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5 Tasty and Nutritious Back to School Snacks

Sheena — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 07:12:40 +0000

It’s back to school season and while school supplies, gadgets, and new attire are important items on the shopping list, so are nutritious snacks for the kids when they return home. Chicago healers Practitioner Naturopath Dr. Melody Hart, N.D sent over some recommended back to school recipes that both tasty and nutritious.

Pear Pinwheels

· Whole-wheat tortillas
· Cheddar cheese, grated
· Pear, peeled and thinly sliced

Directions:
1. Place 1 whole-wheat tortilla on a plate, and sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Cover cheese with pear slices. Sprinkle pear with a bit more cheese.

2. Microwave for 30 seconds, or until cheese melts. Roll, and cut into slices.

Fruit Smoothie

· 1 container (8 ounces) vanilla-flavored nonfat yogurt
· 1 banana, sliced
· 1 cup frozen strawberries or peaches
· 1/4 cup orange juice

Directions:
1. In a blender, whip together all ingredients. Serve in glasses

Cupid Clusters

· 3 cups Yogurt-Burst Cheerios or similar whole-grain cereal
· 1/2 cup chopped dried strawberries
· 1-1/2 cups white chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Place paper liners in 24 mini muffin cups. Toss the whole-grain cereal and chopped dried strawberries in a medium bowl.

2. Melt the white chocolate in a microwave on high for a minute, stirring it frequently. Combine with the cereal and strawberry mixture. Spoon into prepared cups and refrigerate until the clusters are firm, about 5 minutes.

PB and Raspberry Pops

· 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
· 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
· 1 cup reduced-fat milk
· 2-4 tablespoons honey, divided
· 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
· 1-1/2 cups raspberries
· 2 cups raspberry juice or raspberry juice blend
· 1/4 cup sesame seeds (optional)

Directions:
1. Combine peanut butter, yogurt, milk, 2 tablespoons honey, and vanilla in a food processor or blender until smooth.

2. Pour peanut-butter mixture into eight 6- to 7-ounce paper cups or pop molds until they’re one-third full. Cover and freeze for 1 hour. Cover and chill remaining peanut-butter mixture until needed.

3. Stir together raspberries and juice, divide among the cups or molds, and insert sticks. Cover and freeze for an hour. Then fill with remaining peanut-butter mixture and freeze for at least 8 hours, or until firm.

4. Let stand at room temperature for about 5 minutes before unmolding. If you want, spoon honey around the rims and sprinkle on sesame seeds.

Nutty Popcorn and Fruit Mix

· 1 package (6- to 7-cup yield) plain microwave popcorn
· Nonstick cooking spray
· 2 to 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
· 2 cups potato sticks
· 1-1/2 cups peanuts or almonds
· 1 cup mixed dried fruit

Directions:
1. Pop popcorn according to package directions. Pour popcorn into a very large bowl; coat lightly with cooking spray.

2. Sprinkle popcorn with Parmesan cheese; toss gently to coat. Stir in potato sticks, peanuts, and dried fruit.

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And the winner of the 2010 Joovy Caboose is…

Sheena — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 02:26:38 +0000

MommyNamedApril who said, “snacks!!! we always keep snacks with us when we’re out and about.” Congratulations April!!!

Thanks to everyone who entered our giveaway and thanks to those who patiently waited for me to draw a winner! If you’d like another chance at winning a 2010 Joovy Caboose stroller, you can submit to have your family featured here at coNectar. In December, we will be drawing a winner from the featured familes, so the chances of winning are VERY high!

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Welcome to the world baby Bryce!

Sheena — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 02:49:00 +0000

Please welcome baby Bryce to the world! He was born on August 4th, 2010. He entered this world weighing 7 pounds, 2 ounces, and stretching 19 3/4 inches long. He has illustrious black hair and brown eyes. Congratulations to the Etheridge family! Show them some love!

— — —

And while we’re on the topic of babies, guess who I had a chance to snuggle up with at the BlogHer ’10 conference? Lil’ J from Baby Making Machine! Ahh, some day I’ll have me a sweet baby girl to call my own.

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12 Tips for Your Disneyland Trip

tim — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 13:00:08 +0000

Heading to the “Happiest Place on Earth”? Not if you go bankrupt as a result of bad planning or end up with crying children. Take a minute to review our 12 tips for a successful Disneyland experience. This list is an excerpt. For the full story, see our article titled “Destination Disneyland”.

Use the ‘ART’ bus system. Generally much faster from hotel room to park. Less hassle with the stroller and bags. No stressful driving.
Pack your own lunches. Eat when you want. Avoid the high prices in the park. Save your money for the turkey legs, churros and frozen lemonade.
Bring your own water. And use the savings to pay off your mortgage early.
Book a large room with breakfast included. Many of the hotels offer an extensive hot breakfast buffet. If not included in your room, these meals can be costly. But if your room is booked correctly, you can start your day with everyone fat and happy.
Book your trip with Get Away Today for extras. Usually breakfast is included through the Get Away Today site. Great prices on multiple day passes to the park. Ask about other perks.
Use FastPasses and parent passes. If you are traveling with little ones, the parent passes allow everyone to enjoy the rides. FastPasses are critical if you are enjoying the park on a busy day. If you want to get real technical, TouringPlans.com has analyzed the traffic flow and created a mathematical model to help you make the most of your time. There is a small subscription fee to access the information.
Use backpacks to organize your belongings. Use bags instead of throwing everything in the bottom of the stroller. Getting on and off the bus and through security will be a much more pleasant experience.
Know the height requirements of the attractions. Avoid the disappointment when you get to that ride and your young one is too short. Platform shoes anyone? See our post on height requirements at Disney and California Adventure.
Plan your show schedule in advance. There are some great shows in both parks but often they only run once or twice each day. Plan ahead so you don’t miss that must see show.
Get your treats in advance from the dollar store. Just an easy cost cutting trick. Add those lunch extras and snack time treats for a fraction of the price. But save room for the good stuff (see above).
Choose the right stroller. Inevitably even the older kids are going to wear out and collapse. Even if your kids don’t normally need a stroller, by night time at Disneyland they will. A few of our favorites you ask…Joovy Ultralight, Baby Jogger City Mini (single or double) and the Bob Revolution (single or double).
Find the local restaurants where kids eat free. Many of the restaurants surrounding Disneyland offer free kids meals on specific days or times. Couple of good resources include Kids Eat For and The Orange County Register.

Again, this is just a quick list. See the full article for more details. Have a wonderful time at the “Happiest Place on Earth”.

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Featured Family: The Page Family

Sheena — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 00:45:13 +0000

Please welcome Crissy Page and her family from Chillicothe, Ohio!

Tell us about your family.

My husband Zach and I are 30-year-old first time parents to a happy baby boy, Evan, who turned 1 on August 3rd. I am a professional lifestyle portrait photographer and freelance writer, working from home, and my husband works for a popular battery distributor.

What are some of your family’s favorite activities to do away from home?

We love taking Evan to visit family and friends, and as he grows and matures, he really enjoys rides in the stroller more and more.

Do you have trouble getting out of the house? Do you have a routine that makes getting out easier?

Sometimes it is difficult to get out of the house when just staying home is so much easier, but, Evan and I visit my parents home several times a week, and we have a family dinner every Sunday at my husband’s grandmother’s house, which is always nice.

When out and about, what items do you carry that keep the family sane?

If I have learned one thing as a mother so far, it is to pack the diaper bag in advance! I adore my Holly Aiken diaper tote, and keep it chock full of Evan’s essentials, which besides the diapering essentials includes a container of puffs, a sippy cup, and a few small toys and teethers in case he requires a distraction. As far as strollers, we actually have three, but the one that Evan prefers is the Jeep Liberty Limited Urban Terrain Stroller. He loves the steering wheel and compartments up front for his toys and beverage!

Do you have any parenting words of wisdom? What is your family mantra?

My advice to parents would be to try to view and experience the world as your child does, to appreciate the wonder and magic of everyday things, and to express your enthusiasm to your kids.

Featured Families are automatically entered to win a stroller valued at $250! Would you like to be interviewed for our Featured Families series? Send us an email!

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Height Requirements for Disneyland and California Adventure

tim — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 13:00:16 +0000

Planning a trip with your young ones to the Magical Kingdom? Many of the attractions have height requirements. Nothing is worse than hiking your way through the park to that attraction you cannot wait to enjoy and then finding one of your family members cannot ride. So in the interest of avoiding tears and tantrums, the following list provides those rides with height requirements…

Disneyland

Autopia – must be at least 32 inches (81 cm) and accompanied by another rider OR 54 inches (137 cm) to drive alone.

Must be at least 35 inches (89 cm)…

Gadget’s Go Coaster (Mickey’s Toontown)
Matterhorn Bobsleds (Fantasyland)

Must be at least 40 inches (102 cm)…

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (Frontierland)
Space Mountain (Tomorrowland)
Star Tours (Tomorrowland)
Splash Mountain (Critter Country)

Must be at least 46 inches (117 cm)…

Indiana Jones Adventure (Adventureland)

California Adventure

Must be at least 36 inches (91 cm)…

Tuck and Roll’s Drive ‘Em Buggies (“a bug’s land”)

Must be at least 40 inches (102 cm)…

Jumpin’ Jellyfish (Paradise Pier)
Silly Symphony Swings – tandem swing (Paradise Pier)
Soarin’ Over California (Condor Flats)
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (Hollywood Pictures Backlot)

Must be at least 42 inches (107 cm)…

Grizzly River Run (Condor Flats)
Redwood Creek Challenge Trail – certain challenges only (Condor Flats)

Must be at least 48 inches (122 cm)…

California Screamin’ (Paradise Pier)
Silly Symphony Swings – single swing (Paradise Pier)

Must be at least 50 inches (132 cm)…

Maliboomer (Paradise Pier)

Can anyone say “platform shoes”?

By the way, Magic Mornings (early park entrance days) are Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

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Mobility Disabilities and Disneyland

tim — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:00:24 +0000

I admit there was a time in my life when I just didn’t get Disneyland. Crowds, long walks and long lines drowned out the fun. The “magic” returned, however, when we took our oldest daughter for her first visit a number of years ago. Seeing all of it through her eyes brought back memories of my visits as a child. Since then we have returned several times with our four daughters.

We recently returned again and I learned an even greater lesson. Disneyland is truly for everyone! We spent the first couple of days as a family experiencing both Disneyland and California Adventure. Later in the week we were joined by a delightful friend of the family. Stacey has some physical disabilities that require her to enjoy the park in a scooter. Disneyland is one of her favorite places and she visits as often as she can.

As it turned out, our day with Stacey was our favorite day of the week. We all love Stacey and our kids love being with her so this was not a surprise. What was a surprise to me was that my faith in people and a big business (The Disney Corporation) took a positive step forward. I spent the day marveling at the compassion, professionalism and kindness of the Disneyland employees as they helped us on and off the rides. I had, as anyone who has visited the park, passed by those in wheelchairs as I exited rides. But I had really never noticed the staff helping those with mobility disabilities on or off the rides. The employees help in a way that keeps the line moving and in a way that does not draw attention to those with special needs.

We never waited in line at an attraction for more than 10 minutes. We received a smile from nearly every Disneyland employee that assisted us. While there were a few attractions where we waited in line with everyone else, most attractions allowed for those in wheelchairs and scooters to come through the exit or another special entrance. You can find more information on guests with mobility disabilities on the Disneyland website.

So today I give a big shout out to Disney. Kudos! You earned it. Thanks for allowing everyone to visit in a way that does not compromise dignity. Yes, it is a magical place!

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Summer Window Safety

Sheena — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 05:31:11 +0000

With the weather all nice and toasty, families are keeping windows open throughout the house to take advantage of breezy summer days. This can certainly pose a serious safety risk for young children. I witnessed a child no more than my son’s age poking his head out of the window of his two-story home. He obviously had climbed something, such as a bed to get up there. And I’ve got a feeling, this wasn’t the first time he had done this. I just hope that his parents prevent him from doing it again.

Dr. Tony Woodward, chief of emergency medicine at Seattle Children’s Hospital, recorded a safety video which offers parents helpful tips to prevent kids from falling out of open windows. He also shares that almost 5,000 children nationwide fall out of windows each year and children ages 2-5 are at the highest risk. Those are some very scary statistics. Here are some of the tips that he mentioned, but please check out the video for a better visual and additional tips.

Move furniture and anything your child can climb on away from windows.
Use window stops or window guards.
If you must open a window that does not have a stop or guard, open it only 4 inches or less.
Remember that screens on windows keep bugs out but don’t keep kids in.
Plant bushes or install soft edging under windows to lessen impact in case of a fall.

© sheena for StrollerDepot.com coNectar, 2010. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: safety, summer, windows

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Shynea had a baby girl, too!

Sheena — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:48:32 +0000

Shynea H., blogger and mom of four boys gave birth to her precious baby girl July 7th at 2:54am! She weighed 7 lbs. 12 oz. and was 20 1/4 inches long! She has dark eyes and a head full of dark hair. Head on over to Penny Penching Diva and show her some love!

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Featured Family: The Gordons

Sheena — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 13:02:54 +0000

Last year’s Holiday photo taken outside their Clarinda home.

Please welcome Tanya Gordon and her family! They reside in Clarinda, Iowa, a small town which Tanya likes to call Mayberry! *chuckle*

Tell us about your family.

I am a SAHM to Tucker (5) and Kambry (2 ½). Hubby is a teacher and coach of 4 sports. We live in a small town, in a 1900 home which we constantly are updating to make it ours.

What are some of your family’s favorite activities to do away from home?

With hubby’s busy schedule, it’s the kids and I a lot of times. We love to travel to see family & friends any chance we get.

Do you have trouble getting out of the house? Do you have a routine that makes getting out easier?

We are trying to work on a routine for us, and the kids. We don’t know many people in our town, so we will go on walks as a family, go to the park or just hang out here at the house.

When out and about, what items do you carry that keep the family sane?

When we are driving, our DVD player in the car keeps the kids sane while on the go. We always travel with a fun bag with books, small toys, colors, coloring books, brain games.

Do you have any parenting words of wisdom? What is your family mantra?

Patience is the best aptitude to have. I have none, but each day that grows. Love and patience are the best things to have.

Featured Families are automatically entered to win a stroller valued at $250! Would you like to be interviewed for our Featured Families series? Send us an email!

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