Today was the first day of school for my daughters! My oldest daughter started 11th grade and my youngest started the 5th grade. I can't believe that I only have a few more years with my oldest daughter before she goes to college and that this will be the last year of elementary school for my youngest. Where did the time go??? Sniff Sniff!
They had a fantastic first day today and came home full of excitement for what the new school year will bring. Over the weekend I talked to both of them about setting goals for the new school year and to start thinking about what they wanted to accomplish this year. I told them about the power of visualization and focusing on the positive outcomes they would like to have. I suggested that they do a vision board which is a fun way to dream big and put your ideas on paper. I love to do vision boards and have been surprised at the many things that came to fruition when you dream in detail. (check out my previous post on this topic).
So I picked up some poster board over the weekend, pulled out magazines and supplies. My youngest daughter, Kennedy, came home from school today and immediately started working on hers. I was surprised to see that she had brought down her Barbie dolls to serve as her assistants for this project!
Kennedy Cutting Out Pictures For Her Vision Board
Barbie and Friends Helping To Create Her Vision Board
Get A's, Awesome Test Scores and Barbie Dream House
Kennedy's Vision Board Coming Together Nicely!
Love seeing some of the amazing things that she put on her board: Straight A's Do Awesome On CRCT or Any Test , Get A Barbie Dream House, Be The Smartest Kid In Her Class, Meet Fifth Harmony. She is aiming for a great school year! Her big sister was inspired by her board and plans to work on hers this week as well. She is already coming up with ideas for her board, like what college she wants to get accepted into, receiving a academic/soccer scholarship, getting all A's, prom dresses and a car (umm yeah no..lol)!
I love this quote/poster I made a few years ago which features my oldest daughter. I came across it today and feel that it is a perfect theme for this school year!
Wishing all of the students and parents a great and safe school year this year! Please be sure to share you dreams/goals or other cool ways that your children use their playtime to dream big! Be sure to leave a comment on our blog or share them on the Barbie Project website www.barbieproject.com or on our website, social networks Facebook or Twitter!
The best memories of my childhood are summer vacations to the beach with my family. As a parent who is often going in a million directions any quality time away with my hubby and our daughters mean the world to me! This summer we were able to take the girls on their first international trip! They received their passports prior to the trip and were super excited about going out of the country and getting their very first passport stamp. I didn't get my passport until a few years ago and was so overjoyed when I received mine. I remember being so in awe that I could now travel anywhere in the world!
The day of the trip the girls were buzzing and ready to go! Ms. Kennedy changed her Entrepreneur Barbie into her pilot outfit and packed her in her carry on bag. This was my youngest daughter's first plane ride so this trip was special in many ways.
Kennedy Making Sure That She Had Her Dolls Passport Ready!
They Are Ready For Take Off!
It was so neat seeing my daughter's excitement as we took off into the sky. She giggled during take off and kept her nose pressed to the glass as we flew above the clouds! We landed in Mexico ready to explore. We passed through customs and the girls received their first stamp. Kennedy wanted to have Barbie present her mock passport to the customs agent but I didn't think that would go over to well, didn't want Barbie to get detained with fake documents..lol!!
We had a great time at the beach, relaxing in the pool, eating great food and visiting beautiful Mayan Ruins during our long weekend away.
Could Not Get This One Out Of The Pool!
Both of my daughters also went snorkeling for the first time with their dad. I am NOT a swimmer and I was just so amazed that both of my daughters especially Ms. Kennedy hopped right into the middle of the ocean with no fear! They saw beautiful coral reefs, stingrays, eels, jellyfish and exotic fish, Dory from Finding Nemo to be exact!
Kennedy got out of the water grinning from ear to ear. She said over and over that snorkeling was the best thing that she has ever done in her WHOLE life and the best part of the trip! It was a truly priceless moment as a parent, and made the whole trip worth while exposing them to different cultures, worlds and adventures! What a blessing!
I'm excited to see how Kennedy's playtime will be shaped by her new experiences! I will have a lot to share in my upcoming posts I am sure! I can not believe the summer is winding down and the girls will be back in school in a few short weeks, where did it go??? We would love to hear about your adventures and any special playtime experiences that you have had with your daughters or sons this summer! Be sure to leave a comment on our blog or share them on the Barbie Project website www.barbieproject.com or on our website, social networks Facebook or Twitter!
Cheers to the rest of the summer and Adios Amigos!!
Wow I can not believe we are about halfway through the summer! Where has it gone?? We have been super busy my way but my daughter Kennedy has been squeezing in her playtime around our crazy schedule for sure! Last week I found Ms. Kennedy taking Barbie and her pals on a jungle adventure. They started off with a little camping and conversation around a fire. These dolls are really decked out to be roughing it in the jungle..lol!
Barbie and Nikki stumble upon some sick animals. Lucky for these animals
Nikki is a veterinarian and a expert in making them feel better!
After checking on the animals she enters their information into her tablet,
I guess there is Wifi in the jungle?? Who knew?
Nikki explores all of her findings and she and Barbie get to work making the animals all better!
I left her to her playtime and got busy with cooking dinner. A few hours later, I hear Kennedy and her big sister running upstairs, I hear something banging on the wall in the foyer. I find her and her sister (16 years old mind you) with some ribbon and rope taped together looking over the banister. Evidently her playtime had continued into the evening from earlier. All of I sudden I see Barbie and Nikki flying threw the air, one going one way and the other going another. Kennedy quickly runs down the stairs and tries again.
Evidently they were in the middle of an adventure, a mission impossible assignment, in the jungle. With her older sisters help they perfected a bungee cord for Barbie and Nikki's assignment! It was so hilarious watching them throw the dolls off the balcony. I grabbed my phone and started recording. Her big sister found the mission impossible theme song on her phone. They reenacted the scene and my technology savvy teen was able add some special slow motion effects to my cell phone video. They got a big kick out of seeing Barbie in action!
Here's the video!
I love seeing how my oldest daughter gets involved with her sister's playtime. I'm learning that we are never too old or grown up to play with Barbie! Here's what happens when teens these days play with Barbie! A few weeks ago my oldest daughter took my phone and positioned her sister's doll to take her own selfie!
This project has been very eye opening for me as a mom and also very rewarding. I'm amazed at the things that they come up with! I'm looking forward to the next adventures that are discovered in her playtime. Kennedy recently received her first passport and we have a trip planned in which she will get her first passport stamp. She plans to take Barbie on her trip and when she got her passport this past week she cut out her dolls picture from the back of one of her Barbie boxes and taped it into a 'mock' passport book we received last year during a Passport Party project that my non-profit participated in. It came out so cute. She has it with our passports ready for a trip abroad! Can't wait to share those adventures soon!
What fun things are you and your daughters getting into this summer? We would love to hear about your adventures and any special playtime experiences that you have had this summer with Barbie! Be sure to leave a comment on our blog or share them on the Barbie Project website www.barbieproject.com or on our website, social networks Facebook or Twitter!
“Life is like a camera . .focus on what’s
important, capture the good times, develop from the negatives, and if things
don’t work out, take another shot.”
Author
Unknown
It is July 1st. We are halfway through the
year.I feel something in my spirit
pushing me forward to have faith that although half the year has past I might
not be where I want to be, but there is still time. I am a strong woman of
faith. God has brought me through many things as a child, girl, teen, woman,
mom and wife.So many challenges that
knocked me on my face. However with God, He always picked me up, heard my
prayers and answered them in ways that exceeded my expectations.I often feel that I am a failure that I will
never get to where I need to be with my dreams for Empower Her, Inc. and other
personal goals. Today instead of feeling the failure that half the year is gone
and I’m not where I need to be, I choose to have FAITH, that I will finish
strong with His guidance and make a difference in the world in His way!
Let’s keep the faith today as we cross this halfway mark for
the year putting the setbacks behind us and finishing strong! It's never to late to pursue your dreams, go for your goals, or change the world!
Last week the Barbie Project Moms were invited to visit the Barbie Design Center in Los Angeles and meet the Barbie Team! OMG it was amazing!! We got a special behind the scenes tour of their facility and received the latest updates on our project and the new initiatives that they were launching. I was especially thrilled to learn more about the newest campaign centered around Barbie's 150th Career: Entrepreneur Barbie!! As an mom that is building her dreams this career has a special place in my heart!
"This year Barbie is once again breaking through plastic ceilings and inspiring girls to follow their dreams. The 2014 career of the year doll is Entrepreneur Barbie. To celebrate her newest career, Barbie is honoring special women entrepreneurs to help start a conversation for girls everywhere, reminding them that — “If they can dream it, they can be it – anything is possible!"
I really love how Barbie is involving real women and girl entrepreneurs from amazing organizations like Girls Who Code, Plum Alley, Rent The Runway, The Tom Kat Studio, Sugarfina, Genuine Insights, and One Kings Lane. They even feature a young entrepreneur, Seraphina Botero, a Cadette Girl Scout from Santa Monica, California. She recently won an Entrepreneur essay-writing contest for her local Council. She’s been with the organization for eight years and has been part of its Cookie Season every year. Never too young to blaze a trail! The amazing leaders are Chief Inspiration Officers aka CIO's who share their stories about building their careers and running their businesses! They even take Barbie with them to work! Barbie's website also features online resources to help girls learn what it means to be an entrepreneur (click here for downloadable resources for your daughter), how to start a business and inspiration for moms like me who own their own businesses. Visit http://www.barbie.com/en-us/news-and-deals/barbie-celebrates-women-entrepreneurs to learn more about these amazing entrepreneurs!
At the end of the day we received a gift bag with our very own Entrepreneur Barbie inside. I was so excited!! I heard about this doll earlier in the year and could not wait until they would be released to the public. You can order them online here!
So Love The Cute Accessories, Briefcase, Tablet, Smartphone!!
My plan was to keep her all to myself but my daughter had other plans! It was like a tug of war for her when I returned home, I definitely have to buy my own now that they are available. I opened her up and only had about 2.5 seconds to check her out before she was snatched from my hands and whisked upstairs to my daughter's room. I checked in with my daughter later that day and asked what business she had started.
Love The Message On The Back Of The Box!
My daughter was super excited to announce to me the launch of "Kennedy's Space Boot Camp". Entrepreneur Barbie owned her own business where she taught astronauts how to go to space. Super cute!
Entrepreneur Barbie's First Student!
Her first training class was in session. Her students were involved in rigorous training where they had to take test to see how much they knew about space. If they passed the first test they would move on to the next level of training. They had to go into a space simulator to see what it was like to be in space, this involved a lot of spinning and twirling. She used the Barbie jet plane from my previous post for this exercise. A special light was shined on the students to simulate the extreme heat they would face from the sun.
Entrepreneur Barbie demonstrating how to properly wear her space helmet for her students.
Math is important to astronauts according to Kennedy! Entrepreneur Barbie
explaining word problems. So love her imagination!
My daughter then flipped off the lights and used the cord from her headphones to put her student into space. So cool to see her doll suspended in the air. She wanted to turn on the fan, but Mommy had to step in and shut that down very quickly! Did not want Barbie and her cord getting tangled in the fan or flying through a window!
So after passing many difficult levels, her student had finally passed all the requirements and she was cleared to go to space!
Official handshake to seal the deal!!
I really loved seeing my daughter's ideas for her very own business. Her concept actually really blew me away. I know there are a lot of negative opinions out there about Barbie, her proportions and her choices of clothing make parents feel that she is a bad influence. I was one of those parents who was quick to jump on the Barbie bashing train. Throughout this project my opionions have changed as I watched what really happens during her playtime. Seeing my daughter's initial idea to create a business around science/space I realize that it is not just about the doll or how the doll looks it is about what we are modeling, teaching and exposing them to that really matters. I go out of my way to show my daughters that girls can do anything that they put their minds to. They can be wear pink business suits and work for NASA! I saw an ad this evening that really resonated with me about our idea of what it means to be a girl in our society and that it is not just about wearing pink or being a girl.
My daughter proved that tonight to me. I am so excited that there are toys like this that are being offered that allow our children to explore and imagine in new ways!
I am curious to know what dream or businesses your daughters or sons have imagined or created! Be sure to leave a comment on our blog, social networks (facebook, twitter) or on the www.barbieproject.com website!
Last month we were invited to partner with WizKidz Science & Technology Centers on a new Aviator Club for girls. My dream for my non-profit has always been to expose girls and women to amazing new things so this was right up my alley! We were invited to a local airshow to kick things off a few weeks ago. I decided to bring my two daughters to this first event. My 16 year old was NOT thrilled about the whole thing. I asked her if she ever thought of flying a plane or becoming a pilot and she adamantly said, NO! Flying an airplane never really crossed their minds, I'm sure. I had to drag them both to the event!
We arrived at the airport where the event was being held. There we met a female pilot Captain Judy Rice who was a school teacher who decided that she wanted to learn to fly in her 40s. She got her pilots license and launched a mission to fly around the world encouraging students about the importance of education. She was on one of her stops and we were able to participate in a special radio interview with her. What a great start to the day!
My Daughters Enjoying the Airshow! Captain Kennedy!
After the radio interview, we made our way outside to check out the airshow. We found a spot and the show began. It was so amazing seeing all the planes and pilots in action. They took off in the sky some solo and others in perfect formation! I watched my girls totally fascinated by the planes. The plan was to only stay for a few hours however they begged me to stay for the entire show. At one point my oldest daughter leaned over gave me a hug and thanked me for making her come. What a special mom moment!!!
That next day I found Kennedy busy in her room playing with her dolls. I had forgotten that we bought her a Barbie airplane last year for Christmas. She had dragged it out of her closet and was busy getting everyone ready for a flight across the world. She told me that typically Barbie is a flight attendant, but today she would be flying the plane instead! She really admired the female pilots that we saw the day before and it was so amazing seeing her playtime change in this way. Captain Nikki was now in charge! I watched Kennedy busy at work making sure everything was perfect for the flight. They were finally ready for takeoff.
Captain Nikki Ready For Take Off!
The New Flight Attendant Busy At Work Serving The Passengers!
During the flight the plane was attacked by Godzilla aka Teddy our family dog!
Love her imagination!
\
Captain Nikki throws the plane into auto pilot and comes to the rescue with a few
karate chops and kicks finally fighting off Godzilla! Poor Teddy!
I saw this great quote the other day "I'm convinced everything starts with exposure. You cannot be what you do not see" - TD Jakes. It truly sums up the moment that I had with my daughters at the airshow. To be honest I had never thought of flying a plane or even encouraging my daughters to fly until I was introduced to this project. I have always admired Bessie Coleman, the first African American female pilot. I could not imagine having the courage to learn to fly being a minority and a female during that time.
Bessie Coleman With Her Plane
I am honored to partner on this new project named after this great female pilot - The Bessie Coleman Aviators Club for Girls. I hope it will inspire and expose girls in my community to aviation and a whole new world of possibilities/careers. It surely inspired my daughters!
So many great projects going on for our agency. Each time I peek into Kennedy's world I learn more and more about my daughters and myself as a mom. I never really realized how much children model what they see during their playtime. I encourage all of our parents out there to take a peek into your children's playtime. I have really enjoyed setting aside time to spend with my girls to just play and explore new things. I am a little scared but excited to learn a few things about aviation myself. Maybe Captain Nikki and Barbie will join us up in the sky! Stay Tuned Please be sure to continue to follow our journey on http://www.barbieproject.com/ and on our social networks #barbieproject, Facebook and Twitter.
