When I was growing up, I lived one block from the local library. Very few mothers worked out of the home at the time, and very few drove. If they did know how to drive, most families only had one car during the 1950s and 1960s.  If I felt like getting out of the house, one of the few alternatives I had besides going to a friend’s house was walking to the library. Consequently, I spent many hours browsing through the stacks. My love of books and reading therefore led to my holding high aspirations of some day becoming a librarian. Although I never achieved that goal officially, my professional career has always tended to be in a research capacity.

According to the 2008 Kids and Family Reading Report by Yankelovich and Scholastic, despite 80% of parents wanting their kids to read for fun, most kids claim there aren’t enough really good books for their age group.

James Patterson has taken this issue to heart. A father himself, he knows that one of the main obstacles for young readers is a lack of books kids can truly connect with, those rare stories that draw you in and keep you reading until the very last word. We can all remember the joy of a great book from our own childhood; begging to stay up ten more minutes to finish a chapter, then hiding under the covers with a flashlight to read “just one more.” Patterson has made it his mission to give this experience to children everywhere and instill in them a love of reading.

To that end, he recently launched a new website in order to give kids of all ages access to truly great books. Whether you are still enjoying picture books with your baby or have an older child reading at an advanced level, ReadKiddoRead acts as a resource for finding the best books.

Each featured book, hand-selected by Patterson, includes a synopsis, related themes, quotes from critics, links to find the book in any number of locations (including local libraries), and even similar suggested reads. In addition, the website provides resources for finding book discounts and promotions, features interviews and contributions from authors and celebrities, and even allows members to connect with each other via a Ning community. Providing kids with a love of and appreciation for books gives them something that will remain with them throughout their lives, and this resource helps make that possible. Plus, if anyone can get even the most reluctant readers interested in great stories, it’s James Patterson.

Visit these sites for more Information:  http://mother-talk.com and http://readkiddoread.com

My Blogoversary is coming up in less than a month, and within the last month or two since I’ve joined Twitter,  I can’t quite say it’s addicting (OK, maybe a little) and I really feel that it’s increased my blog traffic quite a bit.

My mission this fall is to follow through on a weight-loss plan, and through my Tweeps (Twitter friends), I was able to find out about a website that is similar to WW, but is get this, FREE! Now free, fits right into my budget in today’s economy.  So far, I’ve managed to lose 7 pounds thanks to a Twitter.

I can’t quite sing the praises of Twitter enough!  Although you might not hear those exact words said very often online, you know it’s true when you login to your Twitter account or visit someone’s blog. With the emergence of WordPress plug-ins like “TwitThis” and the various twitter badges found on numerous blogs throughout the Internet, it is obvious people adore Twitter. Just what is it that makes this social networking site so lovable? Let’s find out.

The question posed by Twitter, “What are you doing?” has become almost as popular as AOL’s “You’ve got mail.” So much so that it has even caught the eye of offline news mediums such as USA Today, CNN, and ABC. This helps to make the application popular all on its own. Those who think Twitter is just a place for computer or Internet geeks can rest assured it’s nothing of the sort.

For many, Twitter is a way to interact with like-minded individuals. Whether one is a stay at home mom who craves adult conversation, an at home worker who misses the water cooler chit-chat from past jobs, or the business owner who wants to reach more of their target market, this form of social media fills a need. It makes it easier for people to connect with others in a way they might not have previously been able to.  I have friends all across-the board, for eBay, blogs, public relations, frugal coupon saving tips, affiliate marketing, other Baby Boomers, and on-and on.

The fact Twitter is easily accessible and even simpler to navigate makes it a favorite as well. Anyone can create a twitter account of their own with nothing more than a user name and a password. Once that’s done, it’s easy to customize your profile and begin following other Tweeps, as those who use Twitter affectionately call one another. To follow what another person is doing, just visit their page and click the follow button. You’ve now been added as a follower and when you login to your account you will see their messages on your screen.

Want to use Twitter even when you’re not at home or don’t have access to your computer? No problem. Inside your account you can choose whether to have messages sent via cell phone or instant messenger programs as well. Just browse to your settings and choose the devices tab and in a few steps you’re good to go. This feature makes it possible to tweet on the go. This is perfect for those who travel frequently or while out and about come across something interesting or amusing that they’d like to share with their followers.

Twitter’s arrival has also lead to the creation of different platforms and applications to make it appealing to just about everyone. Popular applications include, Twitter Fox, Twhirl, TweetDeck, and TweetMyBlog. Twitter Fox and Twhirl give users who are prefer the instant messaging look and feel a way to use Twitter in somewhat the same manner. Twitter Fox is an extension for the Firefox browser and Twhirl is a desktop application.  Twitter Fox is the method that I prefer, as I have it set to pop up with new Tweets from my Tweeps every 10 minutes.

TweetMyBlog is a way to automatically post updates from a user’s blog to Twitter. In order to use it all one needs is a Twitter account and an RSS feed from their blog. (More on RSS feeds to come in another post.)  It will automatically posts a tweet using your account when your blog is updated.

Tweet Deck is another desktop application that allows for more organization of updates. Instead of posting all a users tweets one right after another, it allows the user to organize tweets into separate columns within the application. For those who have customers and friends on Twitter this is a great feature.

Want to know what I’m doing now? Check my right sidebar box and Follow me on Twitter!

Now that I’ve teased you with thinking about either starting or going back to college to finish up your degree, let me tell you a little bit about how and why I did it this way.

I switched jobs from the private sector to the public sector, and worked for a brilliant, personable female attorney about my age who soon became my mentor. I realized that unless I finished up, my career would be dead-ended. Another reason I wanted to go back to college was to set an example for my two young daughters. I wanted them to see how important it was to pursue higher education in order to succeed.

After obtaining my Associates Degree at Charter Oak State College, I discovered Regents College, in Albany New York. Regents has now become Excelsior College. I can’t say enough about the programs that Excelsior offers, including majors in Business, Nursing and more, all obtainable online. I was also able to take correspondence courses from University of Wisconsin, and CLEP & DSST testing, all of which transferred to Excelsior. My degree was granted through the University of the State of New York.

I’ll talk more about accredited correspondence courses as well as CLEP & DANTES testing in my next posts.

Visit ClassesAndCareers.com to learn more about online education, distance learning, and on-campus continuing education.

Start exploring!

One of my New Year’s Resolutions is to try to encourage anyone who has put off finishing their College Education to seriously consider signing up and doing it this year

When I was thinking of going back when I was in my 40s, I said to my DH, that it was going to take me 5 years to finish part-time. He said, well~~ how old will you be in 5 years? Yes, I’d be 5 years older. He then said,”well, you’re going to be 5 years older anyway, so you could be 5 years older either with, or without the degree.” That convinced me.

I’d like to share a few articles that support the benefit of taking online computer courses in order to finish your college education and obtain a Degree.

Whether you’re a WAHM, SAHM, Baby Boomer Senior, or just simply interested in exploring a new subject, online courses are pefect for keeping one’s mind active.