August 2008 Week #2 Finalists

Here are the August 2008 Week #2 free baby photo contest finalists! These finalists will go to the final round at the end of the month for a chance to win the latest Baby Einstein DVD!

Avery, Carli, Jillian, and Oliver!

Congratulations and good luck! :)Â - But most of all thanks for being a part of our site!

Want to enter this month’s contest? You still have time to enter. Enter here.

*Don’t forget! We have a fun contest going on over at our partner site, A Mom’s Review, where you can win a complete do-it-yourself cake kit from Cakes By Me. We are giving 10 kits away! Go to AMomsReview.comÂ

August 23, 2008 · Filed Under buzz

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August 2008 Week #1 Finalists

Congratulations to our August 2008 Week #1 Finalists.Â

Trinity, Emily, Mary, and Gabrielle

These cuties will go to the final round at the end of the month along with the other weekly finalists for a chance to win the latest Baby Einstein DVD!Â If your child wasn’t a finalist this week they still have a chance at winning. We are currently accepting entries for Week #4 in the baby contest gallery.

Enter the Free Baby Photo Contest now!

August 23, 2008 · Filed Under buzz

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AMomsReview.com Is Giving Away 10 Cake Kits!

Our partner website, A Mom’s Review, that features the best products for Moms & Babies is giving away 10 complete do-it-yourself cake kits from Cakes By Me. Go on over now and leave a comment for a chance to get one! We whole-heartedly recommend these cake kits. They are so fun!

Where To Go: A Mom’s Review Cake By Me Giveaway!

August 23, 2008 · Filed Under buzz, mom finds

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Ways To Keep A Toddler Entertained In Your Kitchen

Ten Ways To Keep A Toddler Entertained In The Kitchen by Teresa Kolvek

Anyone who has tried to cook a meal while watching a toddler knows how difficult a chore this can be. I know that if I don’t keep my little girl busy and entertained, she’s either off in another room scaling the furniture, clinging to my legs and screaming for attention, or grabbing for hot pots and kitchen shears. So, here are some ways I’ve found to keep her safe and happy while I get dinner ready.

1. I have a cabinet for her to explore. I keep the bottom three shelves of my pantry stocked with things like boxed (sealed) macaroni and cheese, cocoa mix, small canned goods, dry cereal - things she can take out, stack, rearrange, sort, etc. We even got her a little plastic grocery cart ($8.99 at Toys R Us), so she can shop in the pantry to her heart’s content.

2. I’ll set her up in a high chair with a big bowl of corn meal or oats, and some plastic measuring cups and spoons. She has a ball pouring, measuring, and stirring. Note - this can get messy but sweeps up fairly easily; or you could use a drop cloth if your floor is carpeted.

3. My daughter likes to play with refrigerator magnets. Toddler-safe magnets can be lots of fun and provide good entertainment. We bought her a barn magnet puzzle kit (as an alternative to potentially unsafe regular magnets) that plays songs when she matches the pieces; it’s cute and she enjoys it.

4. Stickers are always a good diversion, if you don’t mind peeling them off the cabinets!

5. We will sometimes give her a task that can be done on the floor or in a high chair, like “sorting” the mail. This makes her feel as though she is helping out.

6. I will occasionally get a step stool and let her stand at the counter and help to prepare the meal. She can do things like tear up lettuce, or place chopped vegetables into a bowl, or put shredded cheese on the lasagna.

7. I’ll position her on a stool at the sink and let her “wash” some plastic dishes.

8. I give her a kid-sized broom and let her sweep the kitchen floor (hopefully she‘ll still enjoy this type of thing when she gets older!).

9. We will often turn on the radio so she can sing and dance to the music. Note - this is much more fun (for both of you) if you join in, too!

10. If all else fails, and she doesn’t want to go along with any of these activities, I know it’s because she is hungry and I give her a light snack. You don’t want to spoil their appetite for the upcoming meal, so just be sure to make it something healthy and not too filling, like diced fruit.

Cooking with toddlers is a challenge and a half. Try some of these tips, and also remember to have fun! They’re only this age once.

Teresa Kolvek and her husband, Tony, are the proud parents of a beautiful and spirited toddler named Amelia. Visit Teresa’s website at http://www.toddlerdish.comÂ for great information, tips, and recipes for toddlers.

Kitchen Fun With Children

Kitchen Fun with Children: An Important Life Lesson

One of the easiest and most fun ways to spend time with your kids is by working together in the kitchen. You’ve got to eat anyway, so you might as well have some fun with your kids. It’s better than sitting them in front of the TV or Video Game machine and cooking alone, right?

Cooking with your kids is not only a great way to spend quality time, it teaches skills that your children will need later in life. There’s nothing sillier than a college freshman who doesn’t know how to make spaghetti or hard-boil an egg. These are simple life skills that every child should learn and are as important as math and science, without a doubt.

Here are a few ways you can spend time with your children in the kitchen. Each will give you a chance to communicate while teaching your child valuable life skills (and giving you ample photo opportunities).

Age-appropriate Cooking
How to do you incorporate cooking with your kids into your day? Start by finding some age-appropriate children’s cookbooks. If your child is younger than 12, make sure the books have many pictures – and fun names for the recipes. Encourage your children to select the meals that appeal to them.

Older children, can, of course, cook from an adult cookbook, if they’d prefer.
Then, when your child serves the meal, take a picture of the proud look on his or her face. Invite a friend or grandparent over to enjoy the delicious meal and let your child show off her new talents.

Picnic
Another option for encouraging important cooking is to help your child make some sandwiches and eat them outside. Let your children choose the menu and make all the foods.

Some simple sandwich combinations are:
Peanut Butter & Honey & Bananas on Raisin Bread
Cream Cheese & either Turkey or Ham on a Tortilla
Bologna & American Cheese with Potato Chips on White Bread (Don’t even tell me you didn’t love this when you were a kid.)

I’m sure your child will come up with some “interesting” combinations of his own. Have fun with it and enjoy!

Tea Party
Grab the stuffed animals and treat them to a delicious cup of imaginary tea. Allow your child to bake muffins or scones with your help. This is, not only a great way to teach food skills, it’s a wonderful opportunity to reinforce manners. Of course, teddy bears have excellent manners when enjoying tea and they always say “please” and “thank you”.

These are only a few of the countless ways you can enjoy preparing foods with your children. Now, get cooking!

Nicole Dean is a co-founder of http://www.KidsActivityCalendar.com — a resource to help parents teach their kids the alphabet in a fun, positive way.