Build a Snowman and Win a Prize
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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Just in time for the big storm – the Scarsdale Recreation Department has announced the Snowman Contest.
Here's how it works:
If the snow arrives tomorrow as planned - build your best snowman or snowwoman, or snow animal.
Take a photo of your creation and send it with your family name and address to the Recreation Department at recreation@scarsdale.com with the subject, "Snowman," and you'll be entered to win a prize.
Contest Rules:
-Each family may submit only one entry
-Your snow creation must be built at your own residence
-All snow creations must be freestanding
-Use as many props, costumes and accessories as you like
-Winners will be judged on creativity
Please note that photos of your snow creation may be included on the Village website or in their brochure. Have your family strike a pose next to your snow creation... it's your chance to be (sort of) famous!
All entries must be submitted by 11:59 PM on Friday, February 10th.
Judging will take place on Saturday, February 11th. (A judge may visit your home to get a closer look.) Winners will be posted on our website and notified via email on Monday, February 13th.
Aaack! It's back! It's Gak! Slime: The Newest Teen Obsession
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- Written by Stacie M. Waldman
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The newest craze among kids and teens is not accessible on a device! Well, the recipes are, but it's actually an arts and crafts-type project that is a bit messy but quite fun to make. In fact it's not new ... just trendy. Some have even found a way to turn it into a business. Parents are claiming that their kids are "obsessed" and some have found themselves buying warehouse-size containers of glue for their eager offspring. Ladies and gentlemen, it's home-made SLIME (also known as Gak)!
"Bottle flipping ended in 2016 and slime is the new in vogue thing for kids in 2017," said one slime-enthusiast's mom. There are countless videos and recipes for slime. The most basic one uses Elmer's liquid glue and Borax: One can make crunchy slime, borax-free slime, scented slime, colored slime, glitter slime, popping slime, magnetic slime and the list goes on. There are many alternative recipes for slime and some include other household products you may not want your kids to use like your contact lens solution and eye drops.
Kids who make slime have been dubbed "Slimers" and hashtags for #slime are abundant (see Instagram). If you don't want to make slime yourself but just want to have it to play with, you can purchase it on one of a myriad of Etsy slime shops or show up at Scarsdale High School (or Scarsdale Middle School) and any one of a number of students can point you in the direction of an entrepreneurial Slimer.
The person who alerted me to this new Scarsdale chemistry experiment has a daughter who said, that in addition to slime-making being fun, easy and customizable, it is good for relieving stress. "I never really thought about this," said her mom. "I mean, green tea and meditation maybe, but slime?" Yup. And now her daughter is concocting new versions of it all the time.
Lizette Smith's kids recently came home and begged her to let them make slime. "We made fluffy slime," she said. "We used Elmer's glue then added shaving cream and contact lens solution. You can add food coloring to this as well. It was yucky but it was fun!"
Another mom relayed the story of her 15-year-old's obsession with slime-making. "She is almost addicted to making this stuff. We have driven all over trying to find the clear Elmer's glue! Apparently, you can concoct your own colors this way. If you use the wrong glue," she added, "it comes out rock hard. And if you get it in carpeting, you thank the universe it happened under her bed. Oh, micro glitter makes it extra special!"
"Cleaning my bathroom 'lab' has a whole new meaning," snickered a mom of two. "And they discovered my Tupperware. But it's better than many other things the kids could be doing so I won't complain."
"My son has been making it and selling it," said a Greenacres mom. As a funny aside, he sent a cease and desist letter to the girls group that tried to copy his idea jokingly threatening legal action."
Another enthusiast reported that you can even make edible fluff using marshmallows and Nutella. (Now you're talking.)
Robin Mayer suggested that I go to CVS and hang out there after school. "Go to the aisle where they sell the Elmer's glue. You'll see 'tween girls buying as much as the can carry. It's actually amazing to see! My seventh grade daughter is totally obsessed with making slime."
"My daughter uses liquid starch instead of borax since it's less toxic," Theresa Harpster told me. "She even made stress balls by putting the slime into balloons. They're actually awesome! She uses borax for those."
Theresa shared with us her daughter's favorite recipe for slime:
Use two bowls.
In one bowl add around ½ a cup of Elmer's glue, food coloring and a bit of water.
In another bowl, put liquid starch and a little water.
Slowly add the liquid starch mixture to the other mixture until you get the texture desired.
You can add shaving cream to the glue mixture to make it fluffy or Styrofoam beads to it to make it crunchy. Glitter makes it prettier.
Inevitably slime will get stuck on their clothes. It will also get into your carpet and on your furniture. Magically and thankfully, there is a recipe for slime removal. You're welcome:
1. Remove excess slime
2. Saturate with white vinegar
3. Run warm water over the area
And if it gets stuck in your child's hair or your own, worry not, for just a spoonful of mayonnaise will help the slime come out.
Friends of Music and the Arts to Host Winter Festival on Sunday
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- Written by Joanne Wallenstein
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The Friends of Music & the Arts (FMA) in the Scarsdale Schools will hold their Winter Festival at the Scarsdale Library on Sunday, January 22, from 3-5 pm. The event will feature a music marathon of student performances plus an exhibit of student art. The event is open to all, refreshments will be served and there will be raffle prizes. The performances are being sponsored with donations to FMA from families, friends and the community at large.
More about Friends of Music & the Arts:
FMA is a not-for-profit community organization that raises funds through family memberships and special events in order to support the music and art programs in all the Scarsdale schools. Each year FMA grants enable each school in the district to purchase "wish list" items such as:
SHS: a video monitor with wall mount for displaying student artwork; shelving and other organizational supplies for the drama department's prop room; storage racks for stringed instruments.
SMS: a new viola outfit, new bows and other strings supplies for the orchestra; an iPad to aid the art department in doing image research.
Edgewood: a heavy-duty paper cutter for the art room.
Fox Meadow: a digital camera and accessories for documenting student artwork.
Greenacres: a workstation for the art room; a bell kit and sheet music for the music department.
Heathcote: portable lightboxes for the art room.
Quaker Ridge: artists' manikins for the art room; bow grips and percussion instruments for the music department.
FMA funds also support a program of recognizing significant high school student achievements with awards and certificates, and FMA hosts an annual Teacher Appreciation Luncheon for the district's arts faculty.
Impressions from the March
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- Written by Sam Blieden
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Throughout my life I've heard of stories of people protesting for what they believe in. From the American colonies boycotting Britain in the 1700's to the civil rights movements of the 60's I learned that one does not need to be famous to have an impact on the world; if you believe something is wrong, go out, vocalize your opinion, and make that change.
This is what happened on Saturday January 21, 2017. Thousands of men, women, and children of all different races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic classes gathered in groups all over the country and even the world to protest for women's rights, partially due to the recent election of Donald Trump and his conservative views. Because of this, there will be a lot of changes in the not so distant future since the government is shifting from a liberal leader. The American people needed to show this new government what we care about and what we want and we did it. The women's march was the largest march in US history, gathering almost 3 million people nationwide. If that does not show Trump what we, as a nation can do, I don't know what will.
Being part of this march was a life-changing event. Walking among thousands of people from all different backgrounds, all fighting for the same cause, is an unforgettable feeling. Around me I could hear enthusiastic chants that united this massive group of strangers into a cohesive body. While marching, I was astounded by the amount of people 
that showed up.
When I returned home that afternoon, I saw what the rest of the United States and world had achieved, causing me to feel even prouder of myself for being part of such a historic day.
Patti Smith's song, "The People Have the Power" truly encompasses the essence of the march. The song reads:
The power to dream, to rule
To wrestle the earth from fools
But it's decreed the people rule
But it's decreed the people rule
Listen, I believe everythin' we dream
Can come to pass through our union
We can turn the world around
We can turn the earth's revolution
We have the power
The march started off as an idea; a dream. Together we were able to turn that dream into a reality and set a strong tone for how the next four years will be; We will fight back. We won't sit around doing nothing. We will actively fight against the system to make a change for the better.
Photos and text by SHS Alternative School Junior Sam Blieden.
Scarsdale's Audrey Pierot Events: Painless Event Planning
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- Written by Stacie M. Waldman
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Anyone who has ever planned a big event or has been a part of one knows how much time, effort, and STRESS goes into it. Many people don't even know where to start. Vendors don't return phone calls, the 12-year-old wants a Bat Mitzvah party that's sounding like thrice your budget, you have a list of 17 DJs or bands and no time to meet with them all...
Enter Audrey Pierot from Audrey Pierot Events. Audrey Pierot Events is a professional event planning service that specializes in all of the micro-details of event planning throughout the tristate area. Audrey Pierot's twenty years of experience in the industry permits her to handle event planning with ease. Her expertise spans all parts of party planning including décor, videography and photography, banquet management, venues, invitations, menu selection, timelines, entertainment and more. She works with people to plan all kinds of social events such as weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, milestone birthdays, anniversaries, and Sweet Sixteens. Audrey Pierot prides herself on her hands-on approach ensuring that her clients are well guided throughout the planning process and she consistently exceeds their expectations. "Party planning and the party itself should be FUN most of all," said Audrey. "This is how I help my clients feel before, during, and after the event."
Audrey Pierot respects the visions and budgets of her clients
helping to ensure that each event is unique and memorable for guests, hosts, and those being celebrated. "Each event should reflect the personality of the person or people being celebrated," she said.
Audrey Pierot's clients certainly feel that she lives up to her hype. One past client said "One piece of advice for your [event] planning fiasco- hire Audrey Pierot! She will make the day feel like it is supposed to- happy, joyous and carefree." Another said, "Audrey is ever present during the event and event planning though never intrusive; she's thorough, relaxed and relaxation producing." Yet another person remarked, "Audrey is one in a million- I cannot say enough about her." In fact, most of Audrey Pierot's clients come from referrals from who have worked with her on past events.
Audrey plans events based on her tried and true philosophies. For Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, she has a "Mitzvah Philosophy." "It's really a 'bridge celebration' as I like to call it. It's the bringing together of different age groups to celebrate a teen's coming of age with both friends and family. It can be tricky," she said. "Sometimes parents and teens have different ideas of how the event will be celebrated. I make sure ALL parties are happy with the party." She always considers a family's tastes and values and makes the planning process enjoyable.
Audrey also has a "wedding philosophy." At weddings two people become life partners and their families join together as well. "Every guest should leave understanding why the beautiful couple fell in love," she said.
In regards to other occasions, Audrey said, "A party should be fun to plan as well as to attend and I aim to accomplish both." Audrey succeeds at doing this again and again by taking her clients' ideas, goals, and visions and executing them throughout the event. She is there the day of the event from start to finish to ensure everything goes as planned.
One thankful client's love letter to Audrey in recognition of the services she provided for her daughter's wedding really says it all: "You did an extraordinary job from start to finish. Designer, friend, meteorologist, shrink, foodie, fashion consultant — you were with us every step of the way! Thanks for making Annabel's day so wonderful."
Audrey Pierot Events
http://audreypierotevents.com
event@audreypierotevents.com
914-439-4338
(This is sponsored content, written by Stacie Waldman)
