The one-and-only Whitney Houston’s birthday is today. She was born in Newark, New Jersey and grew up surrounded by music: her mother was a gospel singer, Dionne Warwick is her cousin, and her honorary Aunt- Aretha Franklin! Although the world was robbed of her brilliant talent too early, she left behind a legacy of timeless music that remains unmatched. Here are 5 must-see performances to enjoy in her honor today. Share with friends! Happy Birthday, Whitney!
On August 8, 1969, The Beatles shot the cover for their last recorded album, Abbey Road. This album cover has become one of the most iconic of all time, coming in at #4 on this Rolling Stones reader-poll! The record itself was definitely one of my favorites to pull out of my Dad’s collection when I was young. Some of my most-played tracks: ”Come Together”, “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer”, “Octopus’s Garden”, “Here Comes the Sun”, and “Golden Slumbers”. For the cover photo, the photographer, Iain Macmillan shot the band from a stepladder positioned in the middle of the road as a policeman stopped the traffic behind him. To read about the day and see the original sketch created by Paul McCartney visit The Beatles Bible, my go-to resource for all things Beatles!
(click here to enlarge photo and print)
We use this sheet in our music classes at TLB Music when we teach conducting patterns to our students. It’s a fun way to introduce time signature to children by attaching a physical motion to each signature, making it easy to remember the rhythms. You can use anything you’d like as your conducting batons when practicing with your kids! In class, we use mallets turned backwards before graduating to the big baton. Pencils, straws, or your finger will work just as well!
Katia and I decided to take our work outside this afternoon to Washington Square Park. It was too beautiful to stay inside all day! I worked on TLB‘s Fall curriculum in the sunshine and was treated to several live performances, including these amazing steppers. I snapped a few shots to share:
Louis Armstrong was born on August 4, 1901 in New Orleans, Louisiana. He grew from singing in the streets with a boys quartet for money at age 11 to becoming one of Jazz music’s most influential, charismatic, and memorable musicians. I love watching old recordings of Armstrong performing- joy covers every bit of his face as he sings and scats and his musicality comes naturally and effortlessly as he plays his trumpet. Here are a few of my favorites:
These are my favorite non-toxic, cruelty-free cleaning products by great companies like Method, Mrs. Meyers, Grab Green, and BabyGanics. Click on links beside each item to view on Amazon.
Click here to enlarge picture.
{Kitchen}
Grab Green Dishwashing Detergent Pods view on www.amazon.com
Mrs. Meyer’s Liquid Dish Soap in Basil view on www.amazon.com
Grab Green Degreaser Cleaner view on www.amazon.com
Seventh Generation Disinfecting Wipes view on www.amazon.com
{Toy & Highchair}
BabyGanics The Cleaner Upper Toy & Highchair Cleaner view on www.amazon.com
{Floors}
Method Squirt + Mop Wood Cleaner view on www.amazon.com
Mrs. Meyer’s All Purpose Cleaner in Basil view on www.amazon.com
{Laundry}
Method Laundry Detergent in Fresh Air view on www.amazon.com
{Bathroom}
Method AntiBac Toilet Cleaner view on www.amazon.com
Mrs. Meyer’s Bathroom Cleaner view on www.amazon.com
{All-Purpose}
Grab Green All Purpose Surface Spray in Thyme with Fig Leaf view on www.amazon.com
{Glass}
BabyGanics The Sparkle Maker Glass & Surface Cleaner view on www.amazon.com
{Wood}
Method Wood for Good Polish view on www.amazon.com
{Marble & Granite}
Method Daily Granite Polish view on www.amazon.com
Today is National Lasagna Day! This is one of my favorite recipes from my Vegan Recipes & Foods Pinterest board. Doesn’t it look delicious? It is the Vegan Lasagna with Basil Cashew Cheeze from Oh She Glows, photographed and reviewed by 86 Lemons. Basil cashew cheese is one of the best vegan foods I’ve been introduced to in the last couple years! It is so diverse: you can spread it on bread and crackers, bake it on pizza, make creamy sauce with it, or cover it with breadcrumbs and pan fry! Make your own following the recipe above or buy a pre-made version, like the amazing basil cashew spread called Basilcotta from Regal Vegan.
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Washington Square Park is my favorite park in NYC. It’s always filled with a diverse crowd, inspiring musicians, artists, adorable animals, and children playing! The next time you visit with your kids, print a copy of this scavenger hunt and see if you can you find all 20 items!
Click the link below to download and print the PDF.
Want more scavenger hunts? CLICK HERE
On July 25, 1975, A Chorus Line opened on Broadway at the Shubert Theater. During its run, it won 9 Tony awards and was nominated for 12! A Chorus Line also won the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The above audio of “What I Did for Love” is by the 1975 original Broadway cast.
This summer, my company, TLB Music, teamed up with renowned rapper and DJ Princess Superstar to create a Hip Hop 101 class for kids. The class is a fusion of Hip Hop dance, music and culture perfect for kids who like to dance, perform, and use their imagination. I had the pleasure of sitting in on a class and it was SO much fun! At the beginning of class, Princess Superstar helped students pick their rap names and made name tags for everyone. The kids chose adorable names like P-Flower, J-Star, and D-Heart, using their first initial and a symbol! Then, she taught the class some classic dance moves like The Robot, The Wave, The Moonwalk, and The Running Man. The kids were impressive- one student even pulled off a believable Moonwalk!
Fill these functional and fashionable diaper bags with all your baby essentials from backup bibs to bottles and you’ll be the envy of the playground.
[Semblance in the Sand, Nantucket]
photo credit: Carina Zimmerman
Sunday, July 21st is National Ice Cream Day! With the heat wave we’re enduring, I’m welcoming any excuse to enjoy one or two frozen desserts this weekend. After going vegan in 2011, I mourned the loss of ice cream as if I’d lost a beloved friend. I’m not kidding. I had been the kid who spent all my allowance on the ice cream truck and who snuck Breyers’ French Vanilla in Dixie cups any time my parents weren’t in the kitchen. In college, I had an obsession- borderline addiction- to frozen Twix bars and Black Raspberry Frappes. I thought, maybe this will wear off after college? Maybe it’s like all the beer and pizza I am consuming right now…just a phase? Nope. The beer and pizza quickly disappeared but my love of the frozen concoction followed me to NYC- I could still eat it any time of day, any kind of weather but…it never quite agreed with my stomach. I endured the hours of bloating for the 5-10 minutes of indulgence over and over, year after year, until the day I went vegan in 2011 and almost immediately realized the negative effect dairy had been having on my body.
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