It’s for a Great Cause.
The Entertainment Industry Foundation Revlon Run/Walk for Women has touched the lives of millions of people through increased cancer awareness, education, research, and diagnostic treatment services. Created in 1994 the EIF Revlon Run/Walks (Los Angeles & New York) along with sponsors have distributed over 65 million dollars in the fight against women’s cancers.

It’s on my Life List.
Yes remember that Life List I proclaimed a few years ago – 22. Run a marathon. Not to self I need to update my Life List.

It’s Great Exercise.
I am planning on running Saturday anyway – so why not run with a crowd.

If you are in the Los Angeles area it’s not too late to register. The EIF Revlon Run/Walk (www.revlonrunwalk.org) will be held rain or shine on Saturday, May 12, 2012, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum at Exposition Park.

You can bring peace and harmony back into your home by using the Privileges System for Children. Here’s how it works, in ten easy steps:

1. Say to your child, “Wouldn’t it be great if you got to do what you wanted and Mommy and Daddy didn’t have to yell anymore?” (The answer is quite likely to be, “Yes!”)
2. Each day, ask your child to choose approximately 5 – 8 privileges that he or she would like to enjoy. You write (or sketch, if your child is a non-reader) one privilege per sticky note and attach the sticky notes to a place that is easily visible to you and your child.
3. Any time the child engages in inappropriate behavior (whining, pouting, bossing, tugging, stalling, pestering, etc.), name the behavior and count. For example, “I hear you whining. I’m counting that as number one. If you continue to whine, I will continue to count. If I reach three, you will lose a privilege.” Only wait about ten seconds to count to the next number if the behavior does not improve. If the behavior does improve but reemerges later, start the counting over.
4. It is imperative that you remain calm and never try to talk your child into stopping the behavior. Calmly name the behavior, and then count. When you reach three (and you must, for the system to work), say, “You have reached number three. You have lost the privilege of _____ for today.” You choose the privilege that is to be “counted out.” Just because you are giving choices does not mean that you give up control of the system.
5. Once a privilege is “counted out,” it is highly likely that your child will react with tears, pleading, more whining, and whatever else is in his behavioral arsenal. If that happens, you may simply say, “I am sad, too, that you made the choice to continue that behavior. I was looking forward to watching you enjoy that privilege.”
6. Remove the sticky note representing the privilege that was “counted out” from its place and put it inside a kitchen cabinet, or somewhere else that is out of sight. That privilege is gone for today, but remember… tomorrow is another day.
7. If inappropriate behavior ensues following the loss of a privilege, simply name the behavior and count again. It is not unusual for a child to lose two or three privileges quickly when you first begin the system. Some parents choose to begin with more than five privileges if they anticipate their children will lose them quickly at first.
8. Once a privilege has been “counted out,” it is gone for that day. A child cannot earn back a privilege by being well-behaved. This is not a system of negotiation. It is important to remind your child that he or she will have the opportunity to choose that privilege again on another day. Say, “maybe on that day you will be able to make a better choice with your behavior and we will get to enjoy the privilege.”
9. When your child chooses privileges, be sure that they work for you. Don’t agree to a privilege that won’t fit into your schedule for the day. The Privileges System teaches parents and children to work as a team. If your child makes a suggestion that won’t work for one day, explain why another day might work better. You are the parent; you have veto power.
10. Go about your day and enjoy the privileges. When a privilege has been enjoyed, put the sticky note representing that privilege out of sight. Utilizing the sticky notes enables children to see the consequences of their actions, both favorable and unfavorable. If there are no privileges left and it’s only the middle of the afternoon, allow your child to choose several more privileges, but do not reinstate privileges that have been “counted out.”

The Privileges System fits your schedule and your children’s preferences. Privileges can be anything from a ride on daddy’s shoulders to ten minutes of your undivided attention. The beauty of this system is that it can be used for any age child, from preschoolers to teenagers. Sure, the privileges change over time, but the theory doesn’t. Acceptable behavior results in the enjoyment of privileges; unacceptable behavior results in the loss of privileges.

Don’t worry that you won’t be able to keep track of your counting or of how many privileges have been “counted out.” Guess who can help you with that? Your child! Children never lose count of their privileges. If you are using the Privileges System with more than one child, use different colored sticky notes and don’t allow one child to be the “score keeper” for another child. Everyone focuses on his or her own behavior.

And you, as the parent, get to focus on the fact that you have not yelled since you began using the Privileges System. You are no longer a yeller! Congratulations! Your children and your vocal cords thank you. Now that you have committed to the Privileges System, you will see results in a very short time, maybe even in a matter of hours. Children enjoy being in control of their behavior and they love to choose their privileges.

If you have the determination and fortitude to really make a change, everyone wins. What do they get? Privileges. What do you get? Peace.

Jennifer M. Koontz is a mother and an educator who has taught students of all ages, from preschool through college. She is the author of When Your Centerpiece is Made of Play-Doh and the Dog Has Eaten Your Crayons: A Mother’s Perspective on Parenting. For more information, please visit, www.facebook.com/jmkoontzforparents

What do you think about the privilege system? Is it something you will try or did try?

Toyota has done that with their 100 Cars for Good Giveaway. Toyota’s 100 Cars for Good program is a Facebook-enabled philanthropy initiative where Toyota will give away up to 100 cars in 100 days to 100 eligible nonprofit charitable organizations.

The first 500 finalist have already been selected by an independent, third-party panel of experts in the areas of philanthropy and corporate social responsibility.

Starting May 14th, you and I and everyone else will get a chance to vote for the lucky 100 nonprofits that receive the 100 cars. Each day, five of the organizations will compete for popular votes via a dedicated Facebook application, available here. The organization that receives the most votes at the end of the day will receive a car. But Toyota didn’t leave out the other four finalist, they will receive $100 cash so everyone is a winner.
To find out if you’re favorite nonprofit made the 500 list visit www.100carsforgood.com. If they didn’t, I’m sure you will find a nonprofit that you’ll want to vote for.

So be sure to stop by www.100carsforgood.com between May 14 through August 21 and vote to help one lucky nonprofit daily.

But somewhere through the tears we began to notice a transformation, the words began to flow out her mouth… All of a sudden she was not just reading her “Assigned” reading but we would catch her reading billboards as we drove through the city, TV ads on television (not my favorite) and just about anything she could.

Then something even more amazing happened she stopped picking the “easy” books and started reading her chapter books, not just when she had to but quietly in her room, in the car, or during a photo shoot! She loves the Junie B Jones books and I have to say I even catch myself laughing out loud.

For more photos of our quick session visit BizziePhotography.com.

Turns out his favorite part was watching the cars drifting. He was even cheering them on!

Their favorite part of the show – cars drifting.

Disclosure: I was selected for participation in the TWIN community through a program with Clever Girls Collective. I did not receive any compensation for writing this post, or payment in exchange for participating. The opinions expressed herein are mine, and do not reflect the views of the Toyota.

*Photos taken by the Olympus Pen EPM-1

My kids are on their way home from San Diego today. My parents took them to the San Diego zoo for a few days and will be staying at our place until the end of the week. Which is great cause it gives the kids something to do on Spring break and saves us on daycare for the week.

It’s funny though, because every time we make plans for the kids visit away I create a huge to-do list of things to get done before they get back. But something always happens during their trips away and I never accomplish anything I planned. I was going to catch up on some blog writing – that didn’t happen. I was going to reorganize my sons room and find a way to organize his ever growing Lego collection. Well I was going to do a lot.

Don’t get me wrong I did get a chance to go to the movies, we saw Hunger Games, I did get to go out with the Hubs, and I went running whenever I wanted and even went to my Restore Core class without stressing about what needs to be done at home.

But I’m still behind on photo editing, blog writing, business promoting… I’m beginning to think this “Finding Balance” is a total crock!

But now things are different, well except for not being able to read and finding it easier to pass the time by drifting off to sleep. Now I have two kids to entertain in order to maintain sanity in the car during our road trips to the grandparent’s house.

Luckily we are a pro-gadget family so we have plenty of things to keep the kids busy.

• Portable DVD Player – to watch a new or favorite movie
• Iphone/Ipad or any other tablet – filled with games for the kids to play
• Books to read – for those that don’t have queasy stomachs like my daughter

But you don’t always have to reach for the latest tech gadget to entertain the kids while on a road trip. Here are some other great things to keep the busy and don’t require batteries.

1. Aluminum Foil Art – Pick up a cheap roll of alumni foil and have the kids make foil art. Encourage them to use their imagination by shaping the foil into animals, jewelry, hats and more. Best of all this can be fun for both boys and girls.
2. Scavenger Hunt – Give each child a list of things to look out for while driving
3. I Spy Games
4. Rock Paper Scissors
5. Car Bingo

Most of the time the husband and I start our road trips in the evening so the kids will sleep most of the way through and then we can listen to any music we want and enjoy some time together, if I don’t fall asleep.

How do you entertain your kids on road trips?

Disclosure: I was selected for participation in the TWIN community through a program withClever Girls Collective. I did not receive any compensation for writing this post, or payment in exchange for participating. The opinions expressed herein are mine, and do not reflect the
views of the Toyota.

]]> http://www.bizzieliving.com/how-to-entertain-the-kids-when-traveling-by-car.html/feed 2 http://www.bizzieliving.com/a-week-with-the-toyota-highlander-hybrid.html http://www.bizzieliving.com/a-week-with-the-toyota-highlander-hybrid.html#comments Sat, 31 Mar 2012 05:53:50 +0000 Stephanie Elie http://www.bizzieliving.com/?p=11605 You had me with the push-button start…
Last week we had the chance to test drive the 2011 Toyota Highlander Hybrid

As most of you probably know I’m participating in the Toyota TWIN program, as a result I was given the opportunity to test drive the Toyota Highlander Hybrid for an entire week! I have to tell you this car made my hour commute to and from work so lovely I could have driven 2 hours each way!
The Hubs and I are currently car shopping and have going back and forth on what type of vehicle we were going to invest in this time around. I’ve always had the idea of getting a mid-size SUV while he was thinking we should get another sedan.

But I think after a week with the Highlander I have him hooked. There are so many things I love about this SUV.


1. The Push-Button Start- I love that I can just plant my keys in my purse and the car automatically unlocks when I approach the car. Not only does this make things easier but also safer, you don’t have to dig in your purse after a late night working or shopping making yourself vulnerable to possible predators.
2. The Third Row Seat – When we first looked at the Highlander Hybrid I was disappointed that you had to give up your 3rd row seat in order to get the Hybrid, but now you can have both. Not that I really need the third row but I can see it being useful on long car rides when the kids are tired of sitting so close to each other.
3. The Hybrid – While I’m sure it will take a little more investigating on our part I’m still very interested in purchasing a Hybrid, especially no since I’m commuting further than I used to. Not to mention it seems to save on gas. My current car is near empty by the end of the week, but the Highlander did so much better.
4. The Amount of Space – I love how much more room the Highland has compared to my smaller SUV. The front seats are nice and comfortable and the back seats had plenty of room for the kids. You could even convert the first row of backseats so it can seat 3 people instead of the standard 2.
5. The Power – This is no slow poke, I always assumed that Hybrids were a bit slower and didn’t have as much power as a standard gas vehicle. But I was so wrong; when the Highlander needed to move it did and it did it fast.
6. The Back-up Camera – While I never really independently depended on the back up camera it is really helpful to have to avoid any obstacles that may jump in the way while you’re backing up.
Also if you saw my post a few weeks ago – the Toyota Highlander won first place in the Hybrid SUV category in U.S. News Best Cars: 2012 Best Card for Families Awards.

Next week the kids will be with their grandparents for a few days so the Hubs and I are going to do some more car browser and see if what we can find. However, I have a feeling it’s going to be a little hard to be subjective when we already know what we want.

To learn more about the Toyota Highlander visit Toyota @ http://www.toyota.com/highlander/trims-prices.html.

Disclosure: I was selected for participation in the TWIN community through a program withClever Girls Collective. I did not receive any compensation for writing this post, or payment in exchange for participating. The opinions expressed herein are mine, and do not reflect the
views of the Toyota.

]]> http://www.bizzieliving.com/a-week-with-the-toyota-highlander-hybrid.html/feed 0 http://www.bizzieliving.com/a-photo-remote-for-your-iphone.html http://www.bizzieliving.com/a-photo-remote-for-your-iphone.html#comments Mon, 19 Mar 2012 15:30:41 +0000 Stephanie Elie http://www.bizzieliving.com/?p=11586 No more Arms Length Self-Portraits with your iPhone
Tired of trying to capture every moment at arms length, the new iPhone Shutter Remote will extends your arms by 30 feet!

The one thing I hate about taking pictures with the iPhone is that if I ever want to be in the picture they often come out like this…



And when you try and take a self-portrait you can only be as creative as the length of your arm and if your short like me that only limits your creativity more.





What about video – have you ever tried recording a recital with your iPhone? If you didn’t come prepared with a mini tripod your hand will get tired and wobbly way before the second verse.

This is one reason why I don’t take that many pictures with my iphone, but luckily someone has come up with a solution. A remote control trigger for your camera phone.

iPhone Shutter Remote Details
Take iPhone pics & video from 30 feet away!
Included stand props your phone & fits over cases
Great for self-portraits, group photos, long exposures, stop-motion
Compact for easy carrying
Works with your phone via Bluetooth
3.5″ x 1″ x 1/2″ with stand
Works with iPhone 4 and 4S

Please note that The iPhone Shutter Remote requires the free “Belkin LiveAction App”. The iPhone Shutter Remote is available now at Photojojo.com.

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