August 2008
Monthly Archive
September Giveaway: JJ COLE COLLECTIONS System Bag
Posted by Kimberly on 31 Aug 2008 | Tagged as: Contests & Giveaways
JJ COLE COLLECTIONS is giving away one of their new system diaper bags in cocoa/pink to one Mom in the City member.
I had seen one of these system bags in a magazine and thought that it was a great combination. (In addition to the diaper bag, there’s a changing pad and a pacifier “pod”. The diaper bag also includes a bottle pocket.) I also like that it comes with easy instructions to attach the diaper bag to your stroller. I’m super excited that one of you will win one!
Mom in the City newsletter subscribers can enter to win by leaving your name in the “Comments” section below or by sending an email to contests@mominthecity.com with “Bag” in the Subject line by September 30th.
September Giveaway: GirlMogul Package
Posted by Kimberly on 31 Aug 2008 | Tagged as: Contests & Giveaways
GirlMogul is giving away a fabulous package (2 infant/toddler tops - any combination of onesies and/or tees - AND 1 grown girls cap sleeve t-shirt) to one lucky Mom in the City member.
GirlMogul sells GirlPower apparel and accessories in an effort to encourage girls to be successful. The site offers apparel, jewelry and gifts for infants to “grown girls”.
Mom in the City newsletter subscribers can enter to win by leaving your name in the “Comments” section below or by sending an email to contests@mominthecity.com with “Mogul” in the Subject line by September 30th.
September Giveaway: Walking With Dinosaurs
Posted by Kimberly on 31 Aug 2008 | Tagged as: Contests & Giveaways
We will be giving away a family four pack of tickets to Walking with Dinosaurs for their NJ opening night which is Wednesday, October 8th. (The dinos are coming to New Jersey on Oct. 8th - 12th at Continental Airlines Arena.)
“After years of planning, the award-winning BBC TV series Walking with Dinosaurs comes to life in a stunning theatrical event. Internationally-renowned designers have worked with scientists to create 15 life-sized dinosaurs, including the terror of the ancient terrain, Tyrannosaurus Rex! Be amazed and thrilled as the greatest creatures ever to walk the earth return before your eyes. It’s a dazzling $20-million-dollar arena spectacle of unprecedented size and quality set to captivate young and old alike. Marvel at the story of their 200-million-year domination of life on earth. Watch them walk. Hear them roar. BE there as they fight for survival and supremacy. From the ripple of their skin to the glint in their eye, you will know the dinosaurs really have returned! So make sure you have your seat to see the return of the dinosaurs! Buy tickets today!
Want to see more? Visit the website www.dinosaurlive.com.”
Mom in the City newsletter subscribers can enter to win by leaving your name in the “Comments” section below or by sending an email to contests@mominthecity.com with “Dinosaur” in the Subject line by September 30th.
Finding Time for Family Meals/$50 Shopping Gift Card Giveaway
Posted by Kimberly on 29 Aug 2008 | Tagged as: Contests & Giveaways, Features
This is the last post in our Stop & Shop series, so that means one lucky Mom in the City member will be winning a $50 Stop & Shop/Giant/Peapod gift card. (Mom in the City newsletter subscribers can enter to win by leaving your name in the “Comments” section below or by sending an email to contests@mominthecity.com with “Shop” in the Subject line by September 15th).
Thanks to Stop & Shop’s Consumer Advisor Andrea Astrachan for the following helpful tips. A link to Andrea’s monthly column online can be found here.
Finding Time for Family Meals
With busy family schedules, it can be a challenge for the family to sit down at the same time for dinner. As a busy mom myself, I realize how hectic life can be and the difficulties in juggling work, commutes and the kids’ schedules, but family meals are so very important.
Not only is family mealtime a comforting ritual for young children, but also it provides a real opportunity to reconnect with teens. Although teens may show more interest in connecting with friends than family, research shows that family mealtime with children and teens provides long-term benefits. Children who have dinner with their families three or more nights a week are less likely to engage in risky behaviors. And regardless of family structure or income, teens that eat dinner with their families often are more likely to have better grades, less stress and overall healthier diets.
Here are a few suggestions on how you can make mealtime a family time more often:
• Every Sunday, pick nights during the coming week when the family can eat together.
• Pick a dinner theme, such as Mexican or Italian, the kids will look forward to.
• Encourage children to create menu ideas. Have children help with making a shopping list. Ask them to pick some healthy foods they would like to have.
• Encourage children to help with meal preparation. Very young children can rinse fruits and vegetables, pour ingredients, and mix. Older children can measure ingredients, cut soft foods with a table knife and use the microwave.
• Keep meals simple. Spend time on one-dish casseroles or use convenience foods. Foods such as frozen vegetables, prepared foods and ready to cook meats save time.
• Turn off the TV and radio so everyone can focus on conversation. Share what happened during the day with each other.
• Remember that kids often take more time than adults, so relax and enjoy a few extra minutes sitting at the table before cleaning up.
• Even the after meal clean-up presents an opportunity for togetherness and teaches teamwork and life skills that the kids will take with them into adulthood.
The time spent together as a family, the memories created, and the positive benefits to the health and well being of the kids are well worth the effort of making time for table time!
For more tips, recipes and savings, visit www.stopandshop.com or www.giantfood.com.
Learning About Adoption
Posted by Kimberly on 29 Aug 2008 | Tagged as: Magazines
In the August issue of Parents magazine, there is a great article called “Adoption Diaries” that you can find here. The article shares various family stories (various degrees of open adoption; foster-care and international adoption). Afterwards, important details are provided regarding each option (domestic, international and foster care adoptions).
This article really made me think. Although, I definitely don’t want to have any more biological children, I’ve always wanted to adopt. I’m not sure if I will or won’t due to time, energy and financial constraints. Right now, two kids take up all of the energy that my husband and I have but who knows what the future holds when they’re both in school? In any event, if we ever do adopt, I’m leaning towards adopting a little girl from Ethiopia (for a variety of reasons that wouldn’t come out “right” in writing)…
School Shopping for NYC’s Homeless Children
Posted by Kimberly on 28 Aug 2008 | Tagged as: Charity
Just in case you can help…
Anna Fader (Mommy Poppins) has been working with Seneca Houses, an organization that provides temporary housing for homeless families in NYC. They asked her for help in providing school supplies for the 100 children that are currently living in their apartments.
In response, Anna has created an Amazon Wish List for the kids with all the school supplies that they have requested and she is also collecting money to purchase supplies locally and deliver to the kids herself. (I chose the option of donating money, because the Amazon shipping charges were a little ridiculous for what I wanted to donate.) You can learn more by clicking here or here.
Bob the Builder ON SITE: Houses & Playgrounds Giveaway
Posted by Kimberly on 28 Aug 2008 | Tagged as: Contests & Giveaways
We are giving away a copy of Bob the Builder ON SITE: Houses & Playgrounds, which hit store shelves this week on August 26th.
Mom in the City newsletter subscribers can enter to win by leaving your name in the “Comments” section below or by sending an email to contests@mominthecity.com with “ON SITE” in the Subject line by September 15th.
Wordless Wednesday: What I Ordered Versus What I Received
Posted by Kimberly on 27 Aug 2008 | Tagged as: My Life, Wordless Wednesday
Tackle it Tuesday: Pre-School Prep – Kid Safety
Posted by Kimberly on 26 Aug 2008 | Tagged as: My Life, Tackle it Tuesday
This is my last preschool prep “tackle” and it’s about keeping my kid safe. Here’s the thing… I know that Michael’s preschool is only 2 1/2 hours a day but this is the first time that we will be leaving him in the care of someone who is not a family member or a screened children’s ministry worker from our church. (My husband and I oversee the children’s ministry, so we’re very familiar with the volunteers.)
As such, I had some questions about “the safety talk”. I just wanted to make sure that Michael was clear about personal boundaries in an age-appropriate way. Honestly, my biggest concern was the bathroom at school. Being the “research” person that I am, I did some web research to see what the “experts” had to say AND I asked the real experts – my mom friends with children with kids who were going to preschool or who were already in preschool.
On the “expert” side, these were the sites that I found helpful:
-The Parents Site by the National Crime Prevention Council
-The KIDPOWER Teaching Kids to Be Safe Without Fear site
And
-The information that I personally found to be the most helpful was Scholastic’s article regarding talking about stranger safety.
From the moms, the input that helped me the most was:
-To remember that the state screens teachers. (”Even though we hear horror stories, the majority of teachers are really there to pass on the gift of education.”)
-The recommendation of a book “How and When to Tell Your Kids About Sex“, a book for the parents and then a series of 4 books for the kids that goes by age.
-To find out what the school bathroom policy is in order to ease my fears.
After visiting the preschool with my husband, my fears were put to rest. I immediately “fell in love with” the staff and I totally feel comfortable leaving Michael in their care. (Also the bathroom is in an open area - no closed doors – yay!) At the end of the day, I just had to: PRAY, put all of the advice into practice, PRAY and go with my “gut”. Isn’t that the most that we moms can do anyway?!
(To see what other moms around the web are “tackling” today visit Tackle it Tuesday).
What’s on My Nightstand? Dinner with Dad
Posted by Kimberly on 26 Aug 2008 | Tagged as: Books, Contests & Giveaways, What’s on Your Nightstand
I read an excerpt from Dinner with Dad written by Cameron Stracher in the June issue of New York Family. It was excellent. I thought that it would make a great book to review and/or be a giveaway on our site. Fortunately, Random House agreed. They sent me a copy to review and they will be giving away a copy to one lucky Mom in the City member. (Mom in the City newsletter subscribers can enter to win by leaving your name in the “Comments” section below or by sending an email to contests@mominthecity.com with “Dinner” in the Subject line by September 15th).
Normally, I’m reading three to four books at a time. This month though, with all of the school prep going on, I haven’t been reading as much. Dinner with Dad is worth the read though! Basically, the book is about Mr. Stracher’s attempt to be home for dinner with his family five nights a week (and to cook some of the nights!) in an effort to strengthen relationships with his family members/create more “balance” in their lives. To put it lightly, the transition is not easy for his “Type A” personality. Along the way, he learns (what most of us moms already know!) that his sacrifices (shopping, cooking, simply being there) aren’t always acknowledged or appreciated. Sometimes, he slips into self-pity, but for the most part, he is a good sport. While reflecting on his efforts, Mr. Stracher did well in actually getting home for dinner; not so great in cooking half of the meals that he was home for; and he realizes the financial consequences of changing his work schedule.
As someone who really values family dinners, I found this book both realistic and humorous. Hands-on parenting is not easy/for the faint of heart, but it is SO worth it. I’m very grateful that my husband has a family-friendly job (teacher) and schedule. Eating dinner together most nights of the week is one of the greatest gifts that I think we have been able to give to our kids so far!
(To read about what others are reading, visit What’s on Your Nightstand.)
