Teething Bling
As any Mom (or Grandma, or Aunt) will tell you, babies love jewelry, especially if its hanging from your neck, as they can grab, pull and chomp on it. NOT good if we’re talking about precious gold, bejewelled, fatally-chokeable stuff. GREAT if its bling which the kid can actually chew, tug and and not only will it not break, but it’ll look good on Mom too!
And that’s exactly what the very clever people at Smart Mom made – lovely pendants and bangles which Moms can wear precisely for their babies to chew on. And as a proud owner of an orange pendant and bangle, I can honestly say that baby Wills, LOVES it too. I love love love the idea, especially because of what it’s made of:
“…We use only the highest-quality, phthalate-free, federally approved silicone in our Teething Bling™ line. The material is non-toxic, latex-free, food–safe, even dishwasher-friendly! It is the same silicone used in many other popular teething products and SGS test reports are available upon request. Although we stress that this is adult jewelry not intended for children to wear, all of our pendants come with a breakaway clasp as an added safety feature.”
And best of all, the Moms who made this great product are also giving a part of their proceeds to charity, like Cure Search and Dress for Success.
So if you haven’t thought of a Christmas present for another Mom in your life, or as a treat for yourself, Teething Bling is a fantastic idea.
Mini Donald
is huge in our household. Since the 1st of October, we’ve had our Halloween decorations out and increasing (who can resist a “Halloween Tree” I found at a sale last week? Picture a pumpkin on a spider web, black, with spiders, black cats and ghouls hanging from it- adorable!). There are orange lanterns with jack-o-lantern and witch faces dotting our house, giant spiderwebs with spiders, bats and bloody hands on our windows, a rather large “witch” wind banner blowing in the garage, an assortment of spooky garden stakes in the front lawn (with glow-in-the-dark eyes), and a “face” for our tree at the front of the house which makes it look like the apple-pelting ones in the
Wizard of Oz.
We threw a Halloween Party last Friday after school. Nothing fancy, just games and snacks for around 15 kids, and potent Bloody Mary’s for the grownups courtesy of my hubby, who’s perfected the art of the Bloody Mary. My three went as Wizardess, Cowboy and Superman, and there was Darth, Sandy from Grease, a Pirate, a Mermaid, 3 Rambos, a Fairy, a Spider and a kid who boringly went as himself with his skateboard.
On Friday my kids have their second set of costumes (except baby Wills), Wednesday Addams and Peter Pan (a gift from my Aunt), and we’ll have a little pizza party at home after the Trick or Treating. Exciting! If you aren’t a Halloween-obsessed Mom like me, and still haven’t decided on a Halloween costume for your little ones, here are some of my favourites.
1. Donald Trump (pictured above) – You have to love the hair! This costume makes the Donald look absolutely adorable.
2. Fire Breathing Dragon – A crafty Mom can put this together easily, and create a fantastic magical costume sure to be a showstopper.
3. Baby Yoda- Ok, its not the most original, but when I see a little one in this costume it makes me melt.
4. DJ Lance- He’s the funky guy from Yo Gabba Gabba and if my 3-year-old son didn’t have a costume already, this would be it.
5. Sushi Roll – My 6 year old loves sushi, so again, if I didn’t already have 2 costumes for her, and if I got myself organized a lot earlier, I would have made this her costume for Halloween. Oh so clever.
Written by Lara on October 28th, 2008. 4 Comments »
Filed under Activities, Babies, Crafts, Fun and Games, Holidays, Inspiration, Moms, Preschoolers, Shopping, Toddlers.
One of my best friends and fellow mom sent a link to an article the other day with a message that read: “I’d ship Max to Iraq if she turned out like this…” referring to her angelic 1-year-old, who also happens to be my Godchild.
The article was disturbing indeed, and after reading it, I heartily agreed that if my 5-year-old N turned out that way too, she’d be joining Maxine for Iraqui bootcamp asap. Having said that though, much as this misguided teenager seems like a Veruca Salt from designer hell, one can’t help but blame her parents for creating this monster in Dior.
Anyway, it was a feature from the lifestyle pages of a newspaper about “Tara” the daughter of a socialite. Addicted to shopping and designer labels, she sounded more like Posh Spice rather than a 17 year old kid in high school. It was utterly hideous. Here’s some of the interview for your cringing pleasure:
Where and how often do you shop?
I shop like hell after a painful break-up. Does that explain a lot? (laughs) Or whenever I feel the need for a lift. No, I do not shop every single day! Its more like once a week.
What are your favorites?
My blue jean 35-cm. Hermes Kelly purchased from Hermes at The Peninsula Hotel, Hong Kong. Apart from the fact that I didn’t get waitlisted for it, it holds a lot of sentimental value for me. I clearly remember finding the bag with someone special to me at the time. As for shoes, my favorite would have to be my black Manolo Blahnik pumps. They go with absolutely anything. And how could I forget my Louis Vuitton limited edition monogram cerise Speedy?! It served me really well.
What was your first designer purse?
I honestly don’t know. All I remember is being raised in Baby Dior so it could’ve been Dior or maybe Ferragamo (a favorite of my mom’s when I was younger). The first designer bag I actually remember getting was the Louis Vuitton monogram canvas pochette from my dad. I think it was a gift for my ninth or 10th birthday and I didn’t think much of it at the time (Vuittons weren’t as expensive then).
Largest amount of money you spent in one go? Did you regret it?
I haven’t any idea. I’m just sure that I didn’t regret it.
How do your parents feel about your shopping habits?
I’d imagine that they aren’t very happy about it. What sane person would be?
What bag are you currently drooling over?
I’ve always wanted an Hermes Birkin in whatever leather, 40-cm in lime green or fuchsia pink. I do plan to get one but not at the moment. You see, I havent been a very good girl lately
Do you attend sales?
Sure! Sales are great actually but then I do feel bad sometimes when high-end designer brands go on sale. The reason my mother and I love Vuitton so much is because they never have sales so you never get the painful feeling of being cheated (for lack of a better word). For example, I buy a bag today and see someone else carrying the exact same bag next week boasting about how he/she got it for a mere fraction of the original price. Ouch!
Yes, the unsavoury phenomena of “keeping up with the Joneses” has already started to rear its ugly head at my daughter’s kindergarten, and we Mothers have become accomplices.
At the age of 4-5, my daughter (and indeed her classmates) has become increasingly aware of what her friends have, prompting the need for her to have whatever it is too.
Take Rose, for instance, her classmate who is obviously over-indulged by her parents. She comes to school in a new outfit nearly every day, and her toy collection at home could rival Hamleys. N tells me that Rose does not have a strict bedtime (she can sleep anytime she wants, which is usually at 1 am with her Mother) and can have new toys any day of the week. The unfairness of it all!!
To a child’s eyes, Rose has hit the jackpot, but to us Moms (well, maybe not Rose), its a clear sign for the road to Veruca-ville. So every week, theres something N wants that one of her friends have got, or worse, a slighty envious comparison on how so-and-so’s bedroom/kitchen…house is bigger than ours. Luckily, even if we have a tiny flat in town, we have a massive garden at our beach property, so N takes pride in that.
I just cant help but feel somewhat scared of this burgeoning materialism at such young age. Kids nowadays have too many things, and its the fault of us parents for buying them for whatever reason – guilt? making up for what we may have lacked as kids? or maybe we’re also keepiing up with the Joneses?
Aside from filling their stocking with goodies and the presents from my husband and I, Santa also bring my two children something from their “lists”(please don’t mention the word spoiled). For my nearly-2 boy, the choice was easy – a wooden Thomas the Tank Engine set, his current obsession. For my preschooler, it wasnt as easy as every month she’d come up with something new she wanted. A few months ago it was a My Little Pony house/castle, then it was the Superman Matchbox activity game, then the Barbie 12 Dancing Princesses doll (which her classmate had, of course).
By the time Christmas rolled around, it had changed to several other highly-commercialized, overpriced toys which would probably keep her interest for a week tops, but there are kids for you. So I held off her “Santa Present” for as long as I could until I finally got my husband to the mall and told him to deal with it. In true male-style, he led me to the nearest Sports shop, asked the shop assistant for kid roller skates and voila- she had her present.
Its the strangest thing, but despite her not mentioning skates at all in her Christmas desires, when we went to that Email Santa website, it was what she mentioned FIRST in her letter!!! I don’t know how my husband knew, but the moral of the story is that sometimes, just sometimes, we Moms have to let Daddies work their own magic with the kids.
[tags]Christmas, Holidays, Christmas presents[/tags]
If you have a little boy, you’ll probably understand the relation betweeen Christmas shopping and fulfilling your child’s obsession with Thomas the Tank Engine. Ever since my boy O started to take an interest in toys, it was Thomas the whole way. Unlike my daughter, who enjoyed those colourful, apparently “smart” and un-cheap baby toys from Lamaze and Manhattan Toy, my son ignored all that and only wanted trains – Thomas, to be precise.
That was about a year ago, fast forward to today, and at 22 months, his penchant for all things Thomas has escalated to a normal (yes, it is!!) obsession. So, the indulgent Mom I am, have taken it upon myself to go the full whack and purchase the wooden sets plus table (as seen in picture above) for Christmas.
As those wooden sets are hideously expensive ( but the quality is fine, let me assure you, and will no doubt last for many many years!!- I hope), I’ve am having the table made by our carpenter/handyman, who actually just built our dogs a veritable mansion in the yard, complete with veranda. So, a toy train table shouldnt be too difficult?????
I have never actually bought toys online, preferring to go to our local toy stores and seeing what the kids naturally gravitate to throughout the year. However, for this Thomas project, I did find myself checking out what was there online, as some Moms had alrealy beat me to the retail outlets and supply was getting thin.
Here are some of the websites with the best selections for all things Thomas (still havent tried them out though, so on purchase and delivery I really cant say). Click on the words to link:
Thomas the Tank Engine Store
Totally Thomas
Thomas Station
[tags]Christmas, Holidays, Christmas gifts, Thomas Tank Engine[/tags]
Here is small selection of divorce books for parents worth checking out at your local bookstore.
1. Child Custody: Building Parenting Agreements that Work
by Mimi E. Lyster
A practical guide for dealing successfully with this touchy issue. Checklists and worksheets make the whole process with its somewhat daunting legal implications a lot simpler to face.
2. Its Not Your Fault Koko Bear
by Vicki Lansky
This is a heartwarming storybook for parents to read together with young children when facing a divorce. Parents with young kids have given this book glowing reviews saying how it helped their child get in touch with and understand their feelings when going through this difficult time. Kids really relate to this one. Highly recommended.
3. Dinosaurs Divorce
by Marc Brown
This time its dinosaurs taking on the emotional turmoil of divorce, but in a way that will engage kids and hopefully have a positive influence with its cheerfull illustrations. Its on the long side (31 pages) and the different chapters tackle issues from “What is Divorce” to “Living in Two Homes”. A good way for parents and children to open up honest dialogue.
4. Difficult Questions Kids Ask And Are Afraid To Ask About Divorce
by Meg F. Schneider
Parents with older kids (after preschool) were reassured with this book and claimed that the questions hit very close to home. The subjects and ages vary though, so an overall good range for parents.
Written by Lara on September 19th, 2006. Comments Off
Filed under Dads, Emotions, Moms, Preschoolers, Relationships, Reviews, Shopping, Teens, Tips, Toddlers.
As we got a little older, my sister and I became voracious readers. One of our favourite places in the world was the Foyles bookshop in London, where we would spend hours on end choosing and reading books. The library near the Edgware Road was also a weekly treat. After a whole afternoon choosing books, we would pass by the local bakery for some delicious “air” bread to take home for tea. It truly was the stuff of childhood memories!
Anyway, the all-of-a-kind family was another series we re-read over and over again. For two girls growing up in the late seventies, there was a strange fascination with this turn-of-the-century family in America. Who can resist the characters – sensible Ella, the eldest girl, spunky Henny with her perfect curls, the little sisters and of course Mama and Papa who had very little money but a lot of morals- and love!
Written by Sydney Taylor, The all-of-a-kind family comprised 5 sisters (who were Jewish), growing up in New York’s Lower East Side. Simple joys, simple activities, ah the simple life in those days!
All-of-a-Kind Family (1951) is the first book of a series. Other books in the series include
More All-of-a-Kind Family (1954), All-of-a-Kind Family Uptown (1957), All-of-a-Kind Family Down-town (1972), and Ella of All-of-a-Kind Family (1978).
My copies all seem to be gone now (Mom! where have they gone?), but I can’t wait until the day I can introduce them to my daughter.
My daughter’s fever had settled by the evening, and after her last big bowl of soup and rice and some ice cream (it was homemade!), I thought the worse was over and gave her a dose of paracetamol before bedtime for good measure.
But like most monsters, it wasnt. At nearly 2. am that night, the big scary fever monster struck one more, and my daughter was boiling with a fever of 39.6 degrees. After a hurried dosage of ibuprophen, she started coughing and promptly vomited in bed. Soupy rice, ice cream remnants and yes, ibuprohen. Oh dear.
After another dose of meds (this is what sucks about being mommy-doctor, you have to make a call on the right second dosage after puking and hope for the best), clean sheets and a story, we settled in for the night – but it was 3 am already! (explains my dire need for coffee today)
The next morning the fever came back by lunchtime, a much less aggressive monster to the tune of 38.4. After more Calpol, and even more of the Disney channel, by 4pm she heard her baby brother outside plaing with the neighborhood kids and pleaded to go outside.
I was apprehensive, but Daddy thought that “fresh air will do her good” (how typical!), so out she went, like nothing happened at all – albeit some coughing my Mommy-bionic-ears could hear from the kitchen.
Aren’t children such a miracle?
Welcome to our parenting community!
Written by Lara on May 20th, 2006. 1 Comment »
Filed under Announcements, Babies, Dads, Food, Health, Moms, News, Shopping, Teens, Tips, Toddlers.
