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Raise funds for your school with Little Passports

This post may contain affiliate or advertiser links. Read my full disclosure policy.

little_passportsLittle Passports wants to help you raise funds for your school or organization. Are you planning a fundraiser at your child’s school? Little Passports is the perfect partner, with an award-winning educational product that kids and parents love.

Here is how it works: your school’s community shops at Little Passports and they will donate 15 percent back to your school. It is that easy! They do all the work from processing orders directly on their site to providing you with flyers and sample promotional language to help you spread the word. You may get more information here www.littlepassports.com/schools. The fundraising period is from April 1 through April 8, 2015 and the deadline to sign-up is March 25, 2015, so check it out today!

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Yummy and hearty black bean soup

This black bean soup recipe is absolutely delicious, which is pretty much all of the recipes that will be shared here at Kid Madison. It is easy to make, quickly gone from the pot and loved by everyone in our home. Because of this, I usually double the recipe and freeze it for a future meal.

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It is also a great on-the-go soup whenever you are rushed for time. On a typical day, I fed the children and almost forgot about me. I heated some soup, poured it into a cup, drank and drove.

WHAT YOU NEED

1 TBSP crushed cumin seeds
1 tsp. dried oregano
3/4 tsp. salt
1 TBSP vegetable or canola oil
1/2 tsp. hot sauce
2 TBSP sherry
32oz. vegetable broth
2 cups water		 2 (15oz.) cans low or no-salt black beans (or 2 cups of black beans that have been soaked)
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
3 minced garlic cloves
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsely (or 1 TBSP dried)

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HOW YOU PUT IT TOGETHER:
Chop onions, carrots, garlic and celery and set aside.
Measure and crush cumin seeds using a mallet or my favorite, a hammer.
Warm the oil in a soup pot over medium heat.
Once the oil is heated, add the onions, carrots, garlic, celery, dried oregano and crushed cumin, and sauteé for about four to five minutes.

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Slowly add the water along with the salt, and vegetable broth.
Stir.
Drain black beans and add to the mixture, and stir well.
Raise the heat.
Once the soup starts to boil, reduce the temperature to low, cover and cook for 35 to 45 minutes more.
Chop bell pepper and parsley, and set aside.

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While still hot, place two to three cups of the soup into a separate bowl, and pureé one cup at a time for about 10 to 15 seconds each.
Return pureéd soup to the pot and stir well until blended.
Add the bell pepper, sherry, fresh pasley and hot sauce, and cook on medium heat for another five to 10 minutes.
Serve in individual bowls and top with sour cream and cilantro for added flavor.

RED FLAG SUGGESTION: You may want to allow the soup to cool before placing it in the blender. If you just cannot wait to try this delicious soup, then blend one to two cups at a time. Hot, scalding soup contained and mixed at high speeds can leave marks on the body if escaped. Believe me, this is not a memory you want in your head. Do not ask me how I know.

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©2015 Kid Madison. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://kidmadison.com.

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Trace Bundy: Led by passion and an independent spirit

For the past 15 years, acoustic guitar player Trace Bundy has performed in more than 26 countries, including the United States, and sold more than 99,000 CDs on his independent record label, Honest Ninja. In 2008, he was named “Most Promising New Talent” by Acoustic Guitar Magazine. Despite his celebrity, Bundy’s path to pursuing his passion of playing music full-time had a humble beginning.

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“It kind of happened by accident. This guy was selling his guitar for ten dollars at a yard sale,” said Bundy. “My brother and I literally had five dollars each in our pockets, and we chipped in together and bought the guitar.”
[Read more…]

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Giveaway: Protection Detail (Capitol K-9 Unit)

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It is not often I have the opportunity to snuggle under the covers and read a good mommy book. When I do, you will find a variety of themes being held in my hand. I like reading fiction, spiritual, self-help and every once in a while, you will see a romance. Who can deny a good romance?

The K-9 Unit romance series takes a different approach to the love story. There is the suspense and intrigue, but the “saviors” include a law enforcement officer and his trust-worthy dog. Of course, there is the “damsel in distress”, but she is a strong character. There is romance, but it is one you will not blush reading about and the focus is on the plot and the style of writing is one you can appreciate.

Along with the different personalities of the human characters you meet in each series of the K-9 Unit books, the animals and their skills are just as unique.

The Texas K-9 Unit Series books contain three stories and are all written by different authors. I think having different authors write the books in one series adds the opportunity to enjoy different styles of writing, while also staying on the course of the theme of the series.

Collaborative efforts of the books in the Texas K-9 Unit series include authors Shirlee McCoy, Tracking Justice; Margaret Daley, Detection Mission and Sharon Dunn, Guard Duty.

Tracking Justice – A child is taken from his bedroom, which sends Police Detective Austin Black and his search-and-rescue bloodhound on a mission to return the child to its single mother.

Detective Mission – A kidnapped child is discovered with a woman who has amnesia.

Guard Duty – An FBI agent and detective track a criminal before the threats against their families are sealed.

All three books are available in a box-set.

In Protection Detail (Capitol K-9 Unit), the latest installment of the K-9 Unit books released March 3, readers head to Washington D.C. in Protection Detail (Capitol K-9 Unit), written by Shirlee McCoy. You will meet Capitol K-9 Unit Captain Gavin McCord, who is investigating the murder of the son of a senator.

From Amazon:

“After a prominent senator’s son is murdered, Capitol K-9 Unit captain Gavin McCord wants answers. The senator was a mentor to Gavin, and he’ll stop at nothing to bring the killer to justice. With his team of elite K-9 cops and his loyal dog, Glory, at his side, Gavin discovers that a child at Cassie Danvers’s nearby foster home may have witnessed the murder. He’s drawn to the determined and beautiful woman, but she doesn’t want him interviewing her traumatized charges. Yet trusting Gavin is the only way to stay one step ahead of the deadly gunman when Cassie becomes a target.”

Kid Madison has one copy of Protection Detail (Capitol K-9 Unit) to give away to one of our readers.

Guess what? That person could be you. Register below to win.

HOW TO ENTER
Complete the required entry below. Once the REQUIRED entry has been completed, then you may enter additional times through the Rafflecopter widget below.

REQUIRED ENTRY
Leave a comment on this post and tell us what type of books you enjoy reading. If you have a book you enjoyed reading, please share (your answer to this is not required).


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A Band of Angels: A Story Inspired by the Jubilee Singers {review}

review_band_angelsOne of the good points about moving to West Tennessee is being in the midst of so many places where significant events in African American history (and American history) took place. We are about four hours away from where the Little Rock Nine ignored threats of lynching and bravely integrated an Arkansas high school; about five hours away from where Rosa Parks refused to get up from her seat after a hard day at work, which later sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott; about three hours away from where students joined the sit-in movement to bring racial equality into (in Nashville) eating establishments and about two hours away from the Lorraine Motel, where Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. This is especially profound to me after having had the opportunity to visit his birth place.

Many of these events are well known and dark times in our history, but on the other side are many inspiring and brighter events that took place.

We are about four hours away from the birthplace of Wilma Rudolph who, despite being struck with Polio as a child, became the first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field at the 1960 Olympics and about two hours away from the infamous Beale Street, which is also known as Home of the Blues and where many influential and eventually famous African American musicians got their start singing the blues. It is also home of Memphis’ first black millionaire, Robert R. Church.

We are also just three hours away from where a group of nine eager black students set out to earn money for their school and an education. They also inspired the world through their “new” style of music.

A Band of Angels: A Story Inspired by the Jubilee Singers tells us about the birth of the Jubilee Singers of Fisk University (then Fisk School), an all black college that was opened in Nashville to educate the recently freed slaves at the end of the Civil War. Most of the students who attended the school worked hard for their education by saving up monies earned from their many jobs all the while maintaining their hope and dream of obtaining an education; something that had been denied them in the past only because they were black.

Aunt Mary Beth, the family treasure keeper – keeper of the stories/history of the family – shares the favorite story of her niece, whose great-great-great grandmother, Ella (Sheppard-Moore), was one of the original members of the Jubilee Singers. Although the story is fiction, it was inspired by many factual events that happened during that time. It also shows how valued an education was to many students during that period.

Ella saves money from her many jobs to earn enough tuition to attend Fisk School. Despite the fact she has not earned enough for the full tuition by the time school begins, she packs her bags, and with determination heads to Nashville to begin her college education.

Although Ella is first a pianist (later becoming the choir pianist), she also has a beautiful singing voice. She is invited to join the school choir where they learn popular songs sung by white people, but also the “old slave songs” that many of the students, some former slaves, also sang while growing up.

Fisk School becomes threatened with closure due to the lack of maintenance funds and it is due to the ingenious idea of Professor George White and the talent of the Jubilee Singers that Fisk School is able to remain open and cements the choir’s place in history as they raise funds for their education and introduce the world to the Negro spiritual.

A Band of Angels provides a bit of Tennessee history and offers inspiration encouraging you to not give up regardless of the obstacles you may face.

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©2015 Kid Madison. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author, http://kidmadison.com.

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Alfie Runs Away {review}

review_alfie_runs_away“I am running away!”

If you are a mommy, then I am sure you have heard that statement at least once. If you have not, then that means your kid knows he has a good thing going and is not running anywhere. Just in case he surprises you one day, let me prepare you by suggesting you read this book to him. It will make you laugh and remind your child how much he is loved at home.

Alfie (Alfie Runs Away), on the other hand, has yet to realize how good he has got it. His mother makes his life rather difficult. I mean really, what kind of mother requires you to take baths, or make up your bed or even set the table? Well, Alfie’s mother does and he is just plain tired of the “madness.”

What finally sends Alfie “packing” is when his mother decides to give away his favorite red shoes. She does not make this decision to be mean, but rather, because Alfie is growing up and has outgrown his red shoes.

With blanket and pillow in hand, and red shoes on feet, Alfie prepares to run away from home. Rather than stopping him, his mother suggests he take a water bottle in case he grows thirsty. He accepts the water bottle, but is not swayed by her kindness; he is still running away. As the story continues, his mother suggests a few other items Alfie should take to make his journey more manageable. By the time he makes it to the front door, Alfie has a bag full of “stuff” filled with just about everything he “owns”, and his mother gives him one last thing to “pack”; a hug.

Determined, Alfie leaves with his heavy bag, but only makes it to the far end of the backyard where he decides to stop and rest before continuing on his journey. After all, he has everything he needs in his bag, or does he?

Kenneth Cadow has written a sweet book reminding parents of the “silly” things our children say to us, but often do not really mean. Cadow also reminds parents of the growing pains children may experience when faced with the loss of treasured items of their childhood. Alfie’s solution at the end of the story and his realization that everything that really matters can not be packed into a bag, is a nice conclusion to this adorable story.

What are some of the cherished items your children have from their childhood? What are some of the items you will save (have saved) for your memories of them?

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©2015 Kid Madison. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://kidmadison.com.

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Celebrate spring and go hiking

All 56 Tennessee State Parks welcome you to celebrate the coming of spring on Saturday, March 19 by visiting one of the park locations across Tennessee for the annual Spring Hike. Although the weather has been rainy and cold the past few days, better weather conditions are expected, so get ready to enjoy the great outdoors.

2010_0708_0013Hiking is something we enjoy doing as a family. Now that my children are older, we are able to be more adventurous on the trails and take longer hikes. Starting a trail and returning hours later is a lot of fun for us and something we are looking forward to doing again through the fall season.

The scheduled guided spring hikes will start as early as 8 a.m. and be led by park rangers. The hikes will vary in mile length and be accommodating for the novice to the more experienced hiker with easy, moderate, difficult and strenuous trails to hike. You may join the ranger-guided group or venture out on your own. All of the parks have varying lengths of trails, so you may take a short hike or spend the day walking longer distances or multiple trails.

Picking the perfect trail to walk as a family is always a lot of fun. My children usually choose the longest trail. They enjoy investigating along the way and picking up almost everything they see (remember to not pick the flowers), so they can bring it back home.

Some things to consider before heading out into the wilderness are being prepared and safe. These are tips from the Tennessee State Park website:

“•Travel with family, a friend or buddy, and be sure to take food and water.
•Wear the proper footwear and clothing such as closed toe shoes or boots and have a rain jacket in your daypack.
•Be sure to stop at the park office to pick up or purchase a trail map. Talk to the park staff or rangers to ask about the trail conditions and any tips you need to be aware of on that trail.
•Be sure to let others know what your schedule is, where you will be at on the trail and when you should be back.
•If needed, log in at the trailhead or secure overnight permits if backpacking.”

Some additional safety tips can be found on page 18 of the Tennessee Trails Association’s Hiking Handbook.

Plan to get out this year and enjoy your state parks. Find a park near you.

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©2015-2016 Kid Madison. Article by Jennifer Smeltser. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the publisher http://kidmadison.com/.

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Giveaway: Please & Thank You Book

giveaway_berenstainThe Berenstain Bear family has been a part of the childhood of so many children over the years. Now 50 plus years later, the legacy continues to live on through the writing of Mike Berenstain. Mike is the son of Stan and Jan, who created the Berenstain Bears series.

On March 3, Mike released The Berenstain Bears’ Please & Thank You Book, which is the latest addition to the more than 300 books that have already been written about the lovable bear family.

You may read the review of The Berenstain Bears’ Please & Thank You Book.

In celebration of the Berenstain Bears and the recent release of the new book in the series, Kid Madison has one copy of the book to give away to one of its readers.

Guess what? That person could be you. Register below to win.

HOW TO ENTER
Complete the required entry below. Once the REQUIRED entry has been completed, then you may enter additional times through the Rafflecopter widget below.

REQUIRED ENTRY
Leave a comment on this post and tell us one important manner you teach your children.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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©2015 Kid Madison. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author, http://kidmadison.com.