From the monthly archives:

November 2009

December Events at Borders

November 29, 2009 · 0 comments

grinch stole christmasThe Borders Book Store in Braintreeis having some fun, kid-friendly events this month:

They Might Be Giants, Wednesday, December 2nd at 6pm.  Did you know that They Might Be Giants were writing kids books?  I didn’t, but now I want to know more!  I love these guys, listened to them in high school, and love that they now sing the theme songs to the Mickey Mouse Club House and Higglytown Heroes on the Disney Channel.  They’ll be at Borders promoting their new sing-along story book ‘Kids Go!’   Check it out!

Grinchfest, Saturday, December 5th at 11am.  Storytime including readings of How the Grinch Stole Christmas and other holiday stories.  Kids can also make a fun holiday craft!

Beckett the Bear Holiday Storytime, Saturday, December 12th at 11am.  Celebrate the holidays with Beckett (from the book Beckett and the Panda-monium).  Don’t forget to bring a book to donate to the Borders Holiday Book Drive!

For more information on these events, call the Braintree store at (781) 356-5111.

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carolers pinehills christmasOn Saturday, December 5th from 2 to 6pm, The Pinehills in Plymouth will be holding their 5th Annual Holidays on the Green Event!  The event is free and open to all.  Included will be:

  • A Reindog Parade at 3pm. Dress up your four legged friend and join in!
  • A visit with Santa Claus!
  • Feed the animals at the Petting Zoo on the Village Green
  • Have the kids decorate (and eat) their own holiday cookies
  • Make an ornament for the Caring Trees (delivered to local hospitals)
  • Caroling
  • A Gingerbread House Silent Auction, benefitting the local food pantry
  • Lighting of the Pinehills Holiday Tree at 5pm

So stop by The Pinehills Village Green, exit 3 off of Route 3, for some holiday cheer on December 5th!  For more information call (508)209-2000 or visit The Pinehills website.

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South Shore Kids

November 25, 2009 · 1 comment

For another great web resource for fun things to do with the kiddos on the South Shore, visit South Shore Kids, a website by a stay-at-home mom to three young children who also blogs about lots of fun stuff on her other site, Mommay’s Mahem.  Check out both sites for some fun and informative reading!

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A Crafty Gift Idea!

November 24, 2009 · 0 comments

sticky mosaicsA good friend recently introduced me to Sticky Mosaic Kits by Orb Factory and I love them so much I needed to share!  Sticky Mosaics are a ’sticker by number’ craft kit that come in a few different difficulty levels and many different designs.  I got my 5-year-old the Pirate Sticky Mosaics Set ($16.99), it comes with 4 different pirate scenes that he can create with over 2,700 tiny colored stickers.  Each set comes with a color code (1 = red, 2 = brown, etc), which he follows to complete the picture.  For my 3-year-old I got the My First Sticky Mosaics Vehicles set ($9.99), it came with five different designs for him to create using a simpler system, just follow the shape/color code on the card with the 1,000+ stickers provided.  They both LOVED them.  I swear, there was not a sound to be heard for an entire 45 minutes except to show off their progress.  Priceless.   I highly recommend this line of products.  I will be ordering more shortly, as I think we’ll be finishing these designs within the next two weeks!   Great gift idea for the holidays too!

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Macy’s Believe Campaign

November 22, 2009 · 0 comments

macys believe2Have your kids written their letters to Santa yet?  Bring them to Macy’s and drop those letters into an official R.H. Macy Santa Mail box.  What a cute way to send your Christmas lists off to the North Pole!  For each letter received, Macy’s will donate $1 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, up to $1 million.    Visit the Macy’s Believe Website to locate a mailbox near you, enter their ‘Tell Us Why You Believe’ contest, and learn more about the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

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pb adventAs far as holiday traditions go, for my boys the Advent calendar ranks right up there with making Christmas cookies and putting lights on the tree.  They LOVE it.  Every morning there is a mad dash to the dining room to get to it first, feet slipping and arms flailing in the air.  “Who’s day is it Mom?  Mom?  MOM?!?”   (We take turns to be fair).  Sometimes there are little candies in there, sometimes a teeny toy (last year I bought a set of the characters from ‘Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer’ and put them in there, HUGE hit).  We have a wooden Advent calendar, very inexpensive, I think it may have even come from the Christmas Tree Shoppes, and it’s been great for us.   This year I’m adding a LEGO calendar to the mix.  Each day the kids will open a door and find a little bag of LEGOS that they’ll assemble to make a figure, tree, etc to add to their LEGO Christmas scene.  So fun!

There are so many Advent calendar options out there, they come in all shapes and sizes, filled and not.  If you’re looking for something on the decorative side, there is the rather pricey, (but beautiful) Pottery Barn Advent Calendar ($149), or the cute House Advent Calendar ($129) from Pottery Barn KidsTarget has a few more budget-friendly options, like this Gifts Advent Calendar ($24.99) or Christmas Tree Advent Calendar($24.99).   You can also pick up a disposable, pre-filled calendars from LEGO ($29.99) or Playmobil ($18.99).  Each door opens to reveal a small toy that adds to the themed scene, kids can leave it as a set-up or play with the toys as they open them.

No matter what kind of calendar you choose, the kids will love getting a little surprise each day leading up to the big day!  The countdown is on!

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crayonsThanksgiving coloring pages are a great way to keep the kids occupied while you’re busy chopping, basting and carving on Thansgiving morning.  Some good coloring page/printable sites we’ve found are coloringpage.net, coloring book funprintables4kidsDisney family fun, kaboose, coloring book, and First School.  Print them out, grab some crayons for the kids, and get cooking!

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Birth Order of Children

November 17, 2009 · 0 comments

I’ve seen this a few places and it makes me laugh every time I read it.  Just wanted to share…

THE BIRTH ORDER OF CHILDREN

Your Clothes:

1st baby: You begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as OB/GYN confirms your pregnancy.

2nd baby: You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible.

3rd baby: Your maternity clothes ARE your regular clothes.

Preparing for the Birth:

1st baby: You practice your breathing religiously.

2nd baby: You don’t bother because you remember that last time breathing didn’t do a thing.

3rd baby: You ask for an Epidural in your eighth month.

The Layette:

1st baby: You pre-wash newborn’s clothes, color-coordinate them, and fold them neatly in the baby’s little bureau.

2nd baby: You check to make sure that the clothes are clean and discard only the ones with the darkest stains.

3rd baby: Boys can wear pink, can’t they?

Worries:

1st baby: At the first sign of distress –a whimper, a frown– you pick up the baby.

2nd baby: You pick the baby up when her wails threaten to wake your firstborn.

3rd baby: You teach your three-year-old how to rewind the mechanical swing.

Pacifier:

1st baby: If the pacifier falls on the floor, you put it away until you can go home and wash and boil it.

2nd baby: When the pacifier falls on the floor, you squirt it off with some juice from the baby’s bottle.

3rd baby: You wipe it off on your shirt and pop it back in.

Diapering:

1st baby: You change your baby’s diapers every hour, whether he needs it or not.

2nd baby: You change their diaper every two to three hours, if needed.

3rd baby: You try to change their diaper before others start to complain about the smell or see it sagging to their knees.

Activities:

1st baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics, Baby Swing, and Baby Story Hour.

2nd baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics.

3rd baby: You take your infant to the supermarket and the drycleaner.

Going Out:

1st baby: The first time you leave your baby with a sitter you call home five times.

2nd baby: Just before you walk out the door, you remember to leave a number where you can be reached.

3rd baby: You leave instructions for the sitter to call only if she sees blood.

At Home:

1st baby: You spend a good bit of every day just gazing at the baby.

2nd baby: You spend a bit of everyday watching to be sure your older child isn’t squeezing, poking, or hitting the baby.

3rd baby: You spend a little bit of every day hiding from the children.

Swallowing Coins (a favorite):

1st child: When first child swallows a coin, you rush the child to the hospital and demand x-rays.

2nd child: When second child swallows a coin, you carefully watch for the coin to pass.

3rd child: When third child swallows a coin you deduct it from his allowance!

GRANDCHILDREN: God’s reward for allowing your children to live.

Most recently I saw this posted in Three Under 3, a great Mom Blog from a Mom currently residing in Australia!

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the enchanted villageJordan’s Furniture is hosting a Holiday Experience event in their Avon store starting November 14th.  Included in the festivities are The Enchanted Village (originally displayed in the Downtown Crossing location of Jordan Marsh), a holiday laser light show “LITE”, and a 4D movie showing of The Polar Express.  Something for everyone!  

The Holiday Experience will be open during normal store hours, Monday – Saturday 10am to 10pm, Sunday 11am to 6pm.  The Avon store is located at 100 Stockwell Drive in Avon.  Call the store at (508) 580-4900 for more information.

Thanks to busy mama Michelle for bringing this to my attention! 

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Mamas Move in Norwell

November 13, 2009 · 0 comments

explorazone photoLooking for a fun place to escape the cold and let the kids play?  Need an indoor location to meet friends for a playdate?  Try the Explorazone at Mamas Move in Norwell.  Mamas Move is a health and fitness center that caters to moms and their kids.  They offer a wide range of fitness classes for both adults and children, including some that they can enjoy together! 

The Explorazone play center is perfect for kids up to age 6, giving them a place to play, pretend and explore.  Drop in play (without membership) is available during limited hours, Monday – Friday from 11am to 4pm, Saturday 10am to 3pm, and Sunday 10am to 1pm.  (Members may use the play area for extended hours).   Cost is $8 for the first child and $6 for additional children in the same family.

Birthday parties are also available at Mamas Move.  Three packages are available.  Choose Simple Party and Play ($185), Party with Movement Class/Theme and Explorazone Play ($225), or Party with Movement Class/Theme and Explorazone Play Plus Refreshments ($295).  All three packages include a 2 hour party for 15 children, with private use of the facility and Party Room.  See the Mamas Move website for more details.   

Mamas Move is located at 45 Pond Street in Norwell.  (781) 616-6244

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Local Highlight: Ladybug Photography

November 12, 2009

At Ladybug Photography, Margaret Heinke and Natalie Colbert have been photographing families on the south shore (and beyond) since 2004. These sisters will come to the location of your choice on the south shore, a local park, the beach, or your own backyard! … Mention SOUTH SHORE MAMAS and get a 10% discount!

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One Mom’s Review…

November 12, 2009

Product reviews are everywhere these days. Go shopping online and you’ll see reviews on toys, electronics, shoes and more. They’ve even popped up on apparel sites like Gap and Old Navy. I love it. I can get an opinion on the race track I’m considering buying my 5-year-old, the GPS unit I was going to order my husband for his birthday, or the snow boots that I way eyeing for myself.

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Wanted: A Better To Do List

November 9, 2009

In general I’m a list maker. It helps me keep on top of my never ending to-do list. In fact, there are usually three or four lists floating around here at any given moment… Usually these lists are scrawled on random pieces of paper or notebooks, but lately I’ve felt the urge to get a little more formal, and hopefully a little more effective! I googled for a bit on the subject, and found some candidates for my new and improved to-do list, so I thought I’d share…

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Maclaren Stroller Recall

November 9, 2009

Maclaren is recalling at least 1 million umbrella strollers because of a potential hazard to children’s fingers. A side hinge mechanism poses the risk of cutting or amputating a child’s fingers when the stroller is being opened or closed, the British company said Monday. The voluntary recall applies to all Maclaren strollers sold in the U.S. since they were introduced in 1999.

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Donate Your Gently Used Coats

November 6, 2009

As the annual Thanksgiving and Christmas craziness approaches, I try to remember to slow down, count my blessings, and remember that not everyone has what we are so lucky to have, including a warm place to sleep at night. One small thing I can do is to help is to donate the gently worn coats we are no longer using to local charities. It’s a good lesson for my boys too, it reminds them that there are lots of children out there less fortunate than them, and to be grateful for what they have.

If you have unused coats that you’d like to donate, check out these links to winter coat drives in the area… (more)

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