Back to School Interviews - with Caroline

Tune into Real Moms on RealityRadio101.com tonight at 7pm where I will be discussing "Making Back to School Easier" with Alanna Cushnan-Szewczyk and co-host Jane.


And on the subject of Back to School - surf over to CityLine where I was the expert parenting source for their article on "Your School Lunch Dilemmas Solved!"

Stuck On You Review & Giveaway

THE WHAT: In time for Back to School 2010 Stuck on You has just launched a new "Designer Collection". Organize school supplies, belongings and everyday-life stuff with personalized labels. On-line ordering makes life easier and delivery to your door means you aren't in a line up with tired children at the mall.

THE HOW: Personalized backpacks, lunch bags, book labels and more.

THE REVIEW: Parent Club had the opportunity to review some personalized library bags (which are available in 13 different themes and 5 different colour combinations). Kids LOVED seeing their names on their own bags! Just the right size and practical - I can see these bags being used for swim lessons, overnights with grandparents as well book carry-alls.

We also received Clothing Dots (which are iron-on permanent clothing labels that adhere to fabric). Vinyl labels (goes on everything non-fabric - from water bottles to sports equipment. Microwave and dishwasher safe too!). Plus some groovy Vinyl Book labels.

All of the Stuck on You products are easy-to-use, friendly and kid-loved. Pre-readers can use the fun colours & images to recognize their belongings while readers can easily spot their names.

THE GIVEAWAY:
To celebrate the Designer Collection launch Stuck On You is offering a lucky Parent Club reader: a personalized lunch and label pack - value is $57.00.


TO ENTER:
Surf over to Stuck On You and have a look around - then come back to Parent Club and comment to this post - which Stuck On You product attracts you the most and why.






THE RULES (because life has rules)

• One entry per day
  
• Tweet the giveaway and mention @StuckOnYouCA (and comment here that you did so) = an extra entry
  
• Giveaway closes Sept. 3rd (just in time for school!)

*winner will be randomly chosen

Lunch Box List

Below is the essential Parent Club Lunch Box List - feel free to bookmark, print, comment or share with the club!

Crunchy Category

• cut vegtables: carots, celery, broccoli, cucumber, peppers
  
• pretzels, fish crackers, rice crackers, popcorn, crackers
  
• dry cereal
  
• cereal bar
  
• crunchy fruit: apples, grapes

Soft Category

• yogurt, cheese
  
• soft fruits: pears, banana, clementines, orange slices, raisons

Wet Category

• apple sauce, fruit cups, drinkable yogurt, juice
  
• pudding
  
• wet fruits: watermelon slices, cantalope

Treat Category

• brownie, cookie, muffin

LUNCH

• sandwich
  
• room tempreture pizza
  
• thermos with spaghetti
  
• bagel and cheese (or just butter)
  
• pita with filling (call it a wrap)
  
• crepe
  
• thermos with egg or tuna salad
  
• green salad and vingrette
  
• cereal and milk

*Kids relate to textures. Kids who have wobbly teeth might prefer softer foods until the Tooth Fairy comes. Hot kids might appreciate some wet snacks to help cool them off.

Back to School Tips

I, for one, am fairly excited it's back to school season. It's been a great summer. It's been fun. But it's time to move on (seriously...let's move on).

And I have been busy writing back to school themed articles...

These were for the good folks at everythingmom.com

Building Homework Habits

Tips on How to Organize the Night Before

Fit to be Tied: Tips On Tying Shoes

If you care to share back to school tips for fellow Parent Club peeps - send me an e-mail or put it in a comment here...Next week I'll be running a series of back to school posts - which include lunch box tips, getting school ready and why does your school bag smell?...

See me on CityLine

I was (happily) invited to the CityLine Studio, last week, to appear on their maternity show. (They have a great team!)

If you are interested in maternity & post-maternity fashions, the latest baby gear or just seeing me in real life...check out this show!

The show airs CityLine August 20 (check your local listings for times).

Party Mummy's Blissdom Blog Quiz

I am hopping on the band wagon (all the cool kids are doing it)...Party Mummy (see? the cool kids!) wrote a post on getting to know "how she blogs" better (and perhaps as a time filler since she didn't go to BlogHer10.

***(oh and if you want to hop with the cool kids too ->

Here’s what to do:

a) Cut and paste the quiz onto your blog.
b) Delete my answers
c) Answer the questions
d) Tweet a few of the bloggers and invite them to play along.
e) In the comment section below, leave a link to your blog where you've answered the quiz questions.

So in preparation for BlissdomCanada (are you going? Am I going?) and in the wagon hopper spirit...here are my answers.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Did you attend Blogher10?
No, because I didn't think I could fly at this stage in my pregnancy. And I have no child care this summer. And I've never really been to a conference. And I still feel like the internetz are the cool kids and I'm in the chess club. And I really just sucked out.

2. Are you attending BlissdomCanada this fall?
YES! I am sponsored by the good folks at Foundation Studio Marketing & Promotions. If you are going - connect with me (@ParentClub) and/or Ariane (@fdnstudio)

3. When are you at your blogging best – a.m. or p.m.?
I'm slow in the morning and not too fast in the afternoon. So let's say blogging best is 10ish.

4. How many blogs do you have? (Include the links)
well...Parent Club
and
Yummy Mummy Club: Caroline Fernandez Nick of Time

5. What technical skill would you like to learn to improve your blog? Photoshop (though I'm becoming a master of Paint). I'd also like to learn how to remember to put the wet clothes in the washer into the dryer in a timely manner - because though not a technical skill per say - it would technically make my life better.

6. Do you prefer the sound of silence or does action abound while you blog? Neither - I prefer the sound of the dryer tumbling (see answer to Q5)

7. Do you include the names of your family in your blog? No. Not because they don't have names or anything. I always refer to them as Thing 1, Thing 2 and my prince...because (and this is a confession here) my prince once commented that he didn't like the idea of the kids' names/photos out there in the internetz world. And my pseudo-naming them is my little nod in respect to his parenting parimeters (he can have veto rights on where their names appear in the world - I have veto rights to EVERYTHING ELSE).

8. Do you post pictures or videos of your children? Um...did you read answer to Q7?

9. What’s the grossest thing you’ve spilled on your keyboard?
Only cookie crumbs ever....really.

10. Ever posted something you wrote while intoxicated?
I don't do anything while intoxicated...ask my prince.

11. Do you go back and edit old posts just because you can?
Dear blog no! That would take time away from the laundry.

12. Have you ever suspected somebody took something you wrote and pawned it off as their own?
No. Maebe I dun't right good enuf for steeling.

13. Does your spouse read your blog? What do they say about it?
No. Never. Other people tell him what I write. Then he shakes his head. And continues reading his blackberry. #we're-close-that-way

14. What’s something cool/positive/unexpected for you, that has resulted directly from blogging?
hmmm...I met some cool kids, I received assignments from cool publications, I have been intereviewed as a "parenting expert" (really!) but the one stand-out would be interviewing a guy named Pinball Clemons...who at the end of the interview (after I turned off the Flip darn it) said to me "What you are doing is really important to a lot of parents. You are doing a great job! Don't forget that" (*gush*)

15. Link to a post (or two) which demonstrate your writing style:
See the Labels area over there?...on the right?...check out some of those (can't chose one link because A. I'd like to think I write my best with each post and B. the dryer just buzzed)

16. Name a blog(s) that makes you exclaim, "Damn! I wish I'd written that!"
Sharon DeVellis: The Inside Scoop
BoredMOMMY
LouLou's Views


For those who don't know about Blogher10 and BlissdomCanada (yes, I'm talking to you Sarah) - they are blogging/social media conferences - all the cool kids go to them.

Yummy Mummy Club posts

Today my head is replaying yesterday's 911 experience...while my kids lean on my chair and ask "What are you typing?" "I'm Boooorrred" "Can you accompany me to the bathroom?" (really!).

So, in fatigue, frustration and some other-really-good-verbs-that-start-with-"f" - I send you to look at my recent Yummy Mummy Club column space - which tells the whys and why-nots of my current headspace...

Helicopter Kids and Free-Range
Helicopter Kids or Velcro Children? Read my article which explores the term "Helicopter Kids" and concludes some kids just need flight plans.

911 + ambulance + firetruck = a lot of questions Read my article chronically calling 911 - in front of my kids - and all the questions an emergency brings about.

It all makes one le tired.

Winner: pediped® footwear GIVEAWAY

The WINNER of the pediped® footwear GIVEAWAY (insert drumroll here...)

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:

1
Timestamp: 2010-08-06 14:14:35 UTC

mapsgirl said...
I love all Pedipeds. When my DD recently grew out of the Originals, it was a sad day. The Flex is a great line for active kids. The Riley in Fuchsia (Flex) are very cute.

July 29, 2010 10:53 AM

Congratulations mapsgirl - send us an e-mail with your contact info. along with the shoe style you prefer and shoe size.

Thanks to everyone for entering.

Parent Club Review: pediped® footwear & GIVEAWAY

THE WHAT: pediped® footwear. Parent Club had a chance to test drive the Pediped Caroline Choc Brown Mary Jane Shoe

THE WHO: pediped® footwear is sold in over 3000 stores in the United States and 40 countries worldwide with an offering of more than 120 designs for boys and girls between their three lines, Originals® (soft-soled shoes for newborns to age 2), Grip ‘n’ Go™ (thin rubber-soled shoes for children ages 9 months – 3 years) and Flex® (rubber-soled shoes for children 1-6 years).

THE NEWS: The Fall/Winter 2010 season marks the debut of pediped® Grip ‘n’ Go™, a shoe specially designed for the active toddler. (check out those boots!)



THE REVIEW: The "Caroline" shoe recieved for review (btw - LOVE the name) is pretty yet practical. Handcrafted with soft leather soles for comfort. Easy on/off velcro fastners. Great for use indoors and outdoors. Bonus: they are lightweight, flexible and made with non-toxic leathers.

pediped® footwear GIVEAWAY

pediped® footwear is offering one lucky Parent Club reader a pair of either Originals® or Flex® shoes (boys or girls).

TO ENTER:

Surf over to www.pediped.com (or just click that) and have a look at their wide selection - then come back to Parent Club and in the comment section - share which pedipded product you like best and why. It's that easy!

THE RULES: (because life has rules)

- one entry per day
- open to Canadian and U.S. residents
- giveaway closes Aug. 6
- winner will be chosen by random.org

Disney Interactive Games Will Hit Big this Holiday Season

Disney Interactive Studios invited us out to test-drive some of the new Disney games coming on market this holiday season. DSi, Xbox, Wii -> it was a Disney Gamer Paradise.

The hottest games (and this was obvious by the number of kids huddled around the tvs waiting for their turns) were: Toy Story 3, Disney Sing it, and a Family Channel All Stars game.

Admittedly, some grown ups are befuddled by games (I tried choosing a character in the Guilty Party game - which is based on Clue - and the Wii remote trumped me). However, kids quickly pick up the how-tos of gaming. And for those who don't believe in video games (and I used to be in your club) they do teach reading skills, hand-eye coordination and focus...like it or not...our kids do not know of a truly unplugged world.

Though my own household is still Wii-free (much to the dismay of the kids) we did get Dsi's this year - and they have been great for long distance travel activities. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Club Penguin games added to the letter to Santa this year.

And as a complete aside: Disney Interactive Studio had a *star* on hand at the event.
Sterling Knight - from the hit TV show Sunny With A Chance. And for what it is worth - he was a lovely representative of Disney. Down to earth, interactive, engaging with the kids. Despite the fact he called me "Ma'me" (which he quickly fixed by saying he was from Texas and in Texas they call everyone Ma'me) - I liked this guy.

Disney is a go-to brand for many families. And they have always delivered.

TELETOON #Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Cathy who has won the TELETOON #Giveaway!

Send us an e-mail with your contact information and we'll have the prize pack shipped directly to your door.

Thanks to everyone who commented. Keep reading for more cool giveaways!

Why courtesy classes should come with kids

Courtesy classes should come with kids...but not for the kids...for the parents. The few rude parents. Amazing how we teach our kids to behave (daily - sometimes hourly!) yet we leave our own good behaviour at the playplace door.

Case in point, the other day we took the kids to see The Karate Kid (aside: very good family movie - though the word a$$ is used twice which presented two giggle opportunities for Thing 2). Back to the movie -> in the theatre there were two, separate, parents (sitting at opposite sides of the theatre) talking on cell phones during the movie. RUDE! One does not talk on the phone during a movie. What kind of etiquette is that?

Other case in point, at the Karate school yesterday -> another parent answered their ringing cell phone and instead of walking away (outside to have a private conversation would have been an idea) - they talked away in the dojo (even though there are signs asking parents to not use cell phones in the class area...apparently some people think talking on a cell phone during a formal class is disruptve...the nerve huh?)

The issue isn't just cell phone use (just my two examples) - it is that parents are simply lacking courtesy to-the-greater-world. We teach our kids to behave, be respectful, talk quietly yet we play by a whole 'nother set of rules.

Courtesy should be common sense...but it seems it is not so much.

Love, Loss and What I Wore

THE WHAT: Love, Loss and What I Wore (playing now at the Panasonic Theatre, Toronto - a Mirvish production).

THE WHO: Cast includes Andrea Martin, Mary Walsh, Cynthia Dale, Margot Kidder (depending on the week). I attended with various peeps from the Yummy Mummy Club and internetz in above picture (can you spot me?).

THE WHAT: "...the show uses clothing and accessories and the memories they trigger to tell funny and often poignant stories that all women can relate to." Think of it as the Vagina Monologues - only funnier, more positive and better accessorized.

WHAT I WORE: hand me down maternity clothing...they didn't feel like me at the beginning of the night...but after hearing the stories of Love, Loss and What I Wore...I look at them in my closet now as the silky top and capri pants I wore that night in July - when I took a night off from being Mom and spent a ladies' night out watching an incredibly fun performance.

Every outfit should have a good story.

TELETOON Most Awesome Summer Tour & GIVEAWAY

TELETOON brings kids across the country a cavalcade of family fun with the annual TELETOON Most Awesome Summer Tour.

"From a life-sized puzzle challenge based on the hit TELETOON series Johnny Test to Total Drama World Tour karaoke performances from the latest series of the ever so popular Total Drama franchise, the TELETOON Most Awesome Tour gives kids and parents a fun and interactive experience with TELETOON through a bunch of wacky activities and entertaining challenges," said Karen Touma, Director, Marketing, TELETOON Canada inc.

Mark your calendars because the TELETOON Most Awesome Summer Tour will be in Toronto on the following dates:

• Scotiabank Buskerfest, Toronto, ON
  Thursday, August 26 to Friday, August 27 from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.
  Saturday, August 28 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
  Sunday, August 29 from 11a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
  
• The Ex, Toronto, ON
  Thursday, September 3 to Sunday, September 6 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

For more details about the TELETOON Most Awesome Summer Tour, including the complete Tour schedule, please visit www.teletoon.com/tour.

GIVEAWAY!
THE WHAT: A TELETOON prize pack (estimated at 95$ retail value)

TELETOON Most Awesome Summer Tour T-Shirt

TELETOON Beach Towel

TELETOON Backpack

TELETOON Shoe laces

TELETOON Wristband

THE ENTER: Answer in the comments section - this basic skill testing question:

25 + (10 x 2) - (10 ÷ 2) = ________

THE RULES: (because life has rules)
*Giveaway only open to Canadians
*one entry per day