A Whole Lot of HOOp-la!

In 1958, Wham-o owners Richard P. Knerr and Arthur K. Melin manufactured a plastic hOOp in a variety of bright colors. At first, they gave away the hOOps to get kids to learn and play. But four months later, with 25,OOO,OOO sold (count those hOOps... I mean zerOs!), the Hula-Hoop® became one of the greatest toy fads ever! And 5O years later, it's still a simple toy that fascinates a lot of people, including grownups who now use it to exercise!

But kids and adults have been hOOping for much longer than 5O years! More than 3,OOO years ago (!!!) kids in Egypt were doing just about the same thing with hOOps made of dried grapevines! And a lot of dislocated backs (OOuch!) were reported in 14th century England because of a hOOping craze! And of course, the Hawaiians were doing the same hip action with or without the hOOps with their hula dancing! Just goes to show that a simple toy can last a really lOOOOOOng time!

So get those hips gyrating for some summer fun! It's a whole lot of hOOpla!

A Ride On The Wild Side

Long lines (sigh, they're everywhere!), flight delays (that's such a given!), and baggage fees ( oh, let's not even go there!!) getting you down? Don't you just wish you could fly?

Then pick-up James Patterson's thriller series, Maximum Ride! The first book, The Angel Experiment, will have you flailing and flapping your arms in no time!

You'll meet Max Ride and her "flock" - all part of a human and avian experiment gone awry. Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman, and Angel are kids who decide to run away from "home". Home is called The School, a school for "the gifted," and The School will stop at nothing to get them back. They'll welcome Max and her friends back anytime - dead or alive! (Shock-ER!!! Don't you just love YOUR school ? It's so much better, isn't it?)

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment is a great, made-for-movie, summer read. It's a well-crafted, video game in book form! But at the heart of it all, it's still a story about family, humanity, and responsibility. So buckle up and turn on your reading lights, this read gets faster and faster.

Kawaii says, "Dude! It's pure migration!"

It All Started Here

If you haven't yet, then you've just got to read J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. Ok, so you've probably seen The Lord of the Rings trilogy movies, but this started it all! It was written by Tolkien for his own kids, and it's funny, witty, and thrilling.

It's the classic tale of a quest, the adventures that come along the way, and just how important true friends really are. You get to meet Gandalf, Bilbo, and Frodo when they and Middle Earth were younger. So what's not to like? And you do know The Hobbit is coming to the big screen soon, so get a head start and read the book now. (Oh, I just can't wait to see Smaug the Magnificent!)

It's All About DAD!

Dad’s the alpha, he’s the man!
What’s his mantra? “Yes, you can!”

He’s a life coach, name the game.
Without Dad, it’s not the same!

Dad’s the sun, the moon, the stars.
Skies the limit! He’s never far!

Dad’s your mentor, Dad’s your friend.
Tried and tested to the end.

To all Dads out there, here’s the pitch:

Happy Father’s Day!

Furrific, Purrific, and Featherrific...

TudyPet Frames! Let Woofy, Meowry, and Kawaii frame your summer photos! And if you have your own pets, these TudyPet Frames keep your favorite pet photos perfect company!

You know the drill - download the images, resize to fit the pictures you want framed, and cut out (be careful!). Use a cutter and cutting mat for this project for best results! Get framed!