Saturday, January 5, 2013

Luckiest Boy in the World wins giant Christmas Stocking!

We have a new little market, Freddy's, across the street.  I have to say, though they are on the to pricey side, the huge assortment of organic and healthy food and ease of dashing not even a block away has made life easier.

For the holidays they held a drawing for this giant stocking.  B went in everyday asking when they would be giving it away.  Finally, the 23rd came, and low and behold he WON! You have never seen a more delighted kid.  Look at that thing! It is taller than him!

Christmas came early for the kid.  Thanks new grocery store!

Thursday, January 3, 2013

School Design May Affect Child's Grades

A new study in the UK says just that.  My background and obsession with design says that environment and design affects everything.  I mean look at product packaging.  Why do companies spend so much money figuring out what package will get our attention, and then stores spend even more money figuring out how to layout and optimize sales for that packaging...why wouldn't we expect children to be affected by their school layouts and design?

Waldorf, Reggio, and Montessori all have design built into part of their philosophy.  They are all different, but they all stress natural materials.  These systems have proven effective for about 100 years now, and I think more attention should be paid to why!

Final rant on subject:  fluorescent lighting, cheap, economical, bad for the eyes, the flicker is headache inducing and if the bulb breaks the stuff inside is poisonous.  I want to study the effects this type of lighting has on the millions of children subjected to it's blaring brightness everyday.