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Entry bubble Kids in the White House

By: Nancy | January 15, 2009 | Category: Home and Family

Just two streets from Gov Gab Headquarters, they're making a lot of preparations to welcome the new kids on the block.

By this time next week, Malia and Sasha Obama will have joined the exclusive list of kids who have called the White House "home." And while they won't be as little as John John and Caroline Kennedy, who danced at their daddy's feet in the Oval Office, or as mature as the college-bound Bush twins when they moved onto Pennsylvania Avenue, at seven and 10, the Obama girls are the perfect age for Kids.gov.

the Obama family

See, I'm figuring that among the bikes and stuffed animals that will be carted into the Executive Mansion over the next week, there will probably be a computer or two for the girls as well. And like every school kid, they'll have reports to write about art or astronauts, the 50 states or the environment and "going green." They'll definitely be curious about the news for kids that's coming right out of their new home. And they're going to want to take a break, kick back and play a few games.

Malia and Sasha may not be inheriting Amy Carter's tree house or Tad Lincoln's pet goats when they move into the Executive Mansion. But they will be the first "First Kids" who'll grow up online in the White House, learning about the country their dad leads, and the great stuff that the government has for them—and for every kid—online, from Kids.gov.

| Post a Comment | View Comments [0] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: change   kids.gov   nancy   obama   president  

 

Entry bubble National Hobby Month

By: Nancy | January 08, 2009 | Category: Home and Family

Reading. Blogging. Gardening. Collecting piggy banks, or velvet paintings of sad clowns. piggy bank collection

Nearly anything can be a hobby. Celebrate your favorite pastimes and collections, revive old interests or begin new ones with your family during National Hobby Month.

The government web has lots of resources for stamp collectors, Civil War enthusiasts, coin collectors, and bird watchers. Take a look and see what info the government has about the things that interest you.

Me? I collect vintage Little Orphan Annie memorabilia and old time advertising, among other things. I enjoy baking for my coworkers and neighbors. I also fuss around in my garden with flowers and tomato plants—some of which actually survive my tender loving torture.

What are your hobbies?

| Post a Comment | View Comments [0] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: coins   hobby   nancy   stamps  

 

Entry bubble Yo, Happy New Year!

By: Nancy | January 01, 2009 | Category: Home and Family

If you and I were in the Philadelphia suburbs where I grew up, we'd be camped out right now in front of the TV, watching the Mummers Parade and discussing our New Year's resolutions.



I'd pull out my list and you'd laugh. I usually make 20 or 30 resolutions; I keep about half. Oddly, it's the same ones every year that I seem not to be able to keep:

  • I will stop consuming junk food like I'm an eleven-year-old boy on an "all you can eat" spree at the local 7-11.
  • My five block walk between the subway and my office will not constitute my only exercise for the day.
  • I will quit hiding my head in the sand and get better-educated about investing.

Yeah, I've got some tough work ahead of me. And I'm starting with USA.gov's special section devoted to helping us keep our resolutions. Whether you're aiming to drop some pounds like I am, or you're resolved to start digging out of debt, breaking habits like smoking or drinking too much or dealing better with stress, this is the place to start.

What resolutions do you keep making—and breaking—like I do?

| Post a Comment | View Comments [1] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: debt   lose_weight   nancy   new_year   resolutions   smoking  

 

Entry bubble Christmas Gov Gab-Style

By: Nancy | December 25, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

If you're celebrating today with family or friends or are just enjoying a quiet break from your daily routine, I'm wishing you a Christmas Day that's marked by

Happiness and smiling





Great musical styling





Something traditional




Maybe even nutritional





And only blue if you really want to.


| Post a Comment | View Comments [4] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: christmas   holiday   nancy  

 

Entry bubble There's Something About Mary

By: Nancy | December 18, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

As Carole King was hitting the charts in 1971 singing "You're so far away...doesn't anybody stay in one place anymore?" Mary Levy, decked out in a proper pair of white gloves and eager to change the world, began her life of public service.



Nothing wrong with starting at the top. So Mary did just that, investing the first two years of her career at the White House's Office of Consumer Affairs. And as she answered consumer complaint letters from all over the country, Mary discovered her calling: to help people get the government consumer information they need to make their lives better.

In 1973, that calling led Mary to the brand new Consumer Information Center (now the Federal Citizen Information Center, home of Gov Gab and part of the General Service Administration's Office of Citizen Services and Communications). Mary quickly rose in leadership at FCIC and for the last 36 years, she's proven that a lot can be accomplished by staying in one place.

Mary oversees relationships between FCIC and dozens of federal agencies to create government consumer publications. Under her developmental leadership, FCIC has distributed hundreds of millions of copies of print consumer publications, as well as online information, on topics like avoiding scams, saving and investing money, finding good health care, and getting a higher education. And through the public service advertising program that Mary oversees, media outlets have donated hundreds of millions of dollars in free ad space to let people know about pueblo.gsa.gov, USA.gov and GobiernoUSA.gov.

Mary's penchant for perfection is legendary (you know those English majors). Every edition of the Consumer Action Handbook and the Consumer Information Catalog, every news release and every Gov Gab entry has passed under her red pen. Everything...except today's blog entry, and everything that will come after it.

Tomorrow, Mary retires.

It's a blessing to be able to step into the next phase of your life in good health and with lots to look forward to. And with travel plans, involvement with church and family, and a garden in the DC suburbs begging for her attention, Mary has an awful lot to look forward to. Mary LevyBut you know, you can't stop a consumer education pioneer from pursuing her passion any more than you can stop a shopaholic from charging. So I don't think it'll be long until Mary finds a new venue for sharing her wisdom.

Staying in one place for so many years makes it hard to say goodbye, though. And as I've been watching Mary close out a career she cherishes in a place and with people she loves, I'm learning a lot about grace this week. And I'm feeling awfully grateful to work where we're not the stereotypical "faceless bureaucrats." I'm thankful for the relationships and for the mission to serve people that we all share here.

Congratulations, Mary. We'll miss you. And it's good to know that you won't be so far away...

| Post a Comment | View Comments [8] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: fcic   nancy   pueblo.gsa.gov   retirement  

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