Search
Home Blog Page 19

6 Amazing Online Resources for Kids

Seun Tayo-Balogun
-
0
6 Amazing Online Resources for Kids

As a mom, one thing I wanted to do, was to ensure the kids get busy learning the right things. Over the past years, I have found several online resources that could be really useful in aiding how and what they learn. Here’s a list of my top 6 online resources for kids:

  • One of my favorite go-to websites is oxfordowl. This is one great website the kids love. We all enjoy reading and listening to the e-books together. The great thing is that because the e-books can be read out loud, the kids are able to improve their pronunciation skills. For me that’s key. Oxford Owl also combines math lessons and quizzes with advice for kids’ activities for children from the ages of 3 to 11. The website has up to 200 free e-books that can be accessed once you log in which is very easy to do. I also love this site because it provides teaching guides for parents and teachers.
  • Another great online resource I found very useful is a youtube channel called Kidstv123. Your child can take their first steps in the world of education in a fun and exciting way, by watching and listening to animated rhymes, and several songs that teach subjects ranging from numbers, planets, countries of the world, objects, shapes and much more.
  • Another online resource I found really useful is Scratch – a free programming language and online community where kids from ages 8 – 16 can create interactive stories, games, and animations, and share their creations with others in the online community. Scratch helps young people learn to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively.
  • It’s OKAY to be SMART is a helpful YouTube channel that teaches children all about science, the amazing universe we live in, and how it connects to every part of our life.
  • Incredible Science is a great YouTube channel because it is so fun for the children and even for me as a parent. The kids get to watch simple and fun science experiments and I like the fact that the presenter keeps the videos short and simple. It is a great channel for fun and practical learning, and the children are guaranteed to enjoy it and you will too.
  • For kids who love art, ArtforKidsHub is a must especially for visual demonstration. You will definitely have fun with your kids learning how to draw common objects, animals, and people and also learning to sculpt all kinds of cool things.

Are there other online resources or video channels your kids watch? Feel free to add to the list when you drop your comments.

 

Rotimi Williams (36), an entrepreneur that is changing the face of agriculture in Nigeria

Seun Tayo-Balogun
-
0
Rotimi Williams (36), an entrepreneur that is changing the face of agriculture in Nigeria

Rotimi Williams (36), an entrepreneur that is changing the face of agriculture in Nigeria. The former journalist is the owner of Kereksuk Rice Farm in Nasarawa state, the 45,000 hectared second largest rice farm in Nigeria. With three degress in Economics, Finance and Development Studies, Williams is putting his education into good use with a dream to help Nigeria achieve economic sustainability through reduction of importation of specific consumable products such as rice.

Leaving his job in the banking sector to pursue his passion for agriculture while learning all he knows about farming through Google, Williams shows that where there is a will, a way will indeed be found. The farm is currently producing 8,000 metric tons of rice per year, a number Williams hops to double in the coming year.

But perhaps what is more inspiring is how he has managed to deal with the challenges of farming in Northern Nigeria, specifically, with the Fulani herdsmen prevalent in the region. Setting up an initiative that trains Fulani women in rice farming at the same time as employing their men as security while allowing them feed their cattle with the rice straws from the harvest.

This ingenious approach could just be the solution the Federal Government might want to employ to help greatly reduce incidences of clashes between herdsmen and farmers. If that doesn’t say inspiring, we don’t know what is.

Gbemisoke shoes an idea born from her own personal experience

Seun Tayo-Balogun
-
0
Gbemisoke shoes an idea born from her own personal experience

Gbemisola Olateru Olagbegi (GbemiOO) is a media personality; broadcaster, presenter and producer who in a short while, carved a niche for herself on Nigeria’s air waves.

But that is not the only thing that sets her apart. She is also the founder of Gbemisoke shoes (an idea born from her own personal experience), the first Nigerian OAP owned shoe line to cater specifically to women with big feet.

Doing exactly what only great entrepreneurs and creators do, seeing a need or a gap in society and going out of their way to fill it.

To inspire is to push the boundaries of what can and can’t be done, Gbemi O. O did it and shows that if you believe you can, you will.

Microsoft Excel Magic | More Tips and Tricks

Seun Tayo-Balogun
-
0
Microsoft Excel Magic | More Tips and Tricks

Recently, I have been working with my team on a client’s project. The client wanted a web based database application.

The client gave us large sets of data in Excel sheets, and then the data had to be restructured to a new format that will work with our app.

Working on this project reminds me of my love for Excel and its magical power. I have been busy doing many other things so I haven’t had the reason to dig into Excel until lately. But as I always knew, every challenge has a solution and a better way, so I am that type who always look for a more effective way to solve problems.

There are basic simple things that you can all do to improve your Excel knowledge and to help you work faster in any version of Excel. I am mentioning 4 major things we did on this project that tremendously helped to save time. When your formula is right, you don’t need to worry about data accuracy. In any case, for me, I usually still double check to be sure that my results are as expected.

  • The project required that we change the date format so it can fit into our new program: this formula will help change any date format in Excel: =TEXT(A17,”yyyymmdd”) – where A17 represents the cell that contains the old date format.
  • The project required that we layer data that were in different columns into a single column, (even if the column ranges from A to XY), this command will help you achieve that: =OFFSET(GDPTable,MOD(ROW()-ROW(MergedData),ROWS(GDPTable)),TRUNC((ROW()-ROW(MergedData))/ROWS(GDPTable),0),1,1). For this to work, you will need to first name the range of cells where the data is (in the formula above, the name of the data table is, GDPTable); and then name the first cell where you want the result to appear (in this case MergedData). Once you have done that, copy the code above into the first cell in the column where your results should appear and then press the enter key. The first result appears in the cell, you can autofill until the entire result for the table is now restructured into one column. Read this post on how to define names or follow this method if you are using office 2010 and newer versions. Select the Data Range, Click on the Formula Tab, Select Define Name.

 

  • The project required that we change data in rows into columns and vice versa: the Excel transpose function will help you achieve that. The formula for that is =TRANSPOSE(B11:B21); where B11:B21 is the range of the original cells, close the brackets and then press CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER.
  • And lastly, we needed a clean number range without scientific notations (MS Excel by default changes all numbers in a cell that has more than 12 digits to scientific format e.g. 2.97E+24). To show the entire number, Just select the columns or rows with the numbers, right click, click on format cell, and then select number.

format-cells

Have fun experimenting with MS Excel!

XX

STB

Afeni Shakur, Great Quotes, Pictures and more of a Legend!

Seun Tayo-Balogun
-
0
Afeni Shakur, Great Quotes, Pictures and more of a Legend!

“You can kill a revolutionary but you cannot kill a revolution”

Afeni Shakur Davis (born Alice Faye Williams), Legendary mother of a legendary rapper (Tupac Shakur), a black panther, poet, fighter, activist and much more died yesterday. She was 69.

Despite her background, she was different, she was strong and fearless, making her voice heard in whatever situation. In 1971, according to F. Kennedy Taylor, she represented herself in court and was acquitted on 156 counts and charges, and released from prison shortly before Tupac’s birth.

Interestingly, her name “- Afeni Shakur, derived from the Yoruba term for “lover of the people”– and a new vision for the future.” thereby identifying with her African heritage.

You can follow Tweets from around the world and tributes on her passing in this link.

She seems to me a phenomenal woman, who knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to go for it. Some of her quotes that inspired me are below:

  • “We continue 2 fail these brilliant young people because they R not saying what our message was.”
  • “You can kill a revolutionary but you cannot kill a revolution”
  • “If you can’t find somethin’ to live for, you best find somethin’ to die for.”
  • “Don’t isolate me. If you do, it will relieve ordinary people from assuming their important roles.”
  • “It’s important to know the stuff you came from.”
  • “Life comes in cycles. When God gave war, he also gave peace. the most important thing is to b the best & most peaceful u can.”
  • “I guarantee that the seed you plant in love, not matter how small, will grow into a mighty tree of refuge.”

More importantly,

“Remember to keep yourself alive, there is nothing more important than that”.

Rest in peace, legend momma!

16 Thoughts that will make 2016 even more amazing

Seun Tayo-Balogun
-
0

Here’s wishing everyone an amazing new year. Praying that this year – 2016, more of us will astound ourselves.

If you are like me, you’ve probably been thinking what’s going to make this year different from the others. Truth is, if we don’t do things differently, 2016 might not actually be different from the past years. To get me started, I have put together 16 ‘notes to self’ – a mixture of quotes and thoughts that I want to remember all through this year.

  • This year I will be fearless in the pursuit of what sets my soul on fire.
  • I will keep it in mind, as always that

the only way to excellence is to consistently improve myself every single day – Thomas J. Vilord

  • All those ideas running in my head, I need to start them now. I am getting up, I am on the move. I am not waiting for the magic beans to arrive; I am getting to work right away. It is so true, those who do not get up and move, do not notice their chains. I will make the most of my time. Therefore, procrastination be gone with 2015. The truth is time flies and I am the pilot. I don’t have tomorrow. I don’t have the next minute. I have only right now.

The man on top of the mountain didn’t fall there. – Vince Lombardi.

  • I have made up mind to continue to be myself in a world that is constantly trying to make me into something else.

Life is too short to be living somebody else’s dream.- Hugh Hefner

  • If I make mistakes, I am going to embrace them, because they make me who I am.

Doubt can only be removed by action – Goethe

The greatest mistake I can make in life is to continually fear I will make one. – Elbert Hubbard

  • It is so important to surround myself with the right set of people. I am not going to let un-supportive people drag me down.

Surround yourself with the dreamers and the doers, the believers and thinkers, but most of all, surround yourself with those who see greatness within you, even when you don’t see it yourself –  Edmund Lee

  • I have to remember to laugh all the time, to see the world as the most wonderful place. On this note, I could not agree more with E.E. Cummings when he said “the most wasted of all days is one without laughter.”
  • I will enjoy each passing moments. They are blessings and contentment is great gain.

I have everything I need for complete peace and total happiness right now – Wayne W. Dyer

  • To continue to keep momentum going, I am constantly going to create greater goals. – Michael Korda
  • And I have to remember to not be average. Average doesn’t win awards.

Success is doing ordinary things extraordinarily well – Jim Rohn

  • I will remember always to not try to do everything at the same time. More often than not, it doesn’t work.
  • I am letting go of passive. Rather, I will grind until my success is no less than massive.

If we all did the things we are capable of doing we would literally astound ourselves. – Thomas Edison

There is no passion to be found in playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living. – Nelson Mandela

On grinding – it means I will work hard and put in the efforts for remarkable success. More often than not, success is noisy but the actual process that leads to outstanding success is really discreet, quiet and very few sees it. It’s the same law that applies to planting and harvesting. This gradual everyday process that involves consistency, not-giving-up, perseverance, innovation, awareness and lots more makes all the difference.

  • I will read new books, and visit new places, I will open my mind to possibilities, because the world is full of possibilities. – My goal is to live the life of my dreams.

The more that you read, the more things you will know.  The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go – Dr. Seuss

The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams.” –  Oprah

  • I will remember to rest well, because it is part of productivity.
  • I will commit all things to God in prayer, my prayer will be purposeful. So my life can inspire everyone around me.
  • And on a lighter mood, I will agree with Beyonce, ‘if you’ve been doing all you can and it’s not happening for you, go out and have you a good old time. Put on your sexy dress and move on.

xx

STB

Entrepreneurs Are Not Normal

Seun Tayo-Balogun
-
0

You’re a freak.

That’s right. A freak. And so am I. Don’t be offended—it’s a compliment. Every single person you have seen on the cover of SUCCESS is also a freak. In fact, they’re super freaky, and that’s probably how they got on the cover.

Let’s define freak.
freak |freek| noun: a person who is obsessed with or unusually enthusiastic about a specified interest

If that’s not a definition for an entrepreneur, I don’t know what is. No doubt you have to be “unusually enthusiastic” and pretty freaky to get on this roller coaster. Most don’t have the courage to even step into the car of this thrill ride. But you do, and that is exactly why they will call you a freak.

Not only are you rare in your courage, but it turns out you’re unusual for even wanting to ride in the first place—only about 10% of people are entrepreneurs. That means the other 90% are “normal.”

Let’s define normal.
normal |nawr-muh| adjective: conforming to the standard or the common type; usual

Yuck! The “usual,” “common type,” or “standard” societal normal (that big, herd-like 90 percent) don’t like it when a “freak” steps out of line. That kind of nonconformity threatens them. It challenges their choices and identity. Rather than step out themselves, it’s safer for them to scorn your choices and attack you, in hopes of dragging you back into the herd so they can feel better about themselves.

So, yes. They will call you freak. They will call you crazy.

And that is good.

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” —Apple Inc. ad, 1997 after Steve Jobs returned to Apple.

So hello, crazy one! Welcome to the freak show! The good news is you don’t have to catch cannonballs, swallow swords, or breathe fire in order to join this freak show. (Unless, of course, your business actually is running a circus.)

Article Credit: Darren Hardy

6 Simple Ways to Stay in Shape this Year

Seun Tayo-Balogun
-
0
6 Simple Ways to Stay in Shape this Year

Tired of old boring gym routine? The 6 simple ways listed below can help you stay healthy and in shape through 2014.

  • Eat breakfast – Ensure you have a substantial breakfast which includes some protein and fat, and aim to eat it within an hour of getting up.

This will help your body to maintain balanced blood sugar levels and that’s key in order to reduce your cravings.

And do yourself a big favour, skip the fruit juice – it plays havoc with your blood sugar levels.

  • Get active – Find an activity that you enjoy and actually look forward to, such as cycling, dancing, running or yoga – and do it twice a week.

Current research suggests sitting for long periods can increase the risk of heart disease, weight gain and diabetes, so if you’re office based ensure you get up several times a day and take a walk. For example, instead of using the elevator, use the stairs; if you are chauffeur driven, get off the car some miles away before you get home and take a walk. Dancing is also fun, you could dance within the comfort of your home – the important thing is that we stay active and on the move.

  • Protein – Include some with all meals and snacks: think eggs, chicken, fish, pulses, nuts and seeds, approximately the size of your palm.

This will slow down the insulin response and help keep your weight stable.

  • Get into green tea – Replace some of your tea and coffee with green tea. It is rich in polyphenols, a powerful antioxidant that will not only help to keep you healthy but may also slow down the ageing process as may encourage faster metabolism.

Start with two cups a day and experiment by adding fresh mint and a slice of lemon.

  • Eat your way to slim by cutting back on carbohydrates such as potatoes, rice, pasta, bread, biscuits – and ensure you load your plate up with healthy seasonal vegetables instead.

Make them interesting by stir-frying, sautéing, baking in the oven, adding garlic and chilli – whatever works for you.

  • One final tip… Include mushrooms in your diet. They contain powerful compounds called beta glucans which have long been studied for their immune enhancing properties
  • You have to be realistic – Rome wasn’t built in a day. A healthy approach is to aim to improve on yesterday. By repeating this process you will start to feel like you have made great improvements over a course of weeks, months and years. The great Greek philosopher Aristotle was apt when he said:

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.

The suggestions above are tested and proven. Amanda Ryder, Sandra Lackenby and Garry Kerr, Cambridge food and fitness experts couldn’t agree more. In addition, from our experience, taking green tea, cutting down on all the fave Nigerian staples (bread, rice, pasta, etc) and the popular artificial juice and eating lots of vegetables will help maintain a balanced weight and can aid weight loss.

Research also tells us that Food is 90% of the health and fitness battle. You can make great changes just through making small adjustments to your eating habits alone. By eating a regular mix of proteins, fats and carbohydrates you will reap the benefits of a slimmer and healthier you.

Each of us can work towards a healthier us. And there are many great benefits of being healthy – these include having more energy, easier breathing, better sleep, reduced risk of cancers, more stamina, lower risk of heart disease and of type two diabetes.

As always, we will like to read from you – tell us what works for you and what doesn’t so others can learn from your experience.

Cheers to a happier and healthier you in 2014.

xx

STB

When the sun comes up this New Year, you had better be running.

Seun Tayo-Balogun
-
0
When the sun comes up this New Year, you had better be running.

It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle; when the sun comes up, you had better be running.

Go on and shine this year.  Yes go on shine. You ask how?

With all the infinite power behind you, the endless possibilities before you, the boundless opportunities around you, you have all it takes to shine.

Come to think of it, you are equipped with something unique – you might not have the Arnold Schwarzenegger kind of strength, or the oratory gifting that Obama has, but you are different, you were born for a special purpose. Go put those strengths to work this year.

Even when you think you might want to give up. DON’T. But rather keep moving. Mistakes are allowed. But quitting, nay. There is no defeat except in no longer trying.

Because, a year from now you might wish you started today. Today is your day.

This year is your year. It is your year to shine.

Don’t settle for a life than the one you are capable of living – (Mandiba).

Yes, there will be obstacles. In fact there is more likely to be obstacles than a smooth sail. Your responsibility is to see beyond the obstacles, and rather put the end in mind and let the joy of happy-ending be your guide. As Leonardi Da-vinci puts it, 

“obstacles cannot crush me… he who is fixed to the star does not change his mind.”

This also requires that you stay motivated even when the numbers don’t make much sense. Zig Ziglar was apt when he wrote,

People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing. That’s why we recommend it daily.

Putting the end in mind is one surefire way to help you stay motivated.

Don’t stop over small successes, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t celebrate small victories, but you have to know that success is a continuing thing. It is never final.

So my friends, when the sun comes up in 2014, you had better be running. Go on and shine this year.

I wish you all the best year each of us has ever lived in good health.

God bless and be with you all.

Silence is Golden

Seun Tayo-Balogun
-
0
Silence is Golden

I was blessed by this – and I can’t agree more.

When somenone is going through a storm, your silent presence is more powerful than a million empty words

– Thema Davies

This devotional is published in the Zondervan Women’s devotional bible.

There’s no how to manual describing what to say or do for someone who has suffered a great loss. A mother loses a child to disease, a wife loses a husband to divorce, a family loses their home to fire. What do you say?

Job was suffering. All of his children, servants, flocks were gone. His health and well being were decimated. Job’s wife bitterly responded, “Curse God and die!” As much as she, too, must have been suffering, Job’s wife talked too much too soon.

When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar, came to see him, the Bible tells us that Job had been disfigured by grief. Job’s friends wept aloud, tore their robes and threw dust into the air – the ancient mourning rituals for death or tragic loss. For seven days and night they did not utter a word. They simply sat beside him in silence.

Later on, Job’s friends tried to explain away his misfortune and wrongly blamed Job. But at the beginning, they got it right by recognizing that nothing they could day could assuage his grief. Here, they offered him not words but the comfort of their presence.

When we encounter friends who have suffered great loss, it is easy to drop off a casserole, send a sympathy card or say “call me if you need anything.” We often rely on pat answers. “God knows best; all things work together for good.” Sometimes we speak too much too soon. Maybe we’re fearful in the presence of others’ pain, so we babble about meaningless things. Sometimes we’re fearful of the roiling emotions lurking below the surface, so we don’t even make contact.

Perhaps Job’s friends stumbled onto one key to mourning with those who mourn: Have the wisdom to know when to talk and when to stay silent. Solomon said, “there is a time for everything…. A time to weep and time to laugh… a time to be silent and a time to speak” (Ecc 3;1,4,7). You can pray for the wisdom to realize when your presence will speak louder than words. Your presence says, I’m here for you. I love you. I am waling through this valley with you.”

The next time you find yourself eye-to-eye with someone in grief, don’t worry about what you will say. God will give you words to speak and the wisdom to know when to keep silent.

 Text to read: Job 2: 9-13

1...181920...22Page 19 of 22

Get Featured

Contact TBN

Home

About TBN

At TBN, we're here to inspire and equip you to live meaningfully, grow holistically, and thrive in every aspect of life.

TBN Pulse

Tap to join our 20,000+ Community and stay ahead of Inspiration, stories, and insights for a life of purpose and impact, delivered monthly.

Socials

©The Brief Network 2025 | A DIgiCommLab Project.