Upcoming Contests

Royalty Industries and The Princess Zaria Fan Club are launching three contests for children age 10 and under:

Name the next Princess Series

Children 10 and under are encouraged to enter The Name the Next Princess Series. As I'm in the process of writing my third book, I'm stuck on the title. The theme of the book is about Princess Zaria entering a school spelling bee. The entry with the winning title will receive a dedication in the book, a certificate and a variety of gift cards which will include one from Toys R Us. The contest is open to citizens of the United States only. Respond via email at www.princesszaria.com . Winner will be announced May 30, 2010.

I Love My Mom Contest

This is a Mother's Day Contest. Children age 10 and under will send a 250 word or more essay detailing why they love their mom. Boys and Girls may enter and explain what makes their mom special. Does she pack you a special lunch with love notes? Maybe she reads to you every night. The student with the winning essay will receive a gift certificate to Applebees along with a special surprise for mom. The contest is open to citizens of the United States only. Respond via email at www.princesszaria.com The Winner will be announced on April 25, 2010.

I Love My Dad Contest will be announced soon. Good Luck!

Celebrate Dads

February is Fatherhood Awareness Month. I'm so glad dads are getting a special day(besides Father's Day). A lot of dads get a bad rap but there are a ton of dads doing a great job! Although this is a mommy blog, I want to share a story about my dad. When I was younger, I had problems in math. I'm still not a whiz but i get by:) My worst challenge was fractions. I just could not get it. I was getting C's in Math and I think that was only because I was a good student. I didn't give the teacher any problems.

My dad saw that I was struggling and even though he only had an 8th grade education, he was a mathematical genius! He tutored me endlessly. My dad worked in the factory on the afternoon shift so he was not home when I came home from school but my practice fractions were. He would leave about 10 problems for me to complete and when he got home after midnight he would check them and reassign more. I passed my fifth grade math class because of my daddy.

There are a lot of dads that are doing wonderful things in their homes, church and communities. Celebrate them. If you have or know a dad , tell him he's doing a wonderful job. Share with us your wonderful dad stories.

Report Card Anxiety

Last week Detroit Public Schools issued report cards. For the most part, The 'Real' Princess Zaria is doing exceptional well(besides the c's in Science and Social Studies). She earned all A's and B's. The last 3 tests in Science have been very challenging for her. Even princesses need help sometimes. Well, I was anticipating a drama show when I picked her up from school but to my surprise, she was very calm. She knew she would have to pull up in those courses and she didn't 'perform' like i thought she would. My little princess is growing up. I guess I was being more anxious than I thought she would be.

I'm wondering do other parents and their children experience report card anxiety? I mean, should the emphasis really be on the grades or should it be about what is learned and retained? For example, when my oldest son was in school he didn't test well at all. I can rememember quizzing him on spelling all week. He would master our oral quiz but when he got to school---blank. He almost always flunked the tests!

Last report card marking Princess Zaria earned 3-A's, 6-B's, and a C(in science). When kids don't do well on report cards does that mean they aren't bright?

I would like for kids and parents to weigh in on this. How do you feel about report card day?

New Title

I'm over six months into the release of my latest book, The Adventures of Princess Zaria, and in the words of Hannah Montana I'm looking for my next -next. My husband and son have been asking me when will I start writing my next book. While taking a power nap, I came up the the next theme. I think(and it may change) I will enter Princess Zaria into a spelling bee. Similar to the motion picture, Akeeyla and the Bee. How does Princess Zaria and the Bee sound? Or some variation? I am hoping it will serve as a literary motivation for children(especially girls)to enter spelling bees. As I'm writing this, I also want to congratulate all the participants and winners of The Scripps Spelling Bee, regional and school-based bees.

Please give me your feedback on The Spelling Bee concept for the next Princess Zaria Project. I welcome and encourage all suggestions.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Everyone!

2009 was a great year for us. My 2nd book was released in July. I debuted The Princess Zaria Fan Club, The Royal Gazette, The Little Princess Book Club and so much more. We have big plans for 2010 starting with Mommy and Me at the Movies. I have partnered with The Bel-Air Theatre in Detroit to host Movie viewings specifically for moms and their infant and pre-school children. I love this new venture. Please come out and support the venue and mommyhood.

The first meeting for The Little Princess Book Club starts January 30. This is to instill the love of reading in little girls ages 6-10. In addition to the book they will read, the little girls will receive: a tiara, a bookmark, and a princess journal to write notes. The girls will receive a vocabulary word(from or inspired by the book). They will learn the definition and be prepared to write a sentence using the word in context.

The Princess Zaria Fan Club is what I'm most proud of in this series. All little girls ages 3-10 are encouraged to join. As a member of the fan club all girls will receive a membership card, princess stickers and tattoos, a tiara, VIP seating at all PZ events, Advance Notice of all activities, a quarterly newsletter, a monthly e-newsletter and much, much more.

Activities for kids. Although The Adventures of Princess Zaria is targeted toward little girls, we do plan to offer activities/events that little boys will enjoy, too. Please stay tuned to the website for details.

Our new website will be launched in about another week or so. Be prepared for contest and giveaways. We will feature products that moms and children enjoy. We will have info about author school visits and our innovative parent parties. Please feel free to leave comments as you enjoy our posts.

I'm so happy to serve parents and little girls(and boys). This is a new decade for the princess within. Enjoy

By the way, Princess Zaria is on vacation until Monday, January 4. She is excited about her new year and looks forward to meeting all the little princesses all over the world.

Be Blessed

When I Went To DAPCEP Today

When I went to DAPCEP, I made a light bulb light. . We had so much fun. When the parents left we ate and then we made light. Before the parents left, my mom and I made a magnet. We used batteries, nail and wire. We wrapped the wire around the nail and taped the end of the wire to the battery. The battery got very hot. I put the nail near a paperclip and the paperclip got closer to the nail. That made a magnet. I love DAPCEP! I learn so much there.

The End

Love, Zaria

Why Are You Thankful?

It's amazing what comes out of the mouths of babes. Yesterday was Thanksgiving and we had a wonderful time. When many think of Thanksgiving they think of food: turkey, candied yams, ham, sweet potatoe pies, dressing, mac and cheese, etc. Believe me, we had all that and more. As a family, we visited my in-laws like we do every single year. This time, we decided to gather in a circle and let everyone share why they were thankful. As you'd imagine, many of us were thankful for family, health, jobs, home and friends.

Then the time came for Princess Zaria to recite why she was thankful.

"I'm thankful for nature. If it wasn't for nature, we wouldn't have bees. If we didn't have bees, we wouldn't have honey. If we didn't have honey, we wouldn't have anything to sweeten our tea."

I laughed so hard and loud. WOW!!!

Out of the mouths of babes.