Trendy MommiesI am not one to wear comfy shoes really. I love a good high heel and boots but let’s face it, there are times when comfy shoes really come in handy like running around doing errands and treks to the bus stop.
I had to try these cute little clogs from Fit Flop and they were on sale at Bliss. Everyone I encountered seems to like them. My friend was even going to purchase them too. Bliss calls them their trendy clog with muscle- toning. With the studs and shiny patent leather I was sold!
Halloween is well over and for us it was postponed until this past Saturday night but we still HAVE ALL THAT CANDY! For me I cannot have candy in the house (yes, I am weak and if a piece of chocolate is staring me in the face I will eat it) unfortunately, for my kids this is true too. I could not toss it all- that would be a waste. So luckily I heard about many local dentists offering to buy the Halloween candy back and they then send it to troops overseas. They also give you toothbrushes as a reward. Sounds good to me!
We headed to local dentist Dr. Fawn Rosenberg of Lexington Smile Studio in Lexington. This is the 9th year the office has participated in the Halloween Candy Buy Back Program.
From Nov. 1 to 20, kids can go to the Lexington Smile Studio at 922 Waltham Street to have their candy weighed and traded for cash ($1 per pound of candy) . The candy is boxed up and trucked to Hanscom Air Force Base, to be distributed to troops serving overseas.
But would my kids go for it? Just look at the picture – they did!
Halloween is right around the corner – 23 days and counting. Do you and the kids have your costumes picked out? What are the latest trends for kids costumes and adult costumes for Halloween 2011? Here they are….
Each season we see Halloween costumes tied to a theme, movie or reality show. Halloween 2011 is all about zombies and advertising men, Harry Potter, Angry Birds, Green Lantern, Captain America and of course vampires still rule for adults and kids.
Or if it’s something in the news this past year you can bet you’ll see a costume. For adults this Halloween 2011 season we will see a lot of Charlie Sheen, Arnold and Anthony Wiener costumes as well as Lady Gaga and Katie Perry still and I’m sure we will see many black swan costumes as well. Jersey Shore will still be popular for the adults. Last year my friends and I went as the cast of jersey shore. How fun!
Here are some great web sites to find Halloween costumes for 2011.
Chasing-Fireflies has the most adorable costumes like the Baby Bat and the colorful Peacock costume. This online retailer of fun children’s products has a very whimsical selection of costumes and also has great clothing and special occasion themed gifts. They also have costumes for the whole family and great mommy and me matching costumes.
For older kids, whatever movie is popular makes the cut.
Costume Express has the most variety of kids’ costumes online. Little kids always like Disney princess each year and witches are always popular. This season for kids the zombies, Captain Americas, Green Lantern, the Bumblebee character from Transformers, Bey Blades and star wars are a hit but we are still seeing Harry Potter for both boys and girls.
Old School Costumes are coming back like the Smurfs, Strawberry Shortcake, Raggedy Ann and Andy, Super Mario Bros. and Ghostbusters are among the more popular old-school costumes this year.
Tween girls will be dressing up as if they were attending Monster High – Frankie Stein is one of the characters. Then you also have the cheerleader zombies.
Happy Halloween costume shopping!
I have several makeup bags filled but I always love to try new products. Here are some recent purchases I thought I would share. What are your must have makeup finds for the fall?
This week on WCAP 980 AM trendymommies report we talked about backpacks – What makes a good one? What are the trends? Â Aren’t they too heavy? What safety tips can we share? We found out The Massachusetts Chiropractic Society Inc. offers a few guidelines on backpack safety.
As for the trends – Stores have lots of sparkle in their backpacks this season for the girls and of course the skull print is still around and lots of polka dots, quilted and guitar themed backpacks are in stores. The big retailers have great backpacks – LL Bean and Lands End but don’t forget about Gap Kids and Hanna Anderson as they have fun colors.
LL Bean does have the various sizes so you can buy for your pre-school student to you college student.  Messenger Bags are pretty popular but be careful as they tend to be slung over one shoulder. I let my kids carry them on half-days when the book load is light. In fact every year we usually snag a messenger bag on sale at Old Navy, if not for school for other trips.
But don’t let fashion take a priority over function and safety. The Massachusetts Chiropractic Society Inc. offers these backpack safety tips:
·       Make sure the child’s backpack weights no more than 5 to 10 percent of their body weight. A heavier backpack will cause the child to bend forward in an attempt to support the weight on his or her back. For example a 50-pound child should not carry more than 5 pounds.
·       Where it sits makes a big difference. A backpack should never land more than four inches below the waistline. A backpack that hangs too low increases the weight on the shoulders, causing the child to lean forward when walking and distort their posture.
·       Urge a child to wear both shoulder straps. Lugging the backpack around by one strap can cause the disproportionate shift of weight to one side, leading to neck and muscle spasms, as well as low-back pain.
·       The shoulder straps should be adjustable so the backpack can be fitted to your child’s body. Straps that are too loose can cause the backpack to dangle uncomfortably and cause spinal misalignment and pain.
·       Wide, padded straps are very important. Non-padded straps are uncomfortable and can dig into the child’s shoulders.
·       Use rollerpacks or backpacks on wheels with caution. Children tend to overload these packs because they are on wheels and then need to haul them up bus and school stairs resulting in injury. Many school districts have banned rollerpacks because they clutter hallways resulting in dangerous trips and falls.
·       A backpack with individualized compartments helps in positioning the contents most effectively. Make sure that pointy or bulky objects are packed away from the area that will rest on your child’s back.
·       Just because a backpack is bigger does not mean it’s better. The more room there is in a backpack, the more your child will carry and the heavier the backpack will be.
·       Investigate some ergonomically correct backpacks
In the midst of a day trip to the beach in the back of my mind is the back to school supply list. We discussed this exact topic today on WCAP 980 am and were reminiscing about the days when you went to school without any pens, crayons or glue sticks and just showed up! The list seems to get longer and longer and with budget cuts at so many schools we know why. Our school suggests we buy on Amazon as a portion of the proceeds will be given to the parent teacher organization, which is a nice thing to do. We discussed how challenging it could be if you have 5 kids in school and 5 lists! I have not purchased the items yet on my kids list but remembered that last year it was in the $50-100 range! Multiply that by 5 and yikes!
I remember one of the national parenting magazines listing out school supplies last year and which national retailers had the best prices on such items as crayons, pencils, pens and there was a substantial difference. I am procrastinating purchasing as I would like to enjoy summer a bit longer. Plus I know that once I get out the supply list then we are into buying backpacks, clothes, coats etc. I have a few more weeks left!
What a day! We had the opportunity to attend the kickoff event for the Bark About Books initiative at the Tadpole Playground in Boston Common. Mayor Menino, Billy Costa of Kiss 108 FM and Susan Meddaugh – Martha Speaks author/illustrator, and Creative Producer of the TV show Martha Speaks helped kick off the event. Ms. Meddaugh spoke about her wonderful series Martha Speaks. She along with Mayor Menino read to the kids. It was fun! They also talked about the importance of having your kids continue to read in the summer!
WGBH-TV partnered with ReadBoston and WGBY to provide readers in Boston and Springfield with access to high quality children’s books, coupled with activities and reading incentives. Over the summer the Bark About Books! Massachusetts Summer Reading Initiative will distribute more than 5,000 books to children in Boston and Springfield communities.
So happy reading to you and your family!
As you head to the pool or beach this summer season there are some fun essentials you will need.
Our friends at babo botanicals, supergoop and scout bags send us these products to review.
Easter is over and thank goodness I did not have to cook. We went to my sister’s house where she prepared a wonderful meal. I don’t cook – figuring out what to serve each night for my kids stresses me out as I want my kids to eat healthy and I want to prepare healthy meals but it’s not something I like to do. (Many nights are either whole grain/wheat pasta or a trip to Whole Foods market’s prepared food section!) Ironically my 9 year old loves to take cooking classes!
So glad that I found this online series from Weight Watchers called “Cooking With Kids” video series, which brings to life teachable moments to help kids value fresh and healthy foods and to instill good eating habits at an early age. I like that is it educational as well. Kids (and parents) can learn, where the food is harvested, the culture behind the food the difference between fresh food and processed food.
Renowned chef Lidia Bastianich and chocolatier Jacques Torres along with the kids go behind-the-scenes to learn the art of selecting fresh foods at the market and preparing them in nutritious, tasty foods. From homemade pasta to roasting cocoa beans for chocolate, kids get hands-on experience and learn the value of healthful eating. It’s also fun to watch with your kids.
I had the pleasure of being a guest on the weekly radio show MommaJam. We chatted about some of our favorite products that we received from The Getting Gorgeous event in NYC last Saturday. It was a blast – we cannot stop talking about it!