Articles written by Maria Malia

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Creative Writing > Memoirs Testimonies: My eBay experiences: 1 of 20
The first item I sold on Ebay was a vegetable and fruit juicer. The price was set at $15.00 plus a $10.00 shipping and handling fee. The price was low but more than I could get from a garage sale and my goal was, after all, to rid my house of all unused, unnecessary items.Three days later I had a bidder. Checking each day, I ... More..
Creative Writing > Poetry Poetry: A spring storm: 1 of 14
NATURE'S GREETINGWind, lightning, thunderEarly morning summer stormCracking loudly into the dawnTraveling swiftly throughGusts, hail, pounding rainGreet the daylight's comingSilencing nature's awakening chatterBeckoning timid limbs to danceSofter, louder, softerThe swish of passing trafficIgnoring nature's might and furyRushi... More..
Parenting & Pregnancy > Baby Developmental Stages How to get your disinterested toddler into reading: 2 of 14
Doing. Seeing. Touching. Hearing. These are the multi-sensory tools necessary to successfully teach reluctant toddlers to read. The visual, auditory and somatosensory (physical) areas of the brain need to be stimulated for brain development to advance, not only for early reading but future learning as well. A child needs to h... More..
Other Readers share their best yard sale buys: 4 of 26
My adventures as a yard sale aficionado have evolved over the years. In the beginning, as a single parent and student, my single-minded goal was to provide a quality home environment for my son and myself on little or no money.Then, as a newly employed teacher/librarian, I continued to scour yard sales and auctions to stretch... More..
Home & Garden > Furniture Furnishing a house on a budget: 6 of 24
My home decorating style? Early attic, late basement. Surveying my living room, as well as kitchen and bedroom, I can almost count the number of items on one hand purchased retail, predominantly electronics. The majority of my possessions are either homemade, yard sale or auction treasures, hand-me-downs, or gifts from friend... More..
Creative Writing > Memoirs Testimonies: My experience with gastric bypass surgery: 2 of 8
Gastric bypass saved a life. Mine.Physical maladies can be cured or their effects lessened with weight loss. Depression can be managed or eliminated with weight loss.While many patients do suffer complications as a direct result of the bypass surgery itself or from nutritional deficiencies in the years following surgery, the ... More..
Arts & Humanities > Children's Literature Book reviews: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, by Bill Martin Jr.: 5 of 13
"Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See" was written long before Gwyneth Paltrow was born, yet they are literary partners. Their collaboration was nominated for a 2009 Grammy Award.Ms. Paltrow was nominated for, but did not win, the aforementioned 2009 Grammy award in the category of "Best Spoken Word Album for Children" for... More..
Arts & Humanities > Children's Literature Book reviews: Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown: 6 of 15
After sixty years, one of the world's best-selling picture books for children is still"Goodnight Moon," written in 1947 by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd. Recently, the book has been shrouded in controversy."Goodnight Moon" continues to be an integral part of the bedtime rituals of thousands of children t... More..
Food & Drink > Candy & Desserts How the Snickers candy bar got its name: 9 of 21
Gallant Fox? Snickers? What's in a name?That delicious bar of candy layered with creamy peanut-flavored nougat and topped with luscious caramel-covered Georgia peanuts, with a final dip and a swirl in a most heavenly Hershey's milk chocolate might have been named Gallant Fox. But, the Gallant Fox does not exist. With some ima... More..
Arts & Humanities > Children's Literature Book reviews: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle: 6 of 14
George W. Bush's favorite children's book? Bush has declared it is "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle. Now, to be clear, the book he named as "his favorite children's book" was NOT "his favorite book as a child," since Eric Carle's book was not published until 1969 when Bush was a twenty-something Yale graduate. This... More..