PLATYPUS POST, Number 13, December 2004PLATYPUS POST, Number 13, December 2004
A regular publication of Platypus Media, an independent publisher of books for families, teachers and parenting professionals.
WELCOME to Platypus Post, an electronic newsletter from Platypus Media. We hope you find that the parenting, teaching, and breastfeeding information we provide here is useful. Feel free to forward the newsletter to friends or colleagues.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
DIA'S DIARY: Be Happiness This Holiday Season!
The holiday season is upon us. As the year draws to a close, the world slows down, we begin to plan for the upcoming year and evaluate the one almost gone, and we go out of our way to connect with one another.
In anticipation of this, we run around frantically looking for gifts to shower upon each other, worrying about how much money we're spending in the process. I don't know about you, but I find it increasingly difficult to come up with an answer to the question, "What would you like this year?" The reality is that I don't need that much more stuff.
With this in mind a recent article caught my eye. The headline: Wealth does not create individual happiness and it doesn't build a strong country, either. A study published in a recent issue of Psychological Science in the Public Interest (see http://www.blackwellpublishing.com) addresses how economic status is no longer a sufficient gauge of a nation's well being. It used to be that we strived for "a car in every garage, a chicken in every pot." Boy, have we come a long way! Many of us, who are so fortunate, have several cars, several TVs, several computers, and all the chicken we could eat.
We are used to measuring success in monetary terms. We do it personally and we do it as a society. Who hasn't heard the adage, "He who dies with the most toys wins"? The morning news reports each month whether consumer spending is up (a good thing) or down (a very bad thing). Yet the authors of this article tell us that the psychological well being of its citizens is the greatest measure of a nation - not the well being of its economy. It seems that while wealth has trebled over the past 50 years, well being has been flat, mental illness has increased at an even more rapid rate, and data indicate that the social fabric is more frayed than it was in leaner times.
Here's the rub: We are taught to measure our success in monetary terms, but prosperity is neither the answer nor the cause of satisfaction. Personal achievements may - or may not - come with a hefty bank account. We need to redefine prosperity to mean we are thriving as individuals (not just as an economy!), to take pride in our achievements simply because we have achieved them.
How can we incorporate these ideas this holiday season? We can give homemade gifts. We can volunteer in our communities. We can clean out some of the stuff in our homes and donate it to organizations that could really use it. We can take some of the time we might have spent shopping and tell stories, play games, go for a walk or cook together.
Most importantly, when we hear the message, "You can buy happiness," we can hear what the message should be, "You can be happiness."
Happy Holidays from the Platypus Media family!
ALA'S 'GREAT WEBSITES FOR KIDS': Librarians' Informed Suggestions
From researching for a class project on ancient Greece, to learning to play chess, to honing creative writing skills, the Internet has a smorgasbord of websites on virtually any topic for a child. But how do you know that a website that you or your child finds is worthwhile?
The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA) has done the legwork for you and selected some of the best websites for children on a huge array of subjects. This large listing, put together by a librarians' committee, has gone through the same rigorous checking for worthiness and appropriateness that librarians use to select books, magazines, tapes and software. Subject areas include animals, literature and languages, the arts, history and biography, mathematics and computers, social studies and sciences. Visit this invaluable site at: www.ala.org/greatsites.
AUTUMN SAVINGS AT PLATYPUS MEDIA!! Extended Until December 12
We've extended the Autumn Savings Special for two more weeks.
Take advantage of this great special for your holiday shopping!
Platypus Media Fall Book Special
Stock up now for holiday gifts
____________________________________________________________
Buy 1 Book, Take 10% off
Buy 2 Books, Take 20% off
Buy 3 Books, Take 30% off
Buy 4 Books, Take 40% off
Buy 5 Books, Take 50% off
____________________________________________________________
Ask for the Fall Special
Expires 12/01/04 - Extended Until December 12
Maximum Discount: 50%
Standard shipping charges apply
May not be combined with any other offers
QUOTE OF THE MONTH...
A home without books is a body without soul.
~ Cicero (106-43 BC), Roman orator, statesman, philosopher & writer
FUN AT HOME OR SCHOOL: Bagel Bird Feeder
The weather is getting cooler and there's less food around for our feathered friends. Here's a fun and nourishing activity to help the birds out as winter approaches.
Bagel Bird Feeder
Cut bagels in half. Let children spread peanut butter on one half and then place peanut butter side down into a paper plate or shallow dish filled with birdseed. The seed sticks to the peanut butter. Tie a piece of colorful yarn through the hole in the bagel. Put in zip lock plastic bags and label with each child's name. They can hang the bird feeder from a tree in their yard. You could also use pinecones instead of bagels.
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This activity is found in the Look What I See! Where Can I Be? With My Animal Friends Activity Guide.
Each Platypus Media children's book has a teacher-written Activity Guide. These are available at no charge. Just download the Guide(s) of your choice at www.PlatypusMedia.com.
DID YOU KNOW? Fascinating Facts about English
From "The Origin and History of the English Language," www.Krysstal.com/english.html.
OUR FAMILY KEEPS GROWING: New Places to Find Platypus Media Books
Tech-Materials is a business-to-business distributor providing international book dealers with a simple and cost-effective way to obtain books published in the US. We first met Tech-Materials when they contacted us about a bulk shipment of Look What I See! Where Can I Be? Visiting China for a customer in Latin America. As a wholesale exporter, they do not sell in the US. To learn more about their international book operation, contact Mia Shapiro at Tech-Materials International at 703-661-1521 or email her at mia@booksintl.com.
Currently on the fourth floor of the Marin General Hospital - but moving to the main lobby soon - is The Baby Nook. This retail store offers moms and babies lots of accessories and necessities, including nursing nightgowns, preemie diapers, breast pumps, baby carriers and wonderful books such as ,i.I Was Born to Be a Brother and Breastfeeding Facts for Fathers. The store offers merchandise as well as classes, bra fittings and information. All proceeds benefit the women, infant, and children's services at Marin General Hospital. Learn more by calling 415-925-7474 or visiting http://www.maringeneral.sutterhealth.org/volunteers/volunteer-nook.html.
AUTUMN SAVINGS AT PLATYPUS MEDIA!! Extended Until December 12
We've extended the Autumn Savings Special for two more weeks.
Take advantage of this great special for your holiday shopping!
Platypus Media Fall Book Special
Stock up now for holiday gifts
____________________________________________________________
Buy 1 Book, Take 10% off
Buy 2 Books, Take 20% off
Buy 3 Books, Take 30% off
Buy 4 Books, Take 40% off
Buy 5 Books, Take 50% off
____________________________________________________________
Ask for the Fall Special
Expires 12/01/04 - Extended Until December 12
Maximum Discount: 50%
Standard shipping charges apply
May not be combined with any other offers
PLATYPUS MEDIA in the news...
Mammals nurse in Italian! How do you say "platypus" in Italian? You can learn this and lots of other fascinating information at http://www.allattare.net. Maria Ersilia Armeni, a physician and internationally board-certified lactation consultant in Italy has selected a number of articles on breastfeeding and graciously translated them into Italian. "Come Allattano Gli Altri" or "How Do Other Mammals Nurse" is one of the topics addressed in our booklet, Breastfeeding at a Glance: Facts, Figures, and Trivia about Lactation – and now it is in Italian at http://www.allattare.net/articoli_view.asp?IDarticoli=11. Other translations of articles on breastfeeding by Dr.Armeni can be found at http://home.comcast.net/~ammawell/publication.html.
Grazie Dr. Armeni!
P.S. Platypus in Italian is Ornitorinco...
... and on the road
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About Platypus Media
At Platypus Media, our mission is to produce high quality books with a broad appeal to families from different backgrounds that share a commitment to attachment parenting or simply believe in the importance of family closeness. Our goal is to create books and products that parents love, children enjoy, teachers appreciate, and parenting professionals value in their work.
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