Valorie Delp

Valorie Delp is a editor, contributing writer and topic expert for LoveToKnow.com and has been with the company for more than five years. She has more than eight years of editing and freelance writing experience and loves to write about her life experiences which span a variety of topics.

Homeschooling

Marrying her first two passions in life - her children and education - Valorie has been homeschooling her five children for 10 years. Valorie also actively participates in the local homeschooling community, offering her services as a teacher, curriculum advisor and general educational consultant.

Breastfeeding

Having breastfed all five of her children (which include a set of twins), Valorie went on to counsel and help many other moms in informal mothers' groups on having a successful breastfeeding relationship. While the days of breastfeeding are well behind her, Valorie still offers her services as a lactation counselor on occasion.

Kids and Teens

All of her adult life, Valorie has worked with kids and teens. Her experiences with kids and teens are wide and varied from teaching high school level science classes, to running an after school program in the inner city. As a school employee, she has written and evaluated curriculum, put together grade-level reading lists, and helped develop strategies for more effective teaching. She directed an after school program in the inner city for nine years, until the demands of family life pulled her away. As both a former teacher and a parent, Valorie writes with a unique perspective that offers well-grounded and pragmatic advice.

French

Before children, Valorie's first passion was French literature. She is fluent and currently holds a Bachelor's degree in French, having spent a substantial portion of her time working through great French writers including: Hugo, Balzac, Flaubert and Beckett.

Party and Food Writing

Valorie began cooking as a teenager. What began as a challenge to make an angel food cake, ended up being a life-long passion. Since those early days, Valorie has catered many parties, showers and banquets and has donated her talents to an annual bake sale to help raise money for educational supplies for schools in the inner city.

Charity

During her off hours, Valorie still actively volunteers in the community. While her volunteering is extensive - from soup kitchens to youth group, to literacy programs - it's her work as a grant writer that has really help fulfilled her. Being able to communicate the passion of an organization that wants to help people, to an organization that has the means to help people, is very rewarding.