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Mom’s Away: How to be a Better Mom by Travelling Solo

eat, grow, LIVE, nourish, play, rest By June 11, 2016 3 Comments

It happens at some point for every mom and it was happening for me today, one and a half months before he would turn the big oh-two: the first trip away from my baby.

I’m a journalist and editor, so it’s been easy to find reasons to work from home over the past few years, scrambling to squeeze every workable second out of naps, evenings, and weekends—but when a press trip came up for Ann Arbor and my first choice writer couldn’t make the dates, I considered whether it was perhaps time to get back into the game and go myself—a mom’s getaway.

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Julie Andrews Netflix

Musical Theatre on Netflix (for the Preschool Set)

grow, LIVE, nourish By June 10, 2016 No Comments

I am positively giddy!!! Many readers know that I trained as an actor, singer and dancer before falling into my current career. I can sing most songs from most Broadway shows, and have studied choreography from Jerome Robbins by watching films and live performances over and over again until I memorized the moves.

Even before ‘Frozen’ fame, Idina Menzel was an extreme girl-crush of mine. And Julie Andrews? I can’t even bear to sing along to the Sound of Music because I may drown out her beautiful voice. Think of it: Musical Theatre on Netflix. The streaming company has announced that Ms. Andrews will star in ‘Julie’s Greenroom‘, a new preschool show from The Jim Henson Company that features an all-new puppet cast of kids learning about the performing arts. The series will be available exclusively to Netflix members globally in early 2017.

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stay-at-home mom

Stay-at-Home Moms Need Nannies Too

grow, LIVE, nourish, play, rest, Unpopular Mom By June 8, 2016 4 Comments

Stay-at-home mothers are lucky. We get to be with our babies full-time and witness all of the coveted milestones that make parenthood so special in those early days. We have unlimited time to spend with these tiny creatures who hold our hearts so tightly, and we are free from the guilt and anguish that so many mothers feel for sending their little ones to daycare. We don’t have to put on a suit and drag our tired asses to an office, tearfully kissing our little ones goodbye. And we don’t answer to anyone but our own children, who, in reality, are the worst bosses anyone could ever have. As temping as it is, we must not fall prey to the idea that staying at home with children is a leisurely endeavour—it is work, and yet, somehow, this job that nobody really considers a job, has been placed on the bottom of the totem pole. Yes, we are lucky, but this shit is hard and asking for support shouldn’t be anything to be ashamed of.

But, it is.

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Helping teachers understand to understand your child's learning disability

Getting the Teacher on your Learning Disabled Child’s Team

FAM, Featured, grow, health, kids, LIVE By May 16, 2016 Tags: , , 11 Comments

When you have a child with a learning disability, it’s easy to start looking at the school system as the enemy. And while it’s true that the system isn’t perfect—leveraging the school staff as part of your team will help you all work together towards your child’s success. Here are some ways you can get everyone on board with the same program:

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Get Outdoors with these Awesome Kids Books

Get Outdoors, Baby: 7 Books to Introduce Kids to Nature

baby, books, FAM, GEAR, grow, health, kids, LIVE, play, Uncategorized By May 12, 2016 1 Comment

Spring is here, and with it the almost audible hum of energy that comes from children who have been cooped up inside too long. We all know the importance of limiting screen time, but did you know that letting a child experience nature can help alleviate anxiety, depression and attention disorders? The lure of laptops and tablets can make it hard to sell today’s children on the great outdoors. Sometimes they need a little help stimulating their imaginations. Here are seven books to do just that.

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How To Make a Fairy Garden In 3 Easy Steps!

FAM, grow, kids, LIVE, play By April 11, 2016 Tags: , , No Comments

If you want your children to be skilled and creative problem solvers, consider preparing outdoor play spaces for imaginative play!  Fantasy play and imaginative role playing, in spaces like fairy gardens, are well established pre-cursers to divergent and original problem solving later in life; skills that are well recognized in highly effective students! Fairy Gardens are a great way to encourage imaginative play and they are perfect for taking advantage of the magical thinking young children bring to their everyday play.

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How to Make a Beautiful Weed Bouquet Centerpiece

grow, LIVE By March 22, 2016 Tags: , , , , 1 Comment

The arrival of spring means that a lot of beautiful things are about to bloom. It also means that some not-so-beautiful things are about to arrive as well… I’m talking about every lawn’s enemy: weeds. We have have a cringe-worthy abundance of these, but I’ve figured out how to make the best of the situation and how you can to. What I’m suggesting is a weed bouquet. Sound hideous? Maybe! But as far as decorative experiments go, this is quite cost-effective. In fact…completely free.

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How to Preserve Flowers from Valentine's Day

How to Preserve Flowers from Valentine’s Day

grow, LIVE By February 11, 2016 Tags: , , , 2 Comments

If your special someone decided to give you a bouquet of beautiful flowers this holiday, you can make the gift last even longer by choosing to preserve the flowers. There are many ways to dry flowers and afterwards, you can turn them into a cute wall hanging, framed art, a wreath or anything else your mind can imagine!

Here are five ways to preserve flowers so that you can keep them as a reminder of your Valentine.

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