Habitat Heroes

Last week, Sharon Lowe (a mom of 3 young children) and a panel of experts launched the first global, social networking site for young environmentalists – Habitat Heroes. The site is geared towards children ages 6 to 12 and registration is free. It is referred to as a “Club Penguin meets Greenpeace”.

On the site, kids will be able to learn fun facts about the environment, play games, and chat with other young environmentalist. The site is a safe and moderated online environment. As an added bonus, the site has exclusive footage of the cast of Disney XD’s popular television show “Aaron Stone” as they discuss their thoughts on saving the planet.

(Parents should note that the site does contain corporate sponsorship and product placement. However, money raised by Habitat Heroes™ is donated to environmental charities including Global Green U.S.A., PlayPumps International and The Climate Project.)

National Safe Kids Week

National Safe Kids Week runs from April 26 to May 3, 2009. To kick off Safe Kids Week, Safe Kids and its founder Johnson & Johnson commissioned a safety study. (It’s the first time a scientific study has been released that links age-appropriate safety tips to children’s cognitive, behavioral and physical development.) Relevant study findings can be found below:

Did you know that infants…?

Have spines that are not fully developed, leaving them vulnerable to injury if they are not correctly positioned in a vehicle. They have a slower digestion rate and a lower tolerance for medication. Their skin is thinner and more sensitive, meaning it can burn more quickly than that of an adult. To keep your infant safer:

• Use a rear-facing, semi-reclined car seat until your baby is at least age 1 and 20 pounds. Use a rear-facing car seat longer if the seat has higher weight and height limits.
• Always follow directions and read labels when giving your baby medicine to avoid over-medicating.
• Do not hold an infant while cooking or carrying hot liquids and foods.

Did you know that children 1 to 4 years old…?

Have muscles and bones not yet fully developed. They are also still learning how to balance themselves and adjust their stance to avoid falls. They may wander off unsupervised to explore cupboards and drawers that may contain chemicals and poisons in them. To keep your 1-to 4-year old safer:

• Provide safe places to play. Only allow your child to play on playgrounds with 12 inches of safe surfaces such as shredded rubber, hardwood fiber/mulch or fine sand below the equipment to create a softer landing in case of a fall.
• Install stair gates so your curious child will not fall down stairs, and secure furniture to the wall to avoid it tipping over on them if they try to climb on it.
• Keep medicines and poisonous household items locked up and out of reach. Also, choose products with child-resistant packaging.

For information about Safe Kids Week events taking place around the country or for a copy of the Raising Safe Kids: One Stage at a Time report please visit www.usa.safekids.org.

Jennifer Lopez and the “Sounds of Pertussis”

Last Wednesday, I spoke with Jennifer Lopez and Alan R. Fleischman, M.D., medical director of the March of Dimes, about the “Sounds of Pertussis” national education campaign. They are the primary spokespeople for this joint initiative of the March of Dimes and sanofi pasteur. The goal is to raise awareness about the threat that pertussis (also known as whooping cough) can pose to infants. They recommend that all new parents should get an adult pertussis vaccine.

Photo courtesy of StartraksPhoto.com

A few things that stood out to me on the call:
1. Jennifer Lopez practices what she preaches. I’m always curious as to why celebrities serve as spokespeople for various campaigns. Ms. Lopez mentioned that initially when she was a new mom (to her twins Max and Emme) she didn’t know about this. When she was approached about getting the message out, she thought, “Why wouldn’t I let people know that this exists and is easily prevented?” She and her sister wanted to do something with healthcare and education with a foundation that they’ve formed, so this fell right in line. (On a side note, both she and Marc – along with practically everyone else that they allowed their twins to be around in their early months – received the campaign’s recommended Tdap vaccination.)

2. Many of us have not received this information about the threat of pertussis from our doctors or our kids’ pediatricians because this is new information that is coming out. Since there has been a dramatic increase in cases of pertussis, bring up the topic and ask your doctor where to get the vaccine.

3. Since immunity wanes over time, all adolescents and adults (ages 11-64) should get the Tdap booster shot. It is especially important that those who will be around/caring for/in close contact with infants get a pertussis vaccine either before the pregnancy or immediately after the child is born.

To learn more about this “Sounds of Pertussis” campaign, please visit SoundsofPertussis.com. (Below is a short video about the campaign.)

Celebrate positive interactions with kids during Poetry Month

April is National Poetry Month. So, this is a great time to encourage your child to pick up a pencil and transport their thoughts onto paper. (Granted, most of our preschool aged children will need some help.) Teresa de Grosbois, children’s author and international speaker, shares some tips for parents trying to help their kids learn how to express themselves efficiently below:

1. When at a heightened emotional state, give children a pencil and paper and suggest they write down how they feel.

2. Have fun! Poetry is about emotion, and be sure to remind your children that expressing any and all emotion in poems is OK - whether it’s happiness, sadness or anger.

3. Clear your mind of thoughts, breathe deeply and see what comes out on paper. Stream of consciousness is a great style, and many times the first thoughts written down are already a form of poetry.

4. Be conscious of the rhyme or repeating rhythm in your poem.

5. When working on rhyming poems, sometimes a trick of the trade to use is working backwards. A lot of times the last line of a verse is the most powerful, so working backwards will prevent you from creating an
anti-climatic ending.

6. Look for opportunities to submit your child’s work for publication. Every parent knows to post their kids work on the fridge. Having it posted as an e-book or in print publication takes their self esteem through the stratosphere.

7. *Personal story: Teresa’s own daughter was encouraged to write this way, after sitting before her paper stumped and uninspired, and actually ended up writing a piece of work that became her first publishing.

MAKE ROOM FOR SAVINGS

Below are some money-saving tips from Laura Rowley a personal finance expert, Yahoo! Finance Columnist and mother of 3 kids.

LIVING ROOM: MAKE A LIVING FROM YOUR LIVING ROOM
Use your family room to unplug, literally. Vampire drain of electricity in “standby mode” –turned off but still plugged into the wall – drains our wallets $3 billion per year. Plug items into fuse-protected power strips that don’t suck energy from the wall when turned off.

Watch a little closer. Americans pay an average of $60 for cable, but only watch 15 channels, according to the Consumers Union. If you pay for premium cable, call your provider and put the service on “vacation mode.” You’ll still receive basic service but save temporarily on the extras – and get a good sense of whether you miss them. If you don’t, call the cancellation department and say you’re considering eliminating service altogether – this department has the best deals on hand to keep you as a customer.

HOME OFFICE: CREATE A HOME (OFFICE) TO CALL YOUR OWN
Rethink your ink. Equip yourself with items that stretch your dollars like Kodak’s All-in-One Inkjet printers, which can save you up to $110 a year on ink.

Channel your inner freegan. Sign up for free services like Skype that lets you make long distance calls online without spending a penny and faxzero.com, a service that allows you to fax for free by adding an ad coversheet to your faxes.

BATHROOM: DON’T FLUSH MONEY DOWN THE TOILET
Go with the low-flow. Water bills can be cut back 25 to 60 percent by replacing showerheads and faucets with low-flow aerating models for $10 to $20 each. Look for a model that’s 2.5 gallons per minute to save on average $200 per year.

A prescription to save. Only one-third of prescription drugs are mostly covered by insurance, according to a recent Consumer Reports survey. Prices can vary as much as $100 between designer and generic drugs so make sure you ask your physician for a generic equivalent, which can cost up to 40 percent less.

LAUNDRY ROOM: DON’T GET TAKEN TO THE CLEANERS ON YOUR DRY CLEANING
A dirty secret. Households spend an average of $1,500 a year on dry cleaning, and 65 percent of those clothes are washable, according to Proctor and Gamble research. Wool, cashmere, silk, rayon, polyester and spandex can all be laundered, saving America $750 a year.

(For more savings ideas and to calculate getting started, visit www.moneyandhappiness.com and www.printandprosper.com.)

Healthy Teeth Tips from Dear Doctor

One of my favorite things about being a parenting writer is that I get to learn (and share!) about new developments that effect kids and their parents. Earlier this week I spoke with Dr. Mario Vilardi, president and publisher of Dear Doctor- Dentistry & Oral Health about the increase in dental erosion among young kids. He shared that over time, there has been a historical change in the way that kids are being fed, including what they drink. Now, more kids are drinking soft drinks, sports drinks and fruit juices. Since these liquids are more acid-based, they erode/cause the loss of tooth enamel over time. I took away some great tips to minimize/ prevent this loss of enamel thickness (some that go contrary to what we’ve been traditionally taught in regards to dental health) that I want to share with you.

Dr. Vilardi

1. Don’t rush to brush. Waiting for 30 to 60 minutes after sipping on a soda gives teeth time to re-harden after the acid softens surface enamel. Basically, the saliva neutralizes the effects of the acid/serves as a buffer/remineralizes the tooth surface. (This goes contrary to what I’ve always been taught - to brush immediately following meals.) Other options include eating a piece of cheese after drinking acidic drinks, because it also neutralizes the acidity of the drinks.

2. Grab a straw. If your child has a taste for juice that she just can’t shake, serve beverages with a straw. This reduces contact between these acidic beverages and teeth by allowing the acids to bypass most of the teeth.

3. Cash in on calcium. Calcium is added to many beverages to up their nutritional ante, and research has shown that the presence of calcium may reduce the erosive potential of soft drinks and that they remineralize the tooth surfaces better.

4. Explore natural alternatives. While your child is young and impressionable, take the opportunity to introduce them to beverages like milk and water. If this has proven unrealistic, limit the ingestion of acidic beverages to mealtimes because the rest of the food eaten at mealtime can neutralize the acids.

5. Only brush 2 times a day. Over-brushing can lead to other problems such as receding gums, the enamel being worn down, etc. Brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste should suffice.

6. Don’t eat right before bed. (No, this isn’t a diet tip.) It takes saliva about an hour to neutralize acids in your mouth, but saliva “shuts down” when you sleep. That’s why it’s best to finish your last meal/snack an hour or so before bed.

Overall, what I appreciated about Dr. Vilardi was that he was realistic. He wants parents to find balance, not to be excessive in regards to dental health. He stressed that preventive care is the best. Little things like avoiding simple sugars (sucrose/refined sugars/etc.) so that we don’t desensitize our kids’ taste buds are most helpful. (Sugar based products are a major problem because sugar converts to acid by the bacteria in our mouths – leading to tooth decay.) In any event, after the end of our talk, I was extremely grateful that there are dentists like Dr. Vilardi who focus on educating others to build good habits that lead not only to dental health, but also to overall health and well-being.

(To learn more about Dear Doctor, the nation’s leading consumer dentistry publication, please visit www.deardoctor.com.)

7 Spring Cleaning & Greening Tips From Julie Edelman

In keeping with our green theme of the month, I had a chance to speak with Julie Edelman as a preview to the Go Green Expo. Julie Edelman (aka “The Accidental Housewife”) is a best-selling author of “The Accidental Housewife: How to Overcome Housekeeping Hysteria One Task at a Time,” and the more recent follow-up, “The Ultimate Accidental Housewife: Your Guide to a CLEAN-ENOUGH House.” She will be speaking on the NATURAL PRODUCTS & A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE panel at the Expo on Sunday, April 19th at 11am.

You can also visit her website, The Accidental Housewife.

At the expo, Julie Edelman will be sharing some practical eco-friendly household tips. I asked her to share some green Spring Cleaning tips with Mom in the City readers. She encourages moms to focus on the simple “manicure-friendly” things to do to be a little greener.

1. Unplug cell phone chargers, blow dryers, curling irons, and other electronics that are not in use. This helps save phantom energy.

2. Switch from hot/warm water to cold when doing laundry. (Did you know that almost 90% of the energy used to wash clothes is used to heat the water?)

3. Don’t rush out to buy new compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) bulbs. Rather, wait for your current bulbs to blow. Then, switch them.

When it comes to Spring Cleaning, focus on high traffic/visibility rooms like the kitchen and bathroom

1. For general cleaning, use natural products (i.e. 1/3 cup of white vinegar combined with 2/3 cup of water in a spray bottle) as a cleaning spray.

2. To clean drains, pour ½ cup of baking soda down the drains and ½ cup of white vinegar until if foams. Boil a kettle of water and pour it down the drain in order to release the sediment.

3. Use reusable microfiber cloths to clean. You can use water to clean the windows with them. They also come with handles so that you can clean ceiling fans and higher windows. As an alternative, you can use a 1/3 cup white vinegar and 2/3 cup water mixture to clean the windows.

4. Use newspaper because it absorbs moisture and odor. You can dry windows with them and put them in the bottom of garbage pails. (You can also stuff your kids’ wet shoes with them.)

Overall, Julie stressed that kids learn by example. I agree. That’s why in every area (including going green) it’s important to strike a balance and not be extreme. Rather than stressing out about making every area of our live green at once, it’s better to focus on easy ways to blend green living into our day to day lives. (On a side note, if you’re in the NYC area, adults can get a weekend pass to the Go Green Expo for Saturday & Sunday, April 18 & 19 for $10. Children under the age of 12 are free.)

Nursery University

Recently, Mom in the City reviewer Jennifer Lehner attended a private screening of the upcoming movie Nursery University, a film which exposes the comedic aspects of the cut-throat world of pre-school admissions.

Jennifer’s thoughts…

Gone are the days when preschool meant plunking down $35.00 for annual tuition and dropping your kid off in the church basement at the top of your street with a bunch of other four year olds. Applying to preschool for one’s toddler in 21st century Manhattan, as “Nursery University,” the new documentary film by Marc H. Simon and Matthew Maker makes clear, is a veritable blood sport.

“Nursery University”, in a refreshingly balanced and non-sensationalistic way, chronicles the preschool rite of passage for five diverse families during the 2006 admissions year, interspersing footage of their journey through the process with interviews with those on the other side—preschool admissions consultants and preschool directors.

If you’ve already had the pleasure of chaperoning your child through the preschool admissions process in New York City or if you are a New Yorker with a child who is nearing preschool eligibility age, you should go see this movie. It will be interesting to see if the film, though, has already passed its sell-by date and now just seems a quaint relic of what over-privileged New Yorkers did during the not-so-long-ago go-go years of the early 21st century.

The movie starts Friday, April 24th in NYC at Phoenix Adlabs ImaginAsian Theatre, 239 E. 59th Street (between 2nd and 3rd Avenues).

THE END

10 Tips to “Living the (Healthy!) Sweet Life”

Last week, Edith Flowers, one of the Mom in the City reviewers, was able to attend a “Live the Sweet Life!” event sponsored by SPLENDA Brand Sweetener. At the event, top parenting experts (including Tanya Zuckerbrot, Cathy Riva, Chef Laura Diaz Brown and Michele Borba) and celebrity mom (Melora Hardin of “The Office”) came together to discuss solutions to make moms’ lives “a little sweeter”. Below, is her recap…

On March 30, 2009, I had a great opportunity to be surrounded by a group of mom-panelists (pediatrician and parenting advisors, nutritionist, etc – all moms!) who provided expert advice, tips and knowledge. I left there feeling armed to face the challenges I have as a mom of two girls (3 and 5 years of age). Some of the things I learned and wanted to share are:

1. Nutrition is the #1 concern: 79% of moms find nutrition to be their #1 concern above anything else – including saving for college and life insurance.

2. Veggies: Kids usually acquire a taste for foods that they are constantly given. Even after many trials and refusals, keep giving kids the same vegetable for 2 weeks every day. They will (usually) latch on to it/acquire a taste for it.

3. Art of Replacement: If you take away unhealthy snacks or candy from your kids appease them by ALWAYS providing a replacement. For example, you can say something like “No cookie right now but how about this granola bar with great nuts and tasty fruits that will also make you strong and healthy?”

4. Wise Shopping: Let your kid(s) accompany you to go food shopping and have them pick some healthy foods. For example, if the kid can read, ask him to search for a cereal with (x) grams of fiber on the label. It is found that when the kid assists with choosing the food items, he is usually inclined to eat it when it’s brought home.

5. Rewarding/Treats: Don’t reward good behavior with sweets and cookies. Rather, use other incentives (i.e. stamps, a movie, etc.) When you award/reward with unhealthy foods it sends a message to the kid that he can gain happiness from eating candies and cookies. That has the potential to have him do the same when he is older. For example, the thought process will be “Today I am feeling sad, so I will just buy a bar of chocolate or a pint of ice-cream and then I’ll feel so much better”. Store up healthy treats that you know the kid likes and give those as treats rather than the sweets.

6. Don’t Be Too Rigid: When your kid goes to a party and picks up a candy to put in his mouth, don’t take it away or scold him – let him have one. It is just for that day. Experts have found that when you are too rigid with children and only allow them to eat healthy, they can become resentful and ‘pig out’ behind your back especially when they are with their friends. This may result in having them develop insecurities, deceit and lack of trust in your guidance - and even food disorders.

7: Halloween Tips: (These tips also work well for other candy-giving holidays i.e. EASTER!)

(a) Empty out the goody bag and have the kid choose 10 pieces that he likes. Then you (secretly) pull out a few of his favorite pieces and hide them in case he ever wants to have them again, you can pull it out from that secret spot. Either dump the rest or buy them from the kid (if he is older) and have him save the money to get something healthy for himself with the cash.

(b) Play ‘sorting’. Sit down and put all of the lollipops together, all of the gum together, etc. Then have the child pick 2-3 from each pile and dump the rest.

(c) Make rules. Kids can have only one per week, etc

(d) When kids drop by to trick or treat, you can give them other goodies instead of candy (i.e. pencils, note book, small toys, stickers, etc). Bring your kid(s) along when you shop for the items to give and have your kids focus on buying non candy items to give away.

(e) Use “out of sight out of mind”. Pull out a few that the child likes (have him choose) them keep the few picks on top of the refrigerator. Hide the rest (the majority). Eventually because the sweets are not in sight, the child usually forgets that they are there. Later (after a couple of months), simply throw the rest out.

8. Be Creative: Make your own ice cream and cookies –USE SPLENDA in it! Have your child choose their favorite fruit to add to the ice-cream and cookies and educate them on the nutritious value that fruit provides.

9. Praise a lot. When your child makes good food decisions say things like “well done”, “awesome”, “great job”, etc.

What I will always remember … and this is my #1 ‘take away’….

10. BUILD HEALTH AND CONFIDENCE: As I walked out of the building, what stuck with me the most was that when I have my children choose their healthy foods in the shopping aisle/when I reward their good behavior with healthy treats instead of candies/ when I train my children to think healthy and make them feel armed to choose healthy habits …I am not only making them healthy but I am building their CONFIDENCE! So if I practice some of these tips, I am preparing my children to avoid diseases and illnesses and preparing them to face the world as well rounded adults with the ability to make right decisions.

(On a side note, if you use SPLENDA, you can find their current promotions and get coupons for various Splenda products on this page.)

Yoga for Everyone

Last Saturday, I hosted a private Mom in the City yoga party at the (temporary) Soho branch of YogaWorks. Around a dozen Mom in the City readers met up for a wonderful mixed-level yoga class. I only received positive feedback from the women that took the class. The instructor was very patient and helpful to the point that several of the attendees stayed after to get advice regarding their posture and various back problems.

Our Amazing Instructor

After the class, we had a tasty lunch of various salads from 218. There were also several giveaways from Mom in the City sponsors. (Everyone went home with something!)

If you live in the NYC area, you can try out a YogaWorks class for free in April. (Don’t be surprised if you decide to continue taking classes – they really are good!) Below is the schedule:

Westside
Tuesdays | April 7, 14, 21, 28 | 2:00 – 3:00pm
Sundays | April 5, 19, 26 | 10:30 - 11:30am
No free orientation Easter Sunday 4/12

Eastside
Wednesdays | April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 | 9:30-10:30 am
Sundays | April 5, 19, 26 | 6:00 -7:00pm
No free orientation Easter Sunday 4/12

Midtown
Thursdays | April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 | 7:30 - 9:00 pm

Downtown
Mondays | April 6, 13, 20, 27 | 11:30 – 12:30pm
Sundays | April 5, 19, 26 |5:45-6:45pm
No free orientation Easter Sunday 4/12

Westchester
Wednesdays | April 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 | 2:00 – 3:00pm
Sundays | April 5, 19, 26 | 2:00 – 3:00pm
No free orientation Easter Sunday 4/12

Soho
Sundays | April 5, 19, 26 | 3:30 – 4:30pm
No free orientation Easter Sunday 4/12

Enjoy!

ZING ZANG ZOOM

Last Friday, I went to Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s all-new ZING ZANG ZOOM circus playing at Madison Square Garden with Sean and a family friend. (Michael was coming with us, but his school trip to the Central Park Zoo was switched to that day at the last minute. That’s another story though…)

This circus was so amazing! Because I do parenting writing, our family is fortunate in that we get to see practically all of the circuses that come to town. This was one of my favorites. It really was a pleasant surprise, because I didn’t really enjoy the last Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s circus that came to Madison Square Garden. (It had too much going on at the same time on one stage for me to enjoy it visually.) In contrast, ZING ZANG ZOOM had the perfect amount of activity (in my opinion). I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Sean did too (and he’s hard to impress!). He was clapping through most of the performance. Overall, I liked that this event had the feel of a great, old-fashioned circus. I have seen many circuses, but this was the first time that I saw someone get shot out of a cannon! Other highlights included the dancing elephants and the Bengal tigers. We took an adult family friend with us and he enjoyed it most of all! Below are some of the pictures that my friend took:

The Cannon

Safe Landing

Bengal Tigers

Elephants

If you get the opportunity to do so, definitely go. You can purchase a 4-pack of tickets for only $44 by logging on to www.ticketmaster.com and entering the coupon code: MOM for select show dates (Sunday April 5: 11:00am, 3:15pm, 7:30pm; Monday April 6: 3:15pm, 7:30pm; April 10-12: 11:00am, 3:15pm, 7:30 pm; and Monday April 13: 11:00am, 3:15pm). Also FYI: all Ringling Brother’s circus shows now feature a free pre-show event for all ticket holders that begins an hour before the show begins. During this time, you can bring your family down to the circus floor and meet some of the performers and clowns as well as see some acrobat performances and an elephant that paints!

Having Fun on Spring Break (While Staying on Budget)

NYC public school students are out of school on Spring Break from 4/9 to 4/17. We went away in February, so we won’t be going on a family trip this year. From what I’ve been hearing/reading, a lot of families are cutting back on trips due to the economy.

Fortunately, there are plenty of fun, inexpensive activities to do with kids. Beth Engelman a “Do It Yourself” expert was kind enough to share some ideas with us below. Beth also has many other ideas listed on her website www.momonashoestring.com.

Spring Break Article ~ Having Fun while Staying on Budget
By Beth Engelman

Spring Break is right around the corner and this year your vacation consists of keeping your kids, happy, stimulated and entertained without breaking the bank. Here are a few inexpensive games, activities and recipes you can do with your kids

Be the Mommy for the Morning!
This idea came to me from a dear friend, Amy Hamill, who is one of four children (all girls). Amy’s very smart mother would allow each of her daughters to be the mommy for the morning. That meant the child got to make all the morning decisions including making breakfast, getting everyone dressed, choosing a morning activity, you name it! Giving your children this type of ownership strengthens their self-esteem and self-reliance as well as provides a lot of fun and memories for your family.

“YOJNE” Backwards Day
Another fun idea is the timed honored Backwards Day. Basically you and your kids spend you day in reverse! For example, when you wake up in the morning, watch a movie with popcorn. After the movie, cook up a little pizza for “dinner”. In the afternoon, make a big bubble bath for your children using handmade “paints” (shampoo mixed with food coloring). Kids can stay in the bath till the water gets cold, painting on the walls and tub with their handmade “paints.” After their bath, everyone gets into their jammies for a delicious pancake breakfast.

Capture the Moment with Pictures
A wonderful activity to do when the weather warms up is to create a photo gallery with your children. The first step is to get a disposable camera and then take your children out for a walk. I recommend a disposable camera because they are inexpensive and more importantly, they are fairly indestructible (which is always a plus when dealing with children). Take a walk around your neighborhood with your budding photographers and watch their imaginations run wild as they snap away at all the “cool” things they see. You might even consider taking your children into the city and letting them photograph the busy streetscapes and skyscrapers. Once the roll is finished, get the pictures developed and sort through them with your children, picking out the photos they like best. Together you and your children can create an art gallery by mounting their favorite pictures on colored paper and hanging them on an empty wall. Encourage your children to name each image just as a professional photographer would. To make the gallery theme even more special have a “gallery opening” where you invite family and friend over for a viewing. Be sure to serve refreshments. I recommend following the stained glass cookie recipe (listed below) for a delightful and colorful treat!

Think Spring with Stained Glass Window Cookies
These cookies make great window decorations or are a tasty treat when served with cold milk!

You Will Need
-One bag of hard candies (Jolly Ranchers work well)
-1 roll of Pre-made sugar cookie dough or make your own sugar cookie dough.

-Step 1: Pre-heat over to 350.
-Step 2: Crush the hard candies into small pieces by placing them in a plastic bag and pounding them with a mallet (Let your kids do this – they’ll love being “allowed” to pound something).
-Step 3: Slice cold cookie dough into circles and roll out into 1/4-inch thick circles. Using a sharp knife cut a hole in the middle of each cookie and fill it with bits of broken candy.
-Step 4: Place cookies on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet (you do not want to ruin your cookie sheet!) Bake for 17-20 minutes or until cookies are brown and candy is melted. Allow to cool and enjoy! To hang your cookies in the window, punch a hole at the top of each cookie prior to baking and then thread ribbon or string through the hole once the cookies have cooled.

Open a restaurant in your home
Spring Break is the perfect time to get your kids interested in cooking and nutrition. Talk to your children about their favorite kinds of food, restaurants and store bought items. Encourage your children to look through cookbooks and recipe boxes for new ideas and twists on old favorites. To make the meal planning more memorable, let your children turn your kitchen into a restaurant for the night. Your chefs can shop with you for the needed groceries, design the menus, decorate the tables, pick the mood music and wait on their customers. Who knows, you might find your child is the next Wolfgang Puck.

Can’t go to the Beach? Watch the Waves with an Ocean in a Bottle
This is a great project that is easy to make, requires a few ingredients and teaches your a little science in the process.

You Will Need
-1 Clear Plastic Bottle with top (A liter soda bottle works well)
-½ - 1 Cup of vegetable oil
-Water
-Blue food coloring
-Glitter (optional)

Directions:
-Fill 2/3 of the bottle with water.
-Add oil until the bottle is almost full.
-Add a few drops of blue food coloring.
-Place cap on bottle and make sure it is screwed on tight.
-Now, move the bottle around and watch the glittery waves roll.

And For something really different…try Letterboxing
Check out www.letterboxing.org to learn about this fascinating and fun activity. Letterboxing is a community-organized treasure hunt where unconnected people place letterboxes throughout the United States. It is best to do with children over 5 and requires some planning and preparation. Be sure to check out the website or the book, The Letterboxer’s Companion by Randy Hall.