Each year Ground Hog's Day comes around quite quickly after the holidays at my house.  My second child shares his bithday with "Punxsutawney Phil" and so we seem to always pay attention to whether or not he sees his shadow.  Not knowing much about this day prior to his birth... I came to learn a few facts I thought I would share.  To clarify:

If he sees his shadow, he gets "scared" and returns to his den for six more weeks of winter.

If the day is cloudy and he does not see his shadow, he thinks it is spring.

The history of it goes back centuries, but some of the past fifty years facts may put a smile on your face today.

Over the course of Phil's appearances, Phil has had numerous noteworthy highlights:

During Prohibition Phil threatened to impose 60 weeks of winter on the community if he wasn't allowed a drink.

In 1958 Phil announced that it was a "United States Chucknik," rather than a Soviet Sputnik or Muttnik that became the first man-made satellite to orbit Earth.

In 1981 Phil wore a yellow ribbon in honor of the American hostages in Iran.

Phil traveled to Washington DC in 1986 to meet with President Reagan. He was joined by Groundhog Club President Jim Means, Al Anthony and Bill Null.

Phil met Pennsylvania Governor Dick Thornburg in 1987.

In 1993, Columbia Pictures released the movie Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray.

Phil appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show in 1995.

In the years following the release of the movie, record crowds numbering as high as 30,000 have visited Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney!

In 2001, Phil's prediction was shown live on the JumboTron at Times Square in New York City.

For more information,activities, and to see Phil yourself, check out

www.groundhog.org.

In my family, we are split between wanting more weeks of winter or looking for an early spring.  Either way, we enjoy the anticipation of wondering what Phil will see or not see next week!

Check out this link to see owner Jennifer Thompson interviewed by Robin McCoy!

http://ctmomreviews.blogspot.com/2011/05/spotlight-on-mommy-jennifer-thompson-of.html

Look what our design team member Denise created for our upcoming PTO Trade Shows!  See it live in Columbus, OH on March 16, St. Louis, MO on March 22, and in Chicago, IL on May 3.  Sorry White Plains, NY and Atlanta, GA.... it would not fly well!!

Halloween Safety Tips
Wear comfortable shoes!!
Carry a flashlight or wear reflective tape on your costume.
Wear something with a reflector on it – Help others see you.
Never go into a stranger’s house, even if they ask you to come in while they go and get some candy.
Throw away all homemade or unwrapped treats. Be safe… not sorry!
When walking down the street, have the adult walk closest to the road.
Do not pet strange animals while trick or treating.
Do not eat candy as you go.
Always be nice, even when people do not have any candy to give out.
Do not knock on doors where the lights are off.
Have a plan before you start. If you are walking in an unfamiliar neighborhood, it is easy to get lost.

For older kids who want to go out alone, send them on a predetermined path, send a cell phone if possible, and set a time for them to come home.
When you get home, check all candy before eating any of it.
Have a safe and fun Halloween-and take lots of pictures!

Living in the midwest, schools start for us around the end of August.  Being as today is July 23rd, that gives us about 1 month to get our 4 children ready.  Advertisements for backpacks, lunch boxes, clothes, etc have already entered my post office mail box as well as my email inbox.  I guess it's time to start thinking about it! So, in the spirit of preparing I've listed my top 5 "things" that we historically do to prepare for school.

1.  haircut  2.  backpack  3.  lunch box  4.  new shoes  5.  new shirt for 1st day

As school supplies are our business, that is a given... my kids find no excitement in a new box of crayons like I use to as a child... overexposure to blame.  :)

The count down begins!

The last day of the month is upon us... where did June go?  Independence Day is here though which is my favorite holiday of the year.  In our neighborhood we celebrate with several activities; an adult softball game, kids catch frogs in a local pond and have a frog jumping contest, a parade with oodles of bikes, pets, and even floats, followed by a community picnic that draws close to 500 people.  In the back of my head I know this is when we begin the down slide of summer.  I've been told Hallmark stores will be bringing out the Christmas ornaments soon, and I'm sure if I looked hard enough I could find Halloween costumes.  I'm not looking though.  I'm focusing on the sunshine and swimming pool.  Back to school season is first.   I'm taking these one event at a time!

Children in our area of the country are pouring out of the school house doors and looking for summer fun.  Swimming pools, sprinklers, vacations, summer camps, you name it.  As a parent of 4 children, I often start summer with trepidation in trying to find ways to keep everyone occupied, and not "plugged in" to electronics.  Come August, I will reflect on how fast it really passed and remind myself that next summer I won't feel that way (though I always do).  My goal this summer is to relax and enjoy each day. This is tougher than it sounds!  With one broken arm in the family already (swing set dismount gone bad), we are being creative in finding ways to pass the time.  In the grand scheme.... all is good!

Last weekend was a day to mulch in the midwest.  The decision we face each year is whether to have a delivery of mulch in bulk yards or to buy bags of it. 

The delivery of yards is cost effective; more for your money.  Bags on the other hand, are more convenient.  They can be transported easily around a yard, and the mulching can be done in stages.  

The same applies to school supplies!  Buying supplies in bulk can be more cost effective.  However, finding everything  a teacher requests (or 4 teachers in my case), is overwhelming.  You may only need one hiliter, but you can't buy only one hiliter!

Our company packages all the necessary supplies into a convenient one-stop-shop bundle.  We include all items as instructed by each teacher in each school we service.  Don't see your school?  Then hand pick your items from our school store.  This can be done AFTER the kids are in bed, without dragging them up and down the aisles, and without the "extra" things ending up in your cart!

Have a school list we can add to our store?  email it to us!  contact@write-stuff.com

I always seem to be running… (I’ve been a runner for the past 10 years)
Since 1897, the Boston Marathon has been held on the third Monday of April.  As a runner myself, I look at those participants in wonder and amazement.  Training takes hard work, discipline and perseverance; the same applies to parenting!  When crossing the finish line of a race, a feeling of accomplishment overcomes you.  Thankfully, the “parenting finish line” really is never crossed… allowing us to enjoy the journey instead.  

“Running” a family
Each day I find raising four children and owning my own business a challenge.  Trying to “do it all” is a goal we all try to achieve.  

“Running” a business
At a recent Women’s Business Summit I heard my new motto:  “In order to have it all you can’t do it all”.  So, I’m making time for my family, I’m making time for my running,  and I’m making time for my business.  My life may seem like a marathon sometimes, but it is still a journey I’m enjoying.  

Inspiration and Hope!
I won’t deny there are days I’d like to hit the trail running and not come back.  It is stressful trying to wear a lot of hats -or in this case- shoes!- but I wouldn’t trade my path.  

Each year I set new running goals, from time improvements to earning cool t-shirts at races to supporting good causes; all with my personal growth in mind.  Looking at my business in this way is important too.  Does Crayola or Elmer’s sell cool t-shirts?  Anyway, growth is the key word here and I will continue to find ways to help myself, my family and my business flourish!