Month: September 2025

See the best reality TV from down under!

See the best reality TV from down under!

See the best reality TV from down under!

Do you ever daydream about hopping on a plane, renting a little cottage by the sea, or finally taking that trip across Europe you’ve been talking about for years? The best part? You don’t have to wait until you win the lottery. Many women over 50 are finding a fun way to fund their travel dreams: creating and selling digital courses.

Yes, really! A digital course is simply taking something you already know – like gardening, cooking, organizing, or even how you raised happy kids – and turning it into lessons others can buy online. The magic is that once the course is created, it can keep earning money for you even while you’re sipping coffee in Paris or riding a train through Italy.

The Freedom to Work from Anywhere

One of the best things about a digital course is freedom. You don’t have to be tied to a desk or punch a time clock. All you need is a laptop and Wi-Fi. That means you can check on your students or update your lessons while sitting in a cozy café – or from your own kitchen table before you head out for an adventure.

You decide when and where you work. Want to spend mornings exploring a new city and afternoons answering a few student questions online? Totally possible.

Real Examples of Travel-Friendly Course Creators

Take Cheryl, for example. She is a retired teacher who loves history. She created a simple course about American landmarks and now teaches history buffs from all over the world – while traveling to see the landmarks herself!

Or meet Linda, who had a passion for healthy cooking. She made a course about quick and easy meals and now gets to spend her winters in Portugal, all paid for by her online course sales.

These women aren’t tech geniuses or famous influencers. They just took what they already knew and packaged it in a way that helps others.

My Story

I learned about course creation a few years ago, and I’ve been happily creating courses ever since. We live in Northern New England in the summers, and this year we are looking to spend the winter in Mexico, which will be a new adventure for us. Why not? As long as I find a rental with Wi-Fi, I’m golden!

How Passive Income Supports Long-Term Trips

Here’s the real magic phrase: passive income. That means you do the work once, and it keeps paying you again and again. For example, if you create a course and set it up online, people can buy it while you’re sleeping – or while you’re walking on the beach.

This kind of income is perfect for travel because you don’t have to trade hours for dollars. Even if you’re on a two-week trip, your course can still be selling in the background.

Practical First Steps

Maybe you’re thinking, “That sounds great, but I wouldn’t even know where to start.” The good news is you don’t have to start big. Here are a few easy steps:

1. Pick a topic you know and love. Cooking, painting, gardening, storytelling – if you enjoy it, someone else wants to learn it.
2. Write down 5–7 things you could teach about it. That’s the start of your course outline.
3. Record short, simple lessons. You can use your phone – no fancy equipment needed.
4. Share it online. There are easy platforms that do the tech stuff for you.

That’s it! One step at a time and you’ll be on your way.

Ready to Start Your Travel-Friendly Business?

If travel is calling your name – and you’d love a way to fund it without dipping into your savings – creating a digital course might be your golden ticket. A site like www.wisdomtowealthafter50.com can show you the first steps and offers training and help so you don’t have to do this alone. Check it out and let me know your thoughts in the comment section.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What topics do you feel comfortable about? Do you think you could teach them to others? What might you need to get started?

I can still see my boys, one under each arm, squirming to get a better look at Frog and Toad – for the 87th time. One had peanut butter stuck to his cheek, the other had his toes wedged under my leg like he was strapping in for a rollercoaster. They knew every word by heart, but that wasn’t the point. What they wanted was the lap, the time, the ritual.

The Power of a Lap

That’s why I swear by lap reading. It’s not just about books – it’s about connection. And here’s the thing: the number one way for a child to become a reader is to actually read. But step one? Someone has to read to them. A lap and a story are often where it all begins.

Here’s a secret nobody tells you: reading aloud doesn’t have to stop once kids can read on their own. In fact, it shouldn’t. Kids still love to be read to, and honestly, so do grown-ups. (Why else do you think audiobooks are such a booming business?) A voice telling a story is ageless comfort.

After 35 years of teaching, I can tell you – forget the flashcards, forget the apps. A real child on a real lap with a real paper book is pure magic. And for us grown-ups, it’s one of the few times we’re forced to sit still and create a memory that won’t wash out in the laundry.

So, if you’re thinking, “But I’m not a teacher,” let me reassure you: if you own a lap (or even just a chair wide enough for two) and can hold a book right side up, you’re hired.

Here are some of my favorite books – oldies but goodies – to share with kids, grandkids, or anyone in need of a story. I’ve grouped them by type and tossed in some simple, inexpensive activities. No glue guns, no Pinterest pressure. Just connection, curiosity, and the kind of learning that sneaks in while you’re sharing a lap, a story, and the occasional mid-sentence hot flash.

1. Wordless Wonders

Why they matter: Wordless books let kids become storytellers. You ask questions, they answer. You watch their imaginations unfold.

• Rain by Peter Spier – A rainy day adventure in pictures.
• Look, Look, Look by Tana Hoban – Guess the picture through clever cutouts.
• The Snowman by Raymond Briggs – A boy’s magical snowman comes alive.

Try this: Take a “story walk.” After reading, go outside and look for your own story – a puddle, a bird, a mysterious footprint. Ask, “What happens next?” Take your own mystery pictures and print them in black in white. Cover a portion of the picture with paper with a cutout, just like Tana Hoban.

2. Use All Your Senses

Why they matter: Young kids engage all their senses while reading. These books are irresistible for curious hands.

• Where’s Spot? by Eric Hill – A puppy hides under every flap.
• The Very Quiet Cricket by Eric Carle – A bug who finds his voice (literally!)
• Scratch and Sniff: Food by DK – Smells kids can explore as they read.

Try this: Make your own “lift-the-flap” page. Use envelopes or sticky notes over a drawing, hiding surprises underneath. Or use scratch and sniff stickers to make your own delicious or stinky story!

3. Giggle-Inducing Goodness

Why they matter: Because sometimes, reading should be pure fun. Giggles build bonds too.

• Everyone Poops by Taro Gomi – A funny take on a universal truth.
• Froggy series by Jonathan London – A curious frog with endless misadventures.
• If You Give a Moose a Muffin & If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff – One thing leads to another and another…
• Parts by Ted Arnold – A silly look at body worries.

Try this: Start a “what if” list. What if you gave Grandpa some popcorn? What if Froggy went to outer space? (You might end up with your own silly story.)

4. Timeless Treasures

Why they matter: These books stick with us for a reason. They’re about comfort, resilience, and small everyday magic.

• The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats – A boy explores a magical snow day.
• Corduroy by Don Freeman – A lonely bear finds a forever home.
• Frederick by Leo Lionni – A poetic mouse prepares for winter.
• Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel – Two best friends navigate everyday life.
• Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik – A bear cub’s heartwarming adventures.

Try this: Draw or act out your favorite scene together. Or retell the story – kids love to “teach” it back. Have your child draw panels of a story on paper. Have kids retell the story to you as you write it down in secret code (cursive handwriting) along the bottom. Then, you can “read” the story back to them in their own words!

5. Exploring Big Ideas

Why they matter: Books help kids understand big concepts – kindness, persistence, being unique – and make them less scary.

• Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton – Perseverance through changing times.
• How Full Is Your Bucket? by Tom Rath & Mary Reckmeyer – Understanding feelings and kindness.
• Little Critter books by Mercer Mayer – Everyday childhood lessons with gentle humor.
• How Emily Blair Got Her Fabulous Hair by Susan Garrison – Loving yourself just as you are.

Try this: Make a “kindness bucket.” Every time someone does something nice, add a note or drawing. Watch it fill up.

6. Math Made Fun

Why they matter: Math isn’t just worksheets – it’s problem-solving, noticing patterns, and learning to think in new ways. These books weave math into delightful, memorable stories.

• Marti and the Mango by Daniel Moreton – Using deductive reasoning to solve a puzzle.
• The Math Curse by John Scieszka & Lane Smith – Math problems are everywhere you look.
• Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens – Clever problem-solving in a funny garden feud.

Try this: Turn everyday moments into math questions – count steps to the mailbox, compare snack sizes, or make up a “math curse” for your day.

7. Rhythms and Rhymes

Why they matter: Poetry and music stick in little heads – and hearts. They make language play irresistible.

• Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. – A rhythmic look at animals and colors.
• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. – An ABC adventure up a coconut tree.
• The New Kid on the Block by Jack Prelutsky – Silly, clever poems for kids.
• Chicken Soup with Rice by Maurice Sendak – Poems celebrating months of the year.
• Take Me Out of the Bathtub by Alan Katz – Hilarious song parodies for kids.

Try this: Make up your own silly rhymes. Bonus points for singing them to familiar tunes.

8. Nature Explorers

Why they matter: These books teach kids to notice the world outside their window.

• The Apartment House Tree by Betty Killion – Exploring the life inside one big tree.
• The Bee Man by Laurie Krebs – A beekeeper’s day, from hive to garden.
• Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey – A bear and girl meet while picking berries.

Try this: Go on a nature hunt – spot bugs, count trees, or draw a simple “map” of your yard or neighborhood. Make blueberry pancakes – for lunch!

9. Just Plain Old Good Stories

Why they matter: Not every book has to teach a lesson. Sometimes a delightful story is the lesson.

• More, More, More, Said the Baby by Vera B. Williams – A celebration of love and snuggles.
• Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs & Pickles to Pittsburgh by Judi Barrett – A town where food falls from the sky.
• Journey Cake, Ho! by Ruth Sawyer – An adventure fueled by a runaway pancake.
• Henry and Mudge series by Cynthia Rylant – A boy and his lovable big dog.

Try this: After reading, ask: “What would you do if you were in this story?” Kids’ answers will surprise – and delight – you.

Closing Thought

The books on this list are just a starting point. Your local library is bursting with treasures waiting to be rediscovered. But remember this: It’s not about reading perfectly or even making it through the whole book. It’s about the lap. The closeness. The time.

Long after they forget the words to Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, they’ll remember who read it with them.

In the end, the books will be put back on the shelf. But the memory of that lap, that closeness, and that time together? That stays forever.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What books do/did you love reading to your kids or grandkids? Are there any childhood classics that bring back memories for you? When you think about these times, what do you remember most—the story, or the little one snuggled close as you turned the pages?