Musings From My Minivan
I am showing some donor love today. Tonight is my OfficeMax “A Day Made Better” Taking the Stage for Teachers event at Sopranos. I am so very proud of this event. Proud because in just 10 short days so many of my friends and compatriots rallied to make it happen. I hope that you will show them some love in return.
Teachers are heroes! Did you know that? Think about it, we rely on them to shape the minds that will dictate our future. But we aren’t giving them the supplies tht they need to do their job successfully. As a result they are personally supplementing their school supply needs. Did you know teachers spend an average of $1200 of their own money on classroom supplies each year? That?s $4 billion annually! That?s why OfficeMax joined with Adopt-A-Classroom to create ?A Day Made Better??a national cause event founded to erase teacher-funded classrooms. This year, ?A Day Made Better? will take place on October 6 where 1,000 teachers will be surprised in their classrooms each with $1,000 worth of essential supplies from OfficeMax. That?s more than one million dollars donated to help teachers! Principals at needy schools nominated the teachers for demonstrating dedication, innovation, and passion.
To pay-it-forward, OfficeMax and Mom It Forward have teamed up to create awareness about the issue of teacher-funded classrooms and to give you the opportunity to get involved and help a teacher in your community on behalf of the ?A Day Made Better.? Together they created a team of moms across the country to help get the word out to you. MAX moms are some of the most reliable Mommy blogger communicators out there. TOGETHER we are blazing across the social media airways to light a fire of chage and eradicate teacher funded classrooms.
As Chicago’s only MAX Mom I am doing my part hosting a very special event on Wednesday Septemeber 30th. It’s called Taking The Stage for Teachers. It will be held at Sopranos in Lakeview from 6-9pm. The point of the evening is to use your voice for education in fun and creative ways, such as singing Karaoke, filming video testimonials and answering trivia questions. By participating you earn tickets towards phenomaonal prizes that you can share with the teacher or school of your choice!
Don’t live in Chicago, don’t worry. I have another AWESOME way for you to make a difference in a deserving teacher’s life. Simply nominate a teacher of your choice to win a $100 Office Max giftcard giveaway by following the entry requirements. All you have to do is tell us how your favorite teacher is taking it to the MAX for education and you could win the giftcard for them. It’s easy! Check out the prize criteria!
What are you willing to do for education? Teachers are willing to put their money where our children?s minds are. They spend an average of $1200 of their own money on classroom supplies each year? Together, that?s $4 billion annually! I know?$4 billion!!! For most, they?re just trying to help kids get the basics! That?s why Office Max teamed up with Adopt-A-Classroom to create ?A Day Made Better??a national cause event founded to erase teacher-funded classrooms. 
Now, it?s our turn. We?re ?Taking the Stage for Teachers!? Join us on Wednesday, September 30 from 6-9pm at Soprano?s, 2901 N. Sheffield, for a night of food, fun, and most importantly teacher appreciation. Oh, and did I mention the Karaoke?
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Yesterday I had the great fortune to have dinner with Kathy Kaehler. And guess who ran into? Mayor Daley and his phenomenal wife Maggie! Wait, let me back up to the beginning.
Sunday night I got a message from my good friend Hope Bertram of Windy City Social about an opportunity to have a guest blogger on my site, Kathy Kaehler, Personal Trainer to the stars. I said, “Of course! What is she in town for?” Kathy was coming to town with Healthy One’s deli meats to talk about her Sunday Set Up and, of course, fitness.
Fast forward to Tuesday. After getting kids to school, talking with the principal, emailing about my “Taking the Stage for Teachers” Office Max Mom event September 30th, (don’t worry I will come back to that!), auditioning for voiceovers for Laughing Cow and GetGo, having a phone meeting with Centered Chef, Chef Jill, I made my way alllllll the way to Lockport’s Jewel Osco to meet Kathy Kaehler. (Whew!! Good thing I wore my running shoes.)
Shop at Chicago Whole Foods Markets on 9/22 to Support HSC!
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Don?t forget to shop at Whole Foods Market in Chicago tomorrow ? Tuesday, Sept. 22 ? to support Healthy Schools Campaign!
HSC will receive 5% of the sales from your purchase at the following Chicago locations:
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South Loop Lincoln Park Gold Coast Halsted & Waveland Lakeview |
September 21st is The United Nations International Day of Peace. What does that mean to you? For Jeannette Kravitz founder, director and CEO of Peace Journey and Juvenesse Spa, it means ?investing in how we can positively influence children?s choices in the food they eat.? Which is exactly what she has been doing for years with her foundation Peace Journey.
Peace Journey sponsors groups of students and teachers on trips to select foreign countries on a mission of cultural exploration. Students travel to each culture, opening doors to communication and lasting friendships online and offline. As youth learn and share knowledge with other cultures online, in video/documentaries, and work hands-on with land nurturers and stakeholders, a baseline of change is created. Youth build on ideas like commodity exchanges; micro-lending to help women farmers, all while building schools and gardens, engaging with stakeholders, peacemakers, foreign governments and building an international co-op of healthy lifestyles.
Peace Journey is celebrating its? 10 Year Anniversary this year. In honor of that Jeannette Kravitz is launching ECOChallenge2020, sponsored in part by PeaceSPA product line, to make a positive impact on youth and health care in America. ECOChallenge2020 creates a 2010 to 2020 year commitment to creating a culture of healthier kids who learn how to respect and be mindful of what they put in their bodies, as well as learn the best practices for eating and growing healthy foods, anywhere in the world.
The ECOChallenge2020 launch event will take place Today, September 21st, on The United Nations International Day of Peace at the Juvennes Spa, 520 West Erie, Suite 340, from 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Chicken Nuggets are not a food group! You laugh, but there are some kids out there who believe it to be true. Not so far fetched since until recently ketchup was designated a vegetable in school lunches. Yeah, not so funny now is it. As we debate like maniacs the question of health care in this country let?s pause for a moment and look at the things that we could be doing better so that we are ore healthy as a nation in general, and thus not in need of so much medical intervention. Chief in point would be our food. From a country that was founded on the backs of farmers we have turned into a nation of processing. There are children in the United States who do not have fresh vegetables and fruit in their diet regularly. ?How can that be,? you ask?. Well, frankly because we let it happen. Particularly by allowing our school lunches to run the gamut from bad to awful.
But never fear we can still do something to change it. The Healthy Schools Campaign based in Chicago, as well as Chef Ann the Renegade Lunch Lady, LaDonna Redmond of the Institute for Community Resource, Representatives of Chartwells Thompson Hospitality and countless others are working very hard to turn the tides of unhealthy eating in our school systems. We all gathered at Whole Foods in Chicago recently to put our thoughts on the table and collectively energize our base of support to get pissed off and demand better for our children. (Chef Ann is the one who really wants us to get pissed off. She?s a rabble rouser and I love her for it.) Why now as opposed to tomorrow? Well, because The Child Nutrition Act is up or reauthorization this year. Lawmakers need to hear from us TODAY that we not only want, not only expect, but that we DEMAND that they do more and better for our children when it comes to their food sources.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALfYzB0uX3U
One week ago today my children and countless numbers of other children across the country returned to school. And on that bustling first day President Obama spoke to all of them, whether they were free to listen or not. He charged our children to do right by their school, their family, but chiefly, to do right by themselves, making the most of the education they have before them. I believe whole heartedly that our children want to be excited about school. They want to achieve. They want to succeed. Children have an innate sense of excitement and anticipation about school on the first day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yn2–WIsvgM
It is a flame that is either fanned or extinguished based on how we as a community respond to their quest for the fires of knowledge. So now that we are in the second week of school I challenge you, just as President Obama challenged our kids, to step up, embrace and fulfill your responsibility. The responsibility to your kids, your community, your country. Help kids put education first by supporting schools and their efforts to do right by our children and thus pave the way for a brighter future for us all. To inspire you on this journey I share some of my favorite points from President Obama?s school speech.
Miss Lori
Miss Lori can be found Musing from her Minivan at MissLori.TV , Wearetherealdeal.com and ChiacgoMomsBlog. You can also see her Activating to Be Great at Miss Lori’s CAMPUS on Youtube, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
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