Speak up - happy 100th birthday, American Cancer Society

Yesterday, May 22, 2013 was the American Cancer Society’s 100^th birthday. ACS is determined to finish the fight against cancer through a series of caregiver blog posts called Caregiver Stories. These stories are a great example of what can happen when people MAKE NOISE. Amplify your thoughts. Speak up.

Kids are a great megaphone. "Mom, when will you stop smoking?" I remember as a kid, hating the smoke that permeated my household and the tobacco addiction that seemed to be more important than my health and safety. I hated the smell, the second-hand taste, the way it made all of our clothes and hair smell. I should have spoken up more. I regret staying silent. My mother died too young, and although cigarettes weren't the direct cause for her demise, it certainly contributed to an unhealthy lifestyle.

Silence is not the solution. Action is the solution. Keep speaking up for what you believe in, and keep finding supporters - other voices  - to help you. Cancer is a beast and the fight to end cancer CAN BE ENDED in your lifetime. Walk, donate, speak up, write, get involved:



For more stories, visit the ACS's 100 Days, 100 Stories of Hope page to learn more about caregivers, volunteers, and research giants.  If you would like to share your story as a caregiver, click here to share. Help finish the fight and help ACS.

Disclosure: I was not paid any financial compensation to write this post and all stories and opinions are my own.

 

Shake it, shiny monkey...

We love to dance and shake it up like no one is watching, so we were thrilled to hear about an opportunity to review a CD by the stars of Disney Channel's hit television series "Shake It Up". Bella Thorne (the redhaired one) and Zendaya (the sassy brunette) created this CD for kids like Liv so they can enjoy the music from their favorite hit show no matter where they go.

Shake It Up: I<3 Dance is a fun, high-energy collection of 12 dance-able, monkey tail-shaking tracks - all music from the show right at your fingertips.  You can 

In addition to Bella and Zendaya, Disney stars Selena Gomez, Bridgit Mendler, Roshon Fegen and Caroline Sunshine lend tracks along with Coco Jones (one of our faves), McClain Sisters, and many more. The soundtrack will give you hours of fun music for only $9.99 on iTunes or $9.49 on Amazon.

"Contagious Love" may be one of our new obsessions (see vid below with some pretty awesome dancing)... but you make up your own mind. Here's a list of all the tracks so you can preview online and tell us what YOU think... we want to know! 

The songs featured on this release are:
1. Contagious Love (Zendaya and Bella Thorne)
2. This is My Dance Floor (Bella Thorne and Zendaya)
3. Beat of My Drum (Zendaya)
4. Blow the System (Bella Thorne)
5. Afterparty (Roshon Fegan and Caroline Sunshine)
6. Holla At the DJ (The DJ Mike D REMIX) (Coco Jones)
7. These Boots Are Made For Walkin' (Olivia Holt)
8. Sharp as a Razor (McClain Sisters)
9. Future Sounds Like Us (Dove Cameron)
10. I Can Do Better (Y.LA)
11. Shake It Up Theme Song (Cole Plante Reboot REMIX) (Selena Gomez)
12. We're Dancing (Alex Ghenea 3.0 Remix) (Bridgit Mendler)


Contagious Love on Disney Video

Review results: We are going to give this CD four out of five bananas... one more banana would be granted if there were a more diverse mix of music or even a ballad, or some world music beats, or something that broke up the style of music a teeny bit. We love our beats to be as diverse and eclectic as we are!

Disclosure: Thank you to Child's Play Communications who provided us with this Disney CD to review on our blog. Other than the CD, we were not compensated for this review and our opinions are entirely our own.

Freebie Friday: Get inspired by poetry books from Barefoot Books

It's Freebie Friday, monkeys! Read this post and comment below about your favorite poet, or poem, and win these TWO beautiful hardcover poetry books from our friends at Barefoot Books!

 

Today, we celebrate a form of poetry (remember our posts about Shel Silverstein and National Poetry Month back in April) called the limerick.  A limerick is a sometimes nonsensical, mostly silly poem that follows a rhythmical three long and two short verse lines (an "aabba" pattern).

Created by Edward Lear, a limerick is fun to write and read:

There was an Old Man with a beard, 

Who said, “It is just as I feared!— 

 Two Owls and a Hen, four Larks and a Wren, 

 Have all built their nests in my beard!” 

And wrote longer poems you know well, like the Owl and the Pussycat (1870):

Like his contemporary Lewis Carroll, who wrote Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Lear was inventive making up his own words (called neologies) and creating a fantastical world of his own. 

Here's a limerick I wrote about otters:

There once was an Otter named Otto

Who swam gleefully into a grotto

Met Ariel and Flounder

Ate seafood, got rounder, 

Exclaimed, "Living here is like winning the lotto!"

Read more kid-friendly limericks and learn how to write a limerick, here: http://www.gigglepoetry.com/poetryclass/limerickcontesthelp.html

Don't forget to comment below about your favorite poet or poem and win these two beautiful books!

Disclosure: I was provided two poetry books for giveaways today from our friends at Barefoot Books, but silliness is my own. For more great reading and poetry adventures visit BarefootBooks.com or visit their stores in Concord, MA, Oxford UK, or even inside the FAO Schwartz store in NYC.

Lennon and Maisy - simply aMaising tweens from the show Nashville sing "Call Your Girlfriend"