Updated throughout the week, Kim's Blog combines home front experiences with informative updates on area events, unique opportunities and of course, dynamic deals!
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Post a comment on any topic, and you will entered into our monthly prize drawings.
It hasn't been THAT long since we were teenagers experiencing the ups and downs of school, relationships and family … has it? Well, maybe it's been quite a while. But I clearly remember putting my thoughts down on paper in various forms trying to somehow work through my emotions.
If you have teens in your life who express themselves – whether by blog, texting or on paper - forward this post to them. The Springfield Poets and Writers group is now accepting poetry and artwork submissions for an anthology. Details below!
Friday, January 29,2010 – Friday, March 05, 2010
The Springfield Poets and Writers are now accepting poetry and artwork submissions from teens, grades 6-12, for an international teen poetry anthology called "Navigating the Maze."
Contributors receive two books.
Sponsored in part by The St. Andrews Society of Central Illinois Highland Games and produced by Springfield Poets and Writers in association with Adonis Designs Press.
For more info or complete rules, visit www.adonisdesignspress.com or www.pwlf.com.
SPRINGFIELD POETS AND WRITERS
P.O. BOX 202
CATEGORY: BOOKS & AUTHORS
My dad set a great example for me years ago. Every two months, he would go in to donate blood. He's a tall man at 6 feet 8.5 inches, so he certainly has a lot to spare (LOL), but I was most impressed at how consistent he has always been.
His name is on the wall as one of the big donors. I participated in blood drives during high school and college, but it wasn't until I became a parent, that I made the commitment to become a regular donor.
Many thank to Johnny Molson and Midwest Family Broadcasting for including me in their Blood Donor Awareness Campaign.
Listen to Time for you is Life for Someone elseTo those of you who can and do donate regularly, thank you!
Recruit a friend to come with you next time!
To those of you who haven't donated in a long time or never have, give it a try! Beside feeling really good about helping someone, you enjoy unlimited coffee, juice and Little Debbie snacks at the end. :-)
Let's face it, we all deal with clutter at some point. Even those of us who manage to have neat and tidy households have moments when there's just not enough time in the day to keep it all together. Our mantra is when in doubt, recycle, donate or throw it out!
Here are some tips to streamline the constant flow of "stuff."
Children's Toys
Buy big plastic tubs with lids or underbed storage tubs to group cars/trucks, Barbies, blocks, and keep out of eye's view when playtime is over.
Paper Clutter
Command Center
Decorating with a Purpose
Submitted by Springfield Moms writer Kari Thevenot of Your Left Hand, Virtual Assistant for her tips. Email us your favorite Sanity Savers for managing the incoming overflow and be entered into our monthly prize drawings.
We all have heroes who have inspired us in one way or another! A group of us from Springfield Moms attended the heroes breakfast last year and were so touched by the amazing stories shared by the local kids. Talk to your kids about who their heroes are, and encourage them to enter the Youth Writing Contest!
The American Red Cross 2010 Heroes Breakfast will honor youths’ creativity with a writing contest featuring essays, short stories and poetry. Ten local youth will have their work recognized at the Heroes Breakfast on Friday, April 9, 2010.
Each winner will receive $300 in U.S. Savings Bonds for education.
The Youth Writing Contest is open to students in grades K-12 in Sangamon, Christian, Logan, Menard, Macoupin and Montgomery counties.
Writing Contest Topics:
Entries must be received at the American Red Cross by Friday, February 26, 2010.
Deliver or Mail to:
American Red Cross
1045 Outer Park Drive
Springfield, IL 62704
The Youth Writing Contest is sponsored by Neuhoff Communication and Evans Disaster Restoration Services.
Thanks to our readers for sharing your funny kid comments.
Keep them coming, and we will add them to our February drawings as well!
Congrats to our readers who submitted Funny Kid Comments to win a Flea Market to Fabulous T-shirt! These T's promote reduce, reuse, repurpose…regift!
Michele Koehne Kilduff, Dorothy Kubasik Rhodes, Kari Thevenot,
Heather Puzey, Gina Pecori, Shannon Blum, Lisa Barutcu, Joyce Coles and
Marilyn Medica. Winners should head to the store to pick up by February 28, 2010.
Visit the corner of Spring & Lawrence for the most unique gifts, furniture and accessories for your home, kids' rooms, your office and more.
Owner Jodi Cole's creative flair is evident at every turn in this must visit store! She can turn an old dresser , frame, mirror, lamp into a new WOW piece you'll love! There's an array of unique gifts, jewelry, decor and of course, holiday decorations!
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Grab the kids for some indoor, educational fun THIS Saturday!
“Around the World in 180 Pages” is the theme for The Junior League of Springfield’s 2nd Annual Literacy Fair, a FREE event which will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Saturday, January 30, 2010 at the Lincoln Library in downtown Springfield.
This year’s event will feature children’s activities and crafts from countries around the world with each activity linked with a children’s book highlighting the culture and traditions of that area of the world. There will also be a reading circle that morning with Springfield area residents from different cultures reading and sharing stories about their countries and traditions. Representatives from local literacy agencies will also be on hand.
“Our literacy fair is really exciting this year as it highlights children’s literature from around the world,” says Jennifer Deaner, Community Council Vice President for the Junior League of Springfield. “We are excited about our reading circle featuring Springfield area readers sharing their heritage and traditions. Children will also have a chance to experience children’s literature and different cultures through hands-on activities and crafts.”
Enjoy!
As a parent, you never know when a medical emergency might strike your family or your child. I know personally how this feels as it happened to me three years ago with my youngest daughter. However, you can find comfort in knowing the staff to help you through these times is right in our backyard at St. John's Children's Hospital.
LISTEN to the stories of our local kid heroes and family heroes for their personal journeys at St. John's Children's Hospital.
We are so fortunate to have the care of SJCH, the support of CMN and the outreach of WDBR to keep these services LOCAL!
Now…take action to help!
With just a few minutes of your time, you can help our local CMN chapter win $50,000 by logging on to the national website and VOTING for WDBR! If just a quarter of our readers take the time to do this, I am SURE we can push them over the top!
Smile for the camera! Have you noticed our home page's new rotating photo feature? We want to showcase your kids and family in that space. Send us your favorite family moments, and you’ll be entered to win!
Every week in February, we will give away a family four-pack of tickets (value 
$24) to the popular Children's Discovery Museum in Bloomington/Normal. Just a quick 60 minute drive up I-55 or an Amtrak ride that drops you off right at the museum. It's the perfect get-away for 3 floors of indoor fun!
How to enter? It's easy! Email us your favorite family photos (close-ups work best) and be entered to win. But please review our photo release as photos submitted become property of Springfield Moms. We may use them in our home page rotation or in other articles on the website. To ensure your privacy, we do not caption children or family names.
Simply email your photos to springfieldmoms.org@gmail.com and you will be entered!
Drawings will be held every Friday in February.
Patience. Not something we are born with. Even as we enter the world, we cry, "Hey! Somebody help me out here!"
The world today moves at such a fast pace, and we expect everything to unfold at the same pace, yet it doesn't. Ironically, the older we become, the less quickly things seem to happen at the pace we prefer.
My elementary aged kids are learning patience as they read, master multiplication facts, memorize annoying spelling words, complete book reports and on and on.
These tasks require patience with others and most importantly patience with ourselves. I like to remind my kids that adults have to be just as patient as kids. We don't get everything we want, when we want it. We have to be patient with our jobs, our friends, our family and our community. Everything doesn't fall into place seamlessly, every day.
I'm not sure who the originator of "Patience is a Virtue," but it's one phrase I keep at the forefront of my mind. Teaching my kids how to manage patience is a lifelong skill set, and one I'm continuing to teach myself again … and again.
For more than two million kids nationwide, "opening day" means more than going to the local ball yard to see their favorite team suit up and play. For them it will mean putting on their own uniforms and stepping up to a new challenge.
With a focus on skills and sportsmanship (for players and parents), youth team leagues are the home to "fields of dreams" all over the country.
Mike and John's Godfather’s Pizza are honored to help bring those dreams alive through sponsorships of local teams.
They are looking for more local teams to sponsor!
Visit their website , click on Sports for All Sorts and fill out their sponsorship form.
Mike and John's Godfathers Pizza will do our best to sponsor all teams' requests. Please apply early for we have a limited number that can be sponsored. Godfathers Sports of all Sorts are limited to teams with age groups of 18 and under.
Adult groups will be considered as team sponsorships once the teams with teenagers and children are fulfilled for the year. Again thanks for giving us the opportunity to support our community.
We are proud to showcase their year-round indoor party options as well. Learn more here!
Now Enrolling! Registration Coupon
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