My daughter just received the finest going-away-to-college-gift ever! It’s a giant sock monkey, named Lloyd. And what better roommate is there than a fluffy, cute stuffed animal who cannot talk, cry, complain, drink or be messy? Thank you Dylan O!

Have you ever heard of the movie, Harvey with Jimmy Stewart (my favorite actor)? It’s about a man who sees a rabbit that others cannot see. Well, my daughter’s high school put on a play version of the movie. We held the cast party here and I made a big cake honoring our school director:

1. Children laughing and playing outside
2. Water splashing
3. Dragonflies buzzing
4. Waves crashing
5. Grill sizzling
6. Thunderstorms
7. Leaves rustling
8. Guitar strumming
9. Piano playing
10. Silence of the night

http://www.free-clipart-pictures.net/summer_clipart.html

There are never enough hours in the day. how cliche that sounds, yet how true! I was daydreaming about what inventions could really make a huge difference in my life. Here is what I came up with:

1. The Instant Car Cooler - The inside of my car is somewhere around 113 degrees F every day during Miami’s intense summers. How wonderful would that be to press a button on my key chain as I am approaching my car, and instantly bring the internal temperature down to 75 degrees? No more second degree burns on my hands.
2. The Laundry Goddess - I swore I’d never complain about laundry again once I got a Whirlpool Duet Washer and Dryer, but I now realize I could really benefit from an invention that washes, dries, sorts, folds and hangs clean clothes where they belong.
3. The Dust Maestro – Who doesn’t need a machine that you can place on a floor in the center of the room, and it quietly sucks every particle of dust out of that room – and only dust? I am not talking about one of those twirling robots that sweep the floor (and don’t really work anyway). I am talking about a system that eliminates every piece of dust in every corner of a room. No more dusting!
4. The Complete Doggy Stylist – Where can I find a machine that will wash, dry, brush (knot free!)  and then cut a poodle’s hair (except for the face and head) evenly to 1/2 inch? Might as well clip the toenails and clean out the ears while you’re at it.
5. The Total Weeder – This handy invention will sweep the garden and kill ONLY the weeds, leaving the flowers and plants to thrive. No more pulling!

http://www.1clipart.com

I’ve got a bunch more, but I’ll save them for another day.

I live in Miami. It is July. Enough said! Here are my favorite stay cool summer treats.

http://www.freeclipartnow.com

1. Iced Decaf Coffee. (With honey and soy milk – no sugar!)
2. A Clementine (“Oh may darlin’ Oh my darlin’ Clementine . . .)
3. Fruit Popsicle
4. Banana Orange Pineapple Smoothie
5. Ice Water with Splash of Key Lime Juice
6. Lemon Honey Water – YUM! (tastes like lemonade)
7. Frozen Blueberries
8. Chilled Sparkling Apple Cider
9. Cup of Crushed Ice
10. Good ol’ Glass of Cold Spring Water in a Big Ball Jar

I’ll spare you the details about how I came to these observations, but here are some random things I realized today.:

1. I get a lot more done around my house when I am wearing running shoes. I cannot get into work mode in bare feet.
2. Popcorn kernels get stuck in my teeth for days, no matter how much I floss. Is is worth it?
3. Poodles do not “shed,” yet my poodle’s hair is all over the house.
4. It rains on me only when I’ve taken extra time to dry my hair straight.
5. Spammers are smarter than any and every software program out there.

http://www.nt-cleaning.co.uk

My sister, Shelley Rosen, brand marketing consultant, has the most beautiful home office in her house in Chicago. I just had to share these photos with you. This room is certainly deserving of a magazine spread. You’d never know that this office is in the lower level (basement) of her house! Who wouldn’t want to work (or even do homework!) here? That couch is looking pretty good to me right now.

Paint eggs with white glue and wrap embroidery floss around eggs

Experiment with acrylic paint

A fish and a pig (pipe cleaners, googly eyes, feathers)

Decoupage overlapping tissue paper

Decoupage paper cutouts

More fun with acrylic paint

Regal looking eggs with acrylic paint and metallic gold paint

Top of regal looking eggs

Every year since she was 2, my daughter and I have decorated Easter eggs. We blow them out using an old air compressor (made for asthma medication) and clean and dry them well. Start by using a pin to poke tiny holes in one end of the egg until they connect into a hole larger enough for the egg to drain out. Do this on the opposite end as well. Have patience because you don’t want to break the egg shell. You don’t have to have a compressor to blow out the contents. I know that you can do this with your mouth, as I have read online. But this seems yucky to me and maybe not all that healthy. If you have any other suggestions for our readers, please post a comment about it.

We keep and display the eggs year after year, and we give them away as gifts too. These photos represent just a fraction of our huge collection. They are so fun to make and so beautiful! I hope we inspired you to spend some time this year making eggs. They store very well in a box, especially if you put Easter grass on the bottom of the box. Happy decorating!

I’ve discovered a fantastic website and just had to share it with you. It’s www.wanderingeducators.com. What a fresh idea this is, as it is unique amongst the countless travel sites out there. Basically the site is a conglomerate of editors who are educators that travel the world. Since Smart Poodle Publishing is so totally into geography education, this is right up our alley!

Editors  may be teachers, professors, homeschoolers, students, life learners and administrators who are “wandering educators.” They write informative articles for the website and share spectacular photos of their journeys. You’ve got to click on the Photo Galleries under the Navigation heading and just dream about these far away places. I’m getting ideas about Lilly Badilly’s future adventures just by looking at these incredible pictures. And in case you are miserably freezing at home, you’re sure to get warmed up when you look at photos of the earth’s sunny places.

There are travel journals from all over the globe, funny essays involving distant places, info about intercultural education, tips on places to stay when you travel, the best of guide books and so much more! These entries start dialogues with readers with similar backgrounds or an interest in travel, and they stir up engaging comments. On this site you’ll also find book reviews and discounts offers on all sorts of products travelers need.

The innovative site was created by husband and wife team, Jessie Voigts and Ed Forteau.  I had the pleasure of speaking to Jessie over the phone. She’s creative, brilliant and has a fabulous sense of humor!  Not only does she want to share the world with her readers, but she is always seeking to learn more herself. We could have talked for hours. Jessie has a PhD in International Education, and husband, Ed, has degrees in Engineering.

Since one of their passions is traveling, they decided to create The Wandering Educator together so they could work on a family project. One of their goals was to make sure their six year old daughter, Lillie, could learn firsthand all about the world. What better way is there to do that than to host a website like this? With a name like Lillie (i.e. Lilly Badilly!) she’s got to be worldly and smart! She’s only 6 and is already a reporter. Halleluiah! Here’s one little girl who will not be lacking in geography knowledge!

Little Lillie, the Worldly Reporter

Jessie explained,

“We’ve had so much fun running our site. Although it is a challenge to find new and interesting content – different from other travel sites, of which there are many!  I have met so many incredible people. I love hearing the back story of why people are passionate about their work – whether it is a book, travel, website, adventure tours, places to stay, events, or the place where they live. I feel fortunate to have been extended many invitations to visit, all over the world! And each place I learn about is so intriguing that my top ten travel list is constantly changing.  I’ve learned that if someone is truly interested and committed to exploring the world, then their cup will overflow with good people, places, food, and experiences.“

The Wandering Educators Family: Jessie, Ed and Lillie

When I asked her about her vision for this website Jessie said,

“ I hope that readers of WanderingEducators will be inspired – to travel, read and explore the world around them. Travel doesn’t have to be across the world – it can be across town, as well. We’re having such fun with our site. All three of us, including our 6-year old daughter, sit down and talk every week about where we want to go next, write about next, read next. I hope that our love of the world and intercultural learning comes across to our readers. It is contagious!”

So check out www.wanderingeducators.com today, and start planning your next travel adventure. You’ll be glad you did.

I hope all of you had a great week celebrating the holidays with family and friends. For all of you who are snowed in and  trying hard to stay warm, here is a photo for you. I took it yesterday from South Beach. Sun and warmth all year round- this is why I live in Miami. . .