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Earth Day is on Sunday, April 22, 2012.

Earthy Day is celebrated across the globe with more than 175 countries participating.

The goal?  To increase awareness and appreciation of the Earth’s natural environment.

 

Celebrate Earth Day 2012 by entering to win a BBC Earth Day pack!

What you’ll win:

1 Limited Edition Planet Earth Globe DVD

1 Frozen Planet DVD

1 Blue Planet: Seas of Life DVD Set

planet earth, bbc earth day pack, earth day, blue planet, frozen planet

You may enter once per day.   Open to Canada and U.S.  Contest ends midnight April 22, 2012.

  1. (required)
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cforms contact form by delicious:days

 

Also enter the  !  Two pairs of lucky winners (one in the US and one in Canada) will receive a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to observe these magnificent, endangered polar bears up close as well as discover the rich human and natural history of Manitoba, Canada.

 

by Danielle Christopher

World Autism Awareness Day was on April 2nd (April is Autism Awareness Month in the U.S.).  I understand the need to bring awareness to Autism. More and more kids are being diagnosed at a fast pace.

As a mom of a three-year-old diagnosed on the spectrum, I wonder when it will ever be Autism Acceptance Day. Even at her tender age my daughter has encountered a lot of ignorance.

So let me talk to you about my daughter:

She loves Doritos. We do use chips as incentive to get her to complete tasks, like puzzles.

She is very compassionate to animals. Some autism ‘experts’ say that is not possible.

My daughter comprehends a vast amount that is communicated to her.

She only has 5 speaking words that you can understand. Hugs are plentiful in our house.

My life would not be the same without her. She reminds us how simple things can bring such joy.

By talking and sharing it can be realized that autism is not a big deal. It does require a lot of therapy to help kids with daily tasks that most learn on their own.

What else would you like to know about autism and/or our life involving autism?

 

Danielle Christopher is a stay-at-home mom of two daughters and a freelance writer.   Her teen story is in the collection “Parent/Teen Stories: Without Judgement”.  She lives with her husband of seventeen years and her girls in Langley, B.C..   Follow her on Twitter.

 

 

Related Articles:

More Children are Being Diagnosed with Autism

Don’t Call Them Boys with Aspergers, Call them Boys

 

Is Angelina Jolie wearing an engagement ring?

According to People, Brad has been working with a jeweller to design the perfect ring for Jolie.

So will Angie, 36, and Brad, 48, walk down the aisle anytime soon?

Robert Procop said in a statement that he collaborated with Brad for Angie’s ring for over a year.  Brad was involved in every aspect of the ring’s design.

“He wanted every aspect of it to be perfect, so Robert was able to locate a diamond of the finest quality and cut it to an exact custom size and shape to suite Angelina’s hand,” the statement said.

Angie was wearing this ring recently at an event she attended with Brad and their son, Pax.  But the couple have not confirmed their engagement.

Perhaps it’s just a promise ring!  Or a ring to keep their kids happy?

Pitt recently told CBS News that his kids were pressuring them to get married.  “’’Get mommy a ring.’ ‘Okay, I will, I will,’” he had said.

Here’s a photo of the ring: is this finally it?

UPDATE:  “Yes, it’s confirmed,” Pitt’s manager Cynthia Pett-Dante told PEOPLE.

“It is a promise for the future and their kids are very happy. There’s no date set at this time.”

Many Team Jen (Jennifer Aniston) fans are saying: who cares?

Do you care?

Forget pancakes in the box!

These pancakes are easy to make and so delicious.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon white sugar

1 1/4 cups milk

1 egg

2 tablespoons butter, melted

A pinch of salt

Directions:

In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg and melted butter and mix until smooth.

In a griddle or frying pan, lightly greased, scoop the batter using about ¼ cup for each pancake.  Cook on medium.  Turn over when pancake starts to bubble.

Add chocolate chips, or banana, or spread with Nutella… yum!

We are pleased to announced a new partnership with Life With A Baby!

amotherworld has been working with LWAB because they are committed to supporting families and giving back to the community.

Life with a Baby is a project of Healthy Start, Healthy Future, a not-for-profit organization in Ontario whose goal is to provide ongoing practical and emotional peer-based support for new and expecting parents and parents of children up to the age of six.

LWAB offers informational seminars and programs, open forums, and fun social events. The programs have three focuses: supporting and educating parents, building strong relationships for couples, and supporting mothers.

As part of our new partnership, we’ll will share LWAB’s excellent events, programs and member stories with our readers.  LWAB will also share amotherworld family articles and contests with their members.

Parents of children aged 0-6 can sign up by registering on www.lifewithababy.com for free.

 

by Shannon Lintott

This Vegan Asparagus Tempura Sushi recipe is quite quick and easier than it sounds. I watched this amazing YouTube video by the Vegan Black Metal Chef (yes, he’s a real thing) so I could get an idea of how to roll asparagus tempura sushi properly and to get some tips on how to make the rolls taste like restaurant quality.

It worked! This asparagus sushi is delicious! This vegan asparagus tempura sushi recipe makes approximately 5-6 large rolls.

Vegan Asparagus Tempura Sushi Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 tablespoons Rice vinegar
  • 5-6 Nori (seaweed) sheets
  • 1 cup Jasmine Rice
  • 1-2 cups Vegetable oil
  • Approx. 6 Asparagus stems
  • ½ Red pepper
  • 1 Carrot
  • ½ Cucumber
  • 1 Avocado
  • Vegan cream cheese/mayonnaise
  • Panko crumbs
  • 1 cup Flour
  • Salt
  • Garlic Powder
  • Sugar
  • Sushi mat
  • Wasabi
  • Soy Sauce
Asparagus and rice

Method:

1.  Start by making the rice. Jasmine rice tastes the best in sushi. 2 cups of water for 1 cup of rice, as the water comes to a boil add in a dash of salt and approx. 2 tablespoons of sugar along with the required amount of rice vinegar. Once water is bowling and the sugar has dissolved, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Take off of the heat, wait for the water to be absorbed and leave the lid off so the rice can begin to cool.

2.  As the rice is cooking, mix together approx. 1 cup of flour, a bit of garlic powder and a dash of salt in a small bowl. Add water to the mix until it becomes a smooth mixture. Cut the asparagus in half or in 3rds (I prefer 3rds as it makes the rolling easier) and place in the flour mixture. Finely slice carrots, cucumber, red pepper and avocado into thin strips (you can really add whatever veggies you like, making them into stripes allows for easier rolling later on).  Set aside.

3.  Begin to heat the vegetable oil in a medium-sized pan (enough oil so the asparagus will float easily). Make sure to not overheat the oil. I tossed in a couple of panko crumbs until they began to turn golden brown and then lowered the heat and prepared to deep fry (obviously if you have a deep fryer you can use that but I suspect that most people will not own one). Sprinkle a layer of panko crumbs over a large plate. Cover the asparagus with the flour mixture and place the pieces onto the panko plate, adding more crumbs to the top so they are covered in panko crumbs. Deep fry until golden brown, remove carefully and place on a paper towel to cool.

4.  Place a nori sheet over a sushi mat (they are really cheap, you can usually get them at grocery stores) and wet your fingers enough to dampen the seaweed sheet (you don’t need very much water, just enough so that it rolls easily). Add a thin layer of rice to the sheet – make sure to not overdo it with the rice. Place asparagus, peppers, carrots, avocado, etc. along the side of the nori sheet that is closest to you. Add in vegan cream cheese/mayo to taste (I also like hot sauce and dijon mustard).

5.  Let the rolling begin! Fold the stuffed side over onto itself and then follow through with the rest of the roll, constantly pushing down on it so that it rolls tightly. Once the roll is complete do one final squeeze along with the entire roll before placing it on a plate or cutting board for cutting. Cut into bite-sized pieces. Repeat.

Tips:

Take the rolling part slowly. The tighter the roll, the easier it will be to cut into pieces and consume later!

This sounds difficult, I know.  The best thing about sushi is that everything should be made to taste so get creative and experiment! There are a couple of steps that might be difficult but for me I found the deep frying to be the hardest part as you have to be quick so you don’t burn the panko crumbs. The rolling will take practice and might not work so well the first time but it won’t ruin the amazing deliciousness of the sushi!

Don’t be afraid to be creative and just have fun with it. You can also watch some YouTube how-to videos on rolling sushi beforehand if you’re nervous.

Secrets:

Don’t buy the cheap soy sauce, get the sushi specific kind for the best flavour. Also, the powdered wasabi is far better than the tube kind.

Enjoy!

 

Shannon LintottShannon Lintott works in production at a professional theatre company in Toronto. A recent graduate of the Ryerson Performance Production BFA program, she spends her free time exploring the internet, taking photographs, reading or writing on one of her numerous and addictive websites. The majority of her time is spent watching movies and reviewing them on her movie review blog I Like (good) Movies. Follow Shannon on Twitter.

It’s a miracle baby!

A newborn in Argentina was found alive in a hospital morgue by her mother 12 hours after the girl was declared dead.

Two hours after being issue a death certificate, Analia Bouter and her husband visited the morgue because they wanted to see their baby, born prematurely, one more time.

“That night, we went to the morgue. We wanted to take a photo of our daughter,” Bouter said.

“The baby was there and they put the little casket on a stretcher. We looked for a bar to pry it open,” the baby’s father, Fabian Veron, told local press.

“The casket was nailed shut.  I took a breath and took the top off.  My wife looked and uncovered it slowly. She saw the little hand and then uncovered the face. That’s when it let the first little cry out.”

“But when a worker opened the drawer, we heard a cry and she was alive.”

The newborn has been named Luz Milagros or “Miracle Light.”

Five medical professionals involved in the case have been suspended, pending further investigation.

by an Anonymous Mom

I badly need advice on how I’ve been feeling these past weeks. I am 44 years old but I don’t look my age. In fact I still love toys and one of my happiness is watching my wide collection of branded toys.

I’m a mother of four kids. Our eldest is the only girl, age 17. Next are three boys age 13, 11 and 9. My husband is an executive and has a very high paying job. I was a Bank Officer until I decided to be a stay-at-home Mom after I gave birth to our second child.

My husband is a very, very good provider. We have a big house and we have three house helpers. We can practically buy all the things we want. I can do anything I want. My husband wants me to be happy.

As a SAHM, I enjoy working at home even if we have house helpers. I enjoy cooking. I also do online trading in the stock market. I can say I do well in trading. I make decent profits in the stock market equivalent to triple the salary of an ordinary employee working eight hours a day Monday to Friday. I’m sure a lot of working moms out there dream of being in my position right now.

We have a happy family. During dinner, my kids tell fun stories and they laugh a lot. But I avoid them. I don’t join them. I get irritated with their noise. Most of the day they are in school/office and when they get home, I nagged them for no reason.

Maybe because I envy that they have friends, they laugh and they have life outside the house unlike me. More so, I feel I’m just being taken for granted and everything I do is unappreciated. I give them everything they need and do everything for them yet no one appreciates. I feel they see me as just one of the helpers in the house. I tell myself this is not the kind of life I want. I feel also that my kids envy their classmates who have career moms. My kids never saw me in a corporate outfit since they were still babies when I resigned.

I want to have a fulfilling career outside. But I don’t like to be an employee again. Though I enjoy being a SAHM, I want them to miss me. I want the feeling that when they get home I am not home yet. I want to hear from them that I have no more time for them. I want them to be proud of me that I own a successful business and not just a plain housewife.

But I am afraid to push through with my plans. What if the business did not become successful? I’ll just be throwing time, effort and money and have the same feeling of failure. As I’ve said I’m earning profitably in the comfort of my own home at the same time enjoying all the things I have now.

What’s wrong with me? Am I just looking for a stone to hit my head? Am I just looking for a financial headache in the future?

Please enlighten me. Your comments will be greatly appreciated.

People are still talking about Ashley Judd’s article on The Daily Beast. And rightfully so!

“I choose to address it because the conversation was pointedly nasty, gendered, and misogynistic and embodies what all girls and women in our culture, to a greater or lesser degree, endure every day, in ways both outrageous and subtle.

The assault on our body image, the hypersexualization of girls and women and subsequent degradation of our sexuality as we walk through the decades, and the general incessant objectification is what this conversation allegedly about my face is really about.”

You can read the whole article here.

I love this part:

“When I have gained weight, going from my usual size two/four to a six/eight after a lazy six months of not exercising, and that weight gain shows in my face and arms, I am a “cow” and a “pig” and I “better watch out” because my husband “is looking for his second wife.” (Did you catch how this one engenders competition and fear between women? How it also suggests that my husband values me based only on my physical appearance? Classic sexism. We won’t even address how extraordinary it is that a size eight would be heckled as “fat.”)”

Yes let’s not even get into that… that’s a separate issue right there and the big problem with society and body image today.

What do you think of Ashley Judd’s article?

 

Articles you might like:

Read Celebs and Plastic Surgery: Why do they do it?

Not Skinny Enough: Fit vs. Fiction

 

by Erica Chapman

Spring is upon us and so is warmer weather, flirty skirts and open-toed shows.

It’s also time for romance!  This is the time for a ‘spring fling’ with your partner or if you’re not attached, with a new beau!

After the excitement of the cute man asking us out or hubby wanting a date night, the terrifying part begins – what to wear?

Like most women, I have a difficult time trying to figure out what to wear. Should I wear jeans, or be classy and wear a dress, how about a cute tank, what do I wear for earrings, what sort of bag do I carry, what…. STOP! Relax and breeeathe and read my 5 tips on what to wear on a date:

Shoes:

First off, start with the shoes. Most women leave them to the end, but then you end up changing the entire outfit! So, start with the shoes. Actually, first you should begin with calling your closest mate for help, and then you should head to the shoes.

Do not by any means wear flats; they make you look short and stalky, wear something with a heel. A great kitten heel is always fun and flirty but keep the shoe simple. If a stiletto heel is too much for you, try something sophisticated yet edgy.  Don’t worry too much though, he won’t be staring at the shoe all night.

Bottom:

If you’ve got great legs, show them off by wearing a great dress or skirt. Make sure that it’s not longer than your knee and that you’ve got freshly shaven legs! If you want to hide your legs, a great pair of dark denim jeans or flared evening trousers works and looks flirty. Try not to wear a maxi dress or skirt, men don’t understand them, and he also needs a sneak peek.
Top:

If you’ve chosen a dress disregard this section but if you’ve chosen jeans or a skirt, go for a slight V-neck on a first date; it’s casual and can be played up.  If you like color or floral, wear something with a little vibrancy but be careful that you don’t have to much going on around your face. Also don’t wear florescent anything, shirt included. If it’s chilly, add a cardigan or a biker jacket. Keep the shirt simple and light, free flowing and neutral.

Handbag/Purse

I understand that you’re a busy woman and need everything including your lunch in your bag, but don’t forget that this is a date. Keep your purse or handbag simple and light; a great little clutch is fun. If your outfit is plain and easy, go with a loud vibrant clutch but anything with too much detail is too distracting. You’re the center of attention, not the Prada.

Jewelry

Oscars and a first date aren’t in the same category so don’t drown yourself in millions of dollars of diamonds. Keep it fresh and simple. Massive hoop earrings are a no-no and same with too many bangles. Don’t do so much bling! Personally, I wear one piece and keep it simple, the rest stays plain.

I hope this helps! Remember that if this is your first date, don’t go over the top.  If you’re attached, be comfortable.  Your shoes should be easy to walk in, your bag shouldn’t be a burden and your jewelry shouldn’t cost more then the dinner bill. Have fun and remember – your best accessory is your smile!

 

Erica Champan stumbled upon her love for fashion while scrolling tirelessly through Tumblr. She loves putting on a vibrant outfit and getting stares and awkward glances on the street of her small town.  Fashion isn’t just about putting clothes on and hoping for the best, it’s a lifestyle.  She hopes to work for Vogue and be photographed while strolling the streets of Manhattan.