Posts filed under 'children'
My 5 year old starts kindergarten, so I’ve got lots of back-to-school thoughts and supplies on the brain right now (more to come …). Particularly, I’ve been on the hunt for safe, reusable, and plastic-free food containers for packing up breakfast and lunch.
Check out these cool Snack Taxis. Perfect for snacks and sandwiches—even grownup-sized versions—they are water resistant, easy for kids to open, washable and thus reusable. Plus they come in a multitude of cool patterns. Good-bye plastic baggies! The company also makes lunch sacks and reusable napkins. Buy ‘em online or at retail location near you (see they list on Snack Taxi’s site).
Also love To-Go Ware’s stainless steel Sidekicks for snacks, yogurt, etc., and the two- and three-tier Tiffins, great for keeping foods separate. Check out the carrying sacks and reusable utensils, too.
— Mama Kate
August 26th, 2010
E-I-E-I-O!
We love anything sustainable, and are looking forward to visiting Jordandal Farms—which practices sustainably in Argyle, WI—for this year’s “A Day on the Farm.”
It’s sponsored by REAP Food Group—Research, Education, Action and Policy on Food Group, focused on building a regional food system that is healthful, just, and both environmentally and economically sustainable.
The day features a farm tour, kids activities, oohing over baby farm animals, and getting up to speed about Jordandal’s sustainable practices with the farm’s owners. A farm-fresh picnic-style meal will be served up by some of Madison’s finest chefs Madison Club, Restaurant Magnus, Dayton Street Grill, and Tornado Steak House.
Here’s what else you should know about REAP: The organization is all about making local farm-to-table connections easy, supports small family farms, and also organizes the Farms to Schools program (YAY! Keeping it fresh by connecting our local farmers with our schools’ food needs), and the excellent “Food for Thought Festival,” Burgers and Brew, and Pie Palooza, among other events, in Madison each year. Check those out — and don’t miss the organization’s local coupon book.
Date: Sunday, July 18
Time: 11am-3pm
Advance tickets (recommended!): Adults, $20; kids 12 & under, $12; kids 3 and under, free.
For more details and to order tickets, visit REAP’s site, or call 608.310.7836.
—Mama Kate
June 26th, 2010
Tot rock hits the High Noon Saloon this weekend!
Little Miss Ann and her Chicago band make their Madison debut. She’s 5′2″ (hence the name) and tall on fun. My kids are groupies — they love her latest CD, “Clap for Love.” Her style: overall fun and engaging, a little bit folk infused with some lilting melodies, rocking-out songs, world tunes, and even indie aspects, too, for parents to love. You can listen to some of her tunes on Land of Nod’s web site. To learn more about Little Miss Ann, check out our September 2009 blog (or search for Little Miss Ann). Or visit Little Miss Ann’s web site.
The cool thing about these daytime shows at the High Noon is that:
A) Thus, because it’s really a kid gig, you don’t need a babysitter,
B) We parents actually feel like we’re hitting the town, in part because
C) The gig is at a bar, and the bar is open — hello Bloody Marys!
D) It’s a blast to watch a whole gaggle of kids get down to some great music.
Showtime is 11 am. Cover: $10 grownups, $5 kids.
See you there!
— Mama Kate
May 18th, 2010
Hot off the griddle!
I just nabbed a copy of Bean Appétit: Hip and Healthy Ways to Have Fun with Food, and can’t wait to put it to work in the kitchen with my kiddos.
Dynamic duo Shannon Payette Seip and Kelly Parthen—co-owners of Bean Sprouts Cafe and Cooking School, a kid friendly restaurant serving healthy fare to Madison, WI, families—have filled their book with fun, fun, fun. What grown-up cookbook has instructions that tell you to spin in a circle three times before beginning or to waddle like a penguin around the table or shake your hips while the blender’s a whirling?
The book’s design is bright and colorful, filled with a mix of illustration and engaging “food as art” photography kids will love perusing. The recipe instructions are easy for families to follow together, and feature ingredients lists that are reasonable in length and with easily attainable items. Though they run the gamut from breakfast to snacks to outdoor eats and sweet bites, recipes are organized in clever new ways—food fun for a wintry day, book-themed eats, making music and munchies.
The book’s overriding philosophy: Encourage kids to “play” with their food, and you’ll instill a lifelong interest in preparing delicious healthy foods. It’s good for kid giggles, and frustrated parents. Because they’re engaged in the process and having so much fun prepping food in the kitchen, that should translate to fun at the table for mom and dad, as the kids gobble up the new yummy recipes they’ve helped make—perhaps out of foods their tastebuds had previously rejected. Amen to that.
I also dig the cookbook’s fun extras: questions to inspire table talk, games, crafts, and factoids, like favorite pizza toppings, birthday treats, and table manners from around the world. It’s also got handy conversion charts and tips, on top of its just plain good ideas.
So, get cookin’ with your kids. Pick up your copy at a bookstore near you, or order online.
Our Mom Appeal kudos go out to these two busy and creative mompreneurs, who have got the mojo thing going on! Successful cafe and cooking classes, now the fab cookbook, and also a cooking show that’s in the works! Whew! I don’t know how they do it!
—Mama Kate
March 3rd, 2010
Families!
Get your taste buds out and get ready for some good eats—and play a little game in the process. Bean Sprouts Cafe is looking for VIPea Taste Testers to test out the online recipes that with the cafe’s Bean-GO game!
This healthy twist on Bingo is a great way to get kids to try to new taste (read: fruits and veggies). To play, get out your Bean-go card and let the kids pick a food to try. Together with your kids, follow the provided recipe to make the delicious eats. Cross off each new food after your kids try it, until they get five in a row. Or, play “blackout,” in which each square must get crossed off. Winner gets a reward! (Perfect reward: Make an entire meal or snack of their favorite tastes or recipes! I think my kids will get an extra few Ring-a-Bing-Bing Cherry + Chocolate Chip Cookies washed down with a double-sized Super Star Fruit Smoothie!)
A Bean-go card activated with a recipe for each taste is available on the Bean Sprouts web site. Be sure to rate the recipes—you and your bitty bakers can pass along your expert taste bud and prep chef advice for Bean Sprouts’ new book “Bean Appetit: Hip & Healthy Ways to Have Fun With Food.”
Food IS fun!
—Mama Kate
February 10th, 2010
LOVE THIS BUMPER MAGNET!
It’s produced by The Save the Ta-tas Foundation, a private not-for-profit corporation dedicated to the advancement of breast cancer awareness, education, prevention, and research—and laughter as good medicine.
You can, in fact, clad your entire family in shirts and accessories to proclaim support. Don’t miss the all-natural Boob Loob, to help make breast self-exams easier. With each purchase, 5% of the price is donated to the foundation, to fund its efforts. You also can make a tax-deductible contribution via the foundation’s website. Be sure to check out the “Show Us Yours” link.
For those of you brave enough to permanently affix something to your bumper, the foundation also makes stickers you can attached to your rockin’ kid-hauler.
Heck, “the girls” proceed us all anyway, so why not?
— Mama Kate
January 25th, 2010
In my search for wonderful crib bedding—which is hard to find—I am amazed at the selection I found at AllModernBaby.com and their sister store CSNBaby.com.
Not only are there tons of options, they are organized so well, that you can quickly find what you are looking for for the price you want…I am never again going to be thumbing through the few options available around town!
This is the place to go!!
Look for my future post on the fantastic SkipHop Saddlebag I am getting to solve a longtime problem I have had with my Joovy sit and stand stroller —- where to put the diaper bag???? Genius!!
Mama Jen
Mama Jen
September 19th, 2009
Even though my kids are not yet school age, as a foodie who’s into eating locally grown organics, and healthy living in general, I’m a little worried about what their hot lunch options will be once they hit grade school. This mama might just be packing lunches for the next 20 years.
So, you can bet it’s on my agenda to check out the movie “Two Angry Moms,” screening in Madison at Whole Foods on Wednesday, September 9, from 6:30-8:30 pm. Discussion follows. It’s recommended that you call to reserve a seat; 608-233-9566. A $3 donation goes to the School Lunch Revolution.
The movie—billed as part exposé, part how-to—highlights the grassroots movement by moms Amy Kalafa and Susan Rubin, who wanted more focus on what kids eat in school lunches, and their quest to get healthy, tasty, real food into the cafeterias.
Check out the organization Rubin founded, in her exasperation regarding school food: www.betterschoolfood.org. You also, like me, may want to sign the Slow Food USA petition telling Congress to provide America’s children with real food at school. Click here to add your name: http://slowfoodusa.org/timeforlunch.
—Mama Kate
September 4th, 2009
Nanny Connections has some great new programs that we thought our fellow busy Wisconsin moms in the Madison, Milwaukee and Fox Valley areas would want to know about. Check out how they can help:
It’s back to school time and you know what that means… room mom duty, soccer practice, parent teacher conference (… without the kids… ugh!).
Or, maybe you’ve got season tickets to the Badgers or Packers—and don’t want to miss a game.
Nanny Connections can step in and guarantee you’ve got child care coverage, so you don’t have to miss a big game, or an important school or social event. Nanny Connections does makes it easy—they match your needs with appropriately experienced nannies. Nanny Connections does initial interviews, evaluations, and reference checks; and completes various other background checks—whew! That’s half the headache of finding a good sitter or nanny!
The fee schedule is pretty easy to follow:
Option #1: Purchase a membership to Nanny Connections for one year for access to our pre-screened pool of On Call Nannies. Yearly Membership Fee: $150.00. Each time you need an On Call Nanny, the fee is $15.00.
Option #2: You can also forgo the $150 membership fee and pay $25 each time you need an On Call Nanny. (A credit card is required to be on file.)
Nannies are paid the same day in cash usually ranging from $10-12 per hour. A four-hour minimum pay is required for on call services.
We’ve told you about Nanny Connections services in the past (from houshold managers, and housekeepers, to dedicate childcare professionals) but love to share updates on businesses masterminded BY moms, FOR moms. Our kudos to founder, president, and director of placement Tiffanie Kinder, the mompreneur extraordinaire who brainstormed this great company!
— Mama Kate
August 27th, 2009
Not sure what to do this weekend? Problem solved. Head to Madison this Sunday, August 30, 8am - 2pm, for Ride the Drive, a family-friendly event celebrating the city’s commitment to healthy living. A 6-mile loop from John Nolan Drive to East Washington will wrap around Capitol Square, and you can hop in at any point—on foot, bike, or skates—on the “car-free care free city streets.” Along the way you’ll find great events: kids’ bike rodeo, bike/stroller decorating and parade, art cart and obstacle course; adult group exercise classes; tunes in the tunnel underneath Monona Terrace; a block-long picnic; demonstrations; bike tune-ups; workshops with Suzy Favor Hamilton—and too much more to list here. Check out the Ride the Drive site for complete details.
— Mama Kate
August 26th, 2009
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