SPROCKETS RETURNS WITH THE BEST IN INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S FILMS
Soccer fans, the coolest kids in town and a talking twig make their way to Sprockets
Toronto – TIFF announces this year’s exciting slate of films for the Sprockets Toronto International Film Festival for Children. Opening the minds of children and youth to films and cultures from around the world, Sprockets engages and entertains its audiences with a programme drawn from the best of Canadian and international cinema. The only film festival for young people in Toronto, Sprockets provides a rare opportunity to watch films that kids around the world are lining up to see and which, in many cases, may not be available again. New this year: Sprockets presents a selection of films specifically chosen for youth ages 13 and older, running over the weekend (17 and 18 April).
Sprockets takes place from April 17 to April 23, 2010 and tickets are now available - call 416-968-FILM or visit www.sprockets.ca.
The 13th annual festival features a truly international line-up of 68 films – 27 features and 41 shorts – representing 23 countries and 20 languages. Of the features, 85 per cent are set outside of North America. Sprockets offers post-screening discussions with filmmakers and special guests to further explore the films’ themes, storytelling techniques and more. Directors Tetsu Maeda (School Days with a Pig, Korea), Christian Ditter (The Crocodiles, Germany), Giacomo Campeotto (Storm, Denmark) and Cássio Pereira dos Santos (The Scarecrow Girl, Brazil) are among this year’s guests. Additionally, festival-goers can enjoy the immensely popular hands-on film-craft activities before and after screenings at Famous Players Canada Square throughout the weekend.
“Whether through the universality of Sprockets’ films, interaction with special guests, participation in Jump Cuts, or our juries, or hands-on on-site activities, Sprockets sparks creative and cultural discovery in all aspects of the moving image,” said Allen Braude, Co-Director of Learning.
Elizabeth Muskala, Co-Director of Learning added, “With the opening of TIFF Bell Lightbox this fall, we will have even more opportunities to present programmes that will continue to entertain and inspire young minds and will further reinforce our commitment to engage children and youth in arts and culture. ”
Sprockets’ selection of 27 features includes the following films:
Twigson – Åsleik Engmark, Norway, Norwegian with English subtitles
A lonely boy finds a friend in a twig shaped like a person who he names Twigson. As Junior’s father is a travelling underwear salesman and his mother works at a shop in town, Junior and Twigson are on their own a great deal. Together, they have fun adventures, and get up to a little mischief too. Age recommendation 5 and up
Carlitos and the Chance of a Lifetime – Jesús del Cerro, Spain, Spanish with English subtitles
Carlitos, an eleven-year old orphan, loves soccer and hopes to be selected to play on Spain’s national junior soccer team. However, he must keep his plans a secret from the nasty orphanage director. With the help of his friends, Carlitos sets out to fulfil his dreams. Age recommendation 7 and up
School Days with a Pig – Tetsu Maeda, Japan, Japanese with English subtitles
Based on a true story, this colourful and thoughtful film follows a grade 6 class who enthusiastically raise a piglet in their final year of elementary school only to come to an impasse when they must decide whether to follow through on their original decision to eat it at their graduation. Age recommendation 8 and up
The Crocodiles – Christian Ditter, Germany, German with English subtitles
New in town, Kai, a boy in a wheelchair, wants to join the coolest groups of kids – The Crocodiles – who aren’t sure if Kai will fit into their lives of adventure. Little do they realize how much Kai will help them learn about life and friendship when the group decides catch the thieves who have been plaguing their town. The Crocodiles is a multi-award-winning film based on a beloved German young-adult novel by Max von der Grün. Age recommendation 9 and up
A Time to Love – Ebrahim Forozesh, Iran, Farsi with English subtitles.
This award-winning film by acclaimed director Ebrahim Forozesh tells the story of Babak, a bright and creative physically disabled boy who is hidden from the outside world by his family. A chance encounter with Majid, his brother’s classmate, opens up a world of opportunities for Babak. Age recommendation 10 and up
New this year is a selection of films chosen specifically for youth ages 13 and older which includes Glowing Stars (Lisa Siwe, Sweden), about fourteen-year-old Jenna who tries to navigate thorough adolescence while coping with her mother’s terminal cancer; and Winter in Wartime (Martin Koolhoven, Netherlands/Belgium), which follows fourteen-year-old Michiel as he becomes involved with the Dutch resistance after he helps a wounded British soldier near the end of World War II.
This year’s Reel Rascals line-up, designed especially for children aged three to six, includes Ploddy the Police Car in which an animated police car tries to rescue the town from environmental criminals, along with a wonderful array of international shorts.
Once again, Sprockets presents 38 local and international short films which are divided into seven distinct programmes: Canadian Shorts for ages 7 and up; International Stories for ages 9 and up; Reel Rascals: Sweet Shorts for ages 3 and up; Reel Rascals: Journeys for ages 5 and up; Around the World for ages 8 and up; My New Home? for ages 12 and up; Future Frames for ages 15 and up. Each programme consists of either live-action or animated shorts that deal with children’s subjects such as body image, cultural identity and the effect of immigration on children. Also presented is the world premiere of Because I Am a Girl (Simonee Chichester, Torey Kohara and Jon Weiman, Canada), for ages 9 and up, a dynamic documentary celebrating the voices of a diversity of young Canadian women by exploring what it means to be a female in Canada. The film touches on a wide range of issues including body image, inequality and what young women can do to truly effect change – both for themselves and for others throughout the world. The film will be preceded by a short activity to get viewers’ minds churning, and will be followed by an in-depth panel discussion with special guests, including some vibrant personalities from both in front of and behind the camera.
More than just a day at the movies, the Sprockets School Programme runs from April 19 to April 23. When the credits roll, it marks only the beginning of what students will learn at the Sprockets School Programme. Students engage in post-screening discussions with filmmakers and special guests, further explore the film’s ideas, themes, storytelling techniques and much more. Additionally, each film has a unique teacher resource designed to support and extend the Sprockets experience in the classroom by connecting the films to many aspects of the Ontario curriculum. In addition to screenings, the Sprockets School Programme offers Guerrilla Filmmaking with Jared Raab, a workshop designed to allow students to experience the exciting and inspiring world of filmmaking through hands-on activities. Sprockets is also offering a workshop for educators, Creating Video Games in the Classroom, which equips educators with the basic skills needed to incorporate videogame design in their classrooms
Tickets are now on sale. Visit the official website, www.sprockets.ca, call 416-968-FILM (toll-free 1-877-968-FILM) or visit the Box Office at 2 Carlton Street, West Mezzanine level (near College subway station). Hours of operation are Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tickets are $6.60 for children and $10.61 for adults; a Ten Pack of tickets is available for $71.70 for 10 admissions (children and adults); Reel Rascals and Jump Cuts Young Filmmakers Showcase tickets are $6.60 per person (prices do not include GST, building-fund fee or service charges). Visa is the only credit card accepted by TIFF.
Sprockets is generously supported by Bell, RBC, Cineplex Entertainment LP, the City of Toronto and Toronto Arts Council
As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child. But nowadays, the busy modern life makes it harder for us to know our closest neighbours (whether we’re stay-at-home or working moms). We have fewer siblings than the previous generations and chances are they don’t even live in the same city, province or country as we do. As a result, our village is nowhere to be found.
No wonder there’s been an explosion of mothers’ blogs since 2008 as more of us get to understand how to join this kind of wagon. The blogs offer a great venue for parents to share stories, concerns, tips and encouragements. It’s all good but does it mean we don’t need to meet our peers face to face anymore? Is the proverbial village on the verge of becoming virtual?
Use the internet to get off the internet
The people at http://www.meetup.com don’t think so. Launched in 2004 from New York City, this company now serves over 6 million members. Their goal: “to help people use internet to get off the internet”; their mission: “to help the world’s people to self-organize into local groups”. Looks like the platform for dating groups? Think again.
Searching by postal code on their website I discovered that there existed no less than 91 groups within 3 km of my place (I live downtown Toronto). Of these, nine groups were specifically created for parents.
Some groups sound hilarious such as the Toronto Procrastinators, claiming 34 procrastinators (of course this doesn’t include the number of wantabee members who really, really wanted to join but never got to it) or the Toronto & GTA Chihuahua Meetup Group with 107 members (mixed breeds accepted, they’re not elitists!).
The groups sometimes fulfill the needs of very specific people: there’s the Progressive South Asians 40+, the Salam Mama (for muslim moms from Oakville and Mississauga) or the Reject Video & Film Meetup Group (34 members whose creations have been rejected and have deciced to take things in hand and find venues to present their art), to name just a few.
Parents self-organize to meet kindered spirits
On meetup.com, you can find groups such as the Moms Book Club & Playground, the Yummy Mummies 21 to 30, or the Toronto Urban Hiking for Families, created by parents who felt that there had to be other parents sharing their interests.
I interviewed Karen Pang, the founder of a dynamic group of over 140 members with the cool name of the Mamas and Papas of Trinity-Bellwoods to get some tips for parents who want to join a group.
She agreed that meeting new people at a café feels a bit like a blind date for parents. A better way to break the ice at a first meeting is to join in when the group is offfering activities such as an urban walk. Karen also insisted that we should never forget that everyone has the same concerns when meeting new people.
Members can post their comments on the website, for all to read, which can be very useful to select a group. Each group has its own focus. Karen’s goal was to develop relationships with other families. Mission accomplished, less than a year after she started the group, she’s always coming across people she knows when strolling around her neighbourhood. What a better way to create a sense of community.
Start your own group! There might not be yet a group out there that matches your specific interests. But the beauty of Meetup is that it also offers a very user-friendy platform to create your own group, with all kinds of bells and whistles to customize a home page.
The company charges a $12 monthly fee for hosting your group on their web. Some organizers think nothing of paying this cost themselves. Others choose to offset it by charging a minimal $1 fee to members who join an activity.
Karen Pang warns those who’d like to start a group that some leadership is expected from the organizer. It is up to the group founder to give an accurate description of what members can expect from the group, and to deliver. She suggests joining a Meetup group to see how it’s done before creating your own.
Other options
Laurie Kondle, an Ontarian mother, had a different idea on what a platform should offer. In 2007, she launched www.justplaydates.com, created especially to help parents organize playdates in their area, in their house or in local parks and playgrounds. It now includes over 2,700 members mainly located in Ontario, with pockets in Halifax (NS) and Victoria (BC). One special feature of her platform is that it allows members to join any playdates they want, which can become handy when you’re travelling with young kids.
Among other ways to meet parents, there’s always the good old local park but parents tend to hibernate during the winter, don’t theu? Fortunately, there’s the option of indoor activities at free drop-in centres. These usually offer 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. activities for kids 6 years and under. The website www.ontarioearlyyears.ca helps parents living in Ontario to find the drop-in centre closest to their place.
Finally, you can always call the Public Health department in your municipality to find out about their programs for parents and children. In Toronto, new mothers can get into the free program Living and Learning with Baby involving five weekly sessions of information with a qualified nurse and other parents with babies 6 months and under in their area. (You can call 416-338-7600 to find where’s the closest program in your neighbourhood.)
After that, it’s up to you to keep in touch with the parents you’ll meet in the program. I personally met wonderful women by joining such a program when my first child was born. We still see each other regularly…16 years later (now that our oldest kids are teenagers, we have lots to talk about)!
In her personal yet practical 480-page guidebook, author Nathalie Prezeau describes hundreds of outings in and around the GTA she tested with her family and friends over the past twelve years. The 4th edition is out! It includes a new chapter on things to do with the kids around the 69 subway stations in Toronto, as well as exciting city walks to play the tourist in Toronto. Available in the Travel Section of GTA bookstores as well as Mastermind Educational Toys stores and currently at Costco. Visit www.torontofunplaces.com to learn more.
On International Women’s Day, we celebrate the strength, achievements and connections between women, as well as all of the people through history who have fought for the advancement of women’s rights.
If you are looking for a quick craft for kids, consider making bookmarks. They are useful, fun and make nice gifts. The bookmarks can be as simple or complex as your imaginations and/or art supplies permit.
Cut a rectangle out of cardboard, cardstock, felt, foam or other material. Then decorate the bookmark with writing utensils, materials and/or glitter glue.
My son came home from school the other day raving about an Egyptian party his history teacher had put together for the students. Part of their lesson was exploring the foods of ancient Egypt and she had put out a spread of “White Wine” (apple juice), “Red Wine” (grape juice) and foods like hummus and pita. Being the little savoury gourmand he is, this is nothing new for him but he did remark about how his friends had not tried hummus before but really liked it. Score one for the teacher in my mind for opening up their palettes in a fun and interesting way.
Although King Tut and his Pharaoh buddies indulged themselves most commonly on beer and bread (no wonder they died so young!), creating fun around food is a great way to get your kids to try new and different foods. With March break ahead of you, try these tips for creating a tasting party for your little ones.
• Blindfold Taste Test – Have the kids close their eyes and see if they can distinguish the taste between different types of berries like strawberries, blackberries, raspberries etc. Ask them to name the fruit, how does it taste and what does it feel like on their tongue.
• Smoothie Surprise – Make 3 different types of fruit and/or vegetable smoothies. Get the kids to taste them and make their guess on what went into the “recipe”. For small children, showcase all the ingredients so they can point out the flavours to help them come up with options.
• Survivor Challenge – Place a selection of different and exotic fruits and vegetables on small plates with bowls as covers upside down on them (a la Survivor) and get the kids to taste them. Make a game out of it by creating teams and challenging them to see which team can try more.
Nadine Hughes is the creator and owner of, The Cook’s Companion and The Menu Companion, through which she offers kitchen consultations, menu planning services as well as private cooking classes for adults and teens throughout Southern Ontario. She is also an award winning author. Pick up a copy of her latest cookbook “The Groove Mamma Goes Gourmet – Easy Ways To Put The Fun Back Into Entertaining” (awarded Best Canadian Entertaining Cookbook at the 2009 Gourmand Cookbook Awards) for $7.98 at www.groovemamma.com
Q. Why does it take so long for my son to fall asleep? My 6 year old son is in and out of his room from 8 pm when we put him to bed until about 9 or 9:30 pm. He has lots of excuses. Is there something we can do to help him sleep or should we put him to bed later?
Dr. Cohen:
This is a bit of a tricky question to answer in this format. When I see parents for this problem, I do a detailed assessment to find out more about the child’s bedtime resistance (e.g., What is going on between the time that the child is put to bed and the time that he falls asleep? Is the environment and all of the “activity” at bedtime stimulating? Is he falling asleep truly independently? Does he seem overtired or not tired enough?). Having this information is helpful to determine what the cause(s) may be and then, in turn, what the parents should do.
I would agree that 8:00pm is a reasonable bedtime for a 6-year old. If he genuinely seems not tired enough, you can try putting him to bed closer to 8:30pm. This may help increase his drive to sleep. It is important to ensure that he is not getting any day sleep. A “cat-nap”, however brief, can lead to problems falling asleep at a reasonable bedtime. Another strategy that can be helpful is temporarily moving bedtime closer to the latest time that he actually falls asleep (in your case 9:30pm). Once he is falling asleep quickly at this later time, you can slowly start to move bedtime earlier by 10 minutes every 3-5 nights.
Repeated requests at bedtime (fondly referred to as “curtain-calls”) are common behaviours in older toddlers and preschoolers. Setting limits on inappropriate bedtime behaviours is important. Removing reinforcement for “bad” behaviour (also known as negative attention) is helpful. Setting up a contingency for non-sleep compatible behaviour (e.g., coming out of bed, crying) is key. This can include closing the door (but not locking it) or putting up a safety gate if a child is not showing sleep compatible behaviour (e.g., lying in bed calmly). Having a well-timed bedtime is important. And, as always, consistency is key.
Q. How can I get my daughter comfortable with someone else putting her to bed? I am a mom and I have always been the one to put my 2-year-old daughter to bed. We sing and read stories for about 30 minutes before bed time. The problem is that she won’t let anyone else put her to bed now. Not my husband or my parents. It ends in hurt feelings for everyone else and makes it difficult for me to even think of going out at night. What should I do?
Dr. Cohen:
I think you have 2 options: the first is to go out after she has gone to bed and the second is to get her familiar and comfortable with someone else putting her to bed. If you prefer the latter option, I would gradually build someone else into the bedtime routine. This person, at first, can just come in for 5 minutes and be present. This time can be increased to longer periods and can become more inclusive over time (e.g., he/she can be part of the singing and reading). As she gets more comfortable, you can start having this person do part of the routine on his/her own while you are present in the room. With time, I would leave the room and have him/her do parts of the routine with her alone. As you have always been the one to put her to bed it will likely take time for her to get comfortable with someone else filling your shoes.
Q. When does bedtime get earlier and what about cat-napping? My daughter is 4 months old. She generally sleeps well at night with one wake for a feed. I put her down around 10pm and she is starting to wake around 6am for the feed. Then I put her back down and she sleeps until around 9:30am. When do I begin to make her bedtime earlier so that she is not sleeping in so late? I am worried that if I put her down earlier she will wake more than once in the night. Because of this sleep in, our morning nap routine is all over the place. I know she is only 4 months, but any “schedule” help would be great. Also, she is very hard to put down for a nap and when she does finally fall asleep she only sleeps for 30-40 minutes. Is there anything I can do to get longer naps?
Dr. Cohen:
Usually 3-4 months of age is a good time to move bedtime earlier. Babies of this age often do well with a bedtime of 7:00-7:30pm. Many babies in this age range sleep for 11-12 hours at night (interrupted by feedings), so having an earlier bedtime is likely to naturally move your daughter’s wake time earlier.
Generally, most healthy full-term babies who are between 4-5 months of age need at least 1, if not 2, feedings during the night. Because your daughter is now only feeding 1 time in an 11-12 hour period, shifting her bedtime earlier may not change her feeding frequency. Some babies, particularly those who fall asleep with parental assistance (e.g., who are fed or rocked to sleep), require these same or similar conditions following night wakings. So, for example, these babies (who do not fall asleep independently) often need parental assistance (including being fed) to return to sleep when they wake at night.
I often recommend that parents start thinking about developing a sleep schedule when their infants are 3-4 months old. A sleep schedule/routine at this age may include a calming and predictable bedtime routine, falling asleep independently (self-soothing), and naps using the 2-2½ hour rule by 4 months of age (i.e., being put down for a nap after about 2-2½ hours of being awake). While it is often frustrating for parents, many young infants take “cat-naps”. While some infants seem more ready to start taking longer naps by 5 months of age, many continue to cat-nap until daytime sleep training is done. Once a child is falling asleep independently for her naps, giving her a chance to return to sleep if she has woken too early from a nap (less than 1 hour) can be helpful.
Dr. Nicky Cohen is a Registered Psychologist in private practice in Toronto. She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from York University and developed an interest in parenting issues related to children’s sleep disturbances after having her first child 5 years ago. She is active in the community disseminating information on healthy sleep practices and increasing awareness of the importance of making sufficient sleep a family priority. Dr. Cohen has held various research and clinical positions at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, the Hospital for Sick Children, and the University Health Network (Toronto General Hospital). More information about Dr. Cohen’s work can be found at: www.kidsleep.ca.
March Break is now upon us. Airports and popular destinations will be at their busiest, and you will be too if you’re planning on taking off. Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or embarking on your first family vacation, if you’re going to maintain any semblance of sanity, you’ll need to remember one (not-so) little thing, and it’s not food or a toy.
You’ve tailored your travel arrangements to suit your child’s schedule. You are super-organized, and arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare. Delays and line-ups won’t affect your plans, since you’ve planned ahead and have enough distractions and snacks on hand. And even though you packed your bags weeks in advance according to an extensive packing list, if you forgot just one small thing, your travel days are bound to be unpleasant. When you’re traveling with children, be sure to pack your patience.
Because, in spite of your best efforts, stuff happens. Someone will spill something, or thow up on someone. A flight will get delayed, or cancelled, or it might just sit on the tarmac for hours and not go anywhere. Your knees will be jammed into the seat in front of you, and that person will repeatedly try to recline. Sounds like fun, right?
It’s not in my nature to be a Negative Nellie, but these things happen at the best of times on the road, and chances are, they could happen when you’ve got your kids with you. You’ll occasionally come across someone who has a romanticized view of what air travel is like, but the days of relaxing before, during, and after a flight are long gone for most of us - now reserved only for those who can afford such luxury. For the rest of us cattle, we hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
So find your happy place and make sure it’s close by when you need it. Keep your cool for the sake of your kids, and you’ll all be much more relaxed when you get where you’re going.
Habits are routines of behavior that are repeated so regularly that we continue to do them almost automatically and involuntarily. Isn’t that exactly why you still might accept bags at checkout? The only way to change such impulses is to replace them with beneficial behavior. Why do we so often fail? Because change is hard work and there is no short cut!
Ditching taking plastic grocery bags is an honorable goal if you have not yet tackled that one, but if you want to lift your eco efforts to the next level, try kicking your other retail bag habits too. (for example, those paper or plastic retail bags from every store at the mall that advertise where you’ve just dropped your paycheque! What do you DO with those bags anyways?)
In Ireland where they imposed a 15 cent tax per plastic bag, consumption went down by 90%…quickly. In Toronto, everyone seems to be using reusables…DUH! Incentives and penalties work.
And, keep this in mind: having a huge collection of $1 reusable bags is actually worse than hoarding plastic bags. Think of the resources used, the landfill space they take up when they break or wear out…and, they don’t make good garbage liners!
Here are your 8 steps to highly effective check outs.
STEP 1 – ADMIT/UNDERSTAND THERE IS A BAD HABIT TO BREAK. Every choice you make has an impact, whether positive or negative. Take the time to pause and see that your consumption is a problem…no matter how small, we all add up.
STEP 2 – IDENTIFY THE TRADEOFFS + PAYOFFS. Everyone has different pros and cons…what are yours? Maybe you are concerned about what to use for garbage bags, maybe you are excited to stop the excess consumption and save our health.
STEP 3 – MAKE YOUR CHOICE. This step is easy. Because of “step 2” above, your eyes are now wide open, it’s no longer an involuntary behaviour. You will be not only making a choice to not do the old action (hurray!), but you will also be making a choice to replace it with a better, more responsible, alternative action (hurray again!).
STEP 4 – INVEST IN GOOD REUSABLE BAGS. If you don’t trust it, you won’t use it to it’s full potential. Big ones with durable handles - especially ones you can put over your shoulder are best. The more ways in which your bag is better for the planet, the better you’ll feel about using it. Consider my favourite shopping bag solutions (and I have used and tested many!): Fair Trade made, RuMe Bags at www.rumebags.com – the original size holds up to 50 pounds (but there are 3 sizes, including ones for kids (never too young to learn to shop responsibly!), they are foldable and washable…and they happen to be beautiful!
STEP 5 – REMEMBER TO TAKE THEM WITH YOU. This is crucial. If you don’t have them, you can’t use them. Leave them by the door? You’ll figure out what works best for you. (Yes, I believe this is the hardest part of the habit to develop for all of us…good habits are as hard to develop as bad habits are to break…stick with it!).
STEP 6 – STASH A FEW. Keep a compact, foldable bag stashed away in various places. Tuck one into your purse, knapsack, glove compartment, briefcase, diaper bag – you never know when you might shop. This practice was pivotal to my success and avoided many awkward having-to-carry-it-all-out-in-my-arms occasions.
STEP 7 – LEARN TO SAY “NO BAG PLEASE”. And make sure you proclaim this right away, loud and proud. Some retailers will quickly “bag you” – but it’s never too late! Tell them that you don’t need it. And, if they claim the bag is biodegradable, still refuse. I do know that it might be less evil, but it is still evil…and a waste of precious resources.
STEP 8 – KEEP IT GOING. You now own some great looking, sustainable, long-lasting bags that you finally remember, and, as you use them you will feel like your own mini eco-hero. Now, convince a few of your friends, family or colleagues to break a few of their bag habits.
By replacing bad habits with positive ones that can save a little money, save a little time and save our little planet, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it all sooner…and you’ll quickly be considering your next habit to break.
Quoting Aristotle, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
Lisa Borden is an eco-advocate and mother of three, whose business is a direct reflection of her commitment to better, more responsible living. She is a dedicated workaholic, admitting that it takes a lot of time and effort to change the world, especially in her non-preachy, fun, engaging and inspiring ways. Lisa consults, writes, engages the media, runs private workshops, and enjoys speaking to large and small groups. Her full-service marketing firm, Borden Communications + Design Inc. is based in Toronto and takes great pride in being an ethical business providing exceptional ideas. You can sign up for Lisa’s rants and raves at www.bordencom.com or reach her directly at lisa@bordencom.com.
WRITTEN BY