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by Marina Orievsky
A couple of weekends ago, I decided to finally clean out my closet. This was, not at all, how I wanted to spend my weekend. Weekends are for relaxing and doing things you actually want to do. I suppose as you get older, some of that free time gets claimed by grown-up chores, like laundry and spring cleaning. Organizing my closet is something I always dread and put off for...by Marina Orievsky
March is National Nutrition Month! Nutrition is something we should focus on year-round, but that's not news. There are plenty of excuses for not eating as well as we should, or not getting enough exercises, but there's also a long list of small things we can do that have a great lasting impact. I stumbled upon this article in Time Magazine last week: Health Tips From Some of the Fittest...by Marina Orievsky
I have a horrible habit. I'm addicted to social media and technology of all kinds. The first thing I do when I get home, even before I've taken my shoes off, is open my laptop. Sometimes, an hour goes by and I realize I still have my coat on. Then I sit down to dinner and my first urge is to upload a picture of the beautiful dinner my fiance prepared...by Marina Orievsky
Throughout high school, I didn't always agree with my dad, but I should have written down every piece of advice he gave me. That doesn't mean I needed to take every piece of advice, but the things you hear your parents say over and over again can always be saved for future consideration. I'm at the point where I'm willing to admit that my parents were right about most things...by Marina Orievsky
Mom-blogger, Janell Hofmann, gave her teenage son an iphone for Christmas, but the phone came with this contract: 1. It is my phone. I bought it. I pay for it. I am loaning it to you. Aren’t I the greatest? 2. I will always know the password. 3. If it rings, answer it. It is a phone. Say hello, use your manners. Do not ever ignore a phone call if...by Marina Orievsky
New years resolutions serve two very important purposes: they motivate us and provide us with positive change. Some of my past new years resolutions have been to eat healthier, spend more time with my parents, spend less money on material things I don't need, etc. I can honestly say I did not accomplish a single one of these. Maybe I was on my very best behavior for the first couple...by Marina Orievsky
Every Christmas, I used to get my grandmother the same gift. I'd find a nice frame, put my most recent school picture inside, wrap it up and put it under the tree. I'm sure she caught on to my plan by the 5th grade. Sure, it's nice to have one gift crossed off the list before holiday shopping even starts, but my favorite thing about giving photo gifts is always...by Marina Orievsky
The older you get, the less you need a day to remind you to give thanks. I was always taught the value of the things I already had and perhaps that's something all kids need to learn. My family immigrated from Russia when I was three, going on four. I remember my eyes lighting up when I was given a banana. I'd never seen bananas before. It might seem silly...by Marina Orievsky
Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. After my family moved to the United States when I was four, every year, my mom looked forward to helping me plan my costume. My parents took me to the local mall to trick-or-treat from store to store and as I got older, I graduated to going door to door with friends. Taking me to the mall was the easy way to...by Marina Orievsky
Papersalt Fans! Help us decide what the next product from Papersalt will be. Take the one question survey below and receive a discount code for 30% off your next order! And, if you leave us a comment below and tell us what your favorite Papersalt book is, you'll be entered to win a free book of your choice!by Marina Orievsky
GUEST BLOGGER: Shawn Hull, Happiest Days Designs It’s September, and this time of year marks back to school. Summer’s lazy days have come to a close, and now is the time for rituals and structure. Every year, since our girls first started pre-school, we mark the first day of school with much jubilation! In the morning, each girl wears the special outfit picked out for this special day and then...by Marina Orievsky
GUEST BLOGGER: Gwen Handel Dahlin, The Frugal Connection Just the other day when I was getting ready to clip my Sunday coupons, I noticed my 3-year-old son was watching me from across the kitchen counter. He looked at me with his big blue eyes and said, “Mom, what are you doing?” I smiled and told him I was going to clip some coupons. “Coooopons? Can I help you?” Sure. Why not?...by Marina Orievsky
Applying to colleges is, for most, a nerve-wrecking experience. For me, senior year was spent procrastinating, followed by tears and the fear that I would be a barista for the rest of my life. I knew there was something bigger in store for me than washing blended-coffee-drinks out of my hair every night. Planning was not my strong-suit, but after several months of scrambling, the last-minute-queen (me) got her act...by Marina Orievsky
As a girl in the 7th grade, I wanted what every other girl wanted-- to be popular. 7th grade was my year to make my comeback in the social spotlight, especially since my braces came off over summer and my hair finally grew out after I let my girlfriend give me a trim. To say the least, I planned on making quite the entrance on the first day of school. ...by Marina Orievsky
Did you have a pen pal growing up? Did you go on adventures through reading and writing? Two award-winning authors, Cameron Davison (Lil Boo) and Hayley Rose (Fifo the Bear) have created a literacy program developed to allow kids to do just that. Pen Pal Buddies is a project that encourages families to read, write and socialize in a fun way that also encourages discovery. Their book characters,...by Maddie Mohn
My younger brother turned seventeen in Alaska this summer. He and I – both barely of eligible age for the task – were hired to work sixteen-hour shifts in a seafood processing plant for the month-long salmon season. Though he worked in the Egg House, grading roe and hauling baskets, while I ran a line in the Cannery, a break in our shifts overlapped once a day and breakfast in the Galley became...by Marina Orievsky
It's always hard to get back into the swing of things. I enjoyed school, but just like every other kid, my countdown till summer started on the first day back to class. Each school year, I told myself "this is the year I'll finally get organized and stay organized." Unfortunately, the cleanliness of my backpack and efficient study schedule was only applause-worthy for maybe the first week or two. The...by Marina Orievsky
Up until I was about fourteen, my immigrant grandmother lived with us. She made sure I was always well fed while my parents went to work. I wasn't a picky eater... unless it looked funny. Eggs, meat, veggies all looked funny. Pasta and sugar-loaded carb-filled foods were always welcome. Okay, maybe I was a little picky. My grandma and mother are uniquely cleaver women. To get me to eat omelets,...by Marina Orievsky
This is an image from Advocating Bullying Awareness. What do you think about this? Post your comments below. "Like" Advocate Bullying Awareness on Facebookby Marina Orievsky
While the issue of bullying is nothing new, there has been a wonderful, overwhelming sweep of activism against bullying in movies and the news lately. I was personally never bullied. Maybe, occasionally made-fun of. I chopped off all my hair in 6th grade and got called a "boy," along with several other 'cute' terms I won't go into. Kids get teased about everything from weight to their general appearance. Words...by Danna McCall
My father was a quiet man. That isn’t to say he couldn’t carry a conversation. Maybe a better description is private, not good at expressing the emotional stuff. This doesn’t mean he cared less. He just didn’t show it as well as some. My dad didn’t talk about himself very much. I was in high school before I learned he went to college on a baseball scholarship. He never discussed...by Marina Orievsky
Seattleite, Kate Endle, is a successful children’s illustrator, even writing a few children’s books of her own. Married to Caspar Babypants frontman, Chris Ballew, Endle and her husband recently published a book featuring their collaborative arts: song and illustration. The book is titled Augie to Zebra, but this book doesn’t do justice to all of the magical works of art Kate has created. Endle’s prints are filled with animals,...by Marina Orievsky
Forgive me, this blog post might be a bit scattered and may include a few sidetones. A quote I have grown quite fond of lately: A bad attitude is like a flat tire-- you can't get anywhere unless you change it. I had a hard time with my attitude this week. Sometimes, lots of little unfortunate things stack up and then we end up much more stressed and frustrated than...by Marina Orievsky
In my teen years, life felt much more dramatic than it actually was. Nothing was fair and everything was the end of the world. For about an hour at a time. And then I'd go write a song and regain my clarity. Being teenage girl, things that were usually to blame for "the worst day ever" were catty girlfriends, fights with my parents about how "no one understands what I'm...