy balance between good and bad bacteria and between good bacteria and yeast in the digestive system. As a result, immunity is boosted.
Breast milk naturally has probiotics and there are also probiotic-fortified formulas out there for non-breastfed babies. There’s also a type of fiber called prebiotics which promotes the growth of probiotics. You can pick up powdered or liquid infant and children’s probiotics at the health food store and add these to breast milk, formula, or other liquids your child is drinking. Make sure to check the container for storage instructions. Usually, they need to be stored in the refrigerator. You can also find this nutrient in probiotic-rich foods such as yogurt and yogurt drinks as well as certain brands of baby foods.
Join me at the Books for Kids Giveaway in Clearwater – Open to the public!
How fitting that tomorrow on Appreciate a Dragon Day I will be the featured author, reading to children at the Books for Kids Giveaway at Clearwater Academy. Full details can be found at the aforementioned link.
The event is free and open to the public, refreshments will be served, and starts at 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. My appearance will be at 1:00 p.m.
Leave me a comment to let me know if you will make it!
Homeschooling Your Child—Some Reasons to Consider It
It used to be that homeschooling had a certain stigma to it. When people heard the word, they pictured a child isolated at home from children his age and indoctrinated into his parents’ extremist views. However, homeschooling has steadily grown in popularity over the years, and it’s widely acknowledged now that homeschooling provides many benefits.
First, it helps to foster a closer, more loving relationship between you and your child. Related to this is the homeschooling benefit of having the opportunity to teach your child the values that are important to you and your family. When you homeschool your child, you can teach him the moral and ethical principles that you cherish as part of his curriculum.
Academically, homeschooling has countless benefits. Here is the opportunity to give your child an individualized education geared toward his interests, purposes, and speed of learning. Sometimes children perform poorly in school because they are forced to move at a pace which is too fast for them and before they know it, they find themselves too far behind to catch up. Sometimes subject matter in school doesn’t interest them individually.
Homeschooling allows the parent to have control over the sort of values and ideals that the child will learn. Let’s face it. Some schools and teachers may be teaching values to our children that we may fundamentally disagree with. You can design a curriculum for your child that demonstrates your values. For example, you can have him read Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography or teach him about Thomas Alva Edison in order to promote hard work and persistence, or you can show him to respect all faiths by having him learn about each one.
Proceeds from Danny the Dragon CD Support Good Cause
If you’re like most Americans, you probably haven’t even heard of celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder which causes an immune reaction that can affect the entire body, causing both physical and mental problems. The cause? An allergy to gluten, a component of wheat, barley, and rye. The problem with celiac disease is that doctors don’t know much about it either. They don’t know that it affects an estimated 300 million Americans and that with a simple test, a diagnosis can be made and the easy treatment can begin—a gluten-free diet.
An estimated 300 million Americans have celiac disease and only three percent of them know it. When I’m not working on the latest installment of my Danny the Dragon series or the Danny the Dragon Cookbook, I’m working hard to change this statistic by raising awareness and support for this disease that affects more people twice as many of those who suffer from Crohn’s disease, ulceric colitis, and cystic fibrosis combined.
Proceeds from the Danny the Dragon CD will go to the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University Medical Center, one of the major research centers around studying and bringing awareness to celiac disease. It is one-hundred percent focused on studying celiac disease and carries out research connecting it with various other diseases which it is believed to lead to if left untreated. Its goal is to change the lives of celiac disease sufferers for the better around the world, a goal which it is actively achieving, little by little, every day.
January Parent’s and Kid’s Contest
KID’S January 2010 CONTEST details:
Describe of a new good friend for Danny the Dragon and his traveling companion Skipper. The lucky winner will receive a free Danny The Dragon gift basket full of great stuff! Just go to the bottom of this page and enter your ideas.
PARENT’S January 2010 CONTEST details:
Submit your comments sharing what you like best about this Danny website and why. I’d really like to know actually. One lucky winner a month and this month is an autographed book.
Who will the lucky winners be? I hope it’s YOU!
Tina
