Through the years, I’ve endured all sorts of pain… two C-Sections within two years, an adult tonsillectomy, stitches, sprains, watching horrible sci-fi movies with my husband…  the list goes on.  There is, however, no greater pain than the unexpected Lego in the arch of your foot.  You know what I’m talking about.  It is nothing short of a marvel of engineering that a 1 inch piece of cheerfully colored plastic can inflict this amount of pain.  Wooden blocks and cars are often large enough to dodge, but Legos litter the playroom floor like a sleeper minefield.

It is in this moment, right after a pain-filled-arch-holding-hopping-dance-with-all-sorts-words-to-not-be-repeated, that I feel particularly motivated to find a better way to store the little torture toys.  During one of these recent experiences, I found a product that is nothing short of brilliant: Swoop Bags.

Designed by a Seattle mom of two boys, Sarah Kirk is all too familiar with rogue Lego pieces.  In fact, Sarah is a third-generation Lego cleaner-upper and Swoop bags were first designed by Sarah’s grandmother, remade by Sarah’s mother, and now, redesigned and marketed by Sarah for playrooms everywhere.

Swoop Bags marry simple function with mod design.  Constructed of high-quality cotton canvas, these brightly colored additions to your room double as a play mat AND a toy tote!  Toy tote, is actually a gross understatement.  When opened  up, the Swoop Bag serves as a large, rimmed play mat that cinches up in seconds to a portable, hangable sack.  There is mad simplicity to the product, but little details in the design make it amazing.  For example, the color contrast edging serves as just enough rim to keep little toys from straying from the mat, so I won’t find myself shouting like a crazy woman, “Stay on the mat, keep the toys on the mat!”  The heavy duty, high quality nylon cording make it a simple grab for tiny hands… there is no confusion as to where one should pull to convert the Swoop into its bag form.  The conversion itself is effortless, as the weight of the toys and gravity help pull down to create the bag.  It really does clean up in a Swoop!

Although Legos are by far the biggest foot pain offenders in our house, these Swoop bags can also make Barbie, My Little Pony, library book, stuffed animal, and Matchbox car injuries a distant memory!  In fact, the function and design options seem limitless.  They also make a fantastic gift for someone who has virtually everything.  Trust me, there isn’t a mom out there that wouldn’t love adding one of these (or more!) to her house.  Available in six fun colors, they are sure to brighten up a room in addition to cleaning up a room!

So go ahead and let them play… and then Swoop it away!

Click here to shop Swoop Bags

After taking a few months off to readjust to the color-coded fall schedule and settle into a new position as a District Consultant with Plum District, I have returned to the Blogosphere confirming that I, indeed, only run on two speeds: “Off” or “Turbo”.  While I assume that a “Normal” speed setting does exist, I am quite sure that I am not equipped with it.

Despite running on fumes at “Turbo” for the past few months, I’ve realized how much I’ve missed blogging.  I don’t blog because I think any of you are on pins and needles waiting for my next riveting <not> post.  I don’t blog because I think I’m a master of any particular subject matter.  I blog because it simply gives me an outlet for all the swarming thoughts that over-run an extreme multi-tasking, marketing-minded mom’s head.  Blogging is cathartic for me… and unlike time on the treadmill or a pint of Ben and Jerry’s, it doesn’t require a shower or the elastic waistband of yoga pants.

While I’m not one for New Year’s Resolutions (I can barely stick to the commitment of the items of my Target shopping list…), I’m taking just a bit of a step back to try to click the proverbial “Refresh” button.  In doing so, I realize that I’m going to need to get back to the basics.  While this might seem like a punch list of common sense items for basic function, I think many moms share my inability to make them a priority:

• Sleep – Get more.  In addition to the obvious connection to personal health, I think I underestimate what a little extra sleep can do for my mental and emotional health!   As much as I hate to admit it, my kids’ emotions feed off of mine. If I’m cranky and impatient because I’m tired, they tend to not be particularly charming that day, either. So… I figure that if I can put a little more in my tank, I might not be the only one who ends up feeling a little more chipper. 

• Water – Drink more.  I’m one of those people who can eat an entire meal without taking a sip of water. It’s terrible, I know… This one is so obvious it’s embarrassing.  More energy, healthier skin, a stronger immune system, and a curbed appetite top the long list of feel-better outcomes.  Oh, and it’s free… Hmm… there’s a no-brainer.

• Exercise – Move more.  After running over half a dozen races this summer, I literally came to a screeching halt when fall arrived. Dark days, packed schedules, and rainy weather didn’t really do much for my motivation. The law of inertia truly resides here: “… An object in motion continues in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force…”  As moms, we are surrounded by “unbalanced forces” – Mine even have names, charming smiles, and tireless energy.  So… time to get balanced and moving again!  In the very least, this goal is a way for me to feed my multi-tasking addiction.  Clearing out the DVR while hitting the treadmill isn’t such a bad combo, in my opinion.  Crossing off another to-do item feels pretty good, regardless of its lack of “quality” value: Keep up on trashing TV as a reminder of how <NOT> insane my life is – Check.

• Down Time – Stop more.  As a working mom of two, I often go through the day feeling like I do nothing but put out fires one at a time. In fact, each day feels like a multi-category to-do list. I’m tired of crossing off these things and still feeling unfulfilled.  While I’m still searching for the direction book to life’s balance scale, I do know that more down time = increased fulfillment and happiness. Personally, my “down time” is spent in Quiet Time, Writing, or with the family.

As Oprah once said,

“Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right!”

What do you have planned for 2012?

I’m a firm believer that pumpkin makes everything tastier…  in fact, I think only bacon trumps it in overall flavor-enhancing ability, which is pretty stiff competition.  Something about the crisp, cool fall weather makes me crave warm, hearty soups.  As the bustle of school schedules and activities hits with full force, the easy-prep that comes with soup also brings a total bonus.  This is one of my favorite recipes from The Six O’Clock Scramble: Quick, Healthy, and Delicious Dinner Recipes for Busy Families , it takes less than 15 minutes to prep and costs next to nothing for pure goodness.  Try pairing it with grilled Havarti cheese sandwiches for a fast and easy meal!   

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
• 1-1/2 Cups Chopped Onion
• 3 Garlic Cloves, Chopped
• 15 oz. Black Bean, Drained
• 15 oz. Whole Tomatoes, Drained
• 15 oz. Pumpkin
• 3-1/2 Cups Vegetable or Chicken Broth
• 1 Tsp. Cumin
• 2 Tbsp. Dry Sherry
• 1/2 Tsp. Salt
• Pepper to Taste

1. In a stockpot, heat the oil over medium high heat.  Add the onions and garlic and sauté them until they are softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Chop the beans and tomatoes in a food processor or blender until they are pureed with some chunks remaining.  Add them to the onions and garlic.  Add the remaining ingredients, except for the sour cream.
3. Mix the soup well, bring it to a gentle boil, and simmer for 20 minutes. 
4. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

When my daughter recently asked for an American Girl doll for her birthday, I groaned at the thought of dropping a hundred bones on a stuffed toy.  Although I do recall begging my parents for an elusive Cabbage Patch Kid Doll (the preemie with the pacifier, of course!) as a child, the bar certainly seems to be set much higher these days when it comes to toys.  It was this particular trip to the mall that started me thinking about how much it truly costs to raise a child in this day and age…  With impeccable timing, my cousin, who is expecting her 3rd child, posted a link with a simple calculator that sums it up for you in a matter of a few clicks.

Click here to calculate how much it will cost to raise your child

Ouch!  According to this calculator, raising our 4 and 6 year old in Seattle and sending them to a public university will set us back a cool $480,650 per child.  If they go to a private university, the lofty figure gets bumped to $511,442.  If a mysterious wave of panic has suddenly knocked out the part of your brain that processes numbers and language, perhaps this might help:

 +      =   But…  

What a stunning figure.  I suppose I should stop worrying about the silly doll and make sure the kids’ 529 plans are in good shape instead.  For a summary of different options for college savings plans, check out Forbes’ College Savings 101.

When it comes to feeding our families, some decisions are a little more obvious than others:  Twinkies: Bad.  Carrots: Good.  Cheetos: Bad.  Apples: Good.  Is it really that simple, though?   With so much buzz about the possibility of environmental factors to blame for an increase in allergies, endocrine disruptions, and diseases, more and more families are seeking ways to reduce the number of chemicals they ingest.  Practically speaking, however, how does one implement this change?   Many family budgets simply do not allow for a strictly-organic grocery tab.  I’ve watched my kids polish off a pint a berries in less time that it takes to finish an episode of Word World, so I must admit that the $7/pint price tag for off-season organic raspberries packs quite the punch.  Is it really worth it?

Since 1993, Environmental Working Group has devoted itself to research and advocacy in the areas of toxic chemicals, agricultural subsidies, public lands, and corporate accountability.  Simply put, EWG’s mission is “to use the power of public information to protect public health and the environment.” 

Each summer, the nonprofit public watchdog reviews the pesticide data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Federal Drug Administration to publish the “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean 15”, lists outlining the most and least contaminated fruits and vegetables.  The latest version looks like this:

2011 Dirty Dozen & Clean 15 List

To download this list as a .pdf file or as an app to your phone, CLICK HERE

Still not sure the items on the Dirty Dozen list are worth the bigger grocery tab?   Consider some of the statistics…  According to the EWG report, 98% of apples contained pesticides, and 92% contained more than two pesticides.  Vegetables aren’t in the clear, either… 95% of celery tested positive for pesticides, while 90% tested two or more.  Since berries are low to the ground and vulnerable to pests and disease, they boast some of the most staggering pesticide profiles at more than thirteen detected pesticides in a single sample.   Geography plays a vital role as well when you’re making decisions at the market.  While domestic grapes escaped the Dirty Dozen, imported grapes were detected to have as many as 14 pesticides in a single sample!

I must admit that I have grown much more complacent about diet as my kids have aged.  An occasional hot dog no longer sends me into panicky waves of Mommy Guilt, and my kids’ giant appetites make the huge containers of conventional berries at Costco pretty darn tempting.  After writing this post and revisiting the pesticide discussion, however, I can firmly say that I’ve recommitted to staying away from the Dirty Dozen.  I’ve also decided that sourcing produce locally and in-season might be a good strategy to try.  I suppose when I think about it, putting money toward what goes in your body, rather than what goes on your body makes a bit more sense, now doesn’t it? 

What is your market strategy?

There’s just no question about it: a missing child is every parent’s worst nightmare. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 75% of all the children abducted and murdered by strangers are killed within the first three hours. Time is indisputably of the essence in the case of child abduction. Since 2001, America’s Missing: Broadcasting Emergency Response, more commonly known as the Amber Alert system, has trained the Nation to vigilantly tune into our surroundings when local children go missing by utilizing radio, satellite, television, cable, weather, and emergency response station/board messaging. For many of us, however, it is far too easy for a day to go by without catching the news or passing an electronic freeway billboard. So how about using your cell phone for a cause more worthy than checking email and chatting?

Wireless Amber Alerts delivers local Amber Alerts to your cell phone via text. The potentially life-saving text messages are free by law, and registering your cell phone number on this site allows you to customize your alerts by zip code or city, even though Amber Alerts are typically dispatched Statewide.

I’m thankful to my friend, who passed along this nugget of precious info, and encouraging you to do the same after reading this post. Please don’t wait – register your phone number today and finally do something truly “smart” with your smartphone. Click below, or go directly to www.wirelessamberalerts.org

Summer in Seattle is fabulous-but-short-lived, so I dive into the deep end when it finally arrives. Pedicures get moved to the top of priority list, groceries share trunk real estate with bikes and scooters, and hats become standard garb as a renewed paranoia of the sun’s anti-aging effect on my ever-so-aging face resurfaces. I’m also reminded of just how much I love the smell of coconut this time of year, as I catch myself complementing a girlfriend on a new perfume, only to find out it was sunblock (now that’s just embarrassing), or find myself gravitating toward drinks at come adorned with umbrellas and plastic monkeys hanging off the glass. The perfect addition to your occasional pamper routine is Bumble and Bumble’s Creme de Coco Hair Masque

For just $26, this hair masque makes me all sorts of happy… In addition to smelling absolutely divine, the infusion of tropical butters leave your hair reflectively shiny and smooth. Color-safe and moisturizing, you’ll find that your hair will be thanking you for the break from the sun, salt, and chlorine that comes with summer fun. In a hurry? Leave it in for seven minutes while you scrub off the most recent self-tanner mistake and shave your legs in the shower… Have more time? Wrap your hair in a towel and sit in the sun with a book as you transport yourself to your own imaginary spa in the tropics while your hair soaks up the masque’s goodness. That’s right… close your eyes and relax… Until the shriek from the basement reminds you that school’s out, and nobody’s watching your children.

What is your favorite summer beauty product?

Everybody knows that summer brings with it longer sunshine-filled days, but most parents can attest to just how much “longer” the days feel without the break of scheduled activities like sports and school.  When looking for a quiet (from the kids, that is…) break on a summer day in the comfort of air conditioning, movies simply can’t be beat.  I’m not sure what it is about those big, cushy seats and the massive screen, but they seem to dwarf the kids into awe and encourage good behavior, which is always a refreshing change.  Although I often find this golden silence to be worth every penny of the $11 movie ticket, it does pack quite the punch to the activity budget.  This summer, however, Regal Cinemas has launched its Summer Movie Express program that features $1 admission to G and PG rated movies at 10 am on Tuesdays and Wednesdays! 

In addition to the blissfully quiet and air conditioned 2 hours you’ll get with entertained kids, a portion of your dollar will also go to the Will Rogers Institute, which dedicates itself to research of cardiopulmonary diseases and the promotion of health and fitness education.

		$1 Movies VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Some of the titles that they’ll be showing this summer are:

• Kit Kittredge
• Legend of the Guardians
• How to Train Your Dragon
• Marmaduke
• Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything
• Despicable Me
• Nanny McPhee Returns
• Ramona & Beezus
• Yogi Bear
• Tale of Despereaux
• Cats and Dogs: Revenge
• Megamind
• Alpha and Omega
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid
• Charlotte’s Web
• Chronicles of Narnia
• Percy Jackson and the Olympians
• Furry Vengence
• Shrek Forever and After

Check for your closest participating Regal Cinemas theatre here

So the next time you see the thermometer mercury rising in an inverse proportional relationship to your patience level as the “What-are-we-doing-today?” chorus starts up, snag yourself a little break and help a charity for a buck!

Which of these movies are you most excited to bring your kids to?

Before the slowdown (or so we always seem to hope…) of summer, comes the bustle of the end of the school year.  Performances, field trips, celebrations, and projects complete a hostile takeover of your schedule, and panic typically reserved strictly for forgotten birthdays and anniversaries sets in as the uncompleted item on my To-Do List glares back at me: “Teacher Gifts”. 

Although I’m usually quick to default to Starbucks gift cards and bath products, it just didn’t feel like enough this year…  Watching my kids thrive under the guidance and encouragement of outstanding teachers that put in countless hours outside the classroom made me want to find a more creative way say thank you.  This was when I decided to help the kids make personalized books for each of our teachers.  

We used the Create Your own 3 bitty books set, purchased through Amazon.  In addition to these small, hardcover books, comes a set of markers, stickers, and even a holder for your custom-made masterpieces… and all for less than $10!  I will, however, add that it was necessary for us to reinforce the pages with tape because the glue binding didn’t hold up to the aggressive book-bending and coloring of a 5 year old, which was a bit frustrating.  If you’re in a time-pinch, note that the kid-made aspect of the project pretty much gives you a free pass to be as “creative” as you’d like.  The touching drawings and words of your children will make even sheets of folded printer paper stapled together in book-form a gift to be treasured for years to come, no doubt.

Stickers and self-adhesive borders from Michael’s:

Examples of Decorated Book Covers:

I created a list of teacher-specific questions for the kids, and recorded their answers over the course of a few days.  Because legibility would undoubtedly be an issue with my three and five year old, I “helped” out by writing in the books.

The books’ illustrations, however, were the complete responsibility of my little artists…

To add even more of a personal touch, I left the last page open for my sentiments to the teacher, and glued a picture of my child on the inside of the back cover.  While I would have loved to have snagged a picture of my child with his/her teacher for this page, a lack of forethought and planning left me with an almost-as-cute Plan B:  pictures of the smiling kids holding signs that simply read, “Thank You”. 

The notes we’ve since received from our teachers have been wonderful, as they’ve shared how our books thoughtfully managed to incorporate bits and pieces of each child’s personality in a memorable, heartwarming way. 

I’ve decided to make this an annual tradition for us…  After all, I don’t think children ever ever outgrow the value that comes from setting aside time to be thankful.  While I struggled to find words to adequately say “thank you” to such special people, my 3 and 5 year old did a great job with the task, all by themselves! 

How do you thank your teachers at the end of the year?

Technology has completely redefined how our children play and learn. While there will always be good entertainment value to digging in the dirt and kicking a ball, most kids these days also know how to swipe their way around a touch screen, use a Wii controller, and navigate the internet with a mouse in search of fun. I’m certainly not above promoting these activites, either, as I’ve been known to stream Disney videos via You Tube in dressing rooms and use Angry Birds screen time as valuable errand-running negotiating currency.

As much as I marvel at the convenient entertainment and the educational value modern technology can provide, I don’t think I stand alone when I say that I think there can be too much of a good thing when it comes to accessing these resources. While keeping track of which sites are age appropriate for your kids and steering clear of unwanted content is important and difficult, listening to the incessant pleas of a game-obsessed child or dealing with a phone that is suddenly missing all its icons is just plain annoying. Enter: Zoodles. In a non-so-technical nutshell, Zoodles allows you to set customized limits on your children’s web access and activities while protecting the settings on your computer, phone, or tablet. By creating child-specific profiles, you enable Zoodles to pull age-appropriate content and activities from multiple sites that fit your parameters and create an online environment that you actually want your kids to be in.

In the past, I would bookmark various sites on my kids’ laptop… Starfall, PBS Kids, Disney, Nick Jr, etc. While I appreciated how these sites provided educational games and activities with the help from familiar characters, I often found that there were aspects of the websites that I found less desirable. I’ll never forget setting my daughter up on pbskids.org with a Super Why reading game, only to return and find her playing some ridiculous Boobah game with little characters that sounded like they farted every time you clicked your mouse on them. I was not amused. This was a far cry from my intended purpose of her screen time and was yet, just a click away, on the same website. Zoodles allows parents to quickly block specific characters by checking boxes in an alphabetical listing (goodbye Boobah and Sponge Bob!), control content (for example, no videos), and even give parents the ability to set limits to violence exposure.

I have voracious little readers in my home… While I seldom have to encourage them to pick up a book, I’ve noticed that they have a way of squirming out of anything that remotely speaks to the tune of math. Sadly, they must get this from me, since their father is a human calculator. What my kids don’t know, however, is that with the help of Zoodles, sneaky mommy is able to selectively promote specific subjects. That’s right, I can rig the selection of games offered to my kids… Brilliant, isn’t it? Using a simple click-and-slide user interface, Zoodles allows parents to easily adjust which specific subjects are promoted. Zoodles will apply this filter to it’s search criteria when selecting games and activities for your child and voila! It’s math time, without them even knowing,

Setting time limits on activities can also sometimes prove to be challenge for parents. Although our pint sized subjects eagerly agree to a 1-show contract when we turn on the TV, the expression of game-show shock and the explosion of whinegotiation (delightful package of whining and negotiation…) when we turn off the television is often inevitable. During these moments, the maddening dialogue in my mind rolls through, “We talked about this… You agreed to… You made your choice…”, but to no avail, I still end up looking like the mean, withholding mommy. Sigh. Through Zoodles, you can set customized daily play time limits for individual children, even providing the option to differentiate weekdays from weekends. When the time limit has been reached, Zoodles simply states the fact, automatically logs off, and tells the child to come back the next day. From my experience, the computer receives considerably less back-talk.

Beyond playing the role of digital media watch dog, Zoodles provides additional tools that encourage fun ways for your kids to stay connected to people. By giving the option to invite friends and family to join your profile, Zoodles gives your child the ability to easily send and receive video mail messages, proudly share masterpieces using Zoodles Art Studio, and experience having a story book read to them by a loved one from across the miles.

Best of all, Zoodles makes it simple for us parents. Using the quick and intuitive child-specific tabs on the parent login page, monitoring your child’s progress is a snap! If you’re the less proactive type (read: busy and forgetful, which is many of us…), activity summaries sent to you by email show exactly how much play time your child logged that week, broken down by subject.

One item of note is the requirement of your device’s ability to run Adobe Flash applications in order to run Zoodles games. Although this isn’t a problem for most devices, strained business relations between Apple and Adobe have left iOS devices without the ability to support Flash. iOS devices will, however, still support other Zoodles features, such as Zoodles Art Studio. Most Android devices give you the option to download an Adobe Flash application if it isn’t already factory installed. Check here to see if your device is Adobe Flash compatible.

Zoodles provides their basic application for free, but the Premium Membership gives you the added perks and levels of parental control for the reasonable price of $7.95/month, $39.95 for 6 months, or $59.95 for a year. Create and account today, and get a 14-day trial of the Premium Membership for free!

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