Young fans of the popular television and book series featuring Charlie and Lola (TM), will be excited to hear that they have their very own website!

Visit for fun and learning at http://www.charlieandlola.com.

Habits are routines of behavior that are repeated so regularly that we continue to do them almost automatically and involuntarily. Isn’t that exactly why you still might accept bags at checkout? The only way to change such impulses is to replace them with beneficial behavior. Why do we so often fail? Because change is hard work and there is no short cut!

Ditching taking plastic grocery bags is an honorable goal if you have not yet tackled that one, but if you want to lift your eco efforts to the next level, try kicking your other retail bag habits too. (for example, those paper or plastic retail bags from every store at the mall that advertise where you’ve just dropped your paycheque! What do you DO with those bags anyways?)

In Ireland where they imposed a 15 cent tax per plastic bag, consumption went down by 90%…quickly. In Toronto, everyone seems to be using reusables…DUH! Incentives and penalties work.

And, keep this in mind: having a huge collection of $1 reusable bags is actually worse than hoarding plastic bags. Think of the resources used, the landfill space they take up when they break or wear out…and, they don’t make good garbage liners!

Here are your 8 steps to highly effective check outs.

STEP 1 – ADMIT/UNDERSTAND THERE IS A BAD HABIT TO BREAK. Every choice you make has an impact, whether positive or negative. Take the time to pause and see that your consumption is a problem…no matter how small, we all add up.

STEP 2 – IDENTIFY THE TRADEOFFS + PAYOFFS. Everyone has different pros and cons…what are yours? Maybe you are concerned about what to use for garbage bags, maybe you are excited to stop the excess consumption and save our health.

STEP 3 – MAKE YOUR CHOICE. This step is easy. Because of “step 2� above, your eyes are now wide open, it’s no longer an involuntary behaviour. You will be not only making a choice to not do the old action (hurray!), but you will also be making a choice to replace it with a better, more responsible, alternative action (hurray again!).

STEP 4 – INVEST IN GOOD REUSABLE BAGS. If you don’t trust it, you won’t use it to it’s full potential. Big ones with durable handles - especially ones you can put over your shoulder are best. The more ways in which your bag is better for the planet, the better you’ll feel about using it. Consider my favourite shopping bag solutions (and I have used and tested many!): Fair Trade made, RuMe Bags at www.rumebags.com – the original size holds up to 50 pounds (but there are 3 sizes, including ones for kids (never too young to learn to shop responsibly!), they are foldable and washable…and they happen to be beautiful!  

STEP 5 – REMEMBER TO TAKE THEM WITH YOU. This is crucial. If you don’t have them, you can’t use them. Leave them by the door? You’ll figure out what works best for you. (Yes, I believe this is the hardest part of the habit to develop for all of us…good habits are as hard to develop as bad habits are to break…stick with it!).

STEP 6 – STASH A FEW. Keep a compact, foldable bag stashed away in various places. Tuck one into your purse, knapsack, glove compartment, briefcase, diaper bag – you never know when you might shop. This practice was pivotal to my success and avoided many awkward having-to-carry-it-all-out-in-my-arms occasions.

STEP 7 – LEARN TO SAY “NO BAG PLEASE”. And make sure you proclaim this right away, loud and proud. Some retailers will quickly “bag youâ€� – but it’s never too late! Tell them that you don’t need it. And, if they claim the bag is biodegradable, still refuse. I do know that it might be less evil, but it is still evil…and a waste of precious resources.

STEP 8 – KEEP IT GOING. You now own some great looking, sustainable, long-lasting bags that you finally remember, and, as you use them you will feel like your own mini eco-hero. Now, convince a few of your friends, family or colleagues to break a few of their bag habits.

By replacing bad habits with positive ones that can save a little money, save a little time and save our little planet, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it all sooner…and you’ll quickly be considering your next habit to break.

Quoting Aristotle, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

Lisa Borden is an eco-advocate and mother of three, whose business is a direct reflection of her commitment to better, more responsible living. She is a dedicated workaholic, admitting that it takes a lot of time and effort to change the world, especially in her non-preachy, fun, engaging and inspiring ways. Lisa consults, writes, engages the media, runs private workshops, and enjoys speaking to large and small groups. Her full-service marketing firm, Borden Communications + Design Inc. is based in Toronto and takes great pride in being an ethical business providing exceptional ideas. You can sign up for Lisa’s rants and raves at www.bordencom.com or reach her directly at lisa@bordencom.com.

© Lisa Borden 2010

WRITTEN BY
Louise Campbell, Co-founder of Lavish & Lime

We want to indulge them with pretty things, but not put them at risk. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what’s been happening with cheap necklaces and bracelet charms made by Chinese manufacturers substituting cadmium for lead and selling them for distribution throughout the US and possibly Canada.

Cadmium is a known carcinogen and ranked as No. 7 out of 275 hazardous substances in the environment. Cadmium can affect brain development and doesn’t have to be ingested to cause damage. Children can be exposed to low levels by sucking or biting a piece of jewelry.

The US Product Consumer Safety Commission has been conducting tests and Health Canada says it’s going to launch an investigation. According to the CBC, jewelry with the highest levels of cadmium has been found to come from three sources: Wal-Mart, dollar stores and girls’ jewelry chain Claire’s.

But concern doesn’t stop with cadmium. There seems to be plenty of lead in children’s jewelry too. Health Canada reported in December that half of the kid’s jewelry it had tested in 2009 was made of almost pure lead. Apparently, targeted testing of 67 suspicious pieces found 39 had illegal levels of lead.

Read more about the investigation into tainted kids’ jewelry here.

There are lots of safer and smarter options - from our own backyard. Our little princesses need not go without. Buying Canadian and buying quality makes sense. So does choosing materials like sterling silver, porcelain and pearls.

This pink cupcake charm necklace and porcelain blue heart pendant come with 1″ extenders on the chain, so the necklace can ‘grow’ as she does. This baby heart charm bracelet and girls’ heart charm bracelet come with an additional upsizing option. While these pieces may cost more than their dollar store counterparts, they can last for years and in the long run are well worth the money.

For a great selection of unique, Canadian-made kids’ jewelry, visit lavishandlime.com.

Louise Campbell is co-founder of Vancouver-based online lifestyle boutique Lavish & Lime (www.lavishandlime.com) specializing in eco-friendly products for green living and giving. Find lots more ideas to kids busy in the Baby & Kids category at Lavish & Lime and join their email list for the chance to win a $100 eco shopping spree.

©Louise Campbell 2010

 

The zero-entry pool at the Boca Beach Club in Boca Raton has scored a ten with my kids, and other families with young children visiting the hotel. Children love the fact that there is a very gentle slope into the pool making it safe, fun and easy to play in.

The zero-entry pool is one of three inviting pools on a sprawling ocean-side patio. There is another family pool as well. It means that your children can giggle, laugh, squeal and play, in the company of other parents and children who appreciate the noise.

Yet at the same time, you are situated in a casually elegant setting. Cushioned poolside seating is pleasing and comfortable in turquoise, yellow and white hues. There are lovely, big umbrellas done in white frills, creating a Riviera feel. And of course the zero-entry pool has an ocean backdrop to admire and appreciate.

Finally, dining outside at an outdoor cafe or poolside dining, makes it easy to spend many hours lounging and playing together outside in the sunshine.

It looks like a sunny day. Time to relax!

This week’s blog posts will come to you from The Boca Beach Club in Boca Raton. I am excited to share a new warm-weather vacation option for families, in the nearby sunny state of Florida.

First impressions … Wow! Even after waking up at 4 am for an 8:30 am flight, one could not help but be overwhelmed by the beauty of the ocean (which I am listening to right now from my room), the beckoning stretch of beach (which resulted in soaked pants from giggling, wading kids), and three gorgeous pools (including a zero-entry family pool).

You can get a preliminary feel for the newly renovated property at www.bocabeachclub.com, but it doesn’t even begin to capture the dazzling view and casual elegance.

I look forward to a week of fun in the sun together with you.

WRITTEN BY
Nathalie Prezeau, author of Toronto Fun Places

For years, I’ve been a subscriber to the American magazine Family Fun. It’s been my reliable partner in crime throughout my kids’ childhood and it might become yours too during the coming Family Day, the Valentine’s Day fuss or the March Break.

In Family Fun, I’ve found a mom’s advice on how to visit an art museum with my young son (turning the visit into a fun “I spy� game to look for specific items on the paintings). I’ve learned how to create a super card game that caught a slice of our daily life (teaching my kids about the different things one needs to know to run a house).

I’ve had a blast at the expense of my kids by using fabulous tips for April’s Fool pranks (I normally buy milk bags but for the occasion, I put a milk pint on the table, in which I surreptitiously added blue food coloring. The look on my then 8-years-old son when he poured the milk into his bowl was totally worth the trouble!).

When I was involved with the School Council, we would often choose the theme for the school parties according to the best craft activities I found while browsing through my Family Fun copies.

Years ago, prior to the internet, the magazine’s main appeal already lied in the fact that they’d been able to get hundreds of creative parents to submit their great ideas to them. Now we can all access this amazing resource online for free.

Their crafts section is the best. You can search by age, type or even by material but the Holiday & Seasonal category is such a time saver. You won’t find a Family Day section in there since it’s an American website but Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, April Fool’s Day, Easter and Mother’s Day will all come handy in the coming months.

Just to get an idea of the spread of crafts they offer, check the bottle-cap tambourines in the Recyclable Crafts category under Crafts by Material, or the newspaper fashion show  (if I still were a member of the School Council, I’d use that idea to complement a Literacy day event for the students!). As soon as we get some snow, even just a little, I think we should try their Beach Bum Snowman. It would definitely cheer up the whole neighbourhood.

Most pages are followed by a Show & Tell section where you get to see pictures of craft ideas submitted by families just like us. Very often, parents also submit photos of one of the Family Fun crafts they tried for themselves. I should send them my daughter’s picture of the bubble bather costume suggestion we used during our school’s Crazy Bubbles end-of-the-year party.

The crafts are just the tip of the iceberg. Their Playtime section offers hundreds of games suggestions for all occasions and contexts. Their Parties menu allows to search by theme or age and includes Themed Cupcakes and Party Printables categories. They even have a how-to video section for cakes and cupcakes for the bakery-challenged among us.

Tips
• Crafts offered online are not there forever. You can subscribe to their magazine online (or through the magazine sales of your school if they have one of those fundraisers). Check their website at www.familyfun.com.

In her personal yet practical 480-page guidebook, author Nathalie Prezeau describes hundreds of outings in and around the GTA she tested with her family and friends over the past twelve years. The 4th edition is out! It includes a new chapter on things to do with the kids around the 69 subway stations in Toronto, as well as exciting city walks to play the tourist in Toronto. Available in the Travel Section of GTA bookstores as well as Mastermind Educational Toys stores and currently at Costco. Visit www.torontofunplaces.com to learn more.

©Nathalie Prezeau 2010

WRITTEN BY
HelpMeSara (Sara Dimerman)

With Valentine’s and Family Day just around the corner, you may not only be thinking of ways to say “I love you� to your partner, but to other members of your immediate family too.

Saying “I love you� is not nearly as meaningful if our actions don’t match our words.  Showing love takes effort and intention. Combined, words and actions have a powerful effect.  So, what are your plans for showing love this month?

Here are some suggestions for showing love all year round:

1. Disconnect from technology. Connect with each other. One way of doing this is to deposit your Blackberry, IPOD, DS and any other distracting electronic device in a bowl at your front door. Retrieve when you leave to go out again. Resist the urge to check emails and texts throughout the day, especially while in the company of others. Encourage family members to avoid screens of any sort for specific periods of the day. Giving your undivided attention to the people you love is worth more than money can buy.

2. Do the unexpected. Prepare a snack, make someone you love a cup of tea or breakfast in bed when they least expect it. Clear the dishes in the sink and put a load of laundry in the washer without being asked. Offer to drive your child or partner when he or she is anticipating taking the bus. Don’t wait for an occasion such as Valentine’s Day or a birthday to plan a special event or reserve a table at your favourite restaurant. Include a special “thinking of you� note in a lunch box. Sprinkle rose petals on your bed.

3. Make someone else happy. On occasion, going to see a movie of his choice, even though it’s last on your list, says “I love you.� The same is true for listening to rock music, when you’d rather listen to jazz, for example. Hopefully, this show of love will be reciprocated on another occasion.

4. Schedule family time. As opposed to having each family member off in his or her own corner of the house, doing his or her own thing all the time. Making time to sit together as a family over several meals during the week, taking time to play a board game or even watch a favourite television show together, creates a feeling of connectedness. Even though most children would never admit to it, they enjoy the feeling that coming together as family evokes. It’s these times that they will remember fondly when they are on their own.

5. Be playful. When life gets too serious, play hide and seek, wrestle on the floor or skip down the street, arms linked. We’re never too old to let our hair down and to get back in touch with our childlike selves. The times that I’ve gotten into play fighting and tickling matches with my kids are some of my most treasured moments – and it doesn’t have to stop, even between adults.

6. Say hello and goodbye. It’s easy, as you rush out the door in the morning to forget to say goodbye. Try to remember. Saying goodbye and offering good wishes for a great day ahead says that you care. When you come back home, take time to connect with your family members. Catch up on the news of the day. If you’re occupied when someone arrives home after some time away, finish what you are doing quickly or stop to enquire how that person is doing. These points of connection are vital.

7. Take care of one another. Massage aching feet, offer a hot water bottle or a blanket when someone you love is cold, run a bath with bubbles and make sure that your family eats nourishing food. These are some of the caring ways to say “I love you.�

8. Set clear limits for your children. Even though your children will say that they hate having a curfew and resent having to live by your rules, they inwardly know that the rules you have set are because you care. Asking them to return home at a reasonable time and to live with certain restrictions is your way of saying that you care enough to set clear, loving limits and that you love them enough to make sure that your rules are adhered to.

9. Work as a team. When each family member knows that they have a role to play at making sure that projects get completed, that routine runs smoothly at home, he or she feels an integral part of a family unit. When you sit down as a family to discuss an upcoming family vacation or a difficulty that the family is facing, and then ask for everyone’s input, you are showing that you love them enough to include them in your discussion and that you value their input.

10. Say “I love you� with conviction. Anyone can say “I love you� but said too often or recited as part of a perfunctory goodbye ritual, these words can sound empty. Instead, cup your partner’s face in your hands, look into his or her eyes and say “I love you� with expression and emotion. Hug your children tight (if they’ll let you) and whisper “I love you.� Said at the right time and not over used, these words, combined with acts of caring, will convey their intended special message.

Sara Dimerman is registered with the College of Psychologists of Ontario and provides counselling to individuals, couples and families out of the Parent Education Resource Centre, which she established twenty years ago. Sara is a nationally recognized expert on parenting, and author of ‘Character Is the Key’ (Wiley & Sons, Canada, 2009) and ‘Am I a Normal Parent?’ (Hatherleigh Press, USA, 2008). She is regularly quoted in print and  appears on radio and television across North America. For more information visit www.helpmesara.com.

© Sara Dimerman 2010 

The other day my daughter asked me how Valentine’s Day started. She’s in Grade 5 so starting to worry a little bit about the message she sends when she hands the boys (and the girls) in her class a Hannah Montana valentine which says something about making cool music together.  So I explained that traditionally Valentine’s Day had been a day when male secret admirers gave their female crushes a card, rose, or small gift, and signed an anonymous note declaring their devotion and love.  Eventually it became a greeting card company gold mine with everyone from boyfriends and girlfriends, husbands and wives, grandparents and grandchildren, students and teacher and kids-to-kids getting in on the action.  It’s not an understatement to say as a result, it’s become a little less significant. Particularly once you get 32 of them, all addressed to “Classmate�. (And seriously, which one of you Moms started attaching nut-free chocolates and pink pencils to the cards – enough already!)

But it did start me thinking that while I do love my family, and my friends, and even the occasional sales clerk who convinces me I look good in those pants, that there are some inanimate objects I would like to issue Valentines to instead, this year.

• My crock pot. Seriously. Who else cooks dinner for me while I work, run kids to hockey and spend 10 or 60 minutes on Twitter?

• The inventors of pre-cooked bacon, bagged salad and frozen garlic bread.  And the “flash-freeze� process. 

• The clothing manufacturers who decided that a size 10 is all-of-a-sudden a size 4. Well will you look at that! I guess I can have that cheese plate after all.

• My beloved BlackBerry, Seamus. He’s the only one of my children who knows when to stop making so much noise (okay I can turn him off, granted), gives me information I can use (versus “I haven’t changed my underwear in three days�), and never drinks all my diet Pepsi, steals my chocolate or refuses to put his boots/protective covering on.

• The mirrors they seem to have in fitting rooms and hotels. I know you deploy the “skinny� mirror but it still counts.  I carry that image in my head all day, even if others don’t.  So there.
 
So this Valentine’s Day, do the right thing – help your child with their cards – it’s worth the price of social acceptance, but think about sending an anonymous one too  - maybe to that fabulous new shoe that looks great and doesn’t hurt to wear. No taped-on chocolate required.

Kathy Buckworth’s latest book “Shut Up & Eat: Tales of Chicken, Children & Chardonnay� is now available for pre-order on amazon.ca and at Chapters Online. Look for the book in bookstores on March 21st. Visit www.kathybuckworth.com and follow Kathy on Twitter.

©Kathy Buckworth 2010

Happy Groundhog Day!

Well, groundhogs in Canada and the USA have predicted six more weeks of winter. Snow loving kids will likely be excited. Read more details on this year’s groundhog shadow watching at:
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/posted/archive/2010/02/02/six-more-weeks-of-winter-thus-spoke-the-groundhog.aspx.

Looking for some fun ways to mark the day with your child(ren)?

1. Crafts, work sheets and printable books:
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/groundhogday

2. No Bake Groundhog Cake:
http://www.freekidscrafts.com/no_bake_groundhog_cake-e223.html

3. Groundhog Toilet Paper Roll Craft:
http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/happy_groundhog.htm

Happy celebrating or staying cozy indoors!

WRITTEN BY
Joyce Grant

Getting Kids Reading has lots of ideas to get your kid reading!

Your child loves video games but isn’t a big reader? You’re not alone. Here are some tips that will get your video-loving kid reading, from Joyce Grant, author of the kids’ literacy blog, Getting Kids Reading (http://gettingkidsreading.blogspot.com).

1) Go with the flow. Studies show that kids are more apt to read things that interest them. If video games are a huge interest for your child, try to work with that. Here are some suggestions:      

• Subscribe to a gaming magazine. There are tons of them, and they contain what gamers crave—tips to help them unlock secrets in their favourite games.

• Suggest gaming websites that have a lot of written instructions, or which require the player to type instructions in order to progress in the game.

For instance, Dungeon Scroll, at http://casualgameplay.com/store/index.php?PAGE=GameDetail&AID=395 is a new kind of hybrid game combining a word game with a RPG (role-playing game).

• Kids who like video games may also like comics and graphic novels. At websites like Make Beliefs Comix http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/ they can create their own comics online.

• There are some cool online literacy and math games at Bite-Size Literacy,  www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks1bitesize/literacy/ 

2) Think like a gamer. If your child has a Nintendo DS, get him to use the PICTOCHAT function to type messages back and forth with his friends. From the DS’s main screen, click on PICTOCHAT. It will bring up a screen and a mini keyboard your child can use to type messages. 

How about PICTOCHAT Hide-and-Seek—Have one child hide and have his friend type messages via PICTOCHAT with clues to find him. (This game was developed by an eight-year-old boy who loves video games.)

3) Get them typing. It’s a skill they need for gaming anyway, and it will develop their literacy skills. Once kids can type, getting them to write stories and essays will be much easier since they’ll be able to get their thoughts down as fast as their brain can come up with them.

Make sure the typing program you choose is QWERTY-based so they’ll learn to use the Home Row. An excellent one is Dance Mat Typing, by the BBC. www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/.

4) Suggest online games that include a literacy component. For instance, at www.clubpenguin.com, kids control a virtual “penguin� who plays games and can chat with other “penguins.� In the Club Penguin book room is a great typing game where the penguins can type a virtual book to earn all-important Club Penguin dollars.

5) Get your child books with short blocks of type and lots of images. Boys in particular like books with facts, lots of visuals and chunks of text. Here are some suggestions:

            • The Encyclopedia of Immaturity by Klutz.

            • Guinness World Records

            • Books on magic or featuring science experiments

6) Set some boundaries. There’s no getting around it—you will have to set “screen-time� limits. Kids can’t read if they’re gaming all the time. How much will depend on your child, but some parents say no gaming during the week, and then two hours of screen-time a day on weekends.           

General get-reading tips

No matter what your child is into, you can work with it. Ask him what his favourite activities are, and then think about books and magazines and that support that activity. 

Getting Kids Reading has lots more ideas, activities and suggestions to make reading fun.

About Getting Kids Reading (GKR)
http://gettingkidsreading.blogspot.com (or just Google “Getting Kids Reading)

Getting Kids Reading is a non-profit blog designed to help parents and educators foster a “reading environment� through fun activities, games, toys, books and research. The goal of GKR is to help kids become great readers.

Getting Kids Reading was started in September 2008, and marked its 100th blog post in September 2009. Getting Kids Reading is absolutely free.

Getting Kids Reading will be involved in the annual “Blog Literacy Tour� the week of March 8, which will see literacy bloggers around the world blogging with tips, information and advice to help children and adults become better readers. For more information, visit http://shareastory-shapeafuture.blogspot.com/

About Family Literacy Day
FLD is an initiative by ABC Canada (no affiliation with Getting Kids Reading, except that we have similar goals). Visit http://www.abc-canada.org/en/family_literacy_day.

About Joyce Grant
Getting Kids Reading is written by Joyce Grant, a freelance editor and journalist. (See www.writingink.ca) She is past-president of the Trent Valley Literacy Association in Peterborough, and is a children’s literacy tutor. She lives in Toronto.