Blog | Michelle O'Hara Levin

Yes Day!

Posted on April 1, 2015 Leave a Comment

The other day, our family tried something new – Yes Day! A day in which every requests results in “Yes!” Note: this was NOT my idea. In fact, the thought frightened me on many levels. I mean, really, a day when the kids get whatever they want? It sounds like chaos. It sounds like bedlam. It sounds like […]

What if… love?

Posted on February 2, 2015 Leave a Comment

Hello WhyNotters, If you have a daughter (or son), nieces (or nephews), or influence the lives of small children in any way (hint: you probably do!) – take two shakes to look at this amazing video by Dove. Did ya watch it? (Really? Go ahead. You should It’s worth it.) If you didn’t have two […]

Be Brave. Be Bored.

Posted on January 14, 2015 4 Comments

Once upon a time, people got bored. They whined. They moped. They doodled. They flopped. They stared at the wall, or the clouds, or the trees, or the ceiling. They sighed the sighs of the painfully, incurably bored. Then came ‘progress!’ It came in the form of handheld devices, free wifi, and mobile hotspots. And, TA-DA!! The […]

Write Like No One is Watching

Posted on January 4, 2015 Leave a Comment

Do you know this quotation from William W. Purkey? I love this one. I used it on college essays. It found a home on one strange job application. Then, decades later, without knowing about my affinity for this little message, my Yoga Teacher friend gave me a bracelet with this written on it (Thanks, Pleasance! […]

A Girl toy or Boy toy?!?

Posted on December 8, 2014 2 Comments

I want to discuss the problem of gender stereotype defined toys. It’s a real deal. A big real deal. But I need to warn you, if you are going to be horrified that I (rarely but occasionally) let my kids eat at McDonalds, you should probably stop reading right now. Hi! If you are reading on, I assume you are […]

Slowing on down (in life & in writing)

Posted on November 21, 2014 2 Comments

I love this picture. It’s of one of my sons. I’ll let your wonderful imagination fill in just what he is playing at with his stick (no wrong answers here). I love this picture because it makes me take a breath, to slow down, to register that things go too fast. For better and […]

Do you read or e-read?

Posted on November 13, 2014 Leave a Comment

The debate about e-readers vs. “old fashioned” books rages on… OK. I don’t think that’s true. Sure, there are circles and communities, mainly in academic settings and libraries, where this is a still a hot debate. And, yes, the research about whether or not the formula of “little kids + picture e-book = regular reading value” is still coming in […]

Everyday Awesomeness

Posted on November 3, 2014 Leave a Comment

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.”- Roald Dahl My friends, this and a giant dose of gratitude is what I strive for daily. I don’t want to get […]

Battling the Blank (in writing)

Posted on October 26, 2014 1 Comment

I’ve been at this writer thing for just over two years now. First, I dabbled in picture books. Then, when Willa & the WhyNots‘s contract came around, I refocused my efforts. I’ve spent the last almost year and a half writing and crafting and worrying over Willa and the world of WhyNot. There plenty more work to do […]