Homemade Bubble Juice!

Well, it has been quite a while since I have written a What's Up For Kids Blog! Not really sure where the time goes, but I have been busy creating new things - including a new company!

However, as I am putting the finishing touches on the September/October Back to School issue for What's Up For Kids, I started daydreaming about the days of summer when my kids (now 13, 15, 17) were little ones - and it wasn't back to homework and studying, just crayons and scissors!

It brought me back to a summer day where we made our own "bubble juice". Not only did they have fun measuring the ingredients, they had a bubble blow out! The recipe is below - get creative for a wand! And blow to your heart's content!!

Bubble Juice!

1/2 cup liquid dishwashing detergent (ie. Dawn, Joy)

4 1/2 cups water

4 Tabelspoons glycerin (available at the pharmacy)

Container with a tight fitting lid

Measure water, detergent and glycerin into container. GENTLY stir the mixture together. If foam appears on the top, gently skim it off. Grab a bubble wand of your choice and BLOW!

Have fun!

Bon Voyage!

As many of you probably have already read, my kids and I are sailing away on Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas - June 21 - 28. A great way to kick-off summer. Well, last weekend I had the privilege of "previewing" the ship!

Gail Woloz, our Family Friendly Travel Writer, invited me to join her on a travel agent's FAM cruise. We boarded the ship on Friday for 2 nights - and tried to experience everything a 7 day cruise offers. What a ship! It is the largest to ever sail the West Coast. It offers beautiful rooms, incredible dining (many options from buffet to gourmet to Johnny Rockets), shopping, spa, pools, entertainment at every turn - incredible! The kids program is amazing! There are programs broken up into various age groups - and all programs are FREE and supervised. From the 3 year olds to teens, there is something for everyone!

Our first night, we enjoyed an amazing ice show. Yes, you read right - there is an ice rink with an unbelievable ice show on board. We also experienced one of their fabulous production shows and even a parade on the promenade.

On Day 2, we went to the dining room for breakfast and then I headed up to the solarium pool for a little r & r! After logging on to my laptop (yes, there is wifi), I feel asleep! That afternoon I even enjoyed a spa treatment. And that night, we went to the 70's dance party on the promenade! Unbelievable!

The ship offers so many activities - rock climbing, in line skating, miniature golf! You need those days at sea to be able to enjoy everything! Plus, the ship stops at 3 great ports of call on the Mexican Riviera - Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallerta!

Our family has done a few cruises with Royal Caribbean - Alaska, Europe, Caribbean...and this will be our first to the Mexican Riviera. Royal Caribbean does a great job with families - my kids love it and can hardly wait. If you would like more information about joining us on the June 21st cruise, or any of their other vacations, give Gail a call at (310) 545-3085. You can also visit our website - http://www.whatsupforkids.com/ and click on 2009 cruise special! And, if you missed our Family Dream Vacations - 2009 and Beyond teleclass, send me an email and I'll email you the link to download and listen to a 1 hour call about all the hottest family vacations! There are some great deals to be had - but they are all based on availability....so CALL TODAY!

CSI: The Experience

This past Friday night, we were invited to attend the preview of CSI: The Experience at the California Science Center. Wow - what an experience it was!

My kids and I love watching CSI - all of them! (please remember, my kids are in middle and high school for watching the tv show.) So when they were asked to come preview the exhibit, I received a resounding "YES!".

We first entered the Briefing Theater, where Gil Grissom gave us instructions. And then we were off to our first crime scene. We were assigned "A House Collided". We quickly observed all the clues - and jotted them down on the card we had been given. Each scene (there are three) represent different mysteries, but the task at hand is the same as we were challenged to identify and gather evidence, analyze materials and formulate a hypothesis about the crime.

Once we viewed the crime scene, we entered two lab areas. Here, we collected data from mass spectrometry and microscope analysis viewing trace vehicle tracks, clothing fibers and paint chips. We were also able to compare fingerprints, shoe prints, blood patterns and ammunition casings. From DNA and firearms analysis to forensic anthropology and toxicology, we were immersed in hands-on science in a multi-media environment with special effects direct from CSI TV.

My kids are not ones who usually jump at the chance to go to a "museum" - however, this time they had a blast while participating in hands-on science - without even realizing it was educational! In fact, once we successfully solved our first crime, they continued on to solve all three crimes at the exhibit!

CSI: The Experience opened on Saturday, January 31 and is open until April 26, 2009. The California Science Center is located at 700 State Drive in Los Angeles and is open daily from 10am - 5pm. Admission is free. (There is a fee for the IMAX Theatre). For more information about the exhibit, go to http://www.csitheexperience.org/ or http://www.californiasciencecenter.org/ or call (323) 724-3623.

Make Dinner Time Dreamy!

I know I have written before about Dream Dinners - but that was years ago when there was not one in the South Bay! I loved the concept so much, I was driving all the way up to LA once a month!

For a while now, the South Bay has had its very own Dream Dinners! It is located in the Southwood Village at Sepulveda and Palos Verdes Blvd, 22226 Palos Verdes Blvd., Torrance. (310-792-0055). My girlfriend and I go once a month - and I usually make a minimum of 12 dinners. It takes about one to one and a half hours - depending upon how much I socialize. (If I talk too much, I have been known to forget an ingredient!)

The store is set up with stations - and each month they have a whole menu of things you can make. All ingredients are fresh and ready to go. No chopping, dicing, slicing - just follow the posted recipe and assemble the ingredients. Once you are done assembling - walk away! They will clean up the drips and spills from your mixing. (I still have a hard time with that one - cause I always drip something and make a mess and I don't feel right having them clean it up!)

It is an incredible concept for families. With my family, work and volunteer schedule, it is just too hard to cook every night! Dream Dinners are easy to cook and healthy - and my family loves them! It is just the help I need in the kitchen!

What's Up For Kids has arranged a ***special sneak peak*** with the owners, Laurie and Carol! On Tuesday, February 3rd, come by Dream Dinners at either 1pm, 3pm or 5pm. They will demonstrate how to make 2 of their meals for February - and then you get to taste them! If you would like to give it a try, you can make one of the two meals demonstrated for only $10 - a $25 value! Plus, anyone who signs up for a full session will earn one free meal!

To sign up for this fun free event, send me a quick email at cathy@whatsupforkids.com listing which demonstration you would like to attend - 1pm, 3pm or 5pm. I'll be at Dream Dinners that day for the 5pm demo ..... with my cooler of wine to share to make it a happy hour!

And lastly - we have a door prize drawing from Dream Dinners - with a $100 gift certificate plus other kitchen goodies. To register, send an email with your name and contact email to prizes@whatsupforkids.com. One entry per person, per household. Entries will be accepted January 9 - February 2. The drawing will take place on February 3rd and the winner will be notified!
Bon Appetit!!

Don't Toss Those Cards Yet!!!!

Well, the holiday break is just about over - time to clean up the decorations, take down the tree and throw away all those holidays cards! WAIT - don't do that yet! Read on.

First, for those of you who send me a card, if it has a picture, it has the privledge of hanging on my door of cards. I take all the holiday picture cards and tape them up making a huge collage of friendly faces. I love it - it is right on the back of my front door! So whenever I come or go, I am reminded how lucky we are to have so many wonderful friends and family! (I have taken a picture, but as you may notice, a few have fallen and left holes!)

For the beautiful cards with no picture, I have a sleigh where I place the cards. Those typically get tossed when cleaning up the Christmas decor (the ones on the door stay a few weeks), but this year Gail from TravelStore passed on a great tip.

St. Jude's Ranch for Children has a recycling program. The cards are recycled by the children at St. Judes into new cards. You just send the front of the card and the kids attach a new back with greetings. They accept all kinds of cards too, not just Christmas.
Deadline to send is February 28, 2009.
Mail to: St. Jude’s Ranch for Children,

Card Recycling Program
100 St Jude’s St.
Boulder City, NV 89005

For more information on the program and what they do, visit http://www.stjudesranch.org/.

OR, you can recycle your cards at the nearest Fresh & Easy market. They will accept cards thru mid-january. Proceeds go to the American Forest Charity. More information on that program can be found at http://www.freshandeasy.com/.

Either way, it's a wonderful idea and gives the kids a little project.

Acknowledge and Appreciate Yourself!

By Jack Canfield
With the year coming to a close, it's time to acknowledge and appreciate yourself for everything you've accomplished today, throughout the year, and in life.

How many times have you succeeded in the past month? Are you able to recall your successes as well as your failures and missteps?

Many people under-appreciate the little things they accomplish every day. And yet they can recall in detail all the times they have failed or made mistakes. That's because the brain remembers events more easily when the are accompanied by strong emotions.

You might recall graduation, losing 10 pounds, winning an award, or landing a highly sought after position. But do you include in your successes how you had a really great talk with your spouse, how you spent quality time with your teen, how you got all your list of things done for the day, how you learned to change your own oil, or got your fussy child to take a nap?

If you don't acknowledge your successes the same way you acknowledge your mistakes, you're sure to have a memory full of blunders.

Acknowledge your own success. Toot your own horn and don't wait for anyone else to praise you!
If you only remember the mistakes and failures, you won't be as ready to take risks that will lead to your successes. Build yourself-esteem by recalling ALL the ways you have succeeded and your brain will be filled with images of you making you achievements happen again and again.

Take time to write your achievements down. Start when you were very young and think of all your achievements since then. Don't just pick the big things, write down all the things you take for granted. You can also create a log of success everyday and review it when you are faced with a new challenge. By writing it all down everyday, you're securing it in your long-term memory and it will become a part of what makes you tick.

Surround yourself with reminders of your success.

Put up pictures, articles, trophies, awards and other pieces that ring your attention to you success. Make your environment speak to you about your achievements. Be proud of them!

People like to be around those who have a healthy self-esteem and who are achieving their Goals. Commit to acknowledging your achievements and you brain will begin to tell you the truth... that you can do ANYTHING!

Taking just 30 minutes to complete this activity will become your positive springboard into 2009 for even more successes.

Editor's Note:
Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com

The Reason for the Season!

Today was the most incredible day! It hit to the heart of the season for me! Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa - or anything else - it is all about the kids!

I had written about our philanthropy group Teens on a Mission a few weeks ago. Today, our group helped at the Christmas party at Harbor Interfaith Services in San Pedro. We had spent the last 2 weeks collecting donated toys and wrapping all of them. Each child on our list of 39 children in the Shelter was to receive one complete outfit including shoes and 2 toys. Today, we attended the party at Harbor Interfaith and brought in cookie decorating and face painting - in addition to 2 suburbans full of toys.

As the families approached our "suburban sleighs" one by one, the bags of toys were handed out. The faces of the children lite up like Christmas trees - and the appreciation on the faces of the parents will never be forgotten. One young teen had tears in her eyes as she accepted her bag.

At a time when things are tough for all of us, this was a chance for us to share our blessings with those who are experiencing the most difficult time in their lives. While I have done this project before, the parents and children touched me today like never before. The most memorable moment was when one of the moms gave me the biggest hug - with the biggest genuine thank you whispered in my ear.

The work they are doing at Harbor Interfaith Services is amazing and we are grateful to have been apart of something bigger today. Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukah!