As a publicity intern at Workman, my regular work includes putting together press kits and mailings. But every once in awhile, I get a task that’s a little more out of the ordinary! Like when I was recently asked to find a snake piñata for a Splendid Spotted Snake event.

After some brief research, I became determined to make a piñata myself. When I left work that day, I had my mind set on a large, snake-like balloon and papier-mâché piñata, which I would then paint and cover with crepe paper. Once I arrived home and consulted my mother, however, my plan quickly changed after she wisely reminded me that papier-mâché has never been my artistic medium. (To bring you up to speed,  I’ve had some scarring formative papier-mâché experiences: Picture a bespectacled third grader attempting to make a festive paper bowl with just a balloon, newspaper, glue, and a dream. Now imagine a loud balloon pop, a crumpled blob of gluey newspaper, and a newly disillusioned third grader. You get the picture.)  Not to mention, my mother was also careful to point out that the piñatas of my youth were radically unsafe (thanks, Mom), and that newer piñatas are equipped with colorful strings that, when pulled, open a secret trap door in the body of the piñata. The candy is then released into the ecstatic and, most importantly, uninjured group of waiting children. Oh, the wonders of modern piñata technology!

My very splendid, very spotted piñata!

I decided to go to Home Depot to look for a wide pipe of sorts that I could cover with a splendid spotted exterior. Luckily I found one that was lightweight and somewhat flexible. The downside: it was black and ribbed. I bought it anyway, took it home, and cut a hole for the trap door in its “belly.” To cover it, I wrapped it in a taut layer of plaster (the type used to make casts for broken bones — this can actually be found in craft supply stores). This step got rid of the ribs, giving me a splendidly smooth snake body, and covered the black exterior. For the head, I used this same plaster over a balloon (almost too close to the aforementioned bad experience for comfort) and for the tail, I wrapped the plaster over a freehand newspaper cone. Then I waited patiently for these parts to dry and attached it all with yellow duct tape.

Instead of painting it, I decided to give the snake texture by wrapping it in yellow crepe paper. I sprayed the snake with adhesive and then wrapped the snake in strips of the crepe paper.

Lest you think it was ALL about the piñata...there were lots of activities to keep kids entertained!

So now I had a yellow snake with a big hole in its belly! I crafted the spots and face out of felt, and glued them all on with tacky glue. To keep with the theme, I then filled the snake with: gummy worms (like little snakes), gold and red Mardi Gras-type necklaces, and confetti (aka flying spots).

Spots, spots, and more spots! Kids decorated their own spotted snake art.

SPOTTED at the event: Authors Betty Ann Schwartz and Alexander Wilensky!

To seal the great beast’s belly, I sewed one ribbon onto a big sheet of felt, and taped 15 or so ribbons to that same sheet. These were the trick ribbons! Only the magic ribbon would unleash gummy worm joy onto the children. So once the snake’s cavity was stuffed, I fitted the felt into the hole and my snake was complete!

After about 7 hours of crafting, a few haunting childhood memories, and a major glue meltdown, I was done! I  drove my masterpiece into the magical land of New York City, and led it into the magical offices of Workman Publishing, where my efforts were recognized with the  esteemed title of “Intern Extraordinaire”!

The Splendid Spotted Snake piñata made its grand appearance at an event at McNally Jackson in NYC on Saturday, November 5, 2011 where it was a big “hit”–or pull, as the case may be. Thanks again to everyone involved in the success of this event!

Dogs, dogs, dogs! We can’t get enough of them here. And as all dog people know, your most important responsibility is making sure your pup is in tip-top shape. After all, a healthy dog is the happiest dog! In the final installment of our family-friendly My Dog! video series, author and dog expert Michael J. Rosen takes you through a basic 60-second check-up to make sure your pooch is feeling fabulous.

Simple, right? Give it a try — and then go whip up some Liver Lover’s “Brownies” to thank your dog for being so awesome. Trust us, despite your human “eww-that-sounds-gross!” bias, your dog will love ‘em!

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For even more tips, crafts, recipes, and games, check out the official My Dog! website. And make sure to like the My Dog! Facebook page and follow Michael J. Rosen on Twitter (@fidosopher) to keep up on all the latest My Dog! news.

We’ve already established how much we love dogs. But you know what we love most of all? Pictures of pups (either of the gorgeous or hilarious variety)! You, too?! Want to elevate your canine picture-taking game? Let’s turn once again to dog expert, and author of My Dog!, Michael J. Rosen for some picture-perfect tips.

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Got it? Now get out there and start snapping some cool canine pics!

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For even more tips, crafts, recipes, and games, check out the official My Dog! website. And make sure to like the My Dog! Facebook page and follow Michael J. Rosen on Twitter (@fidosopher) to keep up on all the latest My Dog! news.

We know, you’re a procrastinator. You had all weekend to work on a costume, but you were just too busy (or lazy, but maybe that’s just me…). Well, thank your lucky stars, because this morning Megan Nicolay of Generation T has come to save the day!

With the help of former Workman intern and videographer Elan Bird, Megan put together 10 quick and easy Halloween costumes that are clever as can be. Check out the video below for a tutorial. (I’m personally quite fond of the Deviled Egg…) Be sure to visit Generation T’s website or on the Gen T facebook page to ooh and ahh over the clever sketches while you’re pondering which t-shirt will make you the hit of your Halloween party.

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Megan Nicolay, T-shirt revolutionary, is the author of Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-shirt and Generation T: Beyond Fashion.You can find her and many of her fun DIY projects on the web at Generation-T.com, on Facebook at Generation T, and on Twitter @GenerationTee.

Hey, Tri-Staters– Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry’s popular American Idol for books is coming to Manhattan in two weeks! Get your pitches ready… set… go…to the Bowery Poetry Club on October 12, 2011 at 8:00 pm.

(And, if you’re not in NYC, check the calendar — they may be coming to a venue near you very soon!)

What the heck IS a Pitchapalooza? (And do I get to throw stuff?) Well, in a sense, yes! If you’re one of the lucky writers selected, you’ll have the opportunity to throw that brilliant book idea at a panel of publishing industry experts. And who knows… you may just walk away with some leads toward securing a book deal. (Yes, writers have gotten actual legit publishing deals as a result of participating in Pitchapalooza.) But the way it works is: About twenty writers will be selected at random to pitch their book. Each writer gets one minute—and only one minute!

Who are these so-called “industry experts”? Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry (below), aka The Book Doctors, are co-authors of The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published: How To Write It, Sell It, and Market It… Successfully. Arielle Eckstut has been a literary agent for 18 years at The Levine Greenberg Literary Agency. She is also the author of seven books and the co-founder of the iconic brand, LittleMissMatched. David Henry Sterry is the best-selling author of 12 books, on a wide variety of subject including memoir, sports, YA fiction and reference. They have taught their workshop on how to get published everywhere from Stanford University to Smith College. They have appeared everywhere from The New York Times to NPR’s Morning Edition to USA Today.

But, I’m really just going to leave feeling brokenhearted and criticized, right?: Not a chance. At Pitchapalooza, judges will help you improve your pitch, not tell you how bad it is. The panel critiques everything from idea to style to potential in the marketplace and much, much more. Authors come away with concrete advice as well as a greater understanding of the ins and outs of the publishing industry. Whether potential authors pitch themselves, or simply listen to trained professionals critique each presentation, Pitchapalooza is educational and entertaining for one and all.

So what’s my prize? At the end of Pitchapalooza, the judges pick a winner! And that lucky winner will receive an introduction to an agent or publisher appropriate for his/her book. Not too shabby…

Is there a catch? In order to have the opportunity to pitch, you must purchase a copy of The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published. Oh, but anyone who buys a copy of receives a FREE 20 minute consultation, a $100 value. If you don’t want to pitch, the event is FREE.

Not convinced? Here’s the enthusiastic crowd from a Pitchapalooza event at Anderson’s Bookshop in Illinois:

For your further reading and viewing pleasure, check the links below. Otherwise, hope to see you at the next Pitchapalooza!

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New York Times article: http://tinyurl.com/3tkp4gl.

Pitchapalooza mini movie: http://tinyurl.com/3jr8zte.

Pitchapalooza on NBC: http://www.thebookdoctors.com/the-book-doctors-pitchapalooza-on-nbc-television

It’s no secret that I love Tina Fey. My favorite chapter in her book Bossypants was devoted entirely to her father, Don. She writes, “My dad has visited me at work over the years, and I’ve noticed that powerful men react to him in a weird way. They ‘stand down.’ The first time Lorne Michaels met my dad, he said afterward, ‘Your father is impressive.’”

That’s Don Fey.

Well, Lorne, I think it’s high time you met my dad, Bruce. (This is all going to tie into credit cards, I promise.)

That’s Bruce in the center. He kindled that fire.

Because of his natural tendency to be boss, Bruce sometimes does dad-ly things. For instance: One evening in high school, a young man (now a good friend) came to pick me up for a date. (We were going to see Finding Nemo.) I made sure to still be upstairs when this young man arrived, so that I could make a grand entrance. Well, years later I found out that before I got downstairs, my dad actually pulled this young man aside and interrogated him à la dads on sitcoms: He made my date confirm that he would have me home by 10. He may have actually uttered the words, “What are your intentions regarding my daughter?”

So you understand that my dad is just looking out for my best interest when he says, “Credit card companies are out to get you. They’re just looking to get your money.” Naturally, my dad is right. In fact, credit card companies are so notorious for nickle-and-dimeing their customers that the federal government has stepped in on numerous occasions, enacting laws to reign in the companies’ evil ways.

Nevertheless, if you want to save lots of money over the long term, you need good credit. I learned this as I embarked upon Week 1 (Optimize Your Credit Cards) of the 6-week program to financial literacy outlined in Ramit Sethi’s I Will Teach You to Be Rich.

“Our largest purchases are almost always made on credit,” Ramit writes, “and people with good credit save tens of thousands of dollars on their purchases. Credit has a far greater impact on your finances than saving a few dollars a day on a cup of coffee.”

But, Ramit, can it be? Is this really true?

Yes, he says: “If you have good credit, it makes you less risky to lenders, meaning they can offer a better interest rate on loans.” And though I’m not looking to pay for a wedding or buy a house anytime soon, I know that, someday, I might do both. And you say all I have to do to save thousands of dollars in future interest is pay my bill on time each month, not carry a balance, and get my APR lowered and all fees waived? No problem. After all: I’ve never had a credit card.

Believe it, folks. I have managed to live out three post-graduate years without the aid of a credit card. As far as living within my means goes, I’ve made Bruce proud. However, such a scenario does not bode well for aforementioned hypothetical Big Expenses. Of course, perhaps this hypothetical Mr. Right and I will decide to elope. And perhaps we’ll raise our family in a (fabulous, sprawling) rent-controlled New York City apartment, instead of in a house with a mortgage. Regardless: There will still be costs. Furniture. Vacations. Baby strollers. We might need that loan. And in order to get it, I’m going to need that credit.

Which is why I headed to my bank, where Ramit told me I’d find the simplest credit cards for beginners like me. I signed up. I plan to make my dad even prouder: I’m gonna pay that bill in full every month with my future Tahitian vacation in mind. Here’s to you, Dad.

It would seem that, when it comes to personal finance, I have an appetite for (self-)destruction. Three years after college graduation, my levels of anxiety about money are so high that I wake up sweating clammily in my air-conditioned room. Every suggestion made casually by a friend—from the most innocuous (“Let’s grab a drink”) to the more obviously costly (“We should all go to Atlantic City for the weekend!”)—sets off a chain reaction of panic, as my brain struggles to ascertain whether my completely unmanaged budget allows such an indulgence. To dispense with hyperbole: I don’t live beyond my means, per se—I consciously try to limit splurges like dinner out, $12 martinis, and $85 theater tickets to a show that’s basically an extravagant, multilevel, live-action game of Clue played in a restored mansion (be still my theater-geek heart!). But neither do I have a real sense of exactly where my money’s going, and how I can save enough to eliminate worry about the future while still living comfortably in an urban area teeming with tasty, trendy temptations.

In fact, the prospect of delving into the jungle of my finances is so odious that I intend to keep a picture of a certain dashing someone in front of me at all times, in order to remind myself of the finer things in life (and while that thing may now be Rachel Weisz’s, it is still fine).

The name’s Bond. Savings Bond.

Luckily, I’ve turned to another dashing someone for help in this agonizing endeavor. His name is Ramit Sethi, and he is the author of the approachably genius, relentlessly practical, and very funny personal finance guide for twenty- and thirtysomethings I Will Teach You to Be Rich. After many false starts, I have finally succumbed to the call of this neon tome and decided to embark upon Ramit’s 6-week plan to financial literacy. Not that I’m happy about it, mind you. There are many, many things I’d rather do than think about money. Among them: Wax my kitchen floor. Ballroom dance with an emphysemic octogenarian. Cover myself with honey and roll around in a nest of fire ants.

You get the idea.

Quite honestly, I fully expect this experience to be about as fun as Harry’s final battle with Lord Voldemort. I’m right-brained—an English major (creative writing minor) by education, an assistant editor by trade. In the back of my mind, I know what actions I should be taking financially—regularly sending money to savings and retirement accounts, for example, and creating a budget so that I’m not frittering my money away on fun stuff. But savings accounts have pretty low interest rates—should I also be investing? I’ve heard that I should have a Roth IRA even though I’ve got a 401(K)—is that true? And what about the stock market—should I even go near it?? Nononononono cerebral meltdown aaaaAAAHHHhhhh….!

Luckily, Ramit realizes that many of us (me!) get overwhelmed thinking we (me!) need to manage our (my!) money perfectly, which leads us to do nothing at all. So he proposes an 85% solution, encouraging us to act and get it 85% right rather than do nothing at all. “Think about it,” Ramit writes, “85% of the way is far better than 0 percent. Once your money system is good enough—or 85% of the way there—you can get on with your life and go do the things you really want to do.” I think this guy just read my mind. Plus, I appreciate his tough-love approach—he doesn’t hesitate to call us out on our tendency to blame other people and circumstances for our fiscal ignorance. Ramit feels like the real thing.

But the bottom line is: I’ll be 26 soon. It’s more than time to get a handle on this stuff. So join me as I take on this Herculean challenge. Week 1′s post on optimizing your credit cards goes up tomorrow. (And I promise you, it’s not nearly as mind-numbingly boring as you might think.)

“After reading this book,” Ramit writes, “you’ll be better prepared to manage your finances than 99 percent of other people in their twenties and early thirties. You’ll know what accounts to open up, ways not to pay your bank extra fees, how to invest, how to think about money, and how to see through a lot of the hype that you see on TV and in magazines every day.”

Sounds like a recipe for exactly what I’m looking for—peace of mind. Ramit, teach me to be rich. If all goes as planned, at the end of these six weeks, I expect to find myself living in Paradise City.

With the long 4^th of July weekend quickly approaching it’s time to plan our holiday barbeques and picnics! After my fiasco of an Independence Day barbeque last year, where everyone showed up with a bag of chips and my grill lost a leg, I admit to dreading this year’s July 4th. Last year I winged it. This year, I had planned on staying in and sulking (just a little) until I recently discovered a foolproof (or me-proof) answer to last year’s holiday disaster: Celebrate! by Sheila Lukins.

With knockout recipes in line with Lukins’ Silver Palate Cookbook, Celebrate! offers 46 menus for entertaining on special occasions, be it a Kentucky Derby-inspired buffet or a Labor Day picnic. As an added bonus, Lukins suggests extra touches to make an event even more special, including music selections, wine recommendations, and decoration tips.

This year, I’m ready to conquer this holiday armed with Lukins’ “Bang-Up Fourth of July” menu, which includes recipes for Glorious Gazpacho, Dazzling Grilled Veal Chops, Outrageous Lobster Salad Rolls, A Decorative Cucumber Salad, Garden Squash Salad, Fresh Peach Cobbler, and Buttermilk Ice Cream.

I’m especially excited about the Garden Squash Salad below, since there is an amazing farmer’s market close to my apartment!

Garden Squash Salad

Summer squash, both zucchini and yellow, are crisp and delicious when served raw and very thinly sliced in a salad. Dressed with plenty of lemon juice and Parmesan cheese (look for the finest Parmigiano-Reggiano), it matches up well with peppery arugula and some fine ripe tomatoes.

4 small zucchini, ends trimmed

4 small yellow squash, ends trimmed

½ cup fresh lemon juice

¼ cup extra-virgin live oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

8 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved or cut into thin slivers

2 large bunches arugula (12 ounces total), stems trimmed, leaves washed and patted dry

2 large ripe tomatoes, cored

¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Cut the zucchini and squash into very thin slices on the diagonal and place them in a bowl.
2. Whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper together in a small and toss with the squash. Let the squash rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Then add the cheese.
3. Place the arugula in a salad bowl. Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise, and then into very thin wedges, and scatter them over the greens.
4. Just before serving, spoon the squash and dressing over the arugula and tomatoes. Sprinkle with parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, tossing the salad at the table.

For the full menu, including this Garden Squash Salad from Sheila Lukins’ “Bang-Up Fourth of July” menu, see the excerpt below, via Scribd:

Celebrate Pp132 137

Okay, it’s officially summer, and the livin’ is easy: We’re spending our first weekends at the beach, lazy afternoons in the park, maybe the sprinkler’s on in the backyard–and ooh–playtime! I grew up with lots of siblings who like to play games and have been fortunate to continue to grow up around lots of little ones who also like to play. Here are three no-fail outdoor games for every age from Bobbi Conner’s Unplugged Play: No batteries. No plugs. Pure fun.

Toddlers (age 1-2):

Water Painter (page 72 , in case you happen to be following along in your books) is an activity that’s simple to set up and even easier to clean up. Gather together some small plastic buckets (and a paint tray if you have one), fill them about 2 inches with water, and gather up paint brushes and rollers. Bathing suits optional!

Toddlers love to “paint” the deck, sidewalk, patio, railings, or deck furniture. And they’re very persistent–even when the designs evaporate quickly in the sun. The no-fail element is that this one works wherever there’s a relatively smooth outdoor surface to paint on–whether they’re painting the paved suburban sidewalk or the steps of a city brownstone.

Preschoolers (age 3-5):

Bucket-Head (page 195) requires a little bit of setup, but it’s worth it. Once you have the “bucket head,” the game is pretty irresistible, even for the adults with a silly side (yes, I’ve been known to not only play, but excel at Bucket-Head from time to time). For each bucket head, you need a plastic headband, some sticky Velcro tabs, and a clean 8-oz plastic container (like a Cool Whip tub). Remove the lid from the container and attach a few Velcro tabs in a line on the outside bottom. Then stick the corresponding tabs along the top of the headband. Attach the container to the headband, put on the headband–congratulations, you’re a bucket head! Gather up some small sponge or Nerf balls, or ping-pong balls, and start playing. To avoid getting hit in the face, the bucket head can turn with his or her back to the tosser, but the idea is to get the ball into the bucket. Fair warning: once the bucket heads are on, there’s no telling what new game might be invented. Can you scoop the ball off the grass with your bucket head? Can you toss the ball from your bucket head? No-fail because who doesn’t love a Bucket-Head?!

Gradeschoolers (6-10):

Beanbag Target Toss (page 271) is a combination of two classics: Beanbag Toss and Darts. Grab some sidewalk chalk and draw a circular target split into pie pieces with a bull’s eye in the middle. Assign each section a number of points and draw a “pitching line” several feet away. If there’s a group, simply take turns to see who can score 50 points first. Or, if your kid wants to go solo, add a timer–see if he or she can reach a score of 50 before the buzzer sounds! No-fail because it’s competitive and they get to add (see, you can still brush up on your math skillz even when school’s out for summer!).

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And lest we leave anyone out, here’s a suggestion for the older set (kids at heart and all that–or those who want to mix some cocktails with their play)–check out The Games Bible by Leigh Anderson (I’m especially partial to “Get Down, Mr. President!” on page 310). No-fail element: the tackle. Need I say more?

When plans to escape the city fell through on a sunny Saturday, my friends and I did what any backyard-deficient New Yorker would do and headed to Central Park. Packed in our bags were the essential staples of a summer afternoon—a frisbee; a baseball and gloves; salads of the egg, fruit, and potato variety—and the bible of the season, Suzanne Brown’s Summer: A User’s Guide, a book packed with tips for making the most of a warm afternoon.

Like Ms. Brown, I am madly in love with summer—the smell of Coppertone is enough to get my heart racing—so in honor of the first day of the season, I bring you one of her tips for living life to the fullest in the upcoming months:

How to Play Beach Volleyball

Scout out a quiet place away from the water and sunbathers, then draw lines in the sand that measure approximately 30 feet wide by 60 feet long.

The serving player must hit the ball over the net and inside the court lines within three attempts. If the server fails to successfully place the ball within three serves, the opposing team gains control.

Players rotate positions clockwise whenever their team gains control of the ball (Thus, each team has a new server at that time.)

Once the ball is hit over the net to the opposing team, a player cannot contact the   ball twice in a row unless the first touch is off a block at the net. A player cannot grab the ball, allow it to come to rest in his hand, or touch the net. If he does so, he forfeits the ball to the opposing team.

A point is earned when the serving team wins a rally, or an ace is served.

The first team to reach 15 points wins. A match is played in sets of three or five games.

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This summer (which officially starts TODAY!), before you head off to your beach bungalow, pack a picnic for the park, or spend a day in the shade, pick up Summer: A User’s Guide and make the best of this short and sweet season.