Now that summer is here, fog may be the last thing you're thinking of -- but out here in the San Francisco Bay Area, summertime is when the fog rolls out to cover the Golden Gate Bridge and the city streets. To celebrate our foggy summer, here's a cool-sounding foghorn you can make with your kids as a summer craft. It's fun to make and fun to play!
Here's what you will need:
* a disposable rubber glove
* a plastic drinking straw
* a plastic water bottle
* a pair of scissors
* a rubber band
* masking tape or painter's tape
Here's how to assemble your foghorn:
Step 1: Use the scissors to snip a tiny hole in one of the glove's fingers. Cut a 2-inch piece of the drinking straw and insert into the hole. Secure the straw to the glove with tape.
Step 2: Use the scissors to cut off the bottom end of the plastic water bottle.
Step 3: Cover the top of the plastic water bottle with the rubber glove, and use the rubber band to secure the glove to the bottle. All done!
Your finished
Blog Posts by bonggam
The Good, the Bad, the Embarrassing -- The Kind of Mom I am, in 100 words
By bonggam | Yahoo Motherboard – Fri, May 6, 2011 7:38 PM EDT
Read More »from The Good, the Bad, the Embarrassing -- The Kind of Mom I am, in 100 words
Why my kids think I'm the worst mom ever:
1) I make them kiss unknown relatives, try weird-looking food, and fix messes they didn't make.
2) I pick them up late from school because I lose track of time.
3) I nag and yell. A lot.
4) I won't buy them an iPad or a puppy.
5) I give them embarrassing nicknames (schatzy, chabo, kick-kick).
Why my kids think I'm the best mom ever:
1) They actually love those nicknames (in private).
2) I love watching cartoons.
3) I'm generous with ice-cream scoops.
4) I'm great at planning fun outings and adventures.
5) We snuggle together each and every night.
Find more of Bonggamom's takes on parenthood on her personal blog, Finding Bonggamom.User Post: Finance Strategies for people who leave car keys in refrigerators
By bonggam | Yahoo Motherboard – Tue, Feb 1, 2011 3:07 AM EST
Read More »from User Post: Finance Strategies for people who leave car keys in refrigerators
I am one of the most absentminded people I know. I can never find my keys or my phone. I perenially miss play dates, birthday parties, school volunteer hours and after school pickups. I'm also messy Not exactly a winning resume for the family CFO, yet I'm stuck with the job.
Much as I dislike it, Alfie has entrusted me with CFO responsibility so I've dealt with it and done the best that I can. And somehow we've managed to make all our house payments and keep our kids in shoes without running into loan sharks named Guido. Here are five strategies I use to manage our family finances and make sure we stay in the black:
Auto Pay is my friend
If it weren't for the modern-day miracle of Auto Payments, I would either be paying a fortune in late fees, or be a walking nervous wreck. All fixed monthly payments, such as mortgage payments, life insurance payments, the kids' college fund contributions, ballet school tuition, etc.. get debited directly from our bank account. Also, I put most
Read More »from Spreading Kindness this Season
One of the best things about being a blogger is that I've had the opportunity to help my local community in ways I would never be able to do on my own. We're not the richest of families, but we give what we can, and what we can't give financially I try to make up for by giving my time -- I volunteer at school, at local family shelters, and by spreading awareness for causes near and dear to my heart through my blog. But this year, through the course of my blogging, I've been able to team up with some amazing companies who have provided the resources to help me and my family spread some holiday cheer among families need it the most.
Case in point: at the beginning of the month, I was given $100 by the Yahoo! Motherboard to perform some Random Acts of Kindness this holiday season. The idea was to use the money to perform small acts of kindness, in the hopes that it would inspire the recipients to "pay it forward", do the same to others and create a "ripple of kindness". I myself was soDespite my addiction to email and Yahoo! Instant Messenger, I'm still a big fan of the handwritten note. There's a time and a place for instant communication to convey ideas and information, and there's a time and a place for the personal touch and the extra time and effort it takes to convey gratitude, delight and other emotions. Whenever my kids receive presents for their birthdays or the holidays, I ask them to write thank-you cards. Virtual thank-you cards or emails or even pre-printed cards with fill-in-the-blank spaces for the giver, gift and recipient wont' cut it. Now that they can write, I expect my kids to write a brief note of thanks and appreciation.
Read More »from User post: The signing of the cards
The same applies to holiday cards. I know most people send generic holiday cards, with no "To Jane and family"on them and a pre-printed "From the Smith family" on them, but I always address each and every card and insist that every member of the family sign their names at the bottom. With holiday card lists reaching into the
Read More »from 31 Days of Pink
This weekend I walked 60 miles in 3 Days at the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure. Energizer invited me to be their Keep Going Blogger for the San Francisco event, and I agreed because I thought it would be a great opportunity to raise awareness through my blog. I walked to honor my aunt, who is a breast cancer survivor. I walked to honor my grandmother, who survived breast cancer before she passed away. I walked to honor my grandmother's sisters and their daughters, who have all had breast cancer. I walked in memory of a high school friend, who passed away from breast cancer when she was only in her twenties. And I walked in the hope that my daughter, The Pea, will never have to worry about getting breast cancer, ever.
After walking 60 miles, I walked away thinking it wasn't enough. I can donate money to the cause, and I have -- but I'm not rich, I can't donate thousands of dollars. My friends and family aren't rich either, so I can only ask them to donate so much. But I have time, I
