Parenting Children

Those first few weeks and months after becoming parents for the first time are just a blur now. We were living in a new town away from our families, we just had twins and my husband starting working in a new territory. Hard wasn’t the word for what we were doing. Looking back on it, I would never have it any other way though, it made us stronger and we what we wanted to be: a family. If you are looking for a gift idea for your husband, maybe he is a new father or soon going to be, Crawling: A Father’s First Year is a great idea.

In Crawling, Elisha Cooper lets us in on what a first time Dad is really thinking and feeling about his new family dynamic and life changing event. He takes a main role in his first child’s life, Zoe, but at the same time is impacted when he cannot be everything to her all the time. There is a part of the book that resonated with me, a mother. Elisha is bringing his daughter to his childhood home for the first time, and he writes “she’s in a place where she never existed, but was always part of the future story”.
That is exactly what it feel like as a parent to show your child their roots.

My husband loved this book as well. It was well written and an easy read. It is a moving journey through the first year of parenting. This is not a book just for new dads, it is a book for every parent.

I want to thank Elisha Cooper and Momcentral.com for giving me the opportunity to review this wonderful book.

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We love books in our house, I have so many I have no place to contain them all anymore. My kids have lots of books too but I don’t mind. I would rather buy them books then toys. My kids also love going to story time at our local library and our Pottery Barn Kids and it gets us out of the house.
I have compiled a list of books for your kids of all ages and their parents to enjoy during this holiday season. If you have already finished your Christmas shopping, or don’t need any more books in your house, then take them out from the library for your whole family to enjoy.

We Three Kings. Buy this book for the illustrations alone! First written in 1857, We Three Kings is one of the best Christmas carols as it tells of the wise men’s journey to visit the manger in Bethlehem.

The Christmas Story. This is the story of Christ’s birth from the bible. Again, this book has beautiful illustrations.

Olive the Other Reindeer. It really is a cute story complete with pop ups, pull tabs and scratch and sniff.

A Wish to Be a Christmas Tree. From Amazon “Feeling sad because no one chooses it as a Christmas tree, a bedraggled forest pine discovers the importance of being appreciated all year long.” A great story for kids to hear.

The Tale of The Firebird
This book is based on three popular Russian fairy tales. The artwork is stunning. This book is great for preschoolers to adults.

What are your family’s favorite Christmas or holiday books?

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Part one was safe gift ideas for girls, and now we have some boy themed ideas. All of these are safe toys that are lead free and most are made in the USA.

Have a train lover on your hands? Why not take a stroll down memory lane and get these trolleys you may remember from Mister Roger’s Neighborhood. They can also be personalized!

If you have someone at home that loves to build or loves blocks this log cabin set would be perfect. When built, this 120 piece Woodlinks set is large enough to play with your toy animals or farm gear.

My son loves all superheroes but Spiderman is his favorite. Here is a Spiderman game for kids seven and up. Battle between good and evil!

This is a starter remote control dinosaur for your dino lovers three and up. Just press the button and talk into the remote to hear your T-Rex speak, or use the controls to make T-Rex spin and move. This is a must have for $19.99!

Do you need decorating ideas for your boy’s room? This is a racetrack for any age to enjoy. It comes with toy cars to race on it. Play with your toy cars on it or just build a room theme, this is so original.

Have you heard of Zome toys? Make buildings or spheres as big as your imagination. I think I would love these.

We got this marshmallow shooter for our 12 year old nephew for his birthday and he loved it. It shoots over 30 feet, is safe but should still be used outdoors. It holds up to 20 marshmallows for rapid fire shooting. I have to say it was hard to pry away from my big kid (my husband). It is reasonably priced at $23.00.

What are your favorite picks for the boys on your holiday list this year?

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My kids are just getting into playing games on the computer. They loved the Thanksgiving and Halloween printouts and games I found for them. It surprised even me, how may things there are for them to do online, since they are only four. Here are some things I have found that I know my kids love, we love and I know you will love too.

Go check out the Northpole for fun stories and activites. While you are there send a letter to Santa.

Whether you are baking Christmas cookies, putting up the tree or doing your homework play some Christmas music. This site has a ton of free streaming Christmas music stations.

This web site has all the answers to question you may have about Christmas traditions. It has Christmas tree facts, the history of mistletoe and Mrs. Claus or find out about Christmas traditions around the world.

If you are looking for some Christmas games to keep your kids occupied while you wrap gifts, try this site or this one.

Go elf yourself! Turn yourself and up to three other people into elves that sing and dance and is truly addicting. Call in and get your voice elfed too! This is so funny, we did our whole family and sent it to all of our family.

Lastly, get some Christmas jokes for your parties this year, track where Santa is on Christmas Eve, get the real lyrics to the carols you have been singing and do some crafts with your kids.

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I don’t know any parents or grandparents that are not concerned about toy safety this holiday season. It is on all of our minds and with over 80% of our toys being made in China, I can see why. You have to be careful of small parts, age requirements, lead paint and now GHB in our toys? During the month of December I will be reviewing and bring your ideas for kids this holiday season that are safe for both kids and babies.
Today I have ideas for the girls on your list.

My daughter loves watching me get ready for the day. She is fascinated with everything on my vanity and loves everything girly. Why not this wooden makeup playset for the little diva on your list? Made in Germany, this set includes a comb, 1 spray, 1 mirror, 1 lipstick, 1 roll-on deodorant, 1 hair dryer and 6 hair-curlers.

Little girls would love these Mary Jane rain boots. Perfect for slush, rain or a sunny day, these are adorable and affordable at $27.00.

A pram for your little one will be her best gift. It has rubber wheels, removable blue flowered fluffy cushions, blanket and a adjustable handle to grow with your child. This is pricey at $144.00 but can be a family heirloom.

I also recommend books for older girls, games for school age children and there is always stories on cds for kids.

Coming soon, safe gifts for boys this season!

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When I came across The Dangerous Book for Boys I loved it but I wondered what happened to the girl’s book? Well Andi Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz have taken care of that, they wrote The Daring Book for Girls a companion book of sorts to the Dangerous Book for Boys.

When I first received this book I was taken by how nice looking it was, with a old fashion feel and look to it. It was gorgeous. As I read the book I became more in love, and the memories of my own childhood flooded back. Memories that maybe would have been lost, came right back to me and I wanted to share them with my daughter. Things every child of any age or adult should know how to do, like how to make a tree swing, the names of women inventors and how to build a campfire fill the pages. It is 278 pages filled with interesting facts, how tos and fun.

This book is not just for the tomboy, it has girly things to learn like how to press flowers and what games to play at a slumber party. It comes along with practical uses for the future like how to negotiate a salary and how to change a tire. I really wish I had this book when I was younger but I am glad my daughter has it so she and my son can have old fashioned, everyday fun.

With the holidays right around the corner, I think I just found my new go to item for all the girls on my list!

< em>Remember, today is the last day to enter my contest for one of two Christmas lullabye cds!

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It is coming up on that holiday season and with so many toy and baby gear recalls I am really at a loss when it comes to gifts for my kids. Of course everything on their list is made in China and I am sure will come up as poisonous to kids in a couple of months. This season I am looking to buy more arts and crafts stuff for my kids and the one thing I will never complain about buying them: books. I love books and have since I was a child, I hope I am passing that down to my children. here are three books I reviewed that is perfect this holiday season:

Olive the Other Reindeer Deluxe Edition (ages 4-8 $13.99) This tenth anniversary edition of Olive and her big reindeer dreams is my new favorite Christmas book. It is beautifully illustrated with lift the flaps, scratch and sniff and pop ups. It is so lovely and my children and I have read it at least 3 times a day since we received it!

The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Junior Edition (ages 9-12 $9.99) Help a tween out with this book! It offers kid friendly step by step instructions on things like how to ace a spelling test without spell check, how to survive a school dance and how to survive being grounded. This book made me laugh and I wish I had this when I was a tween. This is my new go to book for my nieces and nephews!

Squiggles, A Really Giant Coloring Book (all ages $12.89) This was on my wish list for awhile before I actually received it. I originally wanted it for me but ended up giving it to my kids (I’ll have to get another for myself). Fun illustrations that are not finished allow the artist to finish the picture using their imagination. Color, paint or draw the colors won’t bleed through these thick pages. Keep the book and you have a keepsake of your child’s (or your) artwork forever. If you like this book (you will!) they have others to chose from.

What books do you like for kids this holiday season?

Don’t forget to enter my contest for a Christmas cd!

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Any parent knows that kids songs, are usually just for kids. I know I want to poke my ears out hearing “Cinderella” sing some day my prince will come or some high pitched kid singing pop goes the weasel, over and over again. The same goes for lullabies.
We would play classical piano music instead of traditional lullabies for our kids, because if we had to listen to it, we at least wanted to enjoy it! I guess you can say we are music snobs, but how much can you take?

Rockabye Baby! saved our day. Rockabye Baby is not traditional lullabies, but rock classics that YOU love that are transformed into beautiful instrumental lullabies. Everyone from The Rolling Stones to Metallica to Coldplay are reconstructed into lullabies using instruments like the glockenspiel, vibraphone, mellotron, harp and bells.
Yeah, I don’t know what they are either, but it sounds amazing.

The kind people of Rockabye Baby sent us a few CDs to check out and we were instantly in love. My husband sings Pink Floyd songs to our kids every night, and he loved the Pink Floyd cd more then my kids did. I even caught him bringing it in his car to listen to while at work.
The Nirvana cd turned all of my favorite Nirvana songs into music for little ears. They are beautiful, calming music that would be perfect for any baby and the parents that love them.

Do you want one of these cds for your very own? You are in luck, I have two Baby Rock Christmas cds to give away. Filled with rock classics like 2000 Miles and Do They Know It’s Christmas? I am sure you will love it so much you won’t just listen to it at Christmas time.
To enter to win one of these cds simply leave me a comment on this post!
Deadline for this contest is midnight November 23. Good Luck!

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This is my favorite Thanksgiving craft for kids. All you will need is a few sheets of colored construction paper, ribbon or thread and branches from a tree.
Collect some small branches from around your neighborhood that will fit into one of your vases.

Next cut out of help you children cut out leaves from the construction paper big enough to write on, about 5 inches.

Have your children write what they are thankful for on each leaf.
Then punch a hole in the leaf and string ribbon through.

Hang on the branch.

This will make a great centerpiece for Thanksgiving dinner and I am sure all of their relatives will love to see how thankful your children are. Then you can save each leaf set for next year and add onto it, or save it in a dated bag and keep in a memory box.

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Now that I am pregnant again I scrambled to find my maternity clothes. Most of my clothes are still way to big for me to fit in and I have a lot of work clothes, because at night I would just put on some comfy pajamas. I tried the rubber band around the button trick for my pre-pregnancy pants and I still fit into many of my shirts. The problem is now that I am showing faster then when I was pregnant the first time, some of my regular shirts are too short in the front because of my ever expanding belly.

Blush has taken care of that problem. Blush has topless undershirts to save your belly and your pocketbook. These undershirts add a layered look to any shirt you have without the extra bulk. They come in fourteen different colors or patterns and are $15.00 each. Less the what a maternity tee will cost you. These will also help on those days where you cannot button your pre-pregnancy jeans but are not ready for maternity jeans yet. Nobody will know your buttons are open with this layered look.

I also love the idea of wearing this undershirt while nursing. No more cold air on your belly and back or exposing yourself any more then you have to.

I am ordering mine today! Best yet, Blush has given a 20% off coupon to all parentingourchildren.com readers! Use coupon code: justfortheladies and remember this coupon is good for one month. Go ahead order one for yourself, as a shower gift or for anyone (they have non maternity undershirts too!).

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When Lara from Hatleynature.com emailed me to see about reviewing their products, I didn’t hesitate. After checking out their website, and I was hooked. I loved the humor they had and more importantly, I loved their clothing. Plus I was always looking for a children’s retailer that had clothes that were well made, run true to size and comfortable, somthing you think would be easy to find, but it is not.

They generously sent me a pair of pajamas for each of my children and I felt like I was a kid at Christmas. I couldn’t wait for them to arrive to check them out. We received the glow in the dark PJ rex dinosaur pajamas and the nature rocks pajama set. The first thing I noticed about them was how soft they were! They were generously sized and did not shrink at all during the washing. My children LOVED them (who wouldn’t love pjs that glow in the dark?) and wanted to wear them that evening, even if the temperature wasn’t perfect for long sleeve pajamas.

I am now hooked on hatleynature.com and will be ordering some long sleeve shirts for myself. They have adult clothing, infants, organic tees, children and accessories like adorable rain boots with cute animals on them and my newest favorite, tote bags.

Also, for the entire month of October, Hatley is donating 20% of it’s online sales to Breast Cancer Research! That is fantastic, I love supporting companies that give back and are involved in charities that I care about. They are also featured in the October issue of O magazine. Go check them out and get “clothes to nature”.

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We ordered Chinese food the other night for the family. My kids wanted to use chopsticks for the first time. I wasn’t excited to show them how to use them because I knew it was difficult and it would frustrate them.

Yesterday I came across these chopstick kids. They attach to the supplied melamine chopsticks or your own chopsticks. They help small fingers maneuver the chopsticks and keep them in line. They are soft, washable and food safe. At $6.00 each for the boy or girl kid, it is not for the occasional Chinese food eater, or maybe it is.

It is a cute idea either way and anything that helps my kids not get frustrated and cry at the dinner table, is worth it for me.

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These adorable lunch bags are too cute and hard to pass up when they are on sale!
Take your pick from a giraffe, pig, cow or horse and are $12.99 at Pottery Barn.
Do you think I can get away with carrying one?

lunch bags, kids, school supplies, back to school

Are you still with me on the back to school supplies? Ok good because there is a lot more things that I love for back to school. It almost makes me want to send my kids this year.

Have you been seeing Sigg water bottle everywhere like I am? They are a cool way for you to keep yourself or your kids hydrated without adding to the plastic water bottle population at the recycling plant. Sigg also makes a great backpack for kids. It has a great design, cool colors and has easy to use velcro flaps. Kids will also love the secret pocket that leads straight to the water bottle compartment!

Remember trapper keepers? That was a must have when I was in school, now they have binders that are way cooler. Check out this Meade Five Star Sound 1.5 Binder.
You can listen to your favorite tunes through the binder! it works with any MP3 player, portable DVD player or laptop. It has storage for MP3 player, cell phone, pens/pencils, and more. It comes in a bunch of different color combinations and at $29.99 it won’t break your bank.
Lets just hope they get some school work done.
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My daughter loves to draw, color or do any sort of arts & crafts, she takes after her father that way. L likes to color but there is a limit to his “creative” time.

These lap desks would be perfect for them. Great for the car, to do homework, sick days in bed or meals. It is the only one I have seen with a holder for pens or markers. Easy to clean and at $25.00 it will not break the bank. Great gift idea for kids!

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