Archive for November, 2008

Ah, Thanksgiving. A time for turkey, counting your blessings and of course, taking the annual family photo. If a perfectly posed pic is the goal, think again. Classic Kids Photography founder Julie Floyd offers these tips on impromptu shots that will capture kids’ true personality:

1. Never say “smile” or ask the children to say “cheese.” Their mouth will smile, but their eyes will not. Get kids to smile by keeping them entertained.

2. The photographer needs to bring the camera down to eye level. Position yourself in a child-friendly spot — even lay on the floor if necessary.

3. Fill the frame with your subject. A nice close shot is far more interesting to the viewer than seeing a lot of background.

4. Leave props out of the photograph unless the object is something your child can’t live without.

5. Make the shoot fun. If your four kids have to sit still for the picture, make sure that you are very entertaining. Enlist help from another adult if necessary.

6. Let kids be kids. Don’t stress about boo-boos, braces, bruises and black eyes. Imperfections are charming and make kids look real. Don’t insist that hair is perfectly styled. Remember, natural truly is timeless.

There probably aren’t that many parents out there right now who would shell out $1500 for a stroller. That must be why there are only 15 of the new limited-edition Marc Jacobs for Bugaboo stroller that’s being released on Wednesday. Jacobs lent the black “love Marc” print from his spring/summer RTW collection to the Bug’s Cameleon model.

If you are in fact in need of a pricey pram, look no further than these retailers worldwide (that is, if they haven’t already sold out): Six strollers will be available through the Marc Jacobs showroom in NYC, four at Colette in Paris, two at Selfridges, two at Marc Jacobs in Dubai and one in Amsterdam.

The Thanksgiving menu is planned, the groceries bought and the kitchen cleaned. But you were so busy Googling recipes for low-fat pumpkin pie that you completely forgot about the table.

Check out the super-easy centerpiece suggestions on Celebrations.com, a new site that offers tons of party tips for any special occasion. Follow the instructions on how to incorporate seasonal decor like little pumpkins and tea lights, or even spare coffee cans and backyard leaves, into a look that works well with your Wedgwood. Maybe the kids will even be inspired to eat veggies when they see how you’ve turned an artichoke into a work of art.

And if your well-placed decorations get destroyed by a turkey-loathing toddler, don’t fret. The only cost was a little craftiness.

Visit celebrations.com.

DVR has made commercials a thing of the past (hellooo, fast forward!) but this recent ad for Motrin caused quite a stir on YouTube when it talked about pain caused by baby carriers. Is babywearing a “trend” that makes you feel tired and crazy, or is someone stirring up controversy? The Big Money’s YouTube BrandWatch wants to know what you think. Check it out here and vote.

With school vacas coming soon, you may be gearing up for some family day trips in your city. The first museum visit with a toddler or preschooler can leave you both tired, cranky and determined never to look at art again. But with some planning, the experience can be great. Below are some tips from the brains behind the children’s programs at MoMA, The Met, The American Museum of Natural History and The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum on tackling a museum outing with kids in tow:

Timing: Call to find out when the museum is at its quietest and least crowded. Gangs of school kids can be distracting and frightening to a young child.

Prep Talk: Discuss ahead of time what a museum is and what kind of things your child will see. Perhaps check out a book or website with a painting or a rocket you will be able to show him in real life. Recognizing something he has seen before gives a child a sense of familiarity and confidence. Finally, explain the rules of museum behavior (indoor voices, no running, do not touch the artwork or wander off) before you leave.

Location: Get a map and figure out — before you venture into the wilds of an exhibit — where the bathrooms are and where you can refuel over lunch or a snack.

Guiding Light: Ask at the front desk if there are special guides or audiotapes designed for children and families. A little advice as to what may appeal to young ones takes the pressure off you to explain cubism, gravity or the bloodthirstiness of the animal food chain in ten words or less.

Pick a Color: Upon entering a gallery, make up games like finding a certain animal in a picture, or looking for any artwork with the color red. Ask what your child thinks the story is behind his favorite painting, or what a subject might be feeling and why.

Changing Gear: Slough off coats and anything else you can live without at the coat check, and ask if the museum either rents or lends out umbrella strollers or backpacks.

Big is Beautiful: You may be looking forward to studying the minute detail of a particular painting, but your child is likely to be more interested in the big stuff. Allow time for her to take in the sheer grandeur and size of the entrance hall. If the atmosphere of the museum space itself or the sheer scale of, say, a mammoth blue whale or an Egyptian temple is what impresses her the first time, chances are she’ll want to come back.

Life Imitates Art: If your kid is interested in drawing, bring along a sketchpad and pencil (most museums have strict rules about pens and paint). Sit on a bench in front of a painting she likes and let her draw it. Make a big deal of the finished piece by hanging it up at home.

Happy Endings: Know when to call it a day. Even with frequent rests and visits to the cafeteria, most children can only take 45 to 90 minutes in a museum, depending on their age. What they will remember is how they felt when they left — and hopefully will look forward to the next visit.

Black Friday is upon us, but don’t get lost in a whirlwind of crowded stores and cashmere socks. Be thankful this Thanksgiving: Get into the real holiday spirit with a donation to a worthwhile cause.

Dress for Success
Clean out your closet for the New Year and donate new or gently used suits and other business attire to your local chapter of Dress for Success. The national organization provides suits to disadvantaged women returning to or entering the workforce.

Habitat for Humanity
A $10 donation provides a box of nails and $100 will buy a kitchen sink for a deserving, low-income family’s new home.

Project Sunshine
The national programs provide free social, educational and recreational programs to children and families affected by medical challenges. A quick online donating system makes the process simple.

Reading is Fundamental
A monthly gift of $10 to $50 provides books and reading material to children in need across the country.

Red Cross
A gift can aid children and families affected by hurricanes, floods and fires.

Room to Grow
A financial donation will assist a parent living in poverty in obtaining essential support and supplies during her baby’s first three years.

Save the Children
A nominal monthly donation helps communities build schools and trains local teachers. Monitor your gift’s progress through the online eProject.

Toys for Tots
Make a child’s holiday season brighter: Locate your nearest chapter to donate new, unwrapped toys for children in need throughout the States.

What’s your favorite charity this year?

Sometimes mealtime feels like slip ‘n slide. Cups end up overturned, forks are on the floor and saucers go straight for the ceiling.

Regain some order in the kitchen: Boon’s Stay-put Divided Plate has a slip-resistant base that grips the tabletop to keep it in place. The “edgeless design” keeps kids from lifting it off the table, while three sections help keep peas and carrots separate. It’s available now for pre-order and ships December 1 — and at $5.99 you might want to get an extra or two.

And keep the peace.

Available at booninc.com.

This year it’s your turn to host Thanksgiving dinner. And after your blowout election night party, you’ve got a lot to live up to when it comes to a happy holiday.

Don’t stress: Stop & Shop shared this handy checklist of turkey day time savers that will help you stay organized and still have time for a turkeytini:

• Clean out the refrigerator ahead of time to make room for appetizer platters, drinks and desserts.
• Look for items on the menu that can be made ahead of time and refrigerated or frozen — cook, peel, cube and cut the night before, and store items in separate plastic bags in the fridge.
• Use versatile cook wear (microwaveable and oven save) for items you prepare ahead of time
• Set up the buffet or table in advance.
• Dress up frozen veggies with slivered or honey-roasted almonds, grated low-fat cheese or a favorite sauce.
• Purchase pies from the bakery and add whipped cream or ice cream when serving.
• Place a variety of drinks in a tub with ice so guests can serve themselves.
• Remember food safety: Use a meat thermometer (cook until the thigh reaches 160 degrees); keep cold buffet items on ice and hot foods warm (remember the 2-hour rule); and refrigerate leftovers promptly.

As a pregnant fashion girl, you crave skinny jeans more than milkshakes. But the days of squeezing your belly into pre-preggo pants are over.

Just in time for your next trimester, Unbuttoned Maternity’s online shop has compiled all the chicest brands into one big roster of dresses, denim, lingerie and more. Brands like NOM, Belabumbum and Inca Mama cover everything from sweaters to sleepwear, while skincare from Belli Cosmetics and plenty of prenatal books will keep you outfitted for 40 weeks and beyond. Especially in-demand will be the site’s selection of coats (stylish, well-proportioned ones) and day-to-night frocks that will get you through the holiday season.

It’s so fitting.

Available at unbuttonedmaternity.com.

Winter winds make a mockery of flimsy baby lids. That hand-knitted thing from your Aunt Mabel is full of holes you can pass a pencil through. It’s not going to stop a stiff breeze any more than flip-flops will keep your toes from getting frozen in the snow. Wrap your child’s tender skull in what is essentially a fuzzy fleece blanket: the Patagonia Baby Synchilla Hat.

This particular blanket is made of 85 percent recycled material, and comes in a fierce little aviator style with an adjustable snap under the chin, handy if you have a particularly chinless baby. The top of the hat is reinforced in some magic way; it forms a little stick-out roof to shield eyes from rain, sleet, and snow. Snap this on your kid and maybe it won’t matter that he’s taken off his socks again.

Available at patagonia.com.