Family

In her first years at the White House, Michelle Obama planted her own vegetable garden as a way to show her commitment to healthy eating– particularly for kids. This recipe for White Bean Salad is from the former First Lady’s cookbook, American Grown. It’s so popular it’s been shared widely online as well. It’s simple, healthy, tasty and perfect for summer. Ingredients 1 cup dried small white beans (such as cannellini or Great Northern) or 1 15-ounce can 1 clove garlic 1 bay leaf 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon honey 1 tablespoon chopped shallot 1 cup snow peas or sugar snap peas 1/2 bunch fresh chives, chopped 5 mild radishes, such as Lady Slipper radishes, thinly sliced 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil Directions If you’re using dried beans, first rinse them, picking out any stones, and place in a bowl. Cover with cold water and soak for 8 hours, or overnight, then drain the beans and place in a pot. Add the garlic and bay leaf and enough water to cover the beans by at least 1 inch. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer, stirring […]

President Gerald Ford passed away in 2006. At the time, I was working at the White House in President Bush’s speechwriting office. I was immediately asked to help research the speech for his funeral. I immersed myself into learning everything I could about President Ford’s life and character for the speech and came to admire the man who I learned was the right person at the right time to lead our country. On the day of his funeral, when White House staffers stood to salute him as his casket drove by the White House, I had a newfound respect and admiration for a president that just a few days earlier I hadn’t known much about at all. So when Sleeping Bear Press recently approached us and asked if we’d reveal the cover for a new picture book about President Ford, how could we pass that up? I’d do anything to get President Ford’s story out there. Author Lindsey McDivitt felt the same way. Her latest book is testament to that. We’re thrilled to reveal this beautiful cover for the latest children’s book written about one of our nation’s outstanding presidents: Truth and Honor: the President Ford Story by Lindsey McDivitt, […]

Since we are all hunkered down inside for the unforeseeable future, due to COVID-19, we thought we’d offer some ways to help curb our children’s worries and get them to think outside themselves. Serving others can be tricky when we’re stuck at home, but we’ve got a dozen ideas that in no time will help boost everyone’s spirits! 1. Make cards and works of art to send to nursing homes. Not only are residents of nursing homes advised to not leave their homes, but they also can’t see visitors. Their loneliness is at levels they may have never known. Receiving letters and packages in the mail will give them just the boost they need. 2. Go through your pantry and make piles to give food banks. Easy. 3. Go for a walk and pick up trash. Since kids need to get out for fresh air anyway, go on a walk around your neighborhood armed with trash bags. 4. Film a video showcasing your talents and have a designated talent night on social media. Invite all the friends you’re missing to participate too. 5. Tie blankets for children’s homes. Contact your local children’s homes/shelters to see what their need is. Our […]

Do you ever take the time to really explore where you live? I’m not talking about visiting the local mall and knowing the latest retailers in town. I’m talking about really knowing the personality of where you live and what makes it special, digging into its history and all it has to offer. The more you get to know where you live, the more of an ownership you’ll feel toward it. That ownership generally leads to more involvement. That right there is a recipe for active civic participation. Become a Local Tourist Exploring where you live is a great tool in helping your children take a vested interest in their community. The more vested they are in their local communities, the likelier they’ll be to grow up playing a more active role in it. What better time than summer, when school is out, to really dive in and explore where you live. Nearly every city and county in the U.S. has their own website with a listing of locations that are unique to them. What are those locations near you? Have you been to them? Make a list of the ones that interest you the most. If you need help with suggestions, visit your local tourism […]

Do you have a vacation planned with your family to Washington, D.C. soon? Our nation’s capital is one of those places where a little prep work can go a long way to making your visit just a little more fascinating– and a lot more tolerable if you’re a kid. Washington, D.C. can be an overwhelming place for children– young and old– especially if they’re learning about all the historical facts for the first time while they’re there. Hopefully a few history lessons have helped along the way. But if you need some extra prepping, here are a few tips you can institute ahead of time to get your kids ready for Washington, D.C. They’re all quick, easy ideas to get your kids pumped to see all the major sites that are likely on your list– things like kid-friendly podcasts, blogs, entertaining short videos, or books you can find at your local library. Your entire family will head into your vacation already feeling like experts! Our tips are broken down by site/attraction to help make it easy.  To shop all our book recommendations in one place, go to our Amazon page.

After I moved to Tennessee a few years ago, someone who knew I had a background in politics asked me a question about the governor. I don’t remember exactly what was said, but I embarrassingly had to admit that I didn’t know who the governor was or anything about their policies. I vowed to never let that happen again. Sure, I was new to the state so the person didn’t hold it against me, but I should have made it a point to look up that info when I found out we were moving. I should have educated myself. For various reasons, whether we’re new to our state, or a long-time resident, we owe it to ourselves to be educated on who represents us both on a national and a local level. Those leaders are the people making decisions that affect our lives, after all. So, if you’re following along with our challenges this year to become more civic-minded, here’s your third challenge. You can find Challenge #1 and Challenge #2 here. Challenge #3: Find Out Who Represents You For starters, know your governor and your own representatives in the U.S. House and Senate. I’m going to assume that everyone already […]

Learning to be more civically engaged may start with a positive attitude and desire to do more, but it doesn’t stop there. Being civically engaged is more than just doing things. It’s an entire mindset, a change in the way you view the world around you. In that regard, one way that is absolutely necessary to becoming a more active civic participant is taking a more proactive approach to being aware of what’s going on in your neighborhoods, communities, states, country and world. That sounds like a lot. But it’s actually quite simple. It all comes down to simply paying attention. Paying attention? Yep. In other words, it’s just plain being aware of what’s going on around you. Awareness is what leads to a desire for change. And it’s that desire for change that leads us to eventually take action.

It’s no surprise that a majority of Americans say they distrust the government or have a negative view of it. The media paints an ugly portrait of the current political climate as “being a unique time in America”–one that is on the brink of something catastrophic. The truth is, every era throughout history has been a unique time and every era to come will be a unique one as well. We are always charting new territory with new ideas and new ways to do things–each with its own set of problems and new leaders entering the arena to try and tackle them. Historically, we’ve had some pretty unique leaders that have made Americans believe we’ve seen better days. We’ve always rallied through and survived. Checks and balances exist for a reason and there are better ways to survive an uncertain time than just grumbling and whining our way through it. That brings us to our first challenge, and perhaps the toughest, of the year in getting you to be more civic-minded. “All you can change is yourself. But sometimes, that changes everything!” -Gary Goldstein  

While my children got ready for school this morning, the coverage of President George H.W. Bush’s funeral was on throughout our house. We rarely have TV on these days, but it was important to me that my kids see it. Why? Years ago, when I was just a kid, I was home sick from school watching TV on the couch. All that was on that day was the funeral coverage of former President Richard Nixon. I was glued to it. I had never seen anything like it and I was immediately fascinated by the not only the funeral coverage itself but by the stories of President Nixon and what his life meant to America. It’s my earliest memory of being struck by what patriotism meant. It was America coming together and pausing for a few moments to reflect. It was beautiful. My own kids live in a world where talk of politics is ugly. Animosity has taken over something that should be respected. When a U.S. president passes away though, that animosity pauses and Americans remember what it means to be an American. Instead of seeing Washington at its worst, they see Washington at its finest. When that happens, moments of […]

My husband and I nervously glanced at each other as we glanced at the scene before us– our three young children in tow. A massive line of people snaking every which way through the Las Vegas airport security area had just come into view. There had to be hundreds of people waiting to clear security. It was early–too early. It was nearing 5 a.m. and with a 6 a.m. flight departure time, we honestly weren’t sure if we were going to make it through the massive line in time. Then, as if to rub salt in the wound, we observed several noticeably less stressed than us passengers breezing their way through the line next to us. It’s not even fair to call it a line, really. There was no one in it. The TSA agent quickly signed them through and off they went on their merry way. Just like that. If you’re a frequent traveler, you’ve probably noticed the “TSA Pre-Checked” line that expedites travelers through the security process. Perhaps you always thought the line was reserved for VIP’s, government employees with special clearances, or passengers who paid exorbitant amounts of money. Fortunately, for frequent travelers–with kids or without–neither is true. So, here’s […]