High Maintenance Mom - Helping our friends find time for pedicures

Kindergarten and camp registration time

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:35:38 -0800

It's that special time again when those of us living in our type A communities rush around to schedule a summer's worth of activities for our kids. At $500 a week we feel nostalgic for the good old days when camp was more than a week long and kids played outside all day. N's preschool class from last year has organized a play date where we will all come with our camp research and plan our summers. Afterwards, I will send our schedule to several of B's friends to see what we can do. One of the parents I spoke with today told me of a camp where the kids are bused to a park where they can canoe. She referred to it as "Old School." In addition to preparing for camps, many of us are also scheduling school tours and going through the application process...

Winter adventure game giveaway

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 15:38:15 -0800

Want to try a new game your kids will love? High Maintenance Mom and WheeGO want to help you entertain your kids this winter with a fun adventure game that reinforces environmental awareness and kindness! Two lucky High Maintenance Mom readers will be chosen randomly from the logs to win a copy of WheeGO...

Deceptively Delicious-recipes to fool your kids

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 14:40:26 -0800

I have never been a great cook. Ok, so I am not even a good cook but I have improved since my two kids were born. I am a healthy eater but even more so since the kids came along. They are both excellent eaters but when I was given Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food by Jessica Seinfeld, I thought they could eat even better....

Holiday necklace giveaway winner

Sun, 28 Dec 2008 06:49:38 -0800

Congratulations to our High Maintenance Mom and Heart on Your Wrist giveaway winner! One High Maintenance Mom reader was chosen randomly from the October and November logs to win a Heart on Your Wrist necklace with star charms customized with her kids' names...

Kids on the Computer-as everyday as Sesame Sreet

Fri, 26 Dec 2008 10:38:15 -0800

I grew up with a computer (well, not email and the internet but we did have a computer) but now it seems that email and kids web sites are the norm and I had better jump on board before my kids have to start teaching me and I lose control of what they are viewing. I do allow my kids a small amount of monitored TV each day but haven't really started the whole internet thing yet....

Braving the Crowds vs. Shopping at Home

Fri, 26 Dec 2008 08:33:55 -0800

Heard on the news that today is another "Black Friday." Shoppers are expected to flood the stores for after Christmas sales and returns. Not being a lover of chaos, I'm glad that I can shop from the warmth of my living room. Internet sales are abundant, too. It's the perfect time to buy baby gifts ahead and have them ready for the next newborn in the neighborhood.

Happy Holidays - New Years Ideas

Thu, 25 Dec 2008 11:30:26 -0800

Happy Holidays! We hope everyone gets to do something fun during the break. I've been searching for ways to help my kids feel empathy and compassion for the holidays. We usually collect old toys and bring them to a shelter. Last New Years Eve we spent some time thinking about the previous year and what we wanted for the new year. We all wrote or drew the two separate lists (see New Years Eve with the kids. I put the drawings and lists in our holiday cards envelope and then quickly forgot about them. It was a fun surprise for me this year when I started this year's holiday cards...

Make a Global Climate Change Statement with a fun shirt

Sun, 14 Dec 2008 07:29:24 -0800

Need a fun gift that says, "I care about Global Climate Change?" Check out the We Add Up t-shirts. There are over 25 designs to choose from including Recycle, Compost, Solar, Drink Tap, Fly Less, Inflate (tires), and Turn Off (lights). Each organic shirt is hand printed with a unique number. Most of the shirts have the We Add Up tagline, "No one can do everything. Everyone can do something" on the back...

Food Fights-the latest nutritional guide from the American Academy of Pediatrics

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 10:42:49 -0800

I always look to The American Academy of Pediatrics (www.aap.org) for guidance in raising both of my children and was pleased when they came out with a book to help with the never ending battle of good nutrition. Not only can it be a battle with your children, but it can also be a battle with false information, old wives tales and theories from well meaning parents. Food Fights, Winning the Nutritional Challenges of Parenthood Armed with Insight, Humor and a Bottle of Ketchup may be a very long title but its tips are to the point and chapters easy to read.

A great new tool for finding books you and your kids will love

Sun, 09 Nov 2008 13:16:40 -0800

We've been searching for books for B to read that are age-appropriate but at his reading level. Several of the books he could read are either too scary or deal with "coming of age" topics that I would like to save until he's a little closer to that age. It turns out that Scholastic Books has a great new feature called the Teacher Book Wizard. The Teacher Book Wizard helps you find other books that are similar to the ones you know your child already likes. It gives you a summary of the book, gives an interest grade level and the reading level. Below are a few of our favorites...

Cade's Story-a beautiful story of strength and love

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 21:29:38 -0800

My friend has graciously allowed me to post the story of her son Cade for encouragement to others and to remind us all how precious life is. Here is Cade's story as told by his Mom.......

Earth Science Week

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 23:03:46 -0700

The theme for this year's Earth Science Week is "No Child Left Inside." If you've read Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder, or read about it, then you might be looking for more ways to incorporate unstructured time outside. The USGS, one of the Earth Science Week (ESW) sponsors, has a web site with links to outdoor parks and activities around the country. Even if there isn't an activity listed for your area, it doesn't take too much effort to help your child connect with nature. Start with a walk at your child's pace. You may only get to the end of the block but your child will appreciate the time you spend looking at the things that interest them. I find ants much more interesting through my kids' eyes. They, my kids - not the ants, love to watch water run down a drain, look for the biggest acorn, or investigate any type of bug.

Sid The Science Kid-new show my daughter loves

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 11:24:06 -0700

We just found a great new show on PBS called Sid The Science Kid. It's smart with some very catchy songs in it. Sid is a want to know it all preschooler with very hip parents (like me!). He goes to school each day wondering about a new thing (science related). His parents, friends and teacher help him find answers to his questions.

Children's Health Month

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 06:23:52 -0700

The US Environmental Protection Agency celebrates Children's Health Month each October by developing publications and activities that highlight the importance of protecting children from environmental risks. This year’s highlights include the launch of the Climate Change and Children’s Health Education Campaign, which will encourage middle school and high school students to take actions to address global climate change and children's health, and encourage their friends and families to do the same......

Back to School - Yet another transition

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 22:59:37 -0700

B started first grade on August 11 and N started his last year of preschool right after Labor Day. It's late September and we're still trying to adjust. Going to bed early is a struggle and with it comes difficulty getting up / out of the house in the morning. It's exhausting. We're trying to stick to a schedule to make life easier on everyone but it's hard to find time for soccer, homework, food shopping, cooking, and cleaning...