Perfect Parties Theme Three: The School Party

Guess what? This party is actually mine, and not credited to my party-planning friend Krista!

(In case you missed it, she brought us The Polka Dot Party and The Pajama Party, with more themes on the way!)

Since Frannie is starting school in September, I decided to have a little get-together for the five girls who will be in her Junior Kindergarten class. (There will also be twelve boys, in case you're curious.)

I would have called this a back-to-school party...except they haven't even been yet! So instead it was more of a starting-school party.

I wrote the invitations on little school-themed magnetic notepads, and sent them through the mail. (Note: some post offices will process envelopes that are eight cents short in postage. Some will return them, delaying the whole process. Get your mail weighed first if uncertain!)

When the girls arrived, I gave them some free time down in the playroom (since I have heard that kids seem to enjoy the unstructured time at parties more than the forced games). Then, I forced some games! (Hey, it was a school party and I'm a teacher - what do you expect?)

First, we sat in a circle and I read the funny "If You Take a Mouse To School", by Laura Joffe Numeroff  (I adore her books.)

Next, we played a memory/name game:

"I'm Frannie, and I'm taking a lunchbox to school."
"She's Frannie, and she's taking a lunchbox to school. I'm Tasha and I'm taking a backpack to school," etc.

There were five girls in total, and I swear they still don't know each other's names!

By that time Daddy and Maggie had arrived home with the pizza (one cheese and one pepperoni), served with juice boxes - very appropriate to the theme - which few four-year-olds can finish in one sitting. (If this were a really authentic school party, I would have served peanut-free sandwiches that would have two bites out of them before being thrown in the garbage in favour of the snack foods and dessert. Believe me, I see it every day!)

After eating, we headed outside to burn some energy, and the girls did a little scavenger hunt that I had set up during naptime. (This is my proudest party-throwing-mommy moment.)

Each girl was given a hard plastic pencil case (pink, of course):

Then, they were instructed to search the backyard, where I had strategically hidden ziploc bags full of various school supplies: one bag had six pairs of scissors, one held six gluesticks, etc. (And since one little classmate didn't make it, we even let Maggie participate.)

The girls ran around the yard looking for the bags, and when they found each one, they distributed the contents amongst themselves, and ended up with their own personal back-to-school kit (the total cost was about $32, with everything purchased at Dollarama. The only other costs were the pizza and the cupcake mix.)

They played on the playset for a bit after that, but then it was time for dessert! As I got it ready, the girls gathered around the kitchen table and coloured some school-themed colouring sheets I had printed off the internet.

Then, they were presented with...the cupcakes! (It was a little anticlimatic with no 'Happy Birthday' or blowing out of the candles. I'm sure Krista would have written a school song to the same tune, but oh well. Maybe for Maggie.)

They were just made from a mix, and I then decorated them myself. ("Whew," you're thinking. "I was afraid she paid someone to put together that mess!") However, I thought the pencils and eraser toppers were cute little decorations. (I did wrap the bottoms in tinfoil, by the way, so no chocolate made contact with lead!)

It was a great experience, which I think the cute little classmates enjoyed. An added bonus was that it taught me Kindergarten is not in my future.

Child: I don't want to play that game. I'm going to Frannie's room.
Me: (thinking) Um, no. I said we're playing the game, so we're playing the game. I'm the teacher, don't you get it? (I said something much more sensitive.)

I think I'll stick with letting our excellent K/Grade 1/Grade 2 team break them in before they hit my classroom!

So there you have it...my first party for Frannie and her 'friends'. Not bad, eh?

Review Roundup: An Organizer, A Book and...Pens?

The girls are at Grandma and Grandpa's today, so one of my jobs was to tackle "the blog drawer" where I keep goodies I have been sent to review. A few highlights I'd like to share with you:

Busy Mother's Organizer

Every mom is busy, and I firmly believe every mom needs an organizer. Many women have gone digital, but I still treasure my pen and paper date book. This version has fun sticky notes on the inside cover, with sections for contact information, lists and menus, and notes. It also has enough one page 'week-at-a-glance' sheets to last for a year. I have to admit that I am pretty loyal to the brand I already use, which I prefer for the softcover and larger daily spaces, but the Busy Mother's Organizer is beautiful and worthy of consideration.

Let's Sign, Baby! by Kelly Ault

This is a board book to share with baby in order to learn to sign together. Many parents are going this route these days, as it's certainly useful to know that baby wants "more", or wants to "play" instead of trying to guess what's going on in his or her mind. It's also cute to see babies communicating "thank you" or "I love you" well before being able to do so verbally. Personally, I did not use sign with my girls. At the time, the research I read was showing that babies certainly learn to communicate through sign earlier than through spoken language, but if they do sign, they may wait a bit longer to start speaking. I was okay to mind-read for a while longer, and just wait for the verbal language to come (which was not the same for both girls, by the way). I'd love to hear from any moms who have used sign with their babies, to find out about your experiences. This is a terrific baby-and-parent book, which I would definitely use in conjunction with more of a "parents' manual" type of title.

BIC ReAction ballpoint pens

I'm going to tell you a secret, and it just might breach blogger etiquette. When I received a pack of two pens (retail value $3.99) for review, my first thought was: "Sorry, but I will not spend an hour crafting a post about pens." However, the promotional angle presented in the accompanying media release hooked me: "Looking To Boost Workplace Performance? Consider the Handwritten Note". The press release goes on to talk about the importance of personalized praise, and that a survey shows handwritten notes are the most valuable form of communicating this. I wholeheartedly believe in the need for employers to show their appreciation (and I know my coworkers concur, as we have discussed it), and let's be honest, we like to know we are appreciated by more than just our bosses: our spouses, children, friends. I know that I adore (positive) notes from my students' parents, and I know they like to receive (positive) notes from me, too.

Email seems to be the most common form of communication amongst employers and employees now, but there certainly is something about a handwritten note that takes things up a notch. Now, do we have to write our notes with the BIC ReAction ballpoint pen? Well, no, (although honestly, it is an excellent product) but their strategy did appeal to me enough to get me to mention it to you, didn't it? Clever. Whoever came up with that PR idea deserves a raise. Or a handwritten note of appreciation!

(Oh, and teachers - if you're looking for a nice red marking pen that will glide along, this one works. That is, if you're still marking with red. I know some people are against it because of the colour's negative connotation on children's work.)

There you have it, folks, my review roundup. Now I have to go enjoy my "nice, relaxing day without the kids": by cleaning the garage and doing school prep!

Make Money, Save Money!

It recently occurred to me that all of my Google followers and email subscribers may be missing the oh-so-terrific links in my sidebar, so I decided that occasionally I should highlight a couple of noteworthy items.

This time of year, many people are cleaning out their houses (especially those of us with kids, who need to get rid of summer and get ready for fall), and I've written two freelance pieces that might be of interest to you.

Turn Your Trash Into Cash was written for Together Family magazine (the first time I had a national byline -  I was très excited!) and is a quick comparison of the different ways to make money from your junk (yard sale, consignment, etc.)

Using Online Classifieds was written for Peterborough, Northumberland and Lakeridge Kids magazine, and is a more thorough set of tips based on my former addiction to Kijiji. When I was on mat leave, I was buying and (mostly) selling through Kijiji every day. I am such a clutter-phobe that as soon as I thought Maggie was done with a baby item, I was taking a picture and listing it on Kijiji, with the hopes of getting it out of the house that week. Whether you're buying or selling, Kijiji (and Craigslist) are excellent ways to either make or save some money, and kids' items are hot commodities.

Whether it's generosity or laziness, I've turned away from the Kijiji world somewhat, and tend to just drop stuff off in donation bins once I have a full bag. However, when I was at home on leave I appreciated every extra dollar I could get...since it just went towards the next stage/size of kids' paraphernalia anyway!

Check out the articles, and hopefully you'll find a tidbit that will help you make some extra money, or at least find a way to spend less!

Stop Second-Guessing Yourself: Baby's First Year

Ah...refreshing. I just received a copy of Jen Singer's Stop Second-Guessing Yourself: Baby's First Year, and it was a breath of fresh air which I inhaled in less than a day.

It's an excellent book: sympathetic, understanding, and not as judgmental as some of the official first-year bibles seem. (There's lots of black and white in those books, and with my short-term breastfeeding and belief in sleep training, I always felt like I was the 'black'. Not so with this one.)

Singer offers all perspectives (breast and bottle, several schools of sleep tips) so it's not just her opinion...although she and I seem to agree a lot. She writes in a casual, informal tone and includes many sidebars funny enough to cause concern for an incontinent new mom. Example? "Baby Milestone Charts According to the Moms in Your Playgroup", referring to the competitive braggarts whose children are always ahead of ours: "3 months - Pushes up on to his hands while lying on belly, and adds a clap between push-ups, like Sylvester Stallone in Rocky 4."

I also love her perspective on getting out of the house with and without baby (and NOT asking Daddy's permission before leaving the kids with him...I guess I wasn't the only one guilty of this.) Plus, I totally agree with her that society today is (too) childcentric; not a popular viewpoint in some circles.

This book is a wealth of baby information (diapering, feeding, babyproofing, illnesses) but with a "you're normal, you're doing fine, trust your judgment" undertone the whole way through.

Stop Second-Guessing Yourself: Baby's First Year is an essential gift for a new or expectant mom. But if you're already past that phase, I have good news! (Other than the fact that you're past that phase.) Singer has also penned (or more likely typed) Stop Second-Guessing Yourself: The Toddler Years and Stop Second-Guessing Yourself: The Preschool Years, which I wish had been written even earlier. I could have used them to complement my more factual, baby-centred reference manuals. Even though my "baby" is well in to her third year (and my big girl in her fifth), Singer's book helped to affirm many of the decisions I made during the all-important first 365 days and, as instructed, I have stopped second-guessing myself. As much.

You can find more of Singer's writing at http://www.mommasaid.net/. It's kind of a major blog. Yes, even bigger than This Mom Loves, if you can believe it. And here's a coincidence: she met Kelly Ripa this summer too!

Disclaimer: I was provided with the above-named book for review purposes. Opinions are, as always, my own. I'm sure you know this by now.

New York City Day 2: Live! With Regis and Kelly

You thought the Day 1 Julia Roberts sighting was exciting? The next day was even better!

Day 2 began with our first New York City cab ride, taking us uptown to 67th and Columbus...the studios of Live! With Regis and Kelly. I watch the show all the time, and was thrilled to be able to get tickets. (You can see their website for ticket info, but there is also a standby line which forms early each morning. Friends of ours were in the city the week before us and had good luck with that.)

The first thing I noticed about the set is that it is much smaller than it appears on television. (So is Kelly Ripa...if that's even possible!) We both really enjoyed getting to see the ins and outs of how a live talk-show is produced, and since returning home I've been watching it with a different perspective.

Here I am with the set in the background. This shot reminds me of what my husband said when he saw my new driver's license photo. "When getting your picture taken, you should always squint. That way your eyes will look the same size as a normal person's!" Obviously I forgot that here.

We were fortunate enough to not only see the live show for the day, but the audience also got to stay as they faked the opening host-talk for the following Monday, when they wouldn't be taping. (You have to watch for the little "Previously Recorded" disclaimer that appears as they come walking in.) They also recorded some video and audio promos as well, and I found it quite fascinating to see the different tasks their jobs entail.

During commercial breaks, I expected the hosts to be flipping through notes and getting touch-ups, but they both came right out to the audience to chat and answer questions, which shows you how comfortable they are with the job. (And how many people are working hard behind-the-scenes so Regis and Kelly can appear relaxed!)

It was funny though, at one point Kelly joked to executive producer Michael Gelman that some talk shows take an extended summer break, to which he replied "and that's why they have a 2 share and we have a 15 share". It's good for business that they come to us "Live!" for most of the summer. They also have a great co-host system in place, where they bring in favourites like Anderson Cooper to fill in for Regis' absences, and promotions like the Women In Radio Cohost for a Day contest, where four winners replaced Kelly during her week of holidays.

Afterwards, we had the privilege of popping backstage to meet and get a photo with Regis and Kelly themselves. (Just for interest's sake, I am wearing flats, Kelly is in three - if not four - inch heels.) My claim to fame will now forever be that Kelly Ripa thinks my hair is the colour of lice. (If you were watching the show that day, then you'll know it wasn't just a random insult.)

As I mentioned with the Julia Roberts red-carpet experience, I hate to come across like a star-struck teenager. I am thirty-three years old; a well-read professional. I scoff at the ridiculousness of  "celebrity status", and the questionable talents necessary to attain it. However, witnessing the making of the show I have to tell you that I have a lot of admiration for everyone involved...and it was, like, so totally cool!

The rest of the day was spent doing the cheesiest tourist activities we could possibly find, such as:

Top of the Rock: a neat experience, but next time I would definitely tour the NBC studios as well while I'm there.

New York City Public Library...for the architecture, sure, sure, but also because it was the scene of the ill-fated wedding of Carrie and Big in Sex and the City!

Empire State Building: it was pretty redundant to do this and Top of the Rock in the same day, so I'd recommend sticking with one or the other...and probably choose this one. We bought vouchers for both online through Circle Line Cruises, and saved some money that way. Plus, we were fast-tracked in the Top of the Rock ticket line since we already had our vouchers.

View from the Empire State Building

And of course we had to buy one cheesy photo (6 x 8 plus 2 wallets for $20)

You may be wondering where (and if) we were eating in between all of our adventures. Meals were actually not a big deal for us on this trip (we even went to Subway and TGI Fridays) because we didn't want to make reservations and have to be in any one place at a certain time. In this city, you can find good food for every budget and taste in every neighbourhood, so we played it by ear. (Seriously, something I didn't plan! Yay me!)

After our whirlwind afternoon we went back to hotel to freshen up and change in to the one fancy outfit we brought, and headed down 46th St to Sofia Indico, an amazing Italian restaurant. They had an incredible selection, reasonable prices, and a variety in clientele (some were in shorts and t-shirts, but most were a couple of notches above. We looked well-dressed in our shirt/tie and little black dress.)

Next on the agenda: would any trip to New York be complete without a Broadway show? (And is anyone else out there as naive as me, assuming that every Broadway show was actually found on that street? We were actually at the Gershwin on 51st.)

Our choice of show was the critically-acclaimed (and wildly popular) Wicked. I bought tickets online in advance, even though I had heard about New York TKTS booths where discount tickets can be purchased the day of a Broadway (of Off-Broadway) show. (Matinee tickets are sold the day before.) My problem is that I knew Wicked was the one I wanted to see, and also knew which night we had available, so I didn't want to take any chances. If you're willing to be flexible (more flexible than moi? Hard to imagine!) it's a great idea.

I was not disappointed: Wicked was an incredible show. It ranks right up there for me with Chicago for favourite musical (I've never been to NYC, of course, but I've seen several in Toronto, including Phantom of the Opera, Mamma Mia, and Beauty and the Beast). Frannie would absolutely love this show, with the whole Wizard of Oz spin going on, but I'm certainly not springing for a $150 ticket for a four year old any time soon (or a trip back to NYC, but you know what I mean.)

So are you exhausted as we were? One more full day to go in the Big Apple - details coming soon!

3M Safety Products Update

If you've already read my review of 3M's safety glasses and ear protectors, you need to go back! I'm now able to provide a pair of each to one lucky winner...so just go back to the post and leave a quick comment to be entered - the prize is worth $60!

Now Hubby Appreciates the Blog: 3M Safety Products Review and Giveaway

UPDATE: NOW A GIVEAWAY - OPEN TO CANADIANS!

So my husband has now decided that there is some value in having a blogger wife: he has finally reaped the benefits of a product review! (Can you believe he didn't get excited about legwarmers, hair clips, bread cutters or backpacks? What is wrong with him?)

3M sent us a couple of safety products to try out, and sexist as it may be to say, I handed them right over to my husband. I knew he would get more use out of the Rivet High-Impact Safety Glasses and the AO Safety Professional Earmuffs than I would. Hey, I work hard, but I have yet to injure my eyes or ears doing laundry, scrubbing tubs, or washing dishes.

We hear a lot about safety, and while it's easy sometimes to slack and cut corners, my husband does take care when working outside. Both of these items came in very handy for his whole weed-whacking/push mower/lawn tractor twice-weekly routine. He particularly likes the glasses, because although they meet or exceed all required safety standards, they look just like regular, stylish sunglasses. This way, if anyone drops by, or he leaves them on when running to the gas station, no one can tell the difference. In fact, he's worn them out in public a few times when unable to locate his regular shades!

The earmuffs also work very well. Again, they meet all safety standards, and have an adjustable headband and comfortable liquid/foam ear cushions. My Dad has actually requested a pair for his birthday later this month...but I'm not saying that he's getting them! (Don't want to spoil the surprise...he actually does check out my blog sometimes!) However, I do happen to know that they are on sale at Canadian Tire this week.

There's never a bad time to think about safety, so take a moment to make sure that you have eye and ear protection for all of the hard workers in your household...whether male or female! (And if they can look stylish too, all the better!)

UPDATE: Since originally posting this, I learned that 3M would like to offer one This Mom Loves reader both of these terrific items, with a total retail value of more than $60! Wouldn't that make a terrific surprise for the man in your life...or, of course, a great gift for yourself? Entering couldn't be simpler: just comment below and tell me you'd like to be entered!

For additional entries, leave a separate comment letting me know that:

• you follow This Mom Loves publicly through Google Friend Connect
• you subscribe to This Mom Loves through email (be sure your subscription is activated)
• you follow @thismomloves on Twitter, and tweet about this giveaway (just once in total, please. I don't like overwhelming the Twittershere with giveaway tweets!)

Contest will be open until Thursday, September 2 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time. A winner will be chosen through random number generation. Good luck, and be safe!

Disclaimer: We received the above-named products for review purposes. Opinions are, as always, my own. And my husband's. But you know whose matters more.

Winners: Stuck On You, Playhouse Disney and Read Me a Story

Congratulations to the following winners:

Stuck On You personalized backpack and tag:
#39 out of 84 entries
Missy from Winnipeg, MB

Playhouse Disney Prize Pack:
# 57 out of 84 entries
Rae from Creston, BC

Read Me A Story from Scholastic:
#13 of 89 entries
Chelsey from Langley, BC

All winners were chosen by random number generation at random.org. Enjoy, ladies!

Don't forget to enter to win a set of Brain Quest Write and Erase Books, and stay tuned for more great giveaways coming soon!