• Monthly Archive:: December 2012

    Just before the holidays, I managed to catch up with an old friend. After updating each other on our families’ lives, she told me about her toddler son who wasn’t speaking and talking like other kids similar in age. After having him evaluated, she learned that he was speech delayed and began taking the proper steps to get him the extra help he needed. Oddly enough, we had just learned of a new speech/language service specifically designed to help parents like my friend work with their child and boost their verbal development. The beauty of Language Launchers‘ subscription-based service for ages 0-2 is that it gets mailed directly to your home, and you can use it at your own pace with your child. We got [&hellip

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    Now that all the gifts have been unwrapped and all the guests have gone home, we finally get a chance to catch our breath and enjoy my favorite part of the post-holiday madness: sitting down with a hot cup of tea and looking at all the presents we so hurriedly tore open (and just as quickly dropped) so we could ask “what’s next?” In the flurry of activity that is Christmas Day, now I can actually take the time to see what my kids received and pore over their every detail. I must admit that the books they acquire are among my favorite gifts, both to give and to receive. I gave my mom the new Capturing Camelot book, since she is a die-hard Kennedy [&hellip

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    The clock is ticking, and you still haven’t found the perfect gift for your perfect kid. Wouldn’t it be nice to surprise them with something that Santa might not be able to fit in his sleigh, but that will guarantee many hours of active play? Even better than that, how about a gift that ties into your own New Year’s resolution (yet again) to get more exercise together as a family? Enter the Baby Jock Edition by FirstBIKE. It’s a lightweight bike that vows to get your kid up and riding, sans the training wheels. And did we mention there are no pedals either? The idea is to enable kids ages 2-5 to balance themselves from the very start, without fretting over pedaling their feet [&hellip

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    My 4-year-old loves her stuffed animals like Frosty treasures his magic hat. Sure, they don’t make her shout “Happy Birthday” when she jumps out of bed every morning and “comes to life.” But she does dress them up, carry them around and treat them like gold. And why shouldn’t she? These indispensable buddies provide her lots of comfort, especially on those days when she’s not feeling so great. No wonder then that Thermal-Aid Zoo is a hit with kids in need of a little TLC. A ice pack/heating pad cleverly disguised in the likenesses of a cuddly koala bear, elephant, hippo, monkey and rabbit, these plush pals are more than just a playtime companion. When your little one is feverish, pop one of them in the [&hellip

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    Right about now, you’re probably wrapping up (pun intended) your holiday shopping and hunting for anything that might qualify as a stocking stuffer. In my house, that can mean anything from a new toothbrush, to chocolate-covered Santas (can’t have one without the other, you know!). If you’re looking for a something a little more inventive, but just as festive, consider the crowd-pleasing, sugar-free favorite of kids everywhere: stickers, of course. I’m still amazed at just how far these small treats can go. Sure they still give them out at preschool for putting away the blocks at clean-up time, and they’re a must for the potty-training crowd. But even the tough-to-please grade schoolers can still appreciate a cool sticker every now and then. This holiday season, [&hellip

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    Still looking for that special something for your college roommate’s new baby? Yes, you’re still a procrastinator (things haven’t changed much) and it doesn’t help matters that she lives across the country. When an overnight-delivery of onesies just won’t cut it, consider the latest mail-order gift subscription service that we’ve stumbled upon this season. Taking the agony out of shopping and shipping, littlefox does the work for you. Spearheaded by two sisters who researched and hand-picked a selection of eco-friendly baby products and packaged them together in a recyclable cardboard box (yup, even the packaging is green) for a monthly mail-order subscription. From feeding accessories and adorable clothing, to developmental toys and other great finds, their picks are ones you’d only find if you spent [&hellip

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    Who doesn’t love getting gifts for a new baby? If you’re a new or expectant mom ready to welcome a new arrival in the new year, have we got the contest for you! Maclaren’s ‘Tis the Season holiday giveaway is offering select new merchandise on the next few weeks on its Facebook page. Today’s featured contest, ending at 11:59 p.m. EST: 4 Universal Organizers to contain all your stroller accessory needs. Next Tuesday, December 18th, 4 Footmuffs will be given away and on Thursday, December 20th, you’ll be given the chance to win one of 4 Quintessentials Stylesets. Mark your calendars and good luck!   Tags: baby products giveaway, Maclaren, Maclaren Holiday Giveaway

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    Today while grocery shopping, I saw the cutest kid sitting in her mom’s shopping cart, happily munching a breakfast treat. It didn’t matter that there were more crumbs on her cheeks than in her mouth; only at that age can you still get away with looking absolutely adorable, even with food smeared all over your face. It reminds me of a photo we have of my younger daughter, who proudly “wears” rice cereal after her first feeding. Remember the games your mom would play to get you to eat your food? (Well, she needed to trick you somehow into consuming that awful-tasting stuff!). My mom cried “open air” as a spoonful dove into our mouths. For me, it was a choo-choo train riding down the [&hellip

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    No matter how old I was, I could always count on one thing on Christmas morning: my stocking stuffed with the Lifesavers Storybook. How I couldn’t wait to savor the flavor of all those rolls of Spearomint, Five Flavors and butterscotch (well, maybe the butterscotch I could live without). Now as a mom, my annual tradition is to fill my kids’ stockings and Easter baskets with new toothbrushes (I know, I’m a real killjoy). Seriously though, it doesn’t hurt to balance out all those sugary sweets we’ve been indulging in since Halloween. And the dentist does recommend replacing your toothbrush every few months or so. My 4-year-old has her heart set on a Yo Gabba Gabba brush that sings to her as she brushes, but [&hellip

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    My daughters have reached the age where they’re starting to play with some of the same toys. The 4-year-old loves her Calico Critters, and her 8-year-old sister is willing to join in the fun…even if she does turn the furry friends into aliens (that still counts as playing, right?). What becomes more of a challenge is when my little one tries desperately to keep up with her big sister’s gaming sessions. While I’m not a huge fan of handheld entertainment (why rely on a machine when you can be using your imagination?), that’s becoming a more difficult pill to swallow as the kids get older. So when we can find some electronic games that tap into their creative sides, then I’m all for a little [&hellip

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