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Sign Up Now! 2010 Minnesota Timberwolves Bur Bur and Friends Youth Basketball Camp.

Sunday, March 7th, 2010

For the second year in a row, Bur Bur and Friends has partnered with The National Basketball Academy, The Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx to host a one of a kind Youth Basketball Clinic in August of 2010. Spaces are limited and filling up fast so sign up now! The clinic is for kids ages 6-11 and will be held August 2-5th. Join the fun with friends while learning about teamwork and basketball basics.

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A Young Bur Bur and Friends Reader Shares Innovation, Creativity and Talent

Saturday, March 6th, 2010

Below is a letter from our friend Anna Rose. Anna is sharing that she would like to see more butterflies in our books. Since Bur Bur and Friends educates young children about the funnest sports and outdoor exploration activities, we think it is a terrific idea! Thanks for being part of our team Anna!!

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From Bur Bur and Friends; “Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!”

Monday, March 1st, 2010

March 2, 2010 Dr. Seuss would have been 106 years old.  For those authors out there, his first book was rejected 27 times! As many of you know, his books are surely art imitating life.  To recognize his birthday and his great contributions to the literary world, we have included text from his book Happy Birthday to You!

Further down, you can see some of our favorite Dr. Seuss quotes that we hope you will enjoy too! (more…)

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Bur Bur and Friends Celebrates Black History Month at Barack and Michelle Obama Elementary School in St. Paul, Minnesota

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

 

To help celebrate Black History month, co-author JoAnne Pastel was invited to spend part of a day reading the Bur Bur and Friends book series to the 300 students from K – 3 grades at the Barack and Michelle Obama Service Learning Elementary http://www.obama.spps.org/ in St. Paul, Minnesota. 

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Encourage the love of reading with your little Valentine.

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010
 Local Minnesota authors Kakie Fitzsimmons, JoAnne Pastel and Susie Bazil team up to participate in a Meet the authors and get your books signed at a Retail Store for Valentines Day Downtown Minneapolis
Gaviidae Market was created as an effort to respond to consumers who have shared they are looking for practical gifts this year. In preparation for Valentines day, there will be a retail store with about 15 local business owners and their products. Please come down, stop in to say Hello.  

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Creating Winter Memories: A Gift For Grandma and Her Grandson

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

Sledding and getting young children out in the winter helps us be spontaneous and promotes unstructured play time for all of us

By Kathy Jandric, mother of three, grandmother of 6

It was about 4:30 in the evening on a wintry December day and the temperature was 4 degrees. Often when it gets this cold in Minnesota, we want to stay home, put some soup on the stove and keep warm. I had started a fire in the fireplace which was now roaring and snapping. I had been wrapping gifts for Christmas, baking cookies, cleaning and I was exhausted from a long week at work. (more…)

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Don’t Take a Number, Push One. HELP HAITI NOW

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010

In light of the 6.1 magnitude aftershock in Haiti today, they continue to plea for our help and there is an EASY way you can make a difference for children and families. The American Red Cross understands the power of how mobile and social media can make a difference and are using it to get assistance to the victims in Haiti.

To donate $5.00 or $10.00 to The American Red Cross, Text the word Haiti to 90999. You will receive a text message back to confirm, click “yes” and that is it. Below is a Public Service Announcement from Michelle Obama. Please take action now, they desperately need our help.

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Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday: A Day of Service for Kids and Families

Friday, January 15th, 2010

Grandma

January of 2009 I wrote a post called Teaching our kids: Facts about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a way to celebrate the holiday. In 1994 Congress charged the Corporation for National and Community Service to encourage Americans to use the holiday as a national day of service.

Last year, President Obama asked us to ruminate on the messages and legacy of Dr. King’s dream and reminded people volunteering is a path to honor this man who made such a difference to people everywhere.  (more…)

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Six Simple Tips for Coaching Kids to Success

Sunday, January 10th, 2010

Coaching kids to success in sports - Six steps from Bur Bur and Friends

Coaching is a great experience for you and for the kids you are teaching. Working with youth will create a lifetime love of the game when training is delivered right. Here are some tips to help you prepare your team. (more…)

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Managing Autism in Kids: An Unconventional Approach

Friday, January 1st, 2010

Autism_Speaks: It's time to listen

By Sarah Simons, mother of 7

In September of this year, our family participated for the first time in the “Autism Speaks Walk” to raise awareness and money for autism research. There were many representatives from groups and companies offering support, services and products to address the special needs that children with autism may have.  As we walked through the exhibits, we saw gluten-free cookies, adaptive toys, t-shirts with affirming messages, and LOTS of chiropractors.

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Happy Holidays from Bur Bur and Friends!

Sunday, December 20th, 2009

Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season from JoAnne Pastel and Kakie Fitzsimmons, co-creators of Bur Bur and Friends.

In the spirit of the seasons, we want to extend wonderful holiday wishes to all of you. We are grateful that you continue to come along with us on our journey.

Bur Bur and Friends was created to inspire kids to discover their talents and self-esteem through true life experiences we like to refer to as “real moments.” This time of year can be a reminder for us to count our blessings as we see the magic through the eyes of a child.

At Farmer’s Hat Productions, we are thankful for your ongoing support and look forward to sharing many more of those real moments together with you and your families.

Happy Holidays,

-JoAnne and Kakie

P.S. Please consider becoming a fan of our characters on facebook@ http://tinyurl.com/ybpagn6

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StarTribune: Buying Literature From the Source

Wednesday, December 16th, 2009

Bur Bur and Friends characters left to right: Mateo, Bur Bur, Baby Joey, Anna, Lily, Kenya and Connor: Teaching kids self esteem, sports, outdoor exploration and active play through their experiences.

Award winning authors JoAnne Pastel and Kakie Fitzsimmons get mention in a Minneapolis Star Tribune Article. Pastel and Fitzsimmons are co-creators of Bur Bur and Friends, a cast of characters who help kids cultivate their self-esteem by educating them about sports, outdoor exploration and active play. Bur Bur and Friends characters are multicultural and are based off of real children.

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Minnesota Authors Team Up to Open a Retail Store for the Holidays

Monday, December 14th, 2009

The Award Winning Bur Bur and Friends Product Line for Children

Recently, we have collaborated with some Minnesota author friends to open a retail store over the holiday season that featured our products. The story ran on the front page of the St. Paul Pioneer Press this past Saturday and was written by MaryAnn Grossman. The store was the brain child of our friend, Kelly Lucente, author of “Bye Bye Monster.” We are honored and humbled that Kelly calls us her friends and mentors. Don’t let the headline fool you, the point of the story was opening the store was something that had to be put together quickly.  (more…)

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Simple Steps for Building Self Esteem in Young Children

Sunday, December 13th, 2009

Bur Bur and Friends promotes self esteem and healthy living. As our kids prepare for the new school year, we encourage immunization for the well being of all children.

As families, we all want our kids to feel good about themselves. How often do we have those moments when we step away and say, “How should I start, when does it begin?”
According to the National Mental Health Center, children with high self-esteem:
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Music to our Ears: Toddler Plays Ukelele and Sings, “I’m Yours”

Friday, December 11th, 2009

Hope - - Time is so precious. One moment our kids are barely walking, they grow into toddlers, then preschoolers, their being and we celebrate with them all the wayIt is such a gift when we see reflections of ourselves in children. Remember those days when we thought we knew what the words to a song were? Even now, if we are not so sure, we still manage to sing through it. This talented young toddler has quite a knack for playing the ukelele and a great singing voice as well. It brought us back to a time when life seemed so much simpler. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did! (more…)

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