Today, Kate shares a couple of leads for kids who go bonkers for balloons:
We've never been one for big birthday celebrations in my family, and we've kept my daughter's parties similarly low key. For her most recent birthday (her 4th), I wanted to do something special that would neither break the bank nor cause too much fuss, and settled on the idea of hiring a balloon twister. I love balloon animals, and find the people who make them to be artists with nerves of steel, always moments away from having a creation pop in their hands (and in front of their young audiences).Today, Kate shares a couple of leads for kids who go bonkers for balloons:
We've never been one for big birthday celebrations in my family, and we've kept my daughter's parties similarly low key. For her most recent birthday (her 4th), I wanted to do something special that would neither break the bank nor cause too much fuss, and settled on the idea of hiring a balloon twister. I love balloon animals, and find the people who make them to be artists with nerves of steel, always moments away from having a creation pop in their hands (and in front of their young audiences).
Today, Kate shares a charming book series for girls:
When I was a young girl, my favorite gift to receive was one of the books in the Very Young series by photographer and writer Jill Krementz. Oversized and filled with gorgeous black and white photographs, each book follows a period in the life of a young girl -- all between 8 and 12 or so -- who excel in particular sports or hobbies: ballet, gymnastics, figure skating, horseback riding.
Before it gets too hot to turn on your oven, try these cookies from Sarah Magid, recommended by Kate:
It took me several weeks after the grand opening to get myself to the new Cambridge Public Library, but on my first visit I stopped in my tracks to check out a selection of new books placed at the check-out desk. At the top of the display was Sarah Magid's Organic and Chic: Cakes, Cookies, and Other Sweets That Taste as Good as They Look, a delightfully pink and pretty cookbook dedicated to organic pastries and baked goods. I checked it out, renewed it, checked it out again, and have enjoyed practically every recipe I've made.
Today, from Kate, because waffles are good any time of day:
Like many other young brides, I received a waffle iron as a wedding gift. My main association with making waffles was a positive one: my father would occasionally make sausages and waffles -- on a waffle iron, practically antique, that had belonged to his mother -- for Sunday supper when the weather was cold and all other cooking inspiration failed him. With my own kitchen and my own iron, however, I struggled to make decent waffles: no matter what recipe I tried, they came out dry, cake-y in a bad way, and not amenable to softening with melted butter and syrup. So, the wedding waffle iron sat on a shelf neglected.
Today, Tracy shares a recommendation for the book Simplicity Parenting. Read on for Tracy’s thoughts on the book, as well as to learn how to win a copy of Simplicity Parenting:
"As a parent and clinical psychologist, I frequently am asked for parenting book recommendations, and I have always found this a difficult task. For one, I haven’t met many books that I find useful enough to be a go-to general recommendation. Another issue is that many parenting books seem to offer lots of strategies and tips in a very general way, which doesn’t help you tune in to your parenting instinct. Or they espouse a great philosophy of parenting with no or very vague ideas about what this philosophy would look like on the front lines, so to speak.
Today, Kate reflects on the beauty of ballet across generations:
Does the beauty of ballet call to every little girl at some point in her life? Probably not -- there must be at least a few who are immune to the magic of toe shoes, the awe of the light-as-air lift, the seeming impossibility of a dancer on pointe -- but the appeal seems to be almost universal. I remember my mother describing how as a child she would watch and re-watch The Red Shoes, an overwrought 1948 melodrama about love and devotion gone wrong among dancers, and though the film itself didn't do much for me, I fully appreciated the pull of the ballet scenes. I'm not sure whether it's the costumes, the immense strength and discipline hidden under layers of pink tulle, or the fairy tales recreated on the stage, but ballet got to me too, and now it's gotten to my preschool-aged daughter.
Today, Kate recommends a thought provoking book about motherhood:
“The essayist Caitlin Flanagan has developed a successful career writing thoughtfully and often with acerbic humor on issues of family, marriage, motherhood, and feminism. She courts controversy by raising uncomfortable questions about whether men or women are better suited to housework, whether small children should be cared for by anyone other than their mothers, and whether contemporary women are fundamentally unsuited to accept the sacrifices required by marriage. She points at working mothers, stay-at-home mothers, and work-at-home mothers -- in other words, all of us -- and asks us to look into ourselves to understand our motivations, our compromises, and our choices and their impacts on our children. She is also the mother of twin boys, and a breast cancer survivor.
Stephanie Precourt projects remarkable light, positivity, and gratitude; qualities -- along with her lovely writing style and beautiful photography -- that make her blog Adventures in Babywearing so wonderful to visit (even for those of us who are beyond babywearing). I first met Stephanie at the inaugural Disney mom bloggers mixer, during which time she was pregnant with her daughter Ivy; since then, it’s been a joy to be connected with this kind and thoughtful friend. For the fourteenth installment of my Simplifying the Holidays guest blog series, enjoy Stephanie’s reflections on the nothing and everything of the holidays.
Jennifer James is one of the first bloggers I met in real life, through the inaugural Disney mom bloggers mixer. She since has become a dear friend and a trusted professional confidante; someone I admire for her kindness, good karma, smart insights, and astute perspective as a long time blogger (among her many projects, she’s best known as the founder of the Mom Bloggers Club). The second in my Simplifying the Holidays guest blog series, today Jennifer shares a collection of wonderful ideas for everyday philanthropy where you can make a difference from the comfort of your home.
Today, April shares a review (and some amazing results!) from Petit Appetit: Eat, Drink, and Be Merry: Easy, Organic Snacks, Beverages, and Party Foods for Kids of All Ages:
“What to have for snack? It's the eternal culinary question for a parent who wants choices that are fun, tasty, and reasonably healthy. What about lunch, little gatherings, and festive moments that call for creative bites, drinks, and goodies? It's easy to run out of ideas and get stuck in a rut of cheese sticks, juice boxes, and yogurt tubes.
Today, Kate recommends Claire Masurel’s Two Homes to help families going through separation and divorce:
“When my husband and I first separated, my daughter was barely two-and-a-half years old. She made the transition to suddenly having two rooms, two sets of toys and clothes, and two houses - Mama's House and Dada's House, as we still call them - with admirable equanimity, and we all breathed a big sigh of relief. Now that she is older and more aware, however, she sometimes asks questions about our living situation that stump me, leaving me unsure whether my answers are helpful or only furthering muddying.
I didn’t plan on this being sexual health education day, but it seemed only fitting to follow my tomKIT post with this one from PPLM Parent Education Program Manager Amy Cody. Today, Amy shares three favorite resources to help parents discuss sexual health and sexuality issues with kids ages 4 and up:
Today, Kate recommends the compact and engaging Let's Pretend Rose's Doll's House:
“During a rainy weekend visiting relatives in Rhode Island, my aunt – one of the most intuitively child-oriented people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing – erased the rainy day blues by giving my daughter the Let's Pretend Rose's Doll's House.
Laurel has been enamored with mermaids ever since spending time at "mermaid cove" with her friend Lucy during our summer vacation in Maine. Barbara Beery’s Mermaid Cookbook - gifted to Laurel by her aunt Stephanie – subsequently has been a big hit. I give this book props for its spiral binding, easy recipes, beautiful photos (accompanying every recipe), and inclusion of “real food” recipes (i.e., those using fruits and veggies, not just sweets). Lovely for mermaid-themed play dates or parties, the book also helps set a mermaid mood any time of day, as we did this weekend, testing out the Swirling Mermaid Smoothies, Treasure Island Trail Mix, Sea Crunch Bagel Crisps, and Triton’s Tuna Fish Sandwiches. Each recipe allowed Laurel to help out in the kitchen, and all of the results were yummy.
The last week has been a tad crazy, what with family visits, Laurel’s 5th birthday, and yesterday’s (rocky) first day of kindergarten, but the generosity of Laurel’s loved ones has not escaped me. Over the next few days I’ll share some of her favorite birthday gifts; the first being If You See a Fairy Ring: A Rich Treasury of Classic Fairy Poems. Gifted by Jon’s aunt and uncle, this book includes an accessible collection of fairy inspired poetry, all set against lovely watercolor illustrations. And perfect for parents weary of pop-up books whose features easily tear, this book creates magical fairy scene changes seamlessly and rip-free via shuttered picture windows hinged to the turn of a page.
When I was a kid, I so wanted my mom to be involved in school activities. Not surprisingly though, what with raising seven kids and running a business with my dad she didn’t have time. So this week I felt both happiness and more than a bit of nostalgia when my mom helped me teach Laurel’s pre-K class about Korea (the class is studying countries around the world and Laurel asked if I would come in and teach about Korea). The following are notes on what I put together; the general format would work well for any country.
Today Tracy shares a recommendation for a book that can help couples reconnect in times of discontent:
“In my practice as a clinical psychologist, my clients often asked for book recommendations. It’s a rare book that is accessible enough and/or leaves me comfortable enough with the message it sends that I’m happy to recommend it to clients. Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love is different, however.
A couple of weeks ago I attended a Super WHY! media event at WGBH and three things struck me as remarkable. First, parents clearly feel TV stigma, even in a room full of other parents who are on the same page as them. Second, few academic theses result in something as directly impacting as Super WHY! (I feel at liberty to say this, having written what I consider to be a quality Ph.D. thesis that was read by about 6 people, tops). And third, experiencing Super WHY! over the last couple of weeks has led me to: a) conclude that the characters work both in TV and print form; and b) loosen up on my data-obsessed analytic tendencies.