Momathon Blog

Kidding around with yoga–the new trend for busy kids

I almost hesitate to suggest that parents add one more thing to the schedules of already overbooked kids, but research says a regular yoga session might help kids cope with the demands of their busy lifestyle.

Finding a healthy outlet for stress and anxiety is especially beneficial for kids because higher stress levels lead to fatigue and lower concentration at school and at home. Yoga with its emphasis on breathing and centering techniques might be just the thing to help kids find a healthy balance in their hectic lives.

Is it even possible to encourage a group of squirmy kids to improve coordination and posture by balancing on one foot? The secret is turning the yoga exercises into a game and kids learn the new skills quickly. In other words, make yoga fun. Classes for older kids and teens include fewer games and focus on lowering stress while building self confidence.

Yoga classes are a new trend in schools, hospitals, and yoga studios according to an article by Emily Glazer on WSJ.com by helping kids "relax and focus, and improve their flexibility." The WSJ.com video below explains how yoga classes for kids help:

According to Sheknows.com, yoga can provide kids with the tools to deal with stressful situations:

Yoga can provide much-needed centering techniques for kids with busy lives, experts say. "The benefits are many and basically it’s not only settling the foundation for a life of health and well being but it gives them the tools to deal with stressful life (events)," says Laurie Jordan, who manages children's programs for The Kaia Yoga Complete Wellness Centers. 

Regular yoga sessions can improve concentration and overall health, but does yoga really lead to higher test scores and improve fitness in schools? Researchers at California State University in LA in 2003 studied the relationship between yoga and academics. According to msnbc.com, researchers studied a charter school where students practiced yoga almost everyday:

Researchers found a correlation between yoga and better behavior and grades, and they said young yogis were more fit than the district average from the California Physical Fitness Test.

Tumbling and gymnastics classes for young kids have been popular for decades. Now more parents are signing young kids up for yoga classes because yoga stretching and body alignment improves overall health with the added benefit of possibly helping improve other athletic pursuits. According to an article on Chicagotribune.com (via Detroit Free Press): 

A preliminary study of pediatric health benefits of yoga, published in 2008, finds motor skills and concentration improvements, on top of better posture and breathing.

Apparently yoga is for all ages--even the diaper set. A selection of yoga classes and yoga DVD sets designed for young children and their families are reviewed by Shivani Vora in the Cranky Consumer blog on WSJ.com. A DVD mentioned in the blog is the Yoga Kids series for kids ages 3 to 6.

You can even connect with other parents interested in yoga for kids at the Yoga Benefits Kids Facebook page.

(The wonderful yoga photo above is by Carl Lender.)

 

Jersey knit bracelet–a cool craft for you and your kids via V and Co.

 

via www.vanessachristenson.com

Vanessa Christenson has a knack for finding the chic and hip new styles and turning them into DIY projects. L-O-V-E her blog V and Co.

You can find the complete directions with helpful photos for creating the jersey knit bracelet on her blog V and Co how to: jersey knit bracelet.

Looking for more crafty ideas? Soon you can find more of Vanessa's work in a lovely book that will be available in June: Fresh Fabric Treats: 16 Yummy Projects to Sew from Jelly Rolls, Layer Cakes & More with Your Favorite Moda Bake Shop Designers.

Like V and Co. on Facebook.

Follow vanessa christenson (vchristenson) on Twitter.

Indulge in some retail therapy at Vanessa's shop: V and Co the shop.

 

Photos: via www.vanessachristenson.com

Daily Doodle: Happy Birthday, Dad!

My doodle today is dedicated to my dad on his birthday. A bit of nostalgia, this doodle features my brothers and me at a local ski area back when tow ropes and lace-up ski boots were the thing.

One of my fondest memories from my childhood in Minnesota was going skiing almost daily from December through March at the ski hill conveniently located about 2 blocks from my house. As soon as I jumped off the school bus after school, I would grab my ski boots and skis and head to the slopes. I think a season pass at the ski hill back then only cost about $25. When my family moved from Indiana to Minnesota I was nearly five. The only thing that made the move tolerable was the promise of lots of snow. I admit I was a bit disappointed the first year because as a kindergartner I imagined the Minnesota snowdrifts would be higher than my house and instead the drifts were only hip high. The snowfall the first year was below average. However, each year that followed we had more than enough of the white stuff to ski–and shovel!

Doodle by me, Chris Olson. (You can see more of my doodles at Momathon doodles.)

Geeky mom: Why I still love my iPod Classic

It's ancient in terms of iPod technology--no touch screen capability, a funky wheel for controls, kinda bulky, and an itsy-bitsy screen.

So why do I love thee? Because my beloved iPod Classic is like my huge purse–it holds almost everything! I guess writer Tom Samiijan at WSJ.com summed it up best:

With 160GB of hard-drive space, the iPod Classic can hold around 3,200 albums...It won't let you check your email, buy more tunes on the fly or check sports scores, but in this multitasking era of tweets, Facebook feeds and other instant distractions, there's something appealing about a device that does one thing well: rock out.

Apparently plenty of people roll their eyes at this old thing because rumor has it the iPod Classic will be discontinued by Apple. I just hope my Classic lives on for a very long time.  

Daily doodle: A silky terrier and his favorite bone

The dog in the art above is my little silky terrier. He loves to carry around bones--the bigger the better. He is so small that when you look down on him most of his body disappears beneath his head :)

Doodle by me, Chris Olson. (You can see more of my doodles at Momathon doodles.)

 

 

Spring postcards...almost

Photos: Chris Olson © 2011.

Clever video review of the iPad 2 shows why kids love it too!

David Pogue at the NYTimes.com talks about the new iPad 2 in his video review. What makes this clip so clever is the fact his two kids give their side of the story too.

The new iPad 2 built with kids in mind:

• lighter
• front and back facing camera
• thinner
• twice as fast
• includes a gyro for gaming
• Verizon and AT&T compatible with 3G models 

What to read before you buy your iPad 2

 

 

If you read my blog, then it is no surprise I love almost everything about my iPad. Sadly, I do not have the iPad 2–yet. The timing of the launch of the new iPad 2 conveniently fits the shopping deadline for my daughter's upcoming birthday. (And fortunately we like to share gadgets.)

The best compilation of news, reviews, both the pros and the cons, and practically everything iPad can be found in two handy dandy posts on GIZMODO by editor Rosa Golijan. Check out her take on the latest iPad 2 Reviews and iPad 2: All the Details.

Why do I like the iPad? I love ebook features (both the Kindle app and the iBook). And the ADD in me just can't get enough of the 350,000 cool apps--about 65,000 are optimized for the iPad. 

The iPad 2 pricing:

• Wi-Fi model: $499, $599, and $699 for the 16, 32 and 64GB models.
• If you want 3G then the price goes up to $629, $729, and $829.

Photo: GIZMODO: iPad 2 Reviews

Daily doodle: you are beauty full

 

 

You are so beautiful ... to me, 

You are so beautiful ... to me, ... can't you see?

 

You're everything I hope for

Everything I need...

 

~ Billy Preston & Joe Cocker

 

 

Doodle by me, Chris Olson. (You can see more of my doodles at Momathon doodles.)

 

Too tired to cook recipes: Gingery peanut noodles with chicken + chicken and gruyere turnovers

We've all been there, it's nearly 5 pm, you wander aimlessly through the grocery store, your kids are hip to your frazzled state and they dump enough bags of chips and cookies into the grocery cart to last a month. You are too tired to care what they are up to at this point, all you want is something healthy and simple to make for dinner tonight.

You spot the rotisserie chicken over in the deli section--it's a great convenience food that is not overly processed--but you are not interested in serving the same old chicken and sides.

Thanks to Allie Lewis Clapp, food director of Real Simple magazine, you don't have to do the same old thing. You can make a varitety of yummy meals with the grocery store rotisserie chicken. I like all three of her ideas:

• Gingery Peanut Noodles With Chicken--all you have to cook is the noodles, add some shredded rotisserie chicken, bell peppers, and prepare the easy peanut dressing.
• Chicken and Gruyère Turnovers--a fancy (and healthier) version of a Hot Pocket meal that uses puff pastry, shredded rotisserie chicken, grated Gruyere cheese (Swiss cheese), Dijon mustard, and frozen pees.
• Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches--a quick meal using Buffalo wing sauce from the grocery store, shredded rotisserie chicken, melted butter, and your favorite melted cheese.

Watch the demo video featuring
Allie Lewis Clap on the TODAY Show here.

• • •

Recipe: Gingery Peanut Noodles with Chicken 

Allie Lewis Clapp, Real Simple Recipes

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger
• 8 oz. spaghetti (cooked)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1/2 English cucumber, cut into strips
• 2 scallions
• Chopped peanuts

For the complete recipe, check out the delicious recipes posted by Allie Lewis Clapp at this link: Real Simple Recipes.

Photo: a scene from the great recipe demo video on  TODAYshow.com.

Daily doodle: singing in the rain

 
You can see more of my doodles at Momathon doodles. Illustration: Chris Olson © 2011.

Cook lasagna in your dishwasher!?

I love my dishwasher's geeky control panel with lots of cool wash options. However, I guess Whirlpool forgot one: the cook dinner setting.

Evidently my loyal dishwasher is also a mighty multi-tasker because it can double as an oven too! I'm not sure I'm going to cook my dinner in the dishwasher tonight, but the recipe does seem easy.

Is dishwasher lasagna just another crazy cooking concoction or will it turn into the next culinary trend? The dishwasher dinner recipes may have originated around the campfire. According to CityPages.com,  

The foil-wrapped meal is placed on the washer's lower rack and left to cook through the wash cycle--the method is a little like a water-based version of a campfire hobo pack. 

Next time you have a dinner party, consider putting your dishwasher to work in the prep! This lasagna in the dishwasher recipe is guaranteed to leave your guests speechless, but happy with the clever meal. Seeing is believing--check out the Dishwasher Lasagna demo video featured on PartSelect.com.

Not in the mood for lasagna, check out this list of dishwasher dinners:

 

• Salmon with Piquant Dill Sauce. Recipe on Food Network.
• Shrimp A La Dishwasher. Recipe on Cooking-With-Us
• Salmon Steaks with Dill and Lemon. Recipe on Urban Bushcraft.
• Poached Salmon. Recipe on Wine X Magazine.
• Salmon with Cilantro. Recipe on Salon: Surreal Gourmet.
• Beef Cooked in Dishwasher. Recipe on Cooking-With-Us.
• Perfectly Poached Salmon. Recipe on ModernMom.com.

 

NOTE: I am not a professional chef and I have not tried any of the dishwasher dinner recipes, so I can't personally endorse cooking in the dishwasher.

Photo above is from the PartSelect.com video on Vimeo. Doodle text above is by me. (You can see more of my doodles at Momathon doodles.)

 

Toilet seat with built-in kid seat makes potty training simpler

 

Potty training is now a bit simpler with the new convertible toilet seat featuring a built-in training seat for toddlers. The two-in-one seats are made by Kohler and Mayfair.

Convertible potty seat features:

• one ring for adults and a separate ring for children
• no need for an additional child's toilet in your bathroom
• eliminates the hassle of removing and cleaning a separate child's seat insert
• helps build your child's confidence and transition to a regular toilet
• mounts just like a regular toilet seat
• looks just like a standard toilet seat when closed

 

Photo above features the Kohler toilet seat.

(Sending a shout out to Lou Manfredini on the TODAY Show for alerting me to the Mayfair seat.)

 

Royal wedding countdown widget from the BBC

 

On April 29 at 11 am London time (6 am EST), history will be made--the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey.

Catch the latest news leading up to the royal wedding with the BBC widget that features updates every weekday including:

• photos
• videos
• Q&As
• breaking stories
• and all things William and Kate

 

You can get the handy, embeddable Royal Wedding Countdown Widget here. Embed it into your website or blog and/or share on Facebook, Twitter, or any profile page.

 

 

 

Daily doodle: She believed she could

 

 

 

"Always act like you're wearing an invisible crown."

~author unknown

 

You can see more of my doodles at Momathon doodles. Illustration: Chris Olson © 2011.