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A young Picasso
2007-09-07 20:01:26
By JoAnne Pastel, co-founder, Farmer’s Hat Productions Bur Bur has discovered his drawing talent - and suddenly we had pictures taped up on walls everywhere! If we took any down, he would immediately notice and call us on it! I wanted him to enjoy the pride of his latest artistic creations, but it was getting out [...]
Read more: young , Picasso

First day of first grade
2007-09-05 15:10:32
By Kakie Fitzsimmons, co-founder, Farmer’s Hat Productions Yesterday was the first day of first grade and my son got to be the official door opener/holder. It made him feel really important and he proudly told me and his grandma; “I’m in first grade now and I am learning how to be a gentleman.” Awww. [...]


The great parenting debate
2007-09-04 18:32:46
By Kristin Dunlap, mom of 3 When I first started having children, the trend was “attachment parenting.” And I quickly learned about the supposed “tension” between stay-at-home moms and those who worked. Of course, I stressed about all of it! After 10 years of parenting, I am a little more laid back and [...]


Pre-school begins!
2007-09-03 16:19:06
By JoAnne Pastel, co-founder, Farmer’s Hat Productions We’ve reached another milestone in my son’s life: his first few days of pre-school! It made me realize how incredibly resilient children are. He went off to a new place, with new people and a new schedule to learn. And he came home excited, enthusiastic [...]


Back-to-school conundrums
2007-08-31 22:38:47
By Kristin, mom of 3 Back-to-school is always a time of mixed emotion for me. Some relief because we will be back into a routine schedule. But mostly, anxiety because I don’t like change much and my kids are growing up so quickly! It’s usually pretty stressful, too, with ensuring that my kids are well-equipped with [...]


Obesity in children - How do we give our kids tools to live an active lifestyle?
2007-08-31 22:26:51
By Kakie Fitzsimmons, co-founder, Farmer’s Hat Productions Obesity in kids is a national epidemic. I was a heavy as a child and know the emotional scars that come from it lasts a lifetime. In elementary school, I remember dreading gym class because when the teacher let the kids pick who would be on their own teams, [...]
Read more: lifestyle

Why are “complex carbohydrates” so important?
2007-08-30 18:34:56
By Kakie Fitzsimmons, co-founder, Farmer’s Hat Productions I think there might be a number of people out there that aren’t quite sure what complex carbohydrates are or why they are an important source of energy — especially for children and as a parent who is trying to raise a child as healthily as possible! [...]
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Top 10 things I have learned as a parent
2007-08-29 07:25:34
By Kristin Schumacher, director of Student Leadership & Development at Lewis University and mother of three My sister and I were recently sharing our parenting stories as we often do. She asked me: “If you had to cite the top 10 things parenting has taught you, what would they be?” It got me thinking and I [...]


Family diversity
2007-08-27 13:17:19
By JoAnne Pastel, president and co-founder, Farmer’s Hat Productions We are hearing more and more from customers/patrons/friends about the positive response to our Bur Bur and Friends book series! Thank you for your interest and support. Given the ever-increasing diversity within today’s families, it is rewarding to receive recognition for our efforts. [...]
Read more: Family

New photos from National Launch at the Mall of America
2007-08-21 12:29:05
As mentioned in a previous post, Bur Bur and Friends hosted a national product launch event at the Mall of America in late July. We continue to get more photos from this event at our offices, and would like to highlight a few more (see below). It really was a celebration of kids, families and [...]
Read more: National , Launch

Farmer’s Hat Productions™ Receives National Parenting Award for “Anna Goes Hiking” and Anna Doll
2008-03-10 10:10:32
For Immediate Release Contact: Stephanie Krol 773-580-9726 Skrol@mcfarlandcahill.com Farmer’s Hat Productions™ Receives National Parenting Award MINNEAPOLIS (February 5, 2008) – Farmer’s Hat Productions™ , a Minneapolis company created by two mothers of multi-racial children, has recently been nationally recognized for the second time by the renowned iParenting Media [...]
Read more: Hiking

Leap into books! Bur Bur and Friends children’s book series reviewed in “Colors Northwest” Magazine
2008-03-05 11:04:36
February, 2008 Welcome to the world of Bur Bur. In this award-winning new children’s book series “Bur Bur & Friends ,” young readers wander through a potpourri of adventurous outdoor activities with either Bur Bur and his family or Bur Bur’s multihued friends and their families. The books offer an earnest look at biracial families from a [...]
Read more: Colors , Northwest , Magazine

About Farmer’s Hat Productions™
2008-02-24 21:13:41
Farmer’s Hat Productions™ is the parent company for the Bur Bur and Friends™ product line. We offer fun, educational ways for children to engage with our diverse world. Bur Bur and Friends™ products inspire kids to cultivate their talents through sports, outdoor exploration and active play. LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR STORY BY CLICKING HERE


Apple Valley mom’s passion brings special awards
2008-02-05 17:48:18
Kakie Fitzsimmons is vice president and founding partner of Farmer’s Hat Productions, which recently was awarded for Bur Bur and Friends Product Line By Katie Mintz, courtesy of Sun Newspapers One Apple Valley woman is turning her passion for writing, and literally her son, into an award-winning venture. Kakie Fitzsimmons is co-author of the “Bur Bur and Friends” [...]


Curing “Nature Deficit Disorder” Getting our kids to enjoy the outdoors in the winter months
2008-01-30 02:51:27
I recently had a business conference where all my co-workers flew in from all over the country to the Twin Cities Metro area. One of them said to me; “I can’t believe you have parades in the winter time in Minnesota. That’s crazy, why do you do that?” Newsflash! Minnesota is not a tropical walk [...]
Read more: Curing , enjoy

Awards & rewards for children’s book series Bur Bur and Friends
2008-01-16 13:43:28
Bur Bur and Friends ™ is our children’s book series . Bur Bur and Friends is a cast of multicultural characters who educate kids about sports and outdoor exploration. Recently the first three books in our series won awards based on educational content, quality, flow and aesthetics. When we found out about the awards we were excited [...]
Read more: Awards

Top ten ways to teach values to your kids
2008-01-09 18:38:40
At Farmer’s Hat Productions, we understand the importance of encouraging and instilling positive values in our children. The following by Mark Brandenburg MA, CPCC, is a wonderful perspective on how to teach values to your kids.


Farmer’s Hat Productions: Notable Minnesota Moms: Savvy Entrepreneurs
2007-12-21 11:52:07
Farmer’s Hat Productions founders featured in Momtalk Magazine: JoAnne Pastel, a former stockbroker, who decided to stay at home when her son was born, realized she needed something else to do. She discussed this with a “life coach,” and together they realized there was a spark in JoAnne’s voice when she mentioned that she wanted to [...]
Read more: Minnesota , Savvy , Entrepreneurs

Press Release: Farmer’s Hat Productions™ Receives National Parenting Award
2007-11-27 14:04:04
MINNEAPOLIS, Nov. 27 /PRNewswire/ — Farmer’s Hat Productions(TM), a Minneapolis company created by two mothers of bi-racial children, has recently been nationally recognized by the renowned iParenting Media Award s. The company won the award in the “2007 Greatest Products” category for its first three books in the Bur Bur and Friends(TM) children’s book series.
Read more: National , Press , Release , Press Release

Farmer’s Hat Productions President, JoAnne Pastel and her son, William (a.k.a. Bur Bur) meet President Clinton
2007-11-13 16:36:40
Photographs Courtesy of Shari Fleming Photography Photographs Courtesy of Shari Fleming Photography President and Founder of Farmer’s Hat Productions, JoAnne Pastel , discusses the Bur Bur and Friends book series with President Clinton . President Clinton loves children’s books and responds with the following letter.
Read more: William

Peaceful Playgrounds research and concept gets kids active
2008-03-13 18:02:54
Article Link “Educators across the nation have been observing children’s waistlines expand,” according to retired principal and Peaceful Playgrounds founder, Dr. Melinda Bossenmeyer. “Pediatricians and legislators are starting to catch on.” One such example is new legislation throughout the state of Georgia brought forward by Sen. Joseph Carter (R-Tifton. ) He is promoting legislation [...]


Farmer’s Hat Productions™ noted in School Library Journal children’s book publishing article
2008-03-17 22:24:21
The School Library Journal recently featured Farmer’s Hat Productions in an article about the children’s book publishing scene in Minnesota. The article, titled: Land of 10,000 Publishers: Minnesota Children’s Book Publishing, dicusses the evolution of the industry throughout the state. Read the article below By Claire Kirch — School Library Journal, 3/1/2008 Minneapolis is a [...]
Read more: noted

Top ten reasons to read the Bur Bur and Friends™ children’s book series to kids
2008-03-31 11:07:32
1. Reading with kids creates priceless memories for everyone 2. It promotes genuine communications with your kids 3. Consistent reading creates and establishes healthy bonding and love that kids need for development 4. Based on expert reviews all four books are educational and award winning 5. This passes on your value of literacy to children, grandchildren 6. Our books plant seeds that promote healthy lifestyles because [...]
Read more: Friends , series

Inner Beauty - One mom’s mission to encourage diverse experiences for any kids, anywhere
2008-02-01 09:29:24
By Kate Kunkel, Lake Minnetonka Magazine February, 2008 The view from JoAnne Pastel’s living room window really does remind you of a storybook world. Trees frame the winter shoreline of Long Lake, sparkling in the sunlight that illuminates the ice on the branches. Look for a moment, it isn’t hard to imagine long summer days where a [...]
Read more: Beauty , experiences

Bowllan’s Blog: Award Winning Author Kakie Fitzsimmons Gets School Library Journal Mention
2008-04-08 22:22:18
By Kakie Fitzsimmons, VP and founding partner of Farmer’s Hat Productions, Co-author Bur Bur and Friends children’s book series which educates kids about sports, outdoor exploration and active play. The other day, I received an email from Amy Bowllan at the School Library Journal . The School Library Journal is the worlds largest reviewer of books, multimedia, [...]
Read more: Award , Winning , Author

Community Park: Fans of Bur Bur and Friends™ - Artistic Talents Soar with Sun Country Airlines
2008-04-14 10:53:15
Kids who love Bur Bur and Friends ™ have been sending us coloring pages from all over the country and we appreciate that! Clearly they are having fun and are excited to show us their talent. Below are a few coloring samples children have shared from the Sun Country Airlines In Flight Activity Books featuring the [...]
Read more: Artistic , Talents

Meet co-authors JoAnne Pastel and Kakie Fitzsimmons of Bur Bur and Friends™ book series at the Minnesota Children’s Museum
2008-04-20 13:37:34
Please join us for story time and a book signing at the Minnesota Children ’s Museum in downtown St. Paul on Saturday, May 3, 2008 from 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Come on a reading adventure during story time with co-authors JoAnne Pastel and Kakie Fitzsimmons, who will read tales from the award winning Bur Bur [...]
Read more: Friends , series

Apple Valley Magazine - An interview with Kakie Fitzsimmons, entrepreneur and award winning author helping children learn through her books
2008-04-29 17:45:06
Click here to read the full article with images: Apple Valley Magazine - An interview with Kakie Fitzsimmons, an entrepreneur, single mother and co-author of the award winning children’s book series, Bur Bur and Friends. By Valerie Tukey - Apple Valley Magazine January, 2008 Seven years ago, when her son, Isaiah, was born, Kakie Fitzsimmons began to write. As [...]
Read more: learn

Colorful Characters - Farmer’s Hat Productions Founder, JoAnne Pastel featured in the Minnesota Women’s Press
2008-05-06 20:04:09
Farmer’s Hat Productions Founder featured in the Minnesota Women ’s Press . Click here to read full article “We want to show reality and what the world truly is like.” - JoAnne Pastel by Erica Marston: Minnesota Women’s Press When JoAnne Pastel couldn’t find storybook characters that her 2-year-old biracial son could identify with, she decided to do something about it. [...]
Read more: Colorful , Characters

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