Travel Tuesday: 3 Things To Do In Paris

by Vicki Scheck

“Paris? Did someone say Paris?”  Count me in!

But only three things? How does one condense the lures of such a city to only three? After much cogitation, I came to the following:

Walk. A tourist in Paris who doesn’t carve out some time just to walk is, in my opinion, missing part of the magic of that city.  It hardly matters whether one explores some of its winding cobblestone streets or ambles along the Seine or strolls down the Champs Elysees.  The beauty of walking is…well, it allows you time to appreciate the beauty, which is considerable.

Sit. I can hardly envision Paris without picturing myself sitting at a sidewalk café.  It’s so easy to feel we have to fill every minute with some important monument or other that we can sometimes think we’re wasting time if we just sit.  But there can be great value in taking a time-out to savor and absorb the moment.  By custom, the café won’t bring your check (bill) until you request it, so for the price of a cup of (wonderful) coffee or a glass of local, French wine, you may sit there for as long as you wish and watch Paris pass before you.

Ride. Another great thing to do in Paris is to cruise the Seine on a Bateau Mouche or similar sightseeing boat.  A one-hour cruise will pass many of the major sites of Paris, including the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Louvre.  Any time is good, but the “City of Light” really sparkles at night, and cruising past an illuminated Eiffel Tower is one of the things one doesn’t easily forget.

How about you?  If you were to win a trip to Paris, what would you like to see or do there?

Vicki is the VP of Marketing at ScheckTrek Travel. She has a passion for travel, photography and architectural/interior design. You'll want to take a look at her travel blog - it's very informative and has lots of beautiful pictures!

3 Great Reasons to Own a Dog

by Mark McKinney

Mark and Popcorn

Time and time again, history has shown a number of instances of a trusty canine saving his master from injury or even death. Time has also shown countless times of dogs making you laugh or amazing you with how much they seem to act like humans. If you don’t have a dog already, here are three reasons that will hopefully encourage you to get one.


Dogs make you feel safe: On top of being great guards, they also comfort you and make you feel safe. They sit by you and entertain you. When you don’t feel well or are sad, they come to lick your face and snuggle with you.


Dogs are always happy to see you: When you come back from the store and come through the door, they come running to you and are always excited to see you! Even if you leave for an hour or five minutes, their reaction is always the same, happy and excited!


Dogs are cute and playful: On top of being so friendly and loyal, they’re very cute! Maybe we just like big-eyed fury things but there is just something about dogs that will make you enjoy them all the time. They’re also very playful. They love when you throw one of their toys and run to it and run back to it again.


Dogs are great companions. They make you feel safe, are excited to see you, and are always doing funny things that will make you laugh. So why not get a ton of love and happy times?


Mark is a 7th grade student and loves reading, writing, being outdoors, learning languages and, of course, his dog! He blogs, has a website and tweets @MarkDMcKinney. Be sure to check him out!

3 Reasons to Give Your Child Music Lessons

by Ruth Myrick

Why might you want to provide the opportunity for your child(ren) to learn a musical instrument? Different parents have varying motivations. Here we’ll look at the impact it can have on their ability to focus and be productive.

That’s important because much of their day is spent staring at some kind of screen and there are those who fear that this is changing the way they’re able to think—and not for the better. For more on that topic, see Nicolas Carr’s piece in the London Daily Telegraph, “How the internet is making us stupid.”

Being a piano teacher, naturally I am more prepared to tell you the benefits of piano lessons. So here we go: It boils down to 3 C’s — Concentration, Coordination and Confidence.

Reading one line of music, whether playing a simple one-finger melody, or two or three notes one hand at a time…teaches simple to moderate concentration.

Reading two lines of music, playing with both hands, each with a different assignment…teaches a high degree of concentration and coordination.

Reading two lines, using the pedal(s), controlling the volume and speed, with the brain using each muscle a different assignment to perform simultaneously...teaches intense concentration and coordination resulting in confidence.

As one California second-grader put it, “When I perform music, I feel proud.”


Ruth has been inspiring piano students of all ages for over 50 years.  She is currently located in Dallas, TX. For a complete bio and information about her home studio, please visit her website.

3 Reasons to Get Your Sleep in 2011

by Margie McKinney

It's that time of year when we hear a lot about setting goals and kicking bad habits. One factor that can have a significant impact on sticking to our resolutions is getting enough sleep. This isn’t breaking news, but for one reason or another, it’s difficult for us to make going to bed at a reasonable hour a priority. Here are three simple reminders why getting adequate pillow time will move us closer to achieving our goals than will habitually burning the midnight oil.

When we are well rested:   

We tend to take a more positive view of the world, ourselves and others. The possibilities stand out rather than the seemingly endless obstacles.

We have more energy to actively participate in pursuing our goals. 

Our resolve is stronger so we’re less likely to fall back into old, defeating patterns of behavior. As Vince Lombardi once said, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.”

There are of course many other benefits to establishing a healthy sleeping routine, but these are three to get started. What would you add to the list?