I'm Not the Nanny

Proud to Be a PBS Kids Very Important Parent

2013-05-21T09:03:00.000-04:00

Growing up, my immigrant parents couldn't afford cable television. Instead my industrious dad cobbled together a high antenna outside our home so we could intercept some fuzzy entertainment. I was a latchkey kid and my afternoon viewing choices were either soap operas or PBS. I grew up watching Sesame Street and Mr. Roger's Neighborhood with a splash of Bob Ross painting happy clouds and pine trees.

It's my second year as an blogger ambassador for PBS Kids, but only my first time attending the PBS Annual Meeting. I couldn't make it last year, but was thrilled to be invited to attend this year. How could I turn down a trip to Miami at a hotel right on the beach? Not only that, I got to rub elbows with some Sesame Street elite: Rosita (and her puppeteers) and Mando, the Street's newest character.

Together, Mando, Rosita, and I chatted about natural hair tips and I even taught them a bit of Vietnamese! You'll see Mando this fall on the 44th season of Sesame Street. I took a bunch of video of PBS Kids celebrities like Mr. Steve Songs, so check out my YouTube channel.

Since I started working with PBS Kids, I've learned how much thought and research goes into all of their shows. I'm impressed by all the details that come up. How they test pilots over and over with kids to make sure their target audiences stay engaged.

PBS Kids work hard to make their shows and games accessible to everyone, especially low income families. Their new commitment to transmedia is forward thinking and necessary for our growing multimedia age. All of their games are free and there are no ads on their website. You can't say that about other popular kids websites.

When I let my kids sit down to play at PBSKids.org, I know they can play safely online. My kids are having fun and learning as they play. I love watching my kids collaborate as they create stories with Martha or launch meatballs for Curious George.

Peg + Cat (pronounced "Peg plus Cat") is the newest show on PBSKids. Coming this fall, Peg + Cat teaches literacy and math. I have waited so long for a STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) show that features a girl as the main character. Hurray! My daughter wants to be a chemical engineer when she grows up. We need to show our daughters other girls who love math and science too!

I'll be sharing more PBS Kids news throughout the year, so stay tuned. Don't worry, I'll share some adult PBS news too. Like how I got to meet Wilmer Valderrama at lunch featuring the new documentary The Graduate. Like Downton Abby will return January 2014 for season 4. Yeah!

As a PBS Kids VIP, I attended the PBS Annual Meeting as a guest of PBS Kids. All opinions are my own. I was already a fan of PBS Kids before becoming an amabassador.

Following Your Passion & A Constellation of Vital Phenomena

2013-05-20T02:45:00.001-04:00

This post was inspired by the novel A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra. In a war torn Chechnya, a young fatherless girl, a family friend, and a hardened doctor struggle with love and loss. Join From Left to Write on May 20 as we discuss Anthony Marra's debut novel. As a member, I received a copy of the book for review purposes. This post contains affiliate links.

Akhmed's stifled dream saddened my heart, as I read this month's From Left to Write selection A Constellation of Vital Phenomena. His village placed their hopes and dreams upon him when they paid for his college education to become a doctor. Instead of learning medicine in anatomy class, he discovered his love for drawing. His passion was to create art. Because of his loyalty to his village and the people who paid for his education, he returned home as a mediocre doctor. He drew in secret.

Sketching mints at a conference table. Each one is so different!

I, too, discovered my love for drawing in college. My senior year, in fact. Drawing was hard for me at first because I thought too hard. Many things I try come easy to me, but drawing wasn't one of them. I struggled to relax and not impose my perfectionism upon my work. I can't say I've overcome my need for perfectionism, but I've learned to ignore it a little better.

You've seen my drawings and sketches. They are by no means perfect. I draw with ink because I cannot erase my lines. I'm learning to live by the motto I constantly tell my kids, "There are no mistakes in art." A stray line can turn into something quite unexpected.

No matter if I love my sketches or stick them under a pile of paper to be forgotten, I honor my desire to create and document my world visually. If I ignore my passion for creating, then I shall temper the fire within me.

We all need our passions to keep us alive. To make life worth living.

How do you honor your passions?

Learn a New Craft with Craftsy Free Class Day (5/18 Only)

2013-05-17T21:23:00.002-04:00

Want to learn a new craft or improve your skills? Craftsy is offering Free Class Day! It officially begins tomorrow, May 18, but ~~it looks like you can sign up for a free class tonight.~~ You can sign up for an account tonight and choose your free class tomorrow. (Disclosure: affiliate links in this post.)

Starting tonight, Craftsy is hosting Free Class Day to benefit DonorsChoose. For one day only, new members can choose one free course from a selection of favorite Craftsy classes, up to a $39.99 value! If you haven't taken a Craftsy class yet, Saturday is your chance to sign up for your first by choosing from classes in quilting, sewing, knitting, cake decorating, and more.

If they meet their goal of giving away 10,000 classes, Craftsy will donate $5,000 to DonorsChoose to fund arts education in public schools across the US. Existing members are not eligible for the free course offer, but will still receive a special treat.

If you're busy like me, finding time to attend an in-person class can be challenging. How about taking an online, video class instead? I've never taken a class with Craftsy before but I've seen a few that caught my eye.

I'm eyeballing the Classic Croissants at Home class. Maybe now that I'm older, I'll have the patience to make croissants. With real butter. Because when I was a kid, my mom only bought margarine because butter was too expensive.

Don't forget, Craftsy's free class offer is only good through Saturday, May 18 midnight Mountain time.

What class will you take?

I don't usually post deals in this manner, but as a crafty person, how could I not share this? It's pretty cool. I'm signing up myself. The links in this post are affiliate links so if you sign up for a class through them, I earn a teeny commission. Thanks!

Book Review: Making Your Creative Mark by Eric Maisel

2013-05-17T09:49:00.002-04:00

My heavily marked copy of this awesome book!

As a creative person who juggles my creative endeavors and motherhood, I was happy to get my hands on a review copy of Making Your Creative Mark: Nine Keys to Achieving Your Artistic Goals by Eric Maisel. I have several of Dr. Maisel's books on my "creativity" bookshelf, next to favorites like Keri Smith's Wreck This Journal.

Before I began blogging, I only saw myself as a crafter and dabbler in art. Even with my background in costume design, I didn't always see myself as an artist. I knew that creativity was in my blood. If I went too many days in between making something, I felt anxious. It was as if something was missing from my life. Then I begin writing on my blog more consistently and realized that I truly love writing. Voila, another facet of my creativity found.

Dr. Maisel's latest book taps on his many years of experience as a creativity coach. While the book mostly uses visual artists and writers as examples for his techniques and thought processes, I could easily relate it to my blogging and business endeavors. The nine keys will help all creatives achieve a mindset that will help them succeed in their careers.

Every chapter in this resonated with me. I've flagged pages and highlighted passages throughout the book. Passion, the Key discussed in chapter 3, gave me so many AHA! moments. Maisel encourages creatives to finish projects for the sake of making progress. As someone loves learning new crafts, I start many new projects but I also have quite a collection of UFOs or unfinished objects. I'm training myself out of this habit by being honest on the amount of time I have to complete something.

I've always had many different passions at any given point of my life. If you're unsure of your passion or its glow has faded, Maisel rcommends:

One way to fall back into love with your work is to allow yourself to obsess about it-to really bite into it, to really think about it, and to pay real, obsessive attention to it.

For me, flitting from one passion to another does not give me the time to fully develop it. Right now my main passion is blogging and social media. I love the work that I do, but when I feel the itch to paint or draw, I honor it but don't "obsess" over it. I just pull out my travel art kit and create a quick painting or sketch.

Mothering young children is an all consuming, mentally and physically exhausting task. At least for me it is. At the end of the day, I'm too exhausted to even think about pulling out my sketchbook or my paints. Reading Making Your Creative Mark: Nine Keys to Achieving Your Artistic Goals made me realize that I don't have to stifle my creativity even in the throes of motherhood. This book is staying on my keeper shelf because I know I will come back to it again and again.

If you're a creative person or even want to be more creative, you will discover concrete tips and suggestions. I highly recommend it. For more creativity tips and resources, visit Eric Maisel's website. It's chockful of goodness.

I received a copy of the book for review. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Talking About Race on All Things Considered

2013-05-15T07:03:00.000-04:00

As an NPR fan, it was beyond my wildest dreams to actually be on the show. This past Sunday, NPR's All Things Considered did a segment about multiracial America, Checking More Than One Box: A Growing Multiracial Nation. Pretty exciting right? The entire process happened rather quickly, but I guess that's how things happen in the broadcasting world.

While the idea of multiracial Americans is not new, I think how we discuss it is evolving. Many parents of mixed raced children are teaching our kids to identify as their nationality, American. Or to identify as both races/cultures. I want my kids to know that they have a choice in how they self-identify. They don't have to be one race or the other. It's a tricky balance. I don't know if it really exists.

After the segment aired, I received many emails and comments from many people all over the world. A theme resonates throughout them. Parents of multiracial and multi-ethnic children want to talk about race and culture, but we want an intelligent discussion about how those very abstract ideas affect how we raise our children.

I hope you all continue to visit this blog or hang out on my Facebook page. Let's create an open atmosphere where we can chat about parenting, race, and culture!

What issues or challenges do you face as as someone who wants to raise a global citizen? I'll try address them in future posts. Mind you, I'm no expert. I'm just figuring it out as I go.

Geeking Out at the PBS Annual Meeting

2013-05-14T08:34:00.000-04:00

I'm writing from sunny and warm Miami this morning. As a parent ambassador for PBS Kids, I'm attending the PBS Annual meeting. I've been a PBS Kids kid from a very young age and I'm glad my kids are PBS Kids lovers as well.

For all the news, follow me on Twitter or Instagram. In just a few minutes, we're going to meet the newest human resident of Sesame Street: Mando.

PBS Kids put so much thought behind their shows. I had no idea until I became a PBS Kids VIP (very important parent). I'm thrilled that I'm able to attend the meeting this year. I hope you'll geek out with me as I meet PBS Kids characters like Daniel Tiger and Super Why!

Books On My Nightstand: May Edition

2013-05-13T08:00:00.000-04:00

Thanks to my current workload and my choice of lackluster books for the past month, I didn't read nearly as much as I wanted. I did manage to read and write reviews for some of them. If you're looking for a new read, maybe these might peak your interest.

The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards by Kristopher Jansma will definitely take you on a wild ride. The storytelling is well done, perhaps a little too well done. Read more of my review over at From Left to Write.

Even though Mother's Day is over, Nurturing the Soul of Your Family: 10 Ways to Reconnect and Find Peace in Everyday Life by Renee Trudeau is a must have for every mom. As mothers, it's easy to put ourselves last; I'm guilty of this more often than I want to admit. Discover my thoughts on the book here.

If you enjoy historical novels set in the South, Glow by Jessica Tuccelli will be right up your alley. Set in the mountains of Georgia, this novel touches on race, slavery, and ghosts. Read my review and enter to win a copy over at From Left to Write.

Just so you don't think I give all my books glowing reviews, sometimes I break up with books, too.

As you can see, I write most of my book reviews on From Left to Write, my virtual book club site, so don't forget to follow me there!

A big welcome to those who found me via NPR's All Things Considered.

Have we connected on Facebook? You can also subscribe to I'm Not the Nanny by email so you don't miss my new posts!

There's Asian Spicy, Then There's Everyone Else

2013-05-11T18:57:00.000-04:00

Photo By ☼zlady via Creative Commons

Whenever we go out for Asian food, my husband, if given the option, always orders his extra spicy. So do I. Almost always, my dish comes out shooting-flames-out-my-mouth-every-time-I-breathe spicy while his is just, uh, spicy.

Since I've known him, my husband likes his food much spicier than I do. And I love spicy food. In college, I became accepted within his circle of friends after I passed the hot wings test: wings so hot, that you would become very intimate with your bathroom the next day. Not to mention it brought tears to your eyes. I passed with flying colors, not even shedding a tear or running towards the nearest glass of milk.

So why is it that my pad thai is always spicier than his?

For the same reason he always received a fork with his chopsticks at some Asian restaurants. He's not Asian. I guess he's not qualified to eat with only chopsticks. Maybe the Asian waiter/waitress doesn't think he can handle burn-off-the-roof-of-your-mouth spicy.

It's become a running joke between us to see whose plate will be spicier if we order the same dish.

Photo by Candlemaker via Creative Commons

The other day we had lunch at one those ubiquitous Asian buffet joints that offer a mishmash of Asian cuisines: sushi, Mongolian grill (is it really Mongolian?), Chinese, and cheese pizza & chicken nuggets for the non-adventurous folks whose friends dragged them there. As his plate of noodles and vegetables cooked on the "Mongolian" flat top, he asked the cook to make his spicy. "More?" the cook asked as he spooned a teeny bit. "Keep going," my husband replied. The cook continued to eyeball my husband as he incrementally added the spicy, oily chili sauce atop the noodles.

After a few more dollops of chili sauce, my husband declared it sufficient.

The cook declared, "Ah, your wife must be Mexican."

We both had a good laugh over that one.

What about you? Have you had similar experiences at Asian restaurants?

Thanks for reading. Make sure you subscribe to I'm Not the Nanny by email so you don't miss my new posts!

Easy Whole Wheat Beer Bread

2013-05-09T10:30:00.000-04:00

All the way in back of my fridge is a lonely bottle of beer. It used to belong to a sampler pack of beer my sister bought the last time she visited. Which I'm embarrassed to say was around Thanksgiving. I have no idea who though pine scented beer would be a good idea. Now it's been banished in the recesses of my fridge behind tubs of yogurt, hummus and that huge jar of pickles my kids promised they would eat.

Like any beer lover, it pains me to pour it out. Finally it occurred to me that I could make beer bread with it. A warm slice of beer bread makes great comfort food on rainy days. This week's forecast is full of rain clouds and thunderbolts! I plan on making it this weekend.

This recipe is so easy, I promise you'll never buy a beer bread mix again. Take the money you save and buy some good microbrews, not an alpine scented one.

The bread is great on its own or with spinach artichoke dip. My family likes it toasted with a little bit of butter. I've even made the mix as a gift (in a cute jar with a bow & copy of the recipe) with a 6 pack of beer. Who wouldn't like that?

The best thing about this recipe is that you can experiment. Make it sweet or savory. The beer you use can change the flavor. I think with the alpine, I might throw in some dried cranberries.

Try Sam Adams Cherry Wheat and throw dried cherries in the mix. Or maybe some Guinness and dark chocolate bits. Oooh, I haven't tried that one yet, but I think I will now! Shredded cheese is good too.

Let me know if you decide to make it. I'll come over!

Thien-Kim's Fabulous Beer Bread (Whole Wheat version)

2 3/4c. whole wheat flour

1 tbsp + 1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/3 c. brown sugar

¼ c. unsalted butter, melted
One 12 ounce bottle of your favorite beer

Preheat oven to 375F. Mix all dry ingredients in bowl. Add beer all at once. Mix as little as possible—batter should be lumpy. Poor batter into greased loaf pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove, brush with melted butter until thoroughly coated—let some drip down the sides. Bake an additional 5-10 minutes until crisp and golden. Remove from pan and cool. Serve plain or buttered.

Walgreens' Steps with Balance Rewards Motivates Me to Walk More

2013-05-09T08:30:00.000-04:00

After my experience at the Walgreens Flagship store in DC, I'm now a Walgreens convert. Their philosophy to provide customers with products that keep us "Happy & Healthy" is one that I believe in as well. We need to stay fit and healthy instead of waiting until we're sick to take care of ourselves. With their free programs like Steps with Balance Rewards, I'm motivated to be more active.

If you're not familiar with Walgreens Balance Rewards, it's more than a loyalty card. Of course scanning your card at the register will give you special sale prices. When you purchase specially marked products, you'll rack up points. Once you reach 5,000 points, you earn $5 to spend at Walgreens, in-store or online. Not a bad deal when you're going to buy the products you need anyway.

It's very easy to link your fitness devices to your Balance Rewards account

Now you can also earn points just by logging your daily steps! I signed up for Steps with Balance Rewards a couple of weeks ago after I learned I can sync my FitBit tracker with it. Whenever my FitBit uploads my daily step, it sends the numbers to Walgreens. For every mile I walk each day, I earn 20 points. Now 20 points doesn't sound a lot, but it adds up.

In the last two weeks, I've already earned 1,660 points! If you have a different kind of fitness tracker, you can see if it's on the list of devices you can sync to your Balance Rewards card. You can even sync smart scale. Even if you don't use a device like the FitBit, you can manually enter your miles walked each day. If you have the Walgreens app on your phone, you won't have an excuse to log your miles.

Click to see a bigger photo of my activity!

It's super easy to sign up. If you already have a Balance Rewards card, you just need to register it online and you can start tracking your steps right away. If you look at my activity record, you can tell which days I was at SoFabCon because I walked a lot. You can even tell which night I went dancing. I didn't sync my FitBit until I returned home from my trip but all together I earned 320 points over four days. Knowing that I earn points for each mile I walk definitely keeps me motivated. If my FitBit tells me at I'm at 2.75 miles for that day, I make an extra effort to make it an even 3 miles. I've been know to power walk through my small apartment to hit my goal.

My local Walgreens is about a 5-10 minute walk from my apartment. How long it takes depends on if I'm by myself or with the kids. It's a good workout as I have to walk up a hill to get to the store. Yesterday, Jaxson and I walked to Walgreens to pick up some healthy snacks. Sometimes I'm so busy with work and my son, I forget to eat lunch. Or don't have time to fix a lunch. So I purchased a bag of Good & Delish Almond Berry Pistachio trail mix. Yum, dried cherries. Jaxson wanted a healthy snack too; he requested "dried plums." I'm glad he shared them with me because they tasted plump, moist, and delicious! (To see what else I purchased, check out my Google+ album of my shopping trip.)

I sit at my desk a lot for work so the extra motivation to earn points on my Balance Rewards card is perfect. Because all the walking or running I do will turn into credit I can use at Walgreens. Basically, Walgreens is paying us to stay active with their Steps with Balance Rewards program.

How do you stay motivated to become more active? Would you walk/run more if you could earn Walgreens money?

I'm Tired of Defending My Nationality

2013-05-08T00:57:00.001-04:00

Photo by kendura99 via Creative Commons

"What's your nationality?"

I've been asked this question countless times throughout my thirty-four years of living in the United States. I was born in October 1978. If you do the math, it means I've been living in the US since I was born. Technically, that makes me an American citizen. My passport even says so.

So why do people feel compelled to ask for my nationality?

Why not my cultural background? Or my ethnicity? Why ask at all? Is it because I'm not Caucasian?

Back in my fiery high school and college days, my quick retort would be "American." Then I'd let the person flounder for a few seconds before adding, "I was born in Louisiana." Last night I didn't even have the patience. I was already cranky because of the poor customer service I received at the fast food restaurant. (The bad customer service had nothing to do with my race or ethnicity. Just folks who can't think outside the box.)

It was just my kids and I eating dinner as we waited for my husband to meet us after work. As we ate, a young employee (younger than me at least) walked past our table a few times, giving us curious looks. Finally she stopped by our table and offered us mints. I told her, "No, thank you," and turned my attention back to my kids. She hesitated and walked away. Seconds later she turned around and dropped the question, "What is your nationality?" She must have been dying to ask me that for the past fifteen minutes.

I can't say I was nice to her. I wasn't mean either. I only gave her my stock answer "American."

It really pisses me off that people assume I'm not American based on how I look.

This young lady is African American. Do people ask her what African country or Caribbean island she hails from? I would guess not unless she spoke with an accent, which she didn't have. Heck, I don't even have an accent unless you count my southern drawl that makes an appearance after a few shots of tequila.

Interchanges like this make me angry. I'm sure this person was just curious and meant no harm. Meaning no harm does not mean it won't offend.

I'm tired of having to explain that even though I have small almond eyes, light skin, and straight black hair, that yes, I really am American. Being asked for my nationality on the assumption that I am not American assumes that all Asian Americans are foreigners. Resident aliens. That's what we call non-native residents, right? Aliens.

I'm considered an alien in my birth country, the only country I have ever known. No, I have never gone back to Vietnam. I can't go back if I've never been there. Yes, I only want to go there to eat the food. The Chinese were one of the first Asian-American immigrants when they became cheap labor for the transcontinental railroad. I'll bet even Chinese Americans who can trace their family that far back are still asked what country they come from.

Remember the Japanese internment during World War II? Japanese citizens quietly hustled and transferred like cattle into internment camps because their ancestors were Japanese. No one locked up the Italians Americans during World War II. We were doing the same thing to Japanese Americans that the Nazis did to the Jews. Back when I took history class in high school, that ugly part of United States history didn't even receive a mention.

I wish I could say that how our society perceives race has evolved since I left my small Louisiana hometown fifteen years ago. Actually, it seems that we have regressed. Don't believe me? Read this story about Seema Jilani's racist encounter at the White House correspondent dinner, and tell me how we see race today.

So how many more years must Asian Americans live in the United States before we're no longer asked for our nationality? How many more generations before we're subconsciously accepted as American citizens? Every time someone asks us for our nationality, it's like a knife in the back. Sure, we can live in our country and become a famous chef (David Chang), a famous architect (Maya Lin) or an Olympic medalist (Michelle Kwan), but we'll never be part of your club. That's how that question makes me feel.

I ask that the next time you're curious about a person's ethnicity or cultural background, think about how you word your question. Or maybe you don't ask at all? Maybe you get to know that person and you'll learn about their deep dark secrets organically, like we all do with our friends.

Combat Your Family's Spring Allergies with Allegra

2013-05-07T11:44:00.000-04:00

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and ALLEGRA®. All opinions are my own. #cbias #SocialFabric

My runny nose is always a good indicator that spring has arrived. My allergies are so intense this time of the year that I grab a tissue as soon as I wake up. I keep a box of tissues in just about every room of my apartment. Sadly my kids have also inherited their parents' seasonal allergies, so the entire family takes allergy medication everyday during spring and fall. This time I'm giving Allegra a try.

My primary care doctor recommended that I try over the counter Allegra to combat my allergies but I usually buy a competitor brand because it was less expensive. I couldn't procrastinate anymore because on the MyAllerGenius, I was able to print out high value coupons for $4 off Allegra and and $2 off Children's Allegra. Add those coupons to an additional $6 savings with my CVS Extra Care card and my budget was more than happy at the great value! Check out my shopping trip on Google+.

One of my pollen alert emails

Besides printing out coupons for Allegra products, you can learn more about adult versus children's allergies. I signed up for email pollen alerts while I was there. (You can opt for texts too.) Whenever pollen is high in my area, MyAllerGenius sends me an email. Sometimes my allergies are so bad, I spend the day in bed with a terrible sinus headache. That does not make me a fun mom! I'm glad I can plan my outdoor activities according to that day's pollen count.

Down the hatch! It actually tastes good. Yes, I tested it.

Every spring, I also watch my kids for allergy symptoms. Usually it starts with lots of eye rubbing and crankiness. Lots of crankiness. They can't quite describe what makes them feel tired and cranky, but mom knows that their allergies have kicked in full force. That's when I start with their allergy medication regimen for the season. We're trying out Children's Allegra this time around. I'm hoping it will be effective than what we were using before. Jaxson loves taking medicine and can actually open some childproof caps, so I'm glad that the Allegra bottle was tricky for me to open! If I can't open it, that means he can't either. (Always keep your medicine out of reach of children, no matter if it's "childproof" or not.)

Want to learn more about MyAllerGenius and CVS? Join the #MyAllerGenius Twitter Party on May 14th from 1:00 to 2:00 PM EST. You can even win prizes! Just head over and RSVP for the party.

Don't forget to print out your coupons at MyAllerGenius!

Test Driving Walmart Family Mobile Unlimited Plan

2013-05-06T00:16:00.002-04:00

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and Walmart Family Mobile. All opinions are my own. #FamilyMobileSaves #cbias #SocialFabric

As someone who loves testing and reviewing new tech products, I have a deep dark secret. My current smartphone is over 2 years old. That's ancient in tech years! As much as I love my Samsung Galaxy S2, I've been dying to own a Galaxy S3. Our family budget doesn't allow me to purchase new tech products on their release date. Since our current mobile family plan contract ends soon, I'm giving Walmart Family Mobile a test run for a few months. Currently the main draw is that they offer no-contract, unlimited plans that is budget friendly.

I grabbed the sleek and sexy Galaxy S3 I was provided and picked up a Starter Kit at my local Walmart. If you don't already own or inherited a phone that uses SIM cards, you can purchase a phone there too. There's a phone for every budget, from the simple flip phone (perfect for my parents!) or smartphones for power users like me. The Starter Kit is $25 and includes your new SIM card and activation instructions. Simple, right? In fact, it was so easy to pick and purchase the Starter Kit that I kept expecting a catch of some sort. For more about my shopping trip, check out my Google+ album.

Once at home, I was able to activate my phone online in less than 20 minutes. Word to the wise, don't activate your phone when you're in dire need a nap. Typing in long series of numbers when you're tired is very challenging! I had my new phone number (you can port your current number too), and within 5 minutes of activation I made a test call to my husband at work. I also tried not to squee too hard about owning a Samsung Galaxy S3.

Can you guess how much the Walmart Family Mobile plan is? It's only $40 a month for unlimited talk, text, and web. Each additional phone is only $35. The cost for two phones on this plan is less than half of what I'm currently paying! Maybe I use my savings towards a family vacation. I'm also happy that I can manage my account online and save trees with paperless billing.

Here's the Galaxy S2 (left) next to our new Galaxy S3 (right). Bigger screen and lighter too. Who will win the test drive? My current mobile carrier or Walmart Family Mobile?

While I was at SoFabCon this past weekend, I left the shiny Galaxy S3 home with my husband to test drive. So far, the service has been clear, with no dropped calls. It's a buzz kill when my call drops while I tell the kids good night during my business travel. Now that I'm back, I plan on putting the data plan to test. I'm a heavy data user: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and many other apps. If the data service can keep up with me, I think the Walmart Family Mobile will be a keeper.

I have two more business trips this month, so let's see how the service holds up in Miami and New York City. Though I pack my laptop on business trips, my smartphone is my life line when I travel. Of course carrying around the Galaxy S3 won't hurt either.

I'll update you in June, after I use the Walmart Family Mobile for a monthy. I'm curious if any of you use a no contract service plan. Who's your carrier and how do you like it?

Finding My Sister From Another Mister at SoFabCon

2013-05-05T11:12:00.001-04:00

When I crack a joke about goosebumps on my butt because the SoFabCon bathrooms are so cold, I'm never sure whom I'll offend. The person who genuinely laughs at my joke--that woman is a keeper. Fate put Shanaka and I together the very first day of the conference as fellow passengers on the airport-to-hotel shuttle. Turns out we laugh at the same things. She thinks I'm funny, yo!

Right now I'm sitting at Chicago O'Hare airport waiting for my flight to return to DC. SoFabCon was a top notch conference, and I'll share a conference recap soon. My brain is brimming over with ideas for my blogs and social media career. My friends who live inside my computer finally came out to play in real life.

However, it's unexpected that made the biggest impression on me this weekend: Shanaka. I barely knew her online and in the Social Fabric community. I just visited her blog, Mama Bee Does, for the first time today. We hit it off. We hung out together all weekend. Thanks to her, I laughed all weekend. Laughed at funny jokes, bad jokes, and silly autocorrect-captioned Instagramphotos. (Ho carts, anyone?)

I've been so busy with work and deadlines that I did not prepare for the 80s night party at the bowling alley. I figured I lived through the 1980s and never wore day-glo pink, so why start now? Shanaka had other ideas and loaned me some of her accessories. A good girlfriend always shares her lime green and fuschia eye shadow. A great girlfriend even crimps your hair for you.

As you can tell, Shanaka and I had a blast together this weekend. Even though she's years younger than my little sister, she doesn't make me feel old. Except when she didn't know what year Guns 'n' Roses released November Rain. We're both no nonsense and tell it like it is.

Yep, I'm totally gushing over making a new girlfriend! Now that I've met Shanaka IRL (in real life), I will definitely be stalking her online as well. I can't let my sister from another mister get away!

Go check out Shanaka's blog. She's seriously talented. She turns fondant into edible creations.

May Multicultural Children's Books: Asian Pacific Heritage Month Edition

2013-05-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

This post contains affiliate links, meaning if you decide to purchase any of the books from the link I receive a teeny percentage of the sale. Thanks for your support! I personally purchased or borrowed these books from my library.

For May's multicultural children's book round up, I'm featuring books with Asian American characters/stories in honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Got your library card or mouse ready so you can add these books to your shelves?

Reading Auntie Yang's Great Soybean Picnic (Lee & Low) by Ginnie Lo to my kids made me smile. It's such a cute story about finding family in a strange place. A young girl tells the story of how her immigrant mother and Auntie Yang discover a soybean field in the Midwest. Soybeans were one her parents' favorite food from China and they finally found it in the United States! Thus begins the tradition of the great soybean

picnic.

I haven't read Going Home, Coming Home/Ve Nha, Tham Que Huong by Truong Tran yet, but I'm buying it for our library. This book tells the story Am Chi who travels to Vietnam with her parents, who still call Vietnam home. The country is simultaneously strange and familiar to Am Chi. My kids have asked more and more questions their grandparents' life in Vietnam. I think this book will be a great way to begin the conversation. Bonus: This book is bilingual, written in both English and Vietnamese. Meaning my parents can read this book to their grandchildren!

With my current obsession with fortune cookies, Grace Lin's Fortune Cookie Fortunes was a fun read for our family. Two sisters wait and wait to see if their fortune cookie fortunes come true and discover something magical along the way. Grace Lin's picture books are in constant rotation in our home. Thankfully our library has a great collection of them. Now that Sophia's reading chapter books, I'll have to check out Lin's Pacy Lin series.

Hannah and her family have recently immigrated to San Francisco in Hannah Is My Name by Belle Yang. Her American name "Hannah" doesn't quite fit her yet. Adjust to live in the United States is hard for her, but Hannah's family left Taiwan to pursue the American Dream. This novel has bright and beautifully illustrations.

Want more? My friend has a great list of Asian American children's books on her blog HapaMama.

Do you have favorite Asian-American children's books? Leave them in the comments so I can check them out with my kids!

Kid's New Favorite: Homemade Sushi Rolls

2013-05-01T08:00:00.000-04:00

I love sushi. I mourned the fact that I couldn't eat my favorite sushi rolls and nigiri during my two pregnancies. Now, I eat it whenever I can. My kids have not liked sushi until recently. On a whim back in March, I made sushi rolls for dinner. The kids ate faster than I could roll them!

I taught myself how to make sushi rolls over ten years ago, when I lived in Syracuse. Sushi wasn't as easy to find back then. Plus it's expensive, too. Well, for my sushi appetite it can become expensive. It's not as hard as you think. I learned how to make sushi from a book (affiliate link), but I'm sure there's plenty of videos on the internet.

Per the kids' request, I made sushi again for dinner over the weekend. I only made variations of the crab roll and rolls with tofu. It was gooood. I even made extra rolls because Sophia requested sushi for her school lunch!

Picky eater 0, Mom 1.

Score!

My Precioussss: Samsung Galaxy Smart Camera Review

2013-04-30T08:30:00.000-04:00

Big thanks to AT&T for loaning me the Samsung Galaxy Camera to test for this review. All opinions, as always, are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

When I first heard about the Samsung Galaxy Camera, aka the Samsung Smart Camera, I knew I had to test it out. What makes it smart? It's basically a point and shoot camera on crack. It has all the features of a high end point and shoot paired with an Android platform. You can then tweet, Facebook or Instagram photos directly from the camera with either a mobile data plan or via wifi.

Before I start my review, I have a disclaimer. I'm not a professional photographer. I just play around, experiment and take a to of pictures. I've taken a few photography workshops at blogging conferences but that's about it. No matter what you use to take your photos, have fun and take a lot of photos. All photos in this post were taken with the Smart Camera and were not edited except to add my watermark.

I like the convenience of my Samsung Galaxy S2 smartphone to take photos on the go, but I love my Panasonic Lumix point and shoot camera to take photos. However, I usually have to wait to download my photos from the camera before sharing it on my social media outlets. With the Smart Camera, I don't have to compromise quality for convenience.

The Samsung Galaxy Camera takes amazing photos. With a 21X optical zoom, I easily captured shots of historic buildings in Philly, like the photo above. I didn't edit the photo except to put my watermark on it. If you check out my family getaway to Philly, Sunday brunch at Cuba Libre restaurant, and my photos from Type-A Philly, all the photos in the posts were taken with the Smart Camera.

It also takes amazing close ups. My food photography has never been better! The auto focus for close ups was spot on most of the time. I just had to find my light and try different compositions. Here's some red cabbage ready to be pickled. I did not edit anything on this photo. It's straight from the camera!

I passed the camera to my Type-A Philly roommates play with the Smart Camera and they fell in love with it too. It's super easy to use. If you can use a smartphone, you can use it. The camera is just point and shoot. It has cool filters-better than the ones on Instagram! I didn't time how long the battery lasted between charging, but it was more than enough to get me through our visit to the The Franklin Museum in Philly.

I was sad to send it back to AT&T. As much as I love the Samsung Galaxy Camera, it's very pricey, retailing at $500. That's not including a mobile data plan. My $200 Panasonic Lumix will suffice for now. I think that most serious amateur photographers (is that an oxymoron?) would spend that money on a decent DSLR instead.

Do you think you would use a camera like the Samsung Galaxy Camera?

May Asian Pacific American Heritage Month DC Events

2013-04-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

Sophia at last year's APA Family Festival. Photo courtesy of APA Center

May is Asian Pacific American (APA) Heritage Month! There are really great events planned for my local DC area folks as well as virtual events that anyone can join in from the comfort of your home. From a live event at Macy's to a Google Hangout to a family festival, I think you'll find one to your liking.

The Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center has planned a whole list of events for May 2013. I know that May is still a couple of days away, but there are cool events on May 1st and I don't want you to miss it! Like a Google Hangout with Lisa Ling!

Here are some events I'm especially thrilled about:

May 1st @ 3PM Eastern: Google Hangout aka webcast discussion with Konrad Ng, Lisa Ling, Angry Asian Man's Phil Yu, and two members from the White House. I remember watching Lisa Ling on Channel One News back in my high school days. (Yes, I'm old). I'm also a fan of Phil Yu's blog, Angry Asian Man. The guests will be chatting about the significance of APA Heritage Month and will take questions from you during the hangout. For more info and to RSVP visit the event page.

Photo courtesy of Smithsonian

May 4th: APA Heritage Family Festival. Our family attended last year's APA Heritage Family Festival and I was surprised how much we had. The kids made crafts, learned to braid a Hawaiian bracelet.On this year's schedule: presentations by local writers, more arts and crafts, gallery tours and a scavenger hunt. The festival runs from 11:30AM until 4PM. It is free and open to the public.
May 5th: Paikbot Day in Kogod Courtyard at Smithsonian American Art Museum Kogod Courtyard. Celebrate Children’s Day, a Korean holiday for kids and family. Explore the Nam Jun Paik exhibition and enjoy family activities inspired by his art. Children of all ages can play with interactive TV and robot games from Spontaneous Art and Friends. Take tours offered with Korean translation. Color a flat PaikBot and take him on a scavenger hunt. The event is free and open the public.

Like a G6, yo!

May 9 at 5:30 PM: Macy's APA Heritage Month Celebration with Far East Movement. The kids and I have been rocking out to Far East Movement's hit, "Like a G6!" We're excited for a chance to see them in person as Macy's Metro Center, Washington, DC celebrates APA Heritage Month. The Asian-American pop band will talk about how their culture influences their musical style. The first 250 people to make any $50 or more junior’s or young men’s purchase during the event will get a digital photo with the band, and special music swag bag! Make sure you RSVP for the DC event or see if Far East Movement will be at your local Macy's.
Starting May 1, 2013: I Want the Wide American Earth: Asian Pacific American Story Exhibition at Smithsonian National Museum of American History. The exhibition tells the stories of the brave, the proud builders and workers of Asian Pacific America. The exhibition will then travel to museums and cultural institutions across the country.
May 30 at 7PM: Mayor Gray's Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration in partnership with the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH) and Kollaboration DC. The event is free and features alum artists from Kollaboration DC, that aims to empower Asian Americans through entertainment.

How are you celebrating Asian Pacific Heritage Month? If you know of other DC area events, let me know in the comments and I'll update the post!

I am being compensated by BeEverywhere to cover Macy's APAHM event. All opinions are my own.

Take Your Daughter To Work Day Recap

2013-04-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

Every since I heard about Take Your Daughter to Work Day many years ago (in Ms. Magazine, no less!), I knew I wanted my daughter to participate. However, life often takes you on a path you least expect. Since I now work from home, I thought it'd be pretty boring for Sophia to hang out with me at home. Instead, her dad took her to work.

My husband chronicled their day together. Clearly I need to work the same way Sophia did yesterday.

Selfies on the Metro (subway)

They had to stop for Starbucks on the way to the office.

Sophia at her desk hard at work eating her lemon pound cake.

A little research and development. Have to make sure the Ninjago books are appropriate for kids her age. Judging by how engrossed she is, I think they pass muster.

Jaxson and I met them for lunch and hit the flagship Walgreens for some froyo.

Hubby's boss let him off early. Good thing it was slow! She did take some work home with her. Ninjago book #2!

Sophia did help her dad out around the store and his office. She was very sad to leave work.

Did you take your child to your workplace yesterday?

I Totally Need A Wife

2013-04-25T11:43:00.001-04:00

"You and your wife willbe happy in your life together."

I just had to laugh when I received this fortune earlier this week, since my husband had received the same one a couple of weeks ago. Today is one of those days I wish I had a wife. That's what my husband's coworkers tell him when I pack him a really good lunch: I wish I had a wife.

Well, I wish I had a wife too! Though I'd much rather a cabana boy.

I can't complain too much. Last night, I drove to three different stores in search for a pair of comfy, yet cute and not to expensive black shoes with a slight heel (I'm not too picky). To no avail, I'm sad to say. I need them before I go to SoFabCon next week because I have no dress shoes!

While I was out shopping, my husband folded all of the clean clothes. And he had managed to get a few more loads washed and dried. He didn't even complain that I ditched him with bath and bedtime duties. I'm a lucky woman. I also appreciate, that after fifteen years together, we make a great team. We share housework duties. While they might not be 50/50 each day, I think it balances out over the course of the week/month. I do more housework when he's busy and exhausted from work. He does the same when I have a lot on my plate.

Plus this morning, after he took Sophia with him to Take Your Daughter to Work Day, I found a fresh pot of coffee on the kitchen counter.

No, you can't have him. He's all mine!

Sunday Brunch at Cuba Libre Philadelphia

2013-04-24T08:00:00.000-04:00

If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram you might have seen my mouthwatering photos from my brunch at Cuba Libre in Philly. A while back a friend raved about her visit to Cuba Libre in another city. I'm glad I was able to convince my Type-A Philly roommates to head to Cuba Libre for Sunday brunch.

I didn't realize that Sunday brunch would be tapas. I love tapas because my Libran-self gets to taste many different dishes. My roommates weren't quite sold on the idea at first. They dived in for a culinary adventure. We all opted for the all-you-can-eat tapas option, which is a great deal at only $26. Plus, I'm not very familiar with Cuban food (except for the ubiquitous sandwich) so I wanted to try as many dishes as I could.

I wasn't in the mood for breakfast dishes but my roommates ordered omelets and this pillowy guava paste and cream cheese stuffed French toast. Plus drunken strawberries and honey drizzle to finish it off. The brioche as moist and fluffy and I enjoyed the unique guava flavor. It was a hit. The gals also enjoyed their cheesy Cuban style omelet.

I started off with these Papas Rellenas, a potato croquette filled with beef picadillo. They don't look like it in the photo, but it was a generous portion. Delicious and a great way to start off my brunch. I really wanted to try the crisp pork belly skewers, but sadly they were out. There's plenty of pork belly in Vietnamese cuisine, but I always thought of it as a poor man's cut. Now pork belly has been elevated in the culinary word.

This "Raise the Dead" seafood soup was my favorite dish from brunch. I love seafood, but the fishy smell of seafood soup always turns me off. (I have a sensitive nose.). This soup was A-MAZING. The broth was light and fresh, with a subtle coconut milk flavor. With exception of the overcooked bay scallops, the rest of the seafood in it was cooked perfectly. I should have ordered it sooner. That way I might have had room for two bowls!

This Guacamole Cubano should have been another dish to order in the first round. It was amazingly creamy and contained pineapple. The sweetness was very subtle and not overpowering at all. It's served with plantain chips and my roommates barely waited for me to snap my photos. My only complaint is that we didn't eat it all because we were so full. This is a guac I want to make at home.

That's not even half of the dishes that we ordered! Here's what our table for four looked like after our second round of tapas. The food was delicious and made my mouth so happy! I think everyone else was equally pleased.

Cuba Libre has a location in DC. I hope to take my husband there for brunch soon. The kids wouldn't appreciate how good the food was!

What's your favorite Cuban dish?

How to Make A Super Easy Travel Art Kit

2013-04-23T08:00:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, I shared 6 ways to carve out time for creativity. If it weren't for my travel art kit, I wouldn't sketch or paint as often as I do. Because all of my supplies are in one place, I don't have to spend precious time gathering up my art supplies. At the last minute, I tossed my travel art kit in my suitcase before leaving for Philly. I'm glad I did, because I was able to create when inspiration hit.

I take my kit out for coffee sometimes.

All you need is 6 simple, inexpensive supplies to get started. The key to assembling your travel art kit is to keep it simple. Here's what I put in mine:

A travel size watercolor set. Even if watercolors aren't your preferred painting medium, I recommend them. Watercolors are low mess, easy to mix, and dry quickly if you don't have a lot time. I found my Cotman Compact watercolor kit at the thrift store, new in package. Any inexpensive set of watercolor will do, like Sakura Water Colors Field Sketch Set with Brush. That one is a deal because it comes with a water brush
Watercolor water brush. Whoever invited water brushes is a genius. It's a paintbrush with a hollow handle that holds water. To wet the brush, you squeeze the handle. This eliminates the need for rinse jar. I have two Niji water brushes in large and small, but the Sakura Koi water brush looks just as good. They take a little getting used, but they've become one of my favorite brushes.
Small spray bottle of water. I spritz my watercolor set to wet them before I start painting. The spray bottle comes in handy when I need to refill my the tank on my water brush. If you are flying with your kit, a travel size spray bottle won't get you stopped at security.
Set of Staedtler pigment liner pens. I've tried several different types of waterproof/water-resistant ink pens and these are my favorite. Sketching with an ink pen might feel uncomfortable at first, but just relax. You're just sketching, not recreating the Mona Lisa! If you are on a budget, I recommend love Uniball Gel Pens. I keep one in every purse. Whatever ink pen you use, make sure it's waterproof so if you decide to paint over it later, your sketch won't smear.
Watercolor paper. I cut pieces around 4"x6" size so they fit into my bag. You don't have to use watercolor paper, but it's made to work with that medium. That way you'll spend your time creating and not fighting with your paper. If you're a beginner, I suggest purchasing some mid-range watercolor paper, postcards, or artist trading cards to start with. I've also used index cards guides, but because of their thinness, the paper will warp or pill. It's not a problem for me because I've learned to work with them.
A zippered bag. All you need is a small zippered bag to put all of the above supplies in. It's up to you how big it should be since you're the one carrying it around. My bag is about 6"x8" so I can throw it right into my ~~diaper bag~~ purse (or suitcase) and it won't take up too much real estate.

A travel art kit will make a great gift for the creative person in your life. Mother's Day is coming up soon, you know! Pair it with one of the books below.

If you're new to drawing/sketching or want to learn more, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of Danny Gregory's The Creative License: Giving Yourself Permission to Be The Artist You Truly Are or Michael Nobbs' Drawing Your Life: Learn to See, Record, and Appreciate Life's Small Joys. Both encourage you to just draw and not worry about making it look perfect. You learn to observe and record things and moments around you.

If you put a travel art kit together, I'd love to see yours! Is there anything you would add to your travel art kit?

This post contains affiliate links.

Type-A Philly Was Awesome + Discount Code for More Type-A Goodness

2013-04-22T14:07:00.000-04:00

My sketch/watercolor: view from our restaurant during Friday's dinner

I am no longer a Type-A virgin. For years my fellow bloggers told me how great Type-A Parent conference was. Due to timing and budget issues, I was not able to make it to the conference until this past weekend. When Kelby Carr (the lovely creator and owner of Type-A Parent) hosted a similar 1 day conference in Philadelphia, I knew I had to attend.

L-R: Anne, me, Danyelle, & Lakesha

I learned so much and took so many notes that I hardly got any photos of my friends. Just, um, the food we ate when we went out. That's a foodie for you. I did remember to get a photo with my roommates and I after brunch yesterday, right before we left Philadelphia. I met Anne during Evo last year-she convinced me to do the zip line and I'm glad I listened to her! She picked me up and we drove to Philly together. I met Danyelle of The Cubicle Chick and Lakesha from The Uncommon Chick for the first time this weekend. These 3 ladies are hilarious! I laughed the entire weekend.

A little #awkwardstretch with Annette from Collective Bias

I took crazy notes during the sessions I attended. There were so many good sessions and I hate that I had to choose between 3 for each time slot. Often there were two sessions I wanted to attend but they were at the same time! I think that's the mark of a good conference. When the session topics are so appealing, you want to attend all of them! I took home many ideas that I can easily implement in my business right away.

Courtney & From Left to Write book club member Bay

I met lots of great bloggers (Hi!) and reconnected with good friends (Hey!). I apologize for not remembering to take photos of everyone. I only forgot because I was too busy talking to everyone.

If you haven't registered for the big Type-A Parent Conference or Type-A Advanced New Orleans yet, I highly recommend it. I'm actually considering attending Type-A Parent Con in September. Now to figure out how to make my family's schedule work for it!

Thanks to Kelby, I have a really great discount code for Type-A Parent and/or Type-A New Orleans to share with you! For one week only, you can save 25% off your registration to Type-A Parent and Type-A New Orleans with the code with the code PHILLYBABY. (Registration links are affiliate links because #typeaphilly taught me that affiliate marketing is pretty cool. I appreciate your support!)

Learning To Accept Compliments

2013-04-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

Photo by Orin Zebest via Creative Commons

Yesterday a friend told me that I should give a talk or class about books and blogging. She even listed some places where she thought I should speak. My first instinct was to say, "Oh, well, I'm no expert." Luckily I caught myself. Instead I told her thanks and it does sound like a great idea.

On the drive home, the recalled the conversation. I enjoy giving compliments and I truly believe in the ones I give to others. Why is it so easy to dismiss compliments? I know I'm not the only one. It's not hard to say, "Thanks."

Instead many of us will say, "Oh no, not me." or "Thanks, but. . ."

I think part of it is that as girls, we're raised to be quiet and to please people without drawing attention to ourselves. I know it's a gross generalization, but stay with me here. Compliments are attention, even if they are positive. Growing up in my family, girls weren't really praised for their intelligence, but more for their looks. Boys, however, are praised for their intelligence, their physical strength, and their stubbornness. According to Danielle LaPorte, what others compliment you on the most is your genius. That's your gift, your skill. Who doesn't want to find their genius?

No more. I'm a grown woman with a young daughter. I don't want her to feel embarrassed about receiving compliments. Instead, I will embrace compliments I receive. I'm reminded by my word of the year, Nourish. Receiving and accepting compliments definitely nourish your heart.

I'm going to learn to say, "Thank you." to compliments. No buts. No caveats. I'm just going to accept them.

Will you join me?

Curious George Swings Into Spring PBS Special + DVD Giveaway

2013-04-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

Celebrate spring and Earth Day with Curious George Swings Into Spring premiere! If your kids are huge fans of Curious George like my kids, they will enjoy his one hour special on PBS this April 22. My family received a screener of the special and Sophia and Jaxson have already watched it three times.

Here's the description of the one hour special:

You know it must be springtime if a curious monkey named George is dancing on the balcony at sunrise! The Man with the Yellow Hat is sure that George has spring fever, and he takes George to the park to experience all the wonders of spring. George is so excited about spring that he wants Hundley to have spring fever, too, but Hundley and the Doorman are busy trying to win the Mayor’s spring cleaning prize. When a broken water pipe floods the building, Hundley has to stay with George in the country, and George tries to make sure Hundley enjoys spring, too.

Of course our adorable George will get into a lot of mischief along the way, especially when Hundley is reluctant about spring.

While you wait for Curious George Swings Into Spring to air on your local PBS station, you can make some outdoorsy crafts and activities with your kids, such as:

My kids are excited to have an excuse to drink soda so we can make the bird feeder.

If you miss Curious George Swings Into Spring April 22, don't worry it will air again on Friday, April 26 and again throughout the weekend. Check your local PBS listing for exact times.

Thanks to PBS, I'm giving away a DVD of Curious George Swings Into Spring for one lucky reader! You'll be able to watch it again and again-or at least your kids will be able to. To enter, just leave a comment telling me your favorite thing about spring. I'll draw a winner on April 30.

Giveaway limited to US addresses only. Winner will be contacted via email and must respond within 24 hours to claim prize. I'm Not the Nanny is not responsible for prize fulfillment, lost or misdirected packages. As a PBS Very Important Parent, I received a screener of the Curious George special and craft supplies. All opinions are my own.