I have lived near this area they call the Emerald Coast for years but never really got a chance to visit. Lucky for me, my wife (BB) Bohemian Babushka found a way to get us a stay at the Wyndham Garden Hotelsuite right on the beach in this beautiful part of the world. Waking up to a balcony view of the emerald water and the snow white sandy beach was like being transported into some magical laid back paradise. As I grabbed some coffee and sat out on the balcony taking in the view I thought to myself, yea I could get use to this.
Thanks so much to my fantastic wife and the great David Triana the gifted orator and ambassador of the Emerald coast who publishes a newspaper of the area called Conexion for making this all possible. We didn't get a chance to explore the beautiful beaches and the sparkling city of Destin but had a great dinner at a place called Bric a Brac in Destin that had the coolest bar/music/live music venue I have seen. Very original eclectic place with dancing and I had Yuengling on tap and the spicy jambalaya , it was fantastic! Thanks to the nice owners for everything.
Our stay was short and my wife performed with Theatre with a Mission at the civic center in Destin at an all day festival called Hispanic Fest. It had lots of live music and honored our veterans. I can't wait to go back to the Emerald Coast that looks like something taken right out of the Caribbean!
My wife Babushka brought this to my attention. This is a social good campaign her blogging network Bloggin' Mamas is doing. I think it's a great cause and I'm happy to help spread the word. Here's their message.
"The new school year is on the horizon, or maybe your kids have already started, either way it can be a fun but trying time for parents and kids alike. That can be especially true if you have a child who struggles with school, attention, and focus, amongst other behavioral challenges. It’s never easy getting kids transitioned into a new school setting. Been there, done that! Understanding and advocating for our children is so important.
One in five children struggle with issues related to reading, math, writing, focus, and organization, yet many children with learning and attention issues do not have a diagnosis. The adults in their lives often have a hard time understanding their issues due to misconceptions and a lack of information and resources. As a result, children with learning and attention issues often face both academic and social challenges. Sometimes returning to school after a long summer break can bring out some pretty tough emotions for kids.
If you are sitting there reading this, stressed out and feeling alone, don’t be. You are definitely not alone. There are so many others who have been sitting right where you are. Understood is an organization that was created by a coalition of 15 nonprofits, and its content and tools were informed by a survey of more than 2,200 parents of children with learning and attention issues. Understood offers free daily access to experts through chats and webinars, a safe online community that encourages parents to reach out to and learn from each other and a suite of specially designed, first-of-their-kind tools that will help you prepare your child for back to school and cope with everything that comes along with it.
Understood provides parents with clear explanations about learning and attention issues. The resources they provide will give you advice on how to help your child cope with those issues when returning to school and throughout the school year. It offers practical advice for parents on everything from how to partner with their child’s teachers, Back to School preparation, and help with homework to how to cope with the anxiety that comes with back to school. Here are some of the tools that you can utilize to discover what Understood has to offer:
Back to School Preparedness Countdown - Start the new school year off right! There’s a lot going on—and a lot to keep track of. Download this one-month planner, which has daily tips to get your child with learning and attention issues ready for going back to school.
General School and Learning Section - Read through each section to see what we have to offer. Complete your profile and let us show you how we can help.
How to Help a Child Cope with School Anxiety - My son is anxious about going back to school, and the closer we get to the first day back, the worse it gets. He’s been acting out and throwing tantrums, saying he refuses to go. What can I do?
Working With Your Child's School - Parents often don’t want to bother teachers in September and October. But talking early in the school year can set the stage for strong communication throughout the year. Here are topics that can get the dialogue going.
How to be an Effective Advocate for Your Child - As a parent, you are your child’s best education advocate—until he’s old enough and informed enough to speak up for himself. You know your child’s strengths and challenges, and you can help identify and push for the resources your child needs to succeed. Here are some tips to help you advocate for your child at school.
Maybe you are a parent of a struggling child, or even a friend or family member who is watching the struggle from afar. Understood has resources for everyone to learn how to help these kiddos face these challenges together. The You & Your Family section helps families with practical solutions and advice for social, emotional, and behavioral challenges. This may give you more opportunity to prepare them for the coming school year, as well as engaging in fun family activities.
Children, family and education are such an important part of life. Sometimes you have to take the hard with the easy, the bad with the good. If you know someone who is struggling, be it a parent or a child; encourage them to check out Understood. They may find exactly the help and inspiration that they need!" Disclosure: I am sharing this as part of a Bloggin' Mamas Social Good Campaign conducted in conjunction with Element Associates. I was not compensated for this post and all opinions are my own.
My Cuban-American wife and I were visiting her family in Miami this past month. The good people of Miami will make sure you are full or "te llenaste" as my wife calls it. We spent
some time at my wife's grandmas place in the walk-able neighborhood of Little Havana. This is a convenient place to walk, or ride a bike around to see the colorful places including restaurants like Versailles. This is the worlds most famous Cuban restaurant, and was in the movie "Chef". I didn't eat here on this trip, but let me tell you they serve some big portions. They even have a section of the restaurant that is only desserts and coffee!
Two family gatherings provided big portions of barbecue, and Cuban food like black beans and rice, crispy plantain chips along with pulled pork. The point is, there was lots of food for everyone wherever we went. Even fresh Cuban bread is available at the little store only one block from the apartment. So if you ever visit the magic city, you will be amazed at the variety of fresh food available, and they will serve you well!
