Articles written by Stephanie Joynes - Page 2

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About me - Stephanie Joynes

I'm a new mom, and that's pretty much my identity right now.

Prior to motherhood, I grew up in a small town in Ohio. When I graduated from high school, I left Ohio and started studying English and Anthropology at Syracuse University with every intention of

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Arts & Humanities > Museums & Galleries (Other) Museum etiquette: How to behave when visiting an art museum: 3 of 16
We call it "edu-tainment" in the museum field; a cross between education and entertainment. But museums are not amusement parks, nor are they cold boring places either. They are intended to give visitors an experience they will take with them for the rest of their lives. After working at the Smithsonian Institution for sever... More..
Relationships & Family > Ancestry & Genealogy Genealogy: The importance of writing down your grandparents' stories: 11 of 49
When I was working in a cultural museum, I was amazed by how many people wanted to learn about their family history. There are myths and legends in every family, but people wanted to learn what was fact and what was fiction. Was there a Cherokee grandmother? Was their grandfather a slave or a free African-American? How did o... More..
Celebrations & Holidays > Gifts for Women Best baby gifts for new mothers: 22 of 89
My mother, mother-in-law and a family friend threw me one of the biggest baby showers I ever could have imagined. Due the mass amounts of gifts that arrived when Sadie was born, I have a gained a tremendous amount of knowledge of what's a great and useful gift and what isn't. Since my baby girl is now approaching her first b... More..
Parenting & Pregnancy > Baby Accessories Layette essentials: How to anticipate clothing needs for your newborn: 3 of 12
My daughter is almost 17 months old now, and there is a huge garbage bag next to her changing table waiting to be donated to charity. It's filled with onesies, sleepers, t-shirt and pants that she has miraculously outgrown overnight. I still have to go through the bag to see what should be kept for another child, what should... More..
Arts & Humanities > Colonial & Early American The founding of Jamestown: 3 of 12
It took 144 days for the men of the Virginia Company of London to travel from England to North America on three ships called the Susan Constant, the Godspeed and the Discovery. The year was 1607, and their intention of this dangerous endeavor was not religious freedom but rather a business venture. When they arrived in May o... More..
Relationships & Family > Humor & Laughter Using humor to defuse a tense discussion or argument: 3 of 12
Relationships are complicated, but when there is suddenly a tense moment in the air, humor is the best way to defuse a conflict. There were no two people who could do this better than my Aunt and Uncle. My Aunt Josh (short for Jocylyn) and Uncle John grew up together, and eventually their relationship developed, a marriage w... More..
Creative Writing > Reflections Reflections on combining parenting and work: 1 of 4
Exactly four hours after my emergency C-section, my boss called me at the hospital on my cell phone. It wasn't to congratulate my husband and me, or make sure that I was doing okay. She was calling to finally set up my maternity leave she had put off ever since I told her I was pregnant. From that point on, I was told I had ... More..
Arts & Humanities > History (Other) Commentary: Why history matters: 8 of 30
One night while I was watching the news, my history-loving husband wanted to change the channel to something a bit more lighthearted. The news was focused on Iraq War and the most recent developments. Surrounding us were hundreds of books written about history, covering military tactics, world events, and even some quirky pr... More..
Education > Education (Other) Do we need multicultural education?: 5 of 17
I love culture so much I made it my life's work. I'm a professional anthropologist who studies how we are all the same and how in quirky ways we are different. The funny part is that according to the U.S. Census, my hometown was 99.9% white. But when I was 9 years old, I had a teacher who decided to make culture part of her ... More..
Arts & Humanities > British Authors Should Harry Potter author, JK Rowling, have announced that the character Albus Dumbledore was gay?: 7 of 19
JK Rowling has always been very open about who her characters are, who they aren't, and what their motivations are for their actions. She has crafted each character with little details proving she knew more about their past, present and future than any reader could fathom. Even the most minor of characters was represented wi... More..