Known for riding her son’s scooter and winning water gun fights, Meredith is the parent’s pick for play reviews, finding products that parent’s love and kids don’t put down. Answering the prayers of parent’s everywhere, Meredith’s must-read blogs from “Toys That Travel Well” to “Playtime For Moms” are reviews that provide parents with the real rundown.
For most of us with offspring, summer break is in full swing. The kids are entrenched in their camps and classes, we've made our pale-skinned maiden voyage to the community pool, and the slip n' slide has been unraveled, and christened, and possibly already patched or replaced.
I honestly adore the less-structured, no homework ease of summer days. But being a ''work-at-home" mom, I have found myself in a wicked battle between productivity and playfulness. Do I join the water balloon launching contest in the backyard, or return those 10 overdue emails? Do I head to the pool with the dudes, or finish my latest post (on play, nonetheless). Do I flip over and fold the laundry or succumb to Truman's pathetic pleas for me to play 'King of the Court" for the 34th time today?
I've only spent two weeks as Julie the Cruise Director and I'm juggling and balancing and "productively procrastinating" the very best I can. The truth is, life isn't all fun and games and trampolines and dance parties. There is work to be done, people. Even when all I really want to do is PLAY. After much kvetching and late night meditation over glasses of Prosecco, I've decided that as long as I carve out a nugget of time each day to drop everything and succumb to my silly self, it's all good. Right? But being a bit more playful in one's every day can't be a big production all the time either. Or I just won't even bother. I mean who has time to PLAN out their play all the time? Not me. So I've started a list of a few simple and cheap ways to inject a healthy dose of "Vitamin P" into my life. I've made sure all of them are cheap or free, easy to accomplish, and not the usual "have a dance party in the kitchen" playful fare.
1. Wash your own SUV... with the help of your slaves kids. This past weekend Jon and I were telling the kids how when we were youngsters, we used to help our parents wash their cars. In the driveway, or the back alley, or in the big open field next to the house (we come from rural roots). As we described the use of big sudsy sponges, scrub brushes, over-flowing plastic buckets, and garden hoses, I realized we are cheating our kids out of some serious classic fun by taking our cars to the carwash all the time. A little 1978 retro car washin' fun is now on the agenda. It didn't look anything like what's pictured below. It usually ended in a fight and someone getting grounded or soap in their eyes. But let's pretend it'll look like this.
2. Pop in some double braids. I don't know what it is about sporting braids down the side of my head, but every time I pop em' in, I feel 13 years old with a burning desire to pedal my banana seat bike down to the Skat gas station to buy Cherokee Red soda and a Marathon candy bar. (Small town Western PA in the late 70's had its perks).
3. Buy and WEAR a funky fresh fedora. Baseball caps are okay for covering up bed head or pool hair, but the summer fedora is WAY more fun and playful of a lid. Sometimes I even wear mine in the house...just for kicks. I just bought this one today. It was like 6ish dollars at Forever 21. And it makes me feel all badass.
4. Create a Spotify or Pandora playlist based on the song "Jesse's Girl" by Rick Springfield or "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell. You will be delivered via/ Delorean back into the innocence and feathered hair bliss that is the 80's. And due to your body/mind recall, You will be forced to dance like you did in Jr, High. And your kids might cry.
5. Test drive a convertible. I am longing for a bright yellow mini cooper convertible. The peeps closest to me are well aware of this burning desire, and while I am SURE I will one day own a soft-top something, for now I will rely on the beauty of the test drive. They are free, They are fun, and as long as you vary up the dealerships you visit, the sales guys are non the wiser.
6. create a SocialCam account and become the next social media Spielberg. I just started playing with Social Cam and I must say it's ridiculously good. If video intimidates you in any way, the SocialCam app is your new digi-vid BFF. It's fun and silly and well, PLAY-full.
7. Get all dolled-up for dinner...at home...on a Wednesday. Watch what happens when you take a beat about an hour before dinner to clean up, put on some cute threads, slap on a little lipstick, spiral curl your hair and light a few candles on the table. Unexpected, frisky, playful. Boom! (No need for whips and chains to stoke the marital fires, Miss 50 Shades of Whatever).
8. Take a field trip the local dog park or beach...with or w/o a dog. Watching pooches play is an instant injection of Vitamin P. And unlike going to watch and play with children at a playground when you don't even have kids, watching and playing with dogs that aren't yours won't land you on the creeper list.
9. Post a spontaneous "meet me in half an hour" post on FB, and see who shows up. I did this the day before my birthday this month and it was totally fun to see who met me for a glass of bubbly on a moment's notice. This spontaneous social media play date will surprise you in the best of ways.
10. Take a little nap. Seriously. It is absolutely impossible to be playful in any way when you're exhausted. 20 minutes in a horizontal position can change everything. Have your kids lay down on their beds with a book, or toy, or both and give everyone a little down time. Naps are not just for infants and toddlers. Your tween and teens can use one now and again too.
Anyone have another way to keep our days as super mothers of the world a little more playful and a wee bit less NUT-zo? If so, SHARE away! xo
They were all in town to reveal some of the park's coolest new attractions and to let our batch of parenting bloggers know what they can expect when they come to visit this year.
We all gathered at the beautiful Wit Hotel Rooftop, the "IT" spot for drinks on any given night in Chicago. But yesterday it wasn't brimming with beautiful young professionals grabbing an after work cocktail. Instead it was full of fun-loving kids, little and big, enjoying an amazing breakfast and a meet-up with Gru, the minions, and a few of the creative minds behind some of the park's most popular rides.
After a little mingling, we got to hear about the newly renovated Spiderman ride, the fantastic CityWalk parade, and the all new Despicable Me "Minion Mayhem" attraction. It was fascinating to hear how the producers and artists that create attractions like The Wizarding World of Harry Potter", go about bringing their visions to life. My two boys LOVED those Harry Potter books and I am definitely planning on taking them to see that attraction this year, before they get too big! Although are you ever really too big for Harry Potter? I think not.
I also learned that there are actually two different parks at Universal Orlando Resort.
Universal offers "experiences that place you in the center of the action, such as Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit - the world’s first high-tech coaster to combine hit music, high-speed maneuvers and personalized video. It also has blockbuster TV- and film-based attractions such as Revenge of the Mummy, Shrek 4-D and Men In Black: Alien Attack". While Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park has some of the most technologically advanced attractions and thrill rides ever created. It has seven individually themed islands, each with its own attractions, restaurants and shops. . Also at Islands of Adventure is The Wizarding World of Harry Potter –again...I NEED to get my boys there!
One of the best ways to visit Universal Orlando Resort is to stay at one of its three AAA Four- Diamond hotels. Each hotel is a quick stroll or water-taxi ride away from the theme parks. By staying on-site, you get Early Park Admission to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and complimentary Universal Express Pass to completely bypass lines on select attractions and shows in both Universal Orlando Parks.
After our 411 on all things Universal Orlando Resort, it was time for a little Minion/Gru dance parTAY! Even my 14 year old enjoyed those little buggers dancing and jumping with all the kids.
Our morning with the Minions and the lovely folks at Universal was a really fun way to kick off summer break. Our fam. goes to Orlando pretty much every March, and this year we will definitely be swinging on by Universal Orlando Resort to give those rides a GO!
*I was compensated for co-hosting the Universal Blogger Breakfast and for letting you all know about the cool stuff they have going on this year at Universal Orlando Resort.
They were all in town to reveal some of the park's coolest new attractions and to let our batch of parenting bloggers know what they can expect when they come to visit this year.
We all gathered at the beautiful Wit Hotel Rooftop, the "IT" spot for drinks on any given night in Chicago. Yesterday it wasn't brimming with beautiful young professionals grabbing an after work cocktail, but with fun-loving kids little and big, enjoying an amazing breakfast and a meet-up with Gru, the minions, and a few of the creative minds behind some of the park's most popular rides.
After a little mingling, we got to hear about the newly renovated Spiderman ride, the fantastic CityWalk parade, and the all new Despicable Me "Minion Mayhem" attraction. It was fascinating to hear how the producers and artists that create attractions like The Wizarding World of Harry Potter", go about bringing their visions to life. My two boys LOVED those Harry Potter books and I am definitely planning on taking them to see that attraction this year, before they get too big! Although are you ever really too big for Harry Potter? I think not.
I also learned that there are actually two different parks at Universal Studios Orlando.
Universal offers "experiences that place you in the center of the action, such as Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit - the world’s first high-tech coaster to combine hit music, high-speed maneuvers and personalized video. It also has blockbuster TV- and film-based attractions such as Revenge of the Mummy, Shrek 4-D and Men In Black: Alien Attack". While Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park has some of the most technologically advanced attractions and thrill rides ever created. It has seven individually themed islands, each with its own attractions, restaurants and shops. . Also at Islands of Adventure is The Wizarding World of Harry Potter –again...I NEED to get my boys there!
One of the best ways to visit Universal is to stay at one of its three AAA Four- Diamond hotels. Each hotel is a quick stroll or water-taxi ride away from the theme parks. By staying on-site, you get Early Park Admission to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and complimentary Universal Express Pass to completely bypass lines on select attractions and shows in both Universal Orlando Parks.
After our 411 on all things Universal Orlando, it was time for a little Minion/Gru dance parTAY! Even my 14 year old enjoyed those little buggers dancing and jumping with all the kids.
Our morning with the Minions and the lovely folks at Universal was a really fun way to kick off summer break. Our fam. goes to Orlando pretty much every March, and this year we will definitely be swinging on by Universal Studios to give those rides a GO!
*I was compensated for co-hosting the Universal Blogger Breakfast and for letting you all know about the cool stuff they have going on this year at Universal Studios Orlando.
1. I implore you. PRE-Produce this moment! My husband is a TV producer and a favorite utterance in his line of work is "it's ALL in the pre-production". We "at-home" parents are field producers of the most whack-a-doodle daily reality show ever created. Except we have no editors and post-production magic on our sides. So use the next couple weeks (while those teachers still have your kids 6 hours a day), to take some notes, organize yourself, and make a plan for the next 6-8 weeks of full-time kid-ville.
2. Buy at least 2 Slip and Slides at your local big box store. Buy them NOW, because they will be nowhere to be found by the time it gets hot outside and your kids are ready to hurl themselves down the plastic runway of doom. And the first one will break 12 minutes after you turn on the hose.
3. Create a Summer Wish List and post it for all to see. Every May we take a big ol' piece of poster board and make a "Sinclair Summer Camp" list. We brainstorm and write down all the fun and exciting things we hope to do over break, and then post it on our sliding glass doors in the kitchen. I thought my kids would have grown out of this activity by now, but every year they ask to do it. There's just something awesome about slapping down all of our idealistic summertime wishes and working down through them.
4.Have a small glass of wine, take a few deep breaths, and go swim suit shopping. Alone. It's simply imperative that you use one of the last remaining kid-free weekdays you have left to hunt down and trap the ever allusive figure-flattering bathing suit. There is only one thing worse than swim suit shopping. Swim suit shopping with kids. Especially if ya have to bring them into the dressing room. They NEVER lie to be nice. And they have no volume control.
5. Have your kids pick one thing that they are super curious about, that doesn't seem to make the school's regular curriculum and have it be their "expert study" for the summer. I've been doing this since my boys were wee, and it's a fun and creative way to keep their brains from starting to attrophy over the summer, while giving them something to turn to when they're "bored" (which will be 20 minutes after the dismissal bell rings on the last day of school). We use the library to stock up on informational books on their chosen subject, find a few field trips that relate, and let them google the heck out of it. At the end of the summer they do a creative presentation to teach us all about their topic. I think this year my boys are leaning toward Dubstep Turntablism and the Tusekgee Airmen.
6.Buy and apply self tanner, like now. The community pool will completely sneak up on you some random Tuesday and there is just nothing lovely about snow white skin in June. My all time favorite is this:
7. Contact your neighborhood high school babysitters and put them on a retainer. By week two of summer break they will all be booked and you will NEED a manicure, and massage, an adult movie, and a martini. Pay them whatever they want.
8. Find out your kid's friend's schedules and write them down. Your kids will be longing to play with someone their own age somewhere around day 4 and while I pride myself on my water gun skills, lemonade stand management, and sprinkler jumping prowess, I'll never be as much fun to play with as their dude friends. If you know when their friends are in camps and when they're free, your summer play date production will be a whole lot easier.
9. Find out YOUR friend's summer schedules and write them down. You'll want to play with someone your own age somewhere around day 4.
10. Finally, post the quote below somewhere you can see it and your kids can't, and vow to enjoy the crazy ride that is summer break one day at a time.
“Summer is kind of like the ultimate one-night stand: hot as hell, totally thrilling, and gone before you know it.”— Cosmopolitan
I'm a business travelin' Mama. I travel for work about six times a year. Most often to New York City, and generally it's a four-day trip, though sometimes longer. And while my Sky Miles account rejoices, my three children are usually less pleased when Mama's suitcase surfaces – along with her Mama Guilt.
Here's how it goes down.
Mom: “Hey guys, I need to go to New York for work next week.”
Kids: “Aaahhh, agaaaain? You just went there for Toy Fair.”
Mom: “Yeah. But Daddy will be here and he's the fun parent.”
Kids: “Are you doing The Cards again?”
Mom: “Well, would you like me to do The Cards again?”
Kids: “Yes!”
Mom: “OK, I'll do The Cards for you!”
The kids run off and play.
I started doing “The Cards” for my kids many years ago. Here's how it works.
I leave cards, one for each day that I'm away, tucked inside a numbered envelope.
The cards include a sweet love note on one side.
And a treasure hunt clue on the other side. Sometimes the clue even rhymes, but only if I'm feeling really creative at 2am the night before my flight departs.
The treasure hunt leads them to a fun surprise hidden around our house - like a pack of gum, new markers, or a small toy.
They must do The Cards together. Reading together, then holding hands to find the treasure together.
They love it! Of course, what kid doesn't love a treasure hunt?
It's a fun tradition that gives my kids something to look forward to each day I'm away. The numbered cards help them count down the days until my return. They take turns reading the clues and they work together to figure out the hiding places.
We Skype at night and I ask them what they found on their treasure hunt that day. As my kids get older, the hiding places and clues are getting more difficult. Sometimes they even call me for help with the more challenging clues.
It's something that was born out of my "Mama Guilt", but has grown into a special family tradition.
In fact, recently my kids have started reciprocating the gesture. I often find kid-made cards with precious love notes and clever treasure hunt clues waiting for me when I walk in the door.
I scoop up my darling kids, smother them with hugs and kisses and hold their hands as we hunt for treasures in sock drawers. Keenly aware that the most valuable treasure is in the palm of my hand - not the sock drawer.
A couple years ago I made a very conscious decision, a personal pact, to STOP complaining about the weather.
It might not sound like that big of a resolution to some folks. But I live in Chicago. The land of the over zealous 6 month winter, unpredictable skies, and those lovely off-the-lake winds that give the word "blustery" some serious street cred.
But complaining about the weather...something I have absolutely no control over, seemed not only fruitless but a great way to inject a big ol' dose of sad trombone, "wah-wah-waaaaaah" right into the vein of my day. And once I had decided to stop making it the easy, go-to conversation starter and shared-experience scapegoat, I started to notice how prevalent this weather-related grumpiness is.
It doesn't mean I wake up all sugar plums and bunny rabbits on "yucky" days, I just choose not to DWELL on it and let it get me distracted from what I really want out of my days.
So today, it's rainy and dark and okay, a bit "gloomy" here on the Midwest prairie. I was ready and kinda willing this morning to pull on my cranky pants, and let the world know this wasn't the weather I'd ordered, until Truman suggested we just go ahead and walk to school in the drizzle...sans umbrella.
He recently got a Ripstick and has been wiggling his way to and from school each day, happy as a clam. And although I offered to drive him this morning, he simply wasn't willing to let a bout of sky spitting get in the way of his playful morning commute.
I made Tru put on his brother's longish NorthFace rain coat with the hood up, I threw on my water-proof jacket and favorite Hunter boots, leashed up the dog, and out we went...into the delicate little April shower. And it was sublime.
Letting the rain saunter down my face and soak my hair felt raw and refreshing. The perfume created by new grass and fresh rain beats Chanel No. 5, any day. And I really like Chanel No.5. Cars went by and folks glanced over looking sorry for me, as if I'd been "caught" up rain-creek without an umbrella. And I just smiled and soaked it all in.
Our happiness is (usually), a matter of choice. Every dang day. Rain or shine.
So if today is proving to be a rainy one, for whatever reason, here are a few ideas to help you rip off your cranky pants and let the sunshine in.
1. While your kids are at school or taking a nap, surprise them with a 'homemade" Angel Food cake. It's the EASIEST thing to whip up (literally 10 minutes from box to bake), it's a killer after-school snack topped with fresh berries and whipped cream, and NO ONE can be cranky around an Angel Food cake.
2. If you're stuck inside today or all your kids' after-school activities are rained out, drag out their old baby photos or home videos and have a "this is your life" kinda night. Add popcorn, blankets on the floor and a few pillows and you've got a PAR-tay! Kids LOVE to hear stories about when they were little and mine now like seeing pics of their dad and I when we were young and cool.
3. Go and buy some cheap glow sticks, shove them into balloons, blow up said balloons, and wait for dark. Best gloomy day toy ever.
4. Make these ridiculous and super simple marshmallow poppers with your kids. You probably already have all the supplies in your house. Trust me, make a few extra... you will want one for yourself as well.
These are from the amazing peeps at Real Simple Mag., and you can see how to make them right HERE.
5. If you're feeling especially playful today, you work from home, and you have somehow managed to work down through MOST of your to-do list, call some of your mom pals and hold a midday matinee. Either including your still-at-home kids or just for you MOMS. Let's not feel guilty about a 2 hour "16 Candles", "Sex and the City", or "Bridesmaids" time-in.
I'd LOVE to hear your favorite ways to rock a rainy, or otherwise gloomy ol' day, as well. Fire away. Now go find your favorite Wellies and show those puddles whose the Boss Lady.
