How I long for the balmy days of spring when the dry air doesn’t rob my sensitive skin of whatever moisture it manages to retain. Sadly, my girls have inherited my extra-dry skin, including chapped lips, and they are quickly leaning that licking them 1,000 times only makes it worse. While we’re lucky that we’ve been blessed with a relatively mild winter so far, the forecast calls for snow this weekend, followed by a sharp cold snap. That can only mean one thing: extra lip balm. And with Valentine’s Day right around the corner, it only stands to reason that our lips could use a little extra TLC. Well, get ready to pucker up this February 14th when the makers of Vaseline will offering 100 [&hellip
Monthly Archive:: February 2012
My girls and I have nearly devoured every Valentine’s Day book in our public library this month; I like to think of it as calorie-free brain candy. If you’ve exhausted your fair share of “Mouse’s First Valentine” and “The Day It Rained Hearts,” here are some heartwarming children’s picture books that celebrate the power of love, as recommended by The Brooke Jackman Foundation, a non-profit that promotes literacy for at-risk children in NYC. Happy Valentine’s Day–and happy reading! Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney I Love You Through and Through by Bernadette Rossetti Shustak How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You? by Jane Yolen Porcupining A Prickly Love Story by Lisa Wheeler Love, Ruby Valentine by Laurie [&hellip
If there’s one thing about I won’t miss about the baby years, it’s being rid of diapers/pull-ups, once and for all. The stink alone is enough to compete with my already stuffed nose; I can’t imagine what it will be like to be allergy and diaper-free someday! Because of my tenured experience with potty training, we’ve experimented with all types of diaper pails over the years: those of the simplistic step-on/drop-in variety that use specially designed bags, to the “green” models that work with biodegradable liners. While many pails have promised a style that resembles something other than a glorified garbage receptacle, we’ve yet to find one…until now. The sleek lined, wildly hued ubbi diaper pail cleverly conceals the ugly business that lurks inside its [&hellip
My husband likes to tease me about my preference for the predictable, but in the topsy-turvy world of parenting, I take great comfort in the repetitive rhythms of my day. Because of my 7-year-old’s after-school activities, I plan make-ahead meals of roasted chicken on Mondays and spaghetti and meatballs on Tuesdays. (No need to phone home and ask “What’s for dinner?”) And when I make my twice-weekly visit to our local fish market, the guys behind the counter are already poised behind the flounder and shrimp. “What’s the matter?,” one of the fish men once inquired when I opted for salmon. Geez, am I really that set in my ways? Maybe that’s why I can relate to the title character in the brand-new children’s picture [&hellip
My 7-year-old has no trouble expressing herself. When she’s not particularly fond of my meatloaf, she tells me so (and in no uncertain terms, mind you). And when she’s just learned that she won a raffle at school, she does nothing short of shouting it from the rooftop (thank goodness she’s still too young for Facebook). But for those kids who need an extra nudge when it comes to social networking the old-fashioned way, comes a board game that makes self-discovery less of a challenge. Call it a modern day charades, Social (e) Motion helps kids age 5 and up better interpret their own thoughts and feelings by making the guesswork feel less like a chore. As each player draws a Face Card, they have [&hellip
It’s a jungle out there, especially if you’ve got little ones running around at home. When I’m making dinner, I swear there’s a stampede of elephants overhead–and not just two little girls playing. If you’re in search of a way to keep your playroom accident-free and spare newly mobile toddlers from acquiring more bumps and bruises than necessary, consider the Skip Hop Zoo Playspot. A refreshing alternative from the ho-hum hopscotch patterns we’ve seen in one too many kiddie gyms, this fashionable print may just bring out the wild child in your little monkeys. The adorable faces of a dog, bee, owl and monkey are so cute, they may be entertaining enough to coax your constant crawler into actually sitting still for more than five [&hellip
My 13-year-old niece loves to bake, and I like to think that over the years, we’ve helped cultivate her passion. When she was in elementary school, we gave her a recipe box filled with kid-friendly dishes. And this past Christmas, she was tasked with the honor of making individual cakes for dessert. If you know a tween who knows her way around the kitchen, encourage her to dust off her apron and roll up her sleeves. Sweetyhigh.com, a new social networking site for young girls, has offered The Talking Walnut a special Valentine’s Day giveaway. One lucky winner will be awarded a special baking kit that contains the following: 2 Heart Shaped Plates 1 Petite Pie Mold with Heart-shaped cut-out 1 Set of Valentine’s themed [&hellip
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