Check out these bracelets from Hope Paige, makers of custom medical bracelets and accessories.  Having a disease, chronic illness, or disability sure can be tough for a kid compounded with the clumsy, archaic medical alert bracelets.

EMT’s are trained to look for the international sign for an illness, but should something happen while they are playing and they are not wearing a medical bracelet, something serious can happen.  Hope Paige Designs lets parents and kids make customized medical bracelets with engravings on the inside to let an EMT know what problem someone has.  This all masked under a fashionable accessory that kids love.

Check out some of these great styles!

There are so many to choose from, you can now let the special needs child on your holiday shopping list turn boring medical alert bracelets in to a trendy fashion statement while still remaining responsible by displaying the well known and easily recognizable medical alert symbol.

NEW YORK, NY (November 16, 2011) – ‘Tis the season to be jolly and, if you are searching for the perfect gift for a child, quite possibly confused!  With the overwhelming number of toys and games crowding store shelves, making choices can be a challenge – which are safe, quality products that kids will really enjoy playing with?  To help readers find out, Good Housekeeping spent months evaluating hundreds of toys, assessing their design and their ability to inspire creativity, foster learning, as well as promote hand-eye coordination and motor skill development.  After narrowing the list to 85 selections, 115 children ages 3 to 14 visited the Research Institute, the magazine’s state-of-the-art laboratory in New York City. Over the course of seven days, they tested the toys’ fun factor, filling out nearly 1,000 surveys.  The 20 winners that scored the highest and passed the engineers’ safety review (including being dropped by a Drop Tester to make sure the toys didn’t shatter into small pieces that could be choking hazards) made the list for Good Housekeeping’s 2011 Best Toy Awards, revealed in the December issue, on newsstands today.

The engineers and scientists at the Good Housekeeping Research Institute assessed new toys across four categories: those for ages 2 to 5; ages 5 to 8; ages 8+; and board games for ages 3 and up.  Winning toys range in price from $5 to $64.  To find the best board games, 50 were sent home with kids and their parents.  The winning, most family-friendly board games range in price from $20 to $40.

“Parents want to give their kids the toys they’re dreaming of for the holidays, but our readers are also concerned with choosing gifts that are safe and will teach their kids important skills,” says Rosemary Ellis, editor in chief of Good Housekeeping. “The Toy Awards are a great resource for gifts that inspire kids to grow and learn – even though they just think they’re having fun!”

Good Housekeeping’s 2011 Best Toy Award winners are:

Little Tikes 2-in-1 Garden Cart & Wheelbarrow ($40, littletikes.com; ages 2+): One of Good Housekeeping’s youngest testers’ top picks, this toy appealed to little landscapers, who loved pretend-planting the plastic flowers.

Imperial Toys’ Little Tikes Garden Bubble Leaf & Lawn Bubble Blower ($20, imperialtoy.com; ages 2+): This was another favorite among Good Housekeeping’s young testers—and really, what kid can resist a blast of bubbles?

Battat’s B. Critter Clinic ($25, justb-byou.com; ages 2+): Future veterinarians can examine and treat ailing plush pets with a toy stethoscope, syringe and more. The pup and kitty can convalesce in colorful kennel cubbies, and the corresponding door keys let a child practice fine motor skills.

Little Kids’ Toobers & Zots ($25, littlekidsinc.com; ages 3+): With flexible foam pieces, kids can design all sorts of “foamstructions.” Good Housekeeping’s kid testers tended to make wearable art—elaborate crowns and silly hats—but options are as limitless as a child’s imagination.

Shure’s Daisy Girls Dollhouse ($50, yoyo.com; ages 3+): The fun of paper dolls (here, made of durable wood) is combined with the pleasures of playing house, with a toy that includes four girls named after flowers and a fashionable wardrobe that attaches magnetically.

Educational Insights’ Playfoam ($5 for a four-pack, other sets available, educationalinsights.com; ages 3+): Endlessly squishable, it captivated young testers with its sculptability. Kids created colorful creatures, decorated walls with the beady dough (it peels right off and won’t stain), and discovered that it even sort of bounces!

Mattel’s Hot Wheels Wall Tracks ($30 for the starter set, mattelshop.com; ages 4+): Toy cars climb to new heights and tracks attach to a wall via removable brackets, allowing kids to enjoy sending them through straightaways and loops, without getting scattered across the floor.

Manhattan Toy Quadrilla Melody Basic Set ($64, manhattantoy.com; ages 4+): A musical toy and a building challenge in one, this toy involves assembling a wood track, and as the marble rolls through the course, elegant chimes ring out.

Little Kids’ Crunch Art ($5 and up, littlekidsinc.com; ages 4+): Kids can make mess-free, fantastic fabrications, just pressing little bits of cloth into boards using a stylus. Good Housekeeping’s school-age testers found the results worthy of display and praise.

Silverlit’s 3D Twister ($50, get3Dtwister.com; ages 5+): This remote-controlled car zipped its way to the top of Good Housekeeping’s testers’ lists. Whether careening at dizzying speed down the hall or flipping end-over-end (it’s two-sided, so the car just keeps going), it doesn’t disappoint.

Jakks Pacific B.I.G. Power Hand ($30, becomebig.com; ages 6+): This fulfills every child’s sci-fi dream of having a bionic body part. It fits like a glove (literally); by moving each finger, the wearer can cause the oversize digits to bend, reach, and grasp.

K’Nex Mario Kart Wii Mario and Luigi Starting Line ($60, knex.com; ages 6+): Part construction set, part racetrack, it lets kids build an obstacle course and then set motorized Mario and Luigi cars loose. The crazy brothers bounce off each other and the track’s roadblocks—live, but just like in the video game.

Waboba Tosy AFO ($20, waboba.com; ages 7+): This high-flying toy really soars and (usually) returns, boomerang-like, to its starting spot. Light and flexible, it won’t cause damage or injury in a crash landing. LED lights illuminate nighttime takeoffs.

Ravensburger’s Xoomy ($25, ravensburger.com; ages 7+): With 20 whimsical image patterns to project and trace, plus paper and pen, illustrators-in-training loved customizing these renderings with their own pencils, crayons, and markers.

Wild Planet’s Denkosekka Battle Set ($20, shopwildplanet.com; ages 7+): Players fling a yo-yo-like magnetic catcher toward a mat strewn with tokens to see who’s the best picker-upper, and tokens have different point values; whoever nabs the most points wins.

Lego Creator Rescue Robot ($17, lego.com; ages 7+): The famed plastic-brick maker adds bling with a light-up block. The set has instructions for building three characters (the namesake robot, plus Laserbot and Robocat). Of course, as with all Legos, kids can also improvise.

Scientific Explorer’s Disgusting Special Effects Make-Up Kit ($20, poof-slinky.com; ages 8+): This kit comes with everyday ingredients to teach kids how to easily fake horror movie make-up, such as bloody gashes, dramatic bruises, and more.

SmartLab Weird & Wacky Contraption Lab ($40, smartlabtoys.com; ages 8+): Kids assemble a course of ramps that relies on the science of levers, gears, and gravity. A rolling marble triggers a chain reaction to launch a plastic pig from a cannon. (There’s a reason it’s called “wacky.”)

Jakks Pacific Spy Net Bionic Ear ($20, spynethq.com; ages 8+): This sound magnifier can be stuck to a wall or door and it connects to the included earbuds for a covert operation.

Klutz Guide to the Galaxy ($20, klutz.com; ages 8+): Wannabe astronomers can build their own telescope; the constellation and moon maps help pinpoint galactic bodies, and the book details a slew of otherworldly activities to explore.

The six winning board games are:

Hasbro Connect 4 Launchers Game ($20, hasbrotoysho.com; ages 5+): Reimagining the classic, it heightens the four-in-a-row fun by having opponents fling their checkers onto the board. The goal: to land them consecutively and block the competition from doing the same.

MindWare Pix Mix Game ($20, mindware.com; ages 8+): Got an eye for detail? Each transparent card has a line drawing of a common object, and cards are piled six high; players have 30 seconds to discern each image within the squiggly jumble. 

Techno Source Tetris Link Game ($25, technosourceusa.com; ages 6+): Sometimes the best innovation takes you back to basics. Here, the popular video game goes low-tech: players take turns sliding in the “Tetrimino” pieces and score by linking consecutive colored squares.  

Learning Resources Double Duel Game ($28, learningresources.com; ages 7+): To win this game, it helps to have good ears, fast fingers and a love of language. Cards define pairs of words with the same pronunciation but different meanings. Buzz first and ID the soundalikes to rack up points.  

Super Duper Publications Jeepers Peepers Game ($40, superduperinc.com; ages 5+): Curiosity is key here, with competitors clipping photos of different items onto their game glasses, facing out, then taking turns posing yes-or-no questions to figure out what’s on their display.  

Educational Insights Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game! ($20, educationalinsights.com; 3+): Participants aim to be the first to stock a log with acorns using the tweezerlike “squirrel squeezers.” A bad spin could mean losing one piece—or your entire stash. 

For more on Good Housekeeping’s top-rated toys, visit www.goodhousekeeping.com/toyawards.

About Good Housekeeping

Founded in 1885, Good Housekeeping (www.goodhousekeeping.com) magazine reaches nearly 25 million readers each month.  In addition to the print title, there is The Good Housekeeping Research Institute, the consumer product evaluation laboratory of Good Housekeeping magazine.  Founded in 1900 and continuing today with the same mission, the Research Institute is dedicated to improving the lives of consumers and their families through education and product evaluation. Only products evaluated by the Good Housekeeping Research Institute can be accepted for advertising in the magazine, and thereby become eligible to display the Good Housekeeping Seal, the hallmark that provides assurance to readers that the products advertised in the magazine are backed by a two-year limited warranty against being defective, with specified exceptions.  In 2009, the Green Good Housekeeping Seal was introduced as an environmental overlay to the original Seal, offering consumers guidance on products making environmental claims.  Readers can also interact with the brand on the digital front, with Good Housekeeping mobile (m.goodhousekeeping.com), at Goodhousekeeping.com and through its GH@Home iPhone app. In addition to its U.S. flagship, Good Housekeeping publishes 10 editions around the world.  Good Housekeeping is published by Hearst Magazines, a unit of Hearst Corporation, the largest publisher of monthly magazines in the U.S. (ABC 2011) and reaches 87 million adults (Spring 2011 MRI). (www.hearst.com).

The New Kitten! With their larger-than-life eyes, loud purr and boundless curiosity, new kittens have an irresistible charm. This is an exciting time for both you and the kitten, and the first few weeks together are critical for ensuring a happy and healthy life. For the trip to their new home, place your kitten in a sturdy cat carrier. Petmate offers a variety of cat carriers built for safety and comfort; so you can choose the carrier that’s right for your kitten. They may yell at you to let them out – but don’t do it! Consider using a carrier like the Kennel Cab® Traditional, which features a heavy-duty eco-friendly plastic shell, a convenient seatbelt slot to secure your pet, side and back ventilation holes, and a floor perimeter to keep your pet dry. The Soft Sided® Kennel Cab also offers safe, comfortable and reliable transport in a modern design. Great for a visit to the vet, or a longer trip, this kennel carries Fluffy in comfort and style with plush patterned bedding fabric.
Once at home, select a quiet, closed-in area such as your bedroom, and stock it with a litter box, food and water, toys, and a scratching post. The Lean on Me™ Scratch Post is a perfect choice, with its stable base of durable polypropylene in taupe and a replaceable scratch pad made of natural jute with a beautiful brown leaf print. Catnip “reservoirs” at the top of the post, under the jute, give cats multi-sensory play without the catnip mess. And, no skid rubber feet hold the post in place so floors don’t get scratched.

Let the kitten become acquainted with that area for the first few days. Spend plenty of time in that room to make your kitten comfortable. It is common for kittens to hide in the closet or under the bed – don’t force them to come out. Sit on the floor and talk to them or offer treats to help them feel safe. Your new kitten will sleep up to 16 hours a day, so establish a comfortable sleeping place for them.

When she’s not sleeping, she’ll want to play! Cats go wild for the Swat N’ Swing™, an adorable plush character filled with catnip and connected to a rod with an elastic bungee cord that makes for unexpected movement of the plush and keeps cats entertained for hours. The Bat n’ Bobble® is another option, with feathers on top, a bell cage ball in the center and a weighted bottom.

And then there’s the litter box. It is important to find the right litter box for your new kitten. And, with so many styles available, it can easily become a daunting task. A good rule of thumb is to find a box with lower sides that they can easily get in and out of (about 1 inch). Cats are very proper, and a hooded litter box offers them the privacy they like. Place your kitten in the litter box after feeding, and anytime she begins nosing in corners or squatting. Gently scratch the kitten’s front paws in the filler. If your kitten has an accident, wipe it up with a paper towel and put it in the litter box, and place the kitten in the litter box. Do not punish your cat for having an accident. This won’t help them learn to use the litter box – it will only teach them not to go to the bathroom in front of you. A great place to start is the Petmate Starter Kit Litter Boxes – perfect for welcoming a new kitten or cat into your home. Each pearlescent colored, eco-friendly litter box includes a 12-count box of liners, a small lightweight double-diner dish and litter scoop. The rimmed top helps control litter scatter, and a slightly lower lip helps little kitties get in and out with ease.

For a list of recommended supplies for new kittens, visit http://www.petmate.com/special-shopping-lists/cats.

The New Puppy! New puppies mean high-energy play – so get ready to have fun! But puppies also rely on you to provide structure and discipline for their energy. There are millions of tips when bringing a new pup into the home, but here are some we at Petmate have found especially helpful – because we have pets too.

If possible, have your new dog come home when you can be home for a few days. Get to know each other and spend some quality time together. Dogs need an active life, so be sure to have plenty of exercise and game time – and toys! The Small Dog and Puppy Eco-friendly puppy plush toy is sized perfectly for puppies, and features 100% recycled stuffing on the inside and natural wool on the outside. The Lil’ Bit Floppy Disc is a fun, durable, interactive fetch disc made of waterproof fabric and flexible tubing. This brightly-colored disc is gentle on your dog’s teeth and gums and can even be used as a portable drinking dish. And to give puppies a safe way to chew, the Small Dog and Puppy Soft Bite™ Plush toys are a soft plush toy that makes a fun squeaking sound.

You are a playmate, but you also need to let your pet know who is the boss. Decide what the rules of the house will be – where your pup can go, where to sleep, and when and where to go to the bathroom. When your pup does something he shouldn’t, don’t lose your cool. Redirect the behavior and reward him with praise when he does well! It’s a tough job to do alone, so sign up for a local dog obedience class and learn what a joy it is to have a well-trained dog.

Housebreaking your new puppy is going to take patience, especially since a pup is not physically able to control the muscle that allows him to hold it until he’s around 12 weeks old. Choose a housebreaking method that’s right for your puppy. All a pup wants is to please you, so the goal is to make her understand what you want.

One useful tool is a crate. To you, a crate may look like the canine equivalent of a jail cell, but to your dog, the crate looks like a den — a room of his own! In addition to giving your new pup his own hip digs, crates make housetraining and obedience training easier and more pleasant for both you and the pup. A kennel like the Wire Kennels Training Retreat™ will help to house-break pups and halt behavior problems before they start. Created for both comfort and housetraining, the Training Retreat kennel boasts sturdy wire construction for safety, a rust-resistant black coating for durability, and a leak-proof removable pan for easy cleaning. A double-latch, single front door helps with control while also providing easy in and out access, and the handles on top make it mobile. It comes in six different sizes, and features an adjustable divider so the kennel can grow with the dog.

Like people, every dog is different and each breed has unique needs. Do your research and purchase supplies accordingly. For a list of recommended supplies for new puppies, visit http://www.petmate.com/special-shopping-lists/dogs.

Keep in mind that all new pets need vaccinations and health checks. Get connected with a good vet before you bring your new companion home.

Committed to the wellbeing of pets and the world they live in, Petmate is the trusted authority in smart solutions for devoted pet parents and discerning retailers alike. Sound advice and high quality products that are innovative, safe, practical and fun are Petmate hallmarks, as shown in our complete lines of: kennels, dog houses, bedding, litter maintenance, feeding and watering solutions, toys, collars and leads, and pet accessories. We, at Petmate, have pets too and are driven to create a healthy, happy life for your pets and ours. Petmate products can be found at pet supply stores nationwide. Call 1-877-PETMATE or visit www.petmate.com for more information.

T. Simon Jewelers is offering fifty percent off all in stock merchandise for one day only, Saturday April 30^, 2011! And you must show your “Just for Groovin’ Sisters” coupon to receive that discount. AND their Chamelia bead promotion features buy two beads and receive an exclusive Door County Cherry Bead FREE!

Neighborhood Pub & Grill has generous offers, too! Their coupon entitles the Groovin’ Sisterhood to $5 off your Pub visit! And in OUR HONOR they will be mixing “Groovin’ Cruzans Confusions” all weekend long! Made with US Virgin Island Cruzan Rum (coconut, mango, black cherry) and fruit juices, they will be specially priced at just $3! And yes, you must be twenty-one or older!

Door County Peninsula Winery is featuring FREE tours and wine tasting! Your Groovin’ Sisterhood Coupon entitles you to a savings of ten percent off six bottles of wine or twenty percent off twelve or more bottles, mix and matching is allowed!

Inn at Cedar Crossing is inviting us to stop in and enjoy one half price appetizer (not available during happy hour, Sunday through Friday, 4 to 6 p.m.)

Sherry’s Hallmark has extended a coupon entitling us to a FREE Webkinz with a $15 or more purchase! Of course this offer is on regular purchases and some exclusions apply!

There are so many exciting offers in the works! I’ll keep posting them as they roll in!

“Always look before you leap.

Never dive into the deep.

Swim with a buddy, all of the time,

Even if you’re swimming fine.”

I Love to Swim! is a delightful rhyme told from the perspective of a little boy whose mother brings him to swimming lessons. He shares his love of swimming in water since before he was born.

At each level of swimming from playing in the bath to Mommy and Me classes, all the way through Big classes without parents, he proclaims, I love to swim. My day is made!

Brightly illustrated, I Love to Swim! is a children’s educational book that helps young children and their parents discover the joy of swimming. It shares the basic guidelines of swim safety to help prevent drowning.

Enjoy reading I Love to Swim! with the children in your life and allow the natural love of water become part of your lives with safety first.

“Children need to learn to swim … New evidence shows that children agegs one to four may be less likely to drown if they have had some formal swimming instruction. A parent’s decision about starting swimming lessons or water-survival skills training at an early age must be individualized on the basis of  the child’s frequency of exposure to water., emotional maturity, physical limitations, and health concerns related to swimming pools.” American Academy of Pediatrics, May 24, 2010.

Before opening her British Swim School locations in the USA, Rita Goldberg was a national swimmer in Britain, who went on to become a dedicated teacher. Working in the education system for many years, she left in 1981 to open her own private swim school in the basement of a Victorian house in Manchester, England. It was there she developed the unique teaching methods that have become a recognized trademark of British Swim School. Goldberg is an active member of the US Swim School Association and served as a board member for two years.

Available for purchase at I Love to Swim.com

April 2011- Dublin Dog has just announced their new collection of eco-Lucks collars called the “Courage Collection”. Thirty percent of proceeds from the sale of this collection will benefit Chase Away K9 Cancer, a grassroots initiative that raises funds for awareness and research grants awarded through the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Foundation.

The collection is consistent with Dublin Dog’s line of eco-Lucks collars, which each keep the equivalent of 1.5 plastic bottles out of our nation’s landfills. The ink is water-based and eco-friendly, and all products are made in the USA.

The collars come in three sizes: Small (9-16”), Medium (14-20”), and Large (18-26”), and are sold in three limited edition colors: Fearless Blue, Fightin’ Red, and Survivor Sage.  My rescued American Bulldog, Lennon, is modeling the Large collar in red!

The new eco-Lucks Courage Collection is 100 percent eco-friendly and ranges in cost from $24 for the small collar, $26 for the medium collar and $28 for the large collar. The Courage Collection can be purchased online at www.dublindog.com.

“It’s been very exciting since we first started speaking with Dublin Dog about having a new collar made to help raise donations and awareness about canine cancer, “ said Cera Reusser, Founder of Chase Away K9 Cancer. “To date seven canine cancer studies have been funded with donations from companies like Dublin Dog which is amazing.”

“I’m thrilled to be a small part of this wonderful cause,” said Jason Watson, founder of Dublin Dog. “We do our best to listen to the collective voice of our customers and friends, and this past year there was an overwhelming swell of support for this organization. The collection just made sense,” added Watson.

Global brand Dublin Dog is committed to pampering pets and their owners everywhere by producing accessories that blend fashion and function.They opened for business on the lucky date of July 7, 2007 in Charlotte, NC with their original “All Style, No Stink” 100% waterproof dog collars, and immediately found success with dog owners. In addition totheir complete line of colorful collars, leashes, dog tags, and fashion-forward t-shirts for owners, they created a new line of eco-friendly collars, leashes and beds called eco-Lucks. In 2008, they began the Dublin Dog Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to fostering the roles of service dogs in the development, support, and inspiration they provide to their human companions. They do this through local fundraisers and national raffling off specially created goods. More information onDublin Dog please visit www.dublindog.com.

1. Public Transportation

Don’t overlook other opportunities provided by public transportation. Freed from focusing on the road, you can get some work done, make new friends or catch up on email, Facebook, Twitter and cat videos.

2. Bicycle
Winter storms make bicycling impossible in some locations, but peddling your way to work or around town during inclement weather is both cheaper and better for your body. Many places now offer bike lanes, making this form of transportation much safer. Bike libraries or leasing services are increasing in popularity, allowing you to either borrow a bicycle or pay a minimal fee. Some employers even encourage biking by providing a financial incentive and, on occasion, in-house showers with a more casual dress code.

3. Car Pool
Sure it’s a bit more complicated to commute when you have to work around other people’s schedules, but you’ll also have access to those speedy car-pooling lanes. Various cities offer government-organized car pool services, with some even providing the vehicle. As with public transport, you’ll also have extra time to work, put on your makeup, text friends or simply lay back and take a nap. For help coordinating a carpool, check out PickupPal which connects drivers with passengers through social networking tools.

4. Walk
We have legs and feet for a reason. Hit the pavement and get some exercise, whether by power walking, jogging or simply sauntering.

5. Scooters
These “mini-bikes” are popular in Europe because of super high gas prices. They’re light, agile, and usually much less expensive than motorcycles. While you can’t use a scooter on highways, they’re perfect for short commutes or trips around town.

6. Segways
These new-age transport vehicles are considered somewhat geeky, but John Hinkenlooper was recently elected Colorado governor despite his propensity for Segways. They’re great for getting around town and actually are quite fun to ride.

7. Shop Online
Surfing the Web for everything from groceries to clothes and auto parts allows you to cruise your favorite shops without wasting gas. With the increase in free shipping offers from stores like Lands’ End and JCPenney shopping online is even cheaper this year, and consumers have rapidly caught on. A sharp climb in the number of retailers offering free shipping deals helped boost online sales by 24 percent in 2010.

8. Telecommute
Skype, the “cloud,” email and other 21st Century innovations make it even easier to telecommute. Working just one or two days a week from home will cut your gas bill by roughly a fourth or fifth — not so shabby a savings! Consider hosting mandatory business meetings online using virtual platforms likeGoToMeetings, which uses a web conferencing tool that allows attendees to share applications in real time.

9. Electric and Hybrid Cars
Kelley Blue Book recently rated the 2011 Nissan Leaf as first in its “Top 10 Green Cars for 2011.” The Leaf not only gets 73 miles per charge (the equivalent of 99 miles per gallon), but it’s also made with recycled materials. (Just thought you might like to know that detail.) The 2011 Chevy Volt placed second as the “most fun” electrically driven car and the Toyota Prius, the original and most-popular hybrid, rounded out the top three. Click here for the complete list.

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Consumer savings expert, Andrea Woroch, is available for an in-studio, satellite or skype interviews to share ways consumers can save without driving your gas guzzling vehicle with your audience. As a media expert source, Andrea has been featured on NBC’s Today Show, FOX & Friends, MSNBC, ABC News NOW and many more. To view recent interviews or find more information, visit AndreaWoroch.com.

“Dogs fall victim to cancer at roughly the same rate as humans, yet pet cancer awareness and education has severely lagged behind,” said Jeff Baker, owner and founder of Canine Caviar. “Studies have shown that eating foods that make the body’s pH more alkaline decreases the chance of cancer cells developing and growing and the same is true in dogs. We took that principle and made it the foundation for all of our products.”

America’s Family Pet Expo is expected to attract 40,000 pet owners. Canine Caviar will distribute samples and discuss pet nutrition and cancer awareness with attendees at booth 1206.

About Canine Caviar: Canine Caviar’s holistic pet food was founded more than 15 year ago by Jeff Baker, a research scientist and dog lover, with a background in pharmacology and nutrition. The company carries a line of cat and dog food that promotes digestibility, helps prevent cancer, reduces the risk for getting diabetes and supports kidney and liver health. Additional information on Canine Caviar is available at www.caninecaviar.com.

“This Earth Day, we wanted to show kids how simple actions can affect the environment,” says Senior Executive Producer Carol Greenwald. “Through this episode and the Go Green Challenge, kids can learn simple steps that they can take to help protect the world around them.”

Throughout the week of new episodes, Arthur and friends will follow a soccer ball as it makes its way around the world.  In Follow the Bouncing Ball, airing Friday, April 22, 2011, Alberto Molina’s beloved soccer ball, signed by his favorite Ecuadorian soccer star, “El Boomerang,” is lost. Kids are invited to join Arthur in learning about new cultures and track all the places “El Boomerang” goes as it travels around the world (and into outer space!).

In a special episode airing Thursday, April 28, 2011, kids learn that teamwork can help their dreams soar when NASA Astronaut Mike Finke guest-stars on ARTHUR in Buster Spaces Out. Inspired by footage of the moon landing, Buster wants to go to outer space. Well, someday. For now, it would be really cool to build and launch a rocket.  So Buster enlists his friends to help…but they can’t agree on anything and the mission stalls.  Luckily, their new friend Astronaut Mike teaches them that only teamwork will accomplish this mission–and then it’s blast-off!

Tune in for these adventures and more as your favorite ARTHUR characters travel the globe in Around the World in 11 Minutes, start competing blogs in Muffy and the Big Bad Blog, try their hand at fashion design in All the Rage, cope with teasing in D.W., Queen of the Comeback, explore Africa in In My Africa, and discover knitting in Arthur Unravels. The full schedule of airdates is below (check local listings):

Friday, April 22, 2011 – Follow the Bouncing Ball, Buster Baxter and the Letter from the Sea
Monday, April 25, 2011 – Around the World in 11 Minutes, Muffy and the Big Bad Blog
Tuesday, April 26, 2011 – Arthur Unravels, All the Rage
Wednesday, April 27, 2011 – D.W., Queen of the Comeback, In My Africa
Thursday, April 28, 2011 – Buster Spaces Out, The Long Road Home

ARTHUR Online at PBSKIDSGO.org/arthur
The award-winning ARTHUR website is home to many games and activities, including the new game “Buster Baxter, Lung Defender.” In this game, kids fight common asthma triggers in a wild ride through Buster’s lungs. Supporting material for parents and caregivers can be found in the new Kids & Asthma section on the Parents & Teachers site. Also new this season, Arthur and his friends team up with Martha from Martha Speaks in a new game called “Marthur Stickerbook Mashup.” Kids can choose characters and props from each show to create unique mashup scenes. Finally, in a comic-creator feature inspired by Neil Gaiman, who guest-starred on ARTHUR last fall in Tales of the Grotesquely Grim Bunny, kids can create their very own comics, featuring Arthur and his Elwood City friends. The ARTHUR website is also home to most of the series educational materials including resources, lesson plans, and activities and has features to help kids understand their neighbors, near and far, and gain a better appreciation for the world around them. Kids can also watch video clips and full episodes of ARTHUR at PBSKIDSGO.org/video.

About ARTHUR
ARTHUR, based on Marc Brown’s best-selling books, reaches over 5.1 million people each week (NTI, Sept. 2010-January 2011).  ARTHUR has won numerous awards, including the George Foster Peabody Award, a BAFTA and six Daytime Emmys®– four for Outstanding Children’s Animated Program. ARTHUR is produced by WGBH Boston and Cookie Jar Entertainment Inc. Carol Greenwald is Senior Executive producer (WGBH) and Executive producers are Toper Taylor (Cookie Jar), and Marc Brown (Marc Brown Studios). The series is directed by Greg Bailey.

Funding for ARTHUR is provided by public television viewers. Corporate funding is provided by Chuck E. Cheese’s®.

About WGBH Boston
WGBH Boston is America’s preeminent public broadcasting producer, the source of one-third of PBS’s prime-time lineup along with some of public television’s best-known lifestyle shows, many public radio favorites, and a roster of children’s programs that empower kids with innovative, entertaining, curriculum-based content. Among the WGBH produced children’s titles: Arthur, Curious George, Postcards from Buster, Between the Lions, Design Squad, Martha Speaks and Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman. WGBH is the number-one producer of websites on pbs.org, one of the most trafficked dot-org websites in the world, and a pioneer in educational multimedia and in technologies and services that make media accessible to the 36 million Americans who rely on captioning or video descriptions. WGBH has been recognized with hundreds of honors: Emmys, Peabodys, duPont-Columbia Awards . . . even two Oscars. In 2002, WGBH received a special institutional Peabody Award for 50 years of excellence. For more information, go to www.wgbh.org.

About Cookie Jar Group
Cookie Jar Group develops, produces, distributes and markets quality products to children, their caregivers, parents and teachers. Cookie Jar Group’s products reflect its commitment to providing the best in children’s published content, animated and live action programming and innovative educational and entertainment-driven products worldwide. The group of companies consists of Cookie Jar Entertainment Inc. and Cookie Jar Education Inc. Cookie Jar Entertainment Inc., Cookie Jar Group’s entertainment operation, is a leading, global, independent producer, marketing and brand manager of such renowned children’s properties as The Doodlebops, Caillou, Arthur, Spider Riders and Johnny Test. Combining globally renowned intellectual properties with an industry-recognized management team, Cookie Jar Entertainment Inc. is a market-driven, brand building company that is committed to children first and foremost and is dedicated to the development and production of quality programming that embraces the whole child, with animated and live-action series that entertain, inspire and enlighten children and family audiences worldwide.

About PBS KIDS GO!
PBS KIDS GO! offers early elementary children the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television, online and community-based programs.  For more information on specific PBS KIDS GO! programs supporting literacy, science, math and more, visit PBS.org/pressroom.

Portland, ME (April 11, 2011) – The Planet Dog Foundation (PDF), Planet Dog’s non-profit, has awarded a $10,000 grant to Circle Tail, Inc., a non-profit canine service organization based near Cincinnati, Ohio. Funds for the new grant were raised through the successful completion of Planet Dog’s nationwide 2010 Romp-a-Thon Challenge.

Thanks to hundreds of stores across the country that sell Planet Dog products, the socially responsible pet industry leader sold over 20,000 Orbee-Tuff Glow for Good Balls in 2010. 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the best-selling dog balls are donated to PDF to provide cash grants to non-profit programs throughout the country that train, place, and support service dogs.

“We created the Romp-a-Thon to engage our dog community to help more dogs help more people,” says Kristen Smith, Planet Dog’s Brand Ambassador and Executive Director of PDF. “We are grateful for the support from all of the retailers and consumers who helped us achieve our goal,” adds Smith.

Moochie & Co. (http://www.moochieandcompany.com), a retailer with stores in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, was named the Grand Prize Winner of the challenge having sold the most Glow for Good Balls. In addition to winning a coveted Orbee-Tuff Bone trophy and a free supply of custom-printed dog balls from Planet Dog, Moochie & Co. also won the opportunity to select Circle Tail as the recipient of the $10,000 Romp-a-Thon PDF grant.

Circle Tail, Inc. (http://www.circletail.org) is a non-profit canine service organization that provides service dogs and hearing dogs to people with disabilities. The PDF grant will be used to upgrade their current living conditions through the purchase of new, safe and durable kennel runs while they raise enough money to build a new training facility.

“We certainly were surprised, excited and honored that Moochie & Co. recommended us to receive the Planet Dog Foundation grant,” says Marlys Staley, the Executive Director of Circle Tail, Inc. “We will put the funding to use immediately, but it will improve the living conditions of our dogs for a very long time,” adds Staley.

Sit. Speak. Act.
Planet Dog is proud to donate 2% of the purchase of every Planet Dog product to the Planet Dog Foundation (PDF) (http://www.planetdogfoundation.org) to support canine service programs nationwide. Since January 2006, PDF has given away almost $1,000,000 in cash grants and in-kind product donations.