The findingDulcinea Blog

Sweet Sites | Use the Web to Find Summertime Fun, Wherever You Are

The temperature's warming up and you've got some free time, but you have absolutely no idea what to do with this glorious opportunity. Here are some sites that can help you with this high-quality problem.

Festivals.com allows you to search for U.S. events by region and type, including fairs, sporting events, crafts expos and motor shows. The site is particularly strong on music events; find out who's playing where in a variety of genres from alternative to zydeco.

Whatsonwhen offers information about intriguing events happening across the globe. Search by keyword or browse by destination or event type to learn more about a wide range of activities that includes both the North American Sand Soccer Championships in Virginia and the Baby-Jumping Colacho Festival in Castrillo de Murcia, Spain.

If your summer simply must involve a screaming tour of a roller coaster or a spin on the Ferris wheel, consult Theme Park Insider for help planning your next trip to the amusement park. The site offers reviews, park safety news and advice, tips to shorten your wait on ride lines, hotel information and more. 

Amy Goldschlager
Editor

Find your own "eureka!" sites using SweetSearch.

Consult our Travel Guides if you're looking for sites to help you with more location-specific trip-planning.

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Kicking Off the Summer on a Positive Note

Memorial Day may have started as a tribute to war veterans following the Civil War, but in modern times, it also marks the beginning of summer and is often celebrated with cookouts, parades and general warm-weather revelry. Although Weather.com says it’s expected to be rainy “for much of the nation” this weekend, that won’t stop millions of us from taking day or weekend trips to visit family, or explore new or familiar getaway spots.

This summer, we're in a recession, but that needn’t make us any more glum. Recent polls encouragingly suggest that money isn’t strongly tied to happiness. One poll by the Associated Press and mtvU shows that a higher percentage of college students are happier this year than they were last year. Many people are stressed about the economy and job market, including college students, but there is also evidence that those with higher incomes aren’t necessarily happier than those who aren’t. Education level more strongly correlates with happiness, says a study by Britain’s National Literacy Trust, so take some time this summer to feed your mind.

The recession “may actually be good for people,” as our positive news columnist Anne Szustek wrote earlier this week. Follow the lead of New Yorkers, who are reportedly volunteering more, shirking their “self-insulating” stigma. For families, summer is an especially active time, and it shouldn’t be any different this year. Sticking together and sharing experiences is even more important now. Find affordable alternatives for your family to enjoy this summer.

Liz Colville
Senior Writer
Audience Development

The Significance of Brand Identity

Photo: Wilfredo Lee/AP

One of the stories we recently published on encontrandoDulcinea dealt with the outrage with which fans received the new “tween” edition of the TV cartoon character, “Dora the Explorer."

Dora and her animal friends are extremely popular Nickelodeon characters that appeal to an audience made up mostly of preschoolers. Because of its quality educational content that aims to teach kids about language and other essential skills, parents love the show. Dora has an ample fan base among Spanish speakers as well; early on after the release of the original show in 2000, Nickelodeon launched its Spanish version.

But when toy maker Mattel, in association with Nickelodeon, announced the release of a new edition of the Dora doll, aimed for kids between five and eight years of age, parents were outraged. The new doll is meant to be an older version of the tomboyish Dora, and has long hair and “shapely” legs.

Not only did parents and fans disapprove of the “voluptuousness” of the doll’s new look, they also felt cheated because of the radical change in a brand they had given their loyalty to.

Though it might seem trivial, this story illustrates the importance of building, and maintaining, the identity of a brand, particularly one that has so successfully captured the hearts of their customers.

For more on brand identity, check out our series "What's Next?," which has covered such companies as Nike, Trader Joe's, Costco, Target, Patagonia and Digg.

Anita Gutierrez-Folch
Senior Writer

Site of the Day: BabySpot

Keep family and friends up to date with the latest adorable antics of your offspring. BabySpot.com offers a secure, free platform for you to share photos, videos and news of your children with your nearest and dearest.

BabySpot

Check out findingDulcinea's Site Spotlight section for more sites of the day.

Simple Things to Teach Your Kids

Shannon Pifko

Many parents often lament the fact that their children aren’t born with instruction manuals. After all, there’s a lot kids need to know, and it’s not always obvious how to make sure they learn it. While we haven’t found any instruction manuals online, we have tracked down some Web sites that offer parents some pointers on how to teach kids a few of the simpler things they’ll need to learn as they grow up.

FamilyEducation contains tips about teaching children how to identify money and make change, and even has advice on helping older kids understand what it means to use checks and how a checking account works.

PBS Kids offers exercises to help kids work with numbers and improve their listening skills.

Discovery Health provides some insight on how to teach kids good manners.

Lindsey Chapman
Writer

See findingDulcinea’s Back to School section to help your kids learn about a variety of other topics, including biographies of notable individuals and historical events. You'll also find news articles and web guides relevant to parents.

Birthday Cake Challenge

In a few days my son will leave behind the world of the “terrible twos,” and move on to what I’ve been told are the “even worse threes.” And while I’m trying to brace myself for that new stage, I’ve also been searching out birthday cake ideas. This year, I’m determined to give him something more special than just a sheet cake, which could prove challenging for a woman with less artistic ability than those zoo elephants who paint pictures with their trunks.

Here are some Web sites that have given me the courage to enter my kitchen with confidence:

FamilyFun is brimming with fantastic cake ideas for kids with a range of interests. Whether you’re raising a princess or a pirate, the easy-to-follow instructions and illustrations should make cake sculpting and decorating a breeze.

Baking Bites is a blog that will save you a trip to the ice cream parlor if you’re thinking about having an ice cream cake for your child’s birthday. And once the celebration is over, poke around for some other great recipe ideas as well.

Nick Jr. showcases some of kids’ favorite TV characters on cakes and cupcakes. If you’d rather not take the cartoon route, the site also features themed cake ideas, such as basketball and dinosaur cakes.

Lindsey Chapman
Writer

Search for more cooking inspiration in our Recipes Web Guide, or indulge your sweet tooth with the help of the Baking Web Guide.

Stepping into Fall

Fall, my favorite season of the year, is right around the corner—and I can’t wait. It’s nearly time for me to break out my favorite cozy sweaters, warm up the kitchen with recipes that taste best when there’s a chill in the air and find some craft projects for my son to keep him occupied when the weather turns cold.

Here are some Web sites that I’m trusting to help us make the most of fall:

Kaboose is filled with fun craft ideas that kids—and even some parents—will enjoy. Whether you’re hoping to make holiday decorations for Thanksgiving and Halloween or just want something to do during the afternoon, the projects here will offer plenty of inspiration.

FamilyFun contains more arts and crafts ideas for kids, including an entire section devoted to crafts using apples. The added bonus here is the Arts & Crafts Newsletter, which will keep the seasonal and holiday ideas flowing throughout the year.

TLC’s Take Home Chef will guide you through preparing an entire fall-themed meal, from the entrée to the main course and dessert. Check here for some special help with Thanksgiving festivities, too.

Lindsey Chapman
Writer