Posts Tagged ‘
summer ’
Tuesday, June 18th, 2013
Picnics are a great way to enjoy warm summer days, but food poisoning can ruin the fun. The Partnership for Food Safety Education launched the free Perfect Picnic app, just in time for the summer grilling season. Perfect Picnic teaches kids ages 8-11 about the importance of food safety and how to reduce their risk of food poisoning.
I recently tested Perfect Picnic to see what I could learn, and I was so impressed. I was the master of my own park filled with trees, outdoor kitchens, and several of my park “friends.” In order to pay for all of my park amenities, I rented out barbeque spots and kept my visitors happy.
However, I quickly learned that if my park wasn’t clean, my “friends” would leave. I needed to act fast! Luckily, I made sure all visitors knew how to wash their hands to reduce the risk of contaminating food and use a food thermometer to avoid problems from undercooked meat. I also needed to keep coolers filled with ice, so all perishables stayed chilled to 40°F. In addition, all food preparation surfaces needed to be kept clean.
Perfect Picnic is a great way for kids to learn about safe food handling practices in a fun, engaging way. After a few rounds on the app, kids will be ready to help out at the next barbeque. Click here to download Perfect Picnic.
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Thursday, April 25th, 2013
This post was written by our friends at Celebrity Baby Scoop.
Singer and songwriter Jewel has been one busy mama! She recently performed during the Academy of Country Music Awards’ Lifting Lives Moment to benefit ConAgra Foods’ Child Hunger Ends Here Campaign. She is also set to play June Carter Cash in the Lifetime Original Movie Ring of Fire, coming out this May.
Jewel opens up to Celebrity Baby Scoop about her son, Kase, 20-months, who went on his first “road tour,” her involvement with ConAgra and the cause to end child hunger, finding a balance between being a mom and having a creative outlet, and her Mother’s Day plans.
Celebrity Baby Scoop: Tell us about your partnership with ACM Lifting Lives. How did you get involved with the organization?
Jewel: “I was the spokesperson for ConAgra Foods last year. ConAgra’s initiative is to bring awareness to end child hunger, and they did this by partnering with the ACM. They have songwriters and artists write songs in different formats, such as a country song or a pop song, which are then used in the commercials. Last year, I sang a song for the campaign and Little Big Town performed it for the ACM Lifting Lives moment. This year, another girl wrote the song and I performed at the ACM Awards.”
CBS: How did you prepare for your performance at the Academy of Country Music Awards?
J: “I performed a medley of my song Hands and this other song. I’ve prepared in all sorts of ways. I had to work on the medley, work out the keys, and practice on it to make sure I was ready to do it live.”
(more…)
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Thursday, April 25th, 2013
Check out blog posts by multitalented mompreneur Rosie Pope every week at Parents.com!
Tis’ the season for celebrations! Be it bridal to baby showers, weddings or garden parties, they all have one thing in common: You will almost certainly need to wear a dress, unless you plan to be ultra chic in a pantsuit—which isn’t the easiest look to pull off while pregnant if you ask me.
So many of my pregnant clients have a love-hate relationship with these events. On the one hand, these social outings can be exciting and a great opportunity to show off your bump, but on the other, it’s a little more work to ditch the leggings, tunic and flats for something a little more sassy and a lot more dressed up.
The key to selecting the perfect dress for this summer’s occasions is to make sure it’s either fabulous enough, and versatile enough, to wear to multiple events. (That’s right: When you’re pregnant, you’re allowed to repeat.) Also, make sure it shows off your current favorite asset. I know it can be tough, but pick the one thing you still like: legs, arms, boobs, tush, neck, and, if all else fails, then love thy bump! Most importantly, remember the mantra “look good, feel good,” and invest in a dress that is going to make you feel great about yourself all season long.
These are my summer style tips intended to enhance your favorite feature:
Sexy shoulders and back Show them off in a summery cut. Go bare in a strapless gown, or opt for slightly more coverage in a halter or tank style.
Great-looking legs Select a dress that allows you to show a lot of leg, but still features elements that draw the attention up towards your face. A great option is a flowy mini with a jeweled neckline, the Stella Dress in Black.
Sublime neckline It’s okay if you are still learning to love your growing body, but you can always feature a stunning neckline. Choose a dress that is flowing and bohemian to cover any problem areas, but keep it feminine with a few lacy details or accents.
Flattering bustline Choose a dress that has some extra fabric around the bust so your blossoming bosom can fill it out, yet you won’t feel self-conscious about clingy fabric. One of my favorites is the Charlotte Dress in Emerald.
Superior posterior If you are loving your derriere, then highlight it in a tight style made in a thicker fabric that incorporates spandex. Be sure to pick a dress that generally covers up elsewhere to keep it tasteful.
Beautiful baby bump Show off your growing belly in an empire-waist dress or a look that belts just above the bump.
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Thursday, August 2nd, 2012
Editor’s Note: This guest post was written by Dr. Steve Pastyrnak, Division Chief, Pediatric Psychology at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids, MI. He shares techniques for different age groups on how to keep a child’s temper in check during rising summer temperatures.
Toddler and Preschoolers
When the heat is high, frustration and anger tend to boil over for kids of any age. For toddlers and preschoolers, who are learning how to express themselves, tantrums and angry outbursts are very normal. Since parents will have a hard time reasoning with little ones, modeling and distraction techniques can help deal with grumpy behavior. But a little patience and a good sense of humor is always a parent’s best bet.
A modeling technique involves parents remaining calm and cool, no matter how frustrating the kids are in the moment. Tots will take cues from those around them and will calm down more quickly when being spoken to in a quiet and reassuring tone of voice. Distraction involves using an activity or toy to redirect the child’s attention and disconnect frustration from crying, yelling, and screaming. But it’s important to distract before the frustration gets out of control or when kids start calming down. Otherwise, toddlers may connect anger and tantrums with getting a toy. Parents should keep a handy tool box of really cool (and inexpensive) items such as playdough, bubbles, crayons, etc.
If your kids are in a full-blown tantrum, however, the only solution is to remove them from the situation. Move them to another place or keep them on your lap. Let anger run its course.
Big Kids
Help kids handle physical stress and negative thoughts by teaching simple breathing and muscle relaxation techniques. Breathe slowly in through the nose (like smelling a flower) and the slowly out through the mouth (like blowing out a candle). The slower the better. Then have kids squeeze specific muscle groups (arms, stomachs, or even their faces) and hold the tension for a few seconds before relaxing. This technique will release some physical energy while also teaching the bodies how to relax.
Parents can also consider saying positive reinforcements (“Good job,” “You are so strong, brave, awesome, etc.”) for any situation that the child handles on her own. While verbal praises address behaviors well, teach kids another way to banish negative thoughts by using, what I call, the “Jedi” mind trick. Have kids recite simple positive thoughts to themselves, such as “I can do this,” “I’m okay,” and “No big deal.” The more kids practice saying these positive phrases, the more likely that they will change negative thoughts into positive ones.
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Tags:
anger, angry, angry kids, child development, heat wave, summer, summer heat, temper, temper tantrums, toddler development | Categories:
GoodyBlog, Health & Safety
Thursday, July 26th, 2012
Editor’s Note: In the first post for an ongoing series, Dr. Harley A. Rotbart, a Parents advisor, will be guest blogging once a month. He will be offering different advice, tips, and personal stories on how parents can “savor the moment” and maximize the time they spend with kids. Read more posts by Harley Rotbart from this series.
Children’s brains go to sleep as soon as school ends for summer vacation, and they can hibernate until after school starts again in the fall. While kids need rest and rejuvenation, structured and unstructured play, physically active and tranquil days, and homework-free evenings, the summer “brain freeze” (a.k.a. “summer meltdown” or “summer slide”) can last too long. When resting brains slip into vegetative states defined by TV, video games, Facebook, text messaging marathons, and MP3 hypnosis, it’s time for an intervention.
Fortunately, there is a cure: enrollment at Family Summer University (FSU)! At FSU, there is no tuition and no homework, but there are tests (more like friendly and funny family competitions) every night.
As Dean of FSU, it’s your job to set aside a little time each day to write the quiz questions. Tailor them to the ages and learning levels of your kids, but don’t be limited to school subjects. Instead, include a wide range of topics: celebrities, cartoon characters, favorite storybooks, sports teams, movies and TV shows, or any other topics that each family member will enjoy. Fun trivia about Justin Bieber and Jeremy Lin can help camouflage the educational lessons about hypotenuses, homonyms, and Hamlet. Mix and match questions every night from different subject areas or dedicate different nights of the week to certain subjects.
Look to brain teaser games, flash card sets, home versions of TV quiz shows, the library, the internet, and yes, your kids’ school books, to write your questions. But don’t overdo it — set a maximum of 20 questions per child per day, 10 questions if you have more than three kids! Remember, if you’re asking your 6 year old a tough question for his age, you should also be asking your 12 year old a tough one for her age.
Once your questions are written, gather the kids on the designated FSU campus (it can be the porch, patio, or another comfortable venue that’s preferably outdoors) and let the games begin! A great time for FSU to gather is after dinner because everyone is already together. Play every night or play a few days a week. Add bonus questions, musical prompts, and picture clues to make the game more interesting. Watch as scarce minutes with your kids turn into special moments.
After the answers are given, discuss them with your kids. Gently explain the questions they missed and have them explain ones they got right. Tally the correct number of answers for each contestant each dayk. At the end of each week, give a prize to the child with the highest score, and then start scoring from scratch the next week. This way, no one falls so far behind that they have no chance of catching up. Good “prizes” can be letting the winner choose the DVD on family movie night or the theme for a special dinner night. At the end of the summer, have an FSU “graduation” ceremony with cardboard caps, bed sheet gowns, and colorful paper diplomas. Then, make sure to go for ice cream!
Dr. Harley A. Rotbart is Professor and Vice Chairman of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Children’s Hospital Colorado. He is the author of three books for parents and families, including the recent No Regrets Parenting, a Parents advisor, and a contributor to The New York Times Motherlode blog. Visit his blog at noregretsparenting.com and follow him on Facebook and Twitter (@NoRegretsParent).
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Family, family activities, family fun, family time, Harley Rotbart, harley rotbart series, No Regrets Parenting, parenting, parenting skills, parenting style, parents, summer, summer activities, summer brain drain, summer brain freeze, summer fun, summer slide | Categories:
GoodyBlog, Time for Fun, Your Child
Tuesday, July 10th, 2012
Lemon juice? Check! Sugar? Check! Ice cubes? You bet! It’s that time of the year when kids across the country open lemonade stands on their block. But this summer, you can teach your child about entrepreneurship AND charity with the Toy Industry Foundation’s newest initiative, Make a Stand for Kids.
With the help of parents, children can volunteer to use profits from lemonade stands to help distribute toys and make playtime possible for disadvantaged kids. To get you started, TIF has created MakeStandForKids.org, a site packed with tips for fundraising, stand set-up, downloadable signs, and even recipes for other drinks (like orange and apricot punch). For more information on the program and how to take part, visit the site by clicking here.
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Wednesday, June 27th, 2012
My daughters started camp at our town pool on Monday, so we met their counselors at orientation over the weekend. When the counselors met Lila, my particularly fair 3-year-old, one of them said, “Please pack plenty of sunscreen!” I have, but I’m also doing one better: I’m putting her in a SwimZip suit (there she is at right). SwimZip items are rated UV50+, and cover more than a bathing suit will, so I can cut back on the amount of sunscreen we go through–which is typically more than a bottle a week! The top is really easy for her to put on and take off herself, since it zips up like a jacket. (That’s key when she’s soaking wet–it’s great to not have to bother with yanking a tight shirt over her head.) And the other big perk is that SwimZip’s styles are totally adorable, and the girls’ options are different from anything I’ve seen.
SwimZip, sizes 6-12 months to 4T, $29.99.
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Tags:
bathing suit, rash guards, summer, sunscreen, swimsuit, swimwear, SwimZip | Categories:
Babies, GoodyBlog, Health & Safety, Solutions, Time for Fun, Your Child
Friday, June 22nd, 2012
This post was written by our friends at Celebrity Baby Scoop.
With the warm months upon us, CelebrityBabyScoop asked some of our favorite celebrity moms to share their childhood summertime memories.
From Tori Spelling‘s family vacations in Las Vegas, to Jewel‘s horse riding adventures in Alaska, to Denise Richards’ family fun with their furry friends, read through our list of unforgettable family memories.
Jewel:
Soulful singer Jewel welcomed her first child, son Kase, in July 2011 with rodeo star hubby Ty Murray. The new mom opened up about her carefree childhood summertime memories in the great outdoors up in Alaska.
“They’re all outdoors,” she said. “I grew up in Alaska and the outdoors are so beautiful. I don’t think I spent any time inside except to sleep. My memories were horse riding and getting outside.”
Tori Spelling:
Actress-author Tori Spelling and her husband Dean McDermott are parents to three children – son Liam, 5, and daughters Stella, 4, and Hattie, 8 months – with baby No. 4 on the way this September. The “Beverly Hills, 90210″ star opened up about her childhood summer vacations with her family, including her late father, acclaimed TV producer Aaron Spelling, mother Candy Spelling and brother Randy.
“Everyone always asks me if I flew all over the world as a child,” Tori said. “But the truth is, my dad was afraid to fly. So we drove to Vegas for a month every summer! And this was before Vegas was kid-friendly. I really have to hand it to my mom for always finding fun things for us to do in Vegas.”
Sarah Wayne Callies:
Actress Sarah Wayne Callies, spokesperson for the International Rescue Committee‘s Wake Up Campaign, is mom to 5-year-old daughter Keala. The “The Walking Dead” star opened up about her idyllic childhood growing up in Hawaii.
“I lived in Hawaii, so it would have to be the beach,” she said. “We had a fun tradition where we would try to watch the sun rise over the water and then drive to the other side of the island and watch the sun set. My hair was constantly a mess of salt, seaweed, and sand. Gosh, I loved summers and lived for them as a kid. My parents were professors at a university, so they had summers off too. We were constantly outside; I think we went inside just to sleep and to raid the fridge for food to take outside. We would do a lot of kayaking and other fun summer activities. I have a lot of memories of kayaking with my dad and seeing sea turtles all around. Just incredible.”
Nicole Sullivan:
Actress and Jenny Brand Ambassador Nicole Sullivan is mom to sons Dash, 5, and Beckett, 2 1/2 with husband, fellow actor Jason Packham. The ”MADtv” alum opened up about her childhood memories of camping in the summertime.
“Some of my favorite memories growing up are camping with my family and our dog,” Nicole said. “And I still love it!”
Laila Ali:
Former boxer Laila Ali and her husband, football star Curtis Conway, are parents to son C.J., nearly 4, and daughter Sydney, 13 months. The ”Dancing with the Stars” alum said that growing up in a divorced and blended family with boxing legend father, Muhammed Ali, provided endless hours of fun in the sun with her stepsisters.
“As a child, we didn’t go on summer vacations,” Laila shared. “I just remember that my stepsisters would come over and everyone would be there. It was great to have everyone come to the house to go swimming together and pile up in the car together. It was a lot of fun…summers were always family time.”
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