April 29, 2026 • 37 mins
How do you teach kids about health, safety, and confidence in a way they’ll actually enjoy? 🐦✨
Jessica Nicole McAnelly joins Vigilantes Radio Live to talk about her Birdiebook series—fun, engaging children’s stories that teach fitness, cooking, and food safety through playful rhymes and lovable characters.
With over 20 years of experience as a dietitian and food safety professional, Jessica blends education with creativity to help kids build healthy habits early. 🥗💪
This conversation explores storytelling, childhood development, and the power of making learning fun.
Tap in and meet Birdie!
http://www.jessicanicolemcanellybooks.com
https://www.instagram.com/birdsbenchpublishing
https://www.tiktok.com/@tennischick25
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-mcanelly
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/vigilantes-radio-live--2166168/support.
Vigilantes Radio Live! by The Only One Media Group ℗©2025
Episode Credits:
Produced, edited, mixed, and written by Demetrius "Whodini Blak" Reynolds, Sr.
Artwork designed by Demetrius "Whodini Blak" Reynolds, Sr.
Show Introduction by Kate
Segment jingles composed & produced by Demetrius "Whodini Blak" Reynolds, Sr.
Additional music licensed through 7th Sign Recordings
Links:
onlyonemediagroup.com
https://www.instagram.com/vigilantesradio/
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/966-vigilantes-radio-live-29999229/
https://www.instagram.com/whodiniblakin3d/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26009230/
To support our show, please leave reviews, ratings, or you can help fuel the passion over at buymeacoffee.com/vigilantesradio
Email us at onlyonemgt@gmail.com or vradio@onlyonemediagroup.com
Jessica Nicole McAnelly joins Vigilantes Radio Live to talk about her Birdiebook series—fun, engaging children’s stories that teach fitness, cooking, and food safety through playful rhymes and lovable characters.
With over 20 years of experience as a dietitian and food safety professional, Jessica blends education with creativity to help kids build healthy habits early. 🥗💪
This conversation explores storytelling, childhood development, and the power of making learning fun.
Tap in and meet Birdie!
http://www.jessicanicolemcanellybooks.com
https://www.instagram.com/birdsbenchpublishing
https://www.tiktok.com/@tennischick25
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-mcanelly
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/vigilantes-radio-live--2166168/support.
Vigilantes Radio Live! by The Only One Media Group ℗©2025
Episode Credits:
Produced, edited, mixed, and written by Demetrius "Whodini Blak" Reynolds, Sr.
Artwork designed by Demetrius "Whodini Blak" Reynolds, Sr.
Show Introduction by Kate
Segment jingles composed & produced by Demetrius "Whodini Blak" Reynolds, Sr.
Additional music licensed through 7th Sign Recordings
Links:
onlyonemediagroup.com
https://www.instagram.com/vigilantesradio/
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/966-vigilantes-radio-live-29999229/
https://www.instagram.com/whodiniblakin3d/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26009230/
To support our show, please leave reviews, ratings, or you can help fuel the passion over at buymeacoffee.com/vigilantesradio
Email us at onlyonemgt@gmail.com or vradio@onlyonemediagroup.com
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is an iHeart podcast guaranteed human.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
You are now listening to Vigilantes Radio, presented by the
only One Media Group. This is the people's choice, but
quality interviews celebrities and special guests, hosted by Demitrius Denny Reynolds.
Call in to join the mix at seven oh one,
eight oh one, nine eight one three. For the complete
archive of episodes, visit only onemediagroup dot com and be
(00:27):
suls like us on Facebook at Vigilantes Radio. We welcome all.
Enjoy the show, ladies and gentlemen. Plus, welcome your host
Demitrius who Demi Black Reynolds. Enjoy the show.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Hey, Hey, Hey, what's going on? Guys? Welcome to another
incredible episode of Vigilantes Radio, live right here on iHeartRadio.
My name is Deani. I do have to say that
this particular episode is pre recorded and I can't wait
to deliver it to your inboxes. And for you guys
who subscribe to the show, you'll be the first to
(01:09):
know and I always appreciate that. So don't go anywhere.
I have something for you. Don't lose sight. This is
the frequency of the fearless. You know, some lessons are
too important to wait until later, things like how to
take care of your body, how to stay safe, how
(01:31):
to build habits that shape your life. But here's the challenge,
how do you teach something serious to someone who just
wants to play. That's where creativity steps in, because when
you take something complex and turn it into something fun,
you don't just teach, you transform how people learn. And
(01:53):
tonight's guest has found a way to do exactly that.
Through stories, characters, and a little bluebird named Bertie. She's
helping the next generation build healthy habits in a way
that actually sticks. You're not just here for a talk show.
And this isn't just radio. This is revival for your body,
(02:15):
your mind, and your spirit. This is Vigilantes Radio Live.
My name is Coach Deni and change is possible. Are
you ready?
Speaker 4 (02:25):
You're listening to the Vigilanes podcast on iHeartRadio. Im Mo
founder and owner of Noah Guy Heating and air Conditioning.
We're giving away twelve free HVAC systems this year and
if you are so many, no needs one. Apply now
at noa guihsvac dot com to go this mission. We're
also seeking sponsors and donations, so let's change lives. One
(02:46):
system at a time. This is Diglani's podcast on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Are you ready? Are you ready radio? Are you ready for?
Let's go? Let's go?
Speaker 3 (03:14):
All right, all right again, Welcome to the show. You're
listening to VRL. That is Vigilantes Radio live right here
on iHeartRadio, and I am your host, Deani. Our interviews
are designed to go beyond the music, news, books, art, acting, films, technology, education, entrepreneurship, entertainment, spirituality,
(03:34):
and sometimes even past that thing that we call the ego.
Our interviews are designed to go behind the scenes and
into the minds of these brilliant people, you know, the
ones who were out there giving it. They're all for me,
for you, and for the world. Well ladies and gentlemen.
Tonight's Guests is a food safety professional, registered dietitian and
(03:59):
a registered sanitarian with over twenty years of experience dedicated
to protecting public health and promoting wellness. She's also the
creative mind behind a Birdie children's book series, where she
transformed important lessons about fitness, cooking, and food safety and
(04:20):
to fun, engaging stories for kids. By blending education with imagination,
she's helping young readers build healthy habits that last a lifetime,
So please join me in saying welcome friend to Jessica
and Nicole Mcanley. Hey, Hey, hey, welcome to the show.
Speaker 5 (04:44):
Well thanks for having me. I think that might be
one of the best intros I've ever had.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
It was my pleasure. How's it going.
Speaker 5 (04:54):
It's doing great. How are you doing?
Speaker 3 (04:57):
I'm doing pretty good myself. It's been a fantastic the evening,
a rainy one, but very fantastic.
Speaker 5 (05:03):
The same for us. We have some storms in the area,
but it's still overall fantastic evening for me as well.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
Absolutely. Now, if it goes radio silence, that means I
was blown away. I think we're still under a tornado
watch or something to do.
Speaker 5 (05:19):
Tonado have hit us. Yes, well, let's hope that does
not happen tonight.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Absolutely well, Jessica, again, we are super excited to have
you with us tonight. Beyond the books and your professional work,
what's been resting on your heart and mind lately when
it comes to children's health and their wellness?
Speaker 5 (05:40):
Well, really, that's why I started this whole venture. I
have been a mom of two that are now grown
children in college, and when I first sat out on
this venture, I did a lot of research, and I
could not find any books that actually discussed food safety.
(06:02):
And as you mentioned in my amazing intro, that is
my background, and so it was weighing on my heart
that there's not anything out there to protect children and
it's important topic and kids me to start to learn
that early, in my opinion, and so that's why I
set out on this. And I always say that you
(06:23):
should be looking for a passion and a purpose in
your life at all times, and it's now become my
passion and purpose and my mission lately.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
I love it. I love it. And yes, yes, children's
diets are you know, just as important as our diet.
You know, yes, we may not think so because they
have a lot of metabolism and you know they can
they can eat a pound of sugar and be okay,
well not really, but.
Speaker 5 (06:50):
You know it's true. But you do want to start
off early with them because you know, they go to
school and if they don't have the proper nutrients as
they start a school day, they're not actually going to
really learn well in the classroom. Their attention span is
going to be less of an attention span, and even
when they're out being physically active on the playground. That fuel,
(07:15):
whatever they put in their body that morning is will
definitely either last them throughout the day or they will
have that spike and sugar and then dive halfway through
the day. So it is really important. And see earlier
we start teaching our kids the importance of nutrition and
food safety and being active, the better because they're little
(07:36):
sponges and they want to learn at that age.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Absolutely, So when kids grow up reading your books, what
kind of habits, mindset are confidence do you hope stays
with them?
Speaker 5 (07:51):
Well, I actually just was at a school yesterday and
I presented the Birdie book series to kindergarten all all
the way up to fifth grade. And it was really
kind of interesting because usually I just target one grade level,
but seeing the vast difference from a kindergartener learning this
(08:12):
complicated advance topic to seeing these fifth graders that are
about to be on to middle school really hit home
with me. It was very interesting And if they can
just take away one food safety tip, then I feel
like it's been a success. And as I left yesterday,
(08:34):
so many were telling me, I'm going to remember to
wash my hands, missus Jessica, I'm going to remember, and
that alone is our number one defense against germs and
germs on food is washing our hands. So if they
walk away with just hand washing, I've done my job.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
So what about that hits home for you?
Speaker 5 (08:54):
To me, it means that I am making a difference.
And so that's the whole point of writing this book series.
If a child goes home and tells a sibling what
they learned for the day, if it brings a family
together at a dinner table, because as you know, we're
all a crazy busy society now that dinners are not
(09:16):
what they used to be. I'm a child of the
eighties and that's when you did come home and eat
as a family and set around and shared your day.
So if I am able to trigger a family sitting
at dinner and talking about food safety or eating a
healthy meal, or actually going on a walk or a
hike together, then then I have accomplished my whole goal.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
Absolutely. I'm a kid from the eighties, raised in the
nineties as well, and I grew up eating dinner together
as a family, you know, just like you sing about
your day. But you know, we try to do that,
but I don't know, sometimes the little one is too
(10:00):
impatient for her plate show.
Speaker 5 (10:05):
Now it's hard.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
She will start before us, but we try to make
it work. But yeah, I remember those times growing up
and just eating dinner as a family. That was That
was real cool.
Speaker 5 (10:21):
It was a special time, it really was.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
So you mentioned Bertie. Let's talk about the birth of Bertie.
Let's start at the beginning. What inspired you to create Bertie.
Speaker 5 (10:34):
Well, Bertie has a little story. Bertie is actually the
nickname of my oldest daughter and when she was born,
and it sounds like you have a child yourself, you know,
they make little bird faces when you're feeding them, and
so her grandmother actually nicknamed her that when she was
about three or four months old, and so it has
(10:57):
stuck with her through her life. She's twenty three now
and graduating college next week. And I thought, I wanted to,
you know, recognize her because I'm so proud of her.
She's going to head off to medical school here pretty soon.
And I said, if I'm going to write this book series,
I want to combine my background in public health and
(11:18):
I want to kind of give an homage to my child.
So Birdie came from a bluebird, and then my grandmother
collected bluebirds and if you look at the history of
a bluebird, you know they represent friendship and hope and joy.
And I thought, well, I better way to have that
be my main character of a children's book series.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Absolutely, so, how does the real Birdie feels about them?
Speaker 5 (11:43):
She loves it. She loves it a lot. She's proud
of her mom, which that means a lot to me.
And she's come to a few of my book signings
and she does always ask and how how the things
are going? Because this is a new this is a
new journey. As you said in my intro, I'm a
registered dietitian, a registered sanitarian, which is a fancy word
(12:03):
for being a food police or health inspector. And she's
enjoying this new career of mine and supports me and
likes the message as well, since she is in the
health field herself.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
I love that. I love that. So why do you
use or why did you select to use storytelling instead
of traditional teaching?
Speaker 5 (12:27):
I thought storytelling is just fun, just being a mom.
I enjoyed reading to my children every night. I think
reading to children on any topic is really healthy for
your child. It helps increase literacy, it helps them do
better in school. And like I mentioned, when I was researching,
(12:48):
I couldn't find a book on food safety at all. I
can find lots of books on nutrition, but nothing on
food safety. So I did I've never been an author.
I did interview a couple of and then I interviewed
some speech therapists along my journey to find out what
kids enjoy. And the speech therapist told me they really like,
(13:10):
you know, fun, bright characters, but also rhyming. So if
you look at any book, they are all very gentle rhymes,
and the kids really enjoy that. As I go and
read them, and then they can pick up on it
and read. If it's an early reader, it's easier for
them to pick up to read the books as well.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
All right, all right, so.
Speaker 5 (13:38):
Okay was it lightning and thunder?
Speaker 3 (13:43):
Yeah? I was like, oh, okay, so first time as
an author, How did that experience feel for you?
Speaker 5 (13:56):
Very fearful. I actually didn't tell anyone about the journey
because I said, I've never been an author before, and
I did a workshop to kind of learn how to
do this. I did do a lot of research. So
if there aren't any of your listeners listening tonight, I
would say, if they do have a dream of writing
(14:19):
their books one day. I would definitely do your research
before you jump into it. I did keep it a
secret from my entire family because I wasn't sure if
I was going to complete it or not. But then
as little steps and guidelines and milestones were met, I
felt more confident about the journey, and then I did
(14:42):
go ahead and share it with my family. But it's
so fun and it's high. It's high than its lows.
It's trials and its errors. There are people out there
that take advantage of you on this journey as well,
so I just say, be very educated. And for the
most part, it's been more of a high. I've really
enjoyed all these independent bookstores inviting me in to meet
(15:05):
their customers. I've enjoyed these schools and these libraries that
have had me come in as well. And honestly, what
I thought was meeting these children an important and valuable
lesson has ended up also feeding my soul in return,
because I walk away, you know, smiling and having met
(15:26):
new friends along the way and taught this important lesson.
So it's been it's been a great journey.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
I love it. I love it. Why did you keep
it a secret besides, you know, you know, going through
the whole process to complete it.
Speaker 5 (15:41):
I think I'm competitive. For some people tell me I'm
competitive and and and then overachiever, and I think I
just I think a lot of people are scared about
failing in life, and I'm one of those people. And
I didn't want it to be a failure. And so
that's why I kept it to myself. And then when
(16:02):
I felt more confident about this journey, I went ahead
and started sharing it with others.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
Okay, for our listeners out there who may be struggling
with the same ideas and going through the process, do
you have some words of encouragement, especially if they have
like a delayed start, Like I've been trying to write
a book for twenty years now and I still haven't
written the book. But I'm sure there's people like me
(16:29):
with books and poems and songs in their head, but
they just haven't put it out there yet.
Speaker 5 (16:36):
I think I think that they should find their support system,
find that one person. It only takes one to be
that encouraging support system to bounce your ideas off of. Also,
look into retreats. There's some wonderful independent bookstores out there
and online support that offer writing retreats, And if you
(16:57):
sign up for these writing retreats, then there's other people
and peers that are out there to help you along
the journey. And sometimes it's just daunting trying to find
out how to do this. Everybody thinks I've got to
find that publisher to be back behind me. I have
to find the illustrator. But if you have a timeline
and you work on hitting those timelines monthly, it'll keep
(17:21):
you on track and I'll get you to your endpoint.
And believe me, it's worth it. It's worth it all.
Speaker 3 (17:28):
Indeed. So I wanted to talk about how you turn
serious topics into fun. So you're teaching things like food
safety and health. You found a niche that wasn't dominated
by thousands and thousands of authors. Why do you believe
it's important to introduce these topics early on?
Speaker 5 (17:50):
Well, I think these books, instead of teaching rules and
facts directly to children that can just go over their head,
I had created Bertie and her Friends in a playful
way that appeal to children and teach those safe habits
like washing hands and keeping cold foods cold, hot foods hot,
and cross contamination and I feel like if you leave
(18:12):
those lessons into books early on, it doesn't feel like
a child's being taught like a hard lesson. It makes
it a fun lesson and that maybe they will go
on to eventually pack their own lunches for school and
help their families families out because parents, like we mentioned earlier,
are busy and some families now have or most families
(18:35):
now have two parents working. And so if we start
these kids out early, they can help in the kitchen
and be prepared. They can help pack their ow lunches
for school, they can start eating healthy for their journey
that will lead them into their teen years and their
young adult ears. So I just think overall, teaching the
(18:55):
importance of food safety early can only benefit our families.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
And Birdie's fitness. Fine. I know that movement is important
for kids today, but parents play a large role in that.
How can we encourage parents to encourage their activity without pressure?
Speaker 5 (19:21):
Well, that's true, and that's what as as parents and
as I mentioned children or sponges, they do model us,
They look up to us, and so we do want
to be those good representations of that. And if they
see a sedendary lifestyle, they tend to fall into that
sedendary lifestyle as well as well as the gaming industry.
(19:42):
It's easier to come home, sit down, watch a show,
play a game, look at a screen. And that's what
we're trying to break in the book. We're trying to
break the kids away from that and introduce them to
all different activities. So in the third book, Fitness Fun,
Bertie is introduced to different activities and then she finds
(20:06):
her fit, her perfect fit. And not everybody is going
to light playing soccer or going running or playing volleyball
or basketball, but there is a fit for you out
there and everybody can be active. So as a parent,
I would plan days of trying to just get out
in the neighborhood and go for a walk or hit
the park, or even just stretching inside at home, if
(20:29):
there's time to do a little yoga in the living room.
There's ways to be active. And if it's a Now
that we're in a springing and soon to be summer,
the weather's even nicer, so it's more encouraging to get
your kiddos out there and try new activities.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
Yes, yes, but that takes confidence. It does, it does,
and your book emphasized confidence. Why is trying new things
so important in early development?
Speaker 5 (21:00):
I think if you just when you're young, that's what's
fun about life. You're not pegged into who you have
to be at that age, and that's what's so free
and care free as you get to try everything in life.
You know, now that we're older, we're a little bit
more pegged into our roles and responsibilities. And so this book,
(21:22):
this third book, actually all the books encourage confidence and
friendship and getting out there and being social. And so
I want kids when they read the third book to
realize there is something out there for me, and if
one thing doesn't work, try another until you find that
perfect fit.
Speaker 3 (21:43):
You mentioned a third book. Is there a particular order
that they should read the books in or or does
it matter?
Speaker 5 (21:50):
That does actually matter? I did market it as a series,
but there is not first, second, third, But I will
say that the first starts off with the main characters,
and then each book introduces a new animal character. So
if you do read them in order, from picnic party,
the cooking class, the fitness funds, you've had a new character.
(22:13):
And when I do go to schools, I have the
younger kids kind of guests who who will join the
picnic or who will join the next book, And they
love to guess the new animals that might be joining.
That's kind of made it fun.
Speaker 3 (22:27):
Yeah, I like that idea. So if there is a
new character introduced in the book, they are guaranteed you
to show up in the next book as like a
mainstay character. Yes, yeah, cool.
Speaker 5 (22:40):
Cool kind of building from there. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:43):
Do you see this translating into like a cartoon series.
Speaker 5 (22:47):
Oh, I wish that would be a lot of fun.
I have been approached by one television show to do
like a cooking class with Bertie, and so that's down
the line, and I've got a kind of research on that.
I felt and see if that's something I want to do.
But yeah, that would be amazing. If somebody wants to
make Birdie at a cartoons to teach food safety and
(23:08):
nutrition and wellness, I can only see it being a benefit.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
Yeah. Sure. And speaking of Bertie's cooking class, I definitely
believe that life skills should be developed at an early age,
and I believe that Birdie's cooking class, you know, emphasizes that.
But why do you believe it's important for kids to
learn about cooking early on?
Speaker 5 (23:35):
Again, I think cooking, as we talked about being children
of the eighties, I think it brings families together. Holidays,
you're in the kitchen cooking, if you could bring a
new recipe home and jump in the kitchen with your
mom or your dad, or brother or sister, just brings togetherness.
So it's not just necessarily the lesson of nutrition and
(23:57):
eating healthy, but it's also that lesson of togetherness and family.
But then again, also on the nutrition side of it,
our world is wrapped around convenience and fast food, and
if we can teach a child to eat something at home,
we're getting away from that five fat heighst sodium, high
(24:21):
sugar content and we're cooking more wholesome, whoalthy meals at home.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
Did you have any favorite meals that you've prepared with
their children.
Speaker 5 (24:32):
Well, I'm Italian, so I love cocaine Italian food, yes,
and they love my Italian food, so yeah, I've have
a few. And then my husband he loves grilling, so
he's taught our son the whole grilling in the backyard,
and so yeah, our family is very active in the kitchen.
Speaker 3 (24:53):
Oh nice, nice. My wife, she and my daughters, they
cooked together every now and then. But when I make
Dad's world famous nachos, everyone gathers around and I just
tell stories about, you know, different adventures in my life.
They don't help, they don't help me, but.
Speaker 5 (25:12):
But but see, it brings you guys together. And I
love hearing dad stories. I love it. Now these like
pour me and nachos where you just get tortilla chips
and cheese, or these fancy nachos.
Speaker 3 (25:22):
These are fancy, all out nachos, and oh yeah, I
have the different elements separated in different bowls so they
could choose what they wanted their nachos. I mean, either
way that Dad makes the world famous nachos is going
to be.
Speaker 5 (25:44):
You know what when they have their families. And that's
what this is all about too. When they have their families,
they're gonna remember that when Dad brought out his world
famous nachos and we sat around and listen to dads.
That's really bottom line, what's all about creative memories.
Speaker 3 (26:01):
Indeed, indeed, all right, So you are making an impact
on children with this new book series, and I love it.
I love it. But your books can be for adults too, They're.
Speaker 5 (26:15):
Right, they can. I mean the whole families by the books.
The kids will at my book event, I do set
up a whole picnic. I set out I have a
little rug that looks like grass, and I have a
picnic blanket and my picnic basket and my food models
for being a dietician, and I asked the kids to
(26:37):
all gather around on picnic blanket because some children, depending
on what crowds I go and teach to, have never
been on a picnic. So I kind of stimulate a
picnic for them. And at the end of the book,
they're able to earn their Food Safety Superstar badge, and
(26:57):
I give them a badge at the end. But we
pack a picnic by what they've learned from the book,
and I have them either flap their birdie wings if
they think the food is safe, or they make a
big X with their hands if they think that the
food is unsafe for them and would give them a
stomach ache or another issue. And that's been a real
(27:19):
big hit. When I go to the school, the kids
are really liking that. But then families will tell me
that they have purchased the book it has encouraged their kids.
They'll say, kids have their kids come home and say
let's go on a picnic. And I've heard some going
to picnics at the beach and some of them at
the park and some as the lake. And so I'm
(27:39):
loving hearing everybody's picnic stories too along the way. But
that's been fun. So I would say families and adults
can use it. I recommend teachers by it. I'm working
on curriculum now because I can't clone myself and be
at all these schools that have been having me come
out to visit. So I am working on curriculum that
of teachers buy the book, they can use it in
(28:00):
their classrooms and talk about the food groups, maybe play
on a picnic inside their classroom, and then even move
their bodies and you know with the little tips at
the end of the third book, the Fitness book has
a bunch of tips of getting your body moving.
Speaker 3 (28:18):
Yeah. I was going to ask how can teachers use
your books in the classroom, but you got to that point,
and I think that would be a nice addition to,
you know, the basic learning that they are doing. And
I was going to ask you to do you think
picnics are going out of style? Is that a rare thing?
Speaker 5 (28:36):
Well, they're not. I think they're on the resurgence, and
and I have noticed. I mean there are groups I
talked to that several of the kids have gone on picnics,
and then there are groups that have never heard of
a picnic. So it's kind of interesting.
Speaker 3 (28:50):
Well there, okay, So we're building life skills, weird fitness,
we're teaching foods safety, we are teaching the aspects of
going on picnics. There's a rhyme and reason in your books,
So I guess the call to action would be, are
(29:13):
the question formed in how can families start building these
early habits that are so critical to their development? Like
how can they start today?
Speaker 5 (29:26):
I think it's never too late to start. So I
think even if you have if you're listening to this
podcast and you're hearing or you're thinking, my child's ten
years old, it's too late. We should have started early. No,
start tomorrow. Take your child to the farmer's market, let
me pick out some fun items, find a recipe online,
(29:47):
go home, cook it as a family, or talk about
the basics, like start with washing your hands and then
just build from there. But all three of my books
do have an activity at very end. So if you do,
purchase the books, use those activities at the end to
jump start your family on this journey.
Speaker 3 (30:08):
I love that. I love that the books include checklists
and activities make it the entire experience interactive. You know,
kids love iPads and moving their fingers. This is just
as great as an iPad, I promise. So, Jessica, your
work feels bigger than books. What impact are you most
(30:30):
proud of so far?
Speaker 5 (30:33):
That's a tough one. I don't know. I just love
hearing the stories. I had a Girl Scout troupe even
contact me. I went to the mailbox just a couple
of weeks ago and there was this package. Open it
up and it was all of the children's drawings from
the Girl Scout group thanking me for the Birdie books
and when they taught them and how it helped them
(30:55):
earn one of their badges and food safety and nutrition
and that really made my day. It touched my heart
and all they're just sweet letters that just came out
of nowhere. I didn't even expect that. And so when
I hear that it's happening across the United States and
not just in my own backyard where I've been promoting
(31:17):
the books. I feel like that in itself, that I
am making a difference, and that was the whole point
of this whole journey, all right.
Speaker 3 (31:31):
At the core of everything you do. And we'll wrap
it up and let you go. But what message do
you want every child to understand?
Speaker 5 (31:41):
I us hope children walk away from reading the books
feeling empowered and that they even making like small choices
like learning how to wash their hands or keeping their
lunches cold, or making them feel like they're food safety experts.
I just hope it opens doors makes meaningful conversations with
(32:04):
their parents and their siblings about healthy habits and then
having fun together. Overall, that's the message.
Speaker 3 (32:13):
There's the message. And what do you want every parent
to remember?
Speaker 5 (32:21):
That they can have healthy family?
Speaker 3 (32:29):
Yes they can, all right, Jessica. Where can our listeners
pick up a copy of the book and connect with
you on the internet.
Speaker 5 (32:39):
They can actually purchase the book all three on Amazon,
Barnes and Nobles have christ Books, and they can visit
my website at www dot Jessica nicolemacinellibooks dot com. All
the books are there as well. You can also book
me through that website if you want me to come
out to your school, your library, your place of work,
(33:02):
or you can contact me for further information. There's always
There's also some fun coloring sheets at the website that
you can download for your family, as well as some recipes,
other helpful information, and any upcoming events that I am
scheduled for if you want to come out and meet
me in person.
Speaker 3 (33:22):
Right, some recipes I love it all right, and listeners.
Just in case you need those links, and I know
you will, I will have them in the description of
this episode and in the show notes, so all you
guys have to do is just click the links, all right.
Learning doesn't have to be boring just because sure then
(33:44):
make it boring. And the best lessons are the ones
we don't even realize we're learning. Make sure you check
out Jessica Nicole mccanley's Birdie series and bring those moments
into your home or school or picnic, because healthy habits
start small and last a lifetime, so don't lose sight
(34:06):
of that. Thank you so much, Jessica for being our
guest tonight. It was truly an honor.
Speaker 5 (34:12):
The honor was all mine. Thank you so much for
having me. I sure enjoyed being on your show.
Speaker 3 (34:17):
You're welcome. You're welcome, and we wish you well and
you have our support.
Speaker 5 (34:23):
Thank you. I truly appreciate that.
Speaker 3 (34:27):
Indeed, all right, well take care.
Speaker 5 (34:30):
You too, Go have those MACHOs.
Speaker 3 (34:33):
Yeah, we're doing that this weekend. Bye bye, he's to all.
Speaker 1 (34:43):
My name is Denie and I am the host of
Vigilantes Radio Live. I think that we are beyond just
asking cool questions and getting cool responses. I think that
we are here at creatives to provide an example that
(35:03):
you can do things different outside of expectations, because some
of us simply were not born into the club. But
there is perhaps a door window or backgate that we
can leave a clue for you to get into. Life
is short, but there are plenty of moments to try
(35:27):
and get it right. Pursuing your dreams and learning from
mistakes may be tough, but regret it's tougher to book
your interview. Email us at v Radio at only onemediagroup
dot com. That's a V as in victorious or visit
only onemediagroup dot com. I'm counting on you, Heaven. We
(35:53):
all are counting on you to step into your purpose
and your passion. You are listening to Vigilante Radio live
on iHeartRadio, providing you with an opportunity to dive.
Speaker 2 (36:06):
Deeper you And now listening to vigil Lanzi's Radio, the
(36:35):
people's choice for quality interviews, art, music and heart topics,
hosted by Demetrius Houdini Black Reynolds. All episodes of this
podcast are available for free download at www. Dots only
one media group dot com
This is an iHeart podcast guaranteed human.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
You are now listening to Vigilantes Radio, presented by the
only One Media Group. This is the people's choice, but
quality interviews celebrities and special guests, hosted by Demitrius Denny Reynolds.
Call in to join the mix at seven oh one,
eight oh one, nine eight one three. For the complete
archive of episodes, visit only onemediagroup dot com and be
(00:27):
suls like us on Facebook at Vigilantes Radio. We welcome all.
Enjoy the show, ladies and gentlemen. Plus, welcome your host
Demitrius who Demi Black Reynolds. Enjoy the show.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Hey, Hey, Hey, what's going on? Guys? Welcome to another
incredible episode of Vigilantes Radio, live right here on iHeartRadio.
My name is Deani. I do have to say that
this particular episode is pre recorded and I can't wait
to deliver it to your inboxes. And for you guys
who subscribe to the show, you'll be the first to
(01:09):
know and I always appreciate that. So don't go anywhere.
I have something for you. Don't lose sight. This is
the frequency of the fearless. You know, some lessons are
too important to wait until later, things like how to
take care of your body, how to stay safe, how
(01:31):
to build habits that shape your life. But here's the challenge,
how do you teach something serious to someone who just
wants to play. That's where creativity steps in, because when
you take something complex and turn it into something fun,
you don't just teach, you transform how people learn. And
(01:53):
tonight's guest has found a way to do exactly that.
Through stories, characters, and a little bluebird named Bertie. She's
helping the next generation build healthy habits in a way
that actually sticks. You're not just here for a talk show.
And this isn't just radio. This is revival for your body,
(02:15):
your mind, and your spirit. This is Vigilantes Radio Live.
My name is Coach Deni and change is possible. Are
you ready?
Speaker 4 (02:25):
You're listening to the Vigilanes podcast on iHeartRadio. Im Mo
founder and owner of Noah Guy Heating and air Conditioning.
We're giving away twelve free HVAC systems this year and
if you are so many, no needs one. Apply now
at noa guihsvac dot com to go this mission. We're
also seeking sponsors and donations, so let's change lives. One
(02:46):
system at a time. This is Diglani's podcast on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Are you ready? Are you ready radio? Are you ready for?
Let's go? Let's go?
Speaker 3 (03:14):
All right, all right again, Welcome to the show. You're
listening to VRL. That is Vigilantes Radio live right here
on iHeartRadio, and I am your host, Deani. Our interviews
are designed to go beyond the music, news, books, art, acting, films, technology, education, entrepreneurship, entertainment, spirituality,
(03:34):
and sometimes even past that thing that we call the ego.
Our interviews are designed to go behind the scenes and
into the minds of these brilliant people, you know, the
ones who were out there giving it. They're all for me,
for you, and for the world. Well ladies and gentlemen.
Tonight's Guests is a food safety professional, registered dietitian and
(03:59):
a registered sanitarian with over twenty years of experience dedicated
to protecting public health and promoting wellness. She's also the
creative mind behind a Birdie children's book series, where she
transformed important lessons about fitness, cooking, and food safety and
(04:20):
to fun, engaging stories for kids. By blending education with imagination,
she's helping young readers build healthy habits that last a lifetime,
So please join me in saying welcome friend to Jessica
and Nicole Mcanley. Hey, Hey, hey, welcome to the show.
Speaker 5 (04:44):
Well thanks for having me. I think that might be
one of the best intros I've ever had.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
It was my pleasure. How's it going.
Speaker 5 (04:54):
It's doing great. How are you doing?
Speaker 3 (04:57):
I'm doing pretty good myself. It's been a fantastic the evening,
a rainy one, but very fantastic.
Speaker 5 (05:03):
The same for us. We have some storms in the area,
but it's still overall fantastic evening for me as well.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
Absolutely. Now, if it goes radio silence, that means I
was blown away. I think we're still under a tornado
watch or something to do.
Speaker 5 (05:19):
Tonado have hit us. Yes, well, let's hope that does
not happen tonight.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Absolutely well, Jessica, again, we are super excited to have
you with us tonight. Beyond the books and your professional work,
what's been resting on your heart and mind lately when
it comes to children's health and their wellness?
Speaker 5 (05:40):
Well, really, that's why I started this whole venture. I
have been a mom of two that are now grown
children in college, and when I first sat out on
this venture, I did a lot of research, and I
could not find any books that actually discussed food safety.
(06:02):
And as you mentioned in my amazing intro, that is
my background, and so it was weighing on my heart
that there's not anything out there to protect children and
it's important topic and kids me to start to learn
that early, in my opinion, and so that's why I
set out on this. And I always say that you
(06:23):
should be looking for a passion and a purpose in
your life at all times, and it's now become my
passion and purpose and my mission lately.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
I love it. I love it. And yes, yes, children's
diets are you know, just as important as our diet.
You know, yes, we may not think so because they
have a lot of metabolism and you know they can
they can eat a pound of sugar and be okay,
well not really, but.
Speaker 5 (06:50):
You know it's true. But you do want to start
off early with them because you know, they go to
school and if they don't have the proper nutrients as
they start a school day, they're not actually going to
really learn well in the classroom. Their attention span is
going to be less of an attention span, and even
when they're out being physically active on the playground. That fuel,
(07:15):
whatever they put in their body that morning is will
definitely either last them throughout the day or they will
have that spike and sugar and then dive halfway through
the day. So it is really important. And see earlier
we start teaching our kids the importance of nutrition and
food safety and being active, the better because they're little
(07:36):
sponges and they want to learn at that age.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
Absolutely, So when kids grow up reading your books, what
kind of habits, mindset are confidence do you hope stays
with them?
Speaker 5 (07:51):
Well, I actually just was at a school yesterday and
I presented the Birdie book series to kindergarten all all
the way up to fifth grade. And it was really
kind of interesting because usually I just target one grade level,
but seeing the vast difference from a kindergartener learning this
(08:12):
complicated advance topic to seeing these fifth graders that are
about to be on to middle school really hit home
with me. It was very interesting And if they can
just take away one food safety tip, then I feel
like it's been a success. And as I left yesterday,
(08:34):
so many were telling me, I'm going to remember to
wash my hands, missus Jessica, I'm going to remember, and
that alone is our number one defense against germs and
germs on food is washing our hands. So if they
walk away with just hand washing, I've done my job.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
So what about that hits home for you?
Speaker 5 (08:54):
To me, it means that I am making a difference.
And so that's the whole point of writing this book series.
If a child goes home and tells a sibling what
they learned for the day, if it brings a family
together at a dinner table, because as you know, we're
all a crazy busy society now that dinners are not
(09:16):
what they used to be. I'm a child of the
eighties and that's when you did come home and eat
as a family and set around and shared your day.
So if I am able to trigger a family sitting
at dinner and talking about food safety or eating a
healthy meal, or actually going on a walk or a
hike together, then then I have accomplished my whole goal.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
Absolutely. I'm a kid from the eighties, raised in the
nineties as well, and I grew up eating dinner together
as a family, you know, just like you sing about
your day. But you know, we try to do that,
but I don't know, sometimes the little one is too
(10:00):
impatient for her plate show.
Speaker 5 (10:05):
Now it's hard.
Speaker 3 (10:07):
She will start before us, but we try to make
it work. But yeah, I remember those times growing up
and just eating dinner as a family. That was That
was real cool.
Speaker 5 (10:21):
It was a special time, it really was.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
So you mentioned Bertie. Let's talk about the birth of Bertie.
Let's start at the beginning. What inspired you to create Bertie.
Speaker 5 (10:34):
Well, Bertie has a little story. Bertie is actually the
nickname of my oldest daughter and when she was born,
and it sounds like you have a child yourself, you know,
they make little bird faces when you're feeding them, and
so her grandmother actually nicknamed her that when she was
about three or four months old, and so it has
(10:57):
stuck with her through her life. She's twenty three now
and graduating college next week. And I thought, I wanted to,
you know, recognize her because I'm so proud of her.
She's going to head off to medical school here pretty soon.
And I said, if I'm going to write this book series,
I want to combine my background in public health and
(11:18):
I want to kind of give an homage to my child.
So Birdie came from a bluebird, and then my grandmother
collected bluebirds and if you look at the history of
a bluebird, you know they represent friendship and hope and joy.
And I thought, well, I better way to have that
be my main character of a children's book series.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Absolutely, so, how does the real Birdie feels about them?
Speaker 5 (11:43):
She loves it. She loves it a lot. She's proud
of her mom, which that means a lot to me.
And she's come to a few of my book signings
and she does always ask and how how the things
are going? Because this is a new this is a
new journey. As you said in my intro, I'm a
registered dietitian, a registered sanitarian, which is a fancy word
(12:03):
for being a food police or health inspector. And she's
enjoying this new career of mine and supports me and
likes the message as well, since she is in the
health field herself.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
I love that. I love that. So why do you
use or why did you select to use storytelling instead
of traditional teaching?
Speaker 5 (12:27):
I thought storytelling is just fun, just being a mom.
I enjoyed reading to my children every night. I think
reading to children on any topic is really healthy for
your child. It helps increase literacy, it helps them do
better in school. And like I mentioned, when I was researching,
(12:48):
I couldn't find a book on food safety at all. I
can find lots of books on nutrition, but nothing on
food safety. So I did I've never been an author.
I did interview a couple of and then I interviewed
some speech therapists along my journey to find out what
kids enjoy. And the speech therapist told me they really like,
(13:10):
you know, fun, bright characters, but also rhyming. So if
you look at any book, they are all very gentle rhymes,
and the kids really enjoy that. As I go and
read them, and then they can pick up on it
and read. If it's an early reader, it's easier for
them to pick up to read the books as well.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
All right, all right, so.
Speaker 5 (13:38):
Okay was it lightning and thunder?
Speaker 3 (13:43):
Yeah? I was like, oh, okay, so first time as
an author, How did that experience feel for you?
Speaker 5 (13:56):
Very fearful. I actually didn't tell anyone about the journey
because I said, I've never been an author before, and
I did a workshop to kind of learn how to
do this. I did do a lot of research. So
if there aren't any of your listeners listening tonight, I
would say, if they do have a dream of writing
(14:19):
their books one day. I would definitely do your research
before you jump into it. I did keep it a
secret from my entire family because I wasn't sure if
I was going to complete it or not. But then
as little steps and guidelines and milestones were met, I
felt more confident about the journey, and then I did
(14:42):
go ahead and share it with my family. But it's
so fun and it's high. It's high than its lows.
It's trials and its errors. There are people out there
that take advantage of you on this journey as well,
so I just say, be very educated. And for the
most part, it's been more of a high. I've really
enjoyed all these independent bookstores inviting me in to meet
(15:05):
their customers. I've enjoyed these schools and these libraries that
have had me come in as well. And honestly, what
I thought was meeting these children an important and valuable
lesson has ended up also feeding my soul in return,
because I walk away, you know, smiling and having met
(15:26):
new friends along the way and taught this important lesson.
So it's been it's been a great journey.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
I love it. I love it. Why did you keep
it a secret besides, you know, you know, going through
the whole process to complete it.
Speaker 5 (15:41):
I think I'm competitive. For some people tell me I'm
competitive and and and then overachiever, and I think I
just I think a lot of people are scared about
failing in life, and I'm one of those people. And
I didn't want it to be a failure. And so
that's why I kept it to myself. And then when
(16:02):
I felt more confident about this journey, I went ahead
and started sharing it with others.
Speaker 3 (16:09):
Okay, for our listeners out there who may be struggling
with the same ideas and going through the process, do
you have some words of encouragement, especially if they have
like a delayed start, Like I've been trying to write
a book for twenty years now and I still haven't
written the book. But I'm sure there's people like me
(16:29):
with books and poems and songs in their head, but
they just haven't put it out there yet.
Speaker 5 (16:36):
I think I think that they should find their support system,
find that one person. It only takes one to be
that encouraging support system to bounce your ideas off of. Also,
look into retreats. There's some wonderful independent bookstores out there
and online support that offer writing retreats, And if you
(16:57):
sign up for these writing retreats, then there's other people
and peers that are out there to help you along
the journey. And sometimes it's just daunting trying to find
out how to do this. Everybody thinks I've got to
find that publisher to be back behind me. I have
to find the illustrator. But if you have a timeline
and you work on hitting those timelines monthly, it'll keep
(17:21):
you on track and I'll get you to your endpoint.
And believe me, it's worth it. It's worth it all.
Speaker 3 (17:28):
Indeed. So I wanted to talk about how you turn
serious topics into fun. So you're teaching things like food
safety and health. You found a niche that wasn't dominated
by thousands and thousands of authors. Why do you believe
it's important to introduce these topics early on?
Speaker 5 (17:50):
Well, I think these books, instead of teaching rules and
facts directly to children that can just go over their head,
I had created Bertie and her Friends in a playful
way that appeal to children and teach those safe habits
like washing hands and keeping cold foods cold, hot foods hot,
and cross contamination and I feel like if you leave
(18:12):
those lessons into books early on, it doesn't feel like
a child's being taught like a hard lesson. It makes
it a fun lesson and that maybe they will go
on to eventually pack their own lunches for school and
help their families families out because parents, like we mentioned earlier,
are busy and some families now have or most families
(18:35):
now have two parents working. And so if we start
these kids out early, they can help in the kitchen
and be prepared. They can help pack their ow lunches
for school, they can start eating healthy for their journey
that will lead them into their teen years and their
young adult ears. So I just think overall, teaching the
(18:55):
importance of food safety early can only benefit our families.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
And Birdie's fitness. Fine. I know that movement is important
for kids today, but parents play a large role in that.
How can we encourage parents to encourage their activity without pressure?
Speaker 5 (19:21):
Well, that's true, and that's what as as parents and
as I mentioned children or sponges, they do model us,
They look up to us, and so we do want
to be those good representations of that. And if they
see a sedendary lifestyle, they tend to fall into that
sedendary lifestyle as well as well as the gaming industry.
(19:42):
It's easier to come home, sit down, watch a show,
play a game, look at a screen. And that's what
we're trying to break in the book. We're trying to
break the kids away from that and introduce them to
all different activities. So in the third book, Fitness Fun,
Bertie is introduced to different activities and then she finds
(20:06):
her fit, her perfect fit. And not everybody is going
to light playing soccer or going running or playing volleyball
or basketball, but there is a fit for you out
there and everybody can be active. So as a parent,
I would plan days of trying to just get out
in the neighborhood and go for a walk or hit
the park, or even just stretching inside at home, if
(20:29):
there's time to do a little yoga in the living room.
There's ways to be active. And if it's a Now
that we're in a springing and soon to be summer,
the weather's even nicer, so it's more encouraging to get
your kiddos out there and try new activities.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
Yes, yes, but that takes confidence. It does, it does,
and your book emphasized confidence. Why is trying new things
so important in early development?
Speaker 5 (21:00):
I think if you just when you're young, that's what's
fun about life. You're not pegged into who you have
to be at that age, and that's what's so free
and care free as you get to try everything in life.
You know, now that we're older, we're a little bit
more pegged into our roles and responsibilities. And so this book,
(21:22):
this third book, actually all the books encourage confidence and
friendship and getting out there and being social. And so
I want kids when they read the third book to
realize there is something out there for me, and if
one thing doesn't work, try another until you find that
perfect fit.
Speaker 3 (21:43):
You mentioned a third book. Is there a particular order
that they should read the books in or or does
it matter?
Speaker 5 (21:50):
That does actually matter? I did market it as a series,
but there is not first, second, third, But I will
say that the first starts off with the main characters,
and then each book introduces a new animal character. So
if you do read them in order, from picnic party,
the cooking class, the fitness funds, you've had a new character.
(22:13):
And when I do go to schools, I have the
younger kids kind of guests who who will join the
picnic or who will join the next book, And they
love to guess the new animals that might be joining.
That's kind of made it fun.
Speaker 3 (22:27):
Yeah, I like that idea. So if there is a
new character introduced in the book, they are guaranteed you
to show up in the next book as like a
mainstay character. Yes, yeah, cool.
Speaker 5 (22:40):
Cool kind of building from there. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:43):
Do you see this translating into like a cartoon series.
Speaker 5 (22:47):
Oh, I wish that would be a lot of fun.
I have been approached by one television show to do
like a cooking class with Bertie, and so that's down
the line, and I've got a kind of research on that.
I felt and see if that's something I want to do.
But yeah, that would be amazing. If somebody wants to
make Birdie at a cartoons to teach food safety and
(23:08):
nutrition and wellness, I can only see it being a benefit.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
Yeah. Sure. And speaking of Bertie's cooking class, I definitely
believe that life skills should be developed at an early age,
and I believe that Birdie's cooking class, you know, emphasizes that.
But why do you believe it's important for kids to
learn about cooking early on?
Speaker 5 (23:35):
Again, I think cooking, as we talked about being children
of the eighties, I think it brings families together. Holidays,
you're in the kitchen cooking, if you could bring a
new recipe home and jump in the kitchen with your
mom or your dad, or brother or sister, just brings togetherness.
So it's not just necessarily the lesson of nutrition and
(23:57):
eating healthy, but it's also that lesson of togetherness and family.
But then again, also on the nutrition side of it,
our world is wrapped around convenience and fast food, and
if we can teach a child to eat something at home,
we're getting away from that five fat heighst sodium, high
(24:21):
sugar content and we're cooking more wholesome, whoalthy meals at home.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
Did you have any favorite meals that you've prepared with
their children.
Speaker 5 (24:32):
Well, I'm Italian, so I love cocaine Italian food, yes,
and they love my Italian food, so yeah, I've have
a few. And then my husband he loves grilling, so
he's taught our son the whole grilling in the backyard,
and so yeah, our family is very active in the kitchen.
Speaker 3 (24:53):
Oh nice, nice. My wife, she and my daughters, they
cooked together every now and then. But when I make
Dad's world famous nachos, everyone gathers around and I just
tell stories about, you know, different adventures in my life.
They don't help, they don't help me, but.
Speaker 5 (25:12):
But but see, it brings you guys together. And I
love hearing dad stories. I love it. Now these like
pour me and nachos where you just get tortilla chips
and cheese, or these fancy nachos.
Speaker 3 (25:22):
These are fancy, all out nachos, and oh yeah, I
have the different elements separated in different bowls so they
could choose what they wanted their nachos. I mean, either
way that Dad makes the world famous nachos is going
to be.
Speaker 5 (25:44):
You know what when they have their families. And that's
what this is all about too. When they have their families,
they're gonna remember that when Dad brought out his world
famous nachos and we sat around and listen to dads.
That's really bottom line, what's all about creative memories.
Speaker 3 (26:01):
Indeed, indeed, all right, So you are making an impact
on children with this new book series, and I love it.
I love it. But your books can be for adults too, They're.
Speaker 5 (26:15):
Right, they can. I mean the whole families by the books.
The kids will at my book event, I do set
up a whole picnic. I set out I have a
little rug that looks like grass, and I have a
picnic blanket and my picnic basket and my food models
for being a dietician, and I asked the kids to
(26:37):
all gather around on picnic blanket because some children, depending
on what crowds I go and teach to, have never
been on a picnic. So I kind of stimulate a
picnic for them. And at the end of the book,
they're able to earn their Food Safety Superstar badge, and
(26:57):
I give them a badge at the end. But we
pack a picnic by what they've learned from the book,
and I have them either flap their birdie wings if
they think the food is safe, or they make a
big X with their hands if they think that the
food is unsafe for them and would give them a
stomach ache or another issue. And that's been a real
(27:19):
big hit. When I go to the school, the kids
are really liking that. But then families will tell me
that they have purchased the book it has encouraged their kids.
They'll say, kids have their kids come home and say
let's go on a picnic. And I've heard some going
to picnics at the beach and some of them at
the park and some as the lake. And so I'm
(27:39):
loving hearing everybody's picnic stories too along the way. But
that's been fun. So I would say families and adults
can use it. I recommend teachers by it. I'm working
on curriculum now because I can't clone myself and be
at all these schools that have been having me come
out to visit. So I am working on curriculum that
of teachers buy the book, they can use it in
(28:00):
their classrooms and talk about the food groups, maybe play
on a picnic inside their classroom, and then even move
their bodies and you know with the little tips at
the end of the third book, the Fitness book has
a bunch of tips of getting your body moving.
Speaker 3 (28:18):
Yeah. I was going to ask how can teachers use
your books in the classroom, but you got to that point,
and I think that would be a nice addition to,
you know, the basic learning that they are doing. And
I was going to ask you to do you think
picnics are going out of style? Is that a rare thing?
Speaker 5 (28:36):
Well, they're not. I think they're on the resurgence, and
and I have noticed. I mean there are groups I
talked to that several of the kids have gone on picnics,
and then there are groups that have never heard of
a picnic. So it's kind of interesting.
Speaker 3 (28:50):
Well there, okay, So we're building life skills, weird fitness,
we're teaching foods safety, we are teaching the aspects of
going on picnics. There's a rhyme and reason in your books,
So I guess the call to action would be, are
(29:13):
the question formed in how can families start building these
early habits that are so critical to their development? Like
how can they start today?
Speaker 5 (29:26):
I think it's never too late to start. So I
think even if you have if you're listening to this
podcast and you're hearing or you're thinking, my child's ten
years old, it's too late. We should have started early. No,
start tomorrow. Take your child to the farmer's market, let
me pick out some fun items, find a recipe online,
(29:47):
go home, cook it as a family, or talk about
the basics, like start with washing your hands and then
just build from there. But all three of my books
do have an activity at very end. So if you do,
purchase the books, use those activities at the end to
jump start your family on this journey.
Speaker 3 (30:08):
I love that. I love that the books include checklists
and activities make it the entire experience interactive. You know,
kids love iPads and moving their fingers. This is just
as great as an iPad, I promise. So, Jessica, your
work feels bigger than books. What impact are you most
(30:30):
proud of so far?
Speaker 5 (30:33):
That's a tough one. I don't know. I just love
hearing the stories. I had a Girl Scout troupe even
contact me. I went to the mailbox just a couple
of weeks ago and there was this package. Open it
up and it was all of the children's drawings from
the Girl Scout group thanking me for the Birdie books
and when they taught them and how it helped them
(30:55):
earn one of their badges and food safety and nutrition
and that really made my day. It touched my heart
and all they're just sweet letters that just came out
of nowhere. I didn't even expect that. And so when
I hear that it's happening across the United States and
not just in my own backyard where I've been promoting
(31:17):
the books. I feel like that in itself, that I
am making a difference, and that was the whole point
of this whole journey, all right.
Speaker 3 (31:31):
At the core of everything you do. And we'll wrap
it up and let you go. But what message do
you want every child to understand?
Speaker 5 (31:41):
I us hope children walk away from reading the books
feeling empowered and that they even making like small choices
like learning how to wash their hands or keeping their
lunches cold, or making them feel like they're food safety experts.
I just hope it opens doors makes meaningful conversations with
(32:04):
their parents and their siblings about healthy habits and then
having fun together. Overall, that's the message.
Speaker 3 (32:13):
There's the message. And what do you want every parent
to remember?
Speaker 5 (32:21):
That they can have healthy family?
Speaker 3 (32:29):
Yes they can, all right, Jessica. Where can our listeners
pick up a copy of the book and connect with
you on the internet.
Speaker 5 (32:39):
They can actually purchase the book all three on Amazon,
Barnes and Nobles have christ Books, and they can visit
my website at www dot Jessica nicolemacinellibooks dot com. All
the books are there as well. You can also book
me through that website if you want me to come
out to your school, your library, your place of work,
(33:02):
or you can contact me for further information. There's always
There's also some fun coloring sheets at the website that
you can download for your family, as well as some recipes,
other helpful information, and any upcoming events that I am
scheduled for if you want to come out and meet
me in person.
Speaker 3 (33:22):
Right, some recipes I love it all right, and listeners.
Just in case you need those links, and I know
you will, I will have them in the description of
this episode and in the show notes, so all you
guys have to do is just click the links, all right.
Learning doesn't have to be boring just because sure then
(33:44):
make it boring. And the best lessons are the ones
we don't even realize we're learning. Make sure you check
out Jessica Nicole mccanley's Birdie series and bring those moments
into your home or school or picnic, because healthy habits
start small and last a lifetime, so don't lose sight
(34:06):
of that. Thank you so much, Jessica for being our
guest tonight. It was truly an honor.
Speaker 5 (34:12):
The honor was all mine. Thank you so much for
having me. I sure enjoyed being on your show.
Speaker 3 (34:17):
You're welcome. You're welcome, and we wish you well and
you have our support.
Speaker 5 (34:23):
Thank you. I truly appreciate that.
Speaker 3 (34:27):
Indeed, all right, well take care.
Speaker 5 (34:30):
You too, Go have those MACHOs.
Speaker 3 (34:33):
Yeah, we're doing that this weekend. Bye bye, he's to all.
Speaker 1 (34:43):
My name is Denie and I am the host of
Vigilantes Radio Live. I think that we are beyond just
asking cool questions and getting cool responses. I think that
we are here at creatives to provide an example that
(35:03):
you can do things different outside of expectations, because some
of us simply were not born into the club. But
there is perhaps a door window or backgate that we
can leave a clue for you to get into. Life
is short, but there are plenty of moments to try
(35:27):
and get it right. Pursuing your dreams and learning from
mistakes may be tough, but regret it's tougher to book
your interview. Email us at v Radio at only onemediagroup
dot com. That's a V as in victorious or visit
only onemediagroup dot com. I'm counting on you, Heaven. We
(35:53):
all are counting on you to step into your purpose
and your passion. You are listening to Vigilante Radio live
on iHeartRadio, providing you with an opportunity to dive.
Speaker 2 (36:06):
Deeper you And now listening to vigil Lanzi's Radio, the
(36:35):
people's choice for quality interviews, art, music and heart topics,
hosted by Demetrius Houdini Black Reynolds. All episodes of this
podcast are available for free download at www. Dots only
one media group dot com
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Hey Jonas!
Hey Jonas! The official Jonas Brothers podcast. Hosted by Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas. It’s the Jonas Brothers you know... musicians, actors, and well, yes, brothers. Now, they’re sharing another side of themselves in the playful, intimate, and irreverent way only they can. Spend time with the Jonas Brothers here and stay a little bit longer for deep conversations like never before.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.