Hooray for Teachers

As some of you may have noticed my posting frequency has diminished over the past month. I have been utterly consumed in all things FoodFun with our first sales and online launch.

So with a month's worth of content to catch up on, I thought I'd write about the recent parent-teacher interviews we had at Hannah's school Yes, that's right. Parent-teacher interviews for a 20-month old.

I thought it was crazy too. What would they tell me? That she eats her crayons?

But, all joking aside, I am so happy that her school took this initiative. We got to spend one on one time with her teachers and find out how she is doing 3 months into it.

Among other things, we were told that Hannah is:

1. Very smart - she understands everything (every parent's dream!)

2. Outgoing - likes to play with the teachers and her peers which is uncommon at this age when parallel play is the norm

3. Knows what she wants (knew that from numerous tantrums :) )

4. Is always put to bed for nap by one specific teacher

We got some more info about what she is eating. I was curious to know that the elusive "veggies" and "fruits" on the weekly menu consist of tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, apples, oranges and cantaloupes (interesting since I never try to give her those veggies at home).

All in all, it was a great experience to know what she is up to on a daily basis.

I am so grateful to my husband for thanking the teachers for their hard work. I don't know why the thought didn't cross my mind. I guess when you see them for a combined total of 5 minutes per day you take for granted how rough their days are with 14 children to look after.

But they really change their lives. Hannah started counting last week, out of the blue. And its all thanks to her teachers (and learning about the Chanukah candles).

They are absolutely amazing and I am so grateful for their hard work.

The Big News

As some of you already know I had a second baby this year. No Hannah didn't get a new brother or sister but rather I helped start up a little brand called FoodFun.

For the past year we have been developing, designing and dreaming up educational games for children that teach them about healthy eating and living. As childhood obesity continues to grow throughout North America we were crafting a concept that would let kids have fun with their food, namely healthy food.

I am so proud to announce that we launched our website today at www.foodfun.org I invite you to check out our first 3 games FoodMoves, FoodFarm and FoodFlash and see what our brand is all about.




Our games are for children between the ages of 3-8, and with Hanukah and Christmas upon us what better gift to give than the gift of health to last a lifetime.

And better yet, for each game sold, we will donate 5% of proceeds to organizations committed to fighting the childhood obesity epidemic.

I'd appreciate your help in passing this message along as we're a small grassroots company. Moms, dads, grandparents, teachers...anyone with a special child in their life.

Thanks so much and hopefully some of you will be "playing with your food" soon!

Snot your Average Tissue

So as I mentioned last week, Hannah was plagued with a cold. A runny, messy nose.

And after going through every washcloth in the house, trying to get off that crusty green mess, I discovered my new favourite product at Toys r Us.

No endorsement here. Just a mom who has discovered a great product that she wants to share with you.

Boogie Wipes

They're "snot your average tissue"

These wipes were created by two moms who obviously knew best. Each wipe contains a saline solution to get those little noses unblocked with a quick swipe.

The wipes are soft, paraben-free and come in 3 flavours including grape, menthol and fresh scent.

For $3.99 a pack I picked up a few to have on hand whenever the next cold hits us. And I'm planning on throwing out my nasal aspirator, which has not gotten much use around here.

Sick and Tired

What a week!

It started off with a weekend in the country where Hannah developed a runny nose. Lots of soup, juice and TLC but she was still sick come Monday. Turns out 2/3 of her class were in the same boat (luckily she didn't get the gastro part of it).

So I worked from home on Monday and actually accomplished quite a bit during an unprecedented 3 hour nap.

Tuesday was with a babysitter and Wednesday was back to school with a still snotty (but not coloured snot) nose.

So while she's still recuperating from the cold. I'm recovering from an intense work week. I've become an official Twitter junkie promoting our new brand @foodfun. We are getting great response but boy, is it ever an all consuming job.

All that to say that I am so looking forward to sharing FoodFun with you next week when our website officially launches. The brand has been in the making for over a year now so it's wonderful to see it finally coming to fruition.

Stay tuned!

Moms' Night Out

More holiday shopping. But this one is just for moms.

Wish I could go but I can't so I hope you enjoy.

Holiday Mismash

Chanukah and Christmas are still weeks away but here are two noteworthy shopping opportunities that have come across my inbox.

1. Pierre Belvedere Warehouse Sale

This is one of my favourite yearly sales. I stock up gift wrapping, gift bags, tissue paper and greeting cards that last me throughout the year. Plus, they've got a selection of kids' toys including educational games and puzzles.

2. Stella McCartney Kids

When Paul McCartney's designer daughter created a line for the Gap I had to check it out. But the prices were not in line with Hannah's fashion budget. Now Stella McCartney has her own kids line which features more reasonably priced fashions for kids 0-12. The items are slightly higher than I would normally pay, but hey, they are designer. Unfortunately, us Canadians are out of luck for the moment as online shipping is only available to the US.

If your kids are a bit older they will absolutely love the activities on the Playground page.

Dayight Savings

This article from Smooth Parenting just made its way into my inbox days before daylight savings. I'm not sure how Hannah will adapt to the new hour on the clock but maybe reading this will help.

Baby Sleep and Daylight Savings (Fall Back)

3 Ways To Help Your Baby Adjust to The New Time

By Diana Gonzalez Blanco. Founder, Smooth Parenting.

The end of daylight savings is getting closer and many parents are wondering what to do to maintain their baby or toddler’s sleep habits, despite the time change. We ‘fall back’ to Standard Time on Sunday, November 7^th 2010* at 2a.m. by setting our clock back one hour. That usually means that our children wake up one hour earlier the following morning.

Baby sleep challenges are not uncommon during daylight savings time adjustments. Still, there are some general tips that you can follow to have a smoother transition, regardless on how you decide to adjust your child’s schedule to the new time:

· Continue your bedtime and naptime routines. The regular and familiar routines you follow when putting your baby to sleep should be maintained.

· Keep your baby’s nursery dark, so the daylight (and nightlight) changes do not interfere with his/her sleep.

· Carry on promoting positive sleep associations.

· Remember that consistency is still key.

· Change your watch and clocks to the new time before going to bed, November 7^th.

In addition to these measures, there are three basic approaches we can follow to help children with the transition:

1. Gradual ‘Pre- Fall Back Day’ Transition

Starting Thursday, November 4^th 2010, move your baby/ toddler bedtime back 15 minutes each night. Your baby’s whole daily schedule moves back those 15 minutes the day after. This way, you will have shifted your baby’s schedule ahead by one hour by the time you have to move your clock back one hour. Therefore, your baby would be going to sleep at his usual time right away, based on the Standard Time right away.

2. Gradual ‘Post- Fall Back Day’ Transition

The day after the daylight savings time ends, Monday November 8^th, 2010, your baby will most likely wake up one hour earlier than usual (based on the clock). Starting then you should make sure your baby, toddler’s naptime and bedtime are 45 minutes earlier than his/her regular schedule the first day; 30 minutes earlier the second day; and 15 minutes earlier the third day.

The whole daily schedule adjusts to those changes accordingly. By doing this, your baby would be going to sleep and waking up at his regular times, based on the Standard Time, by Friday November 12^th.

3. Immediate Transition

The day after the daylight savings time ends, you follow your baby’s schedule based on Standard Time. Therefore, on Monday November 8th, 2010 you switch your child ‘cold turkey’ to the new time. This option tends to be harder on children and on parents, and would be only advisable for children who are extremely adaptable to changes and new schedules.

Regardless of the approach you decide to take, remember that every child is different and they will adjust differently to changes in their sleep schedule. It takes several days to adjust to the new times, so be prepared for your baby to wake up earlier than usual on occasions, to be crankier than usual during the afternoon, and/or to be sleepier during the first days of the transition.

Be patient, loving and consistent to ensure a smooth and successful transition.

__________________________

*2010 Daylight Savings ends:

· Sunday, November 7^th at 2 a.m. in the United States and Canada

· October 31^st in Europe, Mexico and Central America

2010 Daylight Savings Starts in most countries of the South Hemisphere, October 3^rd

Trick or Treat, Treat, Treat

Halloween 2010. It was a magical night filled with Tinkerbell, a ballerina and superman(s).

Hannah's first official Halloween.

Last year, we were in New York City for October 31st. While Hannah donned a pumpkin onesie, at just 7 months old there wasn't too much excitement around the day.

But this year, we set out trick or treating in our neighborhood and then to a party. I will admit I felt like our neighbours were looking at me like "she's totally using her kid for candy", but Hannah certainly had the thrill of ringing their doorbells and saying thank you!

The real highlight of her night, however, was serving the 300+ trick or treaters that rang our friends' bell. In about 2 hours, Hannah dolled out the candy, strategically placing 2 pieces of candy per bag. She saw ghosts, goblins, a sumo wrestler, super mario brothers and so many more fun costumes. I wish I had captured the expression of sheer joy on her face every time the doorbell rang.

Instead here are some pictures of the cutest Tinkerbell I've ever seen.