That feeling of regret stems from a powerful reality: many adults in the U.S. were not taught the fundamental rules of money. Today, many carry a heavy burden of debt, including a staggering national student loan debt total of $1.814 trillion. While 62% of U.S. adults own stock in some form, that ownership is highly unequal. For those aged 55-64, the median household retirement savings is only $185,000 – a fraction of what is needed for a comfortable retirement

At KidBiz Hub we aim to break this cycle. We believe that starting is the key. Making “money talks” a regular part of your family’s financial hygiene will pay huge dividends. The biggest dividend of all – mindset.

It starts by getting our children involved in real-world financial education. Our goal is to educate the parents and the kids, proving that it is never too late to start changing your family’s financial trajectory.

The True Cost of Delay: A $100,000 Lesson

The difference between a child learning fundamental finance now and waiting until college (or even later!) is monumental. According to a recent report, a student who takes just one personal finance class in high school can expect a lifetime financial benefit of approximately $100,000.

We saw this beneficial change happen right in front of our eyes in our recent Money Magic Class.

As we sat in a small group, discussing the emotions—the fear, shame, and confusion—that often arise when adults talk about money, the children were focused, understood the logic, and asked amazing questions. In my opinion they left visibly changed by this one 2 hour lesson. 

Generational wealth doesn’t have to be a burden defined by “what will I leave behind.” Instead, let’s redefine it by asking: How early can my kids grow their own? With honesty, time, compounding, and the right financial education on both sides, we can help our kids become independent and well-off much earlier in life.

Why Financial Literacy for Teens Cannot Wait

Our Money Magic Class is not about theory; it’s about application. We focus on the most important force in wealth creation: starting & compounding.
Imagine the difference between a high school student starting with $500 versus waiting 10 years to start. The compounding effect of even small amounts of money invested in the right stocks can change your kid’s future forever. We teach them the system:

• Money’s Three Jobs: How to automatically allocate funds to make sure your money is put to work right away.

• Beating Inflation: Why assets like stocks and precious metals are essential to stop their savings from losing value.
• The Blueprint: The step-by-step process of opening a custodial brokerage account to start investing today.

This is the power of financial literacy for teens – it replaces “should have, would have, could have” with the immediate confidence of “I Did It.” The earlier we “do” the less room there is for the regret of “should, would, could”.  

Start Now: Join our Money Magic Class and the Junior Investor Club

No matter your current money mindset, no matter the fear, shame, or confusion you might feel about your own finances, we are here to help. Your child’s financial future doesn’t have to look like the national statistics.

We are on a mission to spread the message that outdated education is costing us dearly, and we are already building something better. The Money Magic Class and the Junior Investor Club are here to show you the fundamentals and empower your child to become a confident, capable investor.

There is no better time than now to start.

Interested in more articles about financial literacy for teens?

Click here to read articles my 14 year old has been writing in her Money Smart Teen series.

Our first annual Gold Country Youth Business Fair at Columbia State Historic Park wasn’t just a place where kids sold cool stuff. It was a powerful showcase of courage, creativity, and the spirit of entrepreneurship. With 24 booths and many young minds in action, this event highlighted the real impact that programs for young entrepreneurs can make in local communities.

A Youth Business Fair With Purpose

Unlike traditional business fairs, the Gold Country Youth Business Fair was the culmination of a structured youth entrepreneurship program offered by KidBiz Hub—something any of my previous fairs in Morgan Hill didn’t have. This year, we paired real-world business experience with hands-on learning through our program. It became clear how valuable this approach is: kids who went through our program weren’t just guessing how to run a business—they came really prepared (super proud of them, btw!).

How KidBiz Hub Was Born

My personal journey as a mom, creative entrepreneur, and homeschooling parent sparked something unexpected. In 2019, I hosted a small summer class called Big Ideas Start Small. It was a basic business workshop for kids. I had no idea it would evolve into a community movement.

By 2021, I launched the first Morgan Hill Children’s Business Fair. Four years later, KidBiz Hub was born—offering structured programs for young entrepreneurs. Today, we’re proud to bring that vision to life through events like the Gold Country Youth Business Fair.

Mindset Over Money: The KidBiz Philosophy

At KidBiz Hub, we believe youth entrepreneurship is about mindset, not just money. Our mission is to help kids develop:

• Problem-solving skills
• Grit and resilience
• Financial literacy and smart money habits
• Confidence in public speaking
• Courage to fail and try again
• Independence and self-worth
• A love for real-life learning

These aren’t just business skills—they’re life skills.

Why Programs for Young Entrepreneurs Matter

These young vendors didn’t just show up. Some completed our full KidBiz Hub course, earning certificates for mastering business fundamentals. Our program takes students from idea to execution: developing a business plan, designing branding, creating websites, and even practicing public speaking and pitching. Unlike many simulation-based courses, we prioritize real-world experience.

Participants pitched to live judges, faced real-time feedback, and even competed in the open marketplace. Through it all, they learned one of the most powerful lessons: failing is part of learning—especially when done in a safe, supportive environment.

Celebrating Youth Entrepreneurship

With the help of three engaged judges and a supportive crowd, the fair became a fun, competitive learning arena. We offered cash prizes in two age brackets (8–12 and 13–16) and gave out special awards for creativity, innovation, and presentation. These young entrepreneurs truly rose to the occasion, proving that kids can thrive when given the right tools and platform.

Powered by Community

None of this would be possible without our community. From Mother Lode Job Training providing classroom space, Friends of Columbia helping us secure an amazing Columbia State Historic Park venue, to sponsors like Black Oak Casino Resort – our top tier sponsor. We received an amazing media support from Calaveras Enterprise, the Union Democrat and Sonora Living.
I also want to give a special shout out to the Calaveras Community TV – where we filmed our sponsors’ interviews – head over to our YouTube channel to watch them. This event was a true team effort. Every volunteer, donor, and shopper helped bring this vision to life. Together, we created something that uplifts youth and unites local families.

For the entire list of 2025 event’s sponsors head over to KidBiz Hub website.

Giving Back: Sierra Schole’s Big Win

One standout moment? We awarded a $500 donation to Sierra Schole in Murphys for sending the most student-run booths. This homeschooling co-op outperformed larger schools, proving that dedication, not size, determines impact. Giving back is part of our mission—and part of what sets KidBiz Hub apart from other programs for young entrepreneurs – we are leading the way in showing the youth what true community and networking within it is.

What’s Next for KidBiz Hub?

The Gold Country Youth Business Fair is only the beginning. We’re expanding with more programs for young entrepreneurs, including our StartUp Hub and Money Magic courses. Our long-term vision is to grow a generation of financially savvy, confident, and free young leaders—especially in underserved communities.

If you’re looking for meaningful programs for young entrepreneurs, KidBiz Hub is here to lead the way.

I started learning about all this back in 2022 when we began homeschooling and my mom realized that schools barely teach anything about money. She wanted me and my sister to grow up confident with our finances, not confused, like she was raised. So we made it a part of our learning—and honestly, it’s changed my life.

It’s been over a year since I launched my Money Smart Teen blog series, and wow—so much has happened. If you’re new here, hi! I’m just a regular teen sharing my money journey: the wins, the mistakes, and what I’ve figured out along the way.

Today I’m giving you an update on my goals, what I’ve learned this year, and what’s next!

Did I Accomplish My 2024 Goals?

In the first part of this series, I shared two goals I wanted to accomplish by the end of 2024. 

1. Make an online store for my art business
2. Double my money

So… did I crush both? Not exactly. But I still call this year a win. Here’s why:

🎨 The Art Business Pivot

I had originally planned to launch an online store to sell my paintings. But before I went live, my mom encouraged me to do a cost-per-unit breakdown of my products. After running the numbers, I realized that I had been pricing most of my art below the cost to make it! Technically, I wasn’t losing money (yet), because my mom had been covering my supplies. But she let me know that from now on, I’d need to buy materials myself.

After thinking it over, I made the decision to discontinue my art business. The art didn’t sell that well at local business fairs, and increasing prices didn’t seem like the right move.

Instead of giving up on entrepreneurship, I pivoted. 

🌿 Introducing: Naturalina

I didn’t give up on entrepreneurship entirely, though. I instead started a new business, Naturalina! I sold natural body care products I made, as well as jewelry made from paint scraps of my art!

I attended multiple business fairs throughout 2024 and 2025 selling these products, and this business was much more successful.

In 2024 I also won a business fair with this business, and another fair is coming up soon. So even though I didn’t reach this goal the way I first imagined, I found something better.

Now, about doubling my money…

I crushed it!!! Not only did I accomplish this goal, but I way exceeded it. I reinvested my profits from Naturalina into my brokerage account, and thanks to smart choices (and the magic of compound interest and dividends), my account grew! Not only that—I started receiving monthly income from dividends. It’s not a lot yet, but it was my first taste of passive income, and it made me love learning about investing.

This is one of the biggest reasons why I believe financial education for teens should be way more common. We’re never too young to start.

If you would like to learn about how financial education is approached in our family my mom has a Money Magic class for kids (and their parents), where she teaches the very basic fundamentals of investing we do in our home. You can sign up using this link – I will be there, too. Answering questions and sharing my journey!

My 2025 Financial Goals

1. Get my monthly income to $25.

I want to be getting $25 a month from dividends, which I’m pretty close to right now! I’m certain I’ll accomplish this goal, since the year is half over and I’m at around $20 a month right now. Pretty happy about that!

2. Double my money.

Again, I am trying to double my money this year. It’s a little harder, though, since the money I’m trying to double is more! I’m not quite sure I’ll make it, but I’m trying!

3. Fund a Roth IRA

This goal is already completed! I opened a Roth IRA and funded it using my business earnings. This means I’m not just investing for now, I’m investing for my future. The money I put in will grow tax-free for decades, which could make a huge difference when I’m older. Retirement might be far away, but getting started now gives me a major head start.

My Investing Progress

One of my favorite investments right now is a monthly dividend-paying ETF. It gives me solid long-term growth potential and a consistent stream of income every month. It’s been one of the biggest reasons I’ve been able to get so close to my $25/month passive income goal.

There’s another investment I like, too, it’s a business development company that also pays monthly dividends. Its payout isn’t as high as the ETF, but it’s still helped me grow my income and diversify what I’m holding.

Earlier this year, I sold one of my older investments that I had been holding onto for a long time and made about a 77% profit on it! That was a huge win. I used that money to reinvest in my favorite dividend-paying assets because…

I love dividends!!

My Money Journey So Far and Why Financial Education for Teens Matters

This past year has been full of changes, lessons, and wins. I didn’t reach both of my original 2024 goals in the way I planned, but I found better paths and learned so much along the way. I discovered a new, better business, opened my Roth IRA, grew my investments, and fell in love with dividends. If you’re just starting your money journey, remember: it’s okay to pivot, try new things, and even fail a little. What matters is that you keep learning and growing. 

That’s why I believe financial education for teens is so important. We don’t need to wait until we’re adults to make smart money decisions. The earlier we start learning, the more confident—and financially free—we’ll be later on.

If financial education for teens is something you care about too, check out my mom’s class Money Magic! It’s the program we use at home to learn about investing, passive income, and all the smart money moves I talk about here. She teaches the foundations in a super fun and easy-to-understand way.

Thanks for following along with me so far! I’ll keep sharing what I learn and where I go next. And if you’ve got money tips or goals of your own, drop them in the comments—I’d love to hear them!

P.S. Want to see what I’m actually investing in? I made a free PDF with my 3 favorite dividend-paying stocks that have helped me grow my monthly income. If you’re curious what they are—and why I chose them— fill out the form below. It’s super simple, and it might give you some ideas for your own money journey!

It’s a scorching, sunny day.. You’re wandering around Columbia State Historic Park when suddenly, you come across a small, wooden shack. A sign in front says ‘Portal Through Time!’ It doesn’t seem very impressive, and it probably doesn’t do anything.. You think, “What’s the worst that can happen?” So you step through and..
Everything has changed!! The streets are no longer deserted, and instead filled with crowds of people, hustling to and fro! But what’s this? These people.. what in the world are they wearing?? All of their clothes seem waaay outdated. You decide to look around and spot a wooden building, with a sign atop reading: “General Store.” All the produce are in odd wooden crates, and the person behind the counter greets you so strangely! “Good day to you! How may I assist you in our humble establishment?” She says merrily.
This certainly isn’t your normal Walmart! Nothing about this place is normal!! Where in the world are you!?!?!
More like WHEN in the world are you! You’re still in Columbia, only you’ve been transported to the Gold Rush days, almost 175 years ago!!

This is the magic of Diggins 1852, Columbia State Historic Park’s biggest event of the year!

How I learned about Diggins 1852

In May of 2023, I visited Columbia State Historic Park for the very first time, and I was blown away! 

My initial assumption as we stepped out of the car was that it’d just be some mediocre historical park with old buildings and some museums, nothing exciting. Boy was I in for a surprise 😉

Diggins was so much more than just some buildings and pictures from the old days; it was the old days. There were people of all ages walking about the streets, dressed as miners and merchants from the 1850’s. Tents and small buildings were set up where you could buy things like old-fashioned toys and games, baked goods, and sarsaparilla! There was even a theater, where you could watch a musical, and a post office were you could write letters with those fancy schmancy ink pens and stamp them with wax! THE LIST GOES ON!!

I was seriously impressed, and, seeing other kids my age, wondered if I could take part in the event as well!

And thus began the journey of how my mom, sister and I (I dragged those two along) became official Columbia Docents! 

Participating in Diggins of 2024!

Finally, In May of 2024, we stepped out of the car, fully dressed in our own fancy 1850’s dresses, ready to participate in Diggins! Not just as visitors, but as the people in costume! We made it!!

Eeeeeeeeeeee!!!! (I was super excited, but also somewhat nervous!)

The bakery was the first place we were going to work while volunteering at Diggins 1852. There, we were selling lemonade, sugar cookies, fresh bread, scones, and more!! I remember, when I was at Diggins as a visitor, I wanted to get something from the bakery so bad, but sadly we didn’t 🙁
Although the next year, when we participated as docents, I did end up getting to try some of the pastries! Win-win!

Kids in the old days may not have had water balloon fights, but who says we couldn’t have simple water fights? At the end of the Diggins days, my sister and I were throwing water at each other and some of our other friends. We all ended up soaked and muddy, but it was a nice refresher from the scorching weather!

Also, apparently my sister and I frown too much–some very melancholy gentleman selling apples told us to smile more. Thanks apple guy 🍎 👍

There were some other fun aspects of Diggins 1852 as well. On one day, around noon, the militia came marching out, raised the flag, and shot into the air. It was loud, but really awesome to witness. Additionally, there was a fight! If I remember correctly, someone had cheated while gambling and got caught! It was quite entertaining to watch!!

It’s impossible to put into words just how vibrant and immersive Diggins is. Thinking back to the water fights and Mr. Apple Guy always brings a smile to my face! Writing this blog post has made me remember just how much I loved being there 🙂

The next Diggins event will be this May, so if you want to experience just how lively and enjoyable this historical reenactment is in person, mark up your calendars and join the fun!

Now, I’m gonna let you in on a little secret.. 🤫 If you become a docent and participate in Diggins.. yougetdeliciousvanillaicecream!! SHHHH you didn’t hear it from me!!

Resources

1. Friends of Columbia State Historic Park Website
2. California Department of Parks and Recreation
3. Columbia State Historic Park Events
4. How to Become a Volunteer For CSHP

What Makes Pão de Queijo Special?

Brazilian cheese rolls aren’t your typical bread. Unlike traditional wheat-based rolls, these are made with tapioca flour, giving them their signature chewy, stretchy texture, and making them naturally gluten-free. They have a slightly crispy shell, a soft, almost gooey middle, and an amazing cheesy flavor. Plus, you can play around with different cheeses and seasonings to fit your tastes.

Ingredients

1 cup milk

½ cup avocado oil

2 cups tapioca flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

½ cup grated cheddar cheese (medium or sharp)

½ grated parmesan cheese

Optional:

Garlic powder – I like putting garlic powder, gives it a good flavor

Herbs – like oregano or thyme

Chili flakes – for a hint of spice

Extra cheese! – mix in different cheeses for different flavors, or sprinkle some on top before baking

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray, or rub with butter.

Add all ingredients except the cheeses and blend until combined and smooth.

Add cheeses and blend again until fully incorporated.

Add to muffin tin, fill each well ¾ full (Don’t let the batter sit too long, or the cheese may settle at the bottom.)

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the rolls are puffed and golden.

Serve warm for the best texture.

Get to baking!

If you love cheese, these Brazilian cheese rolls are a must-try. They’re crispy, chewy, cheesy, and completely addictive. Once you make them, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without them!

They’re naturally gluten-free, which makes them a fantastic option for anyone with gluten sensitivities. But even if you’re not gluten-free, you’ll still love them.

So what are you waiting for? Preheat that oven and get baking, you’re going to love them! And let me know what you think of them in the comments!

Want something sweeter?

If you’re feeling snacky for something sweet, check out these homemade Nutter Butters! They’re gluten-free and the perfect kind of sweet, but much healthier than the ones from the store!

Seeing the spotlight on Gen Alpha’s entrepreneurial spirit and financial literacy just reinforces why I do what I do. The Acorn report, mentioned in that article, highlights the entrepreneurial spirit and financial savvy of Gen Alpha. This only proves that kids are capable of grasping financial concepts at a young age. Both of my kids are great examples of that. They started investing and learning about money at the ages of 10 and 12. Today, they are more equipped for the future than most adults I know. 

The Importance of Financial Literacy for Kids

My own daughters started learning about financial literacy at 10 and 12. I acquired this knowledge when I was 40.

It’s never too early. It’s never too late!

Frankly, this article and the report also make me a little sad. My own daughters started learning about financial literacy at 10 and 12. I acquired this knowledge when I was 40, and still learning, right there, with my kids. Consider all those years I spent just trying to get by. I was fumbling in the dark because I didn’t understand the basics! How many of you feel the same way? 

Based on an article from November of 2024 on Wallet Hub only 23% of Americans are debt free. When you consider that those “debt free” sometimes don’t count their mortgages, the number could be even lower.

People are busy working for dollars. They are even more busy spending them. It seems like only about 20% of them are learning how to make that hard-earned money work for them, instead.

In my career as a mom, and it’s been a long one, I noticed one pattern. Parents overschedule their kids’ calendar with activities of very little importance to prepare them for adult life. Yet very few of them think about financial literacy for kids.

Early financial education has a lasting impact on children’s financial well-being. Kids who learn about money management at a young age are more likely to develop responsible spending habits. They are also likely to save for the future. These kids make sound financial choices as adults. Additionally, early exposure to financial concepts can foster an entrepreneurial spirit. It encourages kids to explore business opportunities and develop innovative ideas.

What resonates in the Entrepreneur article is the mention of kids witnessing their parents’ financial struggles and consciously choosing a different path. That’s powerful and so true! It’s a wake-up call. These young people are taking charge of their futures, and they’re doing it earlier than many of us ever did. As the saying goes: “hard times create strong men” and this is a great example of that.

The Impact of Early Financial Education

The good news is Gen Alpha is learning from their parents’ money mistakes.

Children as young as 6 years old already planning for major life purchases. 

Financial literacy for kids isn’t just about knowing how to balance a checkbook or save bday money in a piggy bank. It’s about developing a healthy relationship with money, understanding its value, and making informed financial decisions. Unfortunately, many schools don’t focus on financial education, they don’t offer it at all! That leaves parents to fill the gap. But what if the parents themselves, as the statistics show, don’t know what to do? 

Well, that is why programs like Kid Biz Hub and youth business fairs are so vital. They’re not just cute extracurricular; they’re equipping the next generation with the tools they need to thrive. The article that inspired me to write this post only confirms it. All the effort, all the passion poured into these initiatives? As much as sometimes I dwell and doubt the importance of what I do, deep inside I know it’s absolutely worth it. It’s changing lives. And that’s why this article and the report brought so much happiness and even more motivation to my life. 

Empowering Your Child’s Financial Future

About 20% of kids in this Gen Alpha have started saving for an emergency fund. That’s impressive knowing that 25% of adults don’t have an emergency fund, and 46% aren’t planning to start one.

I’m bursting with pride when I see my girls’ money mindset develop. It took us less than two years to see the tremendous growth. The maturity of their financial decisions, their long-term planning…it’s astonishing. I can have conversations with my 12-year-old that I can’t have with most adults. She can give me investing advice most adults wouldn’t even understand. Both of my kids have a clear vision for her future and are already planning for it. Not by dreaming and making vision boards, but by being very wise with all the money they get.

Believe me, I am no expert in money management. My kids have seen me struggle. But I made the first step. I opened a custodial investment account for them and that’s where it all started. We also have Financial Fridays where we sit at the table and talk money.

Small and steady wins the race. They might not be millionaires yet but they definitely have millionaire mindsets.  

As a parent, you play a vital role in shaping your child’s financial future. Even if you don’t know where to start here are some ways you can empower your child to build a strong financial foundation:

(1) Start early: Financial literacy for kids can start as soon as your child can understand basic math. Talk to them about money. Be honest. Share your failures and successes. KidBiz Hub has a Money Magic class offered to kids and their parents. Super fun. Super simple. Yet, very impactful!

(2) Lead by example: Model responsible financial behavior and involve your child in family financial discussions.

(3) Encourage saving and investing: Help your child set financial goals and develop a savings plan.

(4) Support entrepreneurial endeavors: If your child shows an interest in business, encourage their ideas and give guidance.

(5) Seek out resources: Explore programs like KidBiz Hub. Attend local youth business fairs. These avenues offer financial education and entrepreneurial opportunities for kids.

But here’s the thing, moms and dads: This isn’t something that just happens. These kids aren’t born with an innate understanding of compound interest, dividends or budgeting. They learn it. And the best place for them to learn it? From you. Don’t let your kids reach 40 and realize they’ve missed out on years of financial growth. Believe me, I know the pain, most likely you do too.

Start now.

Start small.

Start anywhere. You can start by reading my 14-year-old’s blog post about Money Smart Teen.

Your kids’ future selves will thank you for it. Investing in your child’s financial education is one of the best gifts you can give them. It’s not about filling their schedule with dance classes, softball games, and gymnastics. It’s not about making their childhood as stress-free and hard decisions free as possible. Remember, without financial stability, your kids are doomed to repeat the cycle of debt and anxiety about the future. Is that what you want for them? I don’t think so. 

I bet a bunch of those books are super boring though. And many books written these days are made by AI. The amount of books out there only proves that people love to read, right? If they didn’t then nobody would be writing all these books. Well, I am one of those people who LOVE LOVE LOVE to read. And today I want to share with you my top 5 book recommendations for tweens.

I LOVE reading mostly fantasy books, but also Sci-Fi and even WWII stories.

What books do YOU like reading? Not sure? Maybe you’re looking for recommendations. Well, you’ve come to the right place! I know a few books that other tweens/teens enjoy!

Let’s start:

Wings of Fire by Tui T. Sutherland

Wings of Fire is my favorite book series. The biggest reason for that is probably the fact that it takes place in a world FULL of dragons, and as you MOST LIKELY already know, I love dragons(hint, my name is AriesDragonGirl)

The story begins with the 7 dragons tribes locked in a war that has lasted 2 decades, known as the SandWing Succession. Five dragonets from the divided tribes are raised together to hopefully bring peace to the continent.

This series has a total of 16 books, and isn’t even finished yet! There is also a TV show being made, which I am so excited for! 

Unbroken Laura Hillenbrand

Now, this is a book for those of you who enjoy learning about History. More specifically, WWII. Unbroken is a true story about the life of a man named Louis Zamperini. He survived the Japanese POW camps for two long, grueling years.

I found Unbroken to be a very interesting and compelling story. I think others my age that are interested in WWII would enjoy reading it too.

Lockwood & Co. by Jonathan Stroud

Lockwood & Co is my SECOND favorite book series, coming VERY close to beating Wings of Fire.

This book series takes place in a world where ghosts of all kinds haunt England. There are even big agencies created to help stop the spread of the undead. Some people have the ability to See, Hear, or Feel these ghosts. But not just any people.. KIDS. Only people younger than twenty can sense these ghosts, and as you get older, the abilities fade.
Lockwood & Co’s main protagonist is a girl named Lucy Carlyle who can Hear ghosts. After a tragic accident, she leaves her home town to London, where she joins a very small ghost-fighting agency called Lockwood & Co.

The series consists of 5 books, and each brings new, thrilling adventures to Lucy’s life.

And after reading, you can go watch the first season of a TV show adaptation on Netflix!

Restart by Gordon Korman

First of all, this book made me laugh. Like, REALLY laugh. Laugh so hard I was wheezing. And it’s not like it was a particularly funny one to read, there were just TWO PAGES that were absolutely HYSTERICAL! But aside from that, this book has an amazing plot and theme.Restart is about a 13 year old boy named Chase who got amnesia after falling off his roof. He doesn’t remember anything. The book follows the next few weeks of Chase’s life as he tries to figure out who he was, and who he’s going to be.
I really enjoyed reading Restart, and I think anyone, no matter what genre you prefer, would like this book.

The Graveyard book by Neil Gaiman

At first, I didn’t think this book was going to turn out to be much. But boy oh boy, never judge a book by its cover.

The Graveyard Book is the story of a boy called Nobody Owens, a boy raised by ghosts in a Graveyard. The book follows his life as he grows, meets new people, solves Graveyard mysteries, and faces the one who killed his parents.

I literally couldn’t take my eyes off this book. Whenever we were driving somewhere, I’d take it with me and read it in the car. I loved reading The Graveyard Book, and I definitely recommend it to others!

Conclusion

Well, those are my top five book recommendations for tweens! I really hope you found something interesting to read. Stop by some other posts by Momphotographer & Co. here:

1. Free Filmmaking Classes for Youth in Calaveras County
2. My Top 3 Polish Castles
3. Fostering Children’s Entrepreneurship: The Morgan Hill Children’s Business Fair Sponsor’s Spotlight

As you know, I’m a huge supporter of the Future Filmmakers Club and a co-founder of KidBiz Hub. Exciting things are happening with both.

Future Filmmakers Club 1st (and 2nd) Big Production

This was one of the biggest and most professional projects the Club got involved with so far. And they did awesome! Watch it yourself and let me know what you think. We are hoping for more of these video interviews in the future. The park was super excited about the opportunity to get in front of the homeschooling community and to work with our local youth, as they are very eager to bring more young people to their docent program

The group has also helped me to record a photography tutorial last week. I’ll be sharing the video with the KidBiz Hub group during a class about branding photography. Feel free to bring your budding photographer to that class on February 7th. 

It’s never too late to join the Club. It’s an ongoing project happening twice a week, Mondays and Thursdays! This year, the Club will be working on a special movie. They will have mentors coming to the Club and sharing their knowledge about filmmaking with the group. The goal for this moving is to be submitted to a variety of film festivals.

I’m super excited for them! 

Now let’s move on to the second BIG THING we have going on around Gold Country for our homeschoolers (and not only!).

Gold Country Youth Business Fair got an AWESOME venue! 

Behind the scenes at KidBiz Hub, we’ve been working tirelessly on a major inaugural event: the Gold Country Youth Business Fair.

This one-day event will provide young entrepreneurs with a safe and encouraging environment to showcase their businesses. During the fair participating kids will sell their products and services to the community.

After months of anticipation we’re thrilled to announce that we’ve been accepted to host the event at the Columbia State Historic Park! This victory may have come with a few more silver hairs, but it’s absolutely worth it.

We’ll be opening the registrations soon, so stay tuned if you have a young entrepreneur in your family! This event is for them!

Meantime make sure to visit our website: www.kidbizhub.com and follow us on FB and Instagram.

And just like that the vision for 2025 became a very productive one. I can’t wait to see the fruits of it. So many awesome events. So many awesome plans. So many awesome people!

Thank you for reading!

I’ve been craving Nutter Butters for what feels like forever, but the idea of making my own had never crossed my mind. I normally would ask my mom to get them for me, but she is not into buying a lot of processed food plus she recently found out she is gluten intolerant, so she hasn’t been buying much stuff with gluten in them (even for us). BUT I LOVE GLUTEN so much!

I am a little sad for my mom because she can’t enjoy all these delicious gluten-filled baked goods, so when I feel like I want to bake or cook something I try to find a gluten-free recipe. When I came across this Gluten Free Nutter Butter recipe, I knew I had to make it; and I can share them with my mom! Win-win! They came out great! The recipe is super simple and only calls for a handful of ingredients. Now I’ve got a healthier alternative to buying them from the grocery store!

Homemade is healthier

No gluten, no refined sugar, and no processed ingredients! Homemade Nutter Butters are a healthier alternative to the store-bought version because they’re made with wholesome ingredients like almond flour, peanut butter, and honey. By avoiding artificial additives and using natural sweeteners, these cookies are not only gluten-free but also lower in sugar and full of healthy fats.

Customizable!!

Feel free to experiment with this recipe and make it your own! Whether it’s switching up the nut butter, using chocolate chips in the filling, or even drizzling some melted chocolate over the top, there are so many ways to customize these cookies.

Gluten Free Nutter Butter Recipe:

DOUGH INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 cup almond flour
2. 1/2 cup peanut butter (or nut butter of choice) – I used the one with no sugar added
3. 1/3 cup honey (or maple syrup)

FILLING INGREDIENTS:

1. 1/4 cup peanut butter (again, I used pure peanut butter with no sugar added)
2. 2-4 tbsp honey or maple syrup (depending on how sweet you want it)

Directions to make the cookies:

1. In a bowl, combine almond flour, honey, and nut butter.
2. Roll the mixture into teaspoon-sized balls and connect two of them on the baking sheet.
3. Press down on them with a fork to make the hatch pattern.
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 F.
5. Remove from the oven and let them cool.

Directions to make the filling:

1. Whisk together the peanut butter and honey.
2. Once the cookies have fully cooled, spread the filling on the backside and sandwich them together.

You can refrigerate them for 1-2 hours, so that they harden a bit before eating, but this step is not necessary. These cookies are so good you will want to eat them right away

I’d love to hear how your homemade Nutter Butters turn out! Do you have any special variations or tips you use when making them? Don’t forget to let me know in the comments!!

Or maybe, you’re the one operating the cameras, or the director.

You could even be the editor, putting the whole film together, adding music, sound effects, and everything needed to complete an award-winning masterpiece.

Well, I’m part of a club that provides filmmaking classes for youth where they get a chance to do all of that. The Future Filmmaker Club was established to nurture and grow the creativity and growth mindsets of the next generation. At Future Filmmakers, we write scripts, work with professional equipment to film and act out scenes, and edit them all together with editing software that was used to make famous classics like Avatar, Deadpool, and even one of the Terminator movies. You can do all of that too, for FREE.

Free filmmaking classes for youth!

Future Filmmakers Club is a youth club where kids can come in, work with professional equipment, and make friends! We’ve had kids from ages 9 to 14 come into the studio!
At FF Club, we’ve written scripts and learned about different shots and camera angles, mood, the hero’s journey, working with cameras, editing, and more! 

Future Filmmakers is in San Andreas and operates from a small studio called CCTV or Paul Moeller Public Access TV Studio. The club takes place two times a week, on Mondays from 4pm-6pm and on Thursdays from 2pm-4pm

One day, we even stood in front of the City Council Board Members during the monthly meeting and spoke about our experiences with the Future Filmmakers Club and how it is really a valuable resource to the community.

What do we do at the Future Filmmaker Club?

During almost every meeting at Future Filmmakers, we get to work in front of or behind cameras. Sometimes, we film talk show episodes where we talk about local events and news, hobbies, and whatnot. On other occasions, we’ll cook up a quick script, grab the field cameras, film a 1-5 minute skit, and then we edit it on the same day! It’s extremely fun to think of scenes, script, and especially edit the blooper-reel! 

That brings us to editing… At the Filmmaker Club, we’ve learned how to use Adobe Premiere Pro to edit and put together our creations! We also learn to use sound effects, add voice overs, and music. We are getting familiar with Canva to make logos and slideshows for our projects.

UpNext – Youth Talkshow

During one of our meetings, me and my sister were the only ones to show up. So, we decided we’d try something new. We wanted to make a talk show, so we spent the meeting coming up with a name and a logo, and eventually, we did! Our idea was called ‘UpNext,’ and we made multiple versions of possible logos on Canva. Since then, as well as making little skits, we’ve made lots of episodes of UpNext, but we’ve yet to post them. We’re hoping to start recording them live soon.

Join Us!

The Future Filmmaker Club is an amazing free resource for our community, and I absolutely love going there every week. Right now, our group is small, with around 6 kids on Mondays and 5 on Thursdays. We’re always looking for more members!

Do you remember when I said we stood in front of the City Council and spoke about the Club? Well, thanks to that the studio also received a grant in September from the city, and with that money, we’ll be working on a project to enter into the 2025 summer festival video contest! We’ll be buying props, costumes, and all the things needed to start creating our OWN award-winning masterpiece!

Since my mom is the one who helped to initiate the whole program, here on Mom Photographer we have a page dedicated to the Future Filmmaker Club where you can sign up your child and she will send you more details about it. Or you can contact the studio directly.

And here is a short “promo” video we made during one of our meetings. Hope watching it will inspire you to bring your child to the next FF Club, so I can make more friends!

Other blogs by Momphotographer & Co…
1. https://momphotographer.org/zombelina/intro-to-the-money-smart-teen-serie
2. https://momphotographer.org/uncategorized/2-week-trip-around-poland
3. https://momphotographer.org/family-stories/welcome-to-mom-photographer-2-0

If you’ve read some of my earlier posts, you know I am a docent at the Columbia State Historic Park, and this post will be about another special event organized by the park.

Drumroll, please… BOO BOULEVARD – an awesome Halloween event for the entire family!

What is Boo Boulevard?

Boo Boulevard is an excitingly spppooooky Trick or Treating event that takes place every year in October. 

This spooktastic event offers an exciting opportunity for families and friends to come together and have a good time with candy, music, and fun, all completely free of charge! As you walk along the street, you’ll find fun Halloween-themed activities (pssst, some of them give you CANDY), as well as face painting and craft making!

A few more additions to Boo Boulevard are the Zombie Dance, Jack-O-Lantern contest, Halloween Parade, and don’t forget to come dressed up in your costume so you can participate in the Costume Contest!!

Lots of CANNNDYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!

Candy!!! Let’s be honest, candy is one of the trademark qualities of Halloween, so how could you put on a good Halloween event without it? And lemme tell ya, at Boo Boulevard, there is candy EVERYWHERE. And a lot of it too. Last year, we arrived early to help set up, and they had TUBS full of BAGS of candy. And, guess what, by the end, they had nothing left. CRAZY!!!

Last year, my sister worked at one of the activities, where you could FISH for CANDY. Imagine just going to a lake to do some fishing and you end up with a bag full of candy. That’s almost as awesome as catching a wishes-granting fish 🤪

The contests!!

I mentioned the Jack-O-Lantern contest and Costume Contest earlier, right? Well, let me tell you more about them.

Jack-O-Lantern – For this event, you have to carve and create your very own Pumpkin Masterpiece! And it doesn’t just have to be a pumpkin with cool carvings.. Last year, someone carved it out to look like a carriage. They put wheels on it, they even had horses and dolls with it! That one was one of my favorites. You can enter the contest for free, and there is no sign-up required. You just design your pumpkin, and bring it to Boo Boulevard!

Costume Contest – Absolutely anyone can participate in this one. All you have to do is show up to the event in costume, and be there when the Costume Contest begins at 5pm! They have different categories people can vote on.  

We Hope to See You There!!

This year, Boo Boulevard will take place on October 26th, so mark your calendars! Don’t forget to bring your costumes and candy bags and get ready to have a great time!! We can’t wait to see you there, as my mom and I will be there this year, too! 😉

More Information About Columbia SHP:

1. Friends of Columbia State Historic Park Website

2. California Department of Parks and Recreation

3. Columbia State Historic Park Events

Click here if you’d like to become a docent at CSHP yourself!

To check out my previous posts about Columbia, click these links:

1. The 2023 Sonora Christmas Parade From a Bear Perspective

2. Visiting the incredible Columbia State Historic Park

3. What’s a Gold Trek and how I got involved

Here are my top 3 Polish Castles: Moszna Castle, Malbork Castle, and Wawel Castle.

Moszna Castle

Moszna Castle was built sometime in the 17th century and is located in the village of Moszna. It’s one of the first castles we visited during our stay in Poland, and was my favorite! It has 99 towers, 365 rooms, and is a combination of baroque, neo-gothic, and neo-renaissance style architecture. We only toured some of the rooms. The outside is definitely prettier and a lot more impressive than the inside, but it’s still fun to go in and see how super rich people lived then.

The last and most famous family who lived there was the Tiele-Winckler family. They lived in Moszna from 1866 to 1944, when they fled because the Red Army decided to occupy it. There’s a little cemetery in the forest where they’re buried. My favorite part of our visit was walking through the super pretty park & forest. Well, eating the best coffee ice cream ever in the castle restaurant was my favorite too. The castle has a hotel and restaurant where I got a fancy, super “smaczna kawa” with “lody”. The castle, the forest & meadow around the castle, and the big fountain in front were all very pretty. I really enjoyed our visit there.

Malbork Castle

The second castle on my list, Malbork Castle, is the biggest castle in the world!! It started being built around 1274 by the Teutonic Knights, and it reached its final form in 1406. We took an audio-guided tour of it, and the tour was about 4 hours long.

It was really cool to walk through such an old place with so much important history. Malbork Castle became the headquarters of the order’s Grand Master in 1309. It was the seat of the Teutonic Order for about 150 years. We went all over the castle and visited some cool spots like the Great Refectory, and St. Annes Chapel, which was the burial chapel of the Grand Teutonic Masters.

We also went to the museum, which has over 40,000 artifacts. We saw a bunch of old weapons and armor, as well as their amber collection. Malbork Castle was a Polish royal residence from 1466 to 1772, after the Teutonic Knights were defeated by Polish and Lithuanian armies. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. Malbork Castle is gigantic and full of history, visiting it was super great!

Wawel Castle

The third and final castle on my list, Wawel Castle, is said to have been established after the Polish prince Krakus defeated a dragon that lived in the caves below the castle. You can visit those caves, but we didn’t have the time to. We took an audio-guided tour through the royal apartments as well as multiple other exhibitions including the Crown Treasury, The Armoury, and a temporary exhibition of old porcelain figures. We also visited the Royal Gardens.

Every time we finished one of the exhibitions and went back outside we were blinded! It was a sunny day, and the castle & ground around us was all white! Like I said when I was speaking about Malbork, It’s so cool to think when you’re walking through those castles about how a bunch of royal and important historical people have walked right here too and were living their lives right here hundreds of years ago. Since the coronation of Władysław in 1320, all Polish kings except for Stanisław Leszczyński and Stanisław August Poniatowski were crowned in Wawel Castle. It was great to visit such an old and important place in Polish history.

Poland – a country with over 500 castles!

Visiting Poland was amazing, and going to all those castles was really cool. Learning all the history there, and stopping by very rundown, destroyed castles was fun. I’m sure there are plenty of other iconic Polish castles to see if we go back again! With over 500 castles in Poland, we got to see only a very tiny part of that world but in the end, it gave me a Bigger Picture of Polish history and my mom’s cultural background.