Back in the day (i.e., my early 20’s) I was really fit; as in, hit the gym at 5:30am on my way to work fit. Not surprisingly, those days are long gone and despite my efforts to keep up my gym membership, our relocation and my new schedule have made the gym less accessible.
Imagine my delight, then, when I learned about the stylish and portable Sane Fitness QuickStart Deck ($24.95). Comprised of 3 workouts (with a suggested plan for a 6-week full-body program) that can be done at home with minimal equipment or at the gym, this series is perfect for busy mamas. You’ll need to start with 20 minutes of cardio (does chasing a toddler around the house count?); otherwise each workout involves a mere 11 moves (6 full body exercises, 2 abdominals, 3 stretches). It can’t get faster than that. In the next 6 months Sane Fitness also will roll out a complete fitness deck with 6 months of workouts, and "Sane Preggers," a workout system designed specifically for expecting mamas.
Use the coupon code “FitMama” to receive a 20% discount at Sane Fitness directly; also available at Amazon.
Back in the day (i.e., my early 20’s) I was really fit; as in, hit the gym at 5:30am on my way to work fit. Not surprisingly, those days are long gone and despite my efforts to keep up my gym membership, our relocation and my new schedule have made the gym less accessible.
Imagine my delight, then, when I learned about the stylish and portable Sane Fitness QuickStart Deck ($24.95). Comprised of 3 workouts (with a suggested plan for a 6-week full-body program) that can be done at home with minimal equipment or at the gym, this series is perfect for busy mamas. You’ll need to start with 20 minutes of cardio (does chasing a toddler around the house count?); otherwise each workout involves a mere 11 moves (6 full body exercises, 2 abdominals, 3 stretches). It can’t get faster than that. In the next 6 months Sane Fitness also will roll out a complete fitness deck with 6 months of workouts, and "Sane Preggers," a workout system designed specifically for expecting mamas.
Use the coupon code “FitMama” to receive a 20% discount at Sane Fitness directly; also available at Amazon.
It’s hard to imagine where we would be without plastics, but the Sigg Kids Bottles
makes a good argument for an alternative beverage holder for your babe. Cutely patterned and constructed of lightweight, seamless aluminum, these bottles are tested for 0.0% leaching, so you don’t need to worry about chemicals from plastic getting into your child's digestive system. The bottle features a non-corrosive lining, solvent-free paint on the exterior, and a leak-proof screw top that kids can open themselves.
Had you told me a few months ago that I was moving into a house full of psychologists, I would have run screaming.
But in addition to being incredibly kind, gentle people, our new landlords (who, as Ph.D.’s in child development and social psychology, don’t appear phased by my near abandonment of academia) are extremely sweet towards our daughter. During a recent visit they brought some wonderful books for Laurel’s birthday; among them, A Pocket for Corduroy, which has become a fast favorite.
Revisiting this classic many years later, I am struck by the diversity that author Don Freeman weaves through the story's pages. And apparently Laurel is struck by it too; whenever we get to the page with the Asian woman illustrated, Laurel proclaims, “That’s my mommy!”
A Pocket for Corduroy; regularly $15.99, on sale for $10.87 at Amazon.
A local mama wrote in to pass along word about Boston Cares’ Frosty’s Friends Program, a winter holiday gift-giving program through which volunteers give gifts to kids from Greater Boston’s emergency shelters, community centers, low-income housing programs, educational programs, and day care centers. This local mama and her husband have participated in the Frosty’s Friends Program for about five years (even before becoming parents); sometimes the requests are as heart-wrenchingly simple as asking for physical warmth in the form of a winter coat.
Click here to download the Frosty’s Friends application (due October 16, 2006). You will receive a hand-written letter from a child requesting a small gift (between $20-30 value). All you need to do is purchase the gift, and send it directly to the child’s agency.
I recently chatted with some mama pals about time-outs. We actually have yet to use them, given that our 2-year old hasn’t been prone to aggression (her exploration into hitting was brief), and usually can be redirected by distraction. However, my friends’ kids are 4-5 months older than Laurel, so it’s certainly possible that time-outs will become necessary in the future. It seemed like a good time to do a little research.
A popular misconception is that time-outs are a form of punishment; in fact, time-outs are more effective when they are used to shape behavior instead of punish. When used as punishment, time-outs are negative, keep the anger percolating, and do nothing to turn the tide of the misbehavior. In contrast, when a time-out is used to break the misbehavior, it offers a short window during which both child and parent can change up the mojo, reflect, and cool off. BabyCenter offers an article describing time-out parameters and strategies; Dr. Sears offers a helpful set of 10 tips, including strategies on how to prepare children for time-outs, time-out length (about 1 minute per year of age; for older children you can tailor time to fit the crime, as it were), and time-out location (typically a boring, neutral place).
The next time you are preparing to purge baby/kid stuff from your home, consider donating to Cradles to Crayons, an organization committed to providing poor and homeless children from Massachusetts (infancy to age 12) with everyday clothes, gear, toys, and school supplies.
Last year alone, Cradles to Crayons provided 25,000 local children with high-quality goods to keep them warm, safe at home, and ready to learn at school. Find out about the different ways you can help their cause, and the types of items accepted for donation.
As I’ve written earlier, when relocating with kids – and all of their associated gear – it’s time to hire professional movers. For our recent move we used Careful Carriers. This small operation was the least expensive of several companies I called, and they were top notch. Personally, the moving team was considerate, polite and friendly; professionally, they were punctual, efficient, and freakishly strong (I can barely heft one crate of books, much less 3 crates on my back). The team also was incredibly sweet towards our babe, who was – understandably – slightly freaked about the sight of these dudes walking out of the house with all of our stuff. Laurel especially warmed to the mover who helped her dad put the crib together in the new house.
Careful Carriers offers local and long distance residential/commercial moves. Tel: 781-641-0376.
Infants are limited to nonverbal communication; no wonder they respond so well to massage and signing. Sheryl White, owner of Baby Kneads, is an established infant massage and signing teacher serving the Metro West and Boston area. Sheryl offers tutelage in a number of formats: out of her home in Southborough, through private consultations in client’s homes, with teachers at day care centers, through free programs at libraries and family networks, and at Isis Maternity ($40.00 for signing and $25.00 for massage; 10% discount for members) and WarmLines ($25.00 for members; $35.00 for non-members for infant massage).
Click here to contact Baby Kneads about public programs and individual consultation.
There are few foolproof things in life, but let me share one of them with you.
This recipe for scallion pancakes takes a mere 5-7 minutes to prep, and won’t last long coming off the skillet. If you’d like to channel the unofficial Korean mantra “leave no food scrap behind,” root around in your refrigerator for interesting leftovers; for Korean pajon, scallions often are replaced by other assorted chopped vegetables or cooked meat.
This past weekend we celebrated my daughter’s 2nd birthday. In contrast to last year’s giant, lunatic three-tiered birthday cake (some of which, it occurs to me, is still in our freezer), I decided to go simple. Just cupcakes. But then of course the day before the party I started to obsess about Laurel not having her own cake. I called my mama pal Paige and the “awww!” elicited by the mere mention of a cute little mini cake rendered me powerless in the pantry.
After comparing recipes from a few of my baking references (for this particular project, The Cake Bible and Williams-Sonoma Mastering: Cakes, Fillings & Frostings) I realized that the cupcake recipe I posted earlier is pretty much equivalent to standard 9-inch two-layer butter cake recipes. After some fuzzy volume estimation, I decided to double the cupcake recipe (i.e., to render 48 cupcakes), but only make 3 trays of cupcakes (36), splitting the remaining batter between two 6-inch cake pans. This worked perfectly and easily; the result was a beautiful mini cake flanked by a fleet of super cute cupcakes. Never mind that the babe was so busy munching on edamame that she barely acknowledged the cake, candles, and song! It’s the thought that counts, right?
Click here for an updated version of the cupcake recipe with instructions on how to make, assemble, and frost 36 cupcakes + one 6-inch layer cake. You, too, can be a lunatic baker.
Just because your current exposure to the art world largely involves finger paints doesn’t mean you can’t fake it along with the best of them. The 20th Century Art Book ($9.95 at Amazon) is a compact paperback A to Z guide to 500 artists, each represented per page with a color plate, historical description, and cross-references by subject matter, style, or medium.
Venezuelan cuisine isn’t abundant in the Boston area, but it hardly matters with La Casa De Pedro on the block. During lunch and dinner, you’ll likely see chef-owner Pedro Alarcon welcoming guests, directing staff, and ensuring that patrons are enjoying their authentically and flavorfully prepared meals.
La Casa De Pedro offers a bright yet warm dining room with an open kitchen concept, and an enclosed courtyard out back. You’ll do well starting with the crispy, piping hot empanadas (filled corn turnovers) and ending with the superb coconut flan; whatever you choose in between those courses surely will not disappoint.
La Casa De Pedro, 51 Main Street, Watertown, Tel: 617-923-8025
Our quick and easy bedtime routine evaporated when we moved a couple of weeks ago. Pre-move, after stories we could leave the room and Laurel would happily chat and sing her way to sleep. Now there’s a lot of stalling and sadness if we try to leave when she is awake. From what we could understand from Laurel, she was scared of the dark.
While our move clearly changed things, a conversation with the mom of one of Laurel’s pals – who, even as the world’s most unflappable toddler, recently has become fearful of the dark – prompted me to look further into night fears.
Save for when cheese or cupcakes are on the table, I’ve never seen a pack of toddlers go as crazy as when Go, Dog, Go! ($4.99 at Amazon) comes off the bookshelf. Whether it’s the catchy rhythm, colorful illustrations, or the silliness of seeing dogs race around via unusual means of transport, this classic will have your babe clamoring for more reads. The small board book format is especially well suited for little hands.
Isn't it marvelous that play = learning for little ones? If you need a change of scenery from your current toys, space, and recycling bin (location of some of our babe's most fascinating finds), check out the Play Academy in Medford. Highly recommended by a Boston area mama, the Play Academy was founded and developed by a mother of two. Weekly classes (ages 3 months and up) are designed to stimulate cognitive, social and emotional development; you can register for sessions in blocks of 10 ($140), 15 ($195), or 20 ($240) weeks. Play Academy also hosts birthday parties.
Play Academy, 25 Riverside Avenue, Medford; Tel: 1-781-738-PLAY
The distress is palpable when you say something to your kid that sounds as if it came straight out of your parents’ mouth. To cope, Boston Mamas’ contributing therapist Adelaide Smith, MSW, highly recommends Siegel & Hartzell’s (2004) Parenting from the Inside Out (regularly $14.95; currently on sale for $10.17 at Amazon). Siegel and Hartzell (a child psychiatrist and an early childhood expert, respectively) review findings in neurobiology and attachment research; they explain how interpersonal relationships impact brain development, and offer practical suggestions to forming a deeper understanding of one’s life stories, which will help parents raise compassionate and resilient children.
I have an unofficial Mama Hall of Fame; among the members are a Canadian friend who has the most impressive poop-removal/soak/double-launder cloth diapering routine I’ve ever witnessed, and a local pal who – at about 79 lbs. soaking wet – nursed her first child for 26 months, her twins for 16 months, and is at 16 months and counting with her 4th baby.
This week there’s a new inductee on the block. The son of a dear friend unfortunately had latch on problems right off the bat. Continued efforts and extra time in the hospital were unsuccessful. My girlfriend, who experienced a long labor and lots of pushing, a C-section when things didn't progress, and manual expression of colostrum from her breasts by the nursing staff (ouch), was in dire need of a break.
There isn't much sex appeal associated with pumping (I believe Jon let out an extended, definitive, and less than supportive "mooo!" when he first saw me pump), but if you’d like to feel - as a mama pal describes - “vaguely like [an Austin Powers] femme bot” (while pumping efficiently of course), try the Easy Expressions Bustier.
A terrific pump at work solution, the bustier makes hands-free double pumping easy through a strapless, zip-front design. Available in small (32-34), medium (34-36), large (38-40), and extra-large (42-44) for $33.95 (see the