Less Than Perfect Parents Video

May 18, 2012 By Tracy Leave a Comment

I’m excited (and nervous) to present the first Less Than Perfect Parents video advertising our blog! I was lucky to find someone to make it for me and I feel like it gives an idea of what Less Than Perfect Parents is about. I would love some feedback and suggestions from all of you parents though! You can let me know what you think by commenting below or by going directly to our Less Than Perfect Parents YouTube channel and “liking” or “disliking.” Be brutally honest because I value your opinion and always want to be improving!

I wanted something that summed up our Less Than Perfect Parents Blog in few words but also that represented how we should feel as parents: relaxed, laidback, and happy! I think this did the job!

What do you think? Would you want to visit our parenting blog if you saw that video?

Filed Under: Parenting Tagged With: parents

Embrace The Perfectly Imperfect

May 14, 2012 By Polly Leave a Comment

While grocery shopping recently, I spotted the book Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff For Moms. It immediately caught my eye. Sweating the small stuff is something I seem to get caught up in all the time. Can you relate? Sometimes I feel so busy with the small stuff that I lose sight of the big picture of parenting.

When I opened the book, the very first chapter was called “There’s No Such Thing as a ‘Perfect’ Mom.” That’s another message I can get on board with. I know I’m not perfect, and I’m often the first to admit it. But just because I’m willing to admit imperfection, doesn’t mean that I don’t fall into the trap of wishing I could achieve it in my day to day life.

Surely I’m not alone here. We’re bombarded with models of perfect parents in magazines, on tv, and online. On Facebook we only post about the great things that go on, not the actual day to day behind the scenes difficulties that we all face. Add Pinterest to the mix and we might as well give up on ever being able to throw a birthday party or decorate a house to satisfaction.

Recently Parenting.com and Today.com conducted a survey of 26,000 moms where they asked moms to reveal their secrets. You know what they found? The most common secret that moms kept was that they felt overwhelmed. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why.

Moms today have more on our plates than ever before. But when you add the drive for perfection to that equation, we end up feeling pretty overwhelmed most of the time. Why? Because perfection isn’t possible in parenting. It’s just not. And the sooner we come to terms with that the faster we can get on with being the amazing moms we were meant to be. Ones who are more focused on enjoying time coloring with our kids than on making a craft project worthy of a Pinterest post.

How do we move away from the burden of perfection to a more realistic approach to parenting? Try these tips and you’ll be well on your way . . .

Don’t compare yourself to others. I know it’s hard to avoid, but that’s where our troubles begin. Remember that others are only showing you their best. The pictures they post on Facebook are only a snapshot of their life. In fact, it probably took them all day to get that perfect shot! You are only seeing what they are willing to share publicly, which is almost always much better than reality!
Do your best, but learn from your mistakes. Just because we’re not aiming for perfection, doesn’t mean that we can slack off and lay around on the couch all day! We should always try our best in whatever we do. But if we fall short or make mistakes, use it as an opportunity to learn for next time.
Embrace the perfectly imperfect. Remind yourself that your goal is not perfection! You might have to give yourself some pep talks so you don’t fall back into your old perfectionistic tendencies. Share your new goal of being perfectly imperfect with those around you, even your kids. Teach them from a young age that although you always expect their best, you don’t require perfection. From the Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff For Moms book, “It’s a great feeling to know that we are all perfectly imperfect, just as we are.”

For more ‘Perfectly Imperfect’ parenting solutions from Dr. Polly Dunn, visit her at ChildPsychMom.com.

Filed Under: Family and Parenting, Parenting, Tips for Parents Tagged With: children, family, just for dads, just for moms, kids, parenting, parents, values

Fashion for 2012: Patterned Skinny Jeans

May 11, 2012 By Cassandra Leave a Comment

Are you one of those people that wish they could wear jeans everywhere? I am! However, until recently, I always felt that I needed to be “dressed” to go out. Well girls; our wish has been answered. Luckily for us, the newest fashion trend is all about patterned jeans. Whether they are floral, animal print, color washed, sandblasted; you think of it, the jeans have it. My favorite is the skinny leg floral jeans designed by Paige denim. You can pull out a color from the flowers and match it with a top and heels or a tank and flats. So now, you can transform your fun jeans from daytime play to nighttime fun just by changing the shoes.

Buy This New Spring 2012 Fashion Trend:

Would you wear this spring fashion trend?

Filed Under: Fashion, Just for Moms, Lifestyle Tagged With: fashion, just for moms, life style

Fun Ideas for Family Activities on Mother’s Day

May 7, 2012 By Tracy Leave a Comment

Believe it or not, May is here and that means Mother’s Day, of course. Perhaps you’re a mom organizing Mother’s Day on your terms, or maybe you’re a spouse or kid looking to plan a fun day with mom (bless your heart). Here are my picks for fun activities that the family can do together on Mother’s Day.

Cook Brunch

Going out to brunch is a tradition on mom’s day, and the lines at the best places can be insanely long. Instead, why not orchestrate a feast of a brunch at home? Something easy but scalable and delicious is in order, say pancakes or BLTs. Put on some fun music and let mom put her feet up while you do the work and (gasp) clean up.

Head into Nature

Whether it’s a local park or a beautiful beach, there’s likely a nice outdoor spot near you. A little time away from any screens can be a great, relaxing way to connect with one another while also enjoying the natural surroundings. Pack a picnic and you can make it an all afternoon affair. This is a great time to catch up on one another’s lives and bond; mom can even impart a little motherly advice. Check out this resource for information on types of counseling, counseling techniques, and relevant educational programs.

Sift Through Memories

Take some time this Mother’s Day to look through old photo albums and remember all the women in your family. If you’re like me, you have stacks of pictures that need to go in albums. Why not spend some time together putting the pictures into sleeves? Mom will have the opportunity to reminisce and share some family history.

Thanks Mom!

Many families, mine included, take time on Thanksgiving to share one thing we’re thankful for. Recently, my family instated a new tradition of telling our mother why we’re thankful and grateful to have her in our lives on Mother’s Day. I promise, this little bit of gratitude will be more important to her than any gifts you could buy.

Learn Something Together

If you’re a more activity-based type of family, pick something new to try together. It could be flying a kite, painting a mural, or renting a canoe. Many universities have extension classes, such as improv courses, that are a real treat to take with people you know. Bachelor Degree Online has solid information on heading back to school, if someone in your family is considering earning their degree.

Sources

NYTimes (2011)

Harper’s Bazaar (2012)

Filed Under: Activities, Family and Parenting Tagged With: activities, children, family, kids, parenting, parents

Interview with SwimSpot’s Marnie Hill and $75 SwimSpot Giveaway!

April 29, 2012 By Tracy 14 Comments

So ladies, it’s that time of year again! The time of year we all dread! BATHING SUIT SEASON!!! Yes, we have to drag ourselves into the store and stare at our bodies that have gone through yet another year of neglect as we focus on our families instead of ourselves. There is nothing worse than trying on ill-fitting bathing suits under fluorescent lights while you kick yourself for not sticking with your New Year’s Resolution to get in shape. Before I get you too depressed I have a solution! I found a company called SwimSpot that makes bathing suit shopping enjoyable. “Impossible,” you say? I promise that when I was looking at their website I was able to figure out my body type and find designer swimwear that actually made me look forward to wearing them on the beach! Swim Spot is THE place to find gorgeous women’s swimwear that will make you feel fabulous!

Nobody's perfect. But who has to know? Flowing ombre chiffon is artfully slimming and concealing while the adorned string racerback provides support.

Today we are featuring a Question and Answer with SwimSpot Fit Specialist Marnie Hill to explain a little more about SwimSpot, Fit Specialist, and how to find the right bathing suit this summer. SwimSpot has also offered a giveaway for $75 Swim Spot Gift Card!

Marnie Hill, SwimSpot Fit Specialist

Q&A

What is SwimSpot?
SwimSpot is the swimwear industry’s premier swimwear and activewear boutique and online retailer. We offer personalized customer service and a plethora of contemporary and designer swimwear and cover-ups for every body type. Each of our retail boutiques offer concierge services provided by a Fit Specialist who can help you customize your swimwear look. Our customers range from young contemporary girls to contemporary and designer women. SwimSpot parlays its relationships with fashion designers and the industry’s leading swimwear brands to offer high-end and fashionable swimwear to shoppers in a fun and ambient atmosphere.

SwimSpot is relatively new to swimwear retail scene here in LA. We recently opened retail locations in Santa Monica, Irvine Spectrum, Topanga Canyon, Thousand Oaks, Sherman Oaks, Santa Anita and Santa Barbara (to open next month).

What are some of the brand names SwimSpot has to offer?
Athena, Ella Moss, Guess, Hurley & Hurley Girls, Luxe by Lisa Vogel, Nautica, Next, Reef, Splendid & Splendid Girls and St John, just to name a few.

What is Swim Spot’s silhouette/style range?
SwimSpot’s offers silhouettes for every body type from the children to mature women. SwimSpot offers young contemporary styles varying from triangle and bandeau bras and tie side and string pants, including sexy one-pieces. In Contemporary Missy, we offer silhouettes such as Bandinis that are blouson style, racer-back underwire sports bras and skirted pants. Silhouettes also include halter one pieces with rouched detailing for extra support while high-waisted pants are popular in camouflaging trouble areas.

What products do you sell aside from swimsuits?
In addition to swimwear, SwimSpot offers a wide selection of luxurious and chic cover-ups and activewear.

What is your price point range for swimsuits and cover-ups?
Price points range from $29 for a Reef or Hurley separate to $400 for St. John Swim coverup.

What are your Fit Specialist’s qualifications?
SwimSpot Fit Specialists are seasoned swimwear professionals who have years of experience working in the swimwear industry—as designers, patternmakers, merchandisers and sales—and are uniquely qualified to make swimwear recommendations based on body type, style and silhouette.

What does SwimSpot offer online?
SwimSpot offers an easy, fun and convenient way to shop online! Some of our online features include Bikini Builder—an exciting technology that allows shoppers to mix and match separates—and swimwear video archive, featuring video footage of each swimsuit style on the runway. A Fit Specialist will provide one-on-one concierge services to shoppers who are looking for the most flattering size and style in swimwear.

What is the swimwear trend forecast for 2012?
Feminine suits that include crochet, florals and ruffles; Color blocking; Sporty Suits; Neutrals and all things stripes.

What are your best-selling silhouettes?
Tankinis, retro bikini bottoms, bandeaus and Maillotts.

What styles and prints will be popular for Spring 2012?
Prints that are poplar for the 2012 season are Americana- blues, red, are white, Graphic florals- florals that are big, such as bold Hawaiian prints, Neons/ brights and digital prints. Styles that seem to be ever evolving are retro suits and 40’s glam. Rouched one-pieces and tankini’s seem to get better every year. Animal print and skins are another trend that never go out of style- there are so many great ways and color options for these prints. Silhouettes that continue to be popular are bandeaus and one shoulder suits done in new ways. All of these trends originate straight from the apparel runway shows.

What design direction/distinctions is each of Swimspots’ brands making with their 2012 swimwear designs?

Hurley- Urban chic, Hurley suits are designed with the “surfer’s girlfriend” in mind. Prints and colors are more edgy and similar to the core surf attire Hurley clothing.

St. John- Elegant and glamorous with lots of ornate detailing and bold prints.

Ella Moss- The world of the butterfly girls- romantic and feminine.

Splendid- Welcome to everyday. Splendid Swimwear, just like the apparel line is fun, soft to the touch and comfortable, made for every day wear. Playful and stylish are words that describe the look of Splendid. Lots of stripes, terry cloth.

Nautica- Inspired by the water, crafted with intention and designed to outfit the life well-lived. Americana and nautical designs are strong influences.

Athena- Known as a pioneer in fashion swimwear for fabrications, sophisticated colorful prints and flattering silhouettes, with special attention to inner construction and figure flattering features.

Guess- Ultra sexy, ultra glamorous, fashion forward trendsetter. Vintage inspired suits. Details such as polka dots, floral prints, ruffles and solids are very important for the GUESS girl.

Luxe by Lisa Vogel- Modern beach sophisticate always stylish and chic. Trends and colors are inspired from world travel, interior design and high- fashion runway designs.

Reef- Exotic beach girl- free spirited, world traveler. Athletic and sexy, bright colors with island flair.

Next by Athena- Active inspired swim separates in bold and bright prints with functional silhouettes that are catered for a vigorous life style.

What advice/tips do you have for customers as they prepare to shop for the 2012 swim season?

Swimwear shopping can be fun with the following tips:

Ask the swim experts what looks good on your body type and for a second opinion.
Start your tan base now – Bronze skin always makes you look better
Try on swimwear in the morning before you get your day started
Age appropriate suits- Do not choose suits that will make you look too young or too old. Fit and style are everything!
Fit- suits that are too big will sag in the bottom, suits that are too small will dig into your skin.

In addition to sharing these great swimwear shopping tips, SwimSpot wants to make your bathing suit shopping experience even more enjoyable by generously giving a $75 SwimSpot gift card to one lucky reader!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you like Less Than Perfect Parents click here to vote for me for Babble’s “Most Useful” Award!

*I did not receive any financial compensation for this review

Filed Under: Giveaways, Giveaways/Reviews Tagged With: fashion, giveaway, just for moms

Book Review: My Life as a Book by Janet Tashjian

April 23, 2012 By Tracy Leave a Comment

Twelve year old Derek is only wants to get through the school year so he can hang out for the summer. He struggles behaviorally and academically, especially when it comes to reading. He finds himself in the middle of a mystery involving and girl who drowned years ago and makes an unlikely new friend. His whole goal of the summer is to avoid learning at all costs but he ends up learning more about himself than he ever could have expected.

This is a great book for reluctant readers because it is an easy read and hilariously written. Most children will be able to relate to this boy’s feelings about school, books, his parents, and his teachers. There are several tricks he learns to make reading easier and those tips would benefit any child who dislikes books. I would even recommend this book for parents of unwilling readers because it really gives insight into a child’s mind, especially when we use typical parent phrases to get kids to behave. I found myself looking at my own parenting through the eyes of a child and found myself annoyed at the parents for saying and doing things that I do myself!

Have you or your child read this book? What did you think?

Filed Under: Book Review, Education Tagged With: book review, children, children's books, education, literacy, reading

3 Quick Tips to Calming your Tot’s Tantrums

April 16, 2012 By Tracy 1 Comment

My eldest son, Nicholas, used to have the worst tantrums when he was a toddler. He would easily get frustrated every time he didn’t get his way or if I took away an object he was really interested in—in my case, he’d rather play with Mommy’s very expensive iPhone instead of his toy trucks. While it took a lot of trial and error to finally get him to stop with his frequent outbursts, I’ve listed some of the best methods that worked for us in order to get him to subdue his tantrums. To see if they work for your child, continue reading below.

Stay Calm and Ignore

Most children throw tantrums because they know it’s a direct way to get your attention and strategically use them to get whatever they want (more on that later). But often children will stop with the unnecessary “fits” if they know that screaming and crying has no effect on you. One afternoon Nicholas starting with the same screaming episode he was so accustomed to doing. Instead of picking him up and placing him in a solitary room like all of the parenting magazines suggested (which really made him just scream louder), I decided to just calmly get up and walk into my bedroom. I didn’t look frustrated and I didn’t say anything, I just got up and walked off. Moments later he came trotting into my room. “You left,” I remember him saying through his cracked voice. I simply stated, “Your screaming hurts Mommy’s head. If you don’t use your words, I can’t hear you. And then I can’t help you.” A few weeks later he tried to throw a tantrum again, but as I began to walk out of the room once more, he lowered his voice and tried to speak to me like a normal person.

Never Appease Demands

Like many children, Nicholas would resort to tantrums when he wanted me to buy him something and I refused. Instead of simply telling him no and making him cry louder however, I learned to play games with him. Every time he would make a new demand, something around the likes of “gimmie a new video game,” I’d simply make my own bizarre request: “Well, only if you gimmie a yacht.” Sometimes he’d give me an imaginary yacht and I’d give him an imaginary video game. He’d get frustrated because the video game wasn’t real, and I’d just say, “Well neither is the yacht. So I guess we have ourselves in a pickle.” Knowing I wouldn’t budge, he’d stop throwing tantrums when I didn’t buy want he wanted.

Explain Alternatives to Tantrums

Lastly, small children often throw tantrums because they are unsure of what to do with their feelings. In other words, screaming and throwing things around is the only way to demonstrate their anger and frustration. But it’s up to the parents to explain to their children what emotions are and also explain that resorting to this type of behavior won’t be accepted in your home. One day I had to sit down with Nicholas and explain to him that I knew he threw things because he was angry—but throwing items in our house would not be tolerated. If he felt those same emotions again, I encouraged him to simply say “I’m angry” or “I’m upset” and explain why. I ended the conversation with, “So tell me Nicholas, the next time you’re angry what are you going to do?” And I waited until he gave me the answer I wanted. After that, his tantrums were pretty much obsolete.

By-line:

This guest post is contributed by Angelita Williams, who writes on the topics of online courses. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: angelita.williams7 @gmail.com.

Filed Under: Parenting Tagged With: children, family, kids, parenting, parents

Good Bye “Grey” Skies Hello “Blue (and Many More Colors)”

April 6, 2012 By Cassandra Leave a Comment

Now that Spring is here we can say HELLO to bright colors and good bye to the “grey” of Winter. Diane Von Furstenberg has now launched her children’s line for the fourteen and under age group at Gap Kids. “It’s fun, it’s colourful – it’s a world away from the preppy neutrals that are Gap’s bread and butter. This is exactly what a children’s range should be: Bright, bold, playful. Nothing about it takes itself too seriously – this is about kids having fun in clothes that allow them the freedom to do so” says Deborah Arthurs

These outfits are modeled after Diane von Furstenberg’s line of adult clothing. If you are like me, you will agree that the best part of this new line is that you can now dress like your little girl without compromising either one’s fashion sense (or age).

DVF GapKids belted romper $55	DVF GapKids daisy dress $75	DVF GapKids printed wrap dress $65
DVF GapKids eyelet wrap dress $75	DVF GapKids trimmed cardigan $45	DVF GapKids graphic T $35
DVF GapKids belted capris $45	DVF Gap Kids graphic T $24.50	DVF GapKids solid shorts $30

Filed Under: Fashion, Lifestyle Tagged With: children, fashion, just for moms, kids

Ways Children Learn through Music

April 2, 2012 By Tracy Leave a Comment

Music education is so important in a child’s life. While I was a preschool educator I was also a Kindermusik teacher and I would often integrate Kindermusik into my classroom. It was amazing how children would respond to learning through music. Many children who found it difficult to grasp certain concepts would all of a sudden master them when exposed to the concept in a musical way. Many times I was astounded at the result of music on my students. Here are some ways children learn through music:

Language and Literacy Memorizing songs will help children learn new words as well as help them determine how the word should be used in a phrase or sentence. Repetition of words helps reinforce and increase the child’s vocabulary. Rhyming songs help children become aware of words and their sounds. Music also has structure and order as does language.

Social/Emotional Music encourages taking turns, helps listening and attention skills, and helps children interact and socialize with other children. It can also help with self-control as the child will have opportunities to sing loud and then be quiet as well as follow instructions. Many studies have shown that music education helps to increase confidence and self-esteem.

Motor Skills Music and movement classes have children moving along with the song which increases gross motor skills and coordination. Playing instruments improves fine motor skills.

Math and Science Children learn to count as well as multiplication and division (to figure out how long the note is). Complex patterns and order are important math lessons learned through music.

Do you feel music education is important? How do you incorporate music into your child’s life?

Filed Under: Education, Fine Motor Skills, Gross Motor Skills, Health and Development, Literacy, Science Tagged With: children, emotional skills, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, language, literacy, math, music, music education, science, social skills

Writing Books With Your Children

March 26, 2012 By Tracy Leave a Comment

Writing books with your children is a great way to get your kids excited about literacy at any age. You can do anything from a picture book to a book with a few sentences to a novel with your children. Here are a few different kinds of books and how they help your child learn:

Letter Book – Each page has a different word with the same letter. Your child can draw the letter and the picture. This would be an example of an “M” word book:

____onkey

____other

____ouse

____acaroni

All About Me – This is a great way to teach kids to write their name. You can do most of the writing but they will write their name and draw the pictures. Every sentence in the book should start with their name. ______________________ has brown hair and blue eyes. ____________________lives in a brown house. _________________ has one dad, one mom, and two sisters. ____________________________likes to ride her bicycle. ______________________ loves the color pink. _______________________ want a doll for her birthday.

Beginning sight words books. Pick beginning sight words such as “was,” “am,” “like,” “and,” “we,” and “go.” The repetition will help your child read and write these basic words. I remember my son’s “I like” book was ENDLESS because he wanted to keep writing everything he liked! Let me tell you he sure knew that word when his teachers tested him for sight word knowledge! He would think of what he liked and I would write the word on a separate piece of paper and he would copy it. So if he liked trucks, I would write “trucks” on a separate sheet of paper and he would write “I like trucks.” and would draw a picture of a truck. This is great not only for teaching sight words but also beginning sentence structure.

For older kids you can have them write more complex stories. First pick a main character and have them describe and name this person. Teach them that stories have a beginning, middle, and end. They can start by telling about their day or about an incident that happened to them.

Finally, they can polish their stories by having a climax in the middle of the story and to make sure that the end is a conclusion of the exciting part. Other characters can be added. At this point you can discuss how the characters relate to each other and brainstorm exciting situations to write about. This is also a great point to teach how adjectives can make a story more descriptive and interesting to read. “The dog ran through the grass,” can become, “The little white puppy ran through the green grass.” Using thesaurus a great way not only to write better stories but to increase your child’s vocabulary. “The little white puppy scampered through the green grass,”becomes “The petite white puppy scampered through the green meadow.”

Great product to create books with your children:

This is an awesome product that will help motivate your child to write well. If a child knows they are going to have their book published they will be extra careful to write a good story. This is the perfect opportunity to help your child build writing skills. The best part? They will be having so much fun with their project that they won’t even realize you are helping them become a better writer! That’s exactly how learning should be!