Don’t let Hillary’s premature announcement that she is the presumptive Democratic nominee stop you from getting to the polls today! It’s your civic duty – and you might be surprised by what the young voter turnout does for this exciting race. 

Some of you may think it’s too late, or too confusing, to vote if aren’t affiliated with a party or may have lost your ballot. Don’t be. 

Here are 3 easy tips to make voting TODAY easy for you.

#1: If you are a “No Party Preference” voter and have received a nonpartisan vote-by-mail ballot, simply take your blank ballot to your polling location to exchange it for a Democratic crossover ballot. 

#2: If you lost your ballot, or haven’t received it, just go to ANY POLLING LOCATION and vote by provisional ballot.  Easy peasy!

#3: If you’ve received your vote-by-mail ballot, you can drop it off at ANY POLLING LOCATION in your county today.  

Now go VOTE!

Hey Californians!  Don’t forget to vote tomorrow!

If you’re confused about the ballot measures and all of the people running for offices OTHER than President, check out Ballotpedia. All you have to do is enter your zip code, and you’ll get tons of information on everything (and everyone) on your ballot.  If you don’t have time for that, just vote for what you know – it’s ok to leave sections blank.

If you have a preference for the presidential race, please make sure you vote for that person.  

Just remember – make your voice heard and VOTE!

I remember giving my teachers gifts on the last day of school.  No – it wasn’t to bribe them for good grades, but to thank them for teaching me all year long. They weren’t expensive gifts: a box of candy, a nifty ruler, the proverbial shiny apple. It was a time when kids – and their parents – respected and appreciated teachers. 

Not like today, when students demand good grades (even if they didn’t earn them), and parents accuse teachers of unfair grading and challenge them about topics covered on tests (when the parents don’t like the grades their kids receive).

I’ve always believed that you should always support your child’s teachers.  They’re overworked, underpaid, and bullied by parents and students alike. Besides, when parents and students are respectful and grateful to teachers, this encourages the teachers to become even better teachers.  After all, “praise begets emulation, — a goodly seed to sow among youthful students” – Horace Mann.

So, now that the school year is winding down, spend a moment (and maybe a few bucks to buy a gift) to thank your children’s teachers.  You have no idea how much they’ll appreciate it. 

It’s been 8 years since Jaclyn danced with the competition teams at No Limits Dance and Performing Arts. 

Jaclyn and Kory nailed “I’ll Be” and won 1^st Overall at most of the competitions that year. 

It’s my favorite duet!  Great memories! 

This number was choreographed by Athena Harrah (now Knight) – thanks Athena!

In this clip from the show “Newsroom”, Toby from “The Office” is trying to let people know how it is, but people are just too optimistic.  

Funny, but sadly true.  Click to play:

I consider myself a politically conscious person.  I vote.  I debate.  But this year politics is different.  We have more at stake than ever before and the candidates who are running for the most important office in America are widely different. 

As I stood in line to hear Bernie Sanders speak here in Santa Cruz this morning, I overheard hundreds of people talking about how they called in sick or took time off from work to hear Bernie speak. 

What was fascinating to me was how many of these people said that they had never gone out to hear a candidate before.  The audience was filled with young people.  Lots of them.  It was invigorating to see how passionate these kids are about stopping the oligarchy that has consumed our political process, and return our nation to a true democracy.  Most have never voted or volunteered for a political campaign before. 

Bernie is resonating with the youth and creating a grassroots movement. I am voting for the candidate who sees climate change as one of the most important issues that we face today.

And we’re running out of time.  I’m hoping for a political revolution, because there’s more at stake now than there ever has been, and a revolution is what it’s going to take to solve the problems that face us.

Remembering both fallen and living veterans today.  Thank you.

Summer’s just around the corner, and it’s time to make plans!

With 12 weeks off, even the busiest kids get bored.  You can only sign them up for so many weeks of Junior Guards or summer camps. To make this summer the best ever, consider creating a custom summer program that meets the needs and desires of your children – at no cost to you! By creating a special summer “camp” for just a few kids, you can set up your kids’ favorite activities and new outings that will keep them engaged all summer. I did this with my girls when they were young and now some of our best memories are from our summer programs.  Here’s what’s involved:

I organized an 8-week summer program that included academics, arts, sports, and theater. My girls selected the activities and outings that they wanted to do and even helped me pick the theater productions we presented each year.  Here’s what the summer program looked like:

Mondays-Thursdays:     At our house
9:00 am-12:00 pm:         Reading Newbery books (to enjoy the best children’s literature)
Writing autobiographies (to develop good writing skills)
Math games and exercises (to keep their math brains going)
12:00-1:00 pm:                Lunch and Freeplay (basketball)
1:00-2:00 pm:                  Art: ceramics, watercolor painting, calligraphy, stained glass
2:00-3:00 pm:                  Swimming and outdoor sports
3:00-5:00 pm:                  Theater rehearsal

Fridays                              Offsite
Exploratorium, Egyptian Museum, Monterey Bay Aquarium, olalieberry picking, bodysurfing, hiking in forest, camping

I hired teachers to teach the academics in the morning, art and sports in the early afternoon, and theater in the late afternoon.  By inviting about 6-8 kids to join the summer fun (and pay our tuition), my children had the best summers ever – and it didn’t cost me a dime! At the time, I worked from home, so I oversaw all of the activities but I wasn’t directly involved.  I enjoyed joining them on field trips and the theater productions.  So even if you work full time, you can still set up a program like this and give your kids the ideal summer program.  I even wrote a book to help parents organize these activities. 

I love hip hop, and when Nicole was recruited to dance on Stanford’s Jam Pac’d dance team in 2004, I was thrilled! 

I became the Jam Pac’d dance mom – yup! – even for college kids!  

I feel like the luckiest person in the world because I get to spend my days working with kids – one-on-one. 

Whether they’re a student at Merit Academy or a college advisory client, I enjoy guiding them as they grow into unique and wonderful young adults.  

The most spectacular moments for me are when I hear from my “kids” after they head off on their journeys.  I just got this from one of my favorite families:

I was visiting Chris last weekend and he wanted me to tell you hello.   He is a PhD student in American Politics at U. C. Santa Barbara and has almost completed his 1st year.  As he and I were reminiscing about his journey these past 12 years we were talking about how much help you were. I cannot thank you enough for all the help you gave him and will always be grateful.

I love to hear what my “kids” are up to and share in their successes as if I am part of their families!