BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!

Just a small announcement to let you all know...

I am now an Usborne Book Lady! :)

I've created a Facebook group for it, but if you'd like to find out WHY I've joined Usborne and a little more about it, read on!!

I swore to myself I would never become a salesperson, especially with companies like Avon, Mary Kay, LuLaRoe, etc that require hosting parties and nagging your friends. BUT I attended an online Usborne party a friend hosted and fell IN LOVE.

Anyone that knows me knows I LOVE to read and I love books and am passionate about getting kids to read.

And the Usborne books are great! There are wipe-clean books for practicing writing and interactive books beyond the basic flap, tab, and popup books. There are board books and chapter books. There are encyclopedias, story collections, book series and more. There are books that are great for children with special needs, sensory processing disorder, autism etc. There are over 2,000 titles with new releases every season (and I am very excited about some of this fall's expected releases!)

Beyond that, what really helped convince me to sign onto the team was that there are NO quotas. I didn't want the pressure of having to meet corporate goals; I have a 3-year-old and an almost 3-month-old, am in my last semester of graduate school and will soon be a full-time Librarian! And you don't have to keep an inventory or make a large initial investment.

So by being part of Usborne, I get to not only grow my own kids' libraries, I can help grow others' as well. I can earn free books and anyone that hosts a party with me earns free books. Of course there are all sorts of bonuses and perks for selling over certain amounts, but that is not what I'm in this for.

I just want to have fun, make a little extra money, and introduce families and kids to some wonderful books and hopefully, create some life-long readers. :)

So, if you would like to see what it's all about, would like to check out the collection, host a party, or join the team, join my Facebook group! 

Stop Sanitizing! Why Hand Sanitizer is Dangerous

Hand sanitizer has been on the rise the last few years: showing up in bathrooms, schools, parks, airports, and more. While it’s great that we’re pushing for good hygiene and cleanliness, it is possible to take it too far.

It’s true that hand sanitizer will kill most of the bacteria on your hands – up to 99.9%. But it will not clean away any visible dirt or grime, and it kills both bad and good bacteria. (There’s such a thing as good bacteria?!) Experts still say that washing with soap and water (and rubbing your hands together for a good length of time – try singing the ABCs) is always the best option – especially if your hands are visibly dirty. Hand sanitizer should only be used if you cannot get to a sink. (So if you’re in a restaurant, don’t just whip out the little bottle of sanitizer. Make the short trip to the bathroom and do the job right).

It's always better to just wash your hands with soap and water.

Studies show that kids that grow up in less tidy environments end up with a lower risk of having allergies, illnesses, and asthma. Keeping your environment too clean (who knew there was such a thing?!), by using too many bacterial soaps and sanitizers, for example, can lead to your immune system becoming more sensitized to allergens and irritants. Dr. Richard Gallo of the University of California, San Diego says, “Being too clean can lead you to have a high allergic set point that will overreact to the environment.” If you over-wash your hands and continually strip them of all germs (by using hand sanitizer), then you will be hurting your immune system, which actually uses germs to build up its strength. You have to be exposed to germs in order to build up immunity to them.

Most hand sanitizers are alcohol-based and contain 60% alcohol or more. Most beer contains only 5% alcohol, and whiskey only 40%. If you were to ingest a small 2-ounce bottle of hand sanitizer, that would be equivalent to doing four shots of hard liquor. In fact, there have been cases of young children being sent to the emergency room for lethargy, slurred speech, and worrisome behavior due to an unknown cause. They then discover that their blood alcohol level is startlingly high and realize it’s because they licked their hands after having hand sanitizer put on (or they ingested some straight out of the bottle). So never apply a sweet-smelling hand sanitizer to your young child’s hands as it will just tempt them to give it a taste.

Never use a sweet-smelling sanitizer on a young child. They may be tempted to lick their hands or worse, drink it out of the bottle.

Alcohol-free hand sanitizers are hardly any better. Most of those contain an ingredient called Triclosan, which has been shown in animal studies to reduce muscle strength and disrupt the endocrine system. (At this time, it is unknown if these findings add up to human toxicity, but the FDA is currently reviewing the issue). Triclosan also breaks down rapidly when exposed to chlorinated water and produces toxic chemicals, including chloroform. Lastly, when bacteria are exposed to Triclosan, it elicits antibiotic resistance, meaning that over time, bacteria can develop a resistance to many types of antibiotics. And then hand sanitizer will no longer be effective.

The safety of an ingredient in alcohol-free sanitizers is dubious. Steer clear of it, just in case.

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene recommends that hand sanitizers be kept out of reach of children, that children be supervised when using it, and that hand sanitizer should not be used on children under 2 years old.

So please, don’t routinely wipe your baby down with hand sanitizer. I myself know a handful of kids who were practically bathed in the stuff as infants, and today suffer from an absurd amount of allergies and are constantly in and out of the doctor’s office due to illness. It may seem like you are keeping your little one clean, but you may be doing more harm than good.

Things Your Babysitter Wish You Knew

When I started looking for a sitter for our 3-month-old, I was thankful that I had spent a few years as a nanny and babysitter. I knew what it was like to be on their side of the interview and knew what I could realistically expect as far as their abilities went. Then I realized perhaps not every parent was a babysitter at some point in their lives and therefore may not understand what it’s like to be a sitter and watch someone else’s kids for a living. So I went to social media to ask sitters and nannies for things they wished the parents knew.

Here’s some of the best:

·      They are only one person

o   If you and your spouse can’t find the time to watch the baby, make dinner, and clean the house, you shouldn’t expect the sitter to be able to either. “Babysitting” is not code for “cheap housekeeping.” It’s one thing to ask them to move the laundry from the washer to the dryer, but asking them to clean out the garage is a little much! (Yes, that actually happened to one sitter).  

·      You don’t have to pay them the exact amount down to the penny

o   If your sitter is there for 2 hours and 37 minutes and makes $10 an hour, you do not have to give them $26.16. But rounding up to $27 would be preferable to rounding down! (84 cents won’t break you, but it will flatter your sitter!)

·      Let your sitter know what they can and can’t do once the kids are asleep.

o   I always felt uncomfortable just “making myself at home” so usually sat there awkwardly doing nothing. Tell them they can watch tv (and if there’s a parental code, give it to them so they aren’t stuck watching Bubble Guppies all night) or leave a couple of magazines out on the counter for them.

·      Do tell them what your kids can and can’t eat, but don’t expect them to cook a gourmet meal from scratch

o   A friend once had parents leave her a detailed recipe to make a meal from scratch for the kids. Not every sitter can cook well. It’s much easier to leave leftovers for them to warm up or just have them make a quick sandwich.  

·      Sitters appreciate punctuality just as much as you

o   You expect them to show up at 5:00, and they expect you to come home at 9:00. If you’re going to be late – call. It’s no fun sitting in someone else’s house wondering where the parents are and having them show up an hour late. But on the flip side, if you tell them you’ll be home at 10:00, don’t show up an hour early. They may have been planning on making a certain amount of money that night, and losing out on that hour’s pay can really hurt. (So if you are going to come home early, let them know in advance or at least pay them for that time anyway).

·      Be organized and informative

o   Make sure to provide your sitter with your contact info and any emergency numbers as well. And it’s always nice to give them the wifi password so they can use it while the kids are sleeping. Letting them know what any noises or gesture your baby makes mean or what little quirks your child has can be helpful. And please, tell your sitter when your baby had a rough night, or when your little one is suddenly starting to fuss during diaper changes. It’s never nice to get surprises like a baby that screams all day and you don’t know it’s because he’s over-tired.

·      Set your sitter up for success

o   Your sitter wants to succeed – they want your kids to like them just like you want your kids to like them! So don’t give them an exorbitant amount of rules to follow or too many things to accomplish. Don’t set them up to fail by leaving them a list of 50 rules and a long recipe to a meal made from scratch for the kids’ lunch. Just let them relax and have fun with the kids – if they’re stressing out about your too-detailed list and high expectations, they won’t have as much fun with your children (which is the main reason you hired them, right?)

In the end, you hired your babysitter to watch your kids – and to have fun with them. Having them do a thousand other things is going to take away from their time with your munchkins. Just let them do their job and you both will be happier.

Note Feb 04 2016: This post was originally published online at Family Culture Magazine, but it seems to no longer be active. I previously had only a snippet here on my blog, but because the link to the full article was defunct, you can now read the whole thing right here at Prego to Legos!

Olivier Dunrea: Children's Book Author and Shelter Dog Rescuer

If you don't know who Olivier Dunrea is, then you should! He is the author/illustrator of one of my new favorite books - Gossie (and every other book in that series!) To read my review of Gossie, click here. He lives in upstate New York in a home/studio called Moel Eyris at Henwoodie. In addition to being the author and illustrator of more than 70 books, he is also a master map maker.

I was very pleased when I looked Olivier Dunrea up (after reading Gossie) and discovered that he supports some great causes. He is a huge supporter of dog adoption - he and his partner have 8 dogs, 6 of which were rescues.

He started a fundraising campaign called S.E.R.F, which stands for Sophie's Emergency Rescue Fund. Sophie is a dog that he rescued from a shelter in San Bernadino California, and he started the fund in her honor. Her rescue story is quite a tale, and you can read all about it on his site. "All donations to S.E.R.F. go directly to rescuing other deserving and desperate shelter dogs and helping hardworking rescue and transport teams who work tirelessly to get as many shelters dogs to safer havens, no-kill shelters, and hopefully into loving, welcoming homes."

For a $50 donation, Olivier will personally sign a copy of either Bear Noel (which is out of print) or Old Bear and His Cub available only through S.E.R.F.

He also sells artwork on his page - 100% of the proceeds go to helping shelter and deserving dogs. A lot of the artwork are sketches from many of his books before they made it to print, some are on-of-a-kind pieces (with a hefty price to boot), and then there are posters. If I had the funds, I'd buy an art piece because 1) I love his art, and 2) every penny I spent would go to helping dogs, which is one of my favorite causes. It's too bad the Gossie poster is sold out, or that's the one I would've gotten!

Julia Roberts apparently bought some of his original drawings too!

#JuliaRoberts You are brilliant in 'The Normal Heart'! And a much belated 'thank you' for purchasing several of my original illustrations
— Olivier Dunrea (@OlivierDunrea) May 26, 2014

In addition to all of that, he will be writing and illustrating a book that tells Sophie's story - 100% of the proceeds of which will also go to rescuing desperate shelter dogs. 

Though this post may not inspire you to donate to SERF or purchase some of his artwork, hopefully it will at least get you to read one of his fabulous children's books! 

Bring back the classic toys!

I started looking at baby and children's toys before my son was born (who doesn't?!) and was just a little dismayed by some of the selection available. Everything that I saw looked like cheap plastic that would inevitably break 6 months after purchase. It all looked tacky and flimsy and just... unappealing to me. Perhaps I am the only one, but I prefer the toys I remember from when I was a kid. The wooden blocks, abacuses, lincoln logs, stacking rings, train sets, etc. Sure, I had lots of the plastic stuff too - but those aren't the toys I remember as vividly. They didn't last as long and for whatever reason, I don't remember them being as much fun. Also, they look so busy and complicated sometimes. There's often a lot going on on just the one toy and it makes my head hurt. I like simpler toys that allow for some creativity and don't burn your retinas. Plus, both the classic and newer wood toys are more unique - not every kid is going to have that exact toy.


I'm sure part of the argument behind all these cheap plastic toys is that they're easier to disinfect. Which is fine for daycares and preschools, but most of us aren't running one, so your little tyke isn't likely to have 30 different kids' germs all over his toys.






















There's just something sentimental to me about those wooden toys. Even the brand new ones on the market today have a vintage feel to them, and look a little like family heirlooms - like something you'd find in your grandmother's attic. There are vintage plastic toys - but they seem more durable than the mass-market plastic toys available today.

I was able to find some cool wooden toys on Zulily - which I have blogged about many times before. It's really one of my favorite online shops - I always find new products I have never seen before plus good deals on brands I already know and love. I found a neat wooden ball toy and cute wooden dinosaur puzzle. There was a sale on Eric Carle products in celebration of the Very Hungry Caterpillar's birthday - and I picked up a hungry caterpillar wooden stacking ring toy.

Thanks to Zulily, I also was introduced to the brand Green Toys, which makes toys out of 100% recycled plastic - milk jugs to be specific. I saw them at Pottery Barn Kids the other day too, and they appear thicker and more well-made than a lot of the cheap stuff you can find at Walmart and Toys R Us (not that there's anything wrong with either of those stores!) Plus, they're made in the US - California to be specific - and are sold in 100% recycled cardboard packaging with no plastic twist ties or cellophane.

I have a cart full of wooden toys on Zulily right now. Not that I'll be buying them... my boy won't be playing with trains any time soon!

Another place to look for durable, classic wooden toys is Etsy. There are a lot of shops that make handmade wooden toys - like these gems. 

Cute wooden tooth teether toy from Little Sapling Toys

"magic beans" from Apple n Amos

Wooden telephone from Goshen Pickers

Cheeky little wood cellphone teether from 3 Princesses

I don't know about you, but as for me, I will be essentially boycotting all of the cheap plastic junk available on the market today (as much as possible) and will instead be opting for more durable, long-lasting wood and handmade toys. I love Etsy, so I will also be supporting small businesses! I just took up sewing, so I may even try to sew my own toys down the road.

Sun Safety for Summer Fun

Let me quickly debunk some myths about the sun and sun safety. First, there is no such thing as a “safe” or base tan – even if you use a tanning bed. People who have used tanning beds are 74 percent more likely to develop melanoma than someone who has never used one. The only “safe” tan is the spray-on kind (and that is not going to protect you from the sun – there is no SPF built into a tan). Sunburns do not discriminate – people of all ethnicity can develop skin cancer, though the risk of melanoma is 10 percent higher for those with fair skin. The sun is not necessarily stronger when it is hotter; you can burn on a cool, cloudy day. You’re not safe in the winter either, since the sun reflects off of snow (and sand, water, ice, and concrete), which intensifies UV radiation. No sunscreen is completely “waterproof.” In fact, manufacturers can no longer describe their sunscreen as “waterproof,” “sweatproof,” or label it as a “sunblock.” Now, sunscreens labeled “water resistant” also have to indicate how long it will last – either 40 or 80 minutes. An SPF 30 does not provide twice the sun protection of an SPF 15. SPF 15 filters out about 93 percent of the sun’s rays, and an SPF 30 about 97 percent. Anything higher than an SPF 50 has not been found to be any more effective than an SPF 50.

Now, on to some scary facts. Malignant melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, has risen in children and teens an average of 2 percent every year. Nearly 25 percent of a person’s lifetime sun damage occurs before they are 18 years old – although those are the years when our kids are still under our control! Just one blistering sunburn in childhood more than doubles the risk of melanoma later, and a person with fair skin can turn red in under 10 minutes without sun protection.

To keep your kids (and yourself!) sun-safe, start by avoiding the sun between the hours of 10 and 2, when it’s at its strongest. Use a sunscreen with as few chemicals as possible, such as a mineral sunscreen where the main ingredients are zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. Choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen, which means that it protects against both UVA and UVB rays. Use a lip product with SPF in it since the skin on the lips is thin and burns easily. Avoid using a spray sunscreen in the wind, and do not use it on the face. In fact, it’s better just to use a cream sunscreen, as you are more likely to apply enough to get sufficient coverage. Also, sunscreens do have an expiration date. Some of them are hard to find on the bottles, but a good rule of thumb is to get new sunscreen at the start of every summer.

If you or your kids are in water or on surfaces that may rub the sunscreen off (like inner tubes or slides), reapply every 40 or 80 minutes according to the bottle. But always reapply at least every 2 hours. If they’re old enough to, let your child help choose their sunscreen. You want them to put up as little resistance as possible when it comes time to apply (and reapply), and if they picked it out themselves, they’ll be more willing to have it slathered on. Even little ones, like 2 year olds, can help choose. Just make it easier for them and only give them two options to choose from.

Your diet can help protect you from the sun! Antioxidants and Omega-3s can protect you from skin cancer, and caffeine can repair damaged skin. So load up on fish, yogurt, fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, olive oil, red wine (just you! Not your kids!) and lots of water for the antioxidants and Omega-3s. Studies have shown that women who drink 6 or more cups of coffee daily are 30 percent less likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma or basal cell carcinoma, which are common but not normally lethal forms of skin cancer). Each 8-ounce cup o’ joe was associated with a 5 percent decrease in non-melanoma skin cancer risk.

Finally, follow the UV Index score daily to track the risk from the sun’s rays. The UV index is calculated based on the amount of ozone, the elevation, cloud coverage, latitude and time of year and indicates how strong the sun’s rays are (and therefore how fast you will burn!) Download the Environmental Protection Agency’s free app SunWise to use your zip code to see your area’s daily UV Index and UV forecast.

Note Feb 04 2016: This post was originally published online at Family Culture Magazine, but it seems to no longer be active. I previously had only a snippet here on my blog, but because the link to the full article was defunct, you can now read the whole thing right here at Prego to Legos!

Gossie by Olivier Dunrea Children's Book Review

While my husband was deployed, he managed to find a bunch of children's books from a program that had left them there in Afghanistan. He was able to send me a huge box full of stuff. I assumed (incorrectly) that I was going to get a box full of beat up books no one had ever heard of. Really, there were some wonderful books in there - classics I already knew, a couple that we already had, and a few gems that I'd never heard of before but fell in love with!

One of those such gems was Gossie by Olivier Dunrea. Surprisingly, even my mom, who is an Elementary School Librarian (sorry mom, I mean, Library Media Specialist and Reading Specialist), hadn't heard of it. It was one of the very first books we read to baby G after he was born and I immediately looked up the author and his other books (which I rarely do).

Gossie: A Review

Gossie is about a little gosling named Gossie.  The version I have is a little board book, but I believe it also comes in hardback (at least, Amazon says it does).

Gossie is "a small yellow gosling who likes to wear bright red boots every day." The book chronicles her little adventures - where she likes to wear her red boots - when suddenly, she loses them! Spoiler alert! She finds them in the end. :)

The artwork is adorable - also by Dunrea. I would love to just have blow-ups of the pages to hang on my wall! It's not too busy but makes use of bright colors and high contrast which is great for little eyes.

Possibly my favorite page in the book! I like pigs. :)

Gossie is part of a series of books about a bunch of goslings. Some of the other titles include: Gossie and Friends, Gossie and Gertie, Gideon, Ollie, and more. Dunrea just released a new couple of goslings: Jasper and Joop (and on his site, he shows a sketch of two more: Gemma and Gus). Each gosling has a special characteristic. For example, Gossie wears red boots, Gideon has a stuffed octopus, and Jasper and Joop are clean and messy, respectively. I'm very excited to read the newest books in this little series for young readers - I have a few books now and would love to collect them all!

Charities for Parents to be Passionate About

There are thousands upon thousands of different charities in the US. Many of them are focused on infants and children - causes close to my heart! :) I'm sure you're familiar with some of the more well-known: Make a Wish Foundation, March of Dimes, Locks of Love, Toys for Tots Ronald McDonald House Charities... But there are a lot of great ones that you may not have heard of.

Here's a brief list of charities that I think parents should get behind - and many of them are easy for kids to get involved with too!

Blessings in a Backpack provides a backpack full of nutritional, easy-to-prepare meals for the weekend for elementary school kids who are at risk of hunger. This non-profit organization currently feeds over  63,000 children in 583 schools in 45 U.S. states. These children are able to eat while they are at school, but once at home, may not always have a meal - especially a nutritious one. "Poor nutrition can result in a weaker immune system, increased hospitalization, lower IQ, shorter attention spans, and lower academic achievement." Just $80 will pay to feed a child for the entire school year.

Giving Diapers Giving Hope gives cloth diapers to low-income families to help alleviate the cost of diapering. (Disposable diapers are expensive!!) To help, you can donate money, donate cloth diapers or cloth diaper accessories, or sponsor a "box of hope" (you cover the shipping fee of $35 to send diapers to a family. They currently receive cloth diaper donations from Bummis, Moraki, Apple Cheeks, and Tiny Tush.

The Birthday Box is a relatively new non-profit that provides "children in need with an opportunity to blow out candles and make a birthday wish on his or her special day. An entire birthday celebration is assembled, packaged & then delivered in a recycled box. This party in a box, includes a birthday cake, candles, party plates, a birthday present and party decorations." To help, you can make a monetary donation, or donate a toy, gift card, party decorations (party hats, noise makers), birthday candles, wrapping paper, paper plates, etc. You can also sponsor a box, host a collection drive, or collect gifts at your own child's party to donate to The Birthday Box.

Newborns in Need provides kits that contain necessities for a newborn's first few weeks of life. Over 450,000 babies born are born prematurely (before 37 weeks gestation), 1,210 babies are born to teen moms each day, and 2660 babies are born into poverty each day. You can donate hand-made or store-bought items that will go to a poor or premature baby. They even have patterns you can use to crochet, knit, or sew blankets, diaper bags, hats, booties, bibs, and more. Of course you can always make a monetary donation or purchase an item from their online shop.





Reach Out and Read is a non-profit organization of medical providers that promotes literacy and school-readiness by providing books to children and advice to parents about the benefits of reading aloud. In addition to providing new books to children when they visit their offices, the pediatricians also strive to have a literacy-rich waiting room. You can donate books, bookshelves and children's furniture, story-time rugs, or children's or parenting magazines. You can also volunteer as a reader in a waiting room (in certain clinics and practices - not all) or, of course, donate funds. Reach Out and Read currently serves 4.2 million children annually in the US. Scholastic will be donating 500,000 books to the program soon.



Project Linus's mission is to "provide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new, handmade blankets and afghans..." They have chapters in every state and deliver blankets to children in hospitals, shelters, social service agencies, or "anywhere that a child might be in need of a big hug." You can donate a blanket (only handmade/homemade), fabric or materials, or make a financial contribution.






Canines for Disabled Kids is a non-profit organization that provides service dogs for autistic children, hearing impaired children, and other physically disabled children. You can donate funds directly to them, purchase products from a partnered company (though only a portion goes to the charity), or hold a fundraiser for the cause.







For more, Parents.com has a list of 10 great charities (some of my list is on there)

The Best Free Nook Books for Young Children

As I was preparing for our first vacation with our baby, I couldn't decide which books to bring. I couldn't take too many as we were trying to pack light - we were going to be away for 2 weeks and I needed to save room in my suitcase. Then I remembered I had a Nook and could download books to read to him on our trip! I just didn't want to have to spend a lot of money on more books (since we already have a ton!)

So I've compiled a list of some of the best free (and cheap) Nook books. Keep in mind, these may not all be free for forever. So if you see one you like, get it now! You can get the Nook app on your phone or computer if you don't have a Nook reader or tablet.

The books I'm listing are good for the under-6 crowd, most are great for even younger. (My boy is only 3-months-old). All of them are Nook Read-to-Me books, which give you the option of reading it yourself, having it read to you, or recording it as you read it. 

I've circled the 3 best books that are shown on this screenshot.

Jingle All the Way by Tom Shay-Zapien
This is the Hallmark book you may have seen commercials for at Christmas time. It goes with the stuffed dog, Jingle, that will bark when key words are read.

The Elephant Child: How the Elephant Got His Trunk by Rudyard Kipling
This is a really cute folklore type of story about a baby elephant who was very curious ("nosy").

The Jungle Book: A Baby Lit Animals Primer by Jennifer Adams
I love all of the Baby Lit books - and was thrilled when I found a couple of them for free. I like this one a lot - Each page shows you the name of an animal and a quote from The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling. (Ex: "Wolf 'Akela... led all the pack by strength and cunning." Like all the Baby Lit books, it has bold, high contrast illustrations that are a lot of fun.

Wuthering Heights: A Baby Lit Weather Primer by Jennifer Adams
Currently the other free Baby Lit book. Like the Baby Lit Jungle Book, this book shows you a type of weather (ex: "Breezy") and then a quote from the actual Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (ex: "The weather was sweet and warm.")

Bell's Big Move by Tom Shay-Zapien
Another Hallmark book that features one of their stuffed animals. Bell the stuffed animal will respond when key phrases are read.

Sense & Sensibility: A Baby Lit Opposites Primer by Jennifer Adams ($0.99)
Another Baby Lit! (Clearly, I love them!) This is one of only 2 baby lit books that is under a dollar. Many of the others are $6 or more. Unlike The Jungle Book and Wuthering Heights baby lit books, this one does not include quotes from the original work, but just does opposites like "Over" and "Under" with cute accompanying illustrations (that are often "opposite" in color too).





Sally Goes to the Beach by Stephen Huneck ($0.99)
This humorous book gives a black lab named Sally's take on a trip to the beach. Some of Sally's musings include what she thinks the captain of the boat looks like (Spoiler! She thinks it's a dog) as well as what was packed in the suitcase (dog toys). I'm a big fan of the illustrations in this one as well - very vibrant and eye catching.






 Sally Goes to the Farm by Stephen Huneck ($0.99)
Another book featuring the black lab Sally. This time she goes to the farm where she meets and plays with a yellow lab named Molly. They have a blast playing with the farm animals - and it made me chuckle - there's a lot of play on words. (Example: they hang out with the pig and "eat like pigs" and play with the horse who likes to "horse around.")







Ruff Says the Dog by Kim Mitzo Thompson ($0.99)
This book is a great introduction to animal sounds for the very young reader. It stars the standard animals found in baby books: cat, pig, horse, duck, etc. The illustrations are high-contrast and quite cute. 







Edgar Gets Ready For Bed by Jennifer Adams ($2.99)
This take on Edgar Allen Poe's works is a Baby Lit First Steps book. A mother Raven instructs her young one through all the steps of getting ready for bed - to which he always replies "Nevermore." As always with the Baby Lit, it has great illustrations - this one all in black and white (with shades of grey).

Drama Queens and Kings

-->

I was involved in theater and acting from a very young age and even pursued it as a career before my son was born. It is my belief that theater is one of the best things a child can get involved in, and I am not the only one that thinks so! There are many benefits to being involved in theater, from confidence building, to better posture, to improved academic performance and more.

Me and a cast mate as Desdemona and Iago in Goodnight Desdemona, Goodmorning Juliet.

 2005

Theater helps children to be more creative and stimulates their imagination. “Pretend play” is one of the best forms of play a child can participate in, even at home, but becoming actively involved in drama expands on it. Children learn public speaking skills and confidence. Corey Latta, a Teaching Artist at Adventure Theater Musical Theater Center in Maryland says, "One of my favorite parts of being a theater educator, is watching how much each child transforms during their time in a class or production! There is something about the collaborative nature of theater classes that really helps kids come out of their shells, use their creativity, and take ownership over something they have created.”

Acting helps children learn to empathize and read body language. As an actor, if only for a moment, you can experience what it’s like to be someone else. Actors also learn how to hold their own bodies; acting creates wonderful body awareness. When you are required to portray a sprightly child, an elderly person, and a fairy, you learn how to use your body in different ways and become more in tune with it. Actors also tend to have wonderful posture; in order for your words to reach the very last row, you have to know how to stand to facilitate good projection.

Children learn to work as a team in theater. It is never a singular effort; most plays are not a one-man show. When learning to act, you also learn to share your thoughts and ideas as well as give and take constructive criticism and feedback. Actors also have to learn how to handle rejection - you won’t always get the part you want. As I learned as a child, even if you get the lead one year, it doesn’t guarantee you will get it the next year. Disappointment doesn’t really get easier, but you do learn to handle it better.

As if all of that wasn’t enough, acting and theater involvement can also boost academic performance and reading skills. Studies show that children that participate in dramatic activities show significantly higher scores on Reading Comprehension Tests. Consistent participation in drama greatly improves academic performance and significantly bumps up standardized test scores. When involved in theater, you have to read and re-read scripts. (I can’t even count the number of plays I have read in this lifetime). Student actors are also more involved in community service, and less likely to drop out of school.

The best benefit, however, is that it is thrilling and fun. Your kids may not notice all of the skills acting is giving them, they will just enjoy it and want to do even more. As Ms. Latta says, “Take a chance on the arts, and come play!"

Note Feb 04 2016: This post was originally published online at Family Culture Magazine, but it seems to no longer be active. I previously had only a snippet here on my blog, but because the link to the full article was defunct, you can now read the whole thing right here at Prego to Legos!

Free kit for parents from First 5 California

First 5 California is the "first place to go for everything children 0-5." They fund programs that educate parents, caregivers, and teachers about the important role they play in children's' first 5 years. They were founded in 1998, but their current focuses are nutrition, early literacy and language development, and smoking cessation.

Well, they have a lot of free downloads on their site - activity sheets and coloring pages for kids as well as flyers, recipes, and little PDF books (starring Potter the Otter). First 5 also shares activity ideas for all ages and stages of the first 5 years plus educational videos.

In addition to all of those wonderful resources, they also have a free kit for parents that include an educational DVD, a touch-and-feel board book, advice book, and more. The kit provides information on everything from prenatal care to finding a preschool. Best of all, it's FREE! (And available in 6 languages).

an educational
DVD, Advice for New Parents reference book, Puppy and
Friends touch-and-feel board book, and much more - See more at:

http://www.first5california.com/parents/services-support.aspx?id=21#sthash.yu6tr9s2.dpuf

*I have not called to order mine yet (when I discovered this, it was already after hours), but it may only be available to California residents. It doesn't specify on the site.*

fund
programs that educate parents, grandparents, caregivers, and teachers
about the critical role they play during a child’s first five years -
See more at:
http://www.first5california.com/parents/about-us.aspx#sthash.15wS3yTh.dpuf

fund
programs that educate parents, grandparents, caregivers, and teachers
about the critical role they play during a child’s first five years -
See more at:
http://www.first5california.com/parents/about-us.aspx#sthash.15wS3yTh.dpuf

fund
programs that educate parents, grandparents, caregivers, and teachers
about the critical role they play during a child’s first five years -
See more at:
http://www.first5california.com/parents/about-us.aspx#sthash.15wS3yTh.dpuf

Breastfeeding Clothes: Cute ideas for things to wear when you're nursing

Sure, you could wear nursing camis and tanks - I lounge in them all day. But when it's time to head out, you may want to wear something a little spiffier than a cami that unclips at the breast.

Sure, there are lots of brands that sell cute nursing clothes... but many of them charge an arm and leg! And for some reason, when I was pregnant, I had the strange idea that I could only feasibly wear clothes designed for nursing. It never crossed my mind that I could wear "real" clothes until my mom mentioned something. Ha!

Here's a couple of ideas that never occurred to me until I actually began breastfeeding.

I love this Zenana Outfitters shirt I found on Zulily!

1) Button-down shirts. I hate the standard, stiff kind. So professional and uncomfortable - plus it reminds me of when I was a waitress, which I loathed. But, I found a couple soft jersey-knit kind. They are more flattering, I think, and much more comfortable. Then there are shirt that only button half-way, which will work as well.

Simply Vera by Vera Wang from Kohl's. I have this top and it's very silky soft - a cute lace button-up over a camisole. Plus, the tie belt helps give new mamas a waist!

Forever 21's zip top disguises a tummy nicely.

2) Zip-up shirts. This is a new trend going around, and it's handy for breastfeeding. I have a couple from Forever 21 (though I'm too old for most of their stuff, their line Love 21 is a little more grown-up and I've been able to find a couple good pieces. Plus it's cheap). They are blousy and loose with a zipper on the upper half of the front of the shirt.

Surplice top from Body Central

3) V neck tops. A v-neck that's very stretchy, or a shirt with a very deep V-neck, surplice neckline, or wrap/faux wrap top will allow you to pull it down when it's time to feed the baby.

Old Navy cowl-neck top.

4) Loose, stretchy cowl-neck tops. Same as the v-necks, if the neckline is a bit low and loose and stretchy, then you can pull it down for nursing.











5) Of course, you could just wear any old top that allows you to pull it up from the bottom... but then you're exposing your belly (and what new mom wants that?) They do make nursing camisoles designed to go under your top so no one sees your stomach... but then you're just adding layers and it's June in Southern California so I'm already sweltering enough with just one layer.

Advertisement for Undercover Mama - they sell camis that clip onto your bra and are designed for layering.

This Sun & Moon dress from Zulily has a surplice neckline.

6) Most dresses don't work - you can't pull them up (wouldn't that be a sight!?) But, button-up shirt dresses, or dresses that zip in the front will work. So will stretchy v-neck dresses as well as wrap and surplice dresses. I had no dresses that would work prior to my son being born and since I love dresses, had to go out and get a few that would work.

Dana Buchman snakeskin shirt dress from Kohl's.

Old Navy wrap dress with another nice camouflaging pattern.

7) Now regardless of the type of top or dress you get... make sure it is in a darker shade or has a busier print. Those hide milk stains and leaks a lot better than a solid, light-colored shirt.


Places to look...

It's really best to try on the clothes before you buy them (which I hate doing... I love online shopping). But you have to know if you're going to be able to stretch the top down enough for nursing, or if the zipper or button works the way you want, etc.

I don't want to spend a fortune on clothes that are just going to get breast milk on them and spit up allover. So I like TJMaxx - I was able to find a few maxi dresses that work for nursing (I know I said to try things on first... but you can now shop online!). Also, Zulily (another online shop... but the prices are often very good. Plus they do have nursing bras and tanks from time to time, and though they aren't the height of fashion, they are a necessity for a nursing mama). Old Navy and Kohl's have a lot of button-up shirts and cute dresses. Forever21 is inexpensive and has a ton of clothes. Just steer clear of all the crop tops that they have now. Ick. Body Central's clothing is a bit "spicier" - which means lots of low v-necks and surplice tops. Great for breastfeeding!

I'm sure if you are a currently breastfeeding mom, you've already discovered these clothing options. Hopefully though, this will give some good ideas to new moms-to-be and other women who plan to breastfeed in the future! :)