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Stylish! Chic! Soft! Safe!
All while not worrying about your baby. My Carseat Blankie® is all of this and more.
My Carseat Blankie® was designed for my two Spring time babies!
I needed a blanket I could put on and take off easily and quickly with the change in temperatures and without all that bulk a traditional blanket has. And I kept reading about how unsafe it is to put a thick coat, snowsuit or blanket under the harness of a car seat, or even behind the baby while their in the carseat. The most recommended thing they say to do to keep baby warm in a car seat is to dress them in normal clothes, and then buckle them into the carseat, then place a blanket on top of them.
My Carseat Blankie truly is the perfect size for travel.
I combined my design background with my mommy history and hand picked the various patterns and fabrics. It’s available in comfy flannel, warm winter fleece and sumptuously soft and luxurious minky. I can’t keep in stock my double minky Mod Dots collection!
After trial and error of a few different sizes I have come up with the perfect size for your infant and toddler car seats, and most standard strollers. People have even told us they’re using them in the bouncy seats and swings!
In March of 2008 I launched our first blankies into the market at The American Baby Faire in Boston.
It was a huge success!
Since then I have been selling them online, at craft fairs around Massachusetts, and to corporations as corporate baby gifts. All my blankies are hand sewn with loving care in the United States, with fabric that is purchased overseas.
Here are a couple articles from the car seat safety experts for your reference.
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/baby/2007/12/baby-basics-car.html
http://babyproducts.about.com/od/carseats/a/carseatcoat.htm
So being safe and warm in the car seat, doesn’t mean giving up on being fashionable. Blankies should be fun and stylish. Something mommy/daddy and baby never want to leave home without.
My Carseat Blankie is just that!
—
Kim King
Baby King Company, LLC
www.mycarseatblankie.com
617-803-8917
By Melissa Ackerman
Everyone has an inanimate old friend from childhood, one that, in our youthful eyes, was “real” much like the infamous ragged bunny in The Velveteen Rabbit. While browsing – or luxuriating – in my favorite bookstore on the Cape, I came across a small gift book called Dirty Wow-Wow and Other Love Stories. My heart was captured by the cover picture of a much loved floppy eared stuffy dog. Flipping through the pages, I found short stories of every kind of childhood obsession from stuffed animals to a ragged pair of tattered cotton pants. It was a terrific find. Now I had to justify its purchase.
Halfway back home, I realized just how useful the book really was…my eighth grade English classes could bring in their favorite childhood friends, something tangible they could relate to, and write gift stories (stories to give as gifts). Many writing projects offer too long of an introduction and background development for the students to buy into the lesson with their heart and soul. But this text offered two paragraph examples and was fairly self explanatory. Most children could relate to the heart rendering pictures of people’s little obsessions often worn to shreds and the soul felt stories that accompanied them.
The idea proved somewhat successful but not to the extent I’d envisioned. My students were used to being given specific instructions and following them to the letter for the best grade. Teaching them to identify from their perspective has been a difficult and often unsuccessful experience. Since most of the kids had a special friend, there were many varied successes, however, there were still a few that just couldn’t grasp the idea, or didn’t have that type of encounter as a child, and couldn’t get past the example of a loved “stuffy.” Finally, through individual conferences, I was able to access alternative childhood fixations that fit the assignment just as well, even better. In most cases, these stories proved the most original. One such student had an invisible friend and was able to bring in a picture with a space provided where her friend sat. Another didn’t enjoy her stuffed animals simply as toys as much as she wanted to practice being a doctor and loved doing minor and major surgery on them instead of snuggling them or dragging them around with her. She is currently focusing all her studies on someday achieving her Ph.D. The picture of her amputee horse was priceless.
Children, who are taught to explore their own ideas throughout their education, struggle less with the open ended assignments and thrive on making it their own. It’s difficult to break through that barrier once they reach eighth grade. As time goes on, I’m noticing my student’s ability to take on the tasks with more passion and enthusiasm and not just sit and wait for me to give them the next instruction once the first step is completed. Critical thinking is essential in today’s world not only for success in the workplace but for the preservation of our lives and the earth.
What was your “Dirty Wow-Wow” and where is it today?
Check out these terrific websites for teen reading reviews, book lists, and reading connections:
Teens Read Too is the site to visit when you want to explore all the newest possibilities in color with cover art displayed, are looking for reviews about what’s hot, and an interactive reading circle. I can’t wait for more time to explore what is offered on this website.
http://teenbookreview.wordpress.com/reading-in-2009/
Teen Book Review is an enticing blog on hot teen books with more discussion and review information than volumes of pictures.
Classroom reading update:
I’m currently reading Uglies by Scott Westerfeld and haven’t been able to put it down. Although the main characters are two young girls, boys would enjoy the science fiction aspects of these stories (it’s a whole series of books) not to mention the hover boards which appear to be much like snowboards in the air. Besides, the pressure to be beautiful and fit in crosses the gender divide!
The Reading Tub is my first resource (readingtub.com) and the others are links and research into books for reluctant readers.
Happy Reading!
Mel
Melissa is the mother of a six year old little girl, Madeline, and the wife of a former ship captain. She and her family just moved to Maine a year ago from Monterey, CA to experience a change in lifestyle and become middle aged entrepreneurs. After 22 years of teaching, Mel (Melissa) needed more time with her family and so she and a friend started Dancestones.org; the business of giving comfort through Maine’s rolled stones. Reading and Writing are her deepest passions- when she’s not collecting stones in remote areas of Maine!
Happy New Year Friends!
Over the holidays, my family and I went to see the movie “Yes Man” starring Jim Carrey. It was a fun movie, filled with a great deal of humor and a strong message. In the movie, Jim Carey is talked into attending a “yes” seminar where he reluctantly makes a covenant to say yes to every opportunity that comes his way. While you can probably imagine the hilarious and often ridiculous path he goes down, the message is quite clear. START LIVING! So often we get caught up in our daily routines that we forget there are many opportunities available to us that we simply don’t even consider because we are too busy worrying about everything under the sun. How often have we said no to something because we didn’t have a sitter, or it might require us changing our routine in some way?
When I left the movie I thought to myself, what new opportunity am I going to say yes to this year? What kind of business and/or personal opportunity am I going to set my sights on? For my husband and me, we decided to really break out of our comfort zone and start training to do an open water swim race. It’s quite a scary undertaking for me, as I’m really not in any kind of shape to do such a thing, but I said “yes” to something new. Now I’m swimming three days a week, going for a mile each time I swim. I don’t always make it, for one reason or another, but I’m on my way. I started about 3 weeks ago, and regardless of how much time I have, I at least get in the pool and swim for a minimum of a half hour. The best part about doing this kind of activity is that for the first time in our marriage, Brent and I will be working together toward a physical goal. We do many things together, but sports have never really been one of them.
So, wish me luck, as I venture off into the wild blue waters. Stay tuned to see how I do, and think about what your “yes” will be this year.
Swim on!
Ruthie Palmatier
SwimMama
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By Kim Estes |
| A new year is here… and with it comes some new resolutions. Why not make family safety one of your resolutions? Here is an easy one: Start talking safety with your kids TODAY! Talking about safety with your kids is a bunch of little conversations. If your child is reaching a milestone (going to kindergarten, camp or new caregiver) now is the time to start talking! |
Here are some easy tips to get the conversation going.
9 months - 2 years: Start introducing the concept of a “nice moms with kids” or a “safe mom with kids”. You can ask them to point out the “mom with kids” while shopping together so that your child will know what to do if they get lost. Make a game of it! By introducing this concept now, it will make the next level of discussion easier.
3-5 years: Start talking about the “Uh-oh” feeling. Let kids know that the “icky” feeling they may feel in their tummy is their body’s way of letting them know that something is not right. Encourage them to seek out a safe grown up when they get the uh-oh feeling. Let them know they are the boss of their body!
6-12 years:
Talk about the roles and responsibilities of the adults around them. Talk about healthy boundaries. Review who their safe grown ups are. Review with your child who is authorized to pick them up from school. Ask them if anyone gives them the “Uh-Oh” feeling. Remind them to “check first” before accepting gifts or rides from anyone (even if they know the person!).
For all ages:
Remember to make talking about personal safety a fun thing. Never use scare tactics. The more you talk about safety the more your kids learn about listening to their instincts and how to make safe choices. Most importantly your kids are watching you and learning about safety so make sure you are modeling safe behavior. Listen to your instincts and let you kids know they should listen to theirs.
About the Author: Kim Estes is the co-founder of the non-profit organization: Parent Education And Child Empowerment (P.E.A.C.E of Mind) www.pomwa.org . Kim has worked with parents for over 12 years, educating them on various parenting topics. Kim and her cohort in crime prevention, Sabrina, help liberate parents from fearful parenting! Through non fearful techniques and easy to apply parenting strategies they help empower families to be safe.
Let me tell you about Diane.
I was recently on a mastermind call with some fabulous, high achieving colleagues. When it came time for Diane (names have been changed to protect the innocent) to get support, she shared how overwhelming and horrible her business had become.
She felt stuck catering to clients she didn’t particularly care for (since that was who kept hiring her), offering services she didn’t enjoy (but it’s what the client wanted), and working hours she wasn’t very happy about (because she thought she had to).
Sound familiar?
In my work showing service-based entrepreneurs how to create a powerful online marketing presence, what I see over and over is that people have a great contribution to offer, but they’re not getting the results they want nor making the kind of money they deserve.
They’re spending a lot of time and energy building a business the way they think it’s supposed to look, not the way it works best for them. If your business isn’t a reflection of your strengths, your values, and your preferences, how can it make you happy? And if your business isn’t making you happy, you might as well go out and get a regular J-O-B.
As Diane worked through how to deal with these challenges so she could go back to loving her business, it really all came down to doing things her way. Here, in a nutshell, are three strategies to build and market your business –online or off- so it’s a source of pleasure, not heartache.
Blow the “Trouble Makers” a Kiss
Blow a gently loving kiss to the folks you don’t really want to work with and send them on their way. It’s YOUR business, after all - you get to decide who your clients are. And there are plenty of terrific clients out there for all of us. Really.
~ Tip ~ Deciding on clients from a place of lack (“I better work with this pain-in-the-a**. What if no one else comes along?”) means you end up settling for less than you deserve both energetically and financially. And then you don’t have room for the perfect client when she does show up.
Find Your Own Voice
Part of finding choice clients is helping them find YOU. That can’t happen effectively if you don’t present your true self. What you offer is inextricably tied to who you are, and your prospective clients are anxious to know who that is so they can determine if there’s a match. Let your own style and individuality come out in your interactions with clients and potential clients.
~ Tip ~ Your website, your newsletter, your services will all attract more clients if they are a true representation of you. For example, I used to write in a more “business-like” way, but it didn’t allow me to have fun and wasn’t attracting the right kind of clients so I switched to this more casual –and more authentic- voice and the “right” people are loving it.
Play By Your Rules, Not Someone Else’s
Trying to fit yourself into a culturally-designed business mold only leads to a disconnect between you and your services, and that’s not appealing to clients. The temptation is to let the client determine the project particulars –after all, they’re the one paying you- but saying yes to unwanted requests tends to lead to resentment and exhaustion. A sure recipe for disaster, wouldn’t you agree?
~ Tip ~ Figure out what it is that makes you shine – the services you really want to deliver and the way you want to deliver them - and stake your claim. (For me that means positive-minded clients and no 9am appointments, among other things.)
The best “sales pitch” you can give is to be comfortably yourself. It’s just those special qualities that your choice clients are going to love – and come back for again and again. And the good news? When your existing clients want more of your time, you won’t need to spend as much time attracting new clients.
©2009 Helen Graves
Helen Graves, Grand Poohbah of Crackerjack Online Marketing Strategy, shows service-based small business owners how to create stronger connection with their product and program promotional campaigns so you sell more!
Visit www.Product-Campaign.com to get a hold of her online marketing campaign strategy resource, “The 3 Crucial Keys to Creating Desire So Your Products and Programs Sell Like Hotcakes.”
Amy Lang, MA
Birds + Bees + Kids
www.birdsandbeesandkids.com
When I was growing up, my neighbor, at the age of four decided she wanted to be a boy. That was it, no discussion, per se; she was going to be a boy.
I remember we teased her a bit and had conversations amongst ourselves about what this could mean in the “big picture” but mostly we let it ride. I remember thinking it was kind of weird to want to be the opposite sex, but it also made a lot of sense.
After all, boys can pee standing up, you know, and I found it terribly unfair that it was so complicated for me to go pee outside. I could relate to my neighbor’s desire.
Here’s a little lesson on the difference between sex and gender. “Sex” refers to our physical being – male or female. “Gender” refers to the social roles related to our sex – boy or girl; man or woman. We don’t have man or woman fish, for example, because they don’t have social roles.
According to Dr. Lynn Sorsoli, from the Center for Research on Gender and Sexuality in San Francisco, kids’ relationship with their gender can be a very fluid thing.
Dr. Sorsoli says “Some children naturally question their gender identity because they think so concretely about gender rules, e.g., ‘Boys like to play with trucks. If I like to play with trucks, I must be a boy’ or ‘I want to be a boy SO I will be allowed to play with trucks.’ For some children, a desire to be the opposite sex is transitory, for others it is a lifelong journey, with sometimes agonizing feelings of being born in the wrong kind of body.”
If your boy wants a doll or your girl insists she is now a boy, relax. Chances are this will pass and the less you react to their choices and pronouncements, the better everyone will fare.
Sometimes a child’s interest in becoming the opposite sex or playing “outside” of their gender role can be a very real concern for parents if seems to be more than a phase.
Professionals used to think this was an indicator of “abnormal” behavior. Thankfully, times and thoughts have changed and now “gender variance” is considered a unique quality of a normal kid – much like left handedness.
Occasionally, interest, play and insistence on opposite gender roles can be an indicator of homosexuality. Not always, but some of the time. Dr. Sorsoli says, “However, what parents most need to know about this is that far and away the best outcomes (in terms of mental health) for Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgendered youth involve family acceptance.”
So, if your boy wants a doll or your girl insists on being a boy, relax. Chances are good this is only a phase, and even if it isn’t, lucky for your child (and you) there is tons of support available for your family.
Check out this link for a great booklet on Gender Variance from Children’s National Medical Center.
birdsandbeesandkids.com ©2008 Birds + Bees + Kids® LLC 206-661-2245
About the Author: Through her business, Birds + Bees + Kids, Amy Lang teaches parents how to talk to their children of any age about sex, love and relationships. She has a 16-year history as a Sexual Health Educator, a Masters in Applied Behavioral Science and loves to help people learn about this vital part of parenting.