holiday shopping tips

As the weather gets chilly and holiday anticipation begins to grow, it’s time to start making lists – lists for Thanksgiving dinner, lists for Santa, lists for winter-weather preparation, and, of course, lists for holiday shopping.

Before you join the crowd on Black Friday to kick-start your holiday shopping, here are a few important things to add to your list.

Role Model Video BlogRole Model Video Blog

My 15-year-old son recently got his learner’s permit. Enjoy this video, with several more examples of how our kids are watching more than we think.

There is nothing that I can remember loving more as a kid than riding my bike with all of my friends. Every ride was an adventure and we would stay out as long as we could.

Now as an adult, I still hop on a bike every opportunity I get – and it’s especially fun to ride with my nephews, Jake, 4, and Nathan, 7, who are actually starting to keep up with me, which is saying something.

There are so many good things that come from riding a bike – good exercise, a sense of freedom, it’s good for the environment – so we want to encourage all kids to strap helmets on their heads and pedal off to the park, to a friend’s house or to school.

Boy in a properly fitting bike helmet

I still remember getting my first bike. It was a lovely fall day, and I was celebrating my 5th birthday at the local park when my parents wheeled it over. And it was beautiful – a light pink frame and white tires with a white basket on the front adorned with purple, blue and yellow daisies, and shimmering multicolored streamers flowing from the handlebars.

Join Communities Across the Country on May 8 participating in Bike to School Day!

Have you ever seen a bike train? Picture lots of excited little kids perched on bicycles, scooters, skateboards and anything else with wheels, anxiously awaiting a signal from a parent or teacher to start pedaling and rolling to school.

pedestrian safety

I was in a 7-by-10-foot room in Coyoacán, Mexico City, when Paco saw the tweet.

“A child was hit by a car in Mexico City this morning,” he announced, and I heard the combination of frustration, sorrow and exhaustion in his voice.