Things I’m in Love With Right Now for Kids

by Michal Levison on January 20, 2012

I fall in love easily. What can I say? There are so many amazing things out there, especially for little kids. Sometimes it’s tough to see the jewels among the hoards of crap and garbage that is constantly being touted…So, in order to make things easy for you, I’m going to start a weekly mini list. Nothing overwhelming. It may have a theme, it may not. I’m kinda all over the place anyway, and I just want to give you a bit of what I’m digging on a regular basis.

Here goes!

1. The Rock & Roll Alphabet byJeffrey Schwartz and Chuck Boyd

It’s an awesome intro for your baby to both the alphabet and Rock & Roll music. I mean, isn’t it known worldwide that A really is for Aretha?!? The pictures are terrific and it’s witty and cute. And edumacational! Amazon sells it for $13.

2. This print by Danny Roberts

City Rooftops Black and White 8in X 8in Art Print

Simple, yet complex, this print just speaks to me. I think it’s appropriate for a kids room. I never play dumb to kids. They appreciate good art as much as the next person, and sometimes even more. Plus, the more you (or they) stare at this piece, the more you discover. Buy it now! It’s only $20 for an 8×8 print. A bargain to boot. Find it at his Etsy shop.

3. These incredible crochet lampshades

Pinned Image

Unfortunately, I have no idea where one can purchase these beauties. But, maybe I’ll try to find a pattern and make these one day…That’s a big fat maybe. The more likely maybe is: maybe I’ll find someone who knits or crochets to make me some!!! If you know how to make these puppies, do let me know. All I can say is, “I am obsessed.”

4. VUDU

If you don’t know what vudu is, you are missing out. This is a rental service that competes with Netflix. But it is SO much better. The selection is killer. The prices are amazing and there is NO MONTHLY FEE. There is no downside here! Get it!

That’s it, folks! Have a wonderful weekend. As for next week, I can’t promise much. I may or may not post. Zack and I will be off to Turks & Caicos and I may just check out completely. I may not. We’ll see!

{Leave your comment}

Time Flies – Baby Piercing

by Michal Levison on January 19, 2012

On Tuesday, Anya turned 6 months old. When in the world did the time go? I mean, we are just flying through milestones. It’s crazy how much faster time goes when you have two kids! I remember how nice and leisurely the pace was with Bella. We really focused on each and every movement, jesture, sound, etc. Mornings with her were blissfully calm and relaxed. Poor Anya, three days a week I have to take Bella to school. Those mornings are the most harried as I have to get two girls fed, dressed and ready to go into the freezing cold. Oh yeah, I have to get myself ready too. There’s very little bliss there! It’s more like chop chop chop. The other four mornings are nice, but since Bella is a big kid with talents, ideas, opinions and a need for action, most of the attention is focused on her. My quiet bliss with Anya comes on the way home from dropping Bella off at school. We get to stare at each other and snuggle. I carry her in the Ergo carrier as we take the bus or subway home. It’s quality alone time that I cherish.

So, for her half birthday, I took Anya to the doctor. What a great mom, eh? Not only did my wee one get shots, I also had her ears pierced! Happy Birthday! Hope you like needles…

Before

After (and happy!)

Here are her vital stats: She weighs 19.2lbs and measures 27.5 inches long. She’s in the 96th percentile for both. That means she’s dropped back onto the charts. She had been way off them until now. Well, the doctor was happy with her progress, particularly in that she’s eating everything. I mean, just this week she had short ribs, clam chowder, guacamole and spicy fish. I’m just hoping she keeps going with her adventurous eating.

I also brought Bella in to see the doctor because she’s been coughing a lot. So much so that she’s waking herself up at night. He checked her ears and chest and gave her a full exam. He found nothing. The final determination is that she has a persistent cough. What can I do about it? Nothing. Ugh. It’s so frustrating! I just want to be able to make it go away. I’ve tried honey, Vicks on the chest, chestal…Nothing has worked as of yet. This morning, a lady in my building suggested I put Vicks on Bella’s feet and then put socks over them before she goes to bed. I will try that tonight and let you know if it works.

Anyone else have suggestions of how to knock this thing out of Bella?!?

{Leave your comment}

Perfect Sunday

January 16, 2012

Yesterday was quite possibly the most perfect day. I woke up and spent time with my girls. Bella and I made pink banana pancakes with silver sprinkles. Anya watched us at work. When Zack returned from walking the dog, we had a family breakfast. Then, I got to go upstairs to the gym and take [...]

Read the full article →

How to Store Produce

January 13, 2012

I don’t know what your fridge (and, more specifically, your crisper drawers) looks like, but mine is in a constant state of yuckiness. I just don’t know how I am supposed to wrap or unwrap, cover or uncover my produce so that it stays fresh (ok, not moldy and gross) longer than 2 days. In [...]

Read the full article →

Life is Short

January 12, 2012

I went to a funeral today and the Pastor talked about the brevity of life. He kept referring to the mad dash and quickness of our time here on earth. It made me think of a poem I just read on a Facebook friend’s page by Linda Ellis called the Dash. Since Ms. Ellis has [...]

Read the full article →

Anya’s First Word

January 10, 2012

For a few weeks now, Anya has been trying really hard to get a word out. She has been breaking her gums (no teeth yet!) trying to say the “m” or the “b” sounds.  She’ll stammer on one of those consonants for ten minutes straight and look like her head is about to explode. Yesterday ended in [...]

Read the full article →

Anya Pumps Iron

January 9, 2012

Happy Monday! Hope you had a lovely weekend. It was unseasonably warm here in New York City. The thermometer hit 62 degrees on Saturday!!! We were lucky to have an ice skating birthday party in Bryant Park to go to…Bella was super excited about the prospect of it all. She was all smiles until we [...]

Read the full article →

Doggie Doo

January 6, 2012

And, to take you through the weekend… Zack discovered the most incredible product. And by incredible, I mean completely ridiculous and slightly disturbing. Have you seen the commercial for Doggie Doo? Seriously, I am not making it up…it’s a game where you make dog poo…Fun for the whole family, right? I’d love to meet the [...]

Read the full article →

Quick and Easy Dinner

January 5, 2012

I was not feeling well yesterday. OK, that’s a severe understatement. I could barely move. I caught some sort of stomach bug plus some kind of flu…My body ached – so much so that my teeth and hair hurt! I could barely muster up the energy to check my email, much less do anything else. [...]

Read the full article →

Look What My Kid Did!

January 4, 2012

So, last night, Bella went to bed just fine. It seemed like she would pass out immediately after I finished reading her a book. Boy, was I wrong. She had other plans… At around 9pm, Zack went to his closet (which is right outside the girls’ room) to pick out his clothes for the morning. [...]

Read the full article →

← Previous Entries