Odyssey 500

Imagine giving a gift that will last longer than the wrapping. Giving one which inspires imagination and brings fun all year long. When you give a subscription to a children’s magazine as a gift for Christmas, birthday or any other gift-giving occasion, you are giving a gift that renews itself with each new issue. One month may bring puzzles and games; another may send your lucky gift recipient on a trip through the Amazon jungles, African deserts or outer space. There are magazines aimed at every age group and to suit nearly any interest you – or the child in your life – can imagine. Choosing the right magazine subscription for the very special children in your life is as easy as following a few simple tips.

1.Choose a magazine that’s aimed at the appropriate age group.

A magazine that’s written for kindergarten age children won’t hold much appeal for an eight year old. Likewise, a magazine that’s aimed at pre-teens will go right over the heads of most six year olds. Don’t go strictly on the age on the front cover, though. Some children are ready for real stories when others their age prefer picture stories. Remember that there is some overlap in ages between these groups and let your knowledge of the child guide your choice.

Ages 0-3 – Choose magazines with bright pictures and easy activities. There should be few, simple words and sentences and read-aloud stories. Try Wild Animal Baby, published by the National Wildlife Federation, or Babybug Magazine with read-aloud stories for children 6 months to two years, or Turtle, a classic magazine for babies and toddlers and their parents.

Ages 4-6 – Preschoolers are ready to start reading simple words on their own, but they still love to hear stories read aloud. Coloring pages and activity pages are a must in magazines for this age group. Also, by this age many children have started to develop specific interests and may enjoy magazines that highlight them. Highlights for Children has been around for decades, but it’s still one of the top magazines published for this age group. Other choices for preschool to first graders include Cricket magazine, Humpty Dumpty magazine, and Disney and Me magazine from Disney.

Ages 7-9 – By second or third grade, children are ready to start reading on their own – and they want stories about real things that interest them. They still enjoy activity pages, but the editorial content of the magazine becomes more important. Look for colorful, fun and engaging artwork and informative stories with a fun slant to them. A great choice for this age group is Nickelodeon magazine.

Ages 10-13 – The split between magazines for boys and magazines for girls becomes really evident at this age. Even so, there are plenty of magazines that both boys and girls will love, including National Geographic Kids and Dig magazine.

Ages 14+ – Many popular adult magazines have made a foray into publishing for the “young adult” category – teens from about age 14. This is the age where special interest really comes into play, but there are still more general magazine choices for this age group. For boys, Boys Life is a perennial favorite, but Sports Illustrated for Kids is currently extremely popular.

Magazines for girls have come a long way since Seventeen. While that magazine is still going strong, it’s joined by Discovery Girls magazine, Cosmo Girls, Girls’ Life and many more.

2.Choose a magazine that is geared to a child’s interests.

In a child’s early years, most children have not developed specific interests. By age six or so, though, many children already have started to explore specific interests. Many of the most popular children’s magazines focus on interests like history, travel, wildlife and the creative arts. If you’re looking for a gift for a child over five, let their interests guide you.

Animals and Wildlife

National Geographic and the National Wildlife Federation both publish a stepping stone series of magazines aimed at different age levels. Your Big Back Yard, Ranger Rick, National Geographic for Kids and Zootles are just a few of the many magazines aimed at children of different ages that focus on animals and the worlds in which they live.

Science and Technology

Like many adults, kids are fascinated by science and technological things. Magazines about explorers and inventors, space and archaeology can spark a lifelong interest and love that eventually becomes a career – or remains a fascination forever. When you give a gift subscription to a magazine like Dig, Muse (from the Smithsonian Institute) or Odyssey, you may be opening the door to new worlds that will engage your children for the rest of their lives.

Social Studies (History and Culture)

Bring history and culture to life for your children with a gift subscription to a magazine that explores the lessons of history or the impact of culture in stories and articles that they can understand and enjoy. There are a number of kids magazines that focus on historical personalities and events, including Cobblestones (ages to 8 years), Learning Through History (ages 7-14) and Calliope (5th to 10th graders).

Literature

Is your child a young writer? Children love to see their own works in print. Some of the best children’s magazines are those that accept and publish only submissions from other children. Check out the magazine New Moon (for girls ages 8-14).

 

Finding a niche in any market place can be both a blessing and a curse. A proper niche allows an entrepreneur to make a start in uncharted territory. They find a special place to market to clients, build experience and a portfolio weaving their way through the madness of the market. A niche opens doors and allow for individual catering and personality. At first glance, the niche provides opportunity and sound economical answers. But, when the niche starts to close, and after time, the market shifts, two options arise, you either roll with the punches and move with the waves of the niche or stop, redirect and go your own way. But one thing is for sure, you absolutely must not stay in place. If the niche evolves, so must you.

The ever moving adjustments and time constraints in fashion yield an unfriendly market to the golden niche. Within a decade or less, the hole that was found could be filled due in part to fashion’s oversaturated and out-of-control marketplace. Designers often become servants to buyers, and retailers in turn slaves to consumers often times leaving creativity and individuality to the dust. The bittersweet presence of the media in fashion has never been greater. It can both launch a new line, and incorrectly brand another. Thus the fashion void once discovered becomes swallowed up and collapses in the mayhem. At this point, who wouldn’t want to cancel their subscription?

One of fashion’s favorite designers and one of New York’s stars has experienced this exact reality. Jane Mayle, known as Mayle, has been running a successful and fruitful clothing line and boutique for nearly ten years. The demand for this edgy feminine line has never receded. With an annual gross of roughly $5 million a year Mayle appears to have no financial need to escape the scene, yet never the less, she is. Holiday/Resort 09 will be the last collection for this coveted brand and her well loved boutique in NoLita.

It is a sad day to see one of the most creative and brightest designers to leave the scene. Mayle has done a precise and genuine job of mixing timelessness and modernity to give us something truly unique. Every year Mayle has created her designs around a new and exciting theme giving the industry much needed consistency and theory. Overall her looks combine vintage detailing with high end fabrics mixing street sensibility with feminine chic. Her Fall 2008 collection uses a theoretical approach, combining an attention to detail with structure and edge working square necklines and sleeves with short hemlines and choice hardware. Inspired by Eden, the first place of pleasure, the collection represents effortless ease, shape and drape with lots of skin tone hues, neutrals and rich blues creating sensuous ephemeral darkness. Appearing as an ode to the art deco designs of the 1940’s the collection appears concentrated around form and construction with drapy silks and prominent tones of elegance.

It’s a shame to see this designer go…although hopefully not far. It’s possible that Jane Mayle will pop up again on the scene in another arena to satisfy her desire to create atmosphere and to fulfill our obsessions to be surrounded by all things beautiful and magical. After all, that’s what fashion is all about; whimsical realities and fleeting flutters of giddy excitement that we wish could last forever. But not all things are meant to last, and for the most part, all good things do in fact, come to an end.

 

Toyota Scholarship Application are abundant and all you need to do is do a little research to find them.  After some research, we came across some Toyota Scholarship Application you need to apply for.  Don’t forget to do your own search online for other scholarships you can apply for for even more chances of getting the money you need to pay your college expenses.

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One of the scholarships available is the Freecollegescholarship.net’s $10,000 scholarship drawing.  To apply for this scholarship you only need to be eighteen years old and be a resident of the United States.  An easy, one-page registration form is all you have to fill out to enter the scholarship drawing.  It’s important to register soon so you will not miss the deadline for the scholarship drawing.

Check out the Walton Family Foundation Scholarship.  Over the span of 4 years, associates of Walmart can get up to $13K.  The minimum ACT score is a 22 and proof of need of financial aid is also required.

You may also want to check out the Carnegie Writing Scholarship.  You are eligible to apply for this scholarship if you attend the Lake Forest College in Illinois.  To apply for this scholarship, you need to submit a portfolio of your writing and the winners will receive anywhere between $1,000 and $5,000 for every academic year.

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During your application process, always keep in mind to make your strengths easily visible through your essay and such.  You control the success you will have in college.

Another good idea for searching for scholarships is to not only look for scholarships online, but to also ask around for scholarships that may be available to students in your school or in your local community.  This will greatly increase your chances of actually submitting your applications before their deadlines and will allow you more time to apply to even more scholarship programs.