The Bluebird Patch

Research indicates that more than 2,000 children may be reported missing in a single day and 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 10 boys will be sexually victimized before adulthood. This is why on Halloween night it is critical you don't go out trick-or-treating  without  verifying sex offenders in your neighborhood.  You can check this information online (click here if you live in GA) or if you are visiting  unexpectedly  a different  neighborhood  you may want to download Offender Locator Lite app by ThinAir Wireless . This is a FREE app that lets you u tilize the GPS function on your iPhone to find registered offenders living near your current location. You can view registered offenders who live near your friends by simply selecting a name from your iPhone contact list.  Enter your home address or any address to find registered offenders living in that area. Enter the name of any registered offender in the U.S. and find out i...

Be the first to see  Regal Cinemas  Avalon 12 - a new state of the art theatre! They'll be having preview nights from where the money raised will be going charity--and November 3 - 5 benefits ACFB! Grab your family and enjoy a night of $2 Movies, $2 Popcorn & $2 Soft Drinks! “Regal’s Recipe for Hope,” a three-day movie viewing experience at the new location of Regal Cinemas that will benefit the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Movie titles and times are available below.

There are 52 fun Halloween events happening in  Gwinnett this week! Click on Explore Gwinnett logo for full weekend calendar listing or click here . You may also view our full list of events at: exploregwinnett.org/events

 On Nov. 29., jolly St. Nick will be hosting a cookies and photos party at the zoo Be here when Santa makes his first stop – Zoo Atlanta! Bring the little ones for a personal visit with Santa and a professional photo. Warm up with hot chocolate and cookies, and kick off the holiday season with costume characters, festive crafts, animal encounters, music, and games. Space is limited. Register online by Friday, November 28 to reserve your space.  Reservations are available in one of four time slots: 8:30 a.m.  (Members only)* 10:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m. 2:30 p.m. Details here:  http://ow.ly/DuhQG

We are a proud Air Force family so when I stumbled with the USAF Air Force Parachute Team, the Wings of Blue, parody of Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off” I just couldn't help but laugh  hysterically . This awesome video was made for the 1 Nov 2014 Air Force vs. Army football game. I think this is by far one of the best Shake It Off parodies ever filmed. Go Air Force! Thank you for making us laugh. Now go beat Army and keep making more videos!

New York Yankees catcher Brian McCann and his wife Ashley will return as the honorary chairs for the Delta Air Lines Double Play fifth annual Brian McCann Rally Celebrity Softball Game . All proceeds from the event will benefit the Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research (Rally). The McCanns have been spokespeople for Rally since 2007. The Brian McCann Rally Celebrity Softball Game , presented by Jet Sports Management, Ashley and Brian McCann and the Chipper Jones Family Foundation, will take place Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014, at 10:30 a.m. at the Gwinnett Braves Coolray Field. On-field activities with celebrities will begin at 11 a.m., and the first pitch will take place at 12:00 p.m. Tickets for the Brian McCann Rally Celebrity Softball Game are $10 for adults, $5 for students and children under 10 are free. The family-friendly event will include a sports memorabilia silent auction, food and merchandise for sale.

YOU HAVE SOME BIG  SHOES  VEST TO FILL! Massachusetts Vest-A-Dog is an independent, all-volunteer, non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to provide support for Massachusetts Police Dogs. Their primary goal is to insure every Massachusetts K-9 has a bulletproof vest.  While law enforcement agencies provide bullet-resistant vests for their human officers, they are unable to fund vests for K-9 officers. As K-9s are trained to give up their lives to protect their partners and all of us, they believe it is every bit as important to protect them.  A bulletproof K9 vest ranges from $1006 to *$2400 each (handler/dept choice). All K9 vests will also protect against blunt force trauma if kicked, punched, or struck with an object, like a bat.  The photo of the adorable puppy wearing the Boston Police Department bulletproof vest above that melted the internet is part of the Vest-A-Dog 2015 Calendar ! A  $10 donation per calendar, plus S&H, include...

You cannot have a happy life if you cannot accept yourself for who you really are. Self-acceptance is the most important factor in our ability to live a happy life, and is the one habit that we often  practice  the least. The teachers and students of Muscle Shoals Middle School made a remarkable online video to spread the message of acceptance and embracing individuality not just at Middle Shoals, but everywhere. Muscle Shoals Middle School Principal Matthew Carpenter said the project resulted from brainstorming sessions of how to promote messages of positivity for the school. "We live in a very diverse world and we encourage the importance of embracing it," he said. "We hope this helps move in that direction. The message behind the video is the importance of understanding human differences and embracing those differences in order to create a positive and caring school culture and climate. The message preceding the video ends with a three word mantra...

Did you know that one pumpkin full of Halloween candy can have as much as 365 teaspoons of sugar?  That’s equivalent to the amount of sugar in 12 double scoop vanilla ice cream cones or 11,000 calories! Despite all the candy, Halloween can actually be a great opportunity to teach your kids about moderation and balance. But h ow do you do it?  The experts at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Strong4Life believe no food is ever off limits and that everyone can take part in holiday festivities (including Halloween candy). The trick? It's all about the Ps and Cs: It’s the parents' job to  plan ,  prep  and  provide  and it’s the children’s’ job to choose : 1.       Plan Ahead: Before you know it, little ghosts and goblins will be at your door yelling "trick-or-treat!" What will you be handing out? Plan ahead and consider how you can provide healthier options. Think pretzels, stickers, pencils, plastic spider r...

Calling all the little Bluebirds! The Fresh Beat Band , Nickelodeon’s preschool music group and stars of the Emmy Award-winning TV series of the same name, are back on the road for a brand-new nationwide concert tour and perform at the Fox Theatre on Sunday, November 9 at 5 p.m. The show will feature Kiki, Marina, Twist and Shout performing the band’s greatest hits including “Bananas,” “Here We Go” and a remixed version of “Great Day,” plus new songs including the pop classic, “Walk Like An Egyptian.”  Tickets range from $30-$40 and are on sale this Friday, August 8 at www.FoxTheatre.org , by calling 855-285-8499, or at the Fox Theatre Ticket Office.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of Straight Talk Wireless. I was compensated for this post. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.  Car crashes are the leading cause of death for young people aged 15-20. An average of ten young people are killed and more than 800 young people are injured every day in car crashes. Straight Talk Safe Driver Car Connection device can teach safe driving habits and help keep your teens safe!    Straight Talk Wireless , the leading US no-contract cell phone service provider and Driver’s Edge, a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching young drivers what is not being taught in traditional driver’s education, held a behind-the-wheel event in Atlanta, GA to honor National Teen Driver Safety Week. The event is part of Straight Talk’s ongoing Safe Driver Initiative, which recently reported that parents are texting while driving more than teenagers (33 percent vs. 24 percent) – and these new drivers (80 percent) ...

It's almost that time of year.  Where we gather with family and friends and chow down on some delicious and savory holiday dishes.  I love this time of year. A lot of people are not as fortunate to have all the delicious food at their fingertips. Lift Up Atlanta (www.liftupatlanta.org) goal this holiday season is to feed 300 needy families this Thanksgiving and they need YOUR help to do this. You can get together with your family, friends, co-workers, church or group members and neighbors to collect Thanksgiving food items such as canned vegetables and fruit, macaroni and cheese, potatoes, onions, cranberry sauce, stuffing/dressing, aluminum baking pans, apples, oranges and any food you would like to eat on Thanksgiving. They also need $20 gift cards for the turkey or ham and any perishable food items.  You can donate the gift card or donate on our website www.liftupatlanta.org . Lift Up Atlanta is in need of medium boxes and bags for the Thanksgiving "bask...

On Thursday October 23 rd , the Moon will move in front of the Sun, partially blocking our nearby star in what astronomers call a solar eclipse.  The event will be visible in Atlanta very late in the afternoon, from 6:01 p.m. until sunset at 6:52 p.m., with approximately 25 percent of the Sun covered by the Moon.  From the Fernbank Observatory, the Sun will only be about ten degrees above the western horizon at the start of the eclipse.  Please note that we will lose the setting Sun in the western tree-line prior to actual sunset. Astronomers at Fernbank Science Center will host activities in concert with the solar eclipse, including a special planetarium program, an observatory open house (weather permitting), and a live web-based broadcast from the Griffith Observatory on the west coast.  Please see the schedule below for complete details: Solar Eclipse Planetarium Program :      5:30 – 6:00 p.m. - Free Solar Eclipse Telescope Viewing...

During a surprise visit to Seacrest Studios,  Meghan Trainor  made Children's Healthcare of Atlanta patients feel like they were the real celebrities in the house. The singer's mega hit “All About that Bass” has become an smash hit, peaking the number one at Billboard for several weeks. THE VOICE at Seacrest Studios is  located in the lobby of Children’s at Egleston. THE VOICE at Seacrest Studios is on the air Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. During this time, patients can come to the studio to learn about radio or introduce songs over the air. They can record greetings and play games with other patients or the center’s interns. Some patients have even  returned to perform . Patients at Children’s at Scottish Rite and Children’s at Hughes Spalding may watch and listen to THE VOICE at Seacrest Studios by tuning to Channel 12 on their TV. Any patient can call THE VOICE at Seacrest Studios to request a song, do a shout-out to a fa...

In a piece for The New York Times, Judith Newman explores her son's relationship with Siri. Gus has autism, and Siri, Apple’s “intelligent personal assistant” on the iPhone, is currently his best friend. Gus had never noticed Siri before, but when he discovered there was someone who would not just find information on his various obsessions (trains, planes, buses, escalators and, of course, anything related to weather) but actually semi-discuss these subjects tirelessly, he was hooked. There are many sweet passages in Newman's story, but the best parts are the conversations between Gus and Siri. Gus: “You’re a really nice computer.” Siri: “It’s nice to be appreciated.” Gus: “You are always asking if you can help me. Is there anything you want?” Siri: “Thank you, but I have very few wants.” Gus: “O.K.! Well, good night!” Siri: “Ah, it’s 5:06 p.m.” Gus: “Oh sorry, I mean, goodbye.” Siri: “See you later!” It’s not that Gus doesn’t un...

Four out of 100 children have some sort of food allergy. Halloween can be a fun holiday for kids, but when you are a kid dealing with food allergies, things like nut-filled candy can be the bogeyman that can ruin the fun. Th is Halloween, FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) is encouraging communities to start a new tradition that will help make this holiday season less scary for children with food allergies: the  Teal Pumpkin Project .  This campaign encourages people to raise awareness of food allergies by providing non-food treats for trick-or-treaters and painting a pumpkin teal - the color of food allergy awareness - to place in front of their house along with a free printable sign from FARE to indicate they have non-food treats available.  The Teal Pumpkin Project is designed to promote safety, inclusion and respect of individuals managing food allergies – and to keep Halloween a fun, positive experience for all. Ideas for Non-foo...

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Straight Stalk. HOW SAFE IS YOUR KID BEHIND THE WHEEL? Distracted driving is a deadly epidemic on America's roads, particularly among teens that are confident in their ability to text or talk while driving. In the United States, injury resulting from motor vehicle crashes is the leading cause of death for young people ages 15 - 20. The sad reality is that with all the advances in technology and teen distracted driving policies and programs available, we still haven't been able to find an effective solution to reduce the risk of car crashes for young novice drivers. As a mother of a teen that's expected to drive within a year, I fear for her safety. I try to teach by example -- practice good driving habits, have road manners, restrain from using the phone while driving, and obey traffic rules, but the reality is there are so many unexpected driving hazards, that it is impossible to feel that you have done enough...