Show 014 – Interview with “A Dozen Invisible Pieces” Author Kimmelin Hull

On Wednesday, July 2 at 11 am Pacific / 2 pm Eastern on the HerBigIdea Internet Radio Show, I will chat with “A Dozen Invisible Pieces and Other Confessions of Motherhood” author Kimmelin Hull.

The very eloquent Kimmelin grew up in the Seattle area, and now lives with her husband and three children in Montana where she teaches childbirth and parenting preparation classes She has an undergraduate degree in creative writing from the University of Puget Sound, a Physician Assistant certificate from Saint Francis University, as well as Lamaze Childbirth Educator. She is a freelance writer for Montana Parent magazine.

We will chat about: why she decided to write her book, “A Dozen Invisible Pieces and Other Confessions of Motherhood”, the themes covered in the book, about her internal struggle with balancing home commitments and career, her decision to leave the medical profession to become a mother, author and teacher to new mothers. We’ll also chat about what she has done to promote her new book and how she got her book deal.

Please visit Kimmelin’s website at: http://www.DozenInvisiblePieces.com and her blog at:  http://kimmelin.wordpress.com

Elaine of Her Big Idea has an Internet Radio Show on BlogTalkRadio and writes for Posh Mama Online Magazine and Social Network every Tuesday.

[audio:http://www.blogtalkradio.com/HerBigIdea/2008/07/02/Show-014-Interview-with-Author-Kimmelin-Hull.mp3]

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Elaine H., June 30th 2008 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Authors, Inspirational Women, Interviews, Podcast

The Jolie-Pitt Foundation Pledges $200,000 to “Women for Women International” Program in Iraq


Of the recently reported $1 million donated by the Jolie-Pitt Foundation to help those affected by war, I was happy to see a pledge of $200,000 going to the Women for Women International’s program in Iraq.  This money will benefit 300 women, and more than 1,000 children in Iraq.  The donation will allow women to invest in the health, education and nutrition of their children.We all remember when Angelina visited Iraq twice in the past year.  All the media was concerned about her going to a war zone and being possibly pregnant, and in fact she was.  On these trips  she learned that, “…educational support programs for children of conflict are the best way to help them heal,” said Ms. Jolie.

As a former teacher and an optimist, I know that with education anything is possible. Teaching children how to read can help them escape their harsh realities by immersing themselves in the fantasy world of a book.

Women for Women International was founded in 1993 to help women overcome the horrors of war and civil strife in ways that can help them rebuild their lives, families, and communities. Since 2003, its Iraq program has provided immediate and long term economic solutions to more than 4,000 women and works with organizations and governing bodies from the grassroots up to the highest levels of leadership to address the needs of Iraqi women and families.

According to a Women for Women International report on Iraq released earlier this year, over 70% of the 1,500 Iraqi women interviewed said their family cannot afford to pay for the necessities of daily life. One Iraqi mother said, “If I was the president of the country, I would make filling the stomachs of the people as my utmost priority.”

A Women for Women International-Iraq representative said, “This generous donation will help these women who suffered to get a better life for them and for their families and will ensure that their children will have a better future. We believe that stronger women build stronger nations. The support we are receiving from Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt will save lives and help us to build a strong future for the children of Iraq.”

The donation to Women for Women International is part of a $1 million commitment to support the education of 8,000 young people from both the United States and Iraq impacted by the recent conflict.

Learn more about Women for Women, please check out the video and for more information on how to help the women of Iraq please go to: http://www.WomenforWomen.org

Elaine of Her Big Idea has an Internet Radio Show on BlogTalkRadio and writes for Posh Mama Online Magazine and Social Network every Tuesday.

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Elaine H., June 27th 2008 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Inspirational Women, News, Video

Mom Invents Eco-Friendly Learning Cards to Enhance Early Childhood Literacy

As a former teacher I know that each child has a different learning style.  Some students can look at a word and memorize it, others need to hear and see the word and while others need to look, hear and write the word a few times and maybe even draw a picture before a word is learned. 

I was excited to see the eco-friendly product, Write Way To Learn Learning Cards, which are basically “flash cards.”   This product was created by mother after her four-year old son began learning the sounds of the alphabet.  He eagerly wanted to read bedtime stories to his little sister. To encourage her son’s enthusiasm, his mother began searching for a teaching product that was interactive, fun, and creative. There was no individual product available that provided the comprehensive and exciting learning experience she wanted for her son, so she began creating learning cards using family photos and recycled paper.

Modeling social responsibility for the next generation, the company’s learning card sets are eco-friendly.  All the card sets and supporting materials are printed on recycled paper. The learning cards are then heavily laminated to create a  reusable product. Also, to reduce the environmental impact of product shipping, all of the card sets are available in an optional web-download format.

While the company’s innovative learning tools are primarily developed for children ages 3-8, older children can also benefit from advanced sets, and sets that teach American Sign Language. Foreign language learning cards are currently under development. 

Write Way to Learn also offers an online tool called “Design Your Own” that will allow customers to easily create customized learning cards featuring their own pictures and text.  These custom cards teach family names or just make your child feel special! The “My Family” and “My World” learning card sets are completely customizable and created for you using your pictures and text. It is so simple and fun!

To get a sample of a card visit www.writewaytolearn.com and click on the “email us” link.

Elaine of Her Big Idea has an Internet Radio Show on BlogTalkRadio and writes for Posh Mama Online Magazine and Social Network every Tuesday.

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Elaine H., June 20th 2008 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Inspirational Women