Hello lovelies and rascals of the world!!

We are sorry to say that as sad as it may be, this blog is unfortunately coming to a close.

As mentioned in the first post, this blog was created as part of our Direct Response Marketing Class taught by Prof. Brent Pearce of the Concordia University’s JMSB Marketing Program in Montreal, and with the end of the course comes the end of our updates.

We’ve had a lot of fun experimenting with online social networking and helping out the Rascals and Routines line of Haydenburri Lane, and we would like to thank the company from the bottom of our hearts for giving us the amazing opportunity help them spread the love for their products and to help strengthen their corporate image as well.

Thank you, Haydenburri Lane, and all our fans/visitors for continually supporting us throughout these past few months; your feedback means a lot to us!!  An especially big thank you goes out to Brent for his unyielding support and enthusiasm throughout the entire semester, and for all the knowledge, insights and life lessons that he has shared with us in the past few months — your words of wisdom will undoubtedly stay with us for many years to come.

Much love,
Team Rory
(a.k.a. Helena C., Katherine H., Sabine J., Kristin P., Adel S., and Emilie T.)

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PS – For future updates on Rascals and Routines, please visit Haydenburri Lane’s main website at http://www.haydenburrilane.com/

PPS – Rascals and Routines may be coming to a town near you sooner than you think!

When I was a kid my parents and grandparents used to play all kinds of pretend games where I would have to imagine a magical world. One time, when I was 4 years old, my mom asked me to help her set up the table on our verranda. I didn’t want to because I wanted to play and setting up the table didn’t seem like such a fun activity for me. So she asked me to pretend that when I’m walking back and forth from kitchen to the table, I was flying instead of walking. She told me to imagine that there were hungry bears right under the verranda and that we should walk on our tip toes as if we were flying so we don’t wake up the bears.

What is your ideal playhouse like?

Would you dare put up some of these ideas in your home or do you think it’s too dangerous?

Please share your stories and your thoughts with us!

picture sources: www.remodelista.com

Emilie

The show sometimes would “flashback” to Linkletter’s show, Art Linkletter’s House Party. It would show kids (of the time), with their same “cute” reactions of whatever Linkletter would ask or say to them.

Adel S.

On Christmas Eve in Victorian England, Ebenezer Scrooge, a bitter and miserly old moneylender, holds everything that embodies the joys and spirit of Christmas in contempt, refusing to visit his cheerful nephew Fred’s Christmas dinner party with his family, and forcing his underpaid employee Bob Cratchit to beg to take the day off for his own family. That night, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley, who had died seven years prior on Christmas Eve and is now forced to spend his afterlife carrying heavy chains forged from his own greedy ways. Marley warns Scrooge that he will suffer an even worse fate if he doesn’t repent, and foretells that he will be haunted by three spirits that will help guide him.

Adel S.

Babar, doll and amazing book!

Here is a picture of a few of the toys I mentioned last time! Unfortunately I could find all the toys I mentioned! But here is Babar and my red-headed doll, and an amazing book! A classic I think, The Cat in the Hat.

Do these toys bring back any memories?

Have a great day,

Katherine.

Can you believe that the room featured in the photo above is actually a classroom?  More specifically, it’s a classroom in at Berlin’s  Erika-Mann Grundschule II .  The school’s recently revamped environment is amazing – especially since it was designed by the kids themselves in collaboration with Baupiloten, a group of architecture students.

I have no idea what the school curriculum is like but I absolutely love the environment!  I adore the colors and the lighting…  The space and everything is absolutely incredible <3

So how would/do/did you go about picking the right elementary school for your child?  What would be your top criteria? I think for me, the most important thing — aside from having great teachers — is having great facilities and extracurricular programs.  Before all the horrible mergers came in after I graduated, my elementary school had a science lab, computer lab, student kitchen, Mad Science club, chess club, embroidery club, art club… a few friends and I even started a drama club at one point (even though it never made it pass 4th grade)…

~Helena

• they included a red head doll who at the time I thought she needed a hair cut, and now looks pretty funny
• Babar plush animal, I loved him
• Barbies, also with their hair cut, now it stands up weird
• Army men
• Robin action figure

It was quite amusing looking at these pieces of my childhood.  I will post some pictures of these toys as soon as I can.

And now they’ve come up with a new Game Baby and me for Wii, it’s just not the same as playing with a doll! Click here to learn more  Baby and Me for Wii.  Is this new Wii game a little much?

What were your favorite toys as a child? What are you child’s favorite toys?

Katherine

A while back, I caught this episode of the Tyra Banks show where she was talking about people’s names and the stereotyes that are associated them.  It really made me think about the actual process on choosing and deciding on a name for a child.  Many people believe that a name can even go as far as shaping a child’s personality; some even claim that a name can pretty much shape a child’s complete futre. 

Regardless, good or bad, that child will at least have to stick with that name at least until they’re done with high school, and let me tell you – kids can be cruel these days.  So it really baffles me to read about celebrities who give their children names like Pilot Inspektor, or Audio Science (I kid you not!!).  I mean why?? Of all the billions of names out there, why Pilot  Inspektor??  That is just… bizzar… @____@;; 

Anyways, here’s a list of some some of my favorites:

• Audio Science: Shannyn Sossamon
• Fifi Trixibell: Bob Geldof and Paula Yates
• Jermajesty: Jermaine Jackson and Alejandra Genevieve Oaziaza (previously married to Jermaine’s brother Randy)
• Kal-El Coppola: Nicholas Cage (Kal-El is Superman’s original birth name)
• Lark Song: Mia Farrow and André Previn
• Moon Unit: Frank Zappa, also father to Dweezil and Diva Muffin
• Moxie CrimeFighter: Penn Jillette (also father to Zolten)
• Pilot Inspektor: Jason Lee and Beth Riesgraf
• Sage Moonblood: Sylvester Stallone and Sasha Czack

Go to here for more:
Time Magazine’s 50 Craziest Baby Names
Odee’s Backstory to 10 Craziest Baby Celebrity Names

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Do you know the story behind your name?  How long did your parents debate over it before making it official?  How what was/is the naming process like for your child?  Share your story!!!

~ Helena

Today we’ll start sharing our bedtime stories with you.

I live with my mother and we go to bed at different times but before going to bed we like to watch our favorite shows to spend some time together. Then I’d make some green tea for us that always comes with something sweet like cake or a jam sandwich. This is to calm my worn-out mind that keeps going through all the things i’ve done during the day and all the things that have not been done but should have been. This is followed by another 30  minutes of thinking about how I will accomplish all those things like studying, working , cleaning the house and helping out my mom.

Usually she goes to bed before I do but neither of us can go to bed without wishing each other good night. Then I’d wash my face, make sure the teeth are sparkling and jump into dreamland.

Ah! Here come the dreams…

Share your bedtime story with us! The best story told will get goodies from Rascals and Routines.

Sabine.J