A New Career Adventure!

After spending the last 5 years as a Health & Physical Education teacher at an online high school, I am now moving forward into a new career adventure as a Local Childcare Consultant. 

Hosting an au pair from a foreign country can be a fun, cultural experience for both the parents and the children.  It is also a cost-effective childcare option factoring in at @ $8.00 an hour for childcare for up to 45 hours a week and maximum of 10 hours a day! 

The fees are per family and not based on the number of children in the home so those with multiples or more than 1 child at home greatly benefit from hosting an au pair!!

If you are looking into childcare options and want to know more about hosting an Au Pair in the Minnesota Twin Cities Metro area (or actually anywhere in the United States-I would be thrilled to speak with you about our program!!), please contact me!

Fabulous Wine Find

To live fabulously, share a bottle of great wine during dinner every so often...maybe even during the week! Every so often, one stumbles upon a new wine -at a great price- that is pretty fabulous, and here is one fabulously average persons recommendation...assuming you are of legal drinking age and are able to indulge responsibly when you are reading this, of course!

Fabulous Wine Find: Bota Box Old Vine Zinfandel
Bota Box touts it's Old Vine Zinfandel as a "dark and jammy with aromas of wild blackberry, plum and a hint of spice.  Concentrated ripe stone fruit, dark berry flavors and toasted oak carry through to the palate for a long, lingering finish. Nicely balanced acidity and plush tannins make this medium-bodied Old Vine Zinfandel an ideal partner for barbequed short ribs, grilled flatbread with caramelized onions and sausage, or even chocolate cupcakes."

Fabulously Average Says:  (or simply enjoy a glass with good company!) The box can be found between $15-$19 and equals @ 4 bottles making this delicious wine a steal!

Keeping In Touch with Family & Friends

We use Skpe at our house on a weekly basis.  For those that are away from home for an extended period of time, Skype can be a source of connectivity and comfort. The Skype website touts that it is for "doing things together, whenever you're apart. Skype's text, voice and video make it simple to share experiences with the people that matter to you, wherever they are." 

At our hosue, this means using Skype to video chat with Parents, Grandparents, Siblings, and Friends across the United States and abroad. We spend a while or a few wonderful minutes catching up and sharing a smile. Skype is FREE to send video and voice messages and also has an instant messenger feature and file sharing capabilities. If you have guests visiting or a live-in childcare provider, ensuring that he or she has access to a computer that has a web cam, a microphone and speakers, and an internet connection so that they can Skype with their family and friends is a small contribution that will definitely be appreciated!  http://www.skype.com/

Happiness is...

Smiling Medium Guy & Little Guy on the observation deck of a Minnesota landmark-the Foshay Tower!

"Screenr" is FANTASTIC!

Admittedly, I am a tech tools junkie. I love finding new toys-I mean tools-to use both in my professional and personal life. "Screenr" is a fantastic tool that is FREE & easy to use. It is a web-based screen recorder that "makes it a breeze to create & share your screencasts around the web." Get your creative juices flowing and give it a try!

And then she went to Disney World...

My Grandma turned 92 a few weeks ago...and she went to Disney World. I am proud of her and admittedly, a bit jealous!

Online Learning

I am incontestably engaged in a rising wave in education:  online learning.  What a fantastic opportunity for those who want or need an alternative venue to learn.  Pride is apparent and merited.

I taught at an online high school for the past 5 years.  It is an amazing opportunity for those that want or need an alternate to traditional brick & mortar education!