BUILDING BRAIN CELLS THROUGH MUSIC!

Posted on by Lisa Elliott

All kids LOVE music!

We’ve been adding Music to enrich our Art Presentations. 

There's nothing like Music to brighten your day and activate brain cells.  

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(L to R) Mark Hisdon, Jas Hilsdon and Ruth Elliott-Hilsdon activating brain cells!

At a recent Fair at Cobb School Jas and Ruth Hilsdon performed for 3 hours. The joy and energy from sharing music with the kids was infectious. Here's a VERY short video from that day.

A BIG THANK YOU to Mark and Jas Hilsdon for investing their talents in children.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE:

Would you throw this precious one away?

Would you throw this precious one away?

Mark and Jas Hilsdon have a special place in their hearts for kids with Special Needs.

Why?

Their sister, Diane, was born with a hole in her heart and Down Syndrome. The doctor's told their mom and dad she wouldn't survive, so just "leave her at the hospital and we'll take care of it".

But their parents refused, and brought her home, and she lived to be 53!

Diane LOVED music, too.

Jas Hilsdon wrote a song for her you can hear at this link 

You can even hear a tiny bit of her singing in the very beginning of the song!

More of Jas Hilsdon's songs: JasHilson.com. 

 

Read another article about our school visits to Kids with Special Needs here: http://www.edudesigns.org/blog/edu-designs-progress-report/

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Posted in Art, Character Development, Child Development, Children, cognitive development, creativity, Education | Leave a comment

KIDS NEED ART IN GHANA TOO!

Posted on by Lisa Elliott
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Eric Ansah, Director

THANKS to ERIC ANSAH, the director, and others from the Reward Foundation Ghana, this Non Profit Org is helping kids expand their opportunities through Art, Music, and other cultural and educational activities in Ghana.

EDU DESIGNS founder, Ruth Elliott’s, donated the use of her Art Textbook, SEE WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING AT to help kids! They need your help, too! Contact Eric at: info@rewardfoundationghana.org

SEE OUR LAST ARTICLE ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE DOING HERE: http://www.edudesigns.org/blog/school-kids-in-ghana-are-using-our-art-book/

 

Please check out their new website, too.

http://rewardfoundationghana.org/

All of us are very proud to be a partner in their great work.

I hope you’ll be inspired to help them too!

Volunteer opportunities are listed on this page:

http://rewardfoundationghana.org/?page_id=61

Contact Eric at: info@rewardfoundationghana.org

 

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“Harriet Beecher Stowe Inspired Me As a Kid!”

Posted on by Annie Elliott

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When interviewing the founder of EDU DESIGNS recently, I learned a lot. Here’s a transcript of what Ruth Elliott said about her early childhood:

“Both my parents families were from NY. After moving to Texas, my mom would tell us stories about how valiantly our ancestors opposed slavery, among them Harriet Beecher Stowe and Henry Ward Beecher, and how bad she believed segregation was.

Harriet’s brother, Henry Ward Beecher, famous for his preaching, secretly aided the fight against slavery by sending rifles to the South in pine boxes marked “BEECHER’S BIBLES”.

Mrs. Stowe was a friend of Hattie, the kindly wife of the plantation owner that Hattiesburg, Mississippi was named after. Hattie had many slaves. However, she held a reputation of being nicer to them than most slaveowners. What could Harriet, a sworn abolitionist, and Hattie, a veteran slave owner, have in common? And could they possibly have been in cahoots?

It was later revealed that Hattie’s home concealed hidden rooms, leading people to suspect her home may have been a stop along the Underground Railroad that carried runaway slaves to freedom in the North.

Growing up in Texas, my sisters and I were so stirred by stories like these, stories of courage in the face of injustice, stories of determination, that we learned to protest unfair treatment wherever we found it. We’d make friends with the kids from ‘Colored’ town, even though our white neighbors sternly warned us not to. I remember one day sitting in a packed bus with standing room only. A pregnant black lady came on board, and none of the white folks would give her a seat, so I gave her mine, despite the sneering looks from the white folks near me. I was a kid. So, they let me live…”

Historic times to grow up in.  Read how it inspired her to write her first book!

WE ARE BUILDING BRAINS AND HEARTS THROUGH THE ARTS

100% of every donation is used to create media for children’s character.

Please help!

We need to print up books for schools and teachers. Each book we donate to schools costs around $3 to print. Can you help?

WE NEED YOUR MILK OF HUMAN KINDNESS!

Read the Article here and get a digital download of Ruth’s art texbook for kids when you donate!

 

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GET YOUR ILLUSTRATED BEHAVIOR CHARTS

Posted on by EDU DESIGNS

Kids usually WANT to do what’s Right – if you give them the chance to, and explain the advantages to them!

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Customize your own Behavior Chart with pictures – it’s easy:

Go to GoMommyGO!

behavior Pics

This is a FREE public service from EDU DESIGNS, the non profit that creates media for children’s Character Development.

Take advantage of it!

It worked with MY kids!

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Ruth Elliott-Hilsdon 
Founder of EDU DESIGNS 
Creator: GoMommyGO®

EDU DESIGNS is BUILDING BRAINS AND HEARTS

THROUGH THE ARTS



 Since we are an all volunteer organization, we get no salary. 100% of your donation is Tax Deductible, and is used to create media for children’s character.  Please help! When you do, you’ll receive a free download of Ruth’s Art Textbook for Kids!

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HELP! It’s Halloween!

Posted on by EDU DESIGNS

froggy-croak-anim-GIF-tinySUGAR, SUGAR, EVERYWHERE, and not a drop (of WATER) to drink…

What’s a Mother and Father to do when they have no plan for their children’s great expectations on Halloween night?

When the excitement of costumes and candy wears off and the sugar rush is over –  then come the TEARS, the WHINING, the FIGHTING over who got MORE CANDY, and NO SLEEP for the WEARY (kids or parents).  

Can excesses can be a good teacher?

YES… of what NOT to do next time.

I am experienced in this, because when my kids were little I did it the wrong way many times, until I contrived a PLAN!

SET UP RULES BEFORE TRICK-OR-TREATING. MAKE SURE EVERYONE IN THE FAMILY UNDERSTANDS WHAT TO EXPECT BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE HOUSE.

These were MY rules. Adjust them to suit your needs.

1: There will be NO eating of candy while Trick-or-Treating without permission. (Well – I had seven kids to deal with.)

2: Bring along water for everyone to drink while you’re walking through the neighborhood.  (The body’s first reaction to dehydration is STRESS)

3: Whoever is in charge WILL inspect ALL CANDY upon returning to the home to remove whatever they feel is not safe to eat and will have the last say as to how much is eaten at that time.  (For my own kids, I would only allow the equivalent of one candy bar at night, knowing the sugar highs and subsequent lows would cause mayhem throughout the house for hours.) 

4: Whoever is in charge will oversee when and how to dole out candies after that. At first this may seem MEAN and CRUEL, but let them know you will be fair.

If you make the rules strict at first, and let the kids know YOU ARE IN CHARGE, then you can bend the rules a bit as needed, and show how merciful and ‘sweet’ you can be when you allow for any adjustments after that!

When done Trick-or-Treating, give everyone a BONUS GOOD MARK on their Behavior Chart! (NOTE: Get your FREE Illustrated Behavior charts HERE!) 

AND DON’T FORGET TO HAVE FUN!

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PS –  If you are late reading this and are full of remorse that you have failed as a parent yet again, just remember that teachable moments abound!  There is a way to learn about the body’s reaction to high blood sugar here.  

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Ruth Elliott-Hilsdon 
Founder of EDU DESIGNS 
Creator: GoMommyGO®
BUILDING BRAINS AND HEARTS THROUGH THE ARTS



 

Since we are an all volunteer organization, we get no salary. 100% of your donation is Tax Deductible, and is used to create media for children’s character. Please help!

 

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Posted in behavior, Character Development, Child Development, Children, Happiness, parenting, stress, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Harriet Beecher Stowe Wrote A Book without A Washing Machine!

Posted on by EDU DESIGNS
Harriet Beecher Stowe

Harriet Beecher Stowe

I felt a creative ache inside of me for years. I wanted to write a children’s book. I had an idea, I had the talent. But with seven kids, and laundry my constant companion, I felt constantly discouraged.

“When will I ever get a chance to write?”

Then came the year my 11 year old daughter Lisa had to choose an author to research for 6th grade. She picked Harriet Beecher Stowe*. And what a lot I learned from Lisa’s report. 

 

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Harriet Beecher Stowe, like me, had seven children. Unlike me, she had NO running water, and NO washing machine! And yet, she still managed to write over 30 books, including ‘UNCLE TOM’S CABIN’. Without a typewriter or computer.

Then it hit me.

“What’s MY excuse? If she can write a book, I can too!” 

And that’s when I started work on my first children’s book:

THE RICHEST KID IN THE POOR HOUSE.  In the story, a boy is disappointed with his family until he gets a hamster who doesn’t appreciate him. By the end of the story he learns a lesson that changes his attitude from Greed to Gratitude.  

THE RICHEST KID IN THE POOR HOUSE

Read more by clicking on the picture of the book.

There are only a few copies left, so if you’d like one, order it before they’re gone. 

Stories can inspire us to overcome our obstacles.

Maybe someone needs to hear YOUR story.

Thank you for struggling,

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struggle

Ruth Elliott-Hilsdon 
Founder of EDU DESIGNS 
Creator: GoMommyGO®
BUILDING BRAINS AND HEARTS THROUGH THE ARTS



 Since we are an all volunteer organization, we get no salary. 100% of your donation is Tax Deductible, and is used to create media for children’s character.  Please help! When you do, you’ll receive a free download of Ruth’s Art Textbook for Kids!

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What Will They Say When You’re Gone?

Posted on by EDU DESIGNS

nobodyliveshere-02

 I suffered panic attacks when my mother-in-law came to visit.

She was a perfect housekeeper and I wasn’t.

With my seven kids to take care of, I’d always put their emotional needs first. The house could wait. But she never quite understood that, and I could always feel her judging me for it.

One day, in a moment of inspiration, this came to me:

tombstone

 Around Halloween that year I gave a talk to a Middle School youth group.

I told them about my predicament and showed them the joke.

I asked, “I wonder if we died today, what people would remember about us?”

I showed several cardboard tombstone ‘cutouts’ with sayings on them:

“He was Good at Video Games “

“She had lots of friends”

“She was Pretty”

“He was Tough”

Then I showed them a photo of a beautiful young lady and asked if they knew her.  They all said they didn’t know.

“Actually you do know her,”  and I revealed it was Wilda, the elderly receptionist in the front office.

They were shocked.

One girl said,

“I LOVE WILDA! But I never knew she was so pretty once!”

So I asked. “Why do you like Wilda so much?”

“Because she’s so nice.”

The other kids agreed.

Next, holding up a blank tombstone, I said,

“Maybe it’s a good idea to think of the end from the beginning.

What do you want people to remember about YOU after you are gone?”

They all got the message –  that externals don’t last.

But that’s not the most important part.

The kids appreciated Wilda a lot more the next time they went to the office.  And a few years later she went to be with her Lord.

But she left a mark:

That LIFE IS PRECIOUS. 

WHY? Because she made us feel we were.

The time seems to be flying by.

A year ago my sister died suddenly.

And this week one of our friends died.

They will be missed, too.

You never know when we will be ushered into eternity.

I like what John Jolliffe said:

“The way you feel about yourself is both your punishment and your reward. YOUR job is to become the kind of person YOU can love.”

 Wishing you the best,

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PS – Incidentally – if you know someone who loves art –  there’s still time to get a complimentary copy of “SEE WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING AT!” my Art Textbook for Children, when you leave a review of our non profit.

Just click on this link to leave a review, and I’ll email you a free download. Make sure you send me an email to let me know you did!

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

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Ruth Elliott-Hilsdon 
Founder of EDU DESIGNS 
Creator: GoMommyGO®




 

Posted in anxiety, behavior, Character Development, Child Development, Children, creativity, Education, Ethics and Character, family, guilt, overcoming obstacles, parenting, School, stress, Uncategorized, victims | Leave a comment

JOEL SOLIS AWARDED GUITAR SIGNED BY RAY DAVIES

Posted on by Jas Hilsdon
EDU DESIGNS  promotes the Arts and Music.  When Ray Davies (of the KINKS) signed his name to an Ibanez guitar backstage at the Canyon Club in Agoura, CA, 2010, it was to help us further this goal. We’re very grateful to Ray.
In a recent search for a deserving individual, we found Joel Solis, an honor student from California Polytechnic University, Pomona.
With 4 quarters on the Dean’s List, the Ella Fitzgerald Memorial Scholarship, the Music Industries Studies Scholarship, the Jazz Band Scholarship, Joel is the perfect recipient. Plus, we love his songwriting.
After 11 years in the Marine Corps, Joel returned to college to pursue music, his first love. Before he was done, though, he also assisted in creating a suicide prevention program for the University Veteran’s Resource Center.  Considering these great honors and accomplishments, we are very happy to present this fine instrument to Mr. Solis. Congratulations, Joel.
Joel Solis, Award Winner of Ray Davies Signed Guitar.

Joel Solis, Winner of Ray Davies Signed Guitar.

Ibanez Guitar with Floyd Rose – Signed by Ray Davies

Jas Hilsdon
Director of Creative Development





 
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EDU DESIGNS wants to be a Great Non-Profit!

Posted on by EDU DESIGNS

EDU DESIGNS and GoMommyGO® help children all over the world to be better people in so many ways.

EDU DESIGNS  brings Art back into schools.
No one can deny the power of Art to shape our hearts and minds.
That’s why we donate our materials to schools and teachers who can’t afford them.

GoMommyGO®  offers tools for parents to do the best job they can, and for free.
We get no salary for what we do. Our reward is the joy we get!

If you missed our latest message, “HUGS PLEASE!” take a look:
http://www.edudesigns.org/blog/hugs/

Now EDU DESIGNS has a favor to ask.

EDU DESIGNS wants to be a Great Non-Profit! We would like to earn Great Non-Profit’s 2014 Badge to display on our website. And you can help.

Please go to the Great Non-Profit website:

http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/edu-designs

See what others have to say about us. Then post a few words about why EDU DESIGNS iis a Great Non-Profit.

It will only take a minute, but it will mean a lot to us.

http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/edu-designs

When you do, I’ll send you a free download of  my Art Textbook for Children, “SEE WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING AT!”

Just go to this link: http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/edu-designs

THANK YOU!

Warmly,

Ruth

 PS – There’s more about my Art Textbook, “SEE WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING AT!”, here: a $9.99 value -  PRICELESS!

See What You're Looking At! by Ruth Elliott

See What You’re Looking At! by Ruth Elliott

Just click on this link to leave a review, and get your copy.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

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Ruth Elliott-Hilsdon 
Founder of EDU DESIGNS 
Creator: GoMommyGO




 
Posted in behavior, Character Development, Child Development, Children, Ethics and Character, family, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

HUGS, PLEASE!

Posted on by EDU DESIGNS
Hugs, please!

This gallery contains 2 photos.

HUMAN TOUCH KEY TO MENTAL HEALTH  At 8 years old, I was moping around the house. “Mom – I’m homesick. But I’m at HOME. How can that be?” I can’t recall her words, but whatever she said didn’t satisfy me. … Continue reading →

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