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The Best After-School Snacks

The Best After-School Snacks For Hungry Kids

EAT, snacks By August 20, 2012 Tags: , , , No Comments

Now that the kiddos are heading back to school, you need to have the pantry prepared for the traditional after-school-snacks raiding. Growing kids come back from school and sports practice famished–and here are the best after-school snacks for your hungry kids ideas that are healthy, filling, and will hopefully appeal to your kids’ perhaps-picky natures.

Veggie Dippers. Keep a ready supply of already-cut veggies on hand in plastic Ziploc bags (broccoli, celery, carrots, cauliflower, bell pepper strips, sugar snap peas, etc.) in the crisper. Let your kids pair them with dips, because many vegetables are rich sources of fat-soluble vitamins like Vitamin D and E. Try hummus, lowfat cream cheese with herbs, lowfat ranch dressing, or cucumber sauce.

Fruit Dippers or Cheesers. Slice up apples and pears and serve them paired with lowfat cheddar cheese or a lowfat cream cheese dip (try mixing sugar-free strawberry preserves with cream cheese for a fantastic dip).

Snack mix.  Make your own snack mix with Chex or Life cereal, dry-roasted nuts like almonds and peanuts, raisins, coconut shavings, and dried fruit and granola. Served with lowfat milk or yogurt, this is a powerhouse snack, packed with fiber, calcium, protein, and good energy-giving carbs.

Tortilla rollups. Keep whole wheat tortillas around and smear or fill them with a variety of items: hummus, tuna salad, shredded cheese and veggies, cream cheese and jelly, sliced ham or turkey, etc.

Mini-pizzas. Have your kids make their own with whole wheat English muffins, topped with pizza sauce, lowfat mozzarella cheese, and whatever toppings suit their tastes. Pop them in the toaster oven or under the broiler and in five minutes, you have a tasty, nutritious, and filling snack.

 

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Art Supplies for Kids and Toddlers

LIVE, play By August 20, 2012 Tags: , , , , No Comments

If you have one child or several, if doesn’t matter: they all love doing arts and crafts. The best way to be prepared for rainy days or sick days or just whenever the creative yen strikes is to have some basic art supplies for kids and toddlers on hand. Some you’ll have known already, but some might surprise you!

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Music for Toddlers

grow, LIVE By August 20, 2012 Tags: , , , , No Comments

We’ve all heard the old saying, “Music soothes the savage beast,” and know the benefits of music for unborn and newborn babies. But what about toddlers? If there ever was a savage beast to tame, it would be an unruly toddler. But beyond lullabies, what benefits does music for toddlers bring? Let’s examine some of the ways toddlers are influenced for the better by music, and how to utilize music for toddlers to the best effect.

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Baby Shower Gift List

GEAR, toys By August 20, 2012 Tags: , , , 1 Comment

Having a baby shower is one of the most enjoyable parts of pregnancy—who doesn’t love a party and getting lots of useful swag, all while being pampered by the people you care about the most? But baby showers aren’t just excuses to play silly games and eat yummy stuff with your friends and family: it’s an opportunity to stock up on valuable items that will prepare you and your home for the impending new addition to the family. Compiling a baby shower gift list, whether for a registry or for distribution amongs attendants, is the best way to ensure that you get the things you need and want. With that in mind, here is how to put together the best baby shower gift list.

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Baby Shower Menu Ideas

EAT, entertain By August 18, 2012 Tags: , , , No Comments

When planning a baby shower, the menu is usually one of the top ítems to consider—we all know how bad  or great food can make or break and party! There are many factors that should go into your consideration of baby shower menu ideas, such as the venue, the time of day and year, cost, and, especially, the mom-to-be’s preferences!

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Best Baby CDs

GEAR, toys By August 14, 2012 Tags: , , , , , , 5 Comments

It is well-established that music is beneficial for children’s mental and emotional development, even in the womb. Also, music is a great way to help baby drift off to sleep…and mom, too! Here are some of the best Baby CDs out there right now, all are available through Amazon and other outlets.

Rockabye Baby. For those of us who don’t want to sacrifice our hipness or adversely influence our childrens’ brain development by exposing them to too much silly kids’ music and cultivate some style and culture…it’s Rockabye Baby! You saw it on Ellen Degeneres and other places; celebs love these Baby CDs, because they literally rock! Your favorite songs by your favorite rock, pop and even some R&B artists, such as Coldplay, Bob Marley, the Beatles, Green Day, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, etc., are all on here. Sure, lullaby versions of your favourite hit songs can get Junior to crash for a nap, and subliminally you’ll be telling him, “Just say NO to bad music!”

Disney Babies: Lullaby Album. This is a must-have in every nursery CD player or MP3 playlist. The best Disney songs as lullabies, it doesn’t get much better than this!

Jewel, Lullaby. For those of us who love Jewel’s sweet, plaintive, ethereal yet earthy voice, this is an awesome choice. Jewel recently became a mom for the first time, but this album of old-fashioned classics and new selections is a great listen for the nursery.

Baby Einstein, Lullaby Classics. Baby Einstein is another awesome child-development audio tool, with a large body of work to choose from. All of it is ultra creative, hip, and worth buying, but if you want a lullaby collection of classical music (which has been shown to boost brain development in babies), choose this one. Mozart at his best and sweetest, your baby will love it, and you will, too!

Do you have some favourites? Please let us and our readers know below! You can also tweet us at @urbanmommies.

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Things to Do with Kids in Fredericton, New Brunswick

Canada, ROAM By July 2, 2012 Tags: , , , 5 Comments

Fredericton, the capital of New Brunswick, enjoys a milder climate than many other places in Canada, and is well-known for its culture, arts, and learning. You’ll find lots of variety in terms of ethnic cuisine, and a great music and art scene, plus a variety of outdoor stuff to do with the whole family. Here are some highlights for things to do with kids in Fredericton.

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bacon wrapped asparagus

Perfect Summer Sides: Bacon Wrapped Asparagus on the Grill

EAT, family meals By June 24, 2012 Tags: , , , , , No Comments

If your family is anything like mine, they love bacon, and everyone knows, bacon makes everything better! When you’re making dinner on the grill, try this simple, inexpensive, and delicious perfect summer side dish: bacon wrapped asparagus on the grill!

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Travel Doesn’t Need to Be Uncomfortable: Travel Beds for Small Children

LIVE, play, ROAM By June 20, 2012 Tags: , , , , 1 Comment

PeaPod Plus Baby Travel Bed: More like a cocoon than a bed

Urban Mommies always seem to be on the go, especially in the summer! When traveling with our little ones, finding a comfy place for them to sleep can be a source of concern.  It’s easy to feel like Goldilocks in the house of the Three Bears:  our children are too big for a pack-n-play or a crib but they are too small to be comfortable in a large adult bed.  What’s a mom to

do?  We need to find a bed that is just right, and these travel beds for small children do the trick.

 

The solution?  A Travel bed specially designed and shaped to accommodate infant/toddler and young child age groups.  There is an assortment from which to choose including: inflatable air mattresses, simple and light-weight cots, lightweight play yards many of which come with a bassinet for small babies.  Some travel beds are also equipped with folding bed rails for children who have a tendency to roll out of bed in the middle of the night.  Most importantly, because many of the travel beds are inflatable, they are also quite portable, light-weight and c

an easily be folded to fit into a car or a closet.

Several makers of child travel beds and different styles of travel beds are available.The Urbanmommies Editors found the following child and infant travel beds particularly pleasing:

 

PeaPod Plus Baby Travel Bed

Unlike the hardier and bulkier play yards of our youth, the PeaPod Plus Baby Travel Bed is more like a “travel cocoon.”  The mattress is inflatable and, when baby is finished sleeping, can be folded into a compact tote for easy carrying; no more lugging around the heavy pack-n-play! This travel bed is also outdoor-friendly: the mesh bubble blocks bugs, wind, and half of the UV rays. The mattress inflates in less than 5 minutes using the a specific pump (sold separately by Leaps and Bounds).


Guava Family GoCrib

Guava Family GoCrib

The GoCrib is a standard size, ultra-portable travel crib that packs into a lightweight backpack for families that are on the go.

Because it’s inflatable, it is pretty easy to assemble.  But, once it is set up the rigid structure creates a strong and safe environment.  The product features a 27″ x 39″ insulating mattress and a 25″ depth sleeping and play area (same as a standard play yard).

 

My Cot Portable Travel Bed

My Cot Portable Travel Bed

I wish that they had something like the My Cot Portable Travel Bed when I was a child.  It would have made sleeping at my grandparents’ house a lot more comfortable.  This portable cot can go to Grandma’s, day care as easily as it can be transported to sleepovers!  The bed is slightly lifted off the ground leaving enough room underneath to ensure that the children sleeping on it stay comfy and dry whether the cot is indoors and out. It even comes with its own carry bag.

 

Tuck-Me-In Travel Bed with Removable Mattress

We love the Tuck-Me-In Travel Bed with Removable Mattress. It’s so easy to assemble my daughter and her cousins argue about how’s turn it is to inflate the mattress.  The famous inflatable bed features a larger, fully-detached mattress, for snugglier sleepovers and easier linen changes. Soft and cushy, with a flocked surface that’s not sticky, it also built-in safety bumpers. The Tuck-Me-In  is very light and folds compactly.  The pump and tote included in the price of the bed. Further, if your little one is a sheet lover, like my daughter is, you can purchase the coordinating travel bed accessories from One Step Ahead too.

 

Intex Cozy Kid Air Bed

My 8 year-old daughter is begging me for a bed that can accommodate all her friends when they have a sleep over.  Rather than pull out the old sleeper sofa’s mattress, we elected to go the less time consuming and affordable route and took a look at the Cozy Kidz Airbeds.  The Intex Cozy Kid Air Bed Twin Size comes in three bright fun colors: pink, blue and orange . Both the pillow-top and mattress-top are lightly flocked which adds comfort while also preventing the sheets from sliding off of the mattress.  This is the perfect air mattress to take on a sleepover or even family camping trips. The beds are 34.5″ Wide x 62″ Long x 7″ height (slightly shorter than the average twin bed) but the dimensions may vary up to two inches depending on firmness and come with built in pillows. Even better?  The mattresses can withstand more than 200lbs which means more than one child can sit on it at a time before having to worry that they are going to cause the mattress to deflate.  One note, the mattress does not come with a built in pump.

Traveling with small children doesn’t have to be painful.  Most Urban Mommies know that the first step to having a happy child is ensuring that child has had a good night’s sleep.  With so many great travel bed choices, we know that you & your family will find the right one (or two?  or three?)  that works for you.

Good luck! And safe travels!

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Homemade Granola Bars

EAT, snacks By April 4, 2012 Tags: , , , , , , 1 Comment

Courtesy of @ashley rodriguez

Granola is, in our popular consciousness, the ultimate health food–and it’s hard to deny that this compact, easy-to-eat food is chock-full of good stuff. Sure you can buy it in the stores, but if you have a little time, you can make it at home, without all the preservatives and additives found in the commercial offerings. Here is our basic homemade granola bars recipe, feel free to elaborate!

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