We’re part way through the Passports with Purpose fundraiser. Have you checked out the great prizes you can win? Have you seen what good you can do for only $10?
Passports with Purpose is an all-volunteer fundraiser founded and run by travel bloggers, and supported by some great companies like TBEX. Each year, we find sponsors to offer prizes – you get one raffle-type entry to the prize of your choice for each $10 donation you make. This year we’re supporting Worldreader, and with the money raised, we’ll be donating e-readers to five libraries in Kenya. The donations will help at least 6,500 kids and adults have access to 50,000 books – both fiction and nonfiction, in Swahili and English.
Jersey Kids likes to do its part helping others, which is why we’ve been participating the past few years with Passports With Purpose. This blogger-run (and all volunteer) fundraiser chooses a new organization and project every year to raise much-needed funds for great projects.
For every $10 donation, you get the chance to win a prize and these Kenyans can get access to e-readers. It’s win-win! Photo courtesy of Worldreader.
This year we’re working with Worldreader, and we’ll be raising funds to bring digital readers (like Kindles) to five libraries in Kenya. Each library will get about 50 e-readers each, providing 6,250 children, teachers and parents with access to more than 50,000 books. The books will be in Swahili and English, with fiction and nonfiction books.The Worldreader program trains the librarians, and also provides field-tested solar chargers to keep the e-readers charged if electricity is scarce. This one speaks to me because I love reading, and so does my son. I can’t imagine not having access to books.
Not a bad place to spend a week with the family! Take a vacation at one of 180 Thousand Trails and Encore RV Resort campgrounds this year. Photo courtesy of Thousand Trails.
So you’re probably dying to know who is providing an amazing prize for this fundraiser, and what you can win. You probably got a hint from the photo above. The answer is:
I don’t think I’ve posted race tips before on my site, and don’t plan to in the future. BUT we don’t usually travel for races. My husband and his running group ran the Hershey Half Marathon this weekend, and while it’s fresh in my mind, I wanted to share some tips for runners and spectators to make it easier should you run this race.
The Good Morning America Times Square lights during our segment. Photo screenshot from GMA airing.
We thought we had our 15 minutes of fame when we were on Good Morning America in 2011. But I am now on their email list, when they’re looking for families to feature for other segments. So when I got an email from a producer last week saying they needed 10 kids to appear on Good Morning America with Jeff Kinney about his 10th book Old School, it took me about one minute to respond. My son was at the tail end of their cut-off age, so I signed him up. He’d only miss 2.5 hours of school (granted, that meant we had to wake up at 5:15 to get into the city – and no they didn’t send a car for us, but that would have been nice), but it was a live studio segment. I put out a call for others on Facebook, and one friend made it in before they filled the quota two hours later. Turns out people came in from further afield – like Massachusetts and Maine. I’m glad I didn’t have to travel that far for the four minute segment! Continue reading “What it’s like to go on Good Morning America with Jeff Kinney”
I didn’t think it would be possible to get sick of chocolate. But after spending 27 hours in Hershey, drinking milkshakes, eating s’mores, drinking hot chocolate, eating chocolate cookies, eating candy bars, making candy bars and smelling pumped in fake chocolate aroma, my daughter declared “I’m sick of chocolate.”
While I’m not giving up on the treat any time soon, she had a point. And being immersed in Hershey land for 27 hours does make you a little jaded and longing for a salad.
Here’s our Hershey Chocolate World with families review!
Hershey Chocolate World – a world of commerce. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan
We went to Israel this summer with our family. It was my fourth trip there, but the first for my kids. I know that now is not the time everyone wants to go – the random acts of violence are certainly scary. This is probably why Groupon and Israel introduced an amazingly priced deal to go to Israel in January and February. They are offering tours which INCLUDE airfare from JFK, for $999. We paid more than per person for our airfare last summer and flew out of Philly because JFK airfares were several hundred dollars more per person. This tour, though, includes hotels, some meals and the tours many days as well.
The Western Wall and Dome of the Rock in the old city of Jerusalem. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan
If you’ve ever wanted to go to Israel (and pretty much everyone I’ve ever talked to said they do – regardless of their religion), I’d encourage you to look into this deal. You can read more of the details on the Groupon site. This is a great price.
We went to Hershey last weekend for the first time, and I wanted to cram in as much as we could. My husband was running the Hershey Half Marathon, which make planning a little more difficult, so I had to prioritize what we were going to do. I heard about the Hershey create your own candy bar experience, though, and knew that was top of the list.
We arrived at the entrance at our appointed time. It wasn’t a formal tour, so you literally just show up at your ticket time. They give you an apron, hair net and if needed, a beard net. My 12 year old took one of those just because it was fun. Not sure why you need an apron, since you don’t go anywhere need the food. The hair net, I kind of get, even though everything is behind glass.
You choose your own chocolate base bar and toppings, using your ticket’s bar code for tracking. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan
It’s rare to be at an amusement park on the weekend with virtually no lines. That was the upside to going to Hersheypark on a cold October day where it hailed on us three times plus rain (of course we had no ponchos or umbrellas, though everyone in our group except for me had hoods). I’ve included some Hersheypark in the Dark tips for families here.
Hail storm at Hersheypark. Copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan
Six hours in an amusement park is generally not enough time to ride a big coasters numerous times, eat lunch and do some low-key rides too. But in our six hours we did quite well, riding: Continue reading “Hersheypark in the Dark Tips for Families”
If you find yourself on the Lower East Side and in need of something sweet and filling, head over to Doughnut Plant. I keep wanting to call it Doughnut Planet because that makes more sense to me. But alas, it’s Doughnut PLANT.
We don’t have any pets at our house (unless you count fish), but I do like dogs and cats. I first heard about cat cafes while watching the Amazing Race. And then I found out there was one in New York City – it’s called Meow Parlour. My kids freaked out and couldn’t wait to go.
The Meow Parlour in New York City. Photo copyright Deborah Abrams Kaplan.
