Birthday Party Food Ideas to Please Kids and Adults

May 16, 2012 by 9 Comments

When it comes to throwing a birthday party for your kids, you may be keen to change
it up a bit this year when it comes to the food selection. Sure pizza is easy. So are hot
dogs and hamburgers. Throw in some chips, soda, and a cake and you’re good to go,
right? But kids and parents alike can get bored with the same old stuff. And if you’ve
followed current events at all, you may be aware that childhood obesity is a major issue
at the moment, reportedly affecting one in three children in this country. So filling your
kids and their friends with sugars and fats simply may not be part of your agenda moving
forward. And any parents that join you in the festivities will no doubt appreciate having
healthy options on hand. So here are just a few party food ideas that are sure to please
everyone.

Let’s start with the notion of a main dish. Unless you want kids spreading germs and
racking up the calorie count as they graze through a spread of artificial foods like chips
and candy, you should probably limit them to eating at certain times during the party
rather than having tons of food sitting out for the duration. Of course, you could set out
plenty of fruits and veggies without worry since these items provide for a healthy snack
regardless of how much kids ingest. At the very least it’s better than cookies or candy if
you want to provide snacks for the kids. But when it comes to the entrée you’ll probably
want something that is equal parts delicious and nutritious. So what can you offer that is
healthy, easy, and appealing to both kids and adults?

For one thing, you could make pizza or burgers. Wait…what? Didn’t we just agree
that these foods [Read more…]

Filed Under: food, kids

Summer is Nearly Here- Are Your Kids in Camp Yet? Oasis Day Camps #NYC #NJ

May 15, 2012 by 11 Comments

Can you believe that summer is almost here? I can’t. Since school will soon be over, it’s time to figure out what to do for summer. One of the best ideas is to find a great summer camp. My Little Man will soon be attending Oasis Day Camp.

Oasis Day Camp is accredited by the American Camp Association and has won the New York State Department of Education’s Promising Practices Award for children’s programming. They run their camps at other institutions in order to keep costs down while not sacrificing quality or high standards, which are very important to them. (and to you too, right mommy?) Why pay through the nose when you can have a great experience for your child without taking out a second mortgage?

When I spoke to president and CEO of Oasis Children’s services earlier today, Bernie Tessler, he told me that they never hire high school kids to take care of the Oasis Campers. Why? Because they only hire qualified workers with experience dealing with children. As a mother and a teacher, I never understood why anyplace would hire young kids to take care of REALLY young kids. With a few exceptions, most high school kids are not responsible enough to be in charge of little kids. And in an atmosphere where there will be non-swimmers and water, sunblock that needs to be re-applied, and sports? This mommy is much comforted that there will only be qualified employees with her son. Or he wouldn’t be going. For Little [Read more…]

Filed Under: kids

Various Types of Tutoring Services: Which Is Right for Your Child?

May 10, 2012 by 8 Comments

Even smart, motivated kids may have times where they need a little extra help when it comes to their academic pursuits. And while most parents can provide for this need in the beginning, offering assistance with math, science, history, and language at least through grade school, some adults may lose the ability to help their kids with homework as the subject matter becomes more advanced. Plus, most working parents already have a pretty full plate between the time constraints imposed by holding a job, running a household, and seeing to the many necessities of their family. So they simply may not have much time left over to sit and do homework with their kids. Luckily, there are professionals out there who can provide your children with the extra attention and instruction they need. And there are several types of tutors to consider.

For starters, you may want to look into tutoring programs that are sponsored by your child’s school or community organizations. These generally take place after school and they are meant to help underprivileged children get the help they need when they can’t afford paid tutoring services. In most cases the tutors are volunteers, and they may be teachers, advanced older students, or even college students seeking experience or simply looking to give something back to their community. In any case, your child may be eligible for free services in your area. And while you might balk at instruction that comes from other students, learning from a peer may be more helpful in some cases than learning from a teacher.

Of course, if you have the money to pay for a tutor there are many more options. For example, [Read more…]

Filed Under: education, kids

Win BOO, the World’s Cutest Dog, from @GottaGettaGUND

May 10, 2012 by 29 Comments

How cute is this doggie? My son is Mr. Puppy Lover, animals in general, but he is all about dogs. Boo is just the cutest, and Little Man loves him! “Boo” was supposed to me for me- but he was pup-snatched….bratty kids! LOL.

Every mom and every kid you know is going to want a “Boo” of their very own. It’s going to be hard not to get one for yourself, so I suggest just giving in to the urge and picking one up. He’s not expensive- and really, how are you supposed to resist? You are only human….


I first saw this cutie (the dog, not the kid!) at Toy Fair this year. How cute is that! “Boo” totally stood out- and since “Boo” the real dog already has millions of fans, I’m sure it won’t be long before [Read more…]

Filed Under: giveaway, kids, review

Win Dinosaur Train Books

May 10, 2012 by 34 Comments
Get Caught Reading with Dinosaur Train!
DINOSAUR TRAIN’s “Buddy” celebrates the Association of American Publishers Get Caught Reading campaign for a second year, a campaign devised to remind people of all ages how much fun it is to read! And to help you celebrate, The Jim Henson Company has teamed up with Reader’s Digest Children’s Publishing to offer you a REVIEW OR GIVEAWAY copy of their latest book, Guess Who Buddy!!
Research has proven that early language experience stimulates a child’s brain to grow and reading to children gives them a huge advantage when they start school. Member organizations of the Association of American Publishers (AAP) participate in a variety of ways in Get Caught Reading to encourage people of all ages to enjoy books and magazines and to share that pleasure with the young children in their lives.
Help others to “Get Caught Reading” too with a local book drive!
Filed Under: education, giveaway, kids

National Learn to Swim Day with @SwimWays

May 8, 2012 by 8 Comments

May 19, 2012 is “National Learn to Swim Day”. Learning to swim is very important to children. In everyday activities, it greatly expands the amount of fun places to go during the summer which is just about upon us. Knowing how to swim can save your life or a loved one’s life. According to the Red Cross, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children ages 1 to 14 years old. Additionally, statistics show that children ages 1 to 4 drown most often in home swimming pools. These are some scary statistics to look at. Especially if you now take a stroll around you neighborhood and see how many of your neighbors have swimming pools. Sure they have fences, but we all know a group of kids will always find a way to get into trouble, so why not help them stay safe, too?

There are many ways to celebrate [Read more…]

Filed Under: kids

Teaching Kids How to Respond to Medical Emergencies

May 8, 2012 by 7 Comments

When we have children, it’s our responsibility to mentor and mold them—to teach them all of the things
that they need to know to thrive as adolescents and young adults. In the midst of teaching them about
manners, hygiene and life values, sometimes other things are inadvertently overlooked; things that are just
as important, like how to respond to medical emergencies.

If this is not something that you’ve given a lot of thought to, but you know that it’s vital to your child’s
personal development, here are three things to teach them about what to do should an unfortunate
circumstance like a medical emergency present itself.

Teach them some important phone numbers. Every day, the news features heart-wrenching stories of
children that witnessed a parent, grandparent or babysitter that was hurt in the home, but they didn’t know
what to do. Depending upon the age of the child and the situation at hand, their ability to assist may be
limited, but they can always call someone. Make sure they know how to dial 9-1-1, along with a couple
of other numbers, including a neighbor and your cell number if you happen to be away at the time. In this
cell phone age, a lot of people do not have home phones. However, if you have a child living with you,
[Read more…]

Filed Under: education, family, health, kids

Cowboy Playground Putumayo Kids CD

May 8, 2012 by 8 Comments

Everybody loves a good cowboy story. The hero comes riding in on a big horse, saving the town from the bad guys- leaving only a respectful tip of the hat and a nod of his head.With this simple act, the cowboy will always be a staple of children growing up in America, not only in the west but from coast to coast.

There is a new Putumayo Kids CD, “Cowboy Playground”, which feeds into this cowboy mentality for kids of all ages. The disc includes both new songs like Saddle Bum and favorites such as Whoopee [Read more…]

Filed Under: kids, review