Make and Takes » Family

Have a Safe and Happy Halloween

Marie — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:15:26 +0000

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Happy 40th Anniversary Sesame Street!

Marie — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:57:49 +0000

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Sesame Street, I’m sharing a few of my favorite classic TV memories.

Here’s my tribute to 40 years of Sesame Street! What’s your favorite memory?

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Embrace Your Inner Trailerpark

Marie — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:47:37 +0000

Michelle Lamar, a dear friend and fabulously funny blogger, sent me her book to review, The White Trash Mom Handbook: Embrace Your Inner Trailerpark, Forget Perfection, Resist Assimilation into the PTA, Stay Sane, and Keep Your Sense of Humor. I mean, it says it all in that title.

Michelle is not really “trashy”. In fact, she’s as nice as pie and wicked smaht! But she was tired of living up to someone else’s standards of a “perfect mom” set by the community, especially in her child’s school! I’ve felt it, maybe you have too. So in this handbook, Michelle is dispelling these myth of perfection, in a humorous and real way.

Here’s a few topics of discussion from the handbook. See if this sounds like you:

Faking it for the bake sale
Your kids will be in therapy, deal with it
You and the local pizza guy exchange Christmas cards each year
Your kids think cheese comes from a can
Your child has been the last one picked up from school (me, but only once, it was a sad day!)

Thanks to Michelle, we can feel better about being who we are, a mom who is doing her best, and not conform to a standard set by those who think they are the authority. Check out White Trash Mom’s Handbook and feel better about being you.

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The Joys of Meal Planning with Kids

Jane — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:11:49 +0000

I am currently experiencing two issues with my daughter that I’m sure many parents can relate to. #1: She HATES going grocery shopping with me. This is pretty annoying seeing as how she HAS to go grocery shopping with me, unless leaving a 4-year-old home alone is kosher nowadays? I didn’t think so. #2: She only eats about half of the dinners that I prepare. I know this is a universal parenting challenge…getting your kids to eat!

The other morning I was chatting with some moms at soccer. One of them mentioned that her 9-year-old daughter had planned their meals that week and that it had gone very well. A light bulb went off in my head. I just need to get Cate involved with the meal planning! I don’t know why this light bulb didn’t light up sooner…I mean, I do have a meal planning website, you think this would have crossed my mind at some point.

Last week I gave my new plan a try. One morning I called Cate into the kitchen and asked her if she would help me plan our meals and our grocery shopping list. I had two pieces of paper and two pens ready to go so we could each jot things down. She was all over it! She came up with some great ideas for dinner and was super excited about her ‘list.’ We got dressed and headed to the store. She helped me pick out the food we needed and I kept her involved with the shopping.

The following is TRUE. I will swear on the Bible, the Koran and all seven Harry Potter books if you need me to. As we were driving home from the store, out of the blue Cate said, “That was so fun!” This is major. I don’t think the word ‘hate’ describes well enough Cate’s previous feelings about grocery shopping. I considered Cate’s statement a huge victory!

And as for eating dinner…so far, Cate has eaten the meals that she helped plan. We’re still in the honeymoon phase, but I really believe that we are on to something here!

Of course, I’m always open to more ideas! Please share your own tips for involving your kids in meal planning and/or food preparation.

Jane Maynard, writer and founder of This Week for Dinner, is a wife, mother to two beautiful girls and freelance graphic designer. Jane loves eating, which comes in handy for a food blog. Chocolate, cannoli, and H&H Bagels are her top foods of choice.

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Apple Playtime Activity

Marie — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 22:00:10 +0000

I’m guest posting over at Dresses and Messes with a fun Apple activity for fall. Come see how we’re putting a fun twist on the childhood game of Duck, Duck, Goose.

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Talking to Your Kids About Abuse

Marie — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:08:09 +0000

I was recently sent a children’s book to review entitled, My Body Belongs to Me by Jill Starishevsky. It’s a heavy topic, but I think this book helps give parents a platform to start a discussion about the important issue of abuse.

The author is Jill Starishevsky, a New York City child abuse and sex crimes prosecutor. She has seen many cases where the children never told anyone what happened and suffered in silence. So she decided that there needed to be a better way to introduce this into families, helping parents and children form communication of trust. This is where her book comes in. It’s designed to start a conversation with your children about abuse, in an inviting way.

I was able to read this to my 6 and 4 year old children and talk about what “my body belongs to me” means. I told them that no matter what, they could tell me anything they wanted and they would never get in trouble. And I made sure to tell them that if someone does something to them they aren’t comfortable with, to say so, tell me, their teacher, their grandparents, anyone they’d feel comfortable telling.

I even took this book around to parents in my neighborhood to see what they thought about it. Every single one of them said they’d read it to their children. One mother said that this type of abuse was in her family and that she has already been talking with her daughter about it. She said that this book would be a great way to show kids that it is okay to tell someone.

What do you think? Is this something you’d read to your kids? Are your kids ready to talk about abuse? Are YOU ready to talk about abuse?

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Helping Kids Eat Healthier at School

Marie — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:08:59 +0000

Guest Post by Andrea Garen of Meals Matter.

Children who eat nutritious foods do better in school, but coming up with healthy back-to-school lunch ideas that children will actually eat can be a challenge for many parents. The key is to balance nutrition with your children’s personal taste by getting them involved in the back-to-school lunch preparation process to reduce food waste.

A nutritionally-balanced lunch combines nutrient-rich foods from several food groups, like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk products and lean meats. Including such foods means they’ll be more likely to get the energy and nutrition they need to learn and be healthy. Here’s a few places to find great tips and ideas.

When your children are involved in the planning process they’ll be more likely to eat what is prepared. From picking which sandwich and fruit they bring from home to buying plain or chocolate milk from the school cafeteria, children do better when they help select and prepare their meals. It’s a simple and effective way to reduce food waste.

If you’re too busy to prepare lunch you may want to take advantage of your school’s cafeteria. The school lunch is another nutritious and economical option for families. Take a look at the school lunch menu with your child and decide which days your child would like to eat the school meal. Remember, getting their input is always important when you want them to actually eat the meal.

Andrea Garen, M.A., R.D., Project Manager with Dairy Council of California, a sponsor for Meals Matter. She’s shares great tips and tricks for how to help our kids eat a healthier lunch at school.

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8 Must Haves for a Family Disneyland Trip

Marie — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 09:42:56 +0000

Prepping for a family Disneyland trip can be quite a task. If you want to have a truly magical time, there are a few things you can do that will help make it perfect. Here’s 8 Must Haves for making your Disneyland trip go smoothly.

1 – Good shoes. Bring a good pair of walking shoes as your feet will be stomping all over the place, even running to each ride if you’re like us! Flip Flops might seem easy, but after a whole day walking in them, you’ll be wanting something more supportive. So make sure to bring a good pair of shoes, complete with comfy socks.

2 – Matching shirts. Disneyland tends to be a crowded place. It’s a good idea to wear similar shirts as a family so everyone can be easily spotted. Even if you geek out in Mickey and Minnie attire, who cares, you’re at Disneyland. Or you can be like my sister and her family of 10 and all wear NEON green shirts, making sure they spotted each other in the crowds!

3 – A babysitter for the baby. Yes, we did it. Thanks to the help of close friends and family, we left our 1 year old at home. And oh can I tell you it was worth it as we were able to cruise the park fast and furiously. I just hope one day she won’t say “Remember that one time when you left me home?” But she’ll get her turn one day soon!

4 – Don’t forget the camera. We’re the total camera-at-every-magical-moment family! We take video, use our camera phone, and even the kids get to take some pictures! But I do suggest on one of the days you leave your camera in the hotel room so you can just enjoy the park for what it is.

5 – Snacks and a water bottle. When you’re at Disneyland from morning to midnight and the lines are long, you’re going to find your kids in need of water or snacks. It’s a good idea to bring a Nalgene bottle and a few granola bars in your pack, so when you’re in line or have a break, you can re-fuel. Otherwise you’ll pay $3 for a tiny bag of chips!

6- Fanny pack. You heard me, a fanny pack. They actually sell some cool lightweight packs these days to carry all your park hopping accessories. It was great to have a lightweight pack to keep our traveling supplies in. No loose change will go flying out of pockets on the Tower of Terror!

7 – Stroller. No matter how old your kids are their little legs get tired. So be prepared with a stroller just in case. You can keep it at the hotel or in your car, or rent one at the park. I promise it’s worth it. It will save you from sore shoulders and whiny children.

8 – Bring your appetite. There’s lots of yummy “must have” treats at Disneyland. My husband and I live for the MONTE CRISTO! I think we ate 2 of them during our stay, yikes! But it’s one fun thing we look forward to when we go to Disneyland. There’s also the Pomme Frites (fancy fries) from Cafe Orleans, the Mickey Ears ice cream bars, and the frozen lemonades. Yes, we also starve ourselves the weeks before to make room for all these goodies!! Here are some great places to eat while at Disneyland:

Blue Bayou – just note, their Monte Cristo is only served at lunch
Cafe Orleans – across from Blue Bayou, also serves the Monte Cristo and those yummy fries!
Character Breakfast – you must experience this once. We loved Goofy’s Kitchen.
Red Corn Dog Truck – on Main Street. Soooo good!
Dole Whip – in front of the Tiki Room
Bengal BBQ – yummy bbq skewers in Advertureland

Are you planning a trip to Disneyland soon? OR what “must haves” made your Disneyland trip a success?

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Timpanogos Storytelling Festival

Marie — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 09:59:35 +0000

Can I just tell you how magical the Timpanogos Storytelling Fesitval was this last weekend? I’m sad to say that I had never been before and it’s practically in my back yard! This was the 20th year of the festival and it was absolutely fabulous.

Here’s my kids enjoying the puppetry!

I took my son to ‘Bed Time Stories’ and it was so fun to watch how enthralled he was at every storyteller. They have a true talent! I tried to retell one of the stories to my sister and did a horrible job. These storytellers are so gifted, turning an ordinary story into something magical!

My parents and I hit up the ‘Laugh In’ night, the culmination of the festival. 12 of the best storytellers from around the world were right there! I loved Angela Lloyd’s washboard playing, and Donald Davis’s snake story had my mom in hysterics! I was a child again, felling like I was there in the story!

Have you ever been to a Storytelling Festival? I can tell you that I’ll be going again next year!

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Tips for Journaling with Kids

Marie — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 10:06:51 +0000

Guest Post by Carrie of This Mama Makes Stuff

Journaling is such a great activity to do with kids. I love it because I am able to preserve a little piece of who my children are at a particular moment in time. And like we all say, they grow up way too fast. I also love it because I am terrible at scrapbooking memories. As a busy mother of three, I just can’t seem to find the time.

My kids love journaling because they LOVE talking about themselves. Even more, they love looking back through their journal to read about themselves. What kid doesn’t? Little do they know, they are helping me do the work of preserving our family memories.

“Back to School” is a perfect time to start journaling with your child. Here are some of my best tips for preserving personality with a keepsake journal:

Begin a journal with your child as soon as he/she can answer questions and draw semi-legible pictures (you know, that first circle head with arms growing out of the sides).
Use a simple notebook, sketchbook, or a purchased prompt journal.
Make the journal long lasting and a family keepsake by using acid-free paper, pens and pencils. I really like Memory Colored Pencils by EK.
Interview children who cannot write yet and record their thoughts as verbatim as you can. For example, last Halloween, my 3 year old daughter was “Fancy Nancy”, but I recorded it as “Wancy Nancy” because that is how she said it. She also said her favorite candy was “Kitty Kats” (Kit Kats).
Let children who are new to writing record their own thoughts. Try not to edit their words or spelling. I treasure my daughter’s journal from her Kindergarten year because the phonetic spelling always cracks me up.
Integrate drawing areas into your child’s journal and use creative drawing prompts because many kids are able to express themselves more freely in pictures. Self portraits are a great place to start. My kids love seeing the self-portrait I drew when I was five years old. Make sure to date and label each drawing!
Insert a handful of select photos (school photo, birthday, Halloween, Christmas) but don’t let the adding photos hold back the progress of writing in the journal.
Set aside time each week to work a little on the journal with your child. You will be amazed at the memorable conversations you will have! It wasn’t until I sat down last year with my (then three year old) daughter that I realized her deep desire to be a mermaid when “she grows up”.

So start now and have fun! You’ll love what they come up with and will have it forever!

Carrie is a mountain biking, minivan driving, wardrobe refashioning, public school advocating, church going, square-foot gardening, dog owning, mother of three living in the OC who blogs at This Mama Makes Stuff, tweets as thisiscarrie and created This is Me – a kid’s first keepsake journal.

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