Idyll Banter

Idyll Banter: Weekly Excursions to a Very Small Town by Chris Bohjalian


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I had read Bohjalian's Midwives and LOVED it. It was such a thought-provoking novel, and the characters were so amazingly written. I really liked that he told the story from the perspective of the midwife's daughter.

Though I knew he was a New England author, I did not know he had a weekly column. Along the same lines as Dave Berry, his slice of life segments are enough to feel complete on their own, but pieced together tell the tale of life in a small New England town. I may purchase this book to remind me of NE when I'm "home" sick next year.

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Evenflo Smart Steps

Lately, I've been questioning what I feed my kids, and how much of it. It seems like a couple times a week I'm baking something with H...cookies, bread, cupcakes; all in the name of math and science education at home, right?

Charlie will put down just as much food as H at times, and I know they go through stages of feast or famine but always wonder if I'm making the best choices, or instilling good eating habits. I've been making H eat a vegetable every night in order to 'earn' dessert. While I know that some disagree with that tactic...I don't really care. That's just how I roll. After a couple nights of struggling to get him to eat four tiny peas (one for each year of his age), he now 'willingly' will eat the small pile I put on his plate without being asked. It's amazing how follow-through and consistency get the job done!

I got an email from MomCentral* about Evenflo's new Smart Steps program, and was able to try a few of the products from the new line. I got a sippy cup that's in an insulated sleeve (machine washable, yay!) and has a soft spout that really doesn't leak. I've tried just about every sippy cup, and they have pretty much all leaked when left on their side after they've been abandoned by one of my children, but this one didn't. Love it!

I also got a set of spoons that are flat and look a little bit like mini-pancake turners, but they're meant to be easier to maneuver for small hands and a set of snack cups whose lids double as suctions to keep them from being flung (as easily) from the table.

Some of the tips they have on their website were mainly reassuring, as they're things that I'm already doing. But if you aren't, you'll be surprised how easy they are to incorporate in your life. Here are a few:

• Let your kids be "produce pickers" at the store. If they can pick out their own fruits and veggies – they'll be more inclined to eat them
• Invite your kids to prepare meals with you. All of that mixing, mashing and measuring will make them want to taste what they are prepping.
• Offer choices. Rather than ask "Do you want broccoli for dinner?" ask "Which would you like for dinner: broccoli or cauliflower?"

Not sure how you're doing? Evenflo has developed a quiz on their website in order for you to determine your Parental Feeding Style and where you fall on the Eating Arc. The site is also full of tips and products to either continue the good things you're doing, or things you can tweak in order to help your child get on the path to having a healthy relationship with food. Be it dealing with a picky eater, ideas for revamping your mealtime repertoire or conversation starters to begin a tradition of eating at the table as a family, Evenflo Smart Steps has got ideas for you!

*I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Evenflo and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate

Baby Einstein World Animal Adventure

As I've said before, I didn't discover the bliss that is Baby Einstein until Charlie came along and I had two kids to entertain while I did my daily 'chores', made dinner, occasionally while I sat and knitted (okay, more than occasionally, but who's really counting?)

The bigger collection I amass, the more I'm amazed at how they just don't get old for either kid. The newest release, World Animal Adventure, is a big hit at our house. After we were given a copy of World Music by MomCentral to test, I not only filled out the survey, but personally emailed to see if I could please, please, please get a review copy of the World Animal Adventure because World Music was so fantastic it even captured the attention of the six year old boy I was baby-sitting.

The World Animal Adventure also has a new feature of a second "mode". It's a little more advanced so an older toddler or pre-schooler will get even more out of the video. Silly puppet shows, a great soundtrack and animals seen in their natural habitat create a well-rounded presentation.

I love that the Baby Einstein line is taking their mission of early childhood education to the level of exposing kids to not only new sights, sounds and shapes but then attaching those sights, sounds, costumes, instruments, etc to the region of the world in which they will most likely be found. Most kids won't get to travel to Australia to see Koala Bears or Asia to see a Panda, but exposing them at an early age to what's 'out there' is something I really value.

Charlie, as you can see, is enthralled by the whole DVD series. He can be having the most off of days, but then that big caterpillar rolls across the screen and gives a little wink of encouragement saying "I know big guy, I'll make it alllll riiight" (Okay, that sounds a little pervy, but whatever); He's a goner.

I love having the compromise of allowing myself the freedom to either interact with he and H while they watch one, or to get my own work done while not feeling like I'm abandoning them to electronic media that could warp them.

I remember when I first saw that the Baby Einstein DVD's were marketed to infants from birth forward (depending on subject) I felt a little bit vindicated that it was a product line that definitely targeted the educated crowd, yet was still bucking the system that said "ZERO TV until 2 years of age!"

Like anything in parenting, there is such a broad spectrum of what 'tv time' means. Do you sit your baby in the Bumbo in front of Goodfellas? Hopefully not. But what harm can some Sesame Street or other pre-school/educational TV do so that mama can get dinner on the table?

As I was typing the above two paragraphs, I clicked over to the Baby Einstein link and saw that they've been addressing this very topic. In fact, a Harvard study on the topic of infant television was recently conducted and found, in part, that it's not harmful for infants to view TV but that content does matter.

And because you can't get a post without a little bit of snark...I love that they're not movies, they're 'Electronic Board Books' which, when said with a snotty British accent while telling other parents what my kids 'watch/read' makes me feel really superior...and I like it.

Please note that I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Baby Einstein and received a World Animal Adventure DVD to facilitate my candid review.

Daniel X: Watch the Skies

For those of you who have boys who loved The Dangerous Days of Daniel X, the neXt installment, Daniel X: Watch the Skies, is now available! James Patterson, with Ned Rust, has once again created a story that will be engaging for boys and girls alike. The father of a young boy himself, Patterson, founder of 'ReadKiddoRead' wanted to create a series that would help fill the need for literature that makes reading fun for boys. Mission: Accomplished.

Daniel is an alien hunter whose family was killed, and his parents left behind for him 'The List' of aliens on planet earth that must be eradicated. The books follow his adventures in pursuing them and taking them out, while mixing in everyday boy dilemmas about friends, girls and life in general. Daniel X has powers that allow him to conjure people and things, which helps him defeat the aliens along the way.

As the list gets shorter, the higher-ranked aliens are harder and harder to kill, which means he's at more risk of getting killed himself. The aliens methods are creative, and the character names (the nasty landlord is Mr. Gout) will make the adults that read it have a little giggle.

One thing I like about this series so far is that the chapters are really short, so if a parent wanted to find a chapter book to read to a child that was maybe 10+ years old, they'd be able to read a couple of chapters a night. As with most books you're going to read aloud to your child, I'd recommend reading it first to see if they're up for the gore factor, but overall, it's aimed at this age group so I'd feel comfortable reading it to my kids at that age.

While it's definitely a simplistic adult read, I appreciate that it's not too juvenile in that Patterson still uses words that they'd have to occasionally look up and has some complex sentences so that the kids reading the books would be challenged and also empowered to keep reading higher and higher level books.

"Daniel" also maintains a blog, if your kids just keep wanting more...right now, he's promoting the sci-fi thriller District 9.

I have a 12 year-old nephew who will be getting both Daniel X books, and I'm sure he'll love them; Good Morning America recently rated it America's best book for boys!

*I received a copy of Daniel X: Watch the Skies from Mother-Talk in order that I could review it.

Automoblox Minis Design System

Do you have a hard time finding the right toy for everyone when the plethora of holidays, birthday parties and other gift-giving occasions arrive? Sure, there are age guidelines on the box, but they're not always easy to find, and even if a toy is geared for 3+, would a 6 year-old like it? I first heard of ebeanstalk, a website dedicated to selecting good, safe baby toys, when my sister-in-law sent two gifts in a row to H and Charlie from it. The presents were a hit, and also came with a little card explaining what each toy did to aid in development (i.e. sensory stimulation, fine or gross motor development).

I was intrigued when I got the first email from them saying that they need help from moms like me to pick the toys. I already knew that I liked their site content and was excited to be part of their test panel.

The toy they sent is called Automoblox Minis 3-pack (T9, S9 and C9) from Manhattan Toy, who makes great developmental toys. Packaged in a sleek rectangular box, you slide out the inner portion and I found my first positive: no plastic twine encasing every inch of the toy making it a nightmare for parents in the opening process.

The automoblox are wooden cars that are made to be interchangeable, so that three cars can be made into several different ones by simply pulling them apart (they're hooked together by two color coded male/female plugs). For instance, H's set came with a red, green and blue car. Each of them came apart into 2-3 pieces plus the tires and plastic bubble, which looks like the top of a car, are interchangeable and color-coded as well. H is just at the age where color identification is important, and he was able to see the 'right' way to put the cars back together because all the plugs, tops and tires matched. (The set also comes with four black tires)

This toy is marked for 3+, and I felt like it was a really appropriate guideline. The tires come off easily, which is great because it wasn't frustrating for him to pull any of the pieces apart, but they also don't come off so easily that it falls apart as you're rolling it across the carpet. For this reason, though, it's a toy that will be played with out of reach from my 14 month-old. There is a choking hazard warning on the box for small parts.

There were no weird plastic-y smells, and the wooden bodies had some fun details such as drilled out holes where the head and tail-lights will be. The body is made of German beech wood that's triple coated in a non-toxic lacquer so even though your pre-school may be beyond sticking things in their mouths it's just as important that their toys be toxin-free.

The set we were sent can be found for just under $30, and I would absolutely spend the money on it as a gift for Christmas or a birthday. H was occupied for THREE HOURS while Charlie napped...he is a pretty good kid when it comes to entertaining himself, but these three cars kept him busy the whole time! There are also larger toys that come in a single pack. At the very least, we'll be getting the other mini sets (the m9, X9-X and A9-S) so that there are more parts to interchange with.

Gather 'Round!

It seems like every time I turn around, I'm getting another email to join a social networking site. So far, I've briefly had, but never used and later cancelled, a mySpace account, am obsessed with maintaining a facebook profile and all the fun that goes with it, and tweet occasionally.

When I got the notice from MomCentral about a new site called Gather.com, I was wondering what was different about it. I'm not big on have 1,000 different sites to maintain, but I was intrigued by this one.

My main focus in using Facebook has been to reconnect with friends from the past, and keeping up with what they're doing now. But what if you want to start looking for others who share your interests, views, challenges and dilemmas? Sure, there's meetup.com, but that's all about getting together in person. What if you just want a quick message board, or ways to chat with people all over the country? Trying to go green on a budget and need cleaning solutions? Want a quick recipe, or ways to cope with your crazy toddler while cloth diapering your infant? How about discussing the newest in thriller fiction, or terrace gardening?

Gather.com has created a vibrant and diverse social networking community where you can meet some amazing people who are, you guessed it, gathered together around shared interests and unique passions. Gather hosts thousands upon thousands of groups and conversations on topics ranging from how to cope with your rambunctious toddler to creating a thriving organic garden; from books that you’ll want to stay awake all night reading to the latest pilates moves; and from cooking without recipes to taking the challenge of creating movie reviews in Haiku (tougher than you’d think!).

Does this still sound like it might be something you've already got an account with? Well, here comes the difference...wait for it...

On Gather you earn points for the content you contribute to the site, which can be redeemed for gift cards to stores like Home Depot, Gap, and Target, and even for PayPal cash. In an effort to encourage a free-flow of ideas, the more recipes, tips, stories and advice you share with others in the community, the more points you earn. Now that’s a great incentive!

*I wrote this review while participating in a blog and giveaway campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Gather. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Cross-posted at Sexandtheknitty

Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood by Koren Zailckas


My rating: 2 of 5 stars
So far, there are a couple of reasons I really like Smashed. First, she's exactly my age, so when she's talking about things that happend in highschool, etc, it's kind of fun to see the social parallels, but secondly,she's from New England. I'm more than a little obsessed with all things New England since I'm a transplant. (I've watched The Departed and the Dennis Lehane movies more times that I can count). Her bio says she grew up in the 'suburbs of Boston', but when she's talking about a girl who goes to her regional high school andsays "Billie lives in the bordering town of Clinton..." I gasped in excitement, because that's just up the road!

It's a bio that I'm hopingdoesn't turn out to be bogus like that of James Frey.

I wanted to read it before sending it off to my 15 year-old niece as a'cautionary tale' (yep, I'm *that* aunt) and have found that it's really good, frank, and I think that most parents would benefit from reading it even if your kids aren't there yet.

Even though the 'times are different' it hasn't been all THAT long since I was in high school, but I feel like I've forgotten a lot of the nuance. Oh yeah, and I never drank in high school.

The above was written when I was only about a third into the book...I have to say it went downhill from there. She was either grossly exaggerating her drinking in parts, or in fierce denial in others because she'd talk about slugging drink after vodka-filled drink for hours on end on a regular basis, while maintaining a certain level of function; but at others would say things about how 'some' people could tolerate 3 long island iced teas while she was blasted after just two.

I also felt like she never, really, admitted that she had a problem. Saying instead that she didn't have a "genetically based reaction to alcohol that addiction counselors call 'a disease'" or "I drank for the explicit purpose of getting drunk, getting brave, or medicating my moods."

Even though the book is aimed at being a cautionary tale for teen-age alcohol abuse, it's more a cautionary tale for not owning your alcoholism. She was/is an alcoholic. Period. I'm disappointed that she never admitted that. She only says that she stopped drinking because her husband enabled her to feel in a way that she formerly couldn't without alcohol...um...that's alcoholism.

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