Author: MichelleH
Take Part in the Global Mosaic
The New York Times is looking to capture a global moment in time this Sunday. The idea is to take a photo of wherever you are at on Sunday, May 2, at 15:00 hours (U.T.C.). This invite is open to expert photographers and amateurs. You only get to submit one photo so the NY Times encourages you to put thought behind the picture. You are asked to list your location and subject and a short caption. You will then be able to see a world-wide mosaic of what humanity was doing at that same moment in time. You can arrange the photos by country or topic as well as by how readers ranked them.
We think this is a fun activity to do as a family. You can teach your children about different parts of the world as you look at the global mosaic. Here at Kolcraft we will be joining in the “awe” of being part of a global mosaic. Feel free to post your moment in time in our Magical Moments section so your Kolcraft family can share your moment in time.
Will you be participating in the Global Mosaic?
Bring Your Kids To Work
Last Thursday was “bring your kids to work” day. We had quite a few Kolcraft kids at our office learning about what their parents do all day at work. They also gave us their thoughts on their parents’ jobs and celebrated a pizza party with us. 
We wanted to share a few pictures with you of our fun day.
Mattress engineer Sam drawing specs with his children for building a fort
Fashion designer Hyon at pizza party with her family
Hyon and daughter London working on the next hottest fashion trend
Stroller Engineer Toriono teaching his daughter how to engineer a stroller
Calling All Marvelous Moms!
We are sure you are a Marvelous Mom and we want to celebrate you! To honor Marvelous Moms, Kolcraft is hosting a Marvelous Moms contest where you can win a $150.00 spa pamper package. The contest is easy to enter:
- Put a photo of a Marvelous Mom on our Facebook wall along with a paragraph or two explaining why she is a marvelous mom
- Judges will pick the finalists from the entries and you will get to vote on which finalist you think should win.
- While you cannot nominate yourself, tell your kids, friends, hubby, significant other, etc. so they can nominate you because we know you are a marvelous mom just waiting for a spa day!
Join the fun because you deserve to be pampered! Complete details are on our Facebook Mother’s Day Tab
It’s Tip Tuesday
Today’s Tip Tuesday talks about your toddler. (Yes, we did want to see how many t’s we could put in that sentence! ) It’s no secret that toddler’s can be fussy eaters. At times meals can turn into “food wars” if your toddler won’t eat. All sorts of tactics are used from bribing them to desperate pleas to eat. One way to make your toddler’s mealtime fun is to use a cookie cutter to make his food into fun shapes. Your toddler will look forward to see what surpise shapes will be on his plate!
What creative ways have you helped a fussy toddler eat his food?
It’s Mom Monday!
Today we have the opportunity to talk with Beth from Happily Domestic. Beth is a SAHM to 4 beautiful children ages 9 years old to 5 months. If that didn’t keep her busy enough she also is their home-school teacher. We were excited to have a few moments to catch up with her.
The name of your blog, Happily Domestic, seems to say it all for you. What is your favorite part of being a SAHM?
First of all I want to say that I feel absolutely honored and blessed to be able to stay at home with my children. My husband and I decided from the start of our marriage to live off one income. We did this so that it would not be a shock to us when we started our family. It hasn’t always been easy financially, but worth every sacrifice. I have never missed hearing any of my children’s first words, I was by their sides as they took their first steps, and have had the privilege of teaching both my older children to read. This is my favorite part about being a stay at home mom.
How are you able to keep a balance in your life with four children, homeschooling and writing a blog?
Good question. I am still trying to find the perfect balance. It is a challenge keeping up with it all. My days are very busy from early morning until late at night. One thing I have been working on is making sure I am not caught up in time wasters. I do not watch television, I do not have a cell phone (I do not text anyone), I keep my phone calls brief and have recently set my computer so that I can only go online in the evening. These things help tremendously at keeping me focused on the everyday tasks that need to be accomplished.
You have great tips on saving money. What would you say is the most important thing for a family to keep in mind so they can save money?
I think that American families in general are caught in a trend that they need to have it all to be successful. We are continually told that we need the big house, the luxury cars, etc. All the while we are becoming increasingly more in debt. This is not a successful lifestyle. We all need to be good stewards of what we are given and learn to live within our means. We cannot rely on our jobs to always provide. If the goal is to live debt free (including your home mortgage) then saving money will come easy to you. After all, we owe it to our children to leave them with more than just debt when we die.
What has been your “success tip” for raising children?
I was raised in a broken home. My parents divorced when I was 6 and I was shuffled back and forth between Colorado and California until I was 18. I experienced a great deal of stress growing up. I was rejected by my own mother and mentally abused by her when I had to stay with her. I always knew in my heart that when I had children of my own that I would do everything in my power to be a great mom for them. I never want a day to go by that I take my children for granted. My success tip for raising children is to realize that your little babies will one day be grown adults. Love on them, spend time with them, let them know that they are special. I see so many parents who seem put out by their children and it is sad. We have only a few short years with them. We need to learn to cherish each and every day.
What is the one thing you know now after parenting 4 children that you wish you knew at the start of your parenting journey?
I wish I knew how fast they grow up. Little old ladies always use to tell me, “enjoy them…they grow up fast!” I would laugh and go on. Wow! It goes FAST. I wish I had spent less time stressing and more time enjoying my little ones. Even on those days when they were marking the walls with crayons or tearing the batting out of our couch.
Now for a quick glance into Beth’s life.
What is the book currently by your bedside? There is no book, just an adorable little baby boy sweetly sleeping in his bassinet.
What’s the one baby-care product you couldn’t live without? This is a hard one. There are so many baby products I feel I could not live without. For instance…my nursing cover (I am not about to start lifting my shirt in public), my baby monitor (I would worry excessively if I could not hear my baby while he is taking his naps), my Itzbeen timer (My poor baby would probably be nursed only 3 times a day if I didn’t have this handy timer to remind me when I last fed him)…but hands down I could not live without a stroller! How else could I go anywhere with having two little ones 2 and under???
If you had a free day to do anything you wanted, what would you do? A whole day to myself? Wow! This may seem simple, but I would love to go to lunch downtown with some of my girlfriends, go shopping at all the neat little shops and then end the day with a trip to a day spa for a massage and pedicure.
What’s your favorite activity to do with your kids? We love to go to the library together. Our local library always offers puppet shows, craft parties, special guest entertainers, and story times. I love seeing how excited my children are every time we go through the library doors. We pick out books and movies together and always have an enjoyable time.
Thank you for your time and insight Beth! You truly are an inspiration.
How Would You Like A Golden Ticket?
Do you remember the excitement on Charlie’s face when he won a golden ticket and had the chance to go to the Chocolate Factory? Well, Baby Age is giving you the chance to win a Golden Ticket! You won’ t end up at a chocolate factory, but you will end up with great baby gear! From strollers to bassinets to Elmo potties and walkers – you could be in baby gear heaven.
It’s very easy to enter. Check out Baby Age for more information!
Edible Play-dough
Who hasn’t grown up having hours of fun with play-dough? Here at Kolcraft we were talking about all the “works of art” we made out of play-dough so we had lots of fun “test driving” today’s fun Friday activity; edible play-dough! This simple activity is easy to do, edible and good for the environment!
What you will need*:
- 2 cups of peanut butter
- 6 tablespoons of honey
- Nonfat dry milk or milk plus flour
- Cocoa or carob for chocolate flavor (optional)
- Edible treats for decoration (we used strawberries)
*We used organic ingredients
Directions:
- Combine ingredients in a bowl and mix adding enough dry milk or milk plus flour to reach of the consistency of bread dough.
- Add cocoa or carob if desired
- Shape, decorate and eat!
Share your fun play-dough ideas with us in the comment section or post your edible play-dough art in our Magical Moments Gallery!
Earth Day, Soybeans and Crib Mattresses – Oh My!
What do earth day, soybeans and crib mattresses have to do with each other? More than you might think! As we celebrate earth day we look at different ways we can care for our earth. One of those ways is by buying earth-friendly products such as those made from soybeans. Several Sealy® crib mattresses are made from soybean foam.
What is soybean foam?
Soybean-based foam is more of an earth-friendly foam than conventional foams. By using a percentage of natural soybean oils to create the foam, less petroleum and crude oils are needed.
What are the benefits of using soybean-enhanced foam in a crib mattress?
- Environmentally friendly: Soybean-enhanced foam has a smaller carbon footprint because soybeans are a natural and renewable resource that farmers can grow year round. Instead of drilling for oils or shipping petroleum from overseas, locally grown soybean oils can be used. There is a decrease in energy consumed to make the product and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions
- Economical: The soybeans used in the foam are grown in the USA, supporting the American farmer, and depending less on foreign oils to create durable foams. Soybeans are the USA’s second largest exported crop, second only to corn. Technology such as this help increase demand, planting, and incentives for farmers to grow soybeans.
- Durable: Soybean-based foams are high-density and firm to support sleeping infants. Soybean-based foams offer:
- Reduced sagging
- Improved durability and lifespan
- Comfortable sleeping environment
We love our Sealy® Soybean Foam-Core Crib Mattress that is made with lightweight high-density foam made with soybeans!
Some eye-catching features:
- Soybean foam is CertiPUR-US® certified and has been tested for indoor air emissions, durability and substances including phthalates, formaldehyde, PBDEs, lead and other chemicals
- Entire cover and lock-stitched binding wipe clean preventing allergens from clinging to the mattress
- Mattress is lightweight making it easy to change sheets
- Lifetime warranty on workmanship and materials
- Entire mattress is phthalate and flammability compliant and does not contain toxic fire retardants
Our Sealy Soybean Foam Core crib mattress is available at Walmart.com!
Have a question or comment about our soybean mattresses? Our crib mattress team is ready to answer any questions you may have!
Check out our other soybean crib mattresses – Sealy® Posturepedic™ Springfree® Soybean & Latex Foam-Core Crib Mattress and our Sealy® Select Soybean Dream™Crib & Toddler Bed Foam Mattress
Teaching Your Child About the Environment
Teaching your child about the environment and caring for the earth helps shape their perspectives, values and how to interact with the environment. It also nurtures a sense of wonder, imagination and creativity. It exposes them to beauty and helps them remain active. A few simple ways you can start teaching your child about the environment while having fun:
- Gazing – Grab a blanket, lie on your back and look up. Ask your child what he/she sees in the clouds. Ask him/her why they think the sky is blue. If you want a night adventure, ask what stars your child likes. Look on the internet what planets will be out that night and see if you can find them. You may even see a shooting star while you are gazing!
- Wildlife Habitat - Create a wildlife habitat in your backyard for your children, grandchildren or neighbor’s children. Invite them over to observe changes in the wildlife refuge especially with the different seasons.
- Explore – Check out the bugs, butterflies and birds in your own backyard or neighborhood. Grab a magnifying glass and notebook and let your child record her/his findings in their very own bug adventure book!
What are some ways you educate your child about the environment?
Teaching Your Child To Be Green
As we continue to celebrate earth week, this Tip Tuesday we are featuring easy tips to teach your child how to be green and care for the earth. Being green is something that everyone – no matter how young or old – can do. Your child learns so much from you from values to lifestyle, so why not incorporate these few easy tips to teaching your child how to care for the earth from a young age?
Water – Teach you child that a little water goes a long way. When brushing his teeth or washing hands, a pencil-thin line of water will do.
Light – When leaving the room, have your child turn off the lights. If your child is too small to reach the switch, pick her up so she can flip the switch off. It can become her special job when you leave the room.
Walk – Instead of running errands in your car, walk to the store. This will give you time to bond with your child and get exercise. Be sure to bring your stroller in case your little gets tired!
Recycle - Make recycling fun by putting your child in charge of recycling certain items like paper towel or toilet paper rolls, paper or cardboard. If you don’t have a special recycling container for these items, let your child decorate a container. This will give your child ownership over their part in recycling.
How do you teach your child to recycle and be green? Please share your comments with us!
