New Years Eve Activities

New Years Eve seems to be an adult holiday, with a lot of parties, dancing, and staying up late. Here are a few ideas to get your kids into the holiday spirit as well. These ideas are from crafts.kaboose.com. Check out this website for more New Years crafts and activities for you kids!

1. New Years Resolution Magnet: Stick your new years resolutions on the refrigerator so kids can be reminded of their resolutions all year long!

2. Sparkly Foam Sequin Ball: This is a fun ornament to hang in your house and it will keep your kids busy for a little while as they decorate the cheap foam balls!

3. New Years Countdown Clock: Easy and fun countdown clock to build anticipation for the New year!

New Year's Eve Traditions

With the Christmas festivities wrapping up, we are now looking forward to our New Year's Eve tradition...fireworks at the beach!  Every year we bring a few boxes of fireworks down to Castle beach near our house and do sparklers and a few more exciting (read: dangerous) types of firecrackers in the sand.  The kids dance and play around the fire pit and we ring in the new year with a bang and lots of laughs.  What are your New Year's Eve activity or food traditions?  Here's to you in 2010, Happy New Year!

Christmas Clearance

Now is the time to go out and score great clearance prices on Christmas inventory, toys for your kids, and winter clothes. Some stores have clearance items all over the store, so be sure to check every isle for great deals on toys and winter clothing for next year. Be thinking ahead into next year for gifts that you can get your family and friends. It's hard to look so far ahead, but your pocket book will thank you when it comes time to buy gifts for everyone again next year.

There is buzz going around on the Internet that Target's Clearance is the best around. Expected markdown dates are as follows:

Dec 26 - Jan 1= 50%
Jan 2 - Jan 6= 75%
Jan 7 = 90%

In January Old Navy also does a sale of 50% off all clearance items. You can really get some great, cheap clothes for your children during this mark down event also.

Remember, only buy something if you need it and will use it for a future gift. Don't just go out and buy something simply because it is a good deal! Have a specific person or place in mind when buying clearance items.

Enjoy and happy shopping!

Best Childrens Books of 2009

We are in the throes of the winter break, and now with Christmas over, we have another week to fill up.  Publishers Weekly identified the best childrens books of 2009 in this article, saying "2009 held a treasure trove of wonderful reading for children of all ages and interests."  So check out the article, then go to your local library and check out a few good books to read in the coming weeks and months!

Believe

The Wall Street Journal had a recent article about the "Power of Magical Thinking", and highlighted a study that showed how cognitive development and imagination in childhood is an important aspect in understanding reality.  The study touched on belief in Santa and other fantasy characters, and what influences how and when children distinguish between what is real and what is not.  I thought the article was really interesting, a glimpse into how kids cope and process the world around them. 

But what do you do when you are asked that dreaded question, is Santa real?  A few years ago our daughter, then 7, was clearly struggling with the idea that Santa really didn't make much sense, and asked us point blank what was up.  We hemmed and hawed and tried to think of something to say, and she said 'Really, tell me the truth!'  So we dropped the bomb and for a split second there was disappointment, followed by a sense of relief on her end. 

Experts recommend asking curious kids who appear ready for the truth, "Is there something you saw or heard that makes you think Santa isn't real?" and "What do you think?" to try and encourage a balance that to lets children be open to possibility but also to question.  Another article that addresses this issue can be found in the London Free Press. 

The magic of Christmas is so much more than believing in Santa - but what fun it is when kids still have that innocent excitement on Christmas morning!!  Even though some of are long past the days of truly believing, we're looking forward to Friday and all the enjoyment of the season....

The Grinch Who Stole Christmas

The Grinch Who Stole Christmas is one of my very favorite Christmas movies. Unfortunately I have read two articles this past week in which the premise of this movie actually happens! Of course not to the extent of stealing a whole town's Christmas gifts, Christmas trees, and food, but on a smaller scale where robbers actually stole gifts intended for needy children.

I am saddened that even in the Christmas season, people are so heartless to go and steal presents from children who will probably not get a single gift this Christmas. In our culture, it seems we place a high priority on gifts. Do children really need all those toys? Will they ever play with all the gifts they were given? What if we scaled back a little, bought only a few presents for our kids, and placed more importance on giving to others and service this season?

Kids deserve the joy of opening a few presents on Christmas and they should feel the generosity of others. Maybe I'll scale back this year and see if they even notice!

Easy Holiday Toffee

My mom is a fabulous cook, and growing up we were treated to so many yummy holiday foods.  My mom used to make the most delicious, buttery toffee for friends and neighbors as gifts, and I always crave a taste of it right around Christmas.  Since I'm not quite as handy as she is in the kitchen I found (courtesy of my sister, lindsay) a super easy 'faux' toffee recipe that satisfies my both my craving and my mediocre kitchen skills.  

The ingredients are:

4 oz saltine crackers (one sleeve)
1 cup butter (oh ya!)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
dash of vanilla
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips or squares from a hershey's bar
crushed candy cane or chopped nuts (optional)

Then all you do is:

Preheat oven to 400 deg F.  Line the cookie sheet with the crackers in a single layer.  In a saucepan, bring the sugars and butter to a boil and boil for 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and add about 1 teaspoon of vanilla.  Immediately pour over the saltines and spread to cover crackers completely.  Bake at 400 deg F for 4-5 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips on top and spread as they melt.  Top with crushed candy cane or nuts (optional). Cool completely.  Break into pieces and enjoy!

Carrots for Santa?

A newly published article in the British Medical Journal entitled "Santa Claus: A Public Health Pariah?" suggests that the current image of Santa promotes an unhealthy lifestyle.  According to Dr. Nathan Grills from Monash University in Australia, the image of Santa promotes obesity, drinking and (sleigh) driving, smoking cigars, and speeding, and that Santa's popularity could instead be used to encourage a more healthy lifestyle. The author even argues that Santa could potentially be a vector for infectious diseases if children sitting on his lap multiple times a day are exposed to any sniffle or flu bug he might be carrying. 

I'm all for healthy living, and yes, maybe Santa could stand to lose a few pounds, but what happens if you take away the reindeer, sleigh, and christmas cookies?  A tanned, toned Santa in a Speedo drinking protein shakes wearing a flu mask? Wait, haven't I seen that skating around Venice Beach already?  I'll take the jolly guy in the red suit for a month every year over that...the next thing you know they'll be blaming Santa and his reindeer emissions for global warming. Sheesh, give the guy a break!

Children's H1N1 Vaccine recall

The news today is reporting to the public that 800,000 doses of H1N1 vaccine directed at children ages 6 months to 3 years have been recalled due to a suspected decrease in strength and potency. Physicians have been notified of the voluntary recall, however it is believed that most of the vaccine has been administered to children. The CDC is reassuring parents however that there is no need to be concerned; the vaccine their child received is safe, it just may be lacking in potency.

You can see a link to today's headline at FOX news here.

I suppose the take home message for parents is keep washing hands religiously and keep kids home when they don't feel well and away from others who are sick. It will be challenging to keep kids healthy this season when family members get together for holiday festivities and everyone is sleeping over at Grandma's. It may be a good idea to arrive at your holiday parties with bottles of hand sanitizer (or germ blaster as we call it!) to have around the house and try to keep those nasty contagious germs at bay.

Stay healthy this holiday!!

Bananagrams

A friend told me about this fun game called Bananagrams. I'm totally loving the name, its so clever and I'm finding myself wishing I had come up with something so cool!   I found it on Amazon.com (click to link directly to it) for $15 and I'm considering buying it as a Christmas gift for my girls.  I've never played it myself, but I'll probably dive in and join the craze anyway...has anyone else ever played it?  Sounds like a fun game for the whole family without the hassle of counting up points and bickering over triple letter scores.  I'll let you know if its a hit or not...

It's a BOOK fair, not a TOY fair!

Tonight I convinced my husband that it would be a great idea for him to take the four older kids to our school’s annual book fair. He was hesitant, but I told him the kids already knew the rule--one book, and it has to be less than $10. So off they went. But when they returned, my husband said, “Next year, its YOUR turn!”
It turns out the book fair really isn’t about BOOKS. It’s all about the stuffed animals and toys they sell *with* the books, like the ones that come with fancy pens with furry heads on them, or that have a pen with dog prints on it since it happens to be with a book about a dog. He said that those were the items the kids wanted, NOT the books. It is sad that in an effort to promote literacy and enjoyment in reading, they promote all the toys just to lure the kids into spending a lot of their parent’s money on toys and do-dads. He said he thinks the ladies running the whole deal probably thought he was the meanest Dad there since he refused to buy the teddy bears.

So, I think next year we’ll skip the book fair…and hit the public library instead!

The Twinkie--A lesson in delayed gratification

Last week we saw Grandma. They love to see Grandma because they know that she *never* comes empty handed! She always brings some little goodie for them to eat. This last time, she brought Twinkies. I can't think of a better treat! Neither could my kids. They were all happily devouring their Twinkies when I noticed one of my boys ate one small part of his, then carefully stuck the remaining yumminess back into its packaging and went off to put it somewhere. About two days later, he appeared with his little package of partially eaten Twinkies and gave me very specific instructions. He said, "Mom, please don't throw these away. I want you to put them in my backpack tomorrow for our afternoon snack at school."

I have to say I was amazed at his restraint. He hadn't eaten it all the moment it was given to him. Then, he had the control to keep it in a safe spot (where the other kids wouldn't find it) and not sneak a few bites sometime in the night or whenever else his sweet tooth called for a goodie. He had kept it, saved it, and waited for just the right time.

I was really proud that a 7 year old could delay the gratification of inhaling his Twinkies. That afternoon he came home all smiles, having thoroughly enjoyed his treat at snack time in the classroom. I'm sure all his table-mates were jealously salivating over his snack!

Later that evening I received a "kindly reminder" from the 1st grade teachers--letting me know that snacks needed to be "healthy, and easy to eat so they don't make a mess on the desks."

Sorry Ms. B. I would much rather send my boy to school with a sugary, frosting filled dessert, but know that at such a young age he was able to use a little self control (which is really hard when you're a 7 year old boy!) and delay the gratification of eating such a fine dessert. We live in a society that demands immediate gratification. It is very hard for our kids to learn to wait for the good things.

I'm sure it tasted a lot better than Brandon's carrots!

Top 100 High Schools

USA News and World Report published the 2010 Gold Medal List of the top 100 public high schools in the U.S.  After looking at more than 21,000 schools, they came up with the top 100 based on a variety of rankings.  We are proud to say that we went to school #93 on that list, Saratoga High!  Ok, so all the high school memories weren't rosy, but the bottom line is we had an excellent education that prepared us well for college and life beyond.    Thanks SHS!

The Muslin Swaddling Blanket--A Product Review

There is nothing sweeter to me than seeing a newborn baby all swaddled up tight in a little blanket! Babies love to be swaddled, and it is well known that mothers have been swaddling their infants for thousands of years.
On a recent trip to Target, I made a wonderful discovery, and I want to share it with every mother of an infant I know! I found a pack of these swaddling blankets made from cotton muslin fabric. I bought the pack and gave three to a new mom I know as a baby gift and kept one for my 6 month old. This muslin swaddling blanket is made by aden + anais, you can see their website here. I couldn’t be happier with this blanket. The fabric is soft, has a little give to it which makes it great for swaddling (and staying put!), and is big enough to wrap up even a 6 month old. It is so lightweight and breathable, it is perfect for summer or warmer climates. It also makes a great nursing cover for this same reason--it allows baby to breath without getting too warm. The only downside I would say would be cost--at Target I paid 29.99 for a pack of 4. But, absolutely worth every penny in my opinion. Check out their website--if you weren’t a convert to swaddling, you will be after reading what they have to say about it!

Potty Training Tips

I have had both of my older daughters successfully (day) potty trained right around the age of 2, but my biggest challenge is coming up....my third and final is very stubborn, opinionated, and a little behind in some of her developmental milestones.  She turns two this weekend, and I have a sinking feeling that I will be buying diapers from costco for a few more months at least.  Bummer!  I'm always so glad when the diaper days are over. 

My personal theory to potty training is to start talking about it, get out the little kids toilet so they can explore and play with it a little, and getting them used to the idea from about 18 months.  Let them roam outside without a diaper so they can learn to correlate the feeling of peeing with the words that you will use to identify it.  Yes, it can be messy, and yes I've even found a few logs with the naked roaming method!  Then around 2, get them excited about it, try underwear, and see how things go for a few hours at a time when you're home.  My method is a long drawn out process but I find that if you catch them when they are at the age where clapping and praise are driving forces for their actions, instead of waiting until they figure out that they can be defiant and do the opposite of what you want, its a better match.  This OregonLive article has some more tips.....anyone want to share successful potty training methods?  I have a feeling my old tricks won't work with my last child.....I need some pointers this time around!

Favorite Holiday Books for Children

My one year old absolutely loves books! I'm trying to come up with some fun Christmas books for her to read to get her in the holiday spirit :) She's not very fond of Santa right now, so maybe if I introduced her properly to him through pictures, she might come around to liking him a little bit more!

1. The Polar Express: Written by Chris Van Allsburg, this is a classic holiday themed story with bright, big pictures and a great story line about never being able to forget the magic of Christmas. You will love this book as a child and you will continue to love it as an adult!

2. The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaola: A Mexican legend about Poinsettia's with great illustrations. This book will captivate you with its pictures as it tells a story about a little girl and her mother who are chosen to complete a blanket to place at their church's Christmas manager. Read it to your children to find out what miracle takes place!

3. The First Christmas by Tomie dePaola: This is a pop up book telling the story of Christmas, ending in a manger scene. Children love pop up books and this will become a Christmas favorite!

What are your favorite children Christmas books?

Get out your wallet....

So I hate to bring this up during the holidays when we are already stretching our budgets to make this time of year magical for our kids, but have you started thinking about investing in your child's future education?  I know, I know, with what extra money?? 

Here's some good news for you, some experts actually advise against setting up a dedicated college fund, and have some pretty good reasons why its more important to save for your own retirement than for your kid's future tuition.  Check it out at MSN Money Central.  Now back to that Christmas shopping.....

Ideas for Reducing Screen Time for Kids

I realized after writing recently about the need to limit screen time for our kids that there was no “how” involved! I’ve been trying to limit my kid’s TV time a little more (especially for my 3 year old who is bored while the big kids are at school) but I wasn’t too sure where to start. So I’ve been thinking about it and came up with a few ideas. I also found some great tips on limiting TV time here.

1. Set limits and rules as a family--timers work great for kids and if they know they have X amount of time to watch or play computer, they will be less likely to be mad at mom when time’s up--blame the timer!
2. Set the example as the adults--Kid’s won’t take the rules seriously if they see us sitting in front of the tube for hours on end instead of doing something active.
3. Keep TV’s and computers OUT of children’s rooms. Both should really be family items and whatever is viewed on them should be available and reasonably appropriate for most members of the family. 4. No TV during meal time--make meal time about sharing a meal and socializing with each other and discussing the events of the day. This will take the focus off of food and kids will stop eating when they are full rather than eating mindlessly in front of the TV which can lead to obesity.
5. Don’t use TV as a reward--this puts too much emphasis on TV and it will become even that much more important to children.
6. Plan out your shows--let the kids pick a few programs they will want to watch during the week. Then either record them or set aside that time its on for your kids to watch. This way there is more purpose to the TV watching and they can look forward to their TV time and their show. (Honestly, how did we survive before Tivo and DVRs?!)

I have four *avid* computer lovers. They love sites like PBS.org, nickjr.com, star fall.com, and playhouseDisney.com. One thing we do that works right now is “Stations”. Each gets about 15 min. at each station--one of course being computer. The other stations are a chore, homework, reading, free play, etc, but it allows some good computer time but it isn’t the main focus--its just part of the station rotation.

What has worked in your family to control screen time with your kids? How do you limit it without making it a huge battle? I’d love to hear what works for others, since I can tell as my kids get older, the challenge is different.

Choosing the Right School for Your Child

We are knee deep into the school year right now, but for some it is time to re-evaluate their child’s school situation and start considering options for next year, especially for those in private settings. Since we have an impending move coming in the next six months, I’m finding myself referring to http://www.greatschools.net/ to check out information on possible schools. I found a great article on that website that outlined some things to ask and think about when considering a school, so I thought I’d pass them on.

* Does your child require special attention due to learning or physical disabilities?

* How close do you need to be to the school? If you live far from the school, is there after school care to watch your child before you get off work?

*Do the facilities meet your expectations? Are they clean, safe, and are there ample supplies/resources for the children?

*What kind of extra-curricular activities are offered (sports, music, art, theater, etc.)?

*How much homework is required of older students? At what age is homework sent home?

*What does the school expect in terms of parent involvement? Does it accommodate to your schedule and ability to be involved at school?

*What is the school’s discipline policy?

*What are the teacher to student ratios? Are teachers appropriately educated, certified and credentialed?

*What does it cost?

Kids spend a large portion of their day at school, and school greatly affects their development. It is where they learn social skills, academics, and how to follow directions--life skills that need to be taught in a way that will work for you and your child. I know for us finding the right preschool was very hard to do. One of the best ways I have found good schools have been by word of mouth. Make a list of questions that are important to you and don’t be afraid to ask them. Good luck finding the right fit for your child---happy learning!

Go to http://www.greatschools.net/ for more information...

Scentsy - Great Gift Idea!

If you’re like me, you love warm, comforting smells during the holidays. Heaven knows I’m not baking cinnamon cookies all day, but darn it, I want my house to smell like I am!!

About a year ago I discovered what many already knew about--Scentsy’s wickless candles. Seriously, what an ingenious idea! I love candles and the delicious smells they give off, but with little ones around, it made me nervous to have candles burning. Plus, I had read somewhere that the soot and smoke from the candles was harmful. With Scentsy “candles”, you place a wax bar in a small dish over a warmer that is heated by a 25 watt light bulb. The heat from this low watt bulb is just enough to melt the wax and it gives off these beautiful aromas. BUT, the best part is, its not hot enough to burn the skin, so if one of the kids knocks it over, they won’t be harmed.

Some benefits of these great warmers are:

*Soot free, wickless, flameless, and smokeless

*Incredibly potent, highly scented wax blend candle bars

*More fragrant than votives, tarts, or wax chips

*Over 80 fragrances

*50 to 60 hours of burn time per bar

*A safer and healthier alternative to wicked candles

*beautifully designed and unique warmers

(source: http://www.nomorewicks.com/)

These are great just about anywhere -- dorm rooms, bathrooms, kitchens, daycares, offices, classrooms, etc. And if that’s not enough, they even have car candles, sprays and plug-ins. I have loved having a warmer and I’m loving experimenting with different bars. Check them out, they make GREAT holiday gifts, or just treat yourself to one!

www.scentsy.com/jenh

The PERFECT Kid’s Cup -- A product review

My triplets are in first grade. I was in a real dilemma when they came home from school the first day and said they had to have a “water bottle” at their desk. Obviously, they are too old for the sippy cups in the cupboard. But, I still don’t trust their motor skills enough to send them off with a twist top water bottle or a flip-lid type cup. I didn’t want wet, soggy backpacks everyday from their leaky water bottles.

I was at Costco and found these PERFECT cups! They came in a four pack that cost about $16. I am in LOVE with these cups! They are the perfect blend of “spill-proof sippy cup” and “cool sports bottle.” They are made by Contigo, who also makes a line of spill proof cups for adults. They claim this is the perfect cup for your children “because they may outgrow their sippy cups, but they never outgrow spilling.”

Their cups for kids are called AUTOSEAL Kids. They are BPA free, they look great, and are incredibly easy to use, even for my small 3 year old who has tiny hands. There is a small opening where the liquid comes out. To activate the flow of liquid, you press a big “button” on the cup. The button is easy for little hands to press down and the drink comes right out. The best part is, they are EASY to wash! No valves or tiny parts. Just unscrew the lid, and put both the cup and lid on the top rack of your dishwasher and you’re set. Contigo claims that these cups are 100% Spill-proof and 100% leak-proof. So far, after 2 months of hard, heavy use by four of my kids, I can say this is true.

I am totally confident sending these cups in the kids’ backpacks or lunches and I know they are happy with a *cool* looking cup of water on their desk. Sure beats a Dora sippy cup!

I just had to share my great find with other moms. Check out their website at
http://www.gocontigo.com/ . You can even watch a video of the cups in action!