Blog Posts by Charlene Prince Birkeland, Shine staff

Photo Credit: Getty ImagesI was in second grade, my front tooth hanging by a thread. And picture day arrived.

"Mija," my mom said, "when you smile, keep your lips closed so that your loose tooth doesn't show."

School picture day was my favorite. I wanted to look cute and perky, so I took in my mom's advice and vowed to do a "no teeth" smile.

Our school photos arrived a few weeks later. My mom opened the packaged and there I was, lips pursed together in a smile. Mission accomplished. Sort of. My loose tooth was hanging over my bottom lip. I looked like Sigmund the Sea Monster. But mom still proudly displayed the picture on the fireplace mantle. Because even bad school pictures are cute.

I know moms who have their kids retake their school pictures, especially if they have the telltale deer-in-the-headlights look. But me? I wouldn't dare. Flaws, silly constipated-like smiles and even bad hair after playing at recess -- they capture a specific moment.

Now, some kids do get a little freaked out by picture day.

Photo Credit: www.makeandtakes.comChildren are fascinated by colors and when they're finally able to discern things like red from orange and blue from purple, they reach a whole new level of curiosity.

There are plenty of board books about colors that you can buy, but they often don't have images of objects your kids would be able to identify with on a daily basis. Really, how often does your kid see a bright orange wheelbarrow?

I love this Color Book idea from the blog, Make and Takes. First, snap photos of objects from your home that are of a specific color (a tomato for the color red, a basketball for orange, grass for green, etc.) Insert them in a simple photo album such as the kind you'd find in the dollar bin at Target. Then just label the photos with their color. You can also make simple picture books that are dedicated to one single color or activity. For more ideas and instructions, go check out this post.

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Even with his television, movie and Broadway success, actor Alec Baldwin's name is almost synonymous with the phrase "that awful voicemail." It was an angry message that he left for his then-11-year-old daughter, Ireland, back in 2007. He's apologized to his daughter and spoken publicly about the debacle, citing the ongoing and increasing frustration of his custody battles with ex-wife, Kim Basinger, as a reason for his outburst. And yet, more than one year later, the voicemail continues to raise questions about his parenting skills.

Will Baldwin's new book, A Promise to Ourselves: A Journey Through Fatherhood and Divorce, change perceptions of him?

It's easy to assume the Baldwin's book is merely a rant against Basinger, or a way to justify why he left such a horrendous voicemail for his daughter. And yes, when you read the book, you get the vibe that he's still angry. But not at his wife or daughter. He's frustrated with the entire process of divorce and family law.

This guy

Photo Credit: Getty ImagesAvast, mateys! Grab yer hornpipe and play a tune of cheer. It's Talk Like a Pirate Day!

That's right. It's completely legit for you AND your kids to talk and party like a pirate all day. Or? Make it a pirate party weekend!

If you're lacking in pirate vocabulary, here's a quick tutorial for you and the kids (and links to more resources).

You should also test out this handy little English-to-Pirate translator tool.

Now go on! What ye be waitin' fer?

Photo Credit: donnadowney.typepad.comCrafty gal extraordinaire, Donna Downey, is toying with my emotions. Not directly, of course, but with her new inspiration journals.

Downey created a sample inspiration journal a few months ago. All of her fans (including yours truly) loved them, so she started making more to sell...and they'd be snapped up within minutes. Finally, she decided to sell kits with almost everything you need to create your own inspiration journal -- gorgeous pre-cut fabric, easy-to-understand instructions even a cool video tutorial. I can barely sew, but I was willing to make the painful effort. As soon as I saw her alert that the kits were on sale, I eagerly jumped online, thrilled that I would finally have one of those adorable journals in my hands. But they were gone. Sold out. I didn't stand a chance.

Do you have any craft-related purchases you've been trying to make but always miss the sale?

There will be lots of little Darth Vadars this Halloween.Halloween is more than a month away but the costume talk is frequent between my sons. They're likely to have fifty ideas up until a week before the big day, but so far Darth Vader is a strong contender (never mind that they've never seen Star Wars). And if my oldest decides to stick with the man of gloom for his costume, he'll be one of about 10 kids at his school donning the same attire.

Other costumes they've discussed: James the Red Engine (from Thomas the Tank Engine), Clone Troopers, Buzz Lightyear, Willy Wonka (the Gene Wilder version) and a regular, ole' pirate.

Personally, I'm pulling for one of them to be Willy Wonka. But I think Darth Vader will win.

Are your kids already talking about Halloween costumes? And what do they want to be?

Photo Credit: whoa, Momma!While school-age kids are adjusting to their new routines, parents are trying to deal with their own back-to-school issues. The current hot topic of discussion with my mom friends is how to keep track of all of our kids' schedules, school handouts, fundraisers and other extracurricular activities.

Sharon Kennedy Wynne over at Whoa, Momma! sent me her tip for maintaining some semblance of order and I immediately adopted it for our family. Use a binder to house all those school calendars and important documents your kids bring home from school. If necessary, use one binder per child. Sharon uses her binder to include "the school phone directory, the Web site and passwords for the academic sites the teacher uses, the suggested reading lists, carpool numbers and most important -- never to be misplaced again -- the handwriting guide." (Sharon, I hear you on the handwriting guide...another post altogether!)

I picked up one of those cute Mead NoteBinders, dividers included, and it's nice

If your kids are athletes, did you ever think you'd have to talk to them about not using anabolic steroids? According to data from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, more than a half million 8th- and 10th-grade students are now using anabolic steroids and "increasing numbers of high school seniors say they don't believe the drugs are risky." These numbers are from 2000, and you'd have to wonder how much the data would change now that more professional athletes are 'fessing up to their use of the growth-enhancing drugs.

I'm not sure how many kids actually pay attention to public awareness campaigns, but I do hope they stop to watch this new one called "Don't Be an Asterisk." The asterisk refers to the symbol being added to any record held by an athlete who is perceived or known to be a steroid user.

One would think that the health risks of taking steroids would be sufficient to stop a kid from using the drugs to enhance their sports performance. But I think the PSA goes to the