ParentZing! is Getting a Makeover

 

We’ll be back soon. In the meantime, keep on urban. style. parenting. 

“Baby Mama” Amy Poehler Mamas her Baby

The gestational surrogate star of Baby Mama, Amy Poehler, and funny hubby Will Arnett show off their 5 month old punch line during a stroll in LA. Don’t worry, Big Applers.  The couple resides in NYC, so it’s certain you’ll catch some sightings, too.  Heck, maybe you’ll even see them hangin’ out with Tina Fey and her family. Take THAT, LA!

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copied from Celebrity Baby Blog (click here to see original post):

How cute is he?! Little Archibald ‘Archie’ William Emerson, 5 months, made his public debut in Los Angeles yesterday while on an Easter Sunday stroll with mom and dad. The little guy — who has big baby blue eyes — was cracking up, probably due to his parents’ great jokes! Archie is the first child for actors and comedians Will Arnett, 38, and Amy Poehler, 37, who married in 2003.

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ParentZing Perk: Really, how much Old Navy stuff can you have, anyway? Breathe some new life into your baby or child’s spring wardrobe with fun finds at Cocotier, while saving 15% with the code “TOTS.”

Paul Rudd = Earth Father

Enough with the “Earth mother” bit. Paul Rudd, NYC celebu-papa extraordinaire, plays “Mr. Earth” in this new DVD that teaches the wee ones to be “green” …and gives mommy (or daddy) sumpthin’ purty to gaze at.

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Originally posted (and available for purchase) at the Sesame Workshop website. Click here.

“Elmo turns green in this all new DVD premiere!

Watch as Elmo and Abby pitch in to help Mr. Earth (actor Paul Rudd in a hilariously large costume) host Sesame Street’s first Earth-a-Thon. Mr. Earth teaches Elmo and Abby how “it can be easy being green” by recycling, re-using, and conserving water and energy. Abby, in her desire to help Elmo be more “green”, accidentally turns him the color green and can’t remember how to change him back! Lots of fun ensues as Abby is eventually able to poof Elmo red again. Elmo, Cookie Monster, Rosita and Telly join Mr. Earth in pledging to continue to do “green” things to help our planet because Earth Rocks!”

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You want more Paul Rudd, you say?  Be our guest by clicking here and here.  Want more about muppets? See our interview with muppet and puppet-master John Kennedy here.

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ParentZing! Perk: Get Land’s End free shipping with the following code: RAFT and the PIN 00006785. Expiry 4/7, so hurry!

“Wee” Love this Smart Nursery Art

San Francisco artist Nicky Batill shares with us the inspiration for creating her chic children’s art…and why “wee” need to join forces to woo Paul Rudd. Check out her adorable, one-of-a-kind designs at wee san francisco. 

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Q: When did you realize you could actually sell your artwork? I mean, I used to cut out animals and use Elmer’s glue, too! But aside from my Aunt Rose, no one ever claimed they were good enough to sell…

A: That’s a good question! I’ve always been a crafty kind of gal and would make cards and little pieces of art for friends as birthday gifts and the such. Once they all started having kids, I began making art for their children’s nurseries too as shower gifts. Word spread and before I knew it I was making nursery art for friends of friends of friends. That was when I realized that there were mothers out there who were looking for truly unique artwork for their children and that my work really appealed to them (and to my Aunt Rose too, of course)

 

Q: Why do you focus on art for nurseries and kids’ rooms? What was the inspiration?

A: To be honest, I have the distinct blessing/curse that everything I draw ends up looking, for lack of a better word, cute. I’ve never really fought it because I would rather spend hours drawing and creating a sweet little bird that makes me happy rather than something maybe a bit deeper and darker. And I think that the style of cut paper illustration that I use has a childlike quality that works really well in nurseries and kids’ rooms.

 

Paul: This would look great in Jack's room. I'll come by and personally hang it for you.

 

Q: What celebrity moms and dads have purchased your art for their celebuspawn? If When lovely Paul Rudd invites me over to his pad to chilax, will I see your artwork on his son’s walls?

A: You’ll see it if you can sneak it in for me! I haven’t done much to market to all the celebrity mommies out there but it would be great if some of them would see my work one of these days. I did have the pleasure of doing a segment with Martha Stewart on her show, but I’m pretty sure she is finished having kids. 

 

Paul Rudd: I Love You, Man…But You’re Breakin’ My Heart

Dear Paul:

As a blog that focuses on urban style parenting, I’ve written about you before. By all accounts, you’re a sweet city celebu-dad who totes his precious cargo Jack around NYC on your shoulders, romps with him in the park, ties his shoes and ensures that he gets a steady diet of star-studded play dates.

More to the point, although a lot of sad, misguided individuals claim to be your soul-mate, *I’m* the only TRUE one. I’ve provided solid rationale for why it’s so, here.  I’m sure you’ve read it, but you might want to peruse it again to get that nice, warm feeling one gets from reconnecting with someone you’ve shared past lives with.

Of course, being karmically connected to you, I had to run out immediately and see your new flick I Love You, Man. And that I do. I love you. I love you. I love you.  

There. I’ve said it.

I can’t help it. You’re funny. You’re sweet. You slap the bass (at least in the film). Ok, so you’re not the tallest tree in the forest… but I hear that you smell good and as far as I can tell have a full head of hair. Your career is on fire and now there are rumors floating around out there that your wife, Julie, is pregnant with your second child.

Helicopter Parents Need to Land

Kids with more freedom get more exercise, according to a study conducted in the U.K. Can this be done in a city environment? You betcha.  Stay turned for ParentZing! tips on how this can be accomplished… and feel free to submit your own ideas!
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Click here to see Reuters link to article, copied in its entirety below.
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Research has shown that children with more independent mobility interact more with other children and their environments, while lower levels of independent mobility could “negatively influence children’s emotional, social and cognitive development,” and may lead to more sedentary behaviours, putting them at risk of obesity.

Children whose parents give them more free rein to roam are also more physically active, new research from the United Kingdom shows.

Parents are becoming less and less likely to allow their children this kind of independence, Dr. Angie Page and her colleagues from the University of Bristol point out, and more research is needed on how to change the social and physical environment to allow parents to feel more comfortable giving their children more autonomy.

Page and her team looked at the independent mobility — the degree to which the children were allowed to move around without adult supervision. An example would be allowing children to walk to school or to a friend’s house without being accompanied by an adult.

Parents may be becoming increasingly reluctant to let their children wander on their own due to concerns about traffic dangers or the threat that their child might be molested, the researchers note, or they may also want to spend more time interacting with their children.

Doodling Does a Body Good

Google Doodle

NPR reports that doodling is actually good for your brain. So the next time the kids are doodlin’ away whilst you’re trying to talk them, maybe you should praise them instead of yelling, “ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?!?” Read on to learn more…

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The following story was obtained from the npr site on 3/12/09. To view the original npr post, click here.  

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Four years ago at Davos, the famous world economic forum, then-Prime Minister Tony Blair appeared on a panel with Bill Gates, Bill Clinton and the rock star Bono. After the panel, a journalist wandering the stage came across some papers scattered near Blair’s seat. The papers were covered in doodles: circles and triangles, boxes and arrows.

“Your standard meeting doodles,” says David Greenberg, professor of journalism at Rutgers University.

So this journalist brought his prize to a graphologist who, after careful study, drew some pretty disturbing conclusions. According to experts quoted in the Independent and The Times,the prime minister was clearly “struggling to maintain control in a confusing world” and “is not rooted.” Worse, Blair was apparently, “not a natural leader, but more of a spiritual person, like a vicar.”

Two other major British newspapers, which had also somehow gotten access to the doodles, came to similar conclusions.

A couple days later, No. 10 Downing Street finally weighed in. It had done a full and thorough investigation and had an important announcement to make:

The doodles were not made by Blair; they were made by Bill Gates. Gates had left them in the next seat over.

Oodles Of Doodles

Gates is a doodler, and he’s not alone. Lyndon Johnson doodled. Ralph Waldo Emerson doodled. Ronald Reagan drew pictures of cowboys, horses and hearts crossed with arrows. Most of us doodle at one point or another. But why?

Choosing A Celebrity Baby Name Might Just Leave You Starry-Eyed!

Erykah: Mod mom with mod baby name choices.

Our guest poster, Karen Sullen, gets creative about creative baby names with personalized gift ideas from Corner Stork Baby Gifts. Be sure to check out ParentZing perks for an exclusive coupon code!

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I’m no astrologist, but they say you can look to the stars for direction. Well, not if you’re looking to celebrity stars when you’re trying to come up with a baby name.

Down through the years, celebrities have had knack for the unusual and unexpected. Back in the day, it was Moon Unit (courtesy of father Frank Zappa), but today it’s Moxie CrimeFighter (daughter of Penn Jillette of Penn & Teller Master Illusionists).

If they keep this up, the companies that make premade name plates will be out of business. Thank goodness for personalized baby gifts! I mean, where are you going to find a gift with the name “Sage Moonblood” on it for Sylvester Stallone’s daughter anyway? Or how about “Seven Sirius” for Erykah Badu’s child? From “Bluebell Madonna” to “Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily” (now that’s a mouthful), the list just goes on and on.

Breathe Easy

Is the city bad for kids with asthma? Or is a week vacationing in the Italian countryside simply good for everyone? (Or both?!) You decide, after reading the article below. ParentZing! wants to share many types of information with our readers; not just the nuggets that support our theme of “urban. style. parenting.” (Ok, well…99% of the time we post things that overtly support our mission and love for all things city. But at least we’re honest about it!)

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Mild Asthma Symptoms Fall After Just a Week Away, Study Finds

Click here for original post at US News & World Report
Posted March 2, 2009

By Serena Gordon
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, March 2 (HealthDay News) — After a week away from urban air pollution, children with mild persistent asthma begin to show dramatic changes in their respiratory health.A study in the March issue of Pediatrics reports that just seven days after a group of school-age children left the city for a rural area, airway inflammation went down and lung function increased.

“I was quite surprised by our findings,” said the study’s senior author, Dr. Giovanni Piedimonte, professor and chairman of the pediatrics department at the West Virginia School of Medicine. “I thought we would see a difference, but I didn’t think we’d have such statistically significant changes. What I was particularly surprised by was that the most statistically significant change was in pulmonary function. Virtually every single child more or less increased pulmonary function.”

Tennis, Everyone?

Tennis isn’t just for the country club.  It’s also part of the city scene. Our guest poster, Esther, is a tennis enthusiast based in New York City. She firmly believes that “getting your child interested in activities will help them manage their time better, make more friends and succeed in school.” We firmly believe that some day your little budding tennis star will be able to score you Wimbeldon tickets!  So consider the investment a good one, all the way around.

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Do you live in NYC? Did you watch the US Open? Are your children eager to learn tennis?  Do they play with a racquet even in your cramped apartment every chance that they get? If so, you may want to consider giving your child tennis lessons. 

The bad news is that in NYC tennis options are scarce. The good news is that I am here to your rescue. I realized the need for tennis classes for young children and started a tennis program.  I rent space at a facility in Murray Hill and I also give classes at Ys, JCCs, and schools. I am able to do this because my business is portable. I have portable nets that I set up within minutes. We use lightweight racquets and nerf balls.   

Here are some activities that kids can look forward to in my class. We teach kids the fundamentals of tennis: forehands, backhands, volleys, and overheads. To keep the tennis class lively we often play games. We often partake in the game Graduation, where kids get to move up a grade each time they are able to connect with the ball. We play in which  kids are able to run and dodge balls when they hit a certain number of balls, Does this sound like fun to you? If so you should check out Elf Tennis! 

I Heart Philly

Each month ParentZing! highlights a different city and a guest poster raves about why it’s great to raise a family there. This time ’round it’s Philadelphia. You know, the largest city in the US… in 1800. ParentZing! reader Kaitlyn Bowers tells us why she loves the City of Brotherly Love…

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Philadelphia suffers from city envy.  A few miles one way you have NYC. A smidgen more another way you have Washington, DC. But it’s a great town in it’s own respect, really! Here are 10 reasons why I love living and raising my kids in Philly.

So Now You’re in Trouble…(Final Valentine’s Day Gift Idea)

No Valentine’s Day Gift, eh? You can still look like you made the effort with, actually, very little effort. We scoured cooks.com for three super easy dessert recipes. And when we say easy, we mean idiot-proof.  You won’t deserve it, but he or she will be impressed.  

Putting $ Where Their Mouth Is (Out of the Box Valentine’s Day Gifts #4-6)

Got a Valentine who’s a do-gooder? Well, he or she wouldn’t want some expensive conspicuous consumption gift, then. So put your money where their mouth is: Check out Donate for Valentines.  From their website:
 

This year on valentines day why not do something different and spend some money on a meaningful cause – one of the many charities doing great work worldwide. The money can go to all sorts of good use and make a long term difference – long after the standard valentines day flowers and chocolates are gone and forgotten.

It’s not to say you can’t do something romantic with your partner – but that can be completely free! Plus both you and your partner can feel good in knowing that you have helped the good cause of your choice.

Remember your donations may be tax deductible, which makes your money go even further.

Get Lost! (Out of the Box Valentine’s Day Gift #3)

 

…Or not, with a GPS for your Valentine’s bike. Promote your honey’s bike riding hobby while at the same time stripping him or her of the ability to use the “Sorry I’m late. We got lost.” excuse ever again. Nothing like a win-win gift.

ParentZing! Perk: Ugly diaper bags, begone! Check out JPLizzy and save 25% now until Valentine’s Day with the code VDAY.

Chuck You! (Out of the Box Valentine’s Day Gift Idea #2)

Admit it: You despise Valentine’s Day. First of all, it’s a stupid holiday; second, it’s a stupid holiday that is linked with, well, stupid gifts.

But here’s your chance to, er, chuck those old ideas about what makes a good Valentine’s Day present.

Remember your old Converse sneaks? The ones you wore (and wore out) and bought multiple pairs of just in case? 

Give a gift that will help your Valentine re-live those moments and more. But don’t settle for off-the-shelf. Instead, let him, her (or them) design their own Converse sneakers. Swear!

Alternatively, consider channeling your inner designer and customizing the sneaks for them. You can pick various colors and patterns to reflect your relationship, including zippy animal prints (you grrrrrr, girl!) or — as would make sense in some relationships — skulls.  

Yes, skulls. If your “Valentine” balks at the macabre design, just remind him or her: If the shoe fits, wear it.

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ParentZing! Perk: Free shipping until 2/12 for Land’s End! Enter the Promotion code SPRING and the PIN 00006540 in the space provided.

Puff ‘n Stuff (Out of the Box Valentine’s Day Gift Idea #1)

Betcha can't eat just one!

Forget the boring old box of chocolates for Valentine’s Day. Think outside the box with gourmet marshmallows.  Dig into our interview with Plush Puffs gourmands… you’ll never think of the humble puffed treat in the same way!

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Q: You got the inspiration for “plush puffs” one Halloween when your son asked you to make pumpkin marshmallows. But honestly, when you shared your idea about starting a marshmallow business with others, didn’t they give you the, “Oh, the poor thing! She must be exhausted. She’s spouting crazy things!” look?

A: That’s what I was expecting. But the response was really positive, most people said “Marshmallows, why didn’t I think of that?” In fact, the only person I recall who gave me discouraging words was a gourmet business owner – something to the effect of “you got a snowball’s chance in @#@* at this”. I’ve officially proven her wrong.

Parenting And the City

ParentZing! readers, you rock! Ok, so it’s in a chair with a burb cloth over your shoulder, but still… Thanks for all of your great e-mails, comments and offers to babysit. (What? You didn’t offer to babysit? It sure sounded like that to me. What was it you said, then?).

But seriously, folks. We hear you loud & clear. Our country’s undergoing a transformation, and there are some differences you’d like to see in our site, as well.

And. of course, some things you wouldn’t dream of altering in any way.

We’re gonna work on some news looks. More posts. More of our fun and cheeky posts, specifically. You love the interviews. Appreciate “ParentZing! Perks”. You look forward to our the tips and ideas for living in or visiting different cities with your family. And want to indulge more in the guilty pleasures of reading about city celeb parents.  And of course there’s the shopping. 

But most important is that you have echoed the need for ParentZing! and our mission.  You’ve begged us to never, ever lose our focus on urban. style. parenting.  Parenting and the City is the new Sex and the City, they say. All right, maybe “they” don’t say… but *I* do.

February will start off with a boom, not a bang. Boom-boom-boom of the heart, that is. We’ll pass on unique suggestions for Valentine’s Day gifts so you can get that off your mind and focus on more important things: Like, really? Urban-dwelling mom Molly Ringwald – yes, Ducky’s “girlfriend” — is having boy/girl twins?

Hope she thinks blue is as pretty as pink…

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ParentZing! Perk: Enjoy 30% off sale items from Martin & Osa with promo code 98131954. (Expiry 2/2).

Happy Holidays from ParentZing!

Take a deep breath and relax. We’ll see you in 2009.

Here’s a resolution for you: This is the year to make your urban. style. parenting. voice heard!

Click on submit and sling some zing our way to share with readers. Or, contact us and send us ideas for what you’d like to see in the new year. Refresh your memory as to what we’re all about.  Have a laugh with (or at) us.

Then go and eat some more delicious holiday cookies. ‘Cuz zinging with us is wayyyy more important (and a whole lot more fun!) than some resolution about joining a stinky ol’ gym.

Thanks for hanging out with us & cheers to you and yours for a Happy New Year,

The Folks @ ParentZing!

Last Minute Gift for Fashionistas

Have friends or family members who splurge on an expensive purse, only to feel guilty the next day? (Or is that YOU I’m talking about?!)

Regardless, every Little Miss Buyer’s Remorse can now have her cake and eat it too with a gift card from Bag, Borrow or Steal. She’ll You’ll have her your choice of 4,000+ handbags, jewelry, and more from big ol’ bucks brands such as Chanel and Louis Vuitton. Rent by the week or by the month. Seriously!

So, it’s not too late to buy that friend, sister, Mom or Aunt yourself a gift that’ll have the whole office abuzz in 2009 about their your apparent promotion that allows them you to buy a new, expensive designer purse every couple of weeks!

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ParentZing! Perk: Put those holiday photos to good use at Shutterfly.  Save 25% off of orders of  $100 or more, 15% off orders $50 to $99.99 and 10% off orders $25 to $49.99. Use code HAPPYHOLIDAYS (expires 12/29/08).

Last Minute Gift for Lit-Lovers

You are really coming down to the wire. But no worries, we’ve got a credible last minute gift for your literature-lovin’ friends. Have a look-see at BookSwim. It’s essentially Netflix for books.  They’ve got it all: new releases, best sellers, classics and of course, important to ParentZing! readers: CHILDREN’S BOOKS.  Keep ‘em out as long as you want, no late fees…yada, yada, yada.

Order a gift certificate online and select the date to e-mail the card… and yer done. Pajama shopping at its best.

Free Gift Re-Gift

Forget pulling out your credit card for holiday gifts for others (or yourself). That’s like, soooo pre-economic crisis!

Instead, pull out dem ugly gifts other people have given you over the years and swap ‘em for something you (or someone you know) will actually like.  

Re-gifting? Kinda… but without the worry that you’ll accidentally give your cousin the, er, “beautiful” plaid scalloped-edged apron that your aunt gave you three Decembers ago.

So, enter Freecycle. Membership costs nothin’. And as you might have guessed from the name (or should have), it is “…a place to give or receive what you have and don’t need or what you need and don’t have.”  

Say that 10 times fast.

Then go visit Freecycle and find that big, comfy easy chair you’ve always wanted and offer someone else that treadmill that’s been taunting you from across the room since 2002.  And if you find and give the neighbor that snowblower you thought he always wanted (but didn’t), he can always put it back up for grabs while searching Freecycle for the panini maker that he secretly hoped you were sliding under his tree.

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ParentZing! Perk: Hurry! FCDL20 is the current promo code to get 20% off at Flying Colors Baby. Hey, if you’re gonna spend you might as well save, right?

Eco-Heavenly Gifts

Giving this bracelet as a gift is sure to be a hole in one! (Sorry, we couldn’t help ourselves.)

We interviewed “GreenMarketGirl”
Susan Hilger of  SJHilger Interiors. 
Her enviro-friendly jewelry marries
“feel good” with “look good.” And that’s the perfect marriage, indeed. 

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Q: The eco-cuff bracelets are rockin’! And not only are they unique, you make ‘em out of scrap wood left over from your bigger projects. What’s the deal with that? How the heck did you come up with the idea?

A: Thanks! These bracelets evolved from one of our roadtrip brainstorming events.

We always knew there were great things to be found in our wood waste. It all started when we pulled together a few birdhouses for gifts. Once we gifted them, we couldn’t keep enough of them made. We didn’t want to make them for profit and ruin our fun so we send birdhouse proceeds to Project HALO, a no-kill animal shelter in Charlotte.

The bracelets were our next adventure! And now we’ve developed so many shapes and colors that our veneer waste is down to nil in our wood shop.

 

Cate as Bob. Bet her (his?) jewelry is cool.

Q: For sure some eco-conscious mama must be sporting your bracelets. Maybe Cate Blanchett? She’s seems the type. Did she wear one while she was unveiling her star on the Walk of Fame earlier this month? Come on, tell us who your coolest client is!

A. Our very coolest client is neither Cate nor a famous woman, but a man who chose us as his featured artist to launch his new website, Waypastcrazy.com, his gift to artists. To date, he is by far our biggest client and has sent our Eco-cuffs far and wide, making him very famous in our minds. And who knows, maybe he sent one to Cate Blanchett. I hope so!

 

Gift of Music: JAM for Free

Charity and the JAMband, the award-winning San Francisco group, has a new “Song of the Month” feature on their website. 

For the holidays you can listen to the band’s all-new arrangement of  ”Twinkle Twinkle Little Star”… for free! Played with an indie-rock twist, this version adds new sparkle to an old favorite. It’ll appeal to both big and little elves alike. 

What’s JAM like? Their website describes it best:

 

“What is JAM? The short answer…

JAM is a hootenanny, a hullabaloo, a dance party, a shindig-bash, a festival, a family band, a rain dance, a sun song, a fairy frolic, a wander in the park, a race on the beach, a flitting floating butterfly-bop, a blundering thundering elephant-stomp, a twirling-whirling-swirling dizzy-dee fall-down boogie!

JAM is about making sounds and songs and hooting and hollering and belly laughing and shimmying and swaying and running and jumping and jiving and bouncing with people you love!

JAM is about pushing the furniture to the walls and creating a dancing room in your homes and your hearts, for forever, for inside and out, for back and forth, for now.

JAM is about being real and feeling alive.”

Sounds to me like they capture the holiday spirit ALL year ’round!

 

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Holiday JAMband Sale: All Charity and the JAMband music is on sale now! Select the songs you want to purchase and enter  the discount code TWINKLEJAM to receive 50% off all downloads. (Expires December 30, 2008). 

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More ParentZing! Perks: We’re in the giving mood, so here’s another perk for your holiday shopping pleasure. The Gap is offering $20 off online orders of $100 or more! Use  coupon code GAP20. (Hurry! Expires 11/14/08)

Gifts that Go Up, Up and Away!

Admit it. You’ve never completely lost that desire to be a superhero (or rescued by one).  Well, here’s your chance to satisfy those urges as well as to snag a totally cool holiday gift for your superhero mini-me. We talked to Mariann Stolte, the crafty mom behind LuluBird Boutique. She creates fun and funky personalized superhero capes, the perfect antidote to those boring store-bought costumes and plastic toys.  As Mariann says, at LuluBird Boutique, “only your imagination is the limit!”  

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Q: We love the personalized hero capes that you make for kids. It’s a good thing that you are crafty, because I’m certainly not. Do you really sew each order yourself? How long does it take? (Not that it really matters, because I don’t know how to use a sewing machine anyway and so it’s not like I’m going to attempt it).

A: Well, thank you so much for your kind words. Yes I do sew each one myself. They take about 1 hour start to finish for each cape. I cut out each letter, shadow, symbol and cape piece myself and sew them all. It is so much fun to see the capes when they are done. Some of my clients come up with such great color combos that I would have never thought of.

 

Q: We’re also glad to see that you are making superhero capes for adults. Now you’re talking! Where are the ones for pets? Once you offer those I’ll have my gift list complete for the entire family.  Ok, so people will think we are a little strange when we walk down the street in our capes (dog included) when it’s not Halloween, but we’ll be doing something together as a family and that’s good, right?

A: LOL! Not strange. I always say the family that fights crime together is the family that stays together! We actually make the mini capes for children’s teddy bears, dolls, etc. I have had a few clients purchase them for the pets; we just make the ribbon a bit longer to tie around their necks.

Kum Bah Ya Gifts

Do your responsible shopping online and make the world a less toxic place! Make a tax-deductible donation of $135 NOW $99 to the Environmental Working Group in honor of a friend or family member and they’ll receive a snazzy “green” gift bag that includes: 

1. A 27 oz. Klean Kanteen stainless steel bottle — the perfect solution to using less plastic and avoiding contaminated bottled water
2. Jumbo Enviro-Tote made from 100% recycled plastic, printed with EWG’s pollution solutions
3. 6-piece Pyrex glass container set (no more Tupperware!)
4. Crummy Brothers organic chocolate chip cookies
5. $25 in free product coupons, plus…
6. EWG’s most popular tools for healthy living

Best Kids’ Gift, Hands Down (And Up. And Down. And Up…)

Forget video games. Forget movies on DVD. It’s time to harken back to the good ol’ days when creativity and imagination were the core elements of kids’ gifts.  

Enter The Sock Puppy Kit from famed puppeteer John Kennedy. It comes complete with all the materials your little puppet master needs to make the super-cute canine. The instructions are clear and easy, but if you like visual aids there’s actually an online video from Activity TV that demonstrates how to bring the pup puppet to life.

Wait! There’s more! You get a free set of Ginzu knives with each purchase.  (Oh, come on, get a sense of humor… I’m kidding, here).  

But really, the kit does include oodles of extra goodies like a CD packed with original stories and music, paper farm animal puppets to use with Sock Puppy when performing the “Sock Puppies on the Farm” show for family and friends, and stickers for your star-in-training to promote his or her performances. And dang, that John Kennedy’s clever: Even the box it all comes in becomes part of the play as Sock Puppy’s very own dog house.  

Dreamy Creamy Gift

Abby & Becky wish you Season's Eatings!

ParentZing! had the, er, “cool” opportunity to interview Becky App, one of the smooth gals behind eCreamery. Becky and her business partner Abby Klusmire churn out custom-made ice cream concoctions. (And it’s *yummy*! We tried it!) Yup, you get to design and name your very own creations. Not only will it be fun for you, but think of the glow on Aunt Fran’s face when she and her card-playing buddies dig their spoons into the Chocolate Coconut Caramel Canasta Night blend you conjured up just for her.

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Q: I remember when I was 7 or 8 years old, I thought no one was looking so I grabbed a marshmallow peep and cracked a Cadbury Egg and smashed it around in my bowl of ice cream. I just got in trouble for doing it. How’d the heck did you manage to turn your ice cream dreams into a lucrative business?

A: It actually all started with diamonds and crystal. Abby and I worked together in the custom gift department of a Fine Jewelry store and helped people create unique personalized gifts. Gifts with a personal message and unique stories that made them special. We kept thinking how we could take this concept into the realm of our true passion – food! So aafter many meetings over lunch and dinner it hit us: What could be sweeter than personalized ice cream? A partnership with a long established mom and pop ice cream shop and HOURS UPON HOURS of learning the intricacies of gourmet ice creams & gelatos (serious taste testing) and we were off!

 

Q: Admit it. Jennifer Aniston helped you develop your “Break Up” flavors, right? What other celebs order from you and what flavors do they like? After hunky Daniel Craig places his order to celebrate the success of his newest film, could I personally deliver the package to him? Will the package include two spoons, because we’ll need them.

A: Break ups were inspired by none other than Carrie Bradford of Sex & the City. Everyone needs a sympathy scoop now and again. We’d love to share the delectable secrets of our sweet toothed celebs but we have to respect  their privacy. Rachael Ray however, is proud to share her love of her creation, Izzy’s Pick Me Up, publically. She had it made in honor of Isabel, her dog. She is a fantastic customer! As for the long list of others, I can only hint. Park Avenue Fashion Designers, Wall Street Secret Lovers, we’ve even had an Oval Office Ovation order. We love reading the order list.

I Heart San Francisco

Each month ParentZing! highlights a different city; this time around City “X” is San Francisco. Our guest poster, Helena, lives in the Noe Valley neighborhood with her spouse and two kids. She tells us why she’ll never leave her heart in San Francisco… because she’s never leaving.

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Yes, it’s expensive. There, I said it. Yet I still love raising my family in San Francisco. 

Besides, there’s a reason it’s so expensive to live here: It’s great, and deep down inside everyone wants to be here, whether they admit it or not.  Read on to see some of the reasons our family loves living here.

Paul Rudd (’Nuff Said)

Paul Rudd has no idea that he has a sister soul floating around out there. (That would be me.)

So what, yeah, I’ve always thought he was freakishly adorable and ever-so-wonderfully quirky, even way back when… blah, blah, blah… Clueless… blah, blah, blahbity, blah. 

Just like, well, pretty much every other organism with any brain activity and half the people from West Virginia.

Honestly, who else aside from Pretty Paul could make it not only acceptable for a (barely) high-school aged girl to fall in love and make out with her college-aged brother, but downright *desirable*?! Sigh…

But it isn’t like I’ve been constantly trying to channel Little Mr. Sunshine since then, given that we’ve only gotten glimpses of him over the years here ‘n there. (And in some cases — er, a certain movie which shall remain nameless but has to do with a holiday around Oct. 31st – there was no “there” there, if y’all know what I mean).

The *Real* Thanksgiving Prep

 

The last thing you need is another post about how to prepare the Thanksgiving turkey. Who do you think I am, Tom Colicchio? (BTW, it’s Top Chef season again, as if I had to tell you).

 

 

No, I’m here to help you with a different dilemma: How to prepare your little city mice for mingling with the country mice.  

 

I don’t know about your kids, but when my urban offspring get together with their suburban cousins, all sorts of comparisons are made about every day life. So before you pile into the car, jump on the train, or step into the pressurized cabin it’s best to teach ‘em how to appropriately respond to suburbanspeak such as, “Like, you wanna go to the mall?” 

 

 

Of course, it’s important to first promote respect for various lifestyles. So, practice what you don’t preach and read them the politically correct “The City Kid & Suburban Kid“. 

 

 

Then ditch being PC and pull out the heavy artillery. Look, it’s time your innocent babies learned that shopping centers, at least in part, caused the demise of Main Street. (You know, the one that Sarah Palin talked so lovingly about even though her own home town is basically one big ol’ strip mall.)

 

 

Feel free to try the subtle approach first. Check out the video game Mall Tycoon. Read the reviews; basically everyone says it’s a complete snorefest. Force the kids to play even though after 5 minutes they announce in their best whiny voices how booooooring it is. Reinforce over and over the association “mall = boring”.

 

 

The next step involves scaring the pants off of them. Find every book you can about getting lost in the mall. One example is Dakota Gets Lost.  Skip the happy endings where things work out and stop at the point where the kid is crying and can’t find Mommy or Daddy or Aunt Camilla anywhere.  

 

After that it’s time to put that final nail in the, er coffin. Rent the original Dawn of the Dead (1978). What’s it about? Flesh-eating zombies snacking on humans stuck inside….tada!…a shopping mall.

 

 

Seriously. The majority of movie takes place in Monroeville Mall, a honest-to-goodness real, live shopping mall located outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 

 

Springsteen Votes & Dotes

On Sunday, Bruce Springsteen joined Obama on stage for a rally in Cleveland, Ohio.

He sang about dreams. And it’s safe to say he’s voting for Obama.

Speakin’ of dreams, I’m in a bit of a dream haze myself… but it has nothing to do with politics.

About a week ago or so I completely and utterly randomly chatted with The Boss. No, not “my” boss, but THE Boss… As in Mr. Springsteen, himself. Days later I still feel like I’m in that haze, and if there hadn’t been witnesses I probably woulda chalked it up to one too many Jello chocolate pudding cups before bedtime.

I’ll explain, but let me preface the story with this: I’ve never been one of Springsteen’s mega-crazy, whack-a-doodle-doo fans. I’ve always appreciated him, respected his work and his hardscrabble climb to fame. I have lots of favorite Springsteen songs. Many of his CDs. 

Once in junior or senior high school — I don’t remember which but it was way before CDs existed — tix to one his concerts sold out before I could score one. For some particular reason that escapes me, going to this concert was dire.

I tried and tried to win one from the local radio station, listening day and effin’ night for the one Springsteen song you were supposed to be the 15th caller on. I was the 8th caller one night; that’s as close as I got. My dialing fingers raw and my eyes jacked open by Mountain Dew, I finally had to let it go. I knew defeat when it came knocking. I might have even cried myself to sleep.

So, yes: You could say I’m a fan. But not one of *those* kinds of FANS. You know, the kinds that have been to hundreds of concerts; refuse to give away their vinyl, 8 tracks and cassette tapes even though they also have the whole collection on CD; would swoon and declare life has meaning if handed his toe-nail clipping in a keepsake tissue. Or, would gladly hand over a first born in exchange for a chance to hug it out with Bruce. And while I am not personally one of those fans, I do know at least one who is. 

Anyway, back to the story: I was at a horse show held in a big indoor arena. The very kind of venue that Bruce plays (and has played) in. Our kids like going to these shows because it’s a sport where they totally “get” what’s happening: The pretty horsey that jumps over all the fences and doesn’t knock anything down gets a “yea!”; the poor horsey that knocks down poles gets an “awwwwww”. 

[What can I say; it's much easier to explain that than, say, why the pitcher should throw an inside pitch to that particular batter or why the quarterback should go for it when it's 4th and inches.]

Kids being kids, although they really *were* totally into the show, they were also totally into making us get up time and time again to fetch this and/or fetch that. 

“Oh, no! Pole down. Daddy, I’m hungry, can I have some pizza? A horse refused a jump! Whew! Mommy can I have something to drink? That one was good, she didn’t knock any down! Daddy, can I have some ice cream? That’s a pretty horse, it has spots. Daddy, I’m still thirsty. Mommy, look at that big jump! I don’t think any of the horses can make it over that. I‘m still hungry. Can I have a pretzel?

With the pretzel request, my husband cracked. “That’s it!” he glared. You go. I’m not going again for *anything*!” I said nothing but shot back the, “Fine, I’ll go get the da*m pretzel, you lazy bleepity-bleep” look. I’m sure you know it well.

I picked up my barely-settled tush and slogged my way up the stairs. Exited onto the concourse. Shuffled my way past the hot dog stand, the pizza place, the donut emporium. Luckily we went during the middle of the day when none of the big prize or final competitions were being held, so lines were at a minimum everywhere. Even at the pretzel stand.

In fact, there was only one other guy standing next to me, already paying for his pretzel. I ordered mine as he dug around in his jean pocket for money. Hmm. Cool jeans, I thought. Wow, he’s a fun guy… look at all of those friendship bracelets tied around his wrist. Probably made by his daughter and her friends.

My eyes traveled up to his face…and.. “Holy Rosalita,” I thought. “That man looks just like… just like…just like… Bruce freaking Springsteen!”

Right, I sneered to myself. Springsteen is buying a day-old pretzel at some pony show. Himself. Not his assistant, not his body guard. Just him, standing in the pretzel line and rummaging around for change in his jean pocket, thick black glasses dangling from the shirt collar. Then a real voice interrupted the deep conversation my head was having with itself:

“Hey, man,” Pretzel Dude said to Cool Jeans/Friendship Bracelet Guy, “I saw you when you played here last year. You comin’ again?”

My heart thumped right out of my chest the way they do in cartoons, where you can actually see it beating. I swear!  ”WHAT?” I began the conversation with myself again. “The Pretzel Dude asking him if… WHAT?! Could this random guy standing next to me really be….”

“Probably be back here again,” this gravely voice said in response to Pretzel Dude’s question. “Didja have a good time at the last one?” Pretzel Dude eagerly confirmed that he had.

Vinny’s Got My Vote

Thank G-d for Entourage. 

It doesn’t s*ck, unlike some other shows (which shall remain nameless). Actually, one particular one was so disappointing this season that I *will* mention names: Shame on you Heidi, Nina & Michael for wasting my precious time. I wash my hands of you! BTW, Leanne: Cut that #*&$%* hair!).  

Now, back to more important issues, like the quirky Entourage chaps. Seeing how ParentZing!’s theme is urban. style. parenting., bet you’re wondering how the heck I’m gonna weave the good ol’ boys into a post that reflects this. Trust me, hon, I can weave with the best of ‘em! 

Behold exhibit A:

Enter stage right, Ari.

Yes, Ari, Ari, Ari: You had me at “a b*tch slap for a b*tch.”

Whooo hooo! You go, boy!

I gotta say, it would be kinda nice if every once in a while someone was inspired to b*tch slap another individual because of me. I’m not saying all the time, just, like…I don’t know, every couple of years. Ari is a devoted dad. Doting (some would say whipped) husband. So what if he’s a little, um, rough around the edges? The man b*tch slaps to preserve his wife’s honor!

Ari, will you marry me?

Along with standing up for his wife, he encourages her buy, buy and buy some more. Sarah Palin’s $150,000 wardrobe probably couldn’t stack up to Mrs. Ari’s sock collection. On top of all this, he’s even voting for Obama.

Well, not Ari, exactly. Jeremy Piven is for Obama – the actor that plays Ari. Now, Mr. Piven seems OK and all, but I really have no desire to marry him…you know, the real guy.

Cutie co-star Adrian Grenier (”Vinny” on the show) is also an Obama supporter. And who cares if he isn’t (yet) a parent. Adrian definitely meets all the other criterion in order to be interviewed for my book on celebrities and politics. 

Now, *he’s* a real guy I would love to hang out with and talk to (and perhaps stare longingly into his eyes). Have you seen his documentary on finding his real dad? That sweet young thang’s rockin’ a deep soul. And now he’s rockin’ the vote, as well:

 

Yo, Adrian, will *YOU* marry me?! (Pretty please?)

Celebrity Parents, Politics…(and Me, Of Course)

Tobey Macguire & his Spidey-spawn, Ruby.

A while back I blathered on and on about how someone came up with a book idea that for all intents and purposes really was mine. I just hadn’t thought of it yet. It’s a collection of stories told by mothers of famous people. You know, what it was like to raise their future stars and starlets.

I took it hard – I could have been interviewing all of those celeb parents, which would have, naturally, thrust me into the homes and lives of the celebrities themselves. In time I would become their friends, allies, and co-stars. It was as easy as A+B = C(elebrities). How the heck had I missed the boat?

And, isn’t one supposed to learn from one’s mistakes?

I guess not, because it’s happened again: Yes, someone else is working on a book that I should have thought of first. Steven J. Ross, Professor of History and chairman of the History Department at USC, winner of this and of that, blah..blah…blah…penned this: Hollywood Left and Right: How Movie Stars Shaped American Politics.

Argh.

The only saving grace is that the title says, “SHAPED politics” as in, past tense. Which means… Dr. Ross, if you need a research assistant to work on the follow up book about current Hollywood celebrities and politics, you know how to reach me.

I’ll need some (ok, a lot) of creative license to do what I d*mn well please. For instance, I’ll want to generate the final list of celebs to be interviewed. I will have set criteria, of course. It’ll include things such as who:

• donates time and money;
• is truly educated about the the causes for which they fight; 
• is among the best looking;
• is most eager to share their wardrobes with me; and
• will land me juicy parts on their EMMY-winning series.

I’ll even be bipartisan in my research, though for this election cycle that might be a liiiiiiiiittle hard. There are seemingly way greater numbers of cool, hunky and/or well-dressed celebrity Papas and Mamas in the Obama camp compared to McCain’s. 

I’m just sayin’.

According to sources out there, I could hang out and interview Obama-supportin’ parents such as Brad Pitt, who is Obama’s cousin. (I’m not lyin’, here!) Others folks I can chat with, to name just a few, include: Ben Harper (who’s married to and has kids with Laura Dern. Just how’d SHE get so, er, *dern* lucky?! See Ben in action by clicking on the video below), Matt Damon (who is being “Bourne” again for a fourth movie, we found out recently), Sarah Jessica Parker (did she officially dump Matthew yet?) and even Spider-Man.  

Oh, right, there’s the Obama email vixon Scarlett Johansson. Now, I don’t think she’s a very good actress. In my opinion she’s a one-trick pony. On top of that, I hear she’s a few fries short of a Happy Meal. On the other hand, she’s likely to have quite a well-stocked wardrobe. Moreover, she just married Ryan Reynolds in a quick & quiet ceremony because, some say, she’s preggers. Maybe I’ll include her as a footnote.

For the McCain chapter of the book I would be able to interview, well, Rip Torn and Sylvester Stallone. Um, er, whooo hooo? And, sheesh, get the straight jacket: There’s Joan Rivers, who spits venom about all the candidates.  

Meet John Kennedy: He Does Muppets, Makes Puppets. And I Don’t.

John Kennedy has been entertaining audiences for over two decades in films, television, and commercials. Any other actor would find huge fame in such a fruitful career, but John has learned that anonymity suits him fine in his job of performing puppets. As an author John has passed on his blueprints to puppetry success in his two puppet making books Puppet Mania and Puppet Planet. 

We interviewed John because, well… who the heck wouldn’t want to? He’s got the coolest job. He gets paid for doing the coolest job. ‘Nuff said.

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Q: Deep down we all want to be puppeteers. Looking back, what were the defining things that actually led you to achieve the goal? (In other words, where the heck did we go so wrong?! And, is it too late for us?)

I spent most of my youth in elementary school developing my voice through my puppets. When I got into junior high I realized that I had become antisocial. I had to reinvent myself through the other thing I knew, music. I joined show choir, jazz band, and in high school won an audition to go to Europe with a singing group. 

It was while I was in France, as our bus traveled over a bridge through a beautiful valley, that I realized that life was too short and I had to follow my true calling of puppetry. I had two music scholarships to college but turned them down when I got back home and started writing to Henson Associates for a job interview right away.

Q: Tell us about some of the characters you’ve played over the 18 years you’ve been a puppeteer, and which ones are your favorites.

The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss was my breakout show. Up until that time I had only been allowed to assist other puppeteers or do background characters. I had heard it is typical within the Muppet organization to train a new cast member for 5 years before being given a character. 

I don’t remember anyone saying to me, “Okay, you’ve put in your five years so you get to perform a character” but the timing did happen to work out that way. For this reason my favorite characters would have to be Horton the Elephant, Norval the Fish, Mr. Knox, Sam-I-Am, and all of the 40 plus characters I performed during the 2 seasons of this series. It was truly a Wubbulous time.

Q: Do you do the voices as well as the puppet movements? (If a puppeteer has to be able to sing then I never had a chance anyway).

Yes! I took all of those voice lessons in high school for that very reason. The latest show I am involved with is called Pajanimals. I get to sing and voice my own character (Apollo, the dog) while also being puppeteer coordinator. That means I get to choreograph the puppets and puppeteers, so those show choir days paid off too.

Brad: Email me & I'll put you in touch with John.

Q: What’s the most exciting thing that ever happened to you because you’re a puppeteer? For example, has Brad Pitt called you (yet) to perform a private show for his kids at the French chateau where he & Angelina live?

That would be cool! I’ve met and worked with a lot of famous people but the most exciting thing I was ever involved with was the press tour for Dinosaurs back in 1991. 

I was cast as an assistant puppeteer on that show and was only doing backup characters until the last day of the first episode when I got to perform the eyes of the baby dinosaur as he was born. After that moment Baby Sinclair became a hit character, largely because of the talents of Kevin Clash, but because I was his assistant I got to go along for his star studded journey into TV history.

Within weeks I found myself riding in limos and flying to NY, Chicago, and LA with all of the stars of ABC.  The Olsen twins, Rosanne Barr, Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis, and James Earl Jones were just a few of the big named stars that I was jetsetting with. I still remember the Olsen Twins, who must have been only 5 or 6 years old, being escorted to the bathroom on the plane.

Julie will get to assist John with his show for the Pitt-Jolie kids. Not fair! Maybe I can go as HER assistant?!

Q: If Brad Pitt calls you to fly to France to perform for his kids, can I come along as a roadie?

That’s the great thing about puppetry. You always need an assistant. My wife, Julie, goes on cruises with me as my assistant while I get paid to do workshops with the kids. What better job can you ask for? The only draw back is spending more money than you make at the tropical locations you get to visit.

Q: How have computers and all the incredible software out there either hurt or helped puppeteering? And what does the future hold for puppeteering?

Puppetry took a hit when computer animation came along. There were a lot of jobs for puppets before then.  I’m currently trying to bend the computer rules to include the ancient art of puppetry. 

My new short film, The Sure Sheep, showcases a new technique I’m developing that gives legs to my puppets.  I perform the characters in front of green and then superimpose computer animated legs on to them. The look is really cool and it leaves people wondering how it is done.

I Heart Chicago

Each month ParentZing! highlights a different city; this time around City “X” is Chicago. Our guest writer is “T.J.”, a transplant to the Windy City from LA. Along with three kids under 10, a spouse and a “very naughty chocolate Lab,” T.J. loves living in The Second City. Here are 10 reasons why their whole family thinks it’s first rate. 

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There are many reasons Chicago is such a great city to raise a family, so it’ll be hard to list only 10. I hope my fellow Chicagoans will offer their insights in the comments section so that readers can learn even more.

1. All the beaches and parks. We have something like over 550 parks. I forget the exact number, but it really doesn’t matter. Let’s just say it’s a crazy amount.

The largest, Lincoln Park, has a terrific and manageable zoo, cool statues like one of Shakespeare that the kids can climb and sit on, golf, basketball, tennis, public beaches, playgrounds, gardens, boating and a conservatory. During the summer there are theatre performances and concerts outdoors. There’s even more to do there, but you’ll have to come and check it out for yourself.

2. Sports. Even if you generally aren’t a sports fan, it’s fun to live in a city that is so intense about its teams. The anticipation and excitement is infectious. The Cubs, White Sox, Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks, whatever. Families attend sporting events in droves. Okay, so it can be expensive. Watching on TV is good, too. We get together with other families, pop the popcorn, and have our own stadium-style experience. (P.S. It helps if you have friends with really big high def plasma screens.)

3. Chicago respects and kids and culture.  There is always something cool and cultural going on in the city. Coming up soon (October 23 – November 2) is the annual Chicago International Children’s Film Festival. Yes, an international film festival just for children! And this isn’t just some politically correct thing someone just started. The festival’s been around for 25 years.

There are also many terrific museums. Our favorite is The Field Museum of natural history. There’s also live children’s theatre. Bottom line is there is no way you can get bored here.

“Mewed” Music

You know how when you (used to) have grownup parties you pick(ed) particular CDs to play in the background to set the mood? Well, I’ve got one for the kiddie party circuit: Baby Loves Salsa: Salsa para los gatitos y perritos. That is, Salsa for Kittens and Puppies.

The CD has 16 hot salsa tracks, some of them familiar (”You are My Sunshine”) and many not. The overall theme is a story about, yes, kitties and pups from New York City who form a successful salsa band. The journey starts with an introduction to instruments used in this type of band, along with what each one is called in English and Spanish.

The kids were more interested in the music than in the Spanish lesson, but no matter: Starting with the second song they began to expend massive amounts of energy. They joined rousing choruses of “all the little kitties say MEOW! MEOW! MEOW! All the little doggies say “HOWL! HOWL! HOWL!“ 
 

We all mewed, howled and, inexplicably, oinked our way around the room in a dance train that woulda made Mario Lopez darn proud.

I thought they might be interested in seeing real salsa dancing, but I knew my salsa-savvy friend Susan wasn’t in town to demonstrate. (She once tried to teach me the basic dance steps in a dark and lonely parking lot, under starry skies, as we attempted to jump start my brain-dead car. Long story). Since she wasn’t on hand for a live performance, I found a clip on YouTube.  

That was the only permission they needed to start spinning around to the music and wrapping their arms around each other in Twister-like poses. (It could be argued that some were more akin to a half nelson wrestling move).

So, it wasn’t really salsa dancing. Who cares, right? The salsa spirit was certainly there!

 

When Listening to Music Becomes a Production (Literally)

With everything going on in the world today (heck, even ”The King of Beers” is now owned by another country), it’s a particularly wise idea to introduce your child to other cultures early on. How? Not to get all literature-y on you, but I think it was Longfellow who said “Music is the universal language of mankind.” 

But does this hold true for “kidkind”? As I’m sure you’ve experienced, little sponges love hearing and watching the same things over and over and over (and over). In their case, familiarity breeds… well, more familiarity, not contempt. 

On a recent rainy weekend day I conducted a test. I slid the new Putumayo Kids CD “Sesame Street Playground: Songs and Videos from Around the World” into the player. I hit play, sat back, and observed. The disc begins with the Dutch “Sesamstraat.” There are 13 songs in all, only two of which are in English.

 
 

You know the look Shaggy gives when he yells out “Zoinks!“? That’s exactly the look they had on their faces as they listened with confused curiosity. After a couple of tracks one ‘em declared, “These songs sound… funny.”  

When the third track started — “Elmo’s Song” in good ol’ English — I explained to them that people who spoke languages other than ours probably thought that *this* song sounded funny. 

I smiled (at least inside), all smug and self-satisfied. I had taught them a valuable lesson.

Then Rubber Duckie came on in Mandarin. They howled. Knee-slapped. Rolled on the ground with laughter. Oh, yeah, and they were trying to imitate the sounds… and not in a politically correct way, I might add.

Justin Roberts Woke Me Up at 5:30AM

The clock says 5:30AM. Arghhhh! I roll over and sit up. What’s that noise? I hear a drumbeat. I hear vocals. I think I hear an electric guitar. Then THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.

I stumble out of bed, down the hall. More THUMP. THUMP. THUMP. You’ve got to be kidding me: Are those … giggles?

I push open the door to the kids’ bedroom. Before my red-rimmed eyes are two fully awake (inexplicably dressed for the day) five year olds. Did I mention it was 5:30AM?

The new Justin Roberts CD Pop Fly was blaring. Said children were jumping up and down with such zeal that the floor boards were shaking. I half-expected to see one crash through the hardwood, arms and head sticking out of the top of the hole, legs flailing beneath and visible only from the family room sofa.

Instead, they just looked at me. “We’re listening to the new Justhin Rahbarts!” Did I mention it was 5:30AM?

I can almost understand. Almost. The CD’s good. Catchy. Fun. Witty. It’s got a great beat and you can dance to it. Plus, just the day before we caught Sir Roberts and his band the Not Ready for Naptime Players at a concert in Washington, DC. Look, even if you haven’t been to a concert since, like, that 1993 UB40 one, I’m sure you remember what it’s like to get juiced up by a good live performance. You wanted to go home and listen to the cassette tape over and over, right?

If you aren’t yet enlightened, here’s the scoop: Justin is one of the darlings of the kiddie indie rock world. Except his melodies aren’t really just for the wee ones. In the same vein as They Might be Giants, Barenaked Ladies and Lisa Loeb, he successfully blurs (and in some cases practically erases) the lines between adult and kid music. 

In other words, Justin *rocks* for them AND — hallelujah! — for us.

It’s easy to get caught up in the alt-folksy-funk he and his band spin. On the surface Pop Fly tracks may sound like songs for the minis, but listen closely and you’ll notice there’s something for everyone. Take “Stay-At-Home Dad” for example. If you are ancient enough, you may remember an old 70s perfume ad that Justin’s lyrics mimic:

“Now he can bring home the bacon.
He fries it up in a pan.
At dinnertime when my mom gets home,
She’s like his biggest fan.”

The commercial before your time? Trust me, you gotta see it:

[Note: I know you're groaning. Of course you are! But everyone -- and I mean EVERYONE -- knew how completely tacky it was even back then. So laugh away, but with us... not at us.]

The Backyardigans Bug Me

You’ve probably watched the Backyardigans a time or two. You’ve probably even walked around absent-mindedly humming one of their chorus-y tunes. If you haven’t yet experienced these, um, “pleasures,” once your babe gets old enough, you will.

Anyway, in each episode Pablo, Tyrone, Tasha, Austin and Uniqua (yes, I said “Uniqua”) go into the backyards of their tract houses to play together. They use their imaginations to come up with wild adventures, such as being knights who have to guard a special egg that turns into a dragon. Or something like that.

I’m not really sure what the cast members are supposed to be: I think one of them is a penguin and another a moose. One looks like a polka-dotted hippo, but I could be wrong. Whatever, it doesn’t really matter.

What does matter is why the show bugs me. What’s wrong with a bunch of penguins/moose/whatever using their imaginations to play in their backyards? On the surface, nothing. It’s great that the show is encouraging kids to use their minds instead of watching TV (…except, wait, they ARE watching TV!).

Aside from this little bit of irony, the main problem as I see it is this: *ALL* they ever do is use their imaginations! They never have real experiences! They are stuck in their suburban homes — day in and day out — having nothing much else to do except congregate in their own backyards to make up bizarre stories.

Wouldn’t it be better if they occasionally left their backyards and saw, like, elements of the actual world?

Laurie Rocks Lincoln

I know you know who Laurie Berkner is. If not, ask any member of the Noggin crowd. They’ll tell you that she’s one cool cat. Dig it?

We dug it. And at $35 a ticket, we dug deep. Laurie and her band played at Lincoln Center in NYC over the weekend. Yes, the ex-preschool music teacher played a sold out show…at LINCOLN freakin’ CENTER! 

Since our kids are a bit older at age five, they did pretty well: They sang along and clapped when cued, generally understood how to behave in such a setting, and aside from periodic howls of “get off of my seat!” “shut up, I can’t hear!” or the random stealth pinch when they thought the other wasn’t looking, they enjoyed it. Really.

But still, 35 bucks a pop? We’re crazy… and clearly not the only ones. Though maybe a little less crazy than the poor parents who paid that much for their two year olds. You know, those, um, two year olds with, er, a two year old’s attention span.

Avoiding the School Lunch Crunch

We’re firmly into the school swing of things, and making those lunches everyday somehow isn’t getting any easier. Back in the day, a parent would slap some bologna between two pieces of white bread. Add a slice of American cheese. Slip in a Twinkie (or two).  Lunch done.  Today, many parents really do try to pack healthier options.  This requires a bit of creativity at times. And speaking from experience, it’s not a good idea to try to tap into your creativity at 6:30AM before you’ve had your first full cup of coffee.  

How to avoid the lunch crunch? Our guest poster Jill Cornfield, NYC mom, gives us her “battle plan”. And tying into our allergy thread, Jill provides some recipes to squash the hunger of kids allergic to various foodstuffs. 

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I guess it was inevitable that I’d get a little weary of turning out school lunches every day. When my younger son started kindergarten I was full of grand plans. I bought a cute tool that cut a sandwich in half on the diagonal with a fancy wavy line. I made things that looked like other things, like pinwheel wraps, or had cute names, like ants on a tree.

But now he’s in 3rd grade, and instead of tips and ideas for adorable, fun, irresistible lunches, here’s my battle plan for down-and-dirty, get-it-done, if-you-don’t-like-it-you-can-make-it-yourself lunches.

Sneeze-Free Buys

Today’s guest post is from B. Casey, a Chicago parent who knows the ins and outs of life with a sneezy, itchy kid (i.e., he has allergies). Here she shares some of her “sneeze-free” clothing finds. No allergy issues? No problem.  Flaking skin isn’t a requirement. Her organic cotton picks are perfectly cozy for every baby and kid in your life.  

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I‘ve traipsed the streets of my own and other cities and roamed the Information Highway in an attempt to find clothes that would make life a little less sneezy and itchy for my son, Jake. Organic cotton clothing is a good choice because it doesn’t have icky toxic residues and stuff that conventional cotton often does (plus, it’s softer!).  

Julia's kids do organic clothes.

One of my favorites spots to browse and buy is Fig Kids. Their website is one of the coolest out there. It’s almost like playing a video game.

And guess who reportedly buys their clothes? The Pretty Woman herself, Julia Roberts. If they are good enough for her, they are good enough for me.

 

 

Also look to Speesees. The name itself is fun, so you can imagine the clothes. If I had a girl, I’d want her to wear this pony dress. Maybe I should have another baby. I hope my husband is reading this.

 

Big Kid VrrrrrRoom!

You’ve checked out ParentZing!’s nursery and toddler room ideas. Now see what we’ve got on tap for bigger kids’ rooms. Once your growing creations see our options, they’ll be begging to clean up their place to make space. Maddox knows: Cool rooms rule.

 

 

 

 

If you have kids sharing space (which isn’t unlikely if you do live in the city, unless you’re Brad & Ang… who, by the way, just donated $2 million for an Ethiopian clinic) look to bunk beds as a solution. Today’s bunk beds are a far cry from the fugly ones of years past.  Great modern options are out there. Pricey, but this is one item you don’t want to skimp on. Whether you like it (or not), this’ll be the focal point of the room.  So make it a pleasing one, like this’un from Argington.

 

Take a poke at popular culture as well offering a space-saving place for your artiste to center his or her attention. Look at the cute Chalkals wall chalkboard decals for options. When your precious babe isn’t looking, you’ll be doodling episodes of the original 90210. Fer sure.

 

Toddler VrrrrrRoom!

Violet Affleck, practicing her chase scenes.

Maybe you didn’t stop to read our Nursery VrrrrrRoom entry because you’re past the coochie-coochie-coo phase and into the chase scenes. Well, we wouldn’t leave you in a lurch.  We’ve also got some finds that will help give your active toddler’s room some vrrrrrroom! 

First, make catching your creature easier by getting some of that energy out. The slick Svan Scooter will do the trick.  With its swishes and curves, it nearly doubles as an architectural sculpture. 

 

 

 

 

Encourage tidiness with zero effort by using the P’kolino clothes tree. Kids will hang their sweaters, hats and whatever else they can get their hands on — all without being asked.  

And talk about double-duty! Imagine the fun the kids will have playing “camping” by hanging flashlights on the branches. 

 

 

Team it up with a cool foldable teepee like this one and you’ve got a winning combination…both fun-wise and style-wise. 

 

 

 

Nursery VrrrrrRoom!

Gwen & Gavin have cool digs for their kids; you can, too.

Why should your baby or kid have a boring ol’ room when he or she can have a “vrrrrroom“? 

Come on, there are no longer *any* valid excuses for having a tired or tacky nursery or kid’s bedroom. And ok, let’s be honest: Haven’t we worked hard and shopped long to get the rest of our home just the way we want it? Really, you don’t have to sacrifice your style … your little creature’s habitat can have both function AND form.

Thankfully, these days the merchandising powers-that-be understand that many of us think Pooh is cute as long as he stays within the pages of a book.  That means modern, well-designed furniture and accessories are out there for the masses. Yes, you could spend a bundle on your bundle… but you don’t HAVE to.

In this series of posts — starting with today’s nursery finds — we provide some affordable options to check out as well as some splurges.  Mix and match inexpensive with expensive, old with new, pre-fab with handmade. 

Now, all you swanky gentleman & ladies: Start your engines… and get ready to vrrrrroom!

 

Celery’s line of baby furniture is at once utilitarian and stylish.  Part Zen/part mod, this rockin’ cradle would fit into any nursery from now until we party like it’s 2999.  We say that date because this piece IS expensive… but it appears well-made and is intended to last for generations. (And it’s eco-friendly, so your great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandchildren won’t hate you for contributing to whatever mess Earth is in at that point).

 

I Heart New York

We hope our loving, hip, giving readers will share with us why they heart raising their families in City “X” [fill in the blank].  First up is NYC. Our guest writer Jill Cornfield tells us the top 10 reasons she loves livin’ in the Big Apple with kids. Surburbs? Please. Read on and see why Jill and her family think the Apple is
soooo sweet…

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1. Museums. In the Metropolitan Museum of art alone, there’s Egyptian, Greek and Roman art, modern art, European masterpieces, arms and armor, enough weapons to outfit several regiments from most of the last millennium, cafes and gift shops galore.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg: There are many more museums to check out. The toy soldier museum. The transit museum. The Jewish museum. The Museum of the American Indian. The dinosaur museum (aka the Museum of Natural History). The Tenement Museum. The Skyscraper Museum. The Museum of Chinese in the Americas. The NY Food Museum has no home, but it does have an annual pickle festival. And guess what?! It’s *next* weekend! 
 

Prepping for Your Canadian Move

Some of our readers will entertain a move to Canada come November, depending on the outcome of the election.  Well, we’re here to help. Y’know, Canada has fabulous cities in which to raise your kids! 

You may first want to bone up on process. And fancy this: All the work has been done for you with the book How to Move to Canada: A Primer for Americans.  

 

It’s also never too early to start preparing the rest of your family for the possible move. Begin with a firm knowledge of hockey trivia.

 

Me like cute bears! Me wanna go to Canada, Mama...NOW!!!

 

 

For the teeniest of tiniest expats-to-be, make the ABC of Canada required bedtime reading.

 

 

 

 

Let the Games REALLY Begin

"Babe, I hear the photog knows the admissions director. Smile purty!"

The summer Olympics are sooo over; now let the games REALLY begin. 

What games, you ask? Um, that would be the FRANTIC Games.

Fueled by the belief that the “best” preschools are a direct route to the “best” universities, parents from hither and thither follow the reasoning that acceptance now to top preschools equals futures at ivy colleges. 

Parents from all walks of life fall prey and become FRANTIC around this time of year.  Heck, even Tori & Dean are FRANTIC.  It’s well documented, you know.

Anyway, the basic point is this: If you your children don’t get into the most competitive preschools, you can give up the dream that they will get into decent colleges. In fact, you should be prepared for the cruel truth:Your little failures will be bound for those diplomas you can get while wearing your pajamas.

Putting “Time Out” in a Time Out

The September 2008 print issue of Time Out New York: Kids has a section entitled “Whining and Dining” which is, of course, about eating out with children. There are reviews of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens eateries.

The mag also offers tips for a successful restaurant visit.  Yeah, yeah… all well and good.  But they forgot to mention our recent similar post, No Fries with That: Upscale Restaurants with Kids.

Humph.

Shame on you, Time Out, for not taking the opportunity to point your cursor to ParentZing! Such naughty behavior warrants — dare we say it — a time out.

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ParentZing! Perk: The Children’s Place is offering 15% off all purchases with code FA78 (ends 9/2).

Transit Trek: The Next Generation

Today’s guest post by the Muni Ladies is a follow-up to our recent entry entitled, “Free Ride: Taking Public Transportation with Babies & Kids.”

Picking up where Ms. Manners leaves off, the Muni Ladies are the sassy duo behind Muni Manners, and they’ve given a face lift to mass transit etiquette. While inspired by San Francisco Bay Area transit, their etiquette rules apply to public transportation in any metro area. 

PS For Michael Phelps fans: See the video we just appended to our Phelps’ Mom Sez: “Where Did I Go RIGHT?“ post. You *will* find it funny!

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When it comes to parenting, there’s never a bad time to introduce etiquette and manners. As new riders and their families join the existing legions of the transit savvy, we at Muni Manners feel that simple and actionable etiquette rules resonate now more than ever – on public transportation, at home, or in school.