ONCEkids Unsung Female Heroes (Part One of Five)

When I looked up the definition of a hero my results included a statement that said a hero can be defined as "a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and qualities." Many of the people who meet this definition are recognized for their heroic actions in the news and through social media each day, but I found myself wondering- what about the heroes that are missed by the news and don't appear in the headlines? And notice, the definition stresses that a hero is a man who demonstrates these characteristics. So we at ONCEkids have compiled a list of the unsung female heroes of today, people who have reached out to others in a way that is both moving as well as inspiring, whose stories we feel ought to be told. 

Our first hero is our youngest female on our list, Allison Winn. Her organization, named the Stink Bug Project, has partnered with the Morgan Adams Foundation to give dogs to children with cancer, providing them with comfort and companionship during their difficult cancer treatments. Her idea came about after adopting a bichon frise during the time of her 14-month-long treatment for a brain tumor. She recalls that the dog's presence helped her feel better and more upbeat during her recovery. It was then that she decided she wanted sick children everywhere to feel the same type of affection from such a lovable animal- also did we mention that Allison is 10 years 
old? 
Has your family received a Nook, Kindle or iPad this year?  Find Fujimini Adventure Series award-winning books here.  Great family-friendly gifts.

She set her plan in motion by first setting up a lemonade stand. For the entire summer she worked the stand, selling homemade lemonade and dog biscuits. By the end of the summer she had saved up $1,000- which gave her enough to adopt and train two dogs to give them to two children. Since that summer, the program has raised $33,000 and organized the adoption of 10 different dogs, paying for everything from the adoption fee to the dog bed, crate, food, toys, and a collar. Allison and her family has continued their efforts towards helping kids with cancer feel just a little bit better and she has said that it is her ultimate goal to spread the cause to other states as well, instead of keeping it to just Colorado. 

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Connor and Caden Ballard Beat the Odds Two to Nothing

Every parent's nightmare is to receive news that their child has been diagnosed with cancer. This nightmare became a reality for Chris and Lisa Ballard when not one, but two of their young children were given the same cancer diagnosis, lymphoblastic leukemia. 

In 2003, the Ballard's oldest child, Connor, who was five at the time, fell ill. After persistent complaints of what seemed like normal childhood symptoms, Chris and Lisa were hit with the devastating news of a cancer diagnosis. Connor's chemotherapy treatments, though very difficult on him, proved to be successful. It looked like cancer was finally behind the Ballard family, until later that year when their two-year-old son, Caden, began to show the same symptoms that Connor had exhibited before his diagnosis. 

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Though extremely rare, Caden was diagnosed with the same type of cancer as Connor and the Ballard's nightmare was once again a reality. But it was in the darkest times for this family that Connor pulled through and taught his little brother how to be a fighter. When Caden's hair began to fall out, Connor told him that it was cool. He showed two-year-old Caden how to swallow the six pills he had to take each day for his chemotherapy and would constantly remind him that he could do it. 

Has your family received a Nook, Kindle or iPad this year?  Find Fujimini Adventure Series award-winning books here.  Great family-friendly gifts.

Fast forward to today, and you would never even guess what these two brothers have been through together. You'll find Connor out on the basketball court and Caden on the football field, joining in activities just like all the other kids. They have both finished their treatments and now only have to go to the doctor for regular check-ups. 

Even though no parent would ever wish this diagnosis on one of their children, never mind two, Conor and Caden made the most of their grim reality by supporting each other through the entire process and going through such terrifying times together. These two brothers are an inspiring demonstration of the power and strength that a family can have, even at such a young age. 

Why Mom's Really On Facebook

With the popularity and significance of social networking and social media sites reaching an all time high, more and more parents are tuning in to see what all the buzz is about. The results from several studies showed that around 90 percent of parents reported creating a Facebook account in order to monitor their children's online activity. These parent's indicated that being able to have access to their child's Facebook page was their initial reason for creating a page themselves- but since social media has become increasingly popular for people other than teenagers, are adults beginning to have other reasons to stay online? 

As hard as our kids may find it to believe, we aren't becoming part of the social media world solely to ruin their social life and drive them crazy. Joining Facebook provides parents the opportunity to reconnect with old friends, possibly track down an old flame, maybe even check out what became of that jerk on your track team in high school- ah with modern technology the possibilities are endless! 

Has your family received a Nook, Kindle or iPad this year?  Find Fujimini Adventure Series award-winning books here.  Great family-friendly gifts.

Facebook makes it easy for adults to keep in touch with far away relatives and friends, sharing pictures and comments with each other with the click of a button. 

Facebook is even creeping its way into the workforce. Countless companies are creating and maintaining Facebook accounts, blog accounts, Twitter accounts, and so on- so nowadays it wouldn't be terribly unusual for you to have to make a Facebook page for your job. 

Since 2010, the amount of mothers in America who are on Facebook has made the jump from 50 percent to over 72 percent- and is most likely only going to go up from there. 

To learn more about Modern Moms and The Mom Code, please visit ONCEKids Publishing website, Facebook and Twitter

Comment below and tell us your reasons for being online!

Everybody's Irish on Saint Patrick's Day!

Today, most likely no matter where you are in the world you'll be seeing an awful lot of green! Traditionally an Irish celebration, the popularity of St. Patrick's day continues to spread, weaving it's customs through countless cultures. So whether you're watching the parade through New York City or partying in the crowded streets of Tokyo- you'll probably be surrounded by people dressed head to toe in green, green and gold beads, and a beer in their hand. 

Since the very first Saint Patrick's Festival held in Ireland in 1996, holiday celebrations have spread to almost a five day event. Aside from Dublin, one of the biggest holiday celebrations includes the location of where Saint Patrick is rumored to have been buried- Downpatrick, County Down.

Montreal takes the prize for one of the longest-running Saint Patrick's Day parades throughout North America, being home to various holiday parades since 1824. 

Even people in Asia are starting to catch the Irish fever. Japan is now home to nine parades across the country- its first parade being put together by the Irish Network Japan in the early nineties. Seoul has been getting in the spirit of things since 1976, when the Irish Association of Korea organized their first parade.  

Has your family received a Nook, Kindle or iPad this year?  Find Fujimini Adventure Series award-winning books here.  Great family-friendly gifts.

On Saint Patrick's Day everyone is Irish, so join the other billions of people around the world by cracking open a Guinness and putting on something green! 

To learn more about Modern Moms and The Mom Code, please visit ONCEKids Publishing website, Facebook and Twitter 

The History of International Women's Day (Part Two of Two)

In the United States, March is the month dedicated to celebrating the powerful women throughout history and what it means to be a woman today. The month kicked off with International Women's Day but that left me wondering- when did International Women's day begin? And what were the events leading up to its  creation? 

The first time Women's Day was recognized was in 1909. This was a time of oppression and inequality among women. Events leading up to this included the march across New York City by 15,000 women in 1908 demanding voting rights and better pay. Originally the holiday was celebrated on February 28th, it wasn't until 1913 that it was changed to March. 

It was Clara Zetkin who was the original advocate for an International Women's Day. In 1910 a conference of over 100 women from 17 countries gathered to create the day dedicated to women that has been recognized ever since. 

The next year over one million men and women gathered to advocate women's right to vote, hold public office and putting an end to discrimination. When the tragic Triangle Fire in New York City occurred less than a week later, it increased the amount of attention to the issue of women's rights. 

Since then International Women's Day has only continued to grow in both popularity and significance. Since 1975, March 8th has been the day to women worldwide. Large conferences, parades, and rallies have been held on this day ever since to honor the achievements of women and encourage them to continue to push towards complete equality. 

Since the new millennium International Women's Day has been recognized in countless countries including Afghanistan, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Russia, Vietnam, Ukraine and more. In certain countries the holiday is even as big as Mother's Day, where the women are given flowers and small presents by their husbands and children. 

Women fought so hard to have the rights we have today and each March 8th we honor those accomplishments by celebrating International Women's Day, and the United States continue these celebrations throughout the entire month of March by naming it Women's History Month. 

International Women's Day Celebrates Women Everywhere (Part One of Two)

Everyone is buzzing with excitement because of the rapidly approaching weekend, but today isn't just another ordinary friday- it is also International Women's Day. 

Today is a day dedicated to remembering the influential women in our history and how their bravery and motivation has gotten us women where we are today. In addition to honoring these women we are encouraged to follow their example when forging ahead and creating our own milestones in gender equality. 

Has your family received a Nook, Kindle or iPad this year?  Find Fujimini Adventure Series award-winning books here.  Great family-friendly gifts.

The message of this day deeply resonates with our own messages and beliefs at ONCEkids. We at ONCEkids celebrate the accomplishments women make everyday in their home and at work. Women everywhere are stepping out of the shadows to rise above as powerful employees and employers, challenging historical ideas and shifting societal norms. 

Excelling in both their careers and in their roles as mothers, modern women have achieved and are continuing to achieve what was once thought to be impossible- what we were once told was impossible. It is because of the women in history that were not phased by stereotypes and did not take no for an answer that we are where we are today.

 International Women's Day is a day dedicated to not only remembering the accomplishments of those women, but also reminding ourselves of our own accomplishments. And it is a day to not just remind ourselves of this, but also remind young girls that being a women is something to be celebrated and that their future is bright and their possibilities infinite. The United States has even designated the entire month of March as Women's History Month!

To learn more about Modern Moms and The Mom Code, please visit ONCEKids Publishing website, Facebook and Twitter 

Where Did the Practice of Spring Cleaning Begin?

With Spring knocking on our door, with it comes the arrival of the loved and dreaded (but mostly dreaded) spring cleaning. Spring cleaning, a term most of us are quite familiar with, refers to the heavy duty clean sweep we give our house after the long winter days are coming to a close. But since we all know what spring cleaning is, where did it actually come from?The practice of spring cleaning is actually more widespread and historic then we initially imagined. Several different possibilities for the origin of such practices are suggested. 

One theory is that the concept of cleaning and preparing one's house for the coming of spring dates back to the Persian new year, Iranian Norouz. Every part of the house is carefully cleaned and put together nicely in anticipation of the new year, which falls on the first day of spring. This cleaning is referred to as khooneh takouni, which translates to "shaking the house". 

Has your family received a Nook, Kindle or iPad this year?  Find Fujimini Adventure Series award-winning books here.  Great family-friendly gifts.

Another theory suggests that spring cleaning came about from the ancient Jewish practice of purifying and cleansing the home before the arrival of Passover. There are guidelines that surround the holiday forbidding the consumption of any food or drinks that may have been fermented with yeast. Strict observers of this rule with thoroughly clean their home to rid of such foods and drinks. 

It could also be said that the Chinese are responsible for the creation of spring cleaning traditions. The Chinese carefully dust, sweep, and organize their homes to prepare for the Chinese New Year, with the belief that they are cleansing their home of last year's bad luck and inviting good luck in for the next year. 

Although, theories of the origins of spring cleaning vary, it is a practice that is still quite common throughout cultures. Greece even has a designated week for such cleaning, known as Clean Week. Falling during or right before the first week of Great Lent, Clean Week is a time for the people to clean and organize their houses from top to bottom! The Scottish tradition of New Year's cleaning has spread to other countries such as Ireland, North America, and New Zealand. 

Happy spring cleaning everyone!

To learn more about Modern Moms and The Mom Code, please visit ONCEKids Publishing website, Facebook and Twitter