Fashion Mixer

Posted on April 25, 2013 by admin

It’s something I don’t talk about often here on this blog, but I love fashion. I love clothes, accessories, purses and the like. I also love house furnishings and garage sales, but I don’t talk about those here that often either. The other day I got to hang out with a bunch of lovely ladies at the Philly Mom Mixer and found some great finds that I wanted to share with you all. First, Lee Jeans. Yes, you read that right. Good ole’ Lee Jeans. But not the ones I remember from back in the day. These are so cute – and they gave me an awesome pair in polka dot. Yes, POLKA DOT! Love them!



Lee Jeans - Polka Dot Ankle Length




I also got to see the new swim collection from Lands End.  I have loved their bathing suits for a long time, but this year I found this great cover up – a must have for the beach this year.





Lands End Navy and White Striped Cover Up











Oh and did I mention QVC? I’ve lived here for years and have yet to visit their show room, but I can’t wait to go. They had so many cute pieces. Check out this picture of Karla Trotman and I at the Mom Mixer. So, I walked away with some nice gifts and a renewed love of fashion. Got to love when that happens!

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How Old Should Your Kids Be When Your Husband Should Start Locking the Bathroom Door?

Posted on April 20, 2013 by Andrea

My daughter wants to be a boy. Well, in actuality, she might not actually WANT to be a boy, but she is enamored by boys and boy parts and she thinks that boys are better than girls. She’s told me that she wants to pee like a boy, that she wants to have boy parts and that boys are awesome. (Caveat: she does love being a girl…most of the time)

I’m a mom of 2 girls. I have no idea how to raise a boy. I never expected to have to explain to my daughter why she sits to pee and boys stand. And why even though she CAN sit frontwards on the toilet seat – she SHOULDN’T. The other day I had to explain to her why penises aren’t BETTER than vaginas – just different. I had no idea what to do – so I just put on my best good Mommy serious face (don’t laugh) and asked her why she thought that. The simple answer – boys can pee standing up.

I mentioned this conversation to some friends. After they burst out laughing they told me that it was probably time that my husband starts locking the door on the bathroom. Done. Not really sure why it had never occurred to me before – but my oldest is only 6 and awesomely innocent. It just didn’t occur to me. In my house of 50/50 parenting – he takes the kids to the bathrooms as much as I do (maybe more since I hate public restrooms). Thinking about stopping that is driving me a bit crazy. But, I think it is time. Time to make the switch over to boys go in boys rooms and girls go to girls rooms. The switch to – NO, it isn’t ok for you to walk into our bedroom when the door is shut. And, NO, you can’t go into the bathroom when Daddy is in there.

I’m a little sad about it – but hopefully it will help and she’ll stop thinking that boy parts are the best.

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The Relationship I Want With My Kids

Posted on April 11, 2013 by admin

Imagine you are on the beach with your family in an exotic locale you’ve always wanted to go to.  You’re watching your kids play in the water, maybe you’re reading a book or talking to your partner.  Now that you have the image in your head I want you to think about what you would do if your 10 year old daughter ran up to you and told you you had to get off the beach because a tsunami was coming.  What if she insisted?  Maybe she even became hysterical – explaining that she had learned about tsunami’s in school and she knew that one was coming.

What would you do?  Would you try to get her to calm down – while explaining that you knew she believed a tsunami was coming but everything was OK.  Would you have simply blown her off and gone about enjoying your vacation?  Would you have said, OK, let’s go simply to quiet her down?  Would you have said, OK, let’s go and warned everyone else on the beach to leave too?

This story isn’t a hypothetical.  Ten year old Tilly Smith saved her family and more than 100 other beach goers when she warned her family that a tsunami was about to hit the beach they were on in Thailand on December 25th 2004.

For some reason I just learned about this story today.  I don’t know why I didn’t read about it in 2004.  It hit me hard today.  All I could think about was – what would I have done if I had been on that beach and my daughter had come to be telling me there was a tsunami coming?

I want to believe that I would have listened to my daughter.  That I would have understood what she was capable of.  Believed that her information was true.  That I would have believed her, rushed around and told everyone else to leave and gotten my family to safety.

While that’s what I want to believe, I wonder if it is what I would have really done?  I wonder if maybe I would have left the beach to appease her without believing her.  If Tilly’s parents had done that – 100 more people would have lost their lives that day.

I want to believe that if my children believed that they knew something – something I had no knowledge of – that I would be able to defer to them.  That I would be able to believe in their knowledge.

So, I’m making a conscious effort to listen more to my children.  Not just to listen, but to hear them.  To focus on what they say – to really listen for the little things.  I know it won’t be perfect, but I can only imagine what would have happened if Tilly’s parents didn’t listen to her – and I can’t let that happen.

So here is my question for you?  What would you have wanted to do?  What are you going to do to make sure it happens?

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Is it Lice or Louse? Who cares!

Posted on March 22, 2013 by Andrea

If you’ve ever had to talk about lice in your house you know the feeling.  Uh oh.  What happened here.

We received a notice from the little one’s school saying that a case of lice had been identified in her school and that we should all take precautions.  Take precautions?  From tiny bugs that live in hair and require crazy steps to get rid of.  What precautions?  I’ll take them all.

Luckily, the lice didn’t hit our house, but I do feel bad for the family whose house they did get to.

Along the way I learned a few things.

  1. Knowing whether or not your child has lice may not be as easy as you think.  Lice are small and their eggs smaller.  If you are worried about lice in your house check out a reputable site like the CDC.
  2. If you aren’t sure there are people who do.  CVS Minute Clinics offer lice testing; as do Walgreen’s Take Care Clinics.  Your pediatrician should also be able to help you.
  3. If you do have lice, there are over the counter medicines to get rid of it.  Even better for me though – there are people who will do it for you.  Granted I have no experience with this, but I can only imagine this is a huge pain in the behind and quite honestly if you can outsource something like this then why not. Lice Happens and Lice Lifters are two in the Main Line area.

So, let’s hope that I don’t have to use any of this information…and neither do you.  But if you’ve had experience with lice – what did you do?  How did you get rid of it?  What was your experience like?



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Don’t Run With Toys In Your Mouth – and 10 Other Things We Tell Our Kids Every Day

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Andrea

This weekend, I was out on a run when I got a call on my phone.  It was a call that every parent dreads.  My husbands voice came over the phone – I think we need to take Bubba to the Emergency Room.

It was all I could do to not scream loudly, but I controlled myself, we made the necessary logistical decisions and I sprinted back to my car to meet them.  Luckily, by the time I got there the bleeding had stopped and she was “fairly” calm.  Maybe a little too calm.  We made it to the hospital and after a $100 co-pay and 4.5 hours in sweaty stinky running clothes we were discharged.

The moral to the story – DON’T RUN WITH THINGS IN YOUR MOUTH!  Although there was a lot of blood, the pediatric ER doctor at Bryn Mawr Hospital said that the wound was superficial.  However, it was news to me that apparently your carotid artery runs through the back of your mouth and so if you ever have an injury to the mouth to deal with it is always good to get it checked out.

If you’re like me you’ve probably repeated that saying over and over again in your own home.  I can’t count how many times I have told the kids to sit down while enjoying a lollipop, or to stop running while they were snacking on carrots.  They know the rules – but for some reason it escapes them every so often.

So I made a list of the top 10 things I say to the kids all the time, but that they never seem to listen to.

  1. Don’t run with things in your mouth! Given my weekend I had to start with this one of course!
  2. Tie your shoelaces.  The last thing I want is a face plant.  To be honest that is one of my worst nightmares!
  3. Don’t cross the street (any street) without looking both ways (and preferably without an adult).
  4. Don’t climb on top of furniture.
  5. Don’t stand on the couch – Bubba’s large gash on her scalp from 2011 is a good reminder of this one.
  6. Don’t eat off the floor.  This one’s safety risk is lower, but come on – it’s just gross.
  7. Put your helmet on.  They know they need to wear one when bike riding – why do I have to ask all the time?
  8. Don’t make the swings do things they weren’t meant to.  My oldest has an issue with swinging side to side while leaning back on the swing.  Each time she comes just inches from smacking her head on the side of the playground.  Drives me nuts!
  9. Don’t run in a parking lot.  No matter what I do, unless I am holding their hands they seem to forget where they are.
  10. Don’t push/punch/sit on/hit/knock over, or otherwise abuse your sister.  I know it’s childhood and its bound to happen, but really, I have enough to worry about. Do I really have to watch you try to push your sister off the monkey bars?

I know that I have to control my urge to over protect my children (although I’m not 100% sure about the blowtorch thing).  That some injuries are going to occur and that they are going to get skinned knees and bruises.  I get it.  But my head says, come on – if you just listened we could avoid all of this.

What things do you repeat over and over that didn’t make my list?

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Valentine’s Day With Kids

Posted on February 15, 2013 by Andrea

How do you celebrate Valentine’s Day with kids?  Do you celebrate this “Hallmark Holiday“?

In our house, my husband is surrounded by women/girls.  Between me and our two little ones there is a lot of estrogen in the house.  On Valentine’s Day he celebrates the women in his life, and I celebrate him.  I haven’t yet taken the step to have the girls celebrate him, but that will happen soon enough.

This year, he bought us all flowers, and balloons and surprised us with them on the dining room table.  It was adorable.  The girls loved it.

If only it was that simple for us to celebrate with the kids at school.  Having to make 60 different Valentine’s Day cards for the kids in each class is not fun.  But as the kids get older, it gets easier and easier.

This year, I found this great post on Pinterest and we made it.  I was running around at the last minute, but it was great because the kids participated.  They had to be in the picture, they were they centerpiece.  Of course I used the xacto-knife, and slid in the lollipops.   But in the end, the kids loved seeing their faces on the cards and they really enjoyed giving them to their friends.

How do you celebrate Valentine’s Day?  Any favorite cards or crafts?  How does your husband celebrate you and your kids?  Your wife?

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10 Of The Best Indoor Birthday Party Locations

Posted on December 26, 2012 by Andrea

Today, a snowy mix is coming down outside making for an inside play day.  While the kids can remain entertained inside for a long time, having a birthday party inside can be quite hectic for parents.

We’ve interviewed local parents to find their best indoor party locations on the Main Line.  Here they are:

  1. Pancott Gymnastics – a favorite of all kids big and small, Pancott offers a great birthday party package for kids age 3 and older.  The kids can learn basic gymnastics or show off for their friends if they are more advanced.  The birthday child can fly high on the zip line and zoom into the air on the catapult like trampoline (with harness).  Great fun for all ages!
  2. Kehler’s Gymnastics – with almost 20,000 ft. filled with  trampolines, rock climbing walls, moon bounces, an inflatable train, tunnels, slides, ball Pits, a tumble tramp, foam pit, giant cargo net and more – your kids are sure to find something to love.  The space can get crowded, so a private party may be the best option.
  3. The Little Treehouse - a great place for kids to play all day even when there isn’t a party – this place becomes a great party location. The Little Treehouse Birthday Parties are designed for exploring, playing, tumbling and laughing for children ages 1 to 6.
  4. The Franklin Institute - birthday parties at the Franklin Institute are only available on Saturdays and Sundays from 12:00PM and 3:00PM.  But a personalized party schedule can be developed – allowing your little one to focus on the areas of most interest to them.  . Parties will be customized to your child’s science interest through one of our special themed activities or designed to complement one of our special traveling exhibitions.  The parties here are targeted at kids ages 4-11.
  5. Philadelphia Country Club – Parties here are for members only, but there is a lot of fun to be had!  Try the in club bowling alley for a great time for kids aged 5 and up – the even have the shoes! Not a member – take a look at other local clubs – some may offer non-member rates.
  6. Smith Play House – A great place for an indoor party for the younger set.  Smith offers the party room and run of the house from October through March and they provide a party assistant to make it even more fun.
  7. Oasis Family Fun Center – The Oasis Family Fun Center has more than 20,000 square feet of fun and games for kids of all ages.  There are various different party levels depending on your needs and your budget, so check them out to learn more!
  8. Bounce U – with multiple locations in the Philadelphia area  this traditional moon bounce play house is a load of fun for the kids.  Each party has party hosts that help with set up and clean up as well as entertaining the kids.  When your kids are done here, they will beg you to come back!
  9. The Nest Philadelphia – looking for a low key play place where the party can be planned for you and you can just enjoy it.  This is the place to come.  Great for younger kids, the Nest can not only be a party location, but also a year round entertainment spot.  Check it out.
  10. Insectarium – in this insect museum, bug loving kids can have their fill.  A Saturday party here consists of – an insect film chosen with your parties age group in mind.   Then onto a live-cockroach kitchen, a working honey-bee hive, and glowing scorpions. And oh yeah – the children may be offered an edible insect to eat.  Finally, the kids will head up to the living exhibits where they will learn about insects from all around the globe – some of them quite exotic.  Sounds like fun right!

Thank you to Jen, Michelle, Darcie, Terri, Jennifer, Ellen and Kristen for your top choices!  Don’t see your recommendation here?  Don’t worry – we have more lists coming, but feel free to email us to tell us about your favorite indoor location!  And don’t forget to rate it!

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Devastation

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Andrea

Sandy Hook.  Newtown.  Those were the first words I heard alerting me to every parents worst nightmare.  I prayed for the children, I prayed for the teachers and staff, I prayed for the families that won’t be celebrating the remaining holidays with their daughters, sons, cousins.

Then I thought about my children.  Thankfully I knew where they were and they were safe.  I was tempted to run to them.  To grab them into my arms and never let go.  I’m tempted to do that whenever I hear terrible news about a child.  It is every parents nightmare.

Keeping the news from our children was easier than I thought.  No news, no radio and no newspapers.  We didn’t talk about it in front of them and thankfully they don’t know anything about it.

I believe that much like 9/11, like Columbine, like Aurora; Sandy Hook won’t be forgotten.  I hope that changes to our society will come with the tragedy.  I hope that the families of those that were lost have sweet memories that will sustain them in their darkest hours.  And more than anything I hope that my children remain innocent of this type of devastation forever.

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Holiday Activities – Longwood Gardens

Posted on December 8, 2012 by Andrea

If you haven’t seen the Longwood Christmas, it is an absolute must see.   The team of more than 100 staff members takes over a year in advance to plan the display.  They hang 1,600 different handcrafted ornaments and more than 500,000 LED Christmas lights on more than 16,000 plants.

But, reading that doesn’t tell you what you need to know about the display.  You really have to see it in person to understand.

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Walking into the conservatory was the most amazing part of my most recent visit.  Stars were hung from the ceiling with care, one of the most beautiful sights I will see this year.

Gorgeous flowers were everywhere.  My favorite winter flower the amaryllis was in stunning bloom.

IMG_2119

This is only the second time I’ve been to A Longwood Christmas.  The last time we went, the kids were still in strollers and it was so crowded we didn’t get to see everything we wanted.  But this year I went on a Thursday night – off-peak - so it felt almost like we had the place to ourselves at times.

And that’s a big hint.  If you want to visit the gardens during their Christmas display – it really is best to do it off-peak (Monday-Friday except Dec 26-31).  The ticket prices are less expensive and you’ll get to see everything without bumping into people along the way.

And the gardens aren’t just for the adults.  While it is one of my favorite places to visit, the kids love it too.  The lights are plentiful and there is something around every corner for them.  Kids under 4 get in free, but off-peak kids and students (5-22) get in for just $8.  And they can check out all the great kid friendly exhibits including the tree houses, indoor Children’s Garden (not just for summer fun) and the Garden Railway!

And for those of you who haven’t already done your holiday cards (like me) it’s a great place to get a photo for your holiday cards!

Let us know if you make the visit and don’t forget it is open until January 6th, so you have plenty of time!

This post was written as part of my participation in Longwood Garden’s “Star Blogger” program.  I did receive free entry for the evening and a one-year family membership that we will use to keep up our family tradition of visiting the Gardens.

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Girls, Leadership and Sports…and Julie Foudy!

Posted on November 2, 2012 by Andrea

I grew up playing sports and I hope that my girls grow up loving running down a soccer field as much as I did (and still do).  Being a parent of small children has given me a unique perspective on how things have changed over the years since I participated in youth sports.

Back in the day we played “recreational” soccer.  There were more competitive leagues, but “rec” was the norm.  We played in t-shirts and shorts, our parents refereed and coached and we had orange slices for snack at halftime.  No one “specialized” in one sport until at least high school (if at all).

Today, my kindergarten aged daughter plays in a league with “real” uniforms modeled after MLS teams.  Before each game a coach from the local competitive league leads a 15 minute drill so the girls can learn skills.  They practice one day/week and play on Saturdays.  And snack – Dunkin’ Donuts, Pirate Booty and Gatorade are the favorites.  On our snack day we brought orange slices and my Kindergarten daughter said she was embarrassed.  Top it off with the fact that kids are often “specializing” in sports by age 8.  Practicing 3-4 times a week with games on weekends.

Two weeks ago, we were lucky enough to get to hear Julie Foudy from the U.S. Women’s Soccer World Cup winning team speak at The Agnes Irwin School here in the Philly suburbs.  Julie runs a sports leadership academy for girls.  The philosophy of the academy is: “The aim of the Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy is to expose students to Julie’s great passion: the concept of not just being a leader on the field but a LEADER IN LIFE.”

During her speech she talked about her life while playing on the national team.   It was wonderful to hear about the challenges the ladies faced when trying to make women’s soccer a national phenomenon.  She also talked about how different sports for kids are today then they were when she was playing.  The soccer superstar – Julie Foudy played multiple sports until college – something that would be unheard of today for an athlete of her caliber.

She encouraged the parents in the room to expose their children to multiple activities and to let them have fun in whatever sport they are playing.  She talked about how different people have different style of leadership and how as parents we have to allow our children to explore their styles of leadership and to nurture it in them.

I don’t know if my daughters will become super star soccer players or if they’ll end up hating the sport I loved.  I do hope that whatever they end up doing – that they love it with all their heart and that they pour their energy into it.

What sports do your kids play?  How do you hope to keep them engaged and interested in it/ them?

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