This week, Bell Family is spreading holiday cheer to families near and far by featuring some great, festive craft activities for the kiddies. Not only are they fun, but they pose as a great way to keep the kids busy while they are out of school for the holidays.
On the night before Christmas, Santa and his team of 8 reindeer deliver gifts and goodies to kids around the world. Many families leave cookies and milk out for Santa, but don’t forget about the reindeer! Help Rudolf and his team journey to your home this Christmas Eve with Personal Creations’ yummy reindeer food and adorable poem printables.
With a few ingredients you likely have in your cupboards (mix oats, sprinkles, and a pinch of sugar), create a special treat the kids can leave out the night before Christmas. This is the ultimate way to say “thank you” to all of Santa’s hard-working helpers. Once you have created your reindeer food mixture, sprinkle onto your yard and await the morning for a special surprise: presents under the tree!
Written by our Marketing & Social Media Consultant, Taylor Bell, with guest partner Sherry Chen at Personal Creations.
All posts by lindsay-bell
Hire Your Nanny Through an Agency!
GTM Payroll Services conducted a survey on the advantages to hiring household staff through an agency. The findings of their household employment survey of families and nannies made it clear that hiring a nanny through an agency, rather than using an online job site, saved time, boosted retention, and reduced the stress and hassles of bringing multiple nannies on board over a short period of time.
A family that hires through an agency instead of an online job site will receive a higher quality nanny, spend less time searching for the right match, and will ultimately find a nanny that they’ll keep longer.
The supposed benefit of using an online job site is having a wider selection of candidates. However, 83% of respondents who used an online job site said that the number of responses from unqualified candidates was one of the biggest drawbacks of going online to find a nanny.
See the full article “Why You Should Hire Your Nanny Through an Agency,” for more information on the survey. Also, see this handy infographic that illustrates the advantages for a family that hires through an agency versus an online job site.
This blog has been repurposed from GTM Payroll Services Inc.
Stop Using Infant Sleep Positioners
Although devices designed to make bed-sharing safer have become more popular, recent research has sided against such devices.
“The US Food and Drug Administration is reminding parents and caregivers not to put babies in sleep positioners. These products—sometimes also called ‘nests’ or ‘anti-roll’ products—can cause suffocation (a struggle to breathe) that can lead to death,” reads a recently published statement.
There are two styles in particular this relates to. One features raised supports or pillows (called ‘bolsters’) that are attached to each side of a mat, and the second one has a wedge to raise a baby’s head. Both positioners are intended to keep a baby in a specific position while sleeping, and are intended for infants under 6 months old.
The FDA has received reports of babies who were placed on their backs in these positioners, but later found in hazardous positions either within them or next to them. And more tragically, the FDA has received reports of suffocation-related deaths.
Remember, the safest sleep position for a baby is on their back on a firm surface free of any loose bedding, blankets, or stuffed animals.
This blog has been repurposed from TheBump.com.
Benefits of Playing Guitar Are Greater Than You Think
Guitar and music lessons can be much more than just another hobby. Playing an instrument provides a great break away from the busy every day life, and cannot only benefit those as an individual, but those with families as well. So, why not bring a care-free, mind-relaxing activity into the daily routine?
Guitar by Anthony Music School will help with just that, by teaching how music works, specifically guitar. We had the chance to team up with Anthony to learn more about his teachings through the Q&A below.
Q: Many sitters, nannies, moms, and dads can use a break from the day-to-day grind. Why is learning or playing the guitar such a great way to break away from the busy city life?
Playing any instrument is a great way to maintain a quality of life. The guitar is portable which is a plus, and it’s a great healthy way to escape the grind of the day-to-day life. The benefits are many. Stimulating your brain and spirit just to name a couple. It also can be quite grounding as well. It teaches you to be in the moment as it increases your focus, which can benefit you in other aspects of your life.
All this in turn can help in adding fun for nannies and adults playing with kids to keep them engaged in songs and music. Perhaps creating a game-like atmosphere, which can make your job easier, while practicing your guitar skills. The possibilities are endless to how this can positively impact a child.
Q: What are some of the benefits you’ve experienced from teaching and playing guitar yourself?
Some of the benefits for me personally would include reaching goals and growing constantly. Always striving for more. The guitar can be an outlet as well.
Teaching guitar is also rewarding. To witness growth in someone else is always a thrill. Lessons can also parallel life lessons (at least in my classes), and teaching reminds me of lessons learned too.
Performance is another reward. When there’s an exchange of energy between the audience and myself it is truly transcendent – making all the efforts worth it. I too, have developed good habits in time management and multitasking as a result.
Q: How does an adult playing guitar in front of a child benefit them?
An adult playing in front of a child will help to inspire them if they witness the joy in the adult playing. They will want to take part in the fun. The benefits of that will lead the child to learn and grow in multitasking and time management. Of course, we all know how it can benefit their studies as well, due to focus and some of the previously mentioned benefits.
Just think, all of this just by the mere fact that they wanted to have fun! Which is what it’s all about.
On another note, which may be a bit off topic, I’ve witnessed very shy and introverted kids grow into very outgoing, brave, and strong individuals just because they found refuge in music. To think this could have started by watching an adult play is extraordinary.
Written by our Marketing & Social Media Consultant, Taylor Bell
Potty Training – What You Need to Know
The exact age that a child should be potty trained is…
There isn’t one!
Generally speaking, healthy children aren’t physically and emotionally ready to start using a potty until they are between 18 months and 3 years old.
In America and most of Western Europe, the age of potty training is all over the board. Some train at 18 months and some don’t get there until 4. With that said, training earlier will save money on diapers and wipes, will make parents lives easier, and is much kinder to the environment. Three things that will make parents think, let’s start potty training now!
However, some parents are waiting longer to potty train. Why you ask?
- Disposal diapers – There isn’t much motivation to do more laundry
- “Wait till they’re ready” – Most parents are under the impression that “ready” means the child will completely self train one glorious moment. Let’s just say, that’s rare.
- Power of social media – The internet is a big factor. One rare potty training horror story can easily be spread, striking fear in thousands of parents.
Needless to say, parents have to decide what the best age and approach is for their child. It can have much more to do with parents and their partner’s readiness than one would think.
Allow your instinct to guide you, because after all, who knows your child better than you?
This article was repurposed from lusiceslist.com. For the full article, read here.
Raising a Bold, Brave, and Self-Reliant Boy
Have you ever wondered what motivates and drives your son in his everyday life? Teaching empowerment and belief in oneself is important, and it’s something parent’s can learn about in an upcoming event in New York City.
Join author and psychologist Dr. Adam Price, for an event explaining how to teach your son to persist when challenged, and to develop the critical self-regulation skills necessary for success. He will also decode ‘boy world,’ explain why some bucks are “too cool for school” and give you the tools to raise confident, emotionally strong men.
On Wednesday, November 15 (6:30 PM until 8:00 PM), take part in the event by registering with HRP Mamas. Don’t wait – the Tuesday event is already sold out!
For full event and registration details, click here.
Written by our Marketing & Social Media Consultant, Taylor Bell
Weekend with a Toddler
A couple weeks ago I journeyed to New York City to babysit my nephew for the weekend. Sadly, I don’t get to see my nephew all too often because we don’t live close by. It’s normally family outings with a dozen people around, and I’m forced to steal him away to spend some one on one time with him. Finally, I have him all to myself!
My sister put him down for his afternoon nap before they left, so I had a couple of hours until the shenanigans began. I made a gesture to my sister earlier on how the stroller could benefit from a wipe down, so that was my first target. The high chair and a few other items followed, and before I knew it, Brooks was up from his nap.
Bottle, snack, and play time consumed our afternoon. Inside play consisted of wheeling around a train, burying him in pillows and him popping out to scare me, and talking all things digger trucks. After that, we made our way to the roof top play area for some fresh air. This consisted of endless running laps and tossing a ball back and forth to support my mission of tiring him out.
We journeyed back inside for dinner and a little more play time. Lastly, it was off to the bath, to the rocking chair for reading, and then to bed.
We spent the morning together and then Mom and Dad returned. It was so great to bond with my nephew and see him play/interact with the things around him. The energy of a toddler is real, if you all haven’t heard already. I was surely tired at the day’s end, but the little rascal made it all worth it.
Written by our Marketing & Social Media Consultant, Taylor Bell
What Are Your Kids up to While You're Away?
Have you ever wanted to know what your kids are up to while you are away? Daily Nanny helps to give a comprehensive view of just that in their app!
We recently had the opportunity to team up with the creators of the Daily Nanny app, to learn more about how it works, and why parents everywhere should add this to their download list. Read below for our Q&A!
Q: How can a user download the app? Is there a fee associated with it?
Daily Nanny is a one time charge of $4.99 to get access to all app features. Visit the iOS app store or Google Play to download.
Q: What does a user do once the app is downloaded/opened?
For parents, when you first open the app you’ll sign up, enter some basic information, enter your kids information, and then invite your nanny. Then you are brought right into the app and you can start using it right away! Not only can nannies use Daily Nanny to keep parents informed, but parents can also use it to keep spouses informed, or just use it as a way to store meaningful information about your kids early years. Parents can keep track of naps, meals, medicine etc, and store photos as well.
For nannies, you sign up, and if you were invited by a parent, you’ll see the kids you care for right away. If not, you can enter the kids you care for and invite their parents to use the app. Nannies can keep track of hours and overtime as well, so parents and nannies are always on the same page.
Q: How do I navigate the app? What information and tools are available to me within the app?
The app is very simple to use. There are four tabs. For parents, the first tab gives you a timeline of everything that has happened today, including meals, naps, photos and more. The second tab is a photo gallery of all the photos you or your nanny has uploaded of your kids. You can comment on photos, save them to your device, and share them with friends. The third tab is a group messaging thread between you, your nanny, and anyone else added to receive notifications about your kids. And the fourth tab lists your kids, detailed information about them, and allows you to go back in time and see what was entered in the past!
For nannies, everything is the same except for the first tab. You can clock in for the day and track your hours, see how much money is owed for the week, as well as manage all your shifts in the past. You can mark shifts as paid and enter/edit shifts in the past.
For a video walkthrough of the app and additional information, check out the Daily Nanny website!
Written by our Marketing & Social Media Consultant, Taylor Bell
Family Style Halloween in NYC
It’s the time of the year where you can dress as your favorite superhero, movie icon, or role model, and fit right in with everyone else. What can be even more fun than planning your own costume? Dressing up the little ones as their favorite character, too!
This Halloween, jazz up the kids, and take them to a special Halloween photoshoot offered by Classic Kids Photography. You know your child looks adorable in their costume, but nobody else does! Get great, high-quality photos to share with family and friends, and also for yourself. Make an appointment for the October 31st photoshoot by e-mailing ([email protected]), or calling (212.799.3730) Classic Kids. Pets are also welcome!
Looking for another Halloween activity for the family around NYC? Mommy Nearest provides a great list of fun things to check out!
If you want to bust a move: head to the Broadway Dance Center on October 25th for a Halloween themed dance class and party (for children and teens).
If jack-o-lanterns are your favorite: go to Governors Island to see more than 1,000 jack-o-lanterns lit along a windy night time trail.
If you’re feeling playful: take a stroll in your costume to Asphalt Green (in Battery Park or Upper East Side) on October 27th for fun games and prizes. The first 500 kids get a free goodie bag!
If you want to show off your costume: the Brooklyn Botanical Garden is the place to be! Take part in the afternoon costume parade, while enjoying giant stilt walkers and musicians.
Happy Halloween, everyone!
Written by our Marketing & Social Media Consultant, Taylor Bell
Fuel Up with F.I.T. 4 All
F.I.T. 4 All is a nonprofit organization that works to create access to healthy living. They do this through free or low cost fitness classes and personal training, as well as, education for eating healthy food affordably. They don’t believe in counting calories and dieting but rather creating lifestyle changes that make you feel like the best you. For more information on fitness events, partnering with their organization, or affordable fuel recipes, visit their website.
As a treat, F.I.T. 4 All has included a recipe written by one of their team members, Isabel Miranda. But before we get to the actual recipe, let’s take a look at the benefits of meal prepping:
Why Bring Your Own Lunch?
• Cost – A delicious and satisfying homemade lunch can easily cost less than $5. Now think, on average how much do you spend eating lunch out? I know when I lived in New York City it was at least $10 a meal.
• Portion sizes – This is a great way to work on weight change and lifestyle change goals.
• Ingredients – You get to control what goes into the food, which means you can better track the calories and added sugar.
Three Ways to Meal Prep
- Making the food over the weekend and storing in the fridge or freezer
- Preparing the night before by making extra dinner, then either use the leftovers, or make a second meal while preparing dinner
- Making in the morning before you leave to work, possibly while making breakfast
Ways to Motivate Yourself
• Have Obtainable Goals – Ask yourself what you are already doing and make small changes to that. Bringing your lunch one more time a week is an amazing first step and you can always make a new goal when you complete the old one.
• Make a Lunch Club – Have a day when everyone in the office brings in their lunch together. This is also a great time to share recipes and learn new cool things to pack for lunch.
• Have Incentives – When you are successful in your goals treat yourself, with non edible items. Things like a new pretty lunchbox or kitchen gadgets are a great way to motivate yourself.
- 2 Large Zucchini
- ½ Cup of Ground Turkey (or protein of your choice)
- ½ Cup of Brown Rice
- ¼ Cup Quinoa
- 1 Cup of Sliced Carrots
- 1 Tbsp Salt
- 1 Tbsp Black Pepper
- *Onion powder or oregano if you want
For Sauce:
- 2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- 2 Cloves Minced Garlic
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
Directions:
- Add the brown rice and 1 ¼ cups of water to a pan. Bring the water to boil on medium high heat then reduce to low heat and cook for 30-40 minutes
- Rinse the quinoa with water and in another pan, add the quinoa and 1 cup of water. Again, bring to a boil and then reduce to low heat and cook for 20 minutes.
- Turn a third burner on to medium heat and in a large, flat pan, add ground turkey. Season with salt and pepper, as well as any other spices you want.
- While everything is cooking, prepare the zucchini by using a peeler and slicing down vertically to create ribbons. Peel until you start to see the seeds of the zucchini and then put in a tupperware to use another time.
- Add the carrots, cooked rice and quinoa to the pan with the ground turkey. Mix together.
- Lay out 3 to 4 of the zucchini ribbons on a cutting board and begin filling with the turkey and rice mixture.
- Only place enough in the middle that you can roll the zucchini around it
- Once you have filled all the ribbons move place in tupperware containers
- To make the sauce add Dijon mustard, olive oil and pepper flakes to a bowl and whisk together with a fork
- Put the sauce directly on the rolls or in a small container, so that you can add it to the rolls at work
It is also an option to freeze the rolls and heat them up when you bring them to work, so that you can make more servings and have less days of meal prep. If you decide to do this, blanch the zucchini by putting it in boiling water for a minute and then moving it straight to ice water. Also wait to add the sauce and keep it in a separate container in the fridge.