Category Archives: 53 Weeks TV

53 Weeks TV, Mommy 101

DIY Spring Crafts

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Spring has sprung and with Easter around the corner and our current “shelter in place” lock down, many of us are feeling isolated and confined to our homes. Well, I’m no expert, but pair that with the sudden home schooling duties with our kids and chaos of being throw in to a different routine, and I am all ears for ideas on how to keep the peace!

I’ve been working from home too, and while my regular lifestyle show has been put on hiatus status in favor of additional coronavirus programming, I am finding new ways to connect with people and do online interviews with zoom!

Today, I was joined by the owner and top crafter at Sacramento’s Paper Garden Boutique, Stephanie Nishikawa-Yee, and her son Miles. Stephanie is so fun and has so many idea for cute and easy crafts you can do with the whole family. So, in our video, she showed us how to assemble simple baskets made with and filled with candy! The only non-edible item is the plastic grass inside the basket! Okay, so you can load it up with other items too, but these days I am all for a little (comfort) sugar! Ha!

She also showed us an easy way to make cute lollipop treats with a butterfly silhouette and lollipop, perhaps add a special message to it and leave it for a neighbor or friend, along with crafting a paper bunting for the house to get into the spirit of Spring! These are great ideas to burn some creative energy into the day and have lots of fun doing it too!

53 Weeks TV

Pajama Jammie Jam Session

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One of my most fond memories from childhood with my father, are the weekend mornings when he’d pull out his guitar and play records and get to jammin’. I don’t think he consciously did it for my benefit, but as far back as my memories go, I can visualize my Dad playing his guitar as I danced around the family room.

So, when Grandpa (my Dad) came into town to visit with his only two grandchildren, I was hoping he could recreate that same musical magic with his grandsons. Raef and Isaiah have already been showing their musical sides when they dance or start bobbing their heads to music in the car, or on TV, etc… and we’ve also noticed how much they love playing with musical instruments…it definitely ranks among their favorite things to do – to make noise!

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In preparation for the visit, I borrowed a full size acoustic guitar for my father to play while he was in town…and I also invested in a smaller 30″ child size guitar for Raef to “shadow” Grandpa. It was a cute “planes” themed guitar for like $20 – BTW, really great quality for the price…and it worked like magic! Not only did Raef immediately lay claim on what he repeatedly will tell you is “my guitar,” while warding off lil bro Zeke who is all too anxious and curious to strum the strings too, he wanted Grandpa to play HIS guitar.

And — this is how it went down. Every night after bath time, the boys would gather next to Grandpa and have their own “pajama jam session.” Grandpa would play the guitar and they would dance around, but then (like in the above video) something really cool happened. Raef took the initiative to grab the xylophone and play along, so of course we pulled out the drum, tambourine, and kazoo too, so the whole crew could take turns playing the different instruments. I mean talk about “precious” moments, it was like having a live band in the living room. I can’t begin to explain how wonderful it was to see my boys bonding with their Lolo (Filipino term for Grandpa), paired with the sheer joy and laughter that ensued, it was priceless.

Music is such an important part of early childhood development and I was lucky enough to grow up with music in my home, so to be able to give this dose of a “jam session” to my little ones means so much. The other cool thing that came out of this, is that the days following the initial pajama jam, when Raef would wake up, he’d ask for his guitar (instead of the ipad or TV), and now he’s been singing non-stop. At one point, we sang the ABC’s along with Raef at the helm of the guitar, and now he takes the initiative to be the singer and instrument player. Makes me smile just thinking about it. 🙂

 

53 Weeks TV

Family Outing: The Wiggles in Concert

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We took the boys to see their first concert ever — we did bring them to see the circus last year, but this is totally different! We were taking them to see an actual “group,” and not just any crew…but “The Wiggles.” Raef started digging them BIG TIME last year at some point, and so little brother Isaiah has pretty much been exposed to the foursome since birth. So, if you’re not familiar with this group, they are four performers from Australia, 3 guys and a gal… the original crew had 4 guys. So when my boys saw Anthony, Lachey, Simon and Emma hit the stage, they were in awe! Captain Feathersword, Dorothy, Wags and Henry (the Octopus) were also part of the colorful live cast.

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I think they have been so accustomed to seeing them on TV, that they were pretty shocked when they had to process that these characters they sing and dance with everyday were in the flesh, right in front of them. And — as any “wigglers” parent knows, the songs and tunes are extremely catchy, so you will know them ALL and be able to sing right along and join the fun. It really was a good show and once my duo warmed up and processed that the real deal was right in front of them, they had no problems grooving along.

It was a really good show! I’d say about 90 minutes of fun and entertainment. They started right on time and there was no intermission (which I can only imagine the “activity” if an entire theater packed full with toddlers and preschoolers got up for a break), but the show moved along really well from start to finish. At one point a few of The Wiggles even got down from the stage and  roamed the aisles collecting roses and flowers for “Dorothy the Dinosaur” and Bones for Wags the Dog… I kind of wished we had been on the aisle when they walked by, but what can you do? We were 8th row front and center, and that was key…I can’t imagine being up on the balcony. It was cute though because Raef was so concerned when they got off stage and started walking around among the crowd…he kept his eye on them til they safely made it back ito the spotlights!

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And — since you can’t go to a concert without bringing home some kind of swag…we opted to get each of our boys a Wiggles branded light up swirly thing – it came in super handy for Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. So all in all their first concert was a HUGE success, well worth the money we spent on 4 tickets and an awesome family outing!

53 Weeks TV, Mommy 101

Baby, What’s Your “Sign”

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The idea of teaching my baby sign language first came to me, when a good friend of mine told me she was teaching hers how to sign and it was working! I mean if you think about it, one of the most frustrating things for babies and toddlers is that they can’t communicate whatever it is they want to tell you…so if signing their “desires” can help eliminate some of that frustration, why not!?!? I first checked out a couple DVDs from the local library, and would casually just play them while he was eating or playing, and I can’t recall the names of those DVDs, but he didn’t seem to be very interested. I think he was a little more than 3 months when I first tried to introduce him to “signing.” Well, I waiting another month or so and ordered the DVD m friend was using that was working so well, “Baby Signing Time.” Everyday at breakfast or while I had him in his highchair, I’d play it and for the first couple months, nothing, but slowly I could see him becoming familiar with the music and songs, then eventually starting to do the hand movements!

I really liked this particular DVD because the songs (like many children’s songs), are pretty catchy…and these ones aren’t too annoying! ha! There are a few cute character’s in the DVD and in addition to the host, they’ll show various clips of children signing in different settings, which is great because I think babies love watching other babies, so it helps keep their attention too!

I definitely felt a sense of accomplishment, when it became clear to me that my baby boy knew some signs…after he crossed the one year mark, I sort of let up. I guess I could’ve continued, because it’s a series of DVDs to keep expanding their “vocabulary”…but then baby #2 came and I had to divvy up my time and attention. I haven’t been as “on it” with my second son, but I still do occasionally play the Baby Signing Time DVD that we do have, and #1 still sings, dances and signs along with it! I’ve also noticed on the various children’s channels (Baby First and Nick Jr.), they have cut-in vignettes where they teach sign language too, so I think that’s pretty cool!

Some of the most useful signs my son will do are “milk,” “more,” “all done,” “eat” and “drink,” however he’s also picked up other signs like “cracker,” “bird,” “cereal” and “dog!”

Watch the video below to see my son (#1) and my friend’s little girls show us some of their “signs,” all courtesy of the DVD instruction! **Note** Getting my son on video doing the signs was quite a mission, he’d be signing away and once I put the camera on him…he didn’t want to cooperate! LOL!!!

53 Weeks TV, Mommy 101

Zumbini for the Bambini

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Zumbini is one of the newest crazes to hit the parenting scene, and if you haven’t heard of it yet…you’re hearing it here, now! Zumbini is a music and movement class for children, ages 0-3. It is part of the Zumba Fitness program, so it’s packed with Zumba flavor, but I wouldn’t say it’s the equivalent of Zumba for babies. I first heard about this “music” class from another parent in my children’s play group and my initial thought was that it might be too “girly” for my boys. I guess I was thinking of the choreographed Zumba classes I have sampled where the fitness routines had lots of booty shaking and hip rolling! ha!  Zumbini logo

Well, let me tell you, it is hands down THE BEST “Mommy & Me” type class I have ever taken my babies too. Despite my preconceived notions about it possibly being too feminine and dance-ish for my “rough and tumble” tots, I really wanted to cover the class for my blog. So, I contacted Miami-based teacher Ashlee Cramer who also happens to be the Creative Director for Zumbini. She wrote the program for Zumba and after experiencing her in action, I am so glad I decided to try it out. I’d like to think my boys get their musicality from me, I have a background in dance and my father has always enjoyed his amateur career as a musician, his mother (my paternal grandmother) being a professional pianist and music teacher. At any rate, my older son has already showed so may signs of having a natural rhythm, from dancing, making beats and listening to all kinds of music… and he just shined in Miss Ashlee’s class. Whether it was playing the drums, moving to the music, singing along, using the scarves or experimenting with the various instruments brought out, he was fully engaged and entertained from start to finish!

I love Zumbini’s high energy and the style of interaction encouraged between the parents/caregivers and the “bini babies.” In fact you are asked not to talk to the little ones during the class – NOT easy, but it allows the instructor to take control and for the music to takeover! The program is still really new, so it’s just starting to spread across the country, and instructors are being trained and added every week. Watch this clip I created during my visit to Ashlee Cramer’s Zumbini class in Miami…

 

To learn more about Ashlee Cramer and her Zumbini classes in Miami, visit her website >> http://ashleecramer.zumba.com/ You can also visit the Zumba website to find a Zumbini location and instructor near you >> http://www.zumba.com/en-US/party/classes/class-zumbini

53 Weeks TV, Mommy 101, Product & Gear

Baby Food Mash Up

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I have a couple girlfriend’s who I’ve known since childhood and we all happened to give birth within a six week span last year, so this year, as our babies grow, we are able to share and maneuver through some of the “baby steps” together! So, as our babies crossed the 6 months mark and began taking in “solids,” I get this random text with a photo and link attached to it for the NUK Mash & Serve Bowl. My friend went on to say how much she had already fallen in love with hers and how easy it is to use, clean and take with you on outings! Soon after my other girlfriend also acquired her own masher and then, singing its praises. Well, I still haven’t gotten one, and now I wish I had. I think I’m at the stage where it feels like I should’ve gotten it earlier, because now I don’t feel like I’ll get enough use out of it. I mean after all, I do have a Baby Bullet and to be honest, I’ve been buying ready made baby food – don’t judge me! However, I am pretty impressed with how much my friends seem to enjoy theirs and so, I figured I’d share this masher with you.

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As you can see from the photos, this masher can smash and blend pretty much any food you’d like to serve to baby. Even without ever having used it, I love that you could easily take a small portion of your meal and quickly get it ready for baby. I have tried making larger quantities of baby food at one time to store, and if you’d rather mash as you go, this works! Plus, you can serve it right out of the bowl and clean up is nice and easy…no blender blades and parts to disassemble and wash. The other benefit of this NUK product that my friend pointed out is it’s portability. It’s small enough to toss in the bag and take with you, so if you’re on the go, this works!

If you watched the video, you’ll see how easy it is to mash up not only fruits and steamed veggies, but you can use it on meats like chicken and beef…it works with rice and oatmeal too. So if you’re looking for a quick and easy way to make healthy & nutritious food for your tot, you may need to check out the NUK Mash & Serve Bowl…the price point isn’t bad either.

 

53 Weeks TV, Mommy 101, News

Hidden Nursery Room Dangers

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I recently had an opportunity to be part of a local news story on dangers and hazards that can be found in a baby’s room. Patti Laird from Safer Kids and Homes came over to my home to show me what types of problems may exist and how to make them baby-proof! Local 10 (Miami) Reporter Constance Jones was also there to interview us for her story!

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Some of the potential issues discussed were use of crib bumpers, pillows and blankets in the crib, also the need to bolt down and anchor shelves and dressers to prevent them from toppling over. Patti also talked about dangling cords, plastic outlet covers, lamps and light bulbs, even the “cute” vinyl decal decor often used in a baby’s room!

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Other hazards in the home that weren’t mentioned in the piece include the danger of a TV – need to anchor it down or mount it out of a child’s reach, also windows, doors and handles in case baby tries to make a getaway! And all this is just scratching the surface…so when you are designing baby’s room, also be sure to consider all the safety factors too! Below press play to watch the segment that aired in South Florida!