Today, Sara Cabot of Little Lettice shares tips and recipes to bump up calcium intake for the whole family:
“Many children are lactose intolerant and therefore cannot get calcium from milk products. Apart from calcium supplements recommended by your pediatrician, bone broths (aka. stock) are a good way to get calcium – be it beef, lamb, or chicken broth. Broth is a nutritious base for hot or cold soups, or braised meat or vegetable dishes that require liquid be added to them. It also gives dishes a deeper flavor than simply adding water.Today, Sara Cabot of Little Lettice shares tips and recipes to bump up calcium intake for the whole family:
“Many children are lactose intolerant and therefore cannot get calcium from milk products. Apart from calcium supplements recommended by your pediatrician, bone broths (aka. stock) are a good way to get calcium – be it beef, lamb, or chicken broth. Broth is a nutritious base for hot or cold soups, or braised meat or vegetable dishes that require liquid be added to them. It also gives dishes a deeper flavor than simply adding water.
Probably due at least in part to feeling conspicuous as one of a few minority families in our town growing up, I have a residual thing about blending in when I travel. Though I don’t bat an eyelash when I see tourists out and about, you'll never catch me holding up a map at a congested intersection in an unfamiliar city. So on my recent trip to San Francisco, I was thrilled to discover Moleskine’s City Notebook.
I'm a tad remiss in reporting, but wanted to share some recent kind media mentions. A couple of weeks ago I was quoted in Joanna Weiss’s Boston Globe feature on imperfect parenting confessionals. And last week I was included in FOX25 Boston’s special report on mom bloggers. Given the brouhaha that has erupted amidst the blogging community re: product reviews, I was particularly pleased that my comments on ethics and transparency made the cut.
In May I signed on as a March of Dimes mom, through which I will donate one post per month to pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, newborn, or general family topics. In honor of Father’s Day, June’s suggested topic was – not surprisingly – dad issues. I know I’m a few days late in sharing my thoughts on this topic, but there’s a good reason why.
Although Laurel’s daycare runs year round, the summer tends to be a time for transition, and the recent departure of one of her friends reminded me of something I loved doing as a child: exchanging letters with pen pals. Laurel’s friend (or actually, her parents) left a colorful paper bag in each friend’s mail pouch with a sweet goodbye letter that included the friend's mailing address and a request to be pen pals. Also handily included: a note card and self-addressed stamped envelope to get the ball rolling.
Today, Heather shares ideas for ways to work in one on one time with siblings:
“With four children, ages 2-5, giving each of my children the individual attention they want is truly one of my greatest challenges. Many days it feels as if they all need a piece of me at the same time, especially in the 10 minutes after I come home from work. But I have learned that even as little as 5 minutes of daily one on one time does wonders for all of us. Below are some simple ways that I have managed to carve out quick one on one time with my children (of course, in some of these examples my husband needs to be home to supervise the other three).
This past weekend I took a walk down craft memory lane when my mother-in-law brought a Klutz potholder making kit for Laurel. To be perfectly frank, it’s not the most chic craft, but boy does Laurel love it. It’s a fantastic project that enables kids to experiment with colors, patterns, and the dexterity needed to weave the cotton loops onto the loom (it was fun to see Laurel figure out her own way to weave without the plastic tool). I actually need to buy extra loops ASAP because Laurel is burning through this kit (she already has gifted three potholders to me) and we haven’t even gotten to the woven chicken project yet.
Today, Kate shares a book recommendation for grownups:
“I have long been fascinated by marriages. What keeps two people together over many years? What really goes on during all of those dinners together, those long car rides, those epic changes and everyday activities? How do some couples manage to strike the right balance between independence and interconnectedness? And how is it that some couples - even after decades - still share private smiles that suggest love and excitement, while others seem like barely more than comfortable companions?
Crafts and toys typically occupy separate real estate in stores and playrooms, but CALAFANT cleverly has figured out how to merge the two, offering kids a wonderful vehicle for creativity and play, and parents more bang for their buck. CALAFANT’s cool line of recyclable cardboard toy kits are available in affordable small, medium, and large sizes (plus a giant crawl-able castle). The kits are fun for grownups to pop together (no tools or adhesive required), and offer a blank canvas on which kids can paint, color, collage, and bling to their heart’s desire. Laurel loved decorating the CALAFANT palace (glitter glue was her favored medium) and the palace can serve both as a pretty display of her artistic style and a happy home for her Playmobil and Polly Pocket figures.
Today, parent educator Hetti Wohlgemuth shares tips for coping with public tantrums:
“Small children tantrum; sometimes in a big way. And sometimes in a public place. We manage tantrums just fine at home, but less well on the playground, or at the public library, market, or mall. Why? Because it's embarrassing to watch Alex collapse to the floor and go completely out of control when everyone (or so it seems) is watching/judging how we deal with this tiny tornado. Here are some tips for coping with public displays of tempestuous behavior:
In response to an invitation to submit an idea for an episode of The Juice, last week I wrote about a topic I care deeply about: nurturing relationships and the value of doing good things for people. And I’m honored to report that The Juice selected my post as the winning entry of their Trop 50 Juice Contest. As a result, I’ll head to San Francisco to film a webisode with host and BlogHer co-founder Jory Des Jardins, featuring the tips I wrote about, plus some additional useful ideas and resources on the topic.
I’ll let you know when the webisode is live; meanwhile, I’m flattered that my post was selected from what no doubt was a pool of thoughtful and insightful entries, and am happy to have the opportunity to spread the good karmic word!
Today, Kate shares her favorite means for fitness:
“I turned 35 this year, which - combined with other major changes in my life - prodded me into thinking that I should be doing more to keep myself healthy and active. In the past, I've tried gyms, pools, classes, DVDs, and different pairs of sneakers, but nothing has ever stuck for very long and nothing has really felt right: classes don't fit my schedule, gyms are too impersonal, pools are too much of a nuisance (the chlorine! the wet hair!), and I've never quite had the discipline to commit to exercise at home. However, my family has a history of heart disease and I have some very special people for whom to remain healthy, so I decided that this spring would be the season in which I would figure out a way to exercise that I could both enjoy and sustain.
You know you’re either terribly predictable or somewhat loved when folks write in asking if you’re trapped under something really heavy on a day (yesterday) with no posts or tweets (thanks, folks!). I actually was enjoying a much needed long weekend away with a couple of other families and made a conscious decision to remain unplugged. Our packing was decidedly uneven – too much food for our numbers and too many bathing suits given the weather – but one thing I did right was pack plenty of rainy day entertainment. Here’s a list of 10 smart things to pack to keep the kids from going crazy on rainy vacations:
Welcome to Boston Mamas Rock! – where I share the voices of fabulous local mamas from all walks of life. Read on for today’s interview with Carol Fishman Cohen, mother of four and career specialist for women looking to re-enter the workforce. Carol is the co-author of Back on the Career Track and co-founder of iRelaunch. Then go ahead and nominate a fabulous fellow mama!
Last fall I had the pleasure of meeting BlogHer co-founder Jory Des Jardins, who recently collaborated to launch The Juice, a site geared towards helping women “get more of what they want, and less of what they don’t out of life.” I think a lot about this topic so was compelled to respond to an invitation to submit an idea for an episode of The Juice, as follows.
In my work, I definitely tend to be bound by perfection, but one area of my life where I’ve really enjoyed letting my perfectionist tendencies fall to the wayside is in my parenting. Not only is it too hard (and somewhat pointless) to strive for parenting perfection, but the extra bonus is that letting go often translates to fun (and often educational) experiences for Laurel that also foster her independence and free up my hands. Here are two examples where this played out beautifully (while prepping yesterday for Jon’s birthday):
Today Tracy shares a recipe to simulate summer BBQ when the weather is uncooperative:
“One of the things I crave during the late winter and through spring - when the weather is grill prohibitive - is the smoky, sweet taste of barbecue. This recipe for pulled pork in the slow cooker is our solution to simulate summer any time of year actually; it takes the sting out of winter and satisfies BBQ cravings during raw spring or soggy summer days.
This past Saturday was remarkable in that: a) Laurel happily attended a drop-off playgroup with a group of kids she largely was unfamiliar with (she tends to turn reticent around strangers, even little ones); and b) the playgroup essentially was organized and hosted by a 9-year-old (supervised, of course). This concept was fantastic for several reasons: it offered the families of the young guests a means for socialization and separation, it provided a way to teach an older kid about responsibility and earning money, and it gave me food for thought as I mull how we’ll handle the whole new ball game that will be kindergarten, with its vacation stretches and early school pick up days.