Gangplank Jr

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of volunteering at a monthly event in Chandler called Gangplank Jr.

Image courtesy of HeatSync Labs

Gangplank Jr is the youth side of parent organization Gangplank.  While many find Gangplank hard to define, I see it as an community space that seeks to break down the barriers dividing businesses and individuals, encouraging  real collaboration and education. Gangplank Jr is an extension of that idea, encouraging inspiration and creativity through hands-on activities.

The particular event I participated in had local comic artists and illustrators aiding children in creating their own comic books.

As a former educator, I’ve found that children have had to put away imagination and creativity in order to make room for testing strategies that help them pass those ever-so-precious state tests. The events that Gangplank Jr host are incredibly valuable for the opportunity they offer students to not only learn a new skill, but exercise imaginations that have become dormant.

To learn more about the events Gangplank Jr has to offer, visit their blog. Recently they announced the kickoff for their Lego League robotics team, which will compete in the fall.

Adults! Gangplank has lots to offer you – from a book club to learning how to develop an iPhone app. Check their events calendar for a complete listing.

College Prep – Jan. 23

As I was writing today’s Weekend planner for the Raising Arizona Kids’ Facebook fan page, I came across 2 college preparation classes being offered FOR FREE this weekend. Knowing how expensive these classes are, I wanted to make sure to highlight outside of just Facebook.

College Planning Class – Saturday, January 23rd
10-11am
7033 E Greenway Pkwy, Scottsdale

This class is geared towards high school juniors, seniors and their families. The class will help you students and parents alike learn how to organize your college search. The class by AZ College Solutions. You will need to preregister. Located at the Kierland Corporate Center, 480-993-1920.

SAT Practice Exam – Saturday, January 23rd
1-5pm
12575 E Via Linda, Scottsdale

College-bound high school students can take a practice exam for free through the Princeton Review. Bring two No. 2 pencils and a calculator. A review of the results will be available at 6pm Jan 27. You will need to preregister. Palomino Library, 800-273-8439.

There are several free Princeton Review events going on in Arizona over the next few months. Check out the “free events” tab to see a complete listing.

Be sure to routinely check Raising Arizona Kids’ calendar for a listing of events.

Indirect impact

It was a typical Thursday afternoon. I was sitting at my computer, entering in subscription orders and answering emails, when the phone rang.

“Raising Arizona Kids magazine. How can I help you?”

But this wasn’t a typical call. The voice on the other end was Jamie Morris, the Senior Director for Phoenix Suns Charities.

She informed me that the charity was looking to help relief efforts in Haiti through a local connection, and had chosen the Chances 4 Children organization based on our December article, “Celebrating family day” by Sue Breding, about the Juntunen family. Jamie was asking for permission from Editor/Publisher  Karen Barr to use the Raising Arizona Kids article as part of their announcement that the charity would be donating $20,000 to the Juntunen’s cause.

Though we at the magazine strive everyday to make a difference in the lives of parents and families in Arizona, it is a rare pleasure indeed to see  a feature in our magazine help impact people over 3,000 miles away. The work of the Juntunen family in aiding the orphans of Haiti that is truly miraculous and we are happy to tell their story.

If you would like to donate to aid the relief efforts in Haiti, Chances 4 Children is accepting donations on their website.

Doctors

Confession: I have a strong dislike for doctors.

My doctors have never been personable, in what is one of the most personal of professions.

That lack of connection is precisely why I came up with the idea to host twitter chats with doctors about various topics through Raising Arizona Kids (@RAKmagazine).

Whatever reservations or preconceived notions you may have about Twitter, it is above all a connector. Individuals that may have never been able to meet as the result of geography or professional standing, can now interact in a public space and receive instant feedback.

When it comes to your child’s health, you want an expert. These monthly chats provide the perfect opportunity to ask real questions, receive real responses in REAL TIME from a specialist in that particular field.

But even more important than talking to a specialist is talking to a specialist who understands what you’re going through. That is why I am so excited for this month’s twitter chat – asthma and allergies.

I suffered from childhood asthma that disappeared in high school. My middle sister suffers from such severe allergies that she has to change her pillowcase every night and receive weekly shots. Growing up my parents had lots of questions, without the luxury of internet to help them get answers.

Kim Wells, Cardon Childrens’ pediatric asthma educator, can relate. Her daughter, now 16, was diagnosed with asthma when she was only 3 years old. Kim has been where you are now and she wants to help lead you through that.

Maybe you or your children don’t suffer from allergies or asthma. Take advantage of this opportunity to interact with a specialist on a personal level. Break down those barriers between doctor and patient – release that harbored hatred for hospitals.

Get to know the people passionate about making you better.

Twitter Chat with Kim Wells
Wednesday, January 13
12 – 1 pm
Follow @RAKmagazine and @CardonChildrens or type in #azhealth into Twitter search.

For earlier Twitter chat transcripts, visit the Cardon Childrens’ chat page.

The Gift of the Magi

A friend recently posted the holiday tale, “The Gift of the Magi” on the web. If you are not familiar with the tale, a poor couple want to buy gifts they believe to be the other’s greatest desire. Since they have no money, each sacrifices a personal treasure to buy the other a gift – for the woman it is her long, beautiful hair, for the man, his antique watch. When they open their presents, the woman discovers the man has bought her jeweled combs for her now cropped hair and the man finds a beautiful gold chain for his sold watch.

The moral of the story is of course that unselfish love is the greatest gift and material possessions should not matter as much as we allow them to.

In that spirit, spread some love during this holiday season to those in need. Here are just a few of the many opportunities to participate in this season:

Book & Toy Drive - Fulton Homes and radio station KEZ 99.9 have teamed up with Phoenix Children’s Hospital to provide the children with a wonderful holiday. Drop off toys and books at the radio station or at the Borders at The Biltmore Fashion Park on Friday, December 11 from 4-6 p.m.

Home for the Holidays - Our four-legged friends are often forgotten at the holidays. This year, a donation of just $75 to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona allows an individual, family, business or school to become a sponsor and help a shelter pet find a permanent new home. The $75 will go towards caring for the animal until it is adopted.

Holiday Greeting Program – For a minimum donation of $10 per card, a beautiful, specially designed holiday card will be sent to your recipients whenever you wish – for Thanksgiving, Christmas or Hanukkah – and your gift is tax-deductible. The inside of the card informs those on your list that “a gift has been made in your honor to St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance.” Personalized cards are also available for businesses.

My Little Stocking – Devereux Arizona, a nonprofit organization that cares for children and families with behavioral health and social welfare needs, is asking the community to help bring joy and hope to 700 children this holiday season. Volunteers can donate handmade stockings, as well as toys to place within. Donations can be delivered to Devereux Arizona treatment centers around the state.

2nd Annual Gold Canyon Gingerbread Festival - The MOMS Club of Gold Canyon is hosting the Gingerbread Festival at the Gold Canyon Golf Resort on Saturday, December 12. There will children’s activities, such as a gingerbread house decorating contest, face painting and music, as well as a raffle and dinner. All proceeds benefit the Pinal County Court Appointed Special Advocates.

The importance of feedback

You don’t stay in business as a publication for 20 years if you simply push your product.

Magazines are niche publications that cater to a specific demographic and their needs. For 20 years, Raising Arizona Kids has sought to share stories about parenting children of all ages, as well as deliver advice from trusted experts.

It is no secret that the ways in which the public gathers information are changing. As our reader’s needs change, we seek to adapt to better meet those needs. We’ve expanded our web content, added additional features such as RAK Radio and RAK Video, as well as moved into social networks to encourage interaction among our readers.

We want to make sure we’re headed in the right direction.

Photo by Shelia Dee

On Wednesday, December 9th, Raising Arizona Kids will host a focus group at 10 a.m. at the Paradise Valley Whole Foods. The group will focus on the usability of our Web site, the content parents would like to see in print, as well as feedback on our social networks. Whole Foods has kindly offered to provide complimentary coffee and pastries.

Decisions are made by those that show up. Help us make the 2010 issues of Raising Arizona Kids magazine the best ever.

Email katie@raisingarizonakids.com if you would like to attend. If you cannot attend, but have feedback you’d like to share, feel free to email me with your thoughts.

The joy of homemade gifts

Every holiday season, I agonize over what gifts to buy my friends and family. AGONIZE. I want to pick a gift I not only am certain will be loved, but will be seen as thoughtful and a display of my loyalty and devotion to the relationship.

It’s torture. Every year I think to myself, how does a necklace from American Eagle show my college-aged sister how proud I am of her school successes? Does this pedicure-in-a-box provide my mother with the same feeling of support and comfort she gives me every day?

Usually the answer is no. So last year, as the recession hit, my family made a decision to keep all gifts to under $10.

Oh man. What can you get for a measly $10?

Homemade gifts it is.

I found that making my family and friends gifts did not produce the same anxiety or worry that buying gifts had done. I enjoyed the process – the joy of making something with my own two hands.

This year, I collected materials for a homemade card making set for my sister Kelly. My sister Kim will be getting jars with pre-made recipes in them since she loves to bake.

If you are looking for great ideas for homemade gifts, check out these available resources.

25 holiday gift ideas you can make at home

22 heartfelt holiday presents you can make

Martha Stewart’s Santa’s Workshop

Sharon Bowerman’s blog, How can I help you?

Also, instead of buying cards this year, make them! This Saturday (Dec. 5), Gangplank in Chandler will be hosting a Christmas Craft Day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The class will be led by Sharon Bowerman. Materials will be provided for paper snowflakes, 2 types of ornaments, gift boxes and snow globes. Suggested donation is $5.  [325 East Elliot Rd Suite 34, Chandler]

A big thanks

The next two days will provide lots of time to reflect on those in our life and what they mean to us. There will be many personal and heart-felt “thank yous” shared over meals and sweets. I myself will be video conferencing with my parents and two sisters tomorrow, as they celebrate in Chicago and I dine with my grandparents in L.A.

What makes this post unusual is my thanks is not directed at an individual, but instead community entities. Though essential parts of our lives, they rarely get special days of thanks and Thanksgiving is not typically directed towards businesses and organizations.

So here it goes. If you are thankful for a local organization or business, post a comment stating why and I will be happy to pass it on and/or post to our Facebook page.

Public library system — Thank you for providing endless hours of entertainment both wandering your halls looking for titles and sitting in your chairs reading them. Thank you for searching for my hold requests and meticulously alphabetizing them on a shelf so I can run in and check them out. Thank you for the free wifi that came in so handy during grad school, and the free classes you provide in financial management.

Fresh ‘n’ Easy — Thank you for being inexpensive and delicious. Thank you for being within walking distance of the Raising Arizona Kids’ office so I can save gas and walk to lunch. Thank you for always greeting me and offering your help when I’ve forgotten to grab some humus, because I always do.

Margaret T. Hance Park — Thank you for all the open green space to play nerf football and let me dog run free. Thank you for providing those little doggie bags for when I run out, because I always do.

Raising Arizona Kids — Thanks for giving me a job =) Thanks for having a staff of fantastic women and men that make everyday productive AND entertaining. Thank you for having a snack box that is always filled with goodies and letting Mala bring little puppy Bonnie to work so I have a dog to nuzzle until I go home to my own.

The world keeps getting smaller…

…and I like it!

I’ve been a social media convert since the beginning. I grew up on AOL instant messenger and chat rooms. I’ve been blogging since the days of geocities and was the first of my friends to be on Facebook in college. It doesn’t take much to convince me of the value of these new tools and how they can be used to bring people closer together.

I understand that not everyone is as easily convinced as I. That is why I’m always so excited when I have a new story about how social media has connected people.

A few weeks ago, I posted to the Raising Arizona Kids twitter account that our 500th Facebook fan would receive a complimentary 1-year subscription to the magazine.  I messaged the winner, a young woman named Tatiana Scocos, and was pleasantly surprised by her enthusiastic reply.

It turns out that Tatiana had posed when she was a baby, with her mother RoxSand Scocos, on our May 1992 magazine cover.

Social media allowed Tatiana to connect with the magazine that’s been a part of her entire life. It has also permitted me to connect with her in a personal way that was more than just a name on a Facebook page. 17 years after appearing on our cover, we’re happy to have Tatiana as a fan and hope to rediscover more connections as our following grows.

Do you have a social media story? Share in the comments.

Pass the turkey

Being an independent adult 1,700 miles away from my parents makes Thanksgiving difficult. I miss my family, the chill of the mid-west air and most importantly,  my mother’s cooking.

I have no idea how to cook a turkey. I rely on the generosity of friends to make my Thanksgiving special and delicious.

I am grateful for that generosity and want to share that with others.

In the coming weeks, you will go shopping for your own Thanksgiving meal. While at the store, pick up an extra turkey or a few non-perishable items. There are several fantastic for-profit and nonprofit organizations sponsoring Turkey and food drives for the holiday season, some right at the grocery store.

Rail Life will be hosting it’s annual Turkey Drive until November 22nd. Call 480-463-4514, comment or direct message with your donation and the money will go towards the purchase of turkeys for Phoenix Rescue Mission. Last year’s drive gathered 875 pounds of turkey!

Safeway and Ben & Matt of KNIX radio station have teamed up for “Ben & Matt’s Million Can Crusade” to benefit St. Vincent de Paul (SVDP). Through November 25th, you can donate cans at any Valley Safeway store or at SVDP. You can also make a monetary donation at any Desert Schools Credit Union or at on SVDP’s web site. There are tons of shows you can attend and prizes for participating.

Several Valley TV stations are also sponsoring Turkey Drives. On November 24th, Channel 12 will host the nation’s largest one-day Turkey Drive at Basha’s and Food City stores for SVDP. Channel 3’s one-day Turkey Drive will be on November 19th. To participate, drop off a turkey or a donation at the Salvation Army, Fry’s or call the Turkey hot line (602-302-8888).