Let’s Get Ready with Cedar Valley Publishing

Our back to school ritual involves Back-to-School shopping.  Every year (this was our 6th year) my daughters Heidi, now 11 and Megan, now 9 and our next door neighbor/big sister/babysitter/who has known the girls since day one, Amanda, who is now 17 and I go shopping.  This isn’t just shopping we turn it into a fashion show extravaganza and involving many times the entire store.   Honestly, I hate shopping and so do my girls.  But years ago I decided to tell the girls we would be having a fashion show with their favorite person in the entire world, Amanda.  We went from “fit n’tears” to “fun n’laughs” just by making it into a special event – a few stores for a few hours and lunch in a nice restaurant.   They gear up to the event with the girls painting their nails and picking out a special outfit to wear shopping and Amanda does their hair.  So they “feel” special for picking out even more “special outfits”.

We only go to a few stores and each of us takes one girl and we work with the help of a sales person with that girl.  This year we had one sales girl who keep going in the back room and finding us the cutest clothes that I would never have found on the rack in a million years.  Once the girls explain what they want – I have learned that if my girls really, really don’t love it and they are only buying it to please me – they will NOT wear it; so now we explain to the salesperson we want A line waistlines from one girl that cover her appropriately and will not show her belly button when she raises her hand in class and more fitted outfits for the other girl with the same description that they need to be covered appropriately and honestly, the salesperson does all of the work.  We have so much fun the manager and a bunch of salesreps usually gets involved too helping us decide which ones we should select.  The girls feel special and love the attention!    We have stores that remember us each year and enjoy the “fun and excitement” we bring back to Back-to-School shopping.  

The key for me, everyone needs an Amanda and salesreps who enjoy their jobs!!

Stacey Kannenberg
Fredonia, WI

Astrological Sign: LEO

# of children: 2

Ages: 11 &  9

Favorite Business Book: Anything by Authors Tamara Monosoff or Joyce Bone

Favorite Family Book: The Dream is Clear to Believe is the Reward – Mike Kannenberg

Favorite Quote: Winners never quit and quitters never win! Vince Lombardi

1. Which came first: the biz or the kid? The kids were 3 and 1 when I started the biz!
2. What is your biggest productivity secret- the thing that helps you accomplish the most in your day?  My ability to multi-task keeps me on track!
3.  How well do you feel you are balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship? As the kids get older it gets easier.  Any tips? Involve the family so they support you and the family business; Try to establish a routine that works for the family; Work around your family time; and most important remember it takes practice to balance it all!
4. What was the tipping point for you when you realized you were truly an entrepreneur? It started with my hot dog stand from 1969-1974 in front of my grandparent’s busy family bowling alley in Hayward, WI.  I always knew I would have my own business but I wanted to learn from the corporate world first and start my own business from home when I started my own family!
5. What one word describes your purpose in your family, your biz and your life? EMPOWER
6. Where do you find your greatest source of support for your goals in your family, business and life? I have the unconditional love of my husband and kids and the support of thousands of people standing behind me that have gotten me to where I am today.  From the love of family and friends to the support of so many people that I didn’t even know in person, who once they heard my story, have cheered me on by sharing my story and have continued to rally behind me!
7. What do you do to recharge your spiritual batteries? Pray and read the Bible!
8. What’s the one thing you can’t live without? Electricity!
9. iPhone or Blackberry? Blackberry
10. Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate
11. PC or Mac? PC
12. Which do you do most often: Eat out, Order In or Cook it yourself? Cook it
13. Who is your biggest supporter? My amazing husband Mike who gave me a crystal clear clock in 2004 engraved with the Cedar Valley Publishing logo that reads:  The Dream is Clear - To Believe is the Reward
14. Who is your greatest inspiration?  I was raised by my grandparents who were both my “rock”.  My grandfather told me every day that I was destined for greatness and that I could make the world a better place.  He started me on my path and passed the baton off to Mike, who continues to support the mission!
15. What do you see yourself doing in 5 years? More of what I am doing today and loving every minute of it!

Name of Businesses: Cedar Valley Publishing and HerInsight Media

URLs: www.cedarvalleypublishing.com

www.herinsight.com – coming soon

Radio Show Get Ready to Learn Mom

Twitter Name @StaceyKann

Facebook Page www.facebook.com/stacey.kannenberg

The Work Smart Mompreneurs Blog:  http://www.worksmartmompreneurs.com/blog/

Kindergarten is a big step! The social circle is expanding rapidly beyond caregivers, and the child is becoming more aware of self and others. There has been much research on which skills children need to get ready for kindergarten. The Kindergarten Entry Skills project (McIntyre, 2007) surveyed kindergarten teachers and identified skills they look for in incoming kindergarten students. According to the Kindergarten Entry Skills survey, skills include the ability to:

• separate from parents without excessive crying
• manage own bathroom needs
• verbalize needs and wants
• sit through an age-appropriate story without interrupting
• work independently for short periods of time
• follow simple directions
• respect limits and rules
• care for belongings

Ways to Increase Children’s Social-Emotional Competency for Kindergarten:

Familiarize your child with the new school before it starts:

• play at the school playground during the summer
• find out who’s in the class and arrange play dates during the summer
• invite classmates and their parents over during the summer

Get your child excited during the weeks leading up to kindergarten:

• Talk to your child about the positive changes that will occur when he/she goes to kindergarten. Share about all of the fun, new experiences and activities that “big kids” get to participate in while they are in school.
• Let your child assist when purchasing school clothes and supplies. After bringing the items home, let your child talk about all of the wonderful things that he/she will be able to make with the new crayons, glue, scissors, etc.

Provide your pre-k child with reading experiences that discuss going to kindergarten

Reading books about a potentially stressful situation, with a parent, can take the stress out of the situation. Here are a few book suggestions parents can share with their child:

• Ready for Kindergarten by Sharon Wilkins [Zondervan, 2000]
• Let’s Get Ready for Kindergarten! by Stacey Kannenberg [Cedar Valley Publishing, 2006]
• Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate and Ashley Wolff

Read, read, read to your child every day! (Reasons to turn off the TV and read with children)

Talk to your children about their feelings: help them name feelings, understand and express them; this affects how children view themselves and others, and helps them cope with stress (Raising an emotionally intelligent child)

Give your child a chore to do during the summer to develop a sense of responsibility and self-esteem

Make sure your child gets plenty of sleep, and establish good routines for going to bed at night and getting up in the morning

Provide your child plenty of opportunities to get outdoor exercise and spend quality time with family and friends

Expect regressive behavior before kindergarten starts: children may rely on previously acquired self-comforting behaviors to help manage any fears

• shyness
• thumb sucking, needing a blanket
• clingy behavior

As school and new classmates become more familiar, self-comforting behaviors will occur less frequently.

Visit SF K Files- a place for parents who are seeking a kindergarten in San Francisco. The site offers up reviews of public, private, and parochial schools, as well as lots of advice and opinions from the community of parents who frequent the blog.

Sara Shaw, M.S., MFT is a Consultant for the Family Service Agency of San Francisco and has a private practice in Pacific Heights (www.sarashaw.com)

As we continue to enjoy our family and friends, please know that we wish you all the best for the end of 2009 and a FANTABULOUS 2010!  Amazing things are happening with us, and we’re SO glad you’re along for the ride!

May your tables be filled with the blessings of food, may your hearts be filled with the blessings of love, may you share your blessings with others less fortunate and may you all have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

With love and appreciation for all that have made all of us successful this year - personally, emotionally and profesionally.

Stacey Kannenberg & Family

I so enjoy talking with people who have gone out and taken action on creating the life they desire, it’s a gift we all have, yet so few do anything more than talk….  Today we are sitting down with Stacey Kannenberg of Cedar Valley Publishing, one of the few who has stepped out of the box and created the life of her dreams.  Welcome Stacey!

Stacey, please tell us about the path you traveled to arrive where you are today: I was trying to find a book for my own children (at the time) ages three and one; to get ready for that first day of school and couldn’t find what I wanted so I decided to create it myself.

What kept you moving forward on the days things were not going exactly the way you were hoping they would? My company was created in 2004 and that first Christmas, my husband had a clear crystal clock engraved with the Cedar Valley Publishing Logo and coined the following phrase, which has become my mantra:  The Dream is Clear, To Believe is the Reward.  On those dark days, that clock sits on my desk and keeps me moving forward!

Click Here to read more…by Caryn FitzGerald from Embracing My Journey

This part of a series called “One Entrepreneur’s Journey,” where I’m talking with solo entrepeneurs about their successes (and failures) along the path of entrepreneurship.

In this interview, I’m talking with Stacey Kannenberg of Cedar Valley Publishing.  Stacey is the co-author of the award-winning books, Let’s Get Ready for Kindergarten! and Let’s Get Ready for First Grade!, as well as a visionary entrepreneur.

In addition to her ongoing work within the education system, she’s also working to launch a “community makeover” program to help communities become self-sustaining and decrease local unemployment rates, as well as a “mom’s media company” with other moms and mom entrepreneurs.

We hope to get the opportunity to catch back up with Stacey to hear more about her latest ventures really soon.  Until then, here’s our first conversation, and as you’ll see, one person really does have the power to change the world.

Click Here to read more….by Amber Singleton Riviere at UpStartSmart.com

I have been donating books for the past three years now to the Today Show Holiday Gift Drive!   See the following letter for more information:

Thank you so much for your past participation in the TODAY Holiday Gift Drive. This year, in these uncertain economic times, your partnership is greatly needed. We hope you can help us make our 16^th Annual Holiday Toy Drive a great success.

Last Holiday season, we spread Holiday cheer to more than 3 million children in more than 200 domestic, non-profit family charities.  For many, the Today show is the sole source of gifts. We hope to have your generous support again this year. 

As in the past, there is no minimum or maximum donation.  Contributions range from $100 to more than $3 million retail value.  We are also able to accept cash contributions to the non-profit Today Show Charitable Foundation to help offset the administrative costs of our effort. The Today Show Charitable Foundation is a 501-c3 organization.  All contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

We need non-violent toys, books, and electronic games, as well as board games, school supplies, sports equipment, music CD’s, CD players, videos, computers, computer software and other items suitable for children from infants up to age 18. Gifts for boys of all ages, and teens of both genders are most needed.

Participants should prepare a list of items to be donated, quantity, and for what age and gender. Your donation will be matched to the “wish lists” from our non-profits.  In most cases, you ship directly to the recipients.  We can honor requests for a specific preference for a region, type of organization, or limited shipments.

As in the past, there is no on-air promotion in exchange for gifts. Depending on show needs, on-air appearances may be very limited.  However, we hope to thank as many of our friends in the corporate world as possible in short appearances with Today’s cast members.  All our donors will be listed on http://www.todayshow.com/.

We have built some wonderful friendships through the years and hope you extend an invitation to clients who have contributed in the past, and invite new partners as well. 

Your contribution is important to us.  We hope to work with you again this year. 

Best wishes,

Sam Sagenkahn and Kate Cook
TODAY Holiday Gift Drive
212-664-7508
sam.sagenkahn@nbcuni.com
katherine.cook@nbcuni.com

Jill Hart will be on our 10/14 show with her new book, hot off the press:  So You Want to be a Work-At-Home Mom.

Home-based businesses are estimated to be a $427 billion-a-year industry. In recent studies it was found that as many as 105 million people in North America alone were working at home. Considering this information, it is obvious that home-based businesses can be successful — and authors Jill Hart and Diana Ennen will help you succeed with your own.

So You Want to Be a Work-at-Home Mom details all the basics of starting a business in a spiritual, motivational, and comprehensive manner. From deciding what type of business to start to keeping your family and faith first, this helpful tool details every aspect of establishing a business. With proven success tips utilized by the authors and others who own work-at-home businesses, this inspiration approach will provide you with the resources you need to start your own home-based business.

So You Want to Be a Work-at-Home Mom includes:

• Detailed information on types of businesses to start
• Ideas for setting up your workspace
• Assistance in starting and operating your business
• Definitions and descriptions of work-at-home terminology and processes
• Help for developing your Web site
• Explanations of the business “nuts and bolts,” including bookkeeping, taxes, and more
• “How to” for marketing your business

Jill Hart is the founder of Christian Work at Home Moms, the co-host of the live internet radio show, “The CWAHM Network,” and the publisher of RadiantLit.com. Jill has published many articles and is a contributing author in Laundry Tales, The Business Mom Guide Book, I’ll Be Home for Christmas, and Faith Deployed. She holds a bachelor’s degree in human development and family studies. She resides in Nebraska with her husband and their two children.