January 15, 2013 – MrsP.com announced today the names of the two Grand-Prize winners in its fourth annual “Be-a-Famous-Writer” contest, a nationwide creative-writing competition for children held every September.

Grace Lane, age 8, from Vermont, won top honors in the 4-to-8 year-old category for The Magic Piano, a fantasy about a piano that can read its owner’s mind and mimic the sound of other instruments, weather conditions, and even the 12-Days-of-Christmas characters.

Vermont's Grace Lane wins top honors in the 4-to-8 year-old category.

Adithi Ramakrishnan, age 12, from Virginia, won in the 9-13 age group for Home Perfect Home, a fable detailing the adventures of a bird searching the far reaches of the globe for true happiness.

Virginia's Adithi Ramakrishnan wins in the 9-13 age group.

“This year, I’m pleased to give awards not only to these talented, young authors but also to their schools,” said TV star Kathy Kinney, who portrays Mrs. P and is one of the creators of the website. “Each grand prize winner’s school will receive $300 to purchase books for their libraries from our sponsor, BuyerTopia. And what school in this economy couldn’t use more books?”

The Grand-Prize winners will have their stories produced as videos featuring Mrs. P, which will be presented on her free, critically-acclaimed website.

TV star Kathy Kinney, who portrays Mrs. P, is one of the creators of the free, critically-acclaimed website.

Original artwork by award-winning illustrator Robin E. Kaplan will help bring the stories to life. The videos will be posted on the website (www.MrsP.com) beginning in March. Each winner will also receive an actual bound copy of the story and illustrations made possible by sponsor Polka Dots Publishing. A copy of the book will be donated to the child’s school library in their honor.

The Magic Piano: a sample of artwork to come from award-winning illustrator Robin E. Kaplan.

The winners for this year’s contest were selected by an über-talented panel of judges:
Julia Roberts, Academy Award-winning actress and reading advocate;
Melina Gerosa Bellows, the Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer of Books, Kids and Family at National Geographic; and
Mary Frances Smith-Reynolds, who teaches second grade at Ivanhoe Elementary School in Silver Lake, CA.

Home Perfect Home: a sample of artwork to come, also by award-winning illustrator Robin E. Kaplan.

MrsP.com was launched in 2008 to encourage a love of reading. The website is the recipient of the American Library Association’s “Great Website for Kids.”

It has been a real pleasure to partner with MrsP.com for this year’s “Be-a-Famous-Writer” contest.
Congratulations Grace and Adithi! What a great way to kick start 2013!
You are a true inspiration to all young writers everywhere.

Anita

December 17, 2012 – MrsP.com announced today the names of finalists in the fourth edition of its popular Be-a-Famous-Writer contest, open to kids across the country between 4-13. Two states clearly stood out from the rest.

“We had wonderful entries from all over the United States, and it was hard to narrow it down to ten stories,” said Kathy Kinney, who stars as Mrs. P and who, before co-creating the website, was best known as Mimi on The Drew Carey Show. “New Jersey and Arizona both took the lead with two finalists each, which speaks well for their schools and educators. We weren’t looking for an East-West competition, but we’ve got it!” she added.

Kathy Kinney, who stars as Mrs. P, couldn't be more pleased with the entries received for this year's Be-A-Famous-Writer contest.

The Grand Prize winners will be chosen by a panel of celebrity judges, including Academy Award-winning actress and reading advocate Julia Roberts; Melina Gerosa Bellows, the Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer of Books, Kids and Family at National Geographic; and Mary Frances Smith-Reynolds, who teaches second grade at Ivanhoe Elementary School in Silver Lake, CA.

The finalists for the 4-8 age group are:
• The Magic Piano by Grace Lane, 8, Vermont
• The Horse Indeanna by Meridan Boyd, 8, Iowa
• The Royalty Cat, by Calista Wilk, 7, Arizona
• Girls vs. Ghouls, by Lily Ventnor, 7, New Jersey
• The Talking Gingerbread Man, by Ethan Kur, 7, Arizona

The finalists for the 9-13 age group are:
• The Bread of Generosity, by Andrea Langholff, 9, Wisconsin
• Moonshine, by Willa Lane, 9, Vermont
• Home Perfect Home, by Adithi Ramakrishnan, 12, Virginia
• The Mesa, by Caitlin Casady, 12, Oklahoma
• The Championship Game, by Lucas Daniel, 9, New Jersey

On January 15, 2013, the Grand Prize winner from each age group will be announced and will have their stories read by Mrs. P in videos featuring original illustrations and produced by a Hollywood production team. The videos will be posted for viewing by a global audience at the MrsP.com website. Winners will also receive a bound copy of their story, made possible by Polka Dots Publishing. Other contest sponsors include Powell’s Books and Sakura of America. Buyer Topia will donate books to the school libraries of the Grand Prize winners.

The Grand Prize winner from each age group will be announced on January 15, 2013!

About Mrs. P Enterprises, LLC.
Mrs. P Enterprises, LLC, was founded in 2008 by Hollywood team Clay Graham, Kathy Kinney, and Dana Plautz. After having built successful careers in television and New Media, the three creators of MrsP.com were brought together by a love of reading and a desire to help spark that same passion in young people everywhere. The company endeavors to expose young people to great books and stories through a celebrity storyteller and to spark their imaginations and creativity with on-line games and writing contests. Its production offices are located in Portland, Oregon and Los Angeles, California.

To all finalists: Congratulations on making it to this level and good luck!

Anita

Apps With Curriculum empowers educators.

“This group of developers are trendsetters that are joining with Apps With Curriculum and classroom teachers to educate,” said Cyndie Sebourn, founder of Apps With Curriculum. “They recognize the immeasurable value of providing curriculum for their book apps and are excited about being a valued asset to education.”

Cyndie Sebourn is the founder of Apps With Curriculum.

Apps participating in the one-day sale are Smarty Britches: Nouns, Treasure and the Lost Gold of Shark Island, Brush of Truth, A Lucky Escape, Battle with the Bugs, A Heart Pumping Adventure, Penelope the Purple Pirate, Gerry the Giraffe, A Royal Little Pest, A Royal Little Pest: Mine!, Choco Gets a Check Up, and Tractor Mac You’re a Winner. Discounted apps and free curriculum can be downloaded at http://appswithcurriculum.com/curriculum/.

I am very proud to have both MacCheeky Book story apps as part of Apps With Curriculum.

“Apps With Curriculum links book app developers with teachers to promote 21st Century Learning Skills,” said Sebourn, a retired teacher who was in the classroom for 25 years. “With curriculum, book apps serve a higher purpose. They become educational tools that provide extended learning for the classroom. Educators are excited to see Project-Based Learning and reading strategies that align with Common Core Standards and incorporate Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy. It empowers them to teach with technology and saves them countless hours in lesson planning.”

Apps With Curriculum was formed by Cyndie Sebourn, a retired National Board Certified Teacher, to create curriculum for book app makers. Sebourn also owns Sascyn Publishing, Inc., which creates educational book apps.

Sebourn is also the owner of Sascyn Publishing, Inc.

To download your free curriculum for all twelve of the apps mentioned above, visit http://appswithcurriculum.com/curriculum/.

Don’t forget to take advantage of Apps With Curriculum one-day sale which takes place on December 7 only. To help spread the word about Apps With Curriculum, kindly hit the retweet and/or FB “Like” button.

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

Calling all parents and teachers of grades 4-6 students across Canada! Does your child or student like to express themselves through writing? Habitat for Humanity Canada and Genworth Canada have teamed up once again for the Meaning of Home Contest 2012.

Don't delay! Contest closes at 11:59 p.m. ET on November 9, 2012!

To enter the contest, have your child or student write a composition, essay, or poem between 50 and 300 words (accompanied with video if you’d like to do so), telling what home means to him/her. Then submit his/her entry here.

For every entry submitted, Genworth Canada will donate $5.00 CAD to the Habitat affiliate closest to the entrant’s city of residence. This means that, just by entering, children will be making a difference in their community.

The grand-prize winner receives an iPad and takes part in the ultimate gift to a deserving family—a $60,000 donation from Genworth Canada towards the building of a Habitat Home! The grand-prize winner also gets to host a pizza party for their entire school!

Meaning of Home Cheque Presentation 2011

There are five runner-up prizes of $5,000 donations to Habitat affiliates. Runners-up get to host a pizza party for their classroom.

There are lots of third-prize winners and even a video-prize winner should the written entry be accompanied by a video.

For full contest details and a list of great prizes, please visit www.meaningofhome.ca.

Don’t delay! Contest closes at 11:59 p.m. ET on November 9, 2012!

To help spread the word about the Meaning of Home Contest for kids, kindly hit the retweet and/or FB “Like” button.

Good luck!

Anita

Does your child or student want to be a famous writer? Mrs. P’s 4th annual “Be-A-Famous-Writer” Contest for kids is underway! Entries for children aged 4 through 13 are now being accepted.

On the judges panel:

Mary Frances Smith-Reynolds (teaches second grade at Ivanhoe Elementary School in Silver Lake, CA);
Melina Gerosa Bellows (Executive V.P. and Chief Creative Officer, Books, Kids, and Family at National Geographic); and
Julia Roberts (Academy Award winner and mother of three).

Julia Roberts is on the judges panel this year!

There will be two grand-prize winning stories (two age competition categories: 4 to 8 years of age, and 9 to 13 years of age). If your child or student is a grand-prize winner, his or her story will be turned into a real hardcover book. The story will also be turned into an illustrated video that people around the world can enjoy at Mrs. P’s free website! How cool is that?!

Did I forget to mention that the top 10 finalists win fabulous prizes? Yup, they do. And prizes will also be awarded just for entering!

MrsP.com is an award-winning interactive digital storybook destination where classic children’s stories are brought to life by TV star Kathy Kinney as Mrs. P.

Mrs. P lives in a big house with a Magic Library.

Contest closes October 15, 2012. Please visit www.MrsP.com for full contest rules and list of prizes.

To help spread the word about Mrs. P’s 4th annual “Be-A-Famous-Writer” Contest for kids, kindly hit the retweet and/or FB “Like” button.

Good luck!

Anita

Great Wolf Lodge Niagara

Our visit to this immense 84-degree indoor water park was the second for us in five years. I was a little worried that the lodge and all of its amenities might look a little tired or appear a bit rundown. Not so. And, with the kids being half a decade older since our last visit, I was worried they might not enjoy themselves as much (they are 7, 10, and 13). Again, not so.

Fun for all ages

We actually enjoyed ourselves more this time around. With the kids being that much older we, as parents, we were free to experience all the fun with our children without the incessant fear factors that come with having toddlers around water.

The kids LOVED the tipping bucket. Btw, my 13-yr old took this photo. Good job Campbell!

Check in and check out were a breeze. Parking availability was plentiful.

The staff, from reception to dining to housekeeping, was always pleasant and courteous. Lifeguards were impressively attentive. Even staff at the gift shop was friendly and helpful (usually a rarity when shopping with kids!).

Our room, with two queen beds and a pull-out couch, was clean and spacious. Movies were available on demand (always a bonus for our family). Our room came equipped with a microwave and mini fridge. So, we planned ahead and brought fruit, refreshments, bread, sandwich meat, and pizza. As such, we were able to cut down on meal costs by warming up pizza in the microwave for dinner the first night and making sandwiches for our lunch the next day—all done from the comfort and convenience of our room.

The view from our room

Thumbs down? Although many visitors seemed to enjoy MagiQuest, the “live-action adventure game” (new from five years ago), I give MagiQuest two thumbs down. The idea sounds magical, but the reality of it all is far from magical. With a “magic” wand in hand, children open treasure chests set up in hallways leading to hotel rooms, they also listen to a wizard, and do a few other “magical” things. Children were crying because the wands wouldn’t open all the treasure chests and parents were always on the hunt for misplaced wands—we’re talking about two-year olds carrying wands… Why wouldn’t they be misplaced? The least expensive wand cost $16.99 before tax.

Not a fan of MagiQuest

For families with more than one child, the cost of these wands adds up quickly. Some families tried buying one wand to share between siblings. Before even leaving the shop, siblings were having meltdowns over who got to hold the magic wand. I witnessed parents frantically handing over fists full of cash to purchase additional wands just to stop the madness that had ensued. Those wands are a total cash grab. Each wand is nothing more than a small piece of plastic that stops being “magical” the moment you leave the lodge. Blah! Okay, rant over.

Thumbs up? Dining at the Antler Shanty was definitely an improved experience. The food choices, served buffet style, have multiplied tenfold from five years ago. Salads, sides, main dishes, and desserts were plentiful, with lots of variety, and always fresh.

Two thumbs up for the Antler Shanty!

Also improved? The atmosphere as you walk into the lodge is more energized. How so? Five years ago, we entered the Grand Lobby to the sounds of nature with birds chirping, owls hooting, and wolves howling off in the distance. This time around, in addition to the nature sounds, there was current music pumped into this area, giving a fun, youthful, active vibe the moment you walk through the doors. Children were singing and dancing while parents were toe tapping to the music.

Furry friends in the Grand Lobby

Will we return? Absolutely. Will it be in five years time? Not if we can help it. For more information about Great Wolf Lodge Niagara, please visit http://www.greatwolf.com/niagara/waterpark .

Happy visitors: Ava (10), Campbell (13, and Hayden (7)

Kindly hit the retweet and/or FB “Like” buttons. And, if you haven’t already done so, please join MacCheeky’s growing FB community by hitting the Facebook icon located at the top right of this post.

Thanks for stopping by,
Anita

School is out and those lazy, hazy, and ever-so-hot days of summer have settled in.

The heat of the afternoon sun is scorching.

The early afternoons are filled with such intense heat that even the birds have fallen silent. The hum of the air conditioner working overtime can be heard… Please keep working… Please keep working… Even those annoying flies, the ones that always seem to somehow fly right at ear level, appear to be moving slower.

You know the birds feel the heat when they are silent during the day.

Poor flowers, they’re all wilted and droopy. The flowers have been watered yet they thirst… for shade. The only respite comes in the form of an ever-so-slight breeze that gently rustles the leaves every minute or so.

Ever sit by the shade of an old oak tree? Magnificent, isn't it?

On days like this, trying to stay cool with ice cream on a cone would be pointless. Ice cream in a cup would be no better for it would turn to soup in a cup within seconds. Watermelon, or cantaloupe, or honeydew melon might do the trick… Sigh. There’s none in the fridge.

Even this ice cream truck couldn't beat the heat!

I think I’ll make a point of stopping by the library with the kiddies today. The kids won’t overheat if they sit outside in the backyard and read. Then… I’ll pick up that melon!

Watermelon is a great way to stay cool on these hot summer days.

If you feel the heat of summer, kindly hit the retweet and/or FB “Like” button. And if you haven’t already done so, please join MacCheeky’s growing FB community.

Thanks for stopping by,
Anita

Mrs. P recreates the look and feel of “story time,” a magical ritual many kids might not otherwise get to enjoy.

This children’s writing contest is open to US residents only. Both MacCheeky titles (A Royal Little Pest and A Royal Little Pest: Mine!) are being awarded as prizes to two lucky winners (one book per winner) for entering the contest. Both MacCheeky books will be awarded to younger writers, ages 4-8. Mrs. P’s 4th annual kid writing contest kicks off in September 2012. For more information about the contest, prizes, and official rules, please click on http://www.contest.mrsp.com/Default.aspx

Contest entry dates: September 1 to October 15

MrsP.com is an award-winning FREE interactive digital storybook destination. Classic children’s stories are brought to life by TV star Kathy Kinney as Mrs. P. Kathy starred in “The Drew Carey Show” as vibrant character Mimi for nine years. She currently appears on “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” and co-wrote the popular book, Queen of Your Own Life, which was featured on Oprah.com.

Mrs. P lives in a big house with a Magic Library. In her spare time, she dresses up as actress and author Kathy Kinney.

This year’s judges for Mrs. P’s kid writing contest will be revealed throughout the month of June. First judge will be revealed June 15… As luck would have it, June 15 has arrived! The first judge for the 4th annual “Be-A-Famous-Writer” Contest 2012 is… (drum roll please!)… Julia Roberts!

Judge #1: Julia Roberts, Academy Award winner and mother of three

An Academy Award winner for Erin Brockovich, Julia Roberts has appeared in many of Hollywood’s most successful films. She first came to the attention of audiences with her acclaimed performance in Mystic Pizza. Pretty Woman was the top-grossing movie of 1990 and was followed by a series of notable films including The Pelican Brief, Something to Talk About, My Best Friend’s Wedding, Notting Hill and Ocean’s Eleven.

Julia provided the voice of Charlotte in the animated film, Charlotte’s Web, recently starred as the evil queen in Mirror, Mirror and has produced four American Girl movies. She has three children and reading to them is one of her great joys.

Who will judges #2 and #3 be?

Follow Facebook.com/MacCheeky and @KidLitAnita on Twitter for clues leading up to the great reveals of judges #2 and #3.

Stay tuned as Mrs. P makes her next great reveals in the coming weeks!

To help spread the word about Mrs. P’s “Be-A-Famous-Writer” Contest 2012, kindly hit the retweet and/or FB “Like” button.

Thanks for stopping by,
Anita

Julie Bowen plays Claire Dunphy in the hit TV show Modern Family.

Wednesday morning started out no different than any other morning. I dragged my sorry butt out of bed after hitting the snooze button one too many times, took a hot shower, blow dried my hair, and put on my makeup.

I wish I looked this cute (and calm) while applying my makeup.

Next, I woke up the kids, got them dressed, washed their faces, helped them brush their teeth, and sent them downstairs for breakfast. I popped bagels in the toaster for everyone and tended to the dog.

Our little princess, the oh-so-sweet-and-lovely Goobie girl.

After serving breakfast, I started preparing the kids’ food for the day and packing their lunch boxes… I could go on but I won’t bore you with the particulars of my morning routine. Needless to say, the shorter I grew on time, the faster I tried to get things done, the more forgetful I became as time marched on.

I'm getting tired just thinking of these crazy mornings!

As I shoved the last lunch box into the appropriate backpack, I took stock of time for what might have been the bazillionth time.

“Kids!” I bellowed like I always do at 8:25 a.m. “Five minutes until we have to leave the house! Go to the washroom, wash your hands, brush your hair, and get your stuff on!”

I glanced down at myself and remembered that I was still wearing my PJs.

A little secret I’d like to share: I tend to keep my PJ top on and throw on a pair of jeans or yoga pants to walk the kids to school. No one is the wiser since I wear a jacket to hide the PJ top. It doesn’t make sense to dress for work yet when I have to walk the kids to school during these dog days of winter.

Ok, we don't get anywhere near this amount of snow in Toronto, but you get my drift.

“Four minutes left!” I yelled as I raced up the staircase, down the hallway, and into my bedroom to change out of my PJ bottoms.

“Three minutes!” I hollered as I exited my bedroom and dashed down the hallway to get to the stairs.

I sucked in my breath (these morning routines are tiring!), and began my descent down the staircase like a mad woman.

About three stairs down, I noticed a cool draft on my legs. I stopped dead in my tracks. The kids, all bundled up, were staring up at me, wide-eyed, from the bottom of the stairs. No one said a word.

I glanced down at my legs and gasped. My legs were completely bare. Even my toes were naked. I had changed out of my PJ bottoms and had forgotten to put on my jeans or yoga pants. Talk about coasting on autopilot!

Needless to say, I raced back up the stairs in search of my yoga pants... and socks.

So there you have it… Yet another shining Claire Dunphy moment for me!

Have you ever had a Claire Dunphy moment? I’d love to hear about it.

If you enjoyed this post, kindly hit the retweet and/or FB “Like” button.

Thanks for stopping by,

Anita

Customer service reps deal with angry customers more often than not.

I received—correction—my husband received a bill in the mail for using Highway 407 ETR (the world’s first all-electronic open access toll highway). The highway is located just north of Toronto. The bill arrived just as the flurry of December activity and all things holiday began. I normally take care of paying the day-to-day bills but, admittedly, I let this one slip. Seriously, life is too hectic at that time of year to stop and pay a 407 ETR bill!

Anyway, I dutifully sat down at my computer on December 27 and paid the now slightly overdue 407 ETR bill. A few days after I paid the bill in full, we started receiving daily automated calls telling us to pay this overdue 407 ETR bill. I ignored the calls for the first little while because it was the holiday season. I figured things were probably slow in the 407 ETR accounts department and that they’d soon see the error of their ways. The daily automated calls did not stop.

The automated phone calls kept coming... day after day after day.

The last call we received stated that if we did not pay our bill by 4 p.m. that day, our account would be moved to a collection agency. Seriously? One month in arrears, add two weeks for their mistake, and we’re talking collection agency? I was livid!

I picked up the phone and dialed customer service. I could barely punch the numbers into the phone because my hands were trembling out of sheer anger. A female 407 ETR customer service representative with a nasally voice answered. Our conversation went something like this:

407 ETR Rep: How may I help you?
Me: We keep receiving calls, but I paid our bill. Ok, it was a bit late. But I paid. Online. Please check to see that our bill has been paid.
407 ETR Rep: What’s your account number?
Me: Blah, blah, blah.
407 ETR Rep: Your address?
Me: Blah, blah, blah.
407 ETR Rep: The name on the bill?
Me: Ian MacArthur
407 ETR Rep: Your name?
Me: (crap, I’m done) Sigh. Anita MacArthur
407 ETR Rep: You are not Ian MacArthur. I am not at liberty to discuss the details of Mr. MacArthur’s account with you.
Me: (blood boiling, teeth beginning to clench) I realize that I am not Ian MacArthur, but I am his wife and I personally paid the bill in full, so I am asking you to check and make sure that the automated 407 ETR calls stop!
407 ETR Rep: Again, you are not Ian MacArthur. I am not at liberty to discuss the details of Mr. MacArthur’s account with you.
Me: (I am now hissing into the phone) I am not asking you to discuss the details with me. I am telling you that the bill was paid by me with my credit card—the credit card used to pay this bill is in my name: Anita MacArthur. I am asking you to verify—no need to tell me the answer—and mark this bill as paid so the automated phone calls will stop!!!

I hear nothing on the other end of the phone while the very patient-yet-obnoxious 407 ETR representative is listening to a lot of heavy breathing from my end of the phone. Then, after a long pause…

407 ETR Rep: Is there anything else I can help you with today?

I thought my head might explode.

I hung up.

The automated calls, thankfully, have stopped.

Can you relate? Do automated calls make you crazy? Please leave a comment. I’d love to hear about it.

Thanks for stopping by,
Anita