Why Bradykin!

 I created Bradykin in December of 2012.  I was a mortgage originator and was in the midst of an extremely busy refinance boom.  I loved my job and have always enjoyed helping clients finance their home but I wanted to do something fun and creative. My love of writing dates back to St. Bernard’s Elementary School in Fitchburg, MA.   I have fond memories of my amazing English teacher, Mrs. Beatrice Barnicle.  I wrote my first children’s story about Penguins 18 years ago when my son Matthew was born but it stayed on my notepad next to my bed.

My first published children’s story was Bradykin is Celebrating a Birthday Tradition with You!   This is a wonderful rhyming story about my daughter Megan receiving her first Coton De Tulear, Brady. This story shares the legend involving a ship wreck during a violent storm near the bay of Tulear on the Southwest side of Madigascar. It is said all the humans’ perished but the Cotons survived and were able to swim ashore fighting off the sharks. Thus why they were eventually named after the bay of Tulear…the magnificent Coton de Tulear. My wish is for Bradykin to find his way into your child’s home bringing as much happiness as it has for Megan and our family.  Information for this book as well as Happiness Year-Round with Bradykin!  and Meet Bradykin's Family! can be found on my website at www.bradykin.com.
 

~ Sharing the happiest children stories with readers everywhere!

What does Barbara Streisand, Debra Messing, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Megan Downing have in common?

What does Barbara Streisand, Debra Messing, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Megan Downing have in common?

Answer: They all own a Coton de Tulear.

These celebrities love their Coton de Tulear dogs because of their sweet nature, humor, unconditional love, and loyalty. For this reason they take them everywhere- rehearsals, broadway shows, tv appearances, and book signings.

The Coton de Tuléar is a small breed of dog. It is named after the city of Tulear in Madagascar, and for its cottony textured coat. The Coton de Tulear developed on the Island of Madagascar and is still the island's national dog. The Coton's ancestors were brought to Madagascar in the 16th and 17th century on pirate ships. The cottony coat may be the result of a single gene mutation. This small, friendly dog caught the fancy of the Malagasy royalty and they were the only people allowed to keep Cotons. When Dr. Robert Jay Russell discovered the breed in Madagascar in 1973 and brought the first ones to America, he coined the phrase the Royal Dog of Madagascar and the name stuck.

General Appearance
Coton is the French word for Cotton. Like the name suggests the most conspicuous feature of the Coton De Tulear is its coat, which is cottony or fluffy rather than silky. It has a long topcoat. The fluffy hair covers the thin, lightly-muscled forelegs. Colors come in white & black and white and tri-colored. The Coton de Tuléar has medium-length to long hair, about four to six inches, fluffy, cotton-like coat that is hair rather than fur. Since it is a non-shedding breed with no dander, it is hypoallergenic and has no "doggie smell". The US-based Coton de Tulear Club of America allows for three different but equally favorable colorings: white, black-and-white and tri-color which includes "honeybear". White is described as nearly all white, sometimes with champagne coloring on the ears, face or back. Black-and-white is defined as pure white with prominent black patches on the head and body (no ratio of white-to-black is specified or favored). Tri-color is described as mostly white with some brown markings and dustings of black on the body and head. A honey bear tri-color has light brown with black tips which gradually fades to off white or lemon color. The tri-color loses the most color of any of the color varieties usually becoming mostly white with possibly some champagne markings and a dusting of black hairs on the ears and/or body.

Temperament
The Coton is a playful, affectionate, intelligent breed. Some people consider it as a completely non-aggressive breed when given the proper love and care it deserves. It loves people and as a result can have separation anxiety. It loves life and is enthusiastic and lively. It is a very vocal breed, grunting and making other noises when having fun. Some Cotons have a habit of jumping up and walking on their hind legs to please people. Some Cotons may exhibit shyness or cautiousness in new situations, especially around strangers, but this can be overcome with training. Most Cotons love meeting new people and are very curious in new situations. The dogs are very trainable with praise, instead of punishment. They are great with other dogs. The Coton de Tulear is alert and territorial. They form strong attachments to both Master and family. They will alert to danger by barking, but only when it is necessary. They are extremely intelligent and love all of the attention they can get. The Coton is very social and enjoys outings and experiences. They get along well with other pets and children. The Coton de Tulear is bright and intelligent, but may be slow to mature. They may be difficult to housebreak.

Grooming
This breed has little to no shedding. The Coton has a long coat which needs a thorough grooming almost everyday, and a bath about once a month. Cotons are hypoallergenic; they have hair (a lot like human hair), which makes them very popular and compatible with people who have allergies.

Health Problems and Life Expectancy
The Coton is in general a healthy breed. However there are some health issues as there are in all breeds. The most serious of these would be heart problems, liver shunts, back (disc) problems or eye problems. Luckily, these are still relatively uncommon in the breed. The coton has a life expectancy of 12-14 years.

Activity Level
This breed is an indoor companion. They do not require high levels of exercise, but do need a short walk every day. They also appreciate play sessions as often as possible. They adjust and adapt well to apartment, condo, and urban living. They have the capability and endurance for long hikes. Cotons like to swim and play. They enjoy wide open spaces and can follow their masters on horseback for many miles.

 

Bradykin's Favorite Valentine Treats!

Red Velvet Pupcakes

Red velvet is all the rage in the world of cupcakes these days. So why not try these crimson-hued beauties on your best friend? Beet juice gives them their color, an whole-wheat flour gives them fiber. The cottage cheese icing helps make these trendy treats a balanced meal.


Ingredients

• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 cup applesauce
• 1/3 cup beet puree or fresh beet juice
• 1 and 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese

Cooking Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a six-cup muffin tin with muffin cups.
2. In a large bowl whisk together oil, applesauce and beet puree.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Slowly stir flour mixture into the wet ingredients.
4. Spoon batter into muffin cups to three-quarters full and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from the pan and cool on a rack.
5. In the bowl of a food processor, puree cottage cheese until smooth, about 30 seconds. Keep frosting refrigerated until cupcakes are completely cool. Frost and serve.

Adapted from Kaboose.com

Bradykin's Favorite Hot Cocoa Recipe!

 Hot Cocoa Recipe

INGREDIENTS 1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
1/2 cup Sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 cup Water
3 1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup Evaporated Milk
1 tsp Vanilla

DIRECTIONS Mix cocoa, sugar, salt and water in medium pan and bring to boil over medium heat.
Boil for 3 minutes.
Add milk and evaporated milk and continue stirring.
Do not let milk boil or cocoa will scald.
When temp is hot enough for your tastes, transfer to cups.
Add Whipped Cream, Marshmallows or Fluff as desired.

~ Now it's time to sit by the fire with your favorite book!

#bradykintweets

20 Things To Do On A Snow Day!!

                                                20 Things To Do On A Snow Day

Have a board game marathon! Everybody in the family gets to choose a game and play them in order from youngest to oldest.

Bake cookies. Nothing keeps the house warm and cozy like the smell of freshly baked cookies.

Play hide and seek. Don’t ever let your kids run around the house? A snow day’s a good day for a hall pass on that.

Skype or Google Hangout with family far away. Say hi to Grandma!

Try Minute To Win It. Google some easy Minute to Win It games and have kids compete.

Do charades. Make easy ones for the littlest kids or create teams.

Build a pillow mountain. We take all of the cushions off our couches and create a huge pile in the center of our family room and let the kids jump, bounce, flop and bury themselves.

Do an indoor scavenger hunt. Make a quick list of items your kids can find around the house, print them up, and let them go searching!

Tackle a Pinterest craft. It’s been on your board for months. Go do it with the kids!

Make silly videos. Let the kids have free reign on your iPhone or video camera.

Create a fort. Better yet, do it in front of the tv and your kids can watch their movie while they’re in their hideout.

Have a tea party. Gather up everybody’s stuffed animals and have a party. Then, have your kids hold the end of a blanket and let them bounce their animals on the blanket like a trampoline (put the tea and cookies away first)

Play the burrito game. Wrap up your kid like a mummy (or a burrito) in a blanket. Two adults grab each end of the blanket and swing the kid back and forth. They love this. For real.

Plan a progressive party. Each person plans an activity in a different room of the house. It can be coloring, a board game, a dance party, whatever. Rotate around to the various party stations.


Read a story aloud. My kids are old enough that we can take turns reading chapters. {Check out my Best Books for Boys and Great Books for Girls for book ideas!}

Play Pictionary. You don’t need the real game – just grab some paper and markers!

Watch a movie under toasty blankets. Pop your blankets in the dryer for 10 minutes to get them warm before putting on the movie!

Have a dance party. Keep your blood moving. Let the kids play DJ.

Make a hot cocoa bar: Set out different types of hot cocoas and fun mix-ins (kids will dunk anything in hot cocoa)

Play Monopoly. Sit down with your closest friends and play a classic board game.

This post is brought to you by Campbell’s Condensed Soup.

Birthday Party Ideas for Teens

Megan just went to an amazing 13th birthday party at Boston Trapeze and it got me thinking of birthday ideas for teens.  I started doing my own research and here are some great ideas from Zora Hughes an EHow Contributor: 

Help your teen come up with the perfect party theme.

When it comes to birthday parties for teenagers, one size definitely does not fit all. For some teens, a cool house party is a no-brainer, while others want to get as far away from home as possible. Save yourself the headache of trying to come up with a birthday party idea for your teen and let her take the lead on the type of party she'd like to have, within your boundaries and budget. Whether at home or a nearby venue, you can help make your teen's next birthday party one to remember.

The House Party

o    Your teen can have an awesome birthday party at home, whether indoors or out. Having a theme for the party makes everything easier, as all the activities, decor and food can be planned around it. Offer suggestions, but let your teen choose a theme she thinks is cool. A 13-year-old girl might like a hot pink karaoke party, while a hip 16-year-old might love a party based around the hottest movie franchise of the moment. For the all-around sports-loving boy, a sports-themed backyard party that includes basketball and water volleyball in the pool might be right up his alley, while the science-fiction fanatic might want a Comic-Con style birthday party, where everyone must come dressed as their favorite science fiction character. Talk with your teen about the details of the party to make sure that you can pull off the theme of their dreams within your budget.

The Hotel and Club Party

o    Splurge on a hotel ballroom for a major milestone birthday, such as a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, Quinceanera or a Sweet Sixteen. Most hotels with event venues have their own event planners and caterers who can help you pull off an amazing party. You could also rent out a local restaurant, lounge or nightclub for your teen's special night, ideal for older teens. Have servers offer up a menu of nonalcoholic mocktails, including a signature one that the birthday teen can create. If you can't afford a full-on hotel or club party, a more laid-back option would be to book a suite in a hotel for your teen and a handful of friends. Get a room for yourself next door so you can monitor, while giving the teens their space to have fun.

The Cool Activity Party

o    Many local teen-friendly attractions and entertainment venues offer birthday party packages that would appeal to your teen. You could have a bowling birthday party at night during "cosmic glow bowling." For older teens, an upscale bowling lounge, such as the national chain Lucky Strike, would add a slightly more sophisticated feel to the party. For the game-loving teen, consider a party at an entertainment center that combines an arcade with a restaurant, such as Dave and Busters or ESPN Zone. For the thrill seeker, get discounted group admission for your teen and a bunch of friends to an amusement park, where they can ride every roller coaster, or a water park, where they can race down the tallest speed slides. Most amusement parks have pavilions that you can reserve for a party celebration as well.

The Getaway Party

o    Your teen might love the idea of a party out of town so that it feels like a getaway, or so that she's not having the same type of party as everyone else in town. If you live within a couple of hours from a ski resort, a ski lodge party might be perfect for a winter birthday, provided it's feasible for her guests to get there. For a summer birthday, perhaps you could rent out a cabin by the lake just outside of town. Make sure to get several other parents to help you chaperone. If there's a campground relatively close, your teen might have a blast with an overnight camping party, with plenty of adults to supervise and help with the campfire and other safety concerns.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/about_4696530_birthday-party-ideas-teens.html

 

What to write in a birthday card

Send happy birthday wishes with these message ideas from Hallmark writers

By Keely Chace

When it comes to signing birthday cards, there are people who have no problem picking up a pen and adding a warm, personal message. Then there are the rest of us—the inspiration-challenged—who sometimes have trouble getting beyond “Happy Birthday.” Wherever you fall on that inspiration spectrum, we have ideas to help you bulk up, mix up and spice up what you write.

Hallmark writers offer birthday-message tips and inspiration organized by what you want to say, how much you want to say, whom your card is for, and more.

If you don’t like to write a lot on a birthday card, then send more cards to kids, because even those who have learned to read are often too excited to sit through a very long message. Just keep it short, sweet and fun, and your card will be a hit with the birthday kid.

Examples

·         “[7] Years awesome! That’s you!”

·         “All hail the birthday princess! Have a royally sweet [5th], [Ella]!”

·         “Yay! You’re [4] today! Love you, big [4]-year-old!”

·         “Happy Birthday to our new favorite [6]-year-old!”

·         “[Colette], you’re getting to be such a big [girl]! Happy [3rd] Birthday, Sweetheart. We love you!”

·         “[Elliott]! How can you be [9] already? Why, just yesterday, you were [8]. Oh, well. Have a happy one, birthday boy!”

·         “[Tyler], I’ve got a feeling you’re going to make a pretty amazing [11]-year-old. Happy Birthday!”

·         “Hope this whole exciting year of being [13] kicks off with a very fun, very happy birthday!”

Writing tip: Some adults might not want to be reminded of their new age, but kids will love seeing that you know exactly how old they are now! If it’s not already printed on the card, be sure to write the birthday kid’s age somewhere in your message.