Monday, April 30, 2012

Hockey Room for Kids


Teri Parks provides the inspiration and how-to guide for creating an affordable hockey-themed room for your kids.  Can't you just picture your young hockey player dreaming of hat tricks and assists while cuddling their hockey sticks at night?   

                                       A Room with a Hockey View

                                                                              by Teri Parks

 

If you have a little hockey player in your life and are finding it as difficult and frustrating to locate any "hockey room decor" for their bedroom or playroom as I did, here are several ideas I'd like to share. I did a total redesign of my son's bedroom, going from baby nursery to "big boy hockey room" in one weekend! There seems to be plenty of baseball, basketball and football decorative items for children's rooms in stores, in magazines and online...such as bed comforters, bed sheets, pillows, lamps, wall decor, etc., but for the sport of hockey, it is very limited. But, with a little creativity, you can score big with your little hockey fan and create a room they will love!




How I did it...

-WALLS-use complimenting colors for top and bottom of walls. My son's favorite color is green, so I used that as an accent color to the blue. The top SHELF was something I created out of door molding and crown molding as I wanted something that was going to go all the way across two walls for shelving. Remember to think about height when placing the shelving depending on what you plan to place on the shelf (you may want a higher space if you want to put trophies, etc.).




-BEDDING-It was very difficult to find any hockey bedding and the ones I found online were very expensive. I was lucky enough to have my husbands "old" (he'll love me for that!) hockey blanket when he was a kid, which I had made into a comforter. I would suggest finding hockey material, which is easier to find than a bed set, and have a duvet cover or comforter made. This will be less expensive and easier to find. If you're crafty or know someone who is, you can also have pillows made to go with the comforter to finish the look.




-WALL DECOR- This is the fun part! You can really use anything you or your child likes. I think a hockey stick incorporated someplace on the wall is a must to any hockey room. I used a goalie stick above his door. You can also drill & screw in hooks into a hockey stick to create a clothes hook/rack for hanging hats, bags, robe, etc. You can hang your child's favorite team jersey as I did, either by itself or place it into a shadow box (I used my husband's childhood Canadiens jersey to keep safe & not to collect dust). Custom frame idea...use any kind of fabric (hockey or coordinating colors) for a picture mat in frame.




-WINDOW TREATMENT- I sewed on hockey patches (vintage & new) on simple window valance for a unique and fun look. Another idea may to add hockey buttons or pins to the valance.




-DECOR- You can place whatever you like on the wall shelving, such as pucks, framed photos, hockey sticks, trophies, framed player cards, etc. I found a hockey lamp shade online to use on bookshelf, which was custom made, but you could also make yourself using hockey material and glueing to lamp shade. Use children's hockey toys/books to dress it up and for color and try to incorporate your base & amp; accent colors whenever possible.

To reach Teri Parks For a free Redesign consultation...call Design Appeal Home Staging at #315-663-7387 or email teri@designappealstaging.com


Check out the BEFORE AND AFTER photos!

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Hockey Art Class


Puck Hog illustrator Rose Mary Moziak teaches children the art of action at a conference in Morrisville. Check out their illustrations!








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Thursday, April 26, 2012

Stanley Cup Dream Come True!







Congratulations to The Puck Hog essay winner Noah Delaney!  We are so thrilled to share the news.  As you know,  Noah won my local contest with his heartwarming essay posted right here on The Syracuse Hockey Moms Network. We encouraged his mom to enter the national contest.  She is so glad she did.  Noah won!
Noah will get to spend a day with the Stanley Cup on May 6th here in Central New York. The location has not yet been determined, so we will keep you updated as we learn more.  Discover will be doing a feature story on Noah that will air during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.  So the whole nation will get to meet this wonderful 10- year old hockey player from Fulton and hear why you should never give up on your dreams!  

Friday, April 20, 2012

A Salute to Hockey

on by
FULTON, NY – Noah Delaney still plays youth hockey. But, the Fulton youngster has a good shot of making it all the way to this year’s NHL Stanley Cup Finals.
Noah, son of Fulton resident Heather Doran, is one of three finalists in Discover’s second annual Day With the Cup contest.
The winner will be granted an entire day with the Stanley Cup along with a community event and tickets to a Stanley Cup Finals game.
Noah Delaney and his dad in one of his favorite places - the ice hockey rink
Noah Delaney and his dad in one of his favorite places - the ice hockey rink
By voting on the finalists between April 17 and 21, hockey fans everywhere will choose the grand prize winner by casting their ballots at www.Discover.com/StanleyCup
To build local support for Noah’s entry and bring the Stanley Cup and special community event to the Fulton area, people are encouraged to visit the site “once a day, every day and vote!” Heather said.
Discover will announce the grand prize winner on May 6 via a special community event featuring the Stanley Cup.
A while ago, News Channel 9 anchor and author Christie Casciano had a contest on her Puck Hog site, Heather said. She entered Noah’s essay about what hockey means to him.
“Not only did it win, but she said he should enter it in the Discover contest,” Heather told Oswego County Today.com “And, lo and behold – I get a call last week and they say, ‘Your son has won…’ And I’m like, excuse me? What!”
When Noah received the good news he said his face went white, his ears went red and his stomach dropped to his knees.
“You know when you’re riding along and all of a sudden you go up and over a little hill and then down again real fast? Well, that’s how it felt,” he explained.
The contest entry Noah submitted depicts a photo of him on the ice alongside his father, a sergeant with Oswego’s 444th Engineer Company of the U.S. Army Reserves.
On Jan. 31, he and his unit received an emotional sendoff as they left for a year’s deployment in Afghanistan. Several hundred family members, friends and supporters packed the bleachers in Max Ziel Gym at Laker Hall on the SUNY Oswego campus that day.
Noah’s essay explains that hockey helped him get through the tough time when his dad left.
He also said that hockey is a bonding activity that he and his father did together every weekend.
“Winning a day with the Stanley Cup would mean a lot to me,” Noah said, quickly adding, “and all of the soldiers!”
Just before the deployment, Noah’s youth hockey team had a game against Midstate. It turned into a special sendoff for the troops with Sgt. Doran taking part in the ceremonial puck drop. And Midstate presented each of the local players with a gift bag, Heather added.
Sgt. Doran called the other night, Heather said.
“He was ecstatic,” she said. “He said everyone in the unit is rooting for Noah.”
“More than winning, I want to let kids know that no matter how hard life gets, you can still do anything,” Noah said. “You can do it if you just ask for help.”
From March 22 through April 12, Discover encouraged hockey fans to submit an original photo that best demonstrates their passion for hockey, along with a 1,000 character or less description that answers the question, “I deserve a day with the Stanley Cup because…”
Three final entries have been chosen and posted to Facebook where the public has until 11:59 p.m. ET on April 21 to vote for their favorite entry.
The contestant with the most votes will be deemed the official Day With the Cup winner and will be awarded the ultimate hockey package, which includes spending a day with the Stanley Cup, celebrating with family and friends, having the experience documented and featured during game one of the Stanley Cup Finals, as well as round trip airline fare, hotel and tickets to one of the games of the Stanley Cup Finals.
The New Jersey Devils is Noah and his dad’s favorite team, Heather said.
“So even when youth hockey is over, hockey really isn’t over in our house,” she laughed. “I think I am more nervous than he is. Noah’s excited, really excited. I’m really nervous.”
If Noah does win the grand prize, he said he’d like to bring the cup up to Oswego – to the Army Reserve Center at Fort Ontario – and share the day with the troops.
“I’m proud of him. No matter how this all turns out, I am very proud of him,” Heather said.
What would make winning a day with the Stanley Cup even better?
“I just wish my dad could fly home and be with us that day,” Noah said.
To learn more about the contest, visit www.discover.com/StanleyCup

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Hockey Team Makes the Grade!

Drum Roll please.  These hockey players had just under a 96% GPA –amazing with that demanding schedule – many of these kids are on more than one team at that time too!
Baldwinsville Varsity Boys Ice Hockey Team – State Champions – highest grade point average in NY  out of 107 teams!   Scoring on and off the ice!

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Our Stanley Cup National Finalist!

     Congratulations to Fulton Youth hockey player Noah Delaney!  You read his essay first here on The Syracuse Hockey Mom's Network, and now the whole country will get a chance to find out why Noah deserves the ultimate hockey fan experience.  We're all proud of you Noah!  Vote today and rally the Central New York hockey community.  Vote for Noah!
www.Discover.com/Stanley


  I deserve to win a day with the Stanley Cup because my hockey team, the Fulton Red Raiders Squirts, helped me get through the rest of my hockey season because my dad had to leave. He had to leave on January 28th to go over seas to fight for our country. He is a soldier. Hockey was something that me and my dad did together. My dad will not be back until almost the end of next years hockey season and I cant wait. So to win would a day with the cup would mean a lot to me, my dad and the soldiers.

Noah Delaney

Sunday, April 15, 2012

The Puck Hog's Essay Winners!

    Congratulations to my two essay winners!  I just awarded 10-year old Central New York hockey players Noah Delaney and Spencer Coon with Discover Gift cards for their terrific essays on why they deserve a day with the Stanley Cup. They've won The Puck Hog essay contest, now let's see if either of them make the national cut!  Finalists are being determined and fans will get a chance to vote on the entries posted at www.Discover.com/Stanley Cup from April 17th through April 22nd.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Noah and Spencer.  Stay tuned for updates!  I'm sure you will agree, both boys deserve the ultimate hockey experience!

Noah's essay;
                 

    I deserve to win a day with the Stanley Cup because my hockey team, the Fulton Red Raiders Squirts,  helped me get through the rest of my hockey season because my day had to leave. He had to leave on January 28th to go over seas to fight for our country. He is a soldier.   Hockey was something that me and my dad did together.  My dad will not be back until almost the end of next years hockey season and I cant wait. So to win would a day with the cup would mean a lot to me, my dad and the soldiers.

Noah Delaney


Spencer's Essay
     I deserve to win a day with the Stanley Cup because my hockey team, the Midstate Gladiators Squirts, started the season with only 8 players and no goalie. After overcoming much adversity, we went on the finish the season undefeated and win the Snowbelt League season with a record of 14-0-2. Go Gladiators!!!

-Spencer Coon (10 yrs old) - Goalie


   The contestant with the most votes by 11:59p.m. ET on April 21, 2012 will be deemed the official Day with the Cup Winner and will be awarded the ultimate hockey package, which includes celebrating with family and friends, having the experience documented and featured during game one of the Stanley Cup Final ( round trip airline fare, hotel and tickets all picked up)


www.Discover.com/StanleyCup

 

Friday, April 13, 2012

Writers' Jubilee


Attention to all of you aspiring writers! The Writers’ Jubilee will be
held from 8:45a.m. to 12:30p.m. on Saturday, April 28th at the Edward R.
Andrew Elementary School in Morrisville. Come and attend mini-workshops
about various types of writing, artistic techniques and styles, and to meet
and learn from published authors and artists. Children from grade 3 and up
and adults are welcome!


This year’s keynote speaker is author and photographer, Steve Swinburne.
Mr. Swinburne combines his own photography with his love of writing and his
love of nature. Some of his nonfiction books include, A Butterfly Grows;
Saving Manatees; Black Bear; North America’s Bear; and he has also written a
chapter book titledWiff and Dirty George. Also presenting is news reporter
and newly published author, Christie Casciano.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity!



The E.R. Andrews Elementary School is located at 57 Eaton Street in Morrisville, and the Jubilee starts with registration at 9:15 a.m. For more information and pre-registrations, visit their website at http://www.m-ecs.org/  You can also call 684-9288 or e-mail jjacobs-broedel@m-ecs.org .

Monday, April 9, 2012

Girls win the Silver Medal in Canada

Congrats to the Oswego Lady Lightning 10U  'A division'  team.  They came home with Silver in the A division in Brampton, Canada (just outside of Toronto) A fierce battle.  They lost 2-1 in OT!!  We are proud of all the girls ( 4 teams) who hailed from all corners of Central New York and only had a few practices together.  Great memories. Great job girls!  

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Girls with Goals

Mascots on the ice, cheers and chants before the game begins. Just two obvious differences at this weekends girls hockey tournament in Brampton, Canada where this city hosted 400 teams from all over the globe! There were many others surprises for me, a newbie to this wonderful world of girls hockey. The games were not a whole lot slower as others had warned me. They were low scoring, but perhaps that's because there were fewer odd





man rushes and more of an emphasis on positional play. I took in a lot of girls hockey over the past four days and it was impressive. Good sportsmanship was the rule, rather than the exception . I will leave you with my favorite pre- game ritual from the Tilsonburgh Lightning team from Canada. Very cool!









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Saturday, April 7, 2012

Chicks with Sticks


This is our first trip to Brampton, Canada with the Oswego Lady Lightning for the world's largest girl's hockey tournament. There are nearly 400 teams from all over the continent representing Novice
Through Senior divisions. We are grateful for the invitation from Kevin Ahern, who has been putting together the Lady Lightning girl's teams for several years now. So far it has been a lot of fun for my 10 year old and me! She is meeting girls from




all over Central New York who share a passion for hockey and are extremely talented! The rinks here are impressive and the city has extended its hospitality to all of us. Love that there is a feeling of belonging with so much hockey all around. I have lost count of the number of chicks with sticks stickers on cars!
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