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Simon Youth Academy at Westminster Mall Expands Capacity to Serve Local Students New Academy Space Designed to Further Local Dropout Prevention and Recovery Efforts

September 16, 2014 By Leave a Comment

A successful dropout prevention and recovery program, operating since 2003 as a partnership between Simon Youth Foundation (SYF), Westminster Mall and Huntington Beach Union School District, is expanding its capacity to serve local students through a larger academy space at Westminster Mall and an affiliated second site, Simon Youth Coast High School Academy.

 

Simon Youth Academy at Westminster Mall will be one of 22 Simon Youth Academies nationwide that exist to help at-risk students stay in school. To-date, SYF has graduated more than 12,000 students, awarded more than $12 million in scholarships and maintained a 90% cumulative graduation rate across all Academies. In Westminster, CA, the existing Academy has served more than 600 students.  To-date, SYF and Westminster Mall have awarded $98,000 to local college-bound high school students.

 

A preview of the new Academy space and celebration of the expanded program model is set for September 18, 2014. This is not a Public preview. It is by invite only.

There will be 2 Simon Youth Academies in Westminster – Simon Youth Academy at Westminster Mall and Simon Youth Coast High School Academy located on Gothard Ave.

 

SYA at Westminster Mall will have a seating capacity of 120. However, this program is predominantly independent study. The combination of additional staff, seating, and instructional delivery model (independent study) will allow this SYA to serve 2000 students per year.  The majority of the students (80%) are between the ages of 18 to 22 and working toward their high school diplomas. Students work through their required courses one course at a time while balancing adult responsibilities such as families and work. The new space offers roughly 3,000 more square feet of instructional space than the old site, and the interior is being designed and furnished to accommodate modular, flexible classroom spaces.

 

For Coast High School, an added partner to the SYA network, capacity is 240. This program also has an independent study component and a flexible classroom environment. These students are typically 14 – 18. Coast has three curriculum delivery models that support students’ learning, based on individual needs. Traditional direct instruction is offered to students who need support and guidance. Lab-style independent study is offered to students who have the academic background to work independently but require staff on hand to guide them and keep them focused. Full independent study is offered to students who have demonstrated that they can be to be both academically independent and independently motivated.

 

SYF has operated nationally since 1998, and has maintained an academy in Westminster since 2003.

 

Credit: SYF.

Filed Under: Announcements

Parents! Vote Now to Help Kids Have More Fun – One Playspace at a Time

September 16, 2014 By Leave a Comment

As parents, we spend a lot of time discovering creative ways to nurture our children’s curiosity. Luckily, being outdoors provides the perfect landscape, fueling young imaginations and creating endless possibilities for exploration, discovery and creativity. Children’s Claritin hopes to inspire parents to create innovative play spaces in their backyards, and communities.

 

Children’s Claritin also believes in the benefits of outdoor activity for children, and wants to help children get the most out of every day! They’re teaming up with KaBOOM!, a national non-profit, to help bring innovative playspaces to communities in need and you can help! By voting, you can help them pick the four community organizations that will receive Imagination Playground™. What’s Imagination Playground™? See imagination at play – watch last year’s winner enjoying Imagination Playground™.

 

Be sure to visit ClaritinVoteforPlayspaces.com where you can place your vote and gather playspace inspirations for creating your own backyard playspace.

 

While visiting the Children’s Claritin & KaBOOM! Facebook page, you can also:

  • Learn more about the twelve organizations you can vote for receiving Imagination Playground™
  • Download coupon offers
  • Locate a playspace near you

Vote now and help us pick the four community organizations that will receive Imagination Playground™. You can vote one time per day through 9/26/14. Click here for voting rules.

 

As a member of the Children’s Claritin Mom Crew, I receive product samples and promotional items to share and use as I see fit. No monetary compensation has taken place and any opinions expressed by me are honest and reflect my actual experience.

Filed Under: Announcements

Be Fond Of This Find – Lifter Hamper Lifts Up As You Grab Laundry Out

September 16, 2014 By 3 Comments

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Need a line to save you time and not make you bend over backwards breaking your back weekly while you do your everyday laundry?  Lifter Hamper is your solution.

Experiencing a career-ending back injury on the football field, Marvin Phillip, father and former NFL player created Lifter Hamper for his growing family, a growing pile of laundry, and a growing sensation to find a solution to make everyday household chores a cinch and less of a pinch on his back.  He shares that early on, the smallest moves could strain his back so he had an idea and he began tinkering around with it at home. He grabbed his football playbook notepad and began quickly writing down ideas and sketching drawings. Eventually, Marvin engineered the components himself to create Lifter Hamper, the bungee spring loaded laundry hamper.

Lifter Hamper hold 2-3 loads of laundry, is easy to move around the house in and out of every room with its built-in wheels and saves you one less step – NO MORE bending over into the hamper to pick up piles of heavy clothing.  Lifter Hamper is the innovative laundry hamper that will reduce strain on your back and allow you to move more slowly and fluently while you lift out clothes and load up the washer.

Lifter Hamper truly lends a hand and lifts up while you pick up your laundry out of the hamper, placing less strain on your back.  Great for mom’s and dad’s, expecting Mom’s, anyone with back pain, seniors and all consumers looking for a solution to make doing laundry easier.  Once you try Lifter Hamper, you will not want to go back to your old hamper again.

We received a sample to try out and love how easy this is to use and how it does make doing laundry an easier task. I mean, laundry IS the never-ending  “L word.” So, anything that makes it easier, is a really great thing! It is also simple to put together and a Must-Have for the entire family!

To find out more, check out the website: http://lifterhamper.com

Self Disclosure: I received a free sample to facilitate this feature and any opinions expressed are truthful. Photo Credit: Lifter Hamper.

Filed Under: Featured Products of the Week

#GuacitForward for National Guacamole Day!

September 15, 2014 By Leave a Comment

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Tomorrow, September 16th, is NATIONAL GUACAMOLE DAY! Wholly Guacamole want to take their favorite day of the year and make it extra special! They are asking their fans to help  make it a great day and #GuacitForward. Perform a random act of kindness and let them know about it! Tag them on social media with #GuacitForward and help make it a Guac-Tastic day!

Some ideas to #GuacitForward

  • Compliment a stranger
  • Hold the elevator door a little longer
  • Text a long-lost friend with “Remember when we . . “
  • Put a grocery cart away for an elderly shopper or a mom with her hands full
  • Everyone in your family donate one item from their room
  • Cook a meal for someone
  • Donate to your favorite charity
  • Give blood

#OMGuac your lunch! Visit eatwholly.com/omguac and see how ONE set of ingredients can make TWO awesome lunches for you and your kids. 

Credit: Wholly Guacamole.

Filed Under: Announcements

Olay Regenerist Luminous Collection is a Mom-Must-Have!

September 15, 2014 By 1 Comment

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Olay introduces Luminous Tone Perfecting Treatment to the Regenerist Luminous collection, a skin care line the re-energizes skin’s appearance to restore its natural luminosity for bright, pearlescent skin that glows.  I love this treatment because it is designed to rapidly reduce the look of dark spots and it does work! It is really easy to use and is light-weight. The treatment penetrates 10 surface layers deep to accelerate skin cell turnover resulting in youthful, bright and even-toned skin. Suggested Retail Price is $33.99.

My favorite is the Olay Regenerist Luminous Facial Oil which is a Daily Treatment Designed to Balance Skin’s Moisture. I love how this makes my skin look and feel hydrated. I also like that it is non-greasy and light-weight. Olay Regenerist Luminous Facial Oil is infused with nine enriched naturally derived oils that work together to create luminous skin. It is also Perfume-and dye-free. Suggested Retail Price: $33.99.

These are a Mom-Must-Have! Two great products to add to your skin care routine. Both products are sold where Olay products are sold. For more information, check out the Olay website.

Self Disclosure: I received free products to facilitate this feature but any opinions expressed are truthful. Photo Credit: Olay.

Filed Under: Beauty and Fashion, Beauty and Fashion Corner

Adi, the world’s first Stay-Put Plate for babies and toddlers

September 15, 2014 By Leave a Comment

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San Diego startup, Prodigi Kids, is about to roll out a revolutionary concept in the world of feeding called “Adi,” an award-winning stay-put plate for babies and toddlers aimed at minimizing mealtime messes.

 

Invented by Karen Weiss Kart, an attorney turned entrepreneur and mom of three, Adi is a stylish, modern, and whimsical plate that appeals to parents and children alike.  “Adi not only looks adorable in a penguin shape, but really stays on a tabletop or high chair as well” says Kart.

 

Adi is the only plate specifically engineered to stay in place. Its innovative, patent-pending design includes a strong suction base combined with a quick release tab allowing for easy parent removal.  The plate has three separate compartments and a snap-tight lid that keeps food neatly in place so you can take it everywhere you go.

 

Through a Kickstarter campaign, Prodigi Kids’ goal is to raise $34,000 for production of these plates.  Adi is the first of its kind, and anyone interested in pre-ordering them may do so on Kickstarter on Monday, September 15th.

 

Director of Early Childhood Education at the JCC, Alma Hadash Geiger, has been excited to watch Karen go through the process of creating Adi and polling moms’ opinions every step of the way.  “It was only when I went to 4 stores looking for a real nonslip plate for my grandson’s visit that I fully realized how needed Karen’s precious stay-put plate was. Put me on the list for Adi!”

 

“Part of what drove me to create Adi was this desire to have a product that I could trust to stay in place because I tried everything on the market and nothing worked with my kids. When my daughter was 18 months old, she grabbed a placemat that was supposed to stick to the table and sent it flying in the air like a frisbee. Seconds later, it landed on a man seated at the table next to ours, and his head and white dress shirt were covered with tiny pieces of spaghetti and meatballs, red sauce, and peas.  I was mortified,” says Kart.

 

“Adi is the biggest thing to happen to a plate,” says Kart. “We set out to create the best product ever and thought about every single element of the design and functionality. Our desire was to truly make parents lives easier with their little ones and give them a product that they could trust really works.”

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Kickstarter named them as a Staff Pick within 2 hours of going live! Now, that is pretty cool!

http://kck.st/1q0IYen

About Prodigi Kids

Prodigi Kids is a San Diego company started by Karen Weiss Kart. Her kids are the real life inspiration for creating products whose sole intent is to bring a smile to the faces of parents and children everywhere!  For more information on Prodigi Kids, visit www.prodigikids.com.

Self Disclosure: No compensation was received to post. SoCal City Kids will occasionally feature Kickstarter campaigns when we feel that it will be of interest to our readers.

 

Filed Under: Featured Products of the Week

PBS and PBS KIDS now available on Amazon Fire TV

September 15, 2014 By Leave a Comment

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PBS and PBS KIDS Launch on Amazon Fire TV
PBS favorites for the entire family, including the new bonus half-hour SESAME STREET program and more, are available for free on-demand.

 

PBS  recently announced  that full-length episodes and clips from PBS and PBS KIDS programs, as well as favorite programs from local PBS stations, are now available to users in the United States directly on Amazon Fire TV, offering viewers another way to access PBS’ high-quality content on demand. Amazon Fire TV users can watch a variety of content for free and personalize their viewing experience by creating a profile and identifying their local PBS station.“PBS and our member stations are committed to providing audiences with engaging, educational and innovative content, however and whenever they wish to enjoy it,” said Ira Rubenstein, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Digital, PBS. “With the launch of PBS and PBS KIDS on Amazon Fire TV, we look forward to providing a new way to access and enjoy our high-quality content.”The PBS channel will include hundreds of videos from PBS stations, including episodes from new primetime programs as well as the PBS archives, with new national and local content updated daily. Programming includes video from AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, FRONTLINE, MASTERPIECE and NOVA, as well as a dozen original video series from PBS Digital Studios.The PBS KIDS channel extends the organization’s commitment to being everywhere kids are, with trusted, educational media. PBS KIDS programming on Amazon Fire TV includes thousands of videos, with new content updated weekly from award-winning, trusted series that provide proven educational benefits for children. Users can access episodes and clips from favorite series such as DINOSAUR TRAIN, PEG + CAT, DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD, ARTHUR and WILD KRATTS. The new bonus half-hour SESAME STREET program, which recently debuted on PBS KIDS to complement the one-hour program, is also among the full-length PBS KIDS offerings included on Amazon Fire TV.

About PBS
PBS, with its over 350 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and online content. Each month, PBS reaches nearly 109 million people through television and over 28 million people online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’ broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. PBS’ premier children’s TV programming and its website, pbskids.org, are parents’ and teachers’ most trusted partners in inspiring and nurturing curiosity and love of learning in children. More information about PBS is available at www.pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the Internet, or by following PBS on Twitter, Facebook or through our apps for mobile devices. Specific program information and updates for press are available atpbs.org/pressroom or by following PBS PressRoom on Twitter.

About PBS KIDS 
PBS KIDS, the number one educational media brand for kids, offers all children the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television, online, mobile and community-based programs. Kidscreen- and Webby-award winning pbskids.org provides engaging interactive content, including digital games and streaming video. For more information on specific PBS KIDS content supporting literacy, science, math and more, visitpbs.org/pressroom, or follow PBS KIDS on Twitter and Facebook.

 

Filed Under: Announcements

Gimbal’s Fine Candies Announces its Back to School Sweepstakes

September 14, 2014 By Leave a Comment

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 Gimbal’s is proud to kick off its 2014 Back To School Sweepstakes, which will give one lucky winner a Backpack filled to the brim with Gimbal’s candies.  The sweepstakes will run August 11ththrough Sept. 30th, 2014, and everyone who enters through the Gimbal’s Facebook Page will automatically receive 10% off their next online purchase.

With Back to School just around the corner, what better time to win a Backpack filled to the brim with delicious Gimbal’s candies? Inside the Backpack you’ll find a huge assortment of candies you’ll absolutely love including Gourmet Jelly Beans, Cherry Lovers, Cinnamon Lovers, Sour Gourmet Jelly Beans, All Natural Licorice Scotties and Sour Lovers.

And remember, all Gimbal’s candies are free of the major food allergens, making Gimbal’s perfect to enjoy and share with those special people in your life – whether at school, home or work.

 

Self Disclosure: No compensation was received to post. Credit: Gimbal’s.

 

Filed Under: Announcements
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