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Jen Hockney Bratton

Jen Hockney Bratton started her career in television, working on everything from local PBS productions to the Kentucky Derby. When the Internet came calling, she went to work for Oprah Winfrey as a content producer for Oprah.com. One move to Bloomington and two kids later, Jen followed another passion and now teaches fitness classes at Bloomington Body Bar. She loves to write, read, spend time with her husband and daughters, and cheer on the Hoosiers.

Posts by this contributor 9 results

You don't have to be pumping iron or running marathons, but it is important to get moving to help improve your health. There are plenty of options, including suspension training (pictured here), to help you get up off the couch. | Photo courtesy Bloomington Body Bar

New Exercise Routines Offer More Than Dumbbells and Marathons

Jen Hockney Bratton

New studies suggest that an effective fitness routine doesn’t have to mean building muscle mass or running marathons. Jen Hockney Bratton runs through a list of new possibilities — from functional fitness to high-intensity interval training to Rage Yoga, where “profanity is encouraged, as evidenced by their tagline: ‘becoming zen as f***.’” Click here to read the full story.

August 17, 2016

13 Books to Keep Young Readers Entertained on Those Long Summer Days

Jen Hockney Bratton, Penina Gal

Whether your child wants to participate in the library’s Summer Reading Program or just browse The Book Corner, experts agree that reading should be part of every child’s summer fun. Jen Hockney Bratton asks the librarian at University Elementary School, Mary D’Eliso, for suggestions to while away the summer days. Click here to read the full story.

May 24, 2016

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6 Things You Didn’t Know About the Jordan Greenhouses

Jen Hockney Bratton, Lynae Sowinski

A former quarry? Sunken Gardens? The Passion Pit? And you thought you were looking at greenhouses. Those glass buildings with steamy windows on East 3rd Street have quite the past. And their present is rather colorful, too. Jen Hockney Bratton reveals what you didn’t know about IU's Jordan Greenhouses. Look at some gorgeous photos, too! Click here to read the full story.

February 24, 2016

For six Saturdays each fall and spring, kids ranging in age from kindergarten to eighth grade take over college classrooms while attending Saturday Science Quest for Kids and Saturday Art School. | Courtesy photo

Curious Kids Explore Science and Art at IU

Jen Hockney Bratton

Children ranging in age from kindergarten to eighth grade take over IU classrooms on Saturdays. At the School of Education, prospective teachers get real-life field practice and youngsters get real-world experiences in art and science that they might not otherwise get at school. Click here to read the full story.

December 21, 2015

Mary D'Eliso, who has been the librarian at University Elementary School since 2004, shares some of her favorite children's books. | Photo by Natasha Komoda

14 Books Kids Will Love to Get as Gifts

Jen Hockney Bratton, Natasha Komoda

Books, arguably, make the best presents. And children’s book expert Mary D’Eliso knows some of the best books you can give. Since 2004, after 15 years in the children’s department at Monroe County Public Library, D’Eliso has been the librarian at University Elementary School. As writer Jen Hockney Bratton puts it, “This librarian knows her stuff.” Click here to read the full story.

December 8, 2015

Sponsorship

Saying ‘Yes’ to Kids Goes from Nightmare to Daydream

Jen Hockney Bratton

Jen Hockney Bratton met trepidation and more than a little dread as she approached her children’s first Yes Day — a day of saying Yes to their every request instead of the litany of No’s that’s so prominent in a parent’s vocabulary. But with planning and guidelines, Yes Day for the kids also became a “Heck Yeah!” day for Mom. Click here to read the full story.

October 23, 2015

Two young girls bob for apples at a previous Bloomington Community Orchard Cider Fest. | Photo courtesy of Bloomington Community Orchard

Community Orchard Embodies the ‘Core Values’ of Bloomington

Jen Hockney Bratton

Cider Fest, on Saturday October 10, celebrates more than just the apples picked at the Bloomington Community Orchard. Jen Hockney Bratton’s article shows how the five-year-old project has influenced many lives in many ways, and what remarkable things are accomplished when a group of people align themselves with the “core values” of a community. Click here to read the full story.

October 8, 2015

The Strahl Lake Trail wraps around a beautiful lake in Brown County State Park. | Photo by Miranda Addonizio

6 Great Places to Run Wild Near Bloomington

Jen Hockney Bratton

Ultramarathoner Miranda Addonizio tells Jen Hockney Bratton her favorite off-road running trails in southern Indiana, where you'll discover waterfalls, caves, and lush forests — for letting go of urban anxiety and putting in some wild miles. Click here to read the full story.