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  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Eden Prairie) – The outlook may not be so rosy for retailers – the National Retail Federation is projecting 2009 holiday sales to be one percent lower than 2008 – but some local entrepreneurs have high hopes for the holiday season.
Gaviidae Market was created as an effort to respond to consumers who have shared they are looking for practical gifts this year. It was inspired by local farmers markets and wants to attract consumers by featuring local businesses. They anticipate the Holidazzle Parade will bring people in as well.
 When: Fridays between now and December 18th 10:00AM – 8:00PM
 What: Gaviidae Market on Nicollet Mall, Downtown Minneapolis
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Our award winning products are fun and educational for children ages 2-7. We will be signing our books and selling Bur Bur and Friends products that include books, dolls, puzzles, apparel and more. Please stop by, bring friends, send friends to meet the authors and see what we have to offer. Are you on Facebook? Please consider being a fan of our characters on facebook. http://tinyurl.com/yzcc7wa
 Thank you for your ongoing support. Please don’t keep us a secret!
Book Covers and other products from the award winning Bur Bur and Friend’s children’s book series: Bur Bur and Friends is a cast of multicultural characters who help kids cultivate their self-esteem and talents by teaching them about sports, outdoor exploration and active play though their experiences. Bur Bur and Friends characters are based off of real life kids like yours!
The sound of laughter from children, seeing them have a desire to learn and explore new things, seeing the light bulb turn on in their little minds, teaching them, learning from them, watching them have a desire to be part of something larger than themselves, etc. These are just a few things out of so many to be thankful for.
 
 Six years ago, JoAnne Pastel was at a turning point. After nearly a decade working in sales and as a stockbroker, the MCTC alumna had recently given birth to her first child and knew she didn’t want to go back to the corporate world. “My heart just wasn’t in that life anymore,” she said. “But I wasn’t sure what to do next.”
Fast-forward to 2009. Today, Pastel is the award-winning author of the Bur Bur and Friends line of children’s books. She runs Farmer’s Hat Productions, a growing, Wayzata-based company. And she’s got big plans—the company has garnered national attention and is well positioned for future growth. (more…)
A while back I posted a link called “A Lesson in Letting Go: A Story About Encouraging Kids to Make New Friends.” It was a story about a situation we dealt with when my son was younger.
As parents, it’s normal to have anxiety about how our kids will make friends. We know some will jump right in and others aren’t so sure. Perhaps we turn to parents, siblings, educators, friends or community resources for advice. Others research the internet to see what kind of information is at our fingertips. Teaching young kids how to make friends and participate in their community has to begin in the home. As a resource to get started, we came up with a mini starter-kit. Our hope is it will be a reminder of the things we already know, but need to hear again from a different source.
Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15- October 15th. It is this month that celebrates the anniversary of independance from 5 Latin American countries that include Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatamala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico declared it’s independance day on September 18th, and Chile on September 15th. (more…)
In this economy it is a huge opportunity for us to educate our kids about money. Rumor has it, if you take a penny and double it each day for month using compound interest you could have more than $1,000,000 by the end of 30 days. (See the example below)“Compound interest” is a way of adding accumulated interest back into the principal so that interest is earned on interest right away. (more…)
 
September is back to school time and National Literacy Month. We wanted to provide you with some free resources to help in nurturing literacy for the kids in your life:
 Last April, we published a post called: Commentary on Literacy, Raising a Book Lover. And then did another at the beginning of the summer called Make plans to read with your children this Summer. They list great ideas to promote getting kids engaged in reading. We invite you to take a look at it! (more…)
 
It seems as though there is so much controversy over Barack Obama’s back to school speech. For skeptics, it may be easy to forget he is a dad first. Based on the text below, it seems to us that he is sending a positive message to all kids, including his own.  Â
Prepared Remarks of President Barack Obama Back to School Event Â
by Dr. Roger Muller senior medical director at UnitedHealthcare of the Northwest Region
Every summer, as school approaches, a common theme rings across the land: make sure your child is fully immunized.  One reason for the plea is that children who are not immunized may not attend school. In fact, we’ve heard the cry to immunize so often that the tendency of some is to simply ignore it. (more…)
Minneapolis, MN (Press Release) Bur Bur and Friends Blog is a winner of Nickelodeon Parent Picks award for best local blog in Minneapolis, MN. This award is affiliated with ParentsConnect, an online resource for parenting advice and community. ParentsConnect comes from the same group that brings Noggin, Nick Jr. Nickelodeon, Nic@Nite and The N to audiences everywhere. (more…)
Recently we found out about something we think is thrilling! We want to tell you about FanChatter because it is so relevant to social media and sports. FanChatter is a Y-Combination recipient. Y-Combination is a Venture Capital Firm company that specializes in funding software and web-service companies. FanChatter combines social media and sports and was founded in 2007 as a mobile social media network for sports enthusiasts. (more…)
At Farmer’s Hat Productions, we know you inspire strong minds and help inspire strong bodies for our children. We want to find a way to thank all of the wonderful educators out there who make such a strong influence in the lives of our kids. Bur Bur and Friends was created as a way to get kids and families active. Below are some things that may help you as you prepare for the school year: (more…)
Please comment below and tell us fifteen books you’ve read that will always stick with you. Do the first fifteen you can recall in no more than 15 minutes. Don’t take too long to think about it. It should be no surprise that most of mine are classic books for kids. We are interested in seeing what books our friends choose. (These are not necessarily favorites, but ones that stick with me). This list is in no particular order. (more…)
“The Princess and the Frog,” is a Jazz Age story featuring Disney’s first African American princess and set in New Orleans’ French Quarter, opens in theaters Dec. 11.” LA Times
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