New England Mamas

Etsy Addict: I know we're a week into the new year, but still - Calendars!

I’m a terrible procrastinator.  I’m the person who decides to buy her calendar two months into the new year and is stuck deciding between the fart joke-a-day or “Cheeses of the World” calendar.  Fart jokes win.

This year I was so ahead of the game, I bought my calendar of January 2.  I rule!  What I was forced to buy due to lack of stock TWO DAYS into the new year - black and white extreme close-up pictures of wildlife.  *yawn*  It has been relegated to the hallway off the garage because it’s just not pretty enough to be in my kitchen.

Starting the new year by homeschooling

The holiday break is almost over. Based on my Twitter feed, this is a source of great joy for many parents, but for some, this fact brings nothing but stress.

Maybe your child's teacher or school is making life miserable for your family. Maybe you are thinking your kindergartner isn't really ready for the daily schedule. Or maybe your child is a square peg trying to fit into a round hole, with little success.

Or, maybe you are like I was and are just intrigued by homeschooling but have no idea how to make the first step.

Here's your first step.

2010 First Night Events around New England

Say farewell to 2009 and hello to 2010!  Here's a round-up of First Night activities throughout New England.  All have family-friendly activities planned for kids of all ages. 

Massachusetts: 
Boston - First Night Boston
North Shore - Beverly's New Year
South Shore - First Night New Bedford
Cape Cod - First Night Chatham
Worcester - First Night Worcester (See one New England Mama's take on it here)
Western MA - First Night Northampton

Connecticut:  First Night Danbury;  First Night Westport;  First Night Hartford

Rhode Island: Bright Night Providence

Vermont:  First Night Montpelier;  First Night Burlington;  First Night St. Johnsbury

New Hampshire:  First Night Portsmouth;  First Night Wolfeboro

Maine:  First Night Bar Harbor;  First Night Old Orchard Beach

If I've missed any, please feel free to add them in the comments.  And as always, please celebrate safely and responsibly.

A Ghost Story of Christmas at the Hartford Stage

A Christmas Carol: A ghost story of Christmas begins on the Hartford Stage with a flurry of white apparitions moving to a bell-like beat that rings out from the loudspeakers. The ghosts cover the stage with the stiffness of the dead, brandishing chains and rattling them against the floor; some spirits sail overhead on wire. Then the macabre spectacle fades into the action of the play as Ebenezer Scrooge and his housekeeper, Mrs. Dilber—played with a sly masculinity by Bill Kux—carry out their rituals on the morning of Christmas Eve. The next 24 hours will bring together past, present and future in a concerted effort to save Scrooge’s life, and maybe just preserve humanity.

This past weekend marked my third viewing of the Hartford Stage’s A Christmas Carol in as many years.

What's happening this weekend - Family friendly holiday events throughout New England

Looking for something holiday related to do with the family this weekend? We've got you covered.  Here's a sampling of what's going on around New England Friday, December 11 through Sunday, December 13:

Just in time for the holidays - gift ideas for teachers that deserve an A.

My oldest daughter started preschool last year, and we all couldn't have been happier.  A couple of days a week I would leave her in the care of the most wonderful women I could ever hope to ask for and know that not only would she be learning but that she would be cared for and doted on... along with the 19 other children in her class.

Seriously, how do these women do it?  Twenty kids??  I get the shakes when I have more than one over for a playdate.  Those women need gifts, pronto.

*checking calendar*

Well lookie there, it’s the holidays!  The perfect time to let your favorite educator know how much you appreciate them.  But with what?  Cookies?  Pssh.  Please.  These people help to expand your child's mind!  The least you can do is expand your own past the typical pastry gift.

Etsy to the rescue!

There are many New England artisans and crafters on Etsy, so finding a suitable gift for your kid’s favorite preschool, elementary, or secondary education teacher is a snap, right?

Put down the flour!  Let me help you find something.  I love Etsy.  Some may call it an addiction, I call it... an addiction.  But one person’s time suck is another person’s boon.  I’ve scoured Etsy to find some perfect gift ideas for the teachers in your life, gifts good enough to guarantee your child a good grade.  Not that you would bribe a teacher or anything.  That would be wrong...

Hey, look over there!

Razzle Dazzle Light Parade

Who doesn’t like a parade?  Have you ever been to a parade at night?  We have!  This Sunday will be the eighth year that our family will attend the “Razzle Dazzle Light Parade” in Putnam, CT.

Secret Spaces - Hidden Gems: Homemade Ice Cream

Summer in New England conjours certain images- beaches, sun and ice cream.  If your like my family, you enjoy a nice cold ice cream treat during the summer.  From Memorial Day to Labor Day, you can nave your pick of flavors from a variety of places.  My kids have nicknames some of the one's around here - the turkey ice cream, buffalo ice cream, ice box, cow ice cream and sunflower valley by what's in the vicinity.

Today we're going to talk about sunflower valley ice cream, otherwise known as Buttonwoods Farm.  Nestled in the woods on Route 165 in Griswold CT, surrounded by fields of sunflowers the third week of July, it looks like any ordinary ice cream stand to the passerby.   Their ice cream is by far, some of the best ice cream I've ever tasted.  It's all homemade, and the only place I know where you can get pumpkin, or sunflower ice cream - yum!  With over 31 flavors, there's bound to be the perfect flavor for you.

An added bonus, every third week of July (now through July 27th), they offer hayrides through the sunflowers, or you can walk through the fields.  These sunflowers, along with tee shirts and handmade night lights are sold at the stand.  All proceeds from these sales go to the Make A Wish Foundation of CT.

New England - A safe place to raise kids

Today, I came across an article by Parents Magazine and the results of their study on the safest place in America to raise children.  I am happy to see that four out of the top 10 safest states are from New England.  And the other two states round out number 11 and 12.

I'm even happier, to see that my home state of Connecticut is ranked the #1 safest state.  This is due mainly to their booster seat and bike helmet laws.  We've got some work to do to improve especially in the way of water safety, but it's great to know that overall, our kids are in safe hands.  I like knowing that our lawmakers have our children's safety in their minds.  When Connecticut first passed their upgraded child seat laws, I scoffed.  Really, what first grader (and above) is going to want to sit in a booster seat?  And how will I navigate the car line at school if I have to strap a child into a car seat/booster seat?  You know what, it doesn't take any more time.  Einey, my first grader, just hit 40 pounds, the minimum state weight to go from a car seat to a booster seat (even though I switched her earlier).  To graduate from a booster seat to a car seat, she has to have reached 60 pounds and her seventh birthday (the law is a bit ambiguous on this, but talking to seat inspectors, they all have that in agreement).  I don't see her miraculously gaining 20 pounds in the next ten months, so we'll be holding onto the booster seat for a few more years. 

How did the rest of the New England States rank?  Rhode Island, our neighboring state, comes in at #2.  Their main focus is on combating violent crimes involving children.  Their weakness is at school-bus crossing zones.  The next New England state on the list was Maine coming in at #6.  They rank high when it comes to teen drivers, but low with leaving children unattended in vehicles.  Massachusetts rounds out the top ten at #8.  They have great emergency care set up for children, but allow children as young as four to buckle up without a booster seat.  I found this surprising with their proximity to CT which has much stricter laws. Vermont just misses the top ten at #11 and New Hampshire comes in at #12.  Overall, New England seems to be a very safe place t olive.  To find out where your states ranks and some quick stats, visit Parents.com.

Dancing with the Stars Live Tour

I have a confession to make.

I love Dancing with the Stars.

I know it's kind of cheesy and hokey - and the "stars" aren't exactly A-listers - but man, oh man, the way those dancers make their bodies move is just amazing to me.

So I was more than excited to see the Dancing with the Stars Live Tour when it rolled into Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT last Thursday night.

I had never been to Mohegan Sun before. I'm not really a casino person. But the first thing I noticed upon walking into the casino was the overwhelming smell of cigarette smoke. It was so overwhelming to me, I think, because I am used to there being a smoking ban in public places. So that kind of grossed me out.

But anyway, on to the show...

I had gone to the Dancing with the Stars Live Tour last year at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, which had more "stars" than this year's tour. Last year, Drew Lachey (love him!), Joey Lawrence, Joey McIntyre, Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin were part of the tour.

Watching Drew and Cheryl Burke (his dance partner) perform their "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)" routine was a major life highlight of mine (don't feel sorry for me; I do have a life!).

This year the "stars" were Joey Lawrence, Marie Osmond and Wayne Newton.

Now don't get me wrong, I love Joey Lawrence. But I'm kind of over seeing him and Edyta Sliwinska (his dance partner) perform their routines, especially after seeing them live on last year's tour.

Marie Osmond? Eh. She sang solos more than she danced. I think she danced two times with Jonathan Roberts (her dance partner). Her other appearances were her songs, which the older people in the crowd were loving. Personally, I could have done without them.

And Wayne Newton. Well, it was cool to have the opportunity to see this living legend live on stage. He truly is an entertainer, and he really seemed happy to be there. But he didn't dance at all. I mean, I know he had a heart ailment that kept him from performing at the finale of Dancing. But again, the show is called Dancing with the Stars. Just a thought!

The company dancers were fantastic, though. They performed most of the actual dances. And their bodies!? Holy crap. Freaking. Amazing.

So, all in all, I give the show an 8 out of 10. I would have liked to have seen more dancing... with the stars. But the energy of the show was great, and as for motivation for hitting the gym? Oh yeah, totally there.

I would just suggest that Mohegan Sun consider a smoking ban because walking through the smoke-filled casino kind of sucked. Not that Mohegan Sun is listening!

- Jane