This Page

has been moved to new address

Parent Club

Sorry for inconvenience...

Redirection provided by Blogger to WordPress Migration Service
body { background:#123; margin:0; padding:20px 10px; text-align:center; font:x-small/1.5em "Trebuchet MS",Verdana,Arial,Sans-serif; color:#ccc; font-size/* */:/**/small; font-size: /**/small; } /* Page Structure ----------------------------------------------- */ /* The images which help create rounded corners depend on the following widths and measurements. If you want to change these measurements, the images will also need to change. */ @media all { #content { width:740px; margin:0 auto; text-align:left; } #main { width:485px; float:left; background:#eec url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/corners_main_bot.gif") no-repeat left bottom; margin:15px 0 0; padding:0 0 10px; color:#333; font-size:97%; line-height:1.5em; } #main2 { float:left; width:100%; background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/corners_main_top.gif") no-repeat left top; padding:10px 0 0; } #sidebar { width:240px; float:right; margin:15px 0 0; font-size:97%; line-height:1.5em; } } @media handheld { #content { width:90%; } #main { width:100%; float:none; background:#eec; } #main2 { float:none; width:100%; background:none; } #sidebar { width:100%; float:none; } } /* Links ----------------------------------------------- */ a:link { color:#9db; } a:visited { color:#798; } a:hover { color:#fff; } a img { border-width:0; } #main a:link { color:#347; } #main a:visited { color:#666; } #main a:hover { color:#68a } /* Blog Header ----------------------------------------------- */ @media all { #header { background:#357 url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/corners_cap_bot.gif") no-repeat left bottom; margin:0 0 0; padding:0 0 8px; color:#fff; } #header div { background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/corners_cap_top.gif") no-repeat left top; padding:8px 15px 0; } } @media handheld { #header { background:#357; } #header div { background:none; } } #blog-title { margin:0; padding:10px 30px 5px; font-size:200%; line-height:1.2em; } #blog-title a { text-decoration:none; color:#fff; } #description { margin:0; padding:5px 30px 10px; font-size:94%; line-height:1.5em; color:#abc; } /* Posts ----------------------------------------------- */ .date-header { margin:0 28px 0 43px; font-size:85%; line-height:2em; text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:.2em; color:#586; } .post { margin:.3em 0 25px; padding:0 13px; border:1px dotted #bb9; border-width:1px 0; } .post-title { margin:0; font-size:135%; line-height:1.5em; background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/icon_arrow.gif") no-repeat 10px .5em; display:block; border:1px dotted #bb9; border-width:0 1px 1px; padding:2px 14px 2px 29px; color:#333; } #main a.title-link, .post-title strong { text-decoration:none; display:block; } #main a.title-link:hover { background-color:#fff; color:#000; } .post-body { border:1px dotted #bb9; border-width:0 1px 1px; border-bottom-color:#eec; padding:10px 14px 1px 29px; } html>body .post-body { border-bottom-width:0; } .post p { margin:0 0 .75em; } p.post-footer { background:#fff; margin:0; padding:2px 14px 2px 29px; border:1px dotted #bb9; border-bottom:1px solid #eee; font-size:100%; line-height:1.5em; color:#666; text-align:right; } html>body p.post-footer { border-bottom-color:transparent; } p.post-footer em { display:block; float:left; text-align:left; font-style:normal; } a.comment-link { /* IE5.0/Win doesn't apply padding to inline elements, so we hide these two declarations from it */ background/* */:/**/url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/icon_comment.gif") no-repeat 0 45%; padding-left:14px; } html>body a.comment-link { /* Respecified, for IE5/Mac's benefit */ background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/icon_comment.gif") no-repeat 0 45%; padding-left:14px; } .post img { margin:0 0 5px 0; padding:4px; border:1px solid #586; } blockquote { margin:.75em 0; border:1px dotted #596; border-width:1px 0; padding:5px 15px; } .post blockquote p { margin:.5em 0; } /* Comments ----------------------------------------------- */ #comments { margin:-25px 13px 0; border:1px dotted #6a7; border-width:0 1px 1px; padding:20px 0 15px 0; } #comments h4 { margin:0 0 10px; padding:0 14px 2px 29px; border-bottom:1px dotted #6a7; font-size:120%; line-height:1.4em; color:#333; } #comments-block { margin:0 15px 0 9px; } .comment-data { background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/icon_comment.gif") no-repeat 2px .3em; margin:.5em 0; padding:0 0 0 20px; color:#666; } .comment-poster { font-weight:bold; } .comment-body { margin:0 0 1.25em; padding:0 0 0 20px; } .comment-body p { margin:0 0 .5em; } .comment-timestamp { margin:0 0 .5em; padding:0 0 .75em 20px; color:#fff; } .comment-timestamp a:link { color:#fff; } .deleted-comment { font-style:italic; color:gray; } /* Profile ----------------------------------------------- */ @media all { #profile-container { background:#586 url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/corners_prof_bot.gif") no-repeat left bottom; margin:0 0 15px; padding:0 0 10px; color:#fff; } #profile-container h2 { background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/corners_prof_top.gif") no-repeat left top; padding:10px 15px .2em; margin:0; border-width:0; font-size:115%; line-height:1.5em; color:#fff; } } @media handheld { #profile-container { background:#586; } #profile-container h2 { background:none; } } .profile-datablock { margin:0 15px .5em; border-top:1px dotted #7a8; padding-top:8px; } .profile-img {display:inline;} .profile-img img { float:left; margin:0 10px 5px 0; border:4px solid #bec; } .profile-data strong { display:block; } #profile-container p { margin:0 15px .5em; } #profile-container .profile-textblock { clear:left; } #profile-container a { color:#fff; } .profile-link a { background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/icon_profile.gif") no-repeat 0 .1em; padding-left:15px; font-weight:bold; } ul.profile-datablock { list-style-type:none; } /* Sidebar Boxes ----------------------------------------------- */ @media all { .box { background:#234 url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/corners_side_top.gif") no-repeat left top; margin:0 0 15px; padding:10px 0 0; color:#abc; } .box2 { background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/corners_side_bot.gif") no-repeat left bottom; padding:0 13px 8px; } } @media handheld { .box { background:#234; } .box2 { background:none; } } .sidebar-title { margin:0; padding:0 0 .2em; border-bottom:1px dotted #456; font-size:115%; line-height:1.5em; color:#abc; } .box ul { margin:.5em 0 1.25em; padding:0 0px; list-style:none; } .box ul li { background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/icon_arrow_sm.gif") no-repeat 2px .25em; margin:0; padding:0 0 3px 16px; margin-bottom:3px; border-bottom:1px dotted #345; line-height:1.4em; } .box p { margin:0 0 .6em; } /* Footer ----------------------------------------------- */ #footer { clear:both; margin:0; padding:15px 0 0; } @media all { #footer div { background:#357 url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/corners_cap_top.gif") no-repeat left top; padding:8px 0 0; color:#fff; } #footer div div { background:url("http://www.blogblog.com/rounders3/corners_cap_bot.gif") no-repeat left bottom; padding:0 15px 8px; } } @media handheld { #footer div { background:#357; } #footer div div { background:none; } } #footer hr {display:none;} #footer p {margin:0;} #footer a {color:#fff;} /* Feeds ----------------------------------------------- */ #blogfeeds { } #postfeeds { padding:0 15px 0; }

November 07, 2008

Birthday Parties - Shaving Cream Art

This is a fun activity for preschoolers and school aged kids. It's messy and uses Papa's shaving cream (which causes huge giggles!).

Remember that food colouring stains EVERYTHING so cover the table (cover the kids too if you think they are clumsy at all). The video below shows how to make shaving cream art with paper. You could do it with card stock, paper plates...I prefer using a dollar store 8x10 artist canvas (cause then it looks more "on purpose" than "I couldn't think of anything else". Plus the paper would be wet for taking home in a loot bag -- the canvas drys quickly..

My method is a bit different from the video (less messy - more kid-centred) -- look below for my shaving cream art step by step instructions.


Shaving Cream Printer - Amazing videos are here

You need:

1 can of shaving cream
food colouring
artist canvas
straws
large spoon
(cover table and kids with plastic!)

  • place artist canvas in front of each child
  • help the child spray a small circle of shaving cream on the canvas (they love spraying it - but keep an adult hand on the bottle to control spray)
  • have the child choose their food colouring colours...drop two drops of each colour in various places on top of the shaving cream
  • use the straw to swirl the colour around the shaving cream
  • use the spoon to remove the shaving cream from the artist canvas
The food colouring will sink through the shaving cream and stain the artist canvas into a masterpiece.

It's a cheap art activity for birthday parties (Maman loves a deal!), messy art (kids love messy), and it requires absolutely no talent at all. Great loot bag item!

Labels: , ,

November 06, 2008

East End Children's Centre Auction

This Saturday night is the East End Children's Centre annual charity auction. This is a fan-ta-bu-lous charity for children. The centre has three locations which offer FREE programming to parents and caregivers of children aged infant to 6 years old. FREE snack, FREE circle time, FREE meeting place, FREE arts & crafts. It is such a valuable resource for new parents to find support and friendship -- and also for experienced caregivers to get out to a child-friendly destination. I have sat on the Volunteer Board of Directors for the children's centre for a few years now. I am a whole-hearted supporter!

As most Canadian charities - they have financial limitations that aren't quite met by the donations, funding and granting available. As such, the charity auction is a BIG and valuable event.

I will be attending the event - you should too. Go to the EECC website to get the details of the event.

The Hon. Jack Layton and City Councillor Janet Davies will be the live auctioneers. Silent auction, raffle (for leaf tickets) and fun in between.

Labels: ,

November 05, 2008

Kid Birthday Party Planning

Hosting, yet another, birthday party this weekend. Since it is an 8 year old party -- I'm trying to keep it kid-centred (with parental intervention for fires and fights).

Here is the general plan...8 kids to celebrate 8 years old (ok - really 9 kids bc Thing 2 doesn't get counted in the birthday invitation equation). I have employed two - count them two - helpers for the day (13 years old and 11 years old respectively - young enough to be "cool" for the 8 year olds but old enough to be responsible help for the Mom).

In the three hours of the birthday party - we shall;
  • eat cheese pizza
  • make shaving cream/food colouring art (it's pretty cool)
  • dance (high school musical 3 soundtrack no doubt)
  • cover naked cupcakes with invisible frosting (FUN!)
  • decorate t-shirts
  • dance some more
  • make a puzzle necklace (still thinking about that)
  • open prezzies

    Wondering about the invisible frosting? Well, we just aren't big on frosting here so a few years ago I invented "invisible frosting". In a (washed and empty) applesauce container I put a tsp of icing sugar and add a bit of water to make "invisible frosting". With our "invisible frosting paint brushes" (dollar store paint brushes which are kept on the baking shelf and not the art area) we "paint" the invisible frosting on to the naked cupcakes. The perfect edible glue for "fairy dust" (coloured sugar) or sprinkles.

    Labels: , , ,

  • November 04, 2008

    Parent Club Growing

    Me to Thing 1:You are getting so big. Can we agree; that you should stay just like this - please?...
    Thing 1 to me (insert shrug here): That's life. I have to grow.

    Ugh! Am I the only one in the Parent Club who would like to freeze moments of childhood (theirs not mine - not saying I wouldn't want to freeze some of my own childhood moments - there was that time my Mom called the school to say I was "sick" but we, two girls, took the subway down to the Eaton Centre and had lunch in the Bay {maybe it was Simpsons then} cafeteria - but I'm digressing).

    Still, I look for my babies -- in the faces of "kids" that live in my house. Still my babies -- but bigger, more communicative (read: talks back), energetic babies. "That's life. I have to grow" sigh.

    This brings me to the Parent Club blog (keep reading - I promise - it's going somewhere). I started it last year - as a living portfolio of my writing work. It has grown into a favourite past time, a source of pride, a love, a challenge, an electronic child. I had been thinking about "growing" Parent Club to a different format -- but oh, how I love, for things to stay the same.

    Thing 1's, off-the-cuff, life remark gave me that needed little shove. Do it. Grow. It's life.

    So all-by-myself-crossing-fingers-biting-lips-this-past-weekend I changed the format of Parent Club to the 3 column beast you see today. It wasn't just checking a box - it was actual HTML formatting, widgets, analytics code and SEO. (Bet all these letters remind you of Sesame Street; imagine Ernie saying S and Bert saying EO and the letters coming together at the bottom of the screen). I didn't know if I was going to lose the entire Parent Club archive - it was a huge leap.

    TA-DAAA!! It worked. Did you notice? Tell me you noticed? Do you like it? I like it.

    I also like being at this stage in life...me not being the teacher but becoming a student in my child's life. Learning. Being inspired. Growing. If only we could stay like this....

    Labels:

    November 03, 2008

    Parent Club - Muralunique.com

    Parent Club first mentioned Muralunique at the Toronto Fall Home Show . Remember? This is a fantastic Canadian company. Canadian artists art work and/or photography material ordered by you at home and shipped directly to your door. A beautiful addition to any nursery, play room or bedroom.

    The prepasted murals are easy to hang in less than 1 hour, dry removable in a few minutes and reusable. Wallpaper that has the look of textured, hand-painted murals...really? Yes, really.

    The price per item is very family friendly. Muralunique (Mural unique - get it?!) is offering Parent Club readers a 15% discount - only - for November & December so that you can give the gift of art to someone over the holidays.

    Look over to the right to see some of the murals for kids (then surf over to their site to check out some of the adult murals - great for living rooms, dens and offices).

    Use the promotion code: parentclub

    Labels: , ,