Parenting Children

Do you have a child that is entering the first day of preschool or kindergarten? They want a backpack like the big kids they see going to school but you do not really need a big one because all they are transporting to and from school is usually papers.

This knitted backpack is perfect for them! It is 10″ x 12″ and is made from thick cotton fiber. It comes in a frog, ladybug, bunny or lion and is $39.99. I think it is adorable and after all this garbage with recalls on products made in China, I think it is great to get something handmade from a country like Peru using the fair trade ethics.

backpacks, school, backpacks for preschoolers, knitted backpack, first day of school, school supplies

I am trying to get my kids to drink more water. As it is, their “juice” is 90% water and 10% juice. When we go to a restaurant I still water down their juice and if they ever get a sip before I can water it down, their eyes go as wide as saucers. “So this is what juice really tastes like”, I am sure they say to themselves.

I love water and I drink it every day, all day. My kids would rather drink juice, of course, but I was encouraged that those days would be over when the nice ladies of Hint sent me some water to try.

Voted best flavored water by Health magazine, hint is a water that is different from everything else you have tried. It has no sugar, no preservatives, no artificial sweeteners and zero calories. What could be better?
It just has a nice, natural, slight flavor to the water that your body needs and loves.

If you are looking for something different to drink for you or your family that is healthy, hint is perfect. Don’t see hint at a store near you? Don’t worry you can even buy it online!
Try all the great flavors, but my favorite is pomegranate-tangerine.

hint, flavored water, drinks for kids, kids, parenting, staying hydrated, parenting, parents

Looking for something for your Dad or your husband for Father’s Day besides a tie?
You came to the right site, I have a gift giving list for any father in your life.

For the 9 to 5 Dad

For the grilling pro

For the convertible owning dad

For the new Dad

For the grandad

For the dad that loves the gym
For the outdoor dad

For the stay at home dad

For the lover of football

For the dad that loves tats but isn’t that committed

For the beer loving dad

For the hip dad

For the music lover

For the dad who likes to tape his daughter’s dance recitals

What are your gift ideas for your dad/husband/grandfather for Father’s day?

Father’s day, Father’s day gifts, Father’s day gift ideas, kids, parenting, moms, gifts for dad, parents

I never knew that the true art of being a good mom was all in the ability to live with your child’s repetitiveness. We all know that kids love to watch the same movies over and over, play the same games over and over and listen to the same old CDs over and over again.

I have found children’s music that will not make you puke, I swear.
I heart these cds by Elizabeth Mitchell. They are for your budding hippy or for the parent who is even the slightest “granola”. Beautiful timeless songs, and wonderfully done.
Ms. Mitchell’s CDs will be on full rotation in my home for a long time to come and nobody will puke.

children’s music, children’s CDs, Elizabeth Mitchell, music, parents, moms, music for kids, parenting

I agree with many parents when I say, some of the music that is made for children makes me want to beat my head against the wall. My parents didn’t like children’s music when my sister and I were growing up so I listened to what my parents did, Bruce Springsteen, The Beatles, Carly Simon, Fleetwood Mac and many (many!) others. I feel the same way, and when my kids and I first saw Dan Zanes singing about a “House Party” on Noggin, I thought we may have found the answer to our music dilemma in this house. Who was this crazy haired, bright suit wearing man?

I had the amazing opportunity to speak with Dan and ask him a few questions I, along with some other parents, would like to know about him.

(more…)

Men, listen up I am going to give you great ideas for your wife or mother for Mother’s Day.
I am going to save you from the walk of shame when you are asked what you got your wife for mothers day and your reply is “Nothing, she is not my mother.”

By the way, that response will get you in bigger trouble then any gift can get you out of.

Here are some suggestions for every type of Mom* on your list:
For the hip, cool mom.

For the chocolate lover

For the romantic.

For the Mom who works outside the home

For the new mom

For the Mom of an artist

For the mom who lunches with friends.

For a grandma

For the tea lover

For the foodie

For the nature lover

For the mom who needs a break. Badly.

For the mommyblogger

I can’t stress this enough, DO NOT underestimate a nice, thoughtful card, a day off from cooking, cleaning and watching kids and anything that comes in a little blue box.

*If anyone is interested, I would love anything on this list.

shefinds, mother’s day gifts, mother’s day gift ideas, mother’s day, gifts, husbands, fathers, gift ideas for mom, moms, SAHM, mother’s day presents, new mothers, foodies, tea lovers, mom rocks

As a mother of a four year old girl who swears she is a princess, I am always on the look out for some new ideas for her. She has enough dress up costumes adn accesories for all the little girls in New Jersey, she has the princess dolls, movies and toys.

What is next? The pink princess cookbook. Filled with (surprise!) pink things to make and enjoy for your next tea party of princess themed birthday party.

My daughter will love it!

cookbooks for kids, cooking with kids, princesses, preschoolers, daughters, moms, kid cooks, pink

Say no to Dora, monster trucks and Care Bears, there is a new way to have lunch and it is with yourself.
I am loving these personalized lunchboxes.

How cool is that? Now take your kids to lunch with you or have a family photo put on a lunchbox for your child’s first day of school.

What a fun idea!

personlaized lunchboxes, lunch boxes, cool kid things, shopping, kids, gift ideas for kids

Every day, about 300 young children with burn injuries are taken to emergency rooms.
They are not children who were playing with matches or running around a campfire, they were burned with hot, scalding water.

Scald burns (caused by hot liquids or steam) are the most common burn injury among children age 4 and younger. In 2003, U.S. hospitals treated an estimated 16,000 children under 5 for scalds, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

These number are distressing but what is more upsetting is knowing that these burns could have been prevented because 95% of them happen in the home.

I recently was watching a program with new home ideas and this was one of them. It is a LED light that attaches to your faucet and lights the water blue. Very cool and will get yoru kids to wash their hands longer then .07 seconds. The best part of this faucet light is that the color of the water turns red if the temperature of the water gets up to 89 degrees.

This way kids can see that it is hot and not to touch the water. The best part? It is cheap at $19.99.

Maybe this will help a child not be badly burned.

LED faucet lights, scalds, burns, children and burns, kids, children, scalding water, parenting ideas

I have had the chance to review new cds for my children. Kiddio sent me two adventures of Billy Brown, Billy Brown and the Mystery Package and Billy Brown Goes Hiking.

Originally I thought these stories of Billy and his friend Emma would be great in the car for our frequent long trips, but my kids love listening to them in their play room as they play and listen along. Each episode in the life of Billy Brown is 30 -45 minutes long. Long enough to get dinner ready without interruption! (more…)

This month I am loving these kids aprons.

I love the fabric choices and the vintage feel to these aprons. They are great for fingerpainting, cleaning, helping mom in the garden or cooking. it has three oversized pockets for her garden tools or wooden spoons.

A great present for a “hard to gift” child. Also check out the hair snug. How adorable is that, your very own Lucille Ball!

I have wanted a vintage apron for myself and now I will be ordering one of my own and one for my daughter.

aprons, gifts for kids, kids, girls, moms, gifts, great gift ideas

We are going to have a new feature on this site! Twice a month we are going to have a “Stuff I Love” posting about what I am enamored with, and I am usually singing the praises of something or another mommy related, so why not share?

First up, I LOVE these dresses. They are made from vintage pillowcases and delicately made into a little dress for your little one.
I think it is just darling and what a cute idea. It is unique and adorable and I think makes a great gift for a new baby or for a birthday.
The sizing goes from 6 months all the way up to 4T.

It is something I have never seen in stores and you can be sure nobody is going to have the same dress as your little one.

Do you have something you would like to review? Send me an email and let me know.

dresses, girls, pillowcase dresses, moms, product reviews,

I tried to potty train my kids in the summer so they could run naked outside and try to reduce my amount of “accident” laundry I had to do.
Of course they weren’t ready that summer, they were about two and a half, they weren’t ready until the following winter. I wanted to keep them warm but I wanted easy access to the potty also.
What to do?

I bought these leg warmers:

Not only did they keep their legs warm but they are also fabulous.
It is a great idea for those winter training toddlers.

potty training, potty tips, leg warmers, babies, toddlers, parent hack, kids, parenting

Here is a cute, easy craft that kids will love to wear and eat!

You will need a piece of shoestring licorice any flavor and a bowl full of any cereal that has a hole in the middle (cheerios, fruit loops).
Tie one end in a knot and then thread the cereal through the other end.
Finally tie the two ends together and you have a healthier type of candy necklace!

crafts, edible necklaces,