Welcome to week two of this fun meme brought to you by Money $aving Michele, Tammilee Tips, Snaps of Our Life, and Just 2 Sisters blogs! We are just a few blogging friends who want to have some fun and bring you some great information all in one spot!
You never know what you will find in the top 10 posts. Frugal tips, mom tricks, funny tales, jokes, photo tips, kids, green living, coupons, recipes and just plain old life! It’s bound to be a fun mishmash of interesting posts, you won’t want to miss! Stop back each week and see what top 10 things you can get into! When I visit other blogs, I love to learn little facts about the author. Today I learned about Emily from Naptime is My Time, favorite movies! That’s why I’m sharing my Top 10 2012 U.S. Summer Olympians! 1.) Missy Franklin - she is just AMAZING!!!! (Side note: Her coach is NOT a national coach and her club rents their pool space. She does 5,000 yards a day half of what others do in their training) 2.) America's Sweethearts and Tumblers: McKayla Maroney, Kyla Ross, Alexandra Raisman, Gabrielle Douglas and Jordyn Wieber. 3.) Hope Solo - Women's Soccer 4.) Ryan Lochte - Men's Swimming 5.) Kim Rhode - Women's Skeet Shooting - A woman who can shoot and brought home the Gold need I say more? 6.) Elizabeth “Betsey” Armstrong - Women's Water Polo - She is also an environmentalist and works with literacy programs. 7.) Allyson Felix- Track and Field - have you seen this 26 yea old run? WOW!!! 8.) Natalie Coughlin - Women's Swimming - another amazing swimmer and has her own massive organic garden. 9.) Phil Dalhausser and Todd Rogers - Men's Volleyball - Reining Gold Champs! 10.) Lolo Jones - Women's Olympic hurdler - coming back after having spine surgery only 1 year ago! Did your favorites make my list?
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 Last week my little family took a road trip to visit friends in Philadelphia. The Music Together® CD was on heavy rotation throughout our drive. During our visit, we spent the day at Longwood Gardens, which has an outdoor children’s garden with fountains, mazes and much to my surprise, an assortment of toddler-friendly percussion instruments. My son ran up to the chimes (a series of vertical metal tubes) and without any instruction from us, he picked up the mallet and began playing. I assume this is a direct result of our jam sessions during music class. Each session of Music Together® includes two wordless songs. In the first, egg shakers are passed out and both parents and kids are encouraged to shake along to the beat. During the second,an assortment of percussion instruments are dumped into the center of the circle and the children can choose from items such as bells, drums, triangles, castanets, or rhythm sticks. In addition to these interactive sessions in class, I have been creating our own mini jam sessions at home with pots and pans for drums and wooden and metal spoons for mallets. It was very rewarding to see these efforts pay off as I watched my son interact with the instruments at the park. When he grew tired of the chimes, he moved over to the large xylophone and alternated between banging on the wooden keys and pausing to bop up and down in his version of dancing.  During our third class this week class our teacher, Miss Alicia, reminded us that you can sing your sentences when talking to your child. I tried this out during our evening fussy time and not only did it become a great distraction tool, but my son responded by singing (he sang the word “no”) and matching my pitch (at least he was in key while being difficult)! My obvious excitement made him excited and we created a new getting-dressed-in-our-pajamas game. As I mentioned in last week’s blog, Music Together® has taught me how to incorporate music activities that are fun as well as developmentally appropriate into our daily routine. After three sessions I can definitely see a change in my son’s interest and response to music. Music Together® is a parent-child music class of mixed ages from birth to age five. Classes focus on interactive play where both the caregiver and child share songs, play instruments, and participate in rhythm chants and movement activities. Classes of mixed ages foster family-style learning where the younger children watch and imitate the older ones, and the older children learn by leading the younger ones. Meryl's Music and Arts Centers offer a variety of classes for children (from birth to age seven) at studios in Harwich, S. Yarmouth, Bourne, Eastham, and Sandwich. Disclaimer: This review was made possible by Meryl's Music & Arts. All thoughts are the blogger's own.
 I attended the new Hyannis Stop & Shop Opening last night and it was FANTASTIC! Anne Moulin greeted me and helped us tour the new 65,000+ square foot facility. It is enormous and management has gone above and beyond to bring the consumers more product than ever!!!! I was MOST impressed with the effort they put into creating an organic and natural foods section. They placed all the Nature's Propmise products as well as other mom faves in the same two aisles together! By having such a large store they are able to offer more family friendly products for health conscious families! And it is directly next to the fruits and veggies = BONUS! I LOVE not having to traverse the whole store and having everything in one section! It will definitely make shopping with a small child ten times easier to get in and out!!! Plus they have horned melons!!! Those are sure to entertain children as you pass by as well!
 Cape Cod Mom Advisor, Gary tackles the cost of raising a child from age 1 -
How much will I spend on my child during ages one through six? ~ Nicole, Forestdale During these years, you'll spend about $1,000 on toys and clothes, and about $2,200 a year on food. If your child attends day care or pre-school, add in the cost of these services. Day care will cost you an average of $12,000 per year, while pre-school costs vary widely. Again, health care costs depend on your health coverage. How much will I spend on my child during ages six through twelve? This is the time when the overall expenses of child-rearing drop, and families can save more. During these years, your child care expenses will drop drastically. Helath care costs generally stabilize unless of course, your child begins orthodontia during this stage. Then, you'll have to pay more. You are likely to spend more than in the previous stage on clothing, toys, and entertainment, but your kids won't be demanding the high-ticket clothing and other items of adolescence. The bill for food will be just slightly more than what it was in the previous stage. On the negative side, now that your kids are in school, you'll want to pay for all those extras that middle class kids have: dancing and music lessons, sports participation, and so on. And, if you decide to send your kids to private school or to summer camp, these expenses will have to be added in. How much will I spend on my child during ages thirteen through eighteen? During this stage, you can expect your child's food, clothing, and entertainment bill to greatly exceed what it was during the previous stage. For instance, food costs will increase as a result of growth spurts in your adolescent and clothing costs are likely to rise as well as your teen takes more of an interest in his or her appearance. Once your teen starts driving, your auto insurance will go up. The extra cost could be anywhere from $300 to $1,000, depending on your state of residence and whether your child is a boy or girl. If you intend to buy your child a car, add this expense in as well. If you have further questions, please contact my office at 508-540-3683, emai me at info@dellapostacpa.com or visit us on the web at www.dellapostacpa.com  by Pamela Wills, Certified Coach Part Three of the Bermuda Triangle of Negativity (after Doubt and Fear): Worry. Have you ever noticed how easy it is to let your mind just wander off down the road to Worryland?  You know what I'm talking about. And once it gets there, you can go totally crazy before you end up returning to reality. Okay not literally crazy but I mean really! Worry can really mess with a person. People say it's because of a ripe imagination but I say it's only because of habit.  Back and forth, back and forth. Boredom. Habit. This flow chart makes the road back to reality pretty simple, don't you agree?  And this? Well, I just thought a zebra in a party dress with fruit on top was too gorgeous to pass up!
Made you laugh! As your Self Discovery and Confidence Coach, I bring you the tools to BE your SELF and OWN your TRUTH through use of practical life strategies (goal setting, confidence training) and creative exercises (mind-maps, vision boards). Usually, my clients decide to work with me from difficult, codependent, emotionally abusive and/or controlling relationships where they have no voice, feel invisible and underappreciated, find themselves without goals or direction and have no plan for the future. I know how to help because the same thing happened to me. Now that I have successfully found my Self and learned how to own my truth, I can guide you or someone you know through the steps it takes to succeed, too. Email me directly at Pamela@ElasticityCoaching.com or visit my website at www.ElasticityCoaching.com.Let's talk so we can identify your challenges and decide on your course of action. I look forward to working with you! Check out Emily's Whip It Up Wednesday blog post at Nap Time is My Time! Every week she posts her own homemade item to share. Others are invited to share their own homemade items as well! A handmade project is either homemade or made by hand – not something you’ve purchased. It includes recipes, paper crafts, sewing projects, decorating ideas, photography, furniture transformations and much, much more! It doesn't have to be a current project either, it may have been a past recipe or craft project but it can still be shared on this. While I don't always post things I have done, sometimes I do share a few of my recipes and I may in the future share some photos or crafts I take on. I know there are tons of crafty moms out there is a huge variety of industries, I would love to see you join us on the Linky party and see your ideas! Share away and be proud of your creations! This handmade linky party will be open until Monday at 3pm EST.   Here are some tips to make your vacation as smooth as possible,
sleep-wise. Prepare a sleep-friendly environment. Whether you’re staying in a hotel, rental house, or with family, try to create a sleep-friendly environment for your little ones. Bring along unwashed crib sheets (the familiar scent will be soothing), favorite loveys and blankets, sound machine, and night light. If you’re not sure the window shades will be dark enough, pack black trash bags and masking tape or thumbtacks for makeshift blackout shades. The Phil & Teds“Traveller” cot is a great alternative to traditional pack n plays; it is small and light enough to fit inside your suitcase, has no uncomfortable crossbars, and has the added advantage of zipping around the top in case you’ve got a climber on your hands. (More on that subject in another post!) Respect your child’s need to sleep – even on vacation. Yes, your child may miss a few naps due to travel and bedtime may be a little later due to older cousins. But try to not abandon your child’s schedule altogether, particularly if you are away for more than a few days. If normal crib naps are not possible, plan to drive during nap times, squeeze in catnaps to take the edge off, and opt out of a late dinner if your little one is showing signs of fatigue. You’ll be glad you made the sacrifice – over-tired children usually don’t make the best travel companions anyhow. Maintain the rituals.Try to maintain your family’s pre-sleep routine, or at least an abridged version of it. The familiar books, songs, and other positive sleep associations will be especially comforting to them as they adjust to their new environment. Talk to your children. Even one year olds often understand a lot more than we think. Let your little ones know that you are doing things differently than usual because you are traveling. “Today we are going to take our naps in the car because we have a long drive to grandma’s house. You can rest in your car seat, and we will wake you up as soon as we get there!” Avoid using the same crutch you just broke. Sure, some sleep regressions may happen during travel. However, if you have recently worked hard to stop nursing your baby to sleep, try rocking her or patting her down instead. It’s less confusing and less intermittent reinforcement, which means ultimately it will be easier to undo. Nip bad habits in the bud. Let your little ones know that once you are back home, it’s back to business as usual. So if you had a co-sleeping nurse-athon in order to keep her quiet at your in-law’s house, the “open bar” officially closes when she kisses grandma goodbye. It’s much easier (i.e. less crying) to tackle new sleep issues before they are fully engrained. Enjoy your vacation! Do you have other tips you want to share with us? Success stories, or advice for what not to do? Share them with us by leaving a comment below! Rebekah Thomson Counting Sheep Pediatric Sleep Coaching rebekah@countingsheepmv.com  Welcome to Top 10 Tuesday! Welcome to this fun meme brought to you by Money $aving Michele, Tammilee Tips, Snaps of Our Life, and Just 2 Sisters blogs! They are just a few blogging friends who want to have some fun and bring you some great information all one spot! You never know what you will find in the top 10 posts. Frugal tips, mom tricks, funny tales, jokes, photo tips, kids, green living, coupons, recipes and just plain old life! It’s bound to be a fun mishmash of interesting posts, you won’t want to miss! Stop back each week and see what top 10 things you can get into! A fellow Cape Cod Mom Blogger: Nap Time is My Time posted her Top 10 Etsy Shop list and it is fabulous! I saw some really cute stuff on all those Etsy Stores. I would also like to add the talented Ms. Melissa's Etsy Shop as one of my faves: Bzzy Fingers. (I'm making it a Top 11!) Thanks for the tips Emily! So for my Top 10 Tuesday I decided to bring you my Top 10 Favorite Places on Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard, which once you see the list will require NO explanation. I wish I could have more though!!! Plus every single one of them are FREE! Are some of your favorites on this list? Which ones? If we forgot some, let us know! Without further adieu and in no particular order, here we go:
 Toddlers and Children can be such picky eaters that at times we often shake our head in amazement that they get enough nutrition! They go through phases where they only eat bread or yogurt or whatever their particular favorite is. I personally find myself worrying constantly if my son gets enough vegetables in his diet. We do pretty good with fruits, carbs and dairy in our house and try to mix the veggies in with things like smoothies, muffins, scrambled eggs and sandwiches etc. But sometimes I am singing the veggie blues! This past weekend, despite refusing to at any veggies, I decided to try some veggie croissants! You only need a few things and it takes about 20 minutes to prepare these tasty morsels! Plus the kids can help you which is a fun way to integrate learning, math and cooking all together! You will need the following: * your own dough or precut croissants (I LOVE Trader Joe's or Pillsbury) * an assortment of your choice of veggies finely diced. I used brocoli, onion, zucchini and squash above. * Cheese - I used a Mozzarella that had hints of a BBQ flavor which I found at Windfall Market. If there are dairy allergies, try a soy milk cheese or rice milk cheese. * Although mine did not have chicken-you could add this in for protein :)
Tasty Tuesday is a weekly blog on Cape Cod Mommies featuring a quick and easy recipes for families. If you have a recipe that you would like to share with us, please email us at info@ccmommies.com!
Happy Eating!  When sitting down to reflect upon the changes between our first and second Music Together® class, I realized that at this point there has been a bigger transformation in me than in my son. I don't necessarily think this is a bad thing. In fact, I think my increased mindfulness of music as a part of our everyday activity is the major point of the Music Together® philosophy. As a parent you are constantly aware of your child's development, encouraging them as they become more aware of their own body as well as their surroundings. We hold their hands and provide guidance as they learn to walk. We point to objects and help them sound out new words, repeating them endlessly to encourage language development. It makes sense that the same can be done with music. Not only have I have been playing the songs from class often, but I have made a conscious effort to incorporate more music into our routine. I find myself singing or humming while changing my son’s diaper or giving him a bath. Humming is a great way to diffuse frustration too (and I have my fair share of frustrating moments especially with a toddler who loves to “help” by upending the contents of whatever I have just finished cleaning up). Belting out one of his favorite songs also worked wonders as a distraction tool, successfully averting a meltdown. While the bigger change so far has been in my own musical awareness, there was a noticeable difference in my son's behavior between the first and second class. Gone was the cautious observer nestled securely in my lap. Instead he was an enthusiastic participant, playing with egg shakers during one song, exploring the variety of percussion instruments available for play during another, and zooming around the room with zeal when the colorful scarves made their appearance. I believe by playing the songs at home he has become familiar enough with them to feel secure in the studio, which is the necessary ingredient for learning to occur. What has impressed me most is that the class encourages each child to experience music through multiple senses. The songs covered in class and on the CD range from emphasizing tonal patterns (singing or humming a note at a precise pitch) to rhythm (tapping a precise pattern of beats). Instruments passed out during class encourage you to feel the music when you bang on the big drums or jangle the bells and to see the music when you dance and twirl with the scarves. As a parent I have already grown accustomed to acting silly in public for the benefit of my son. It has honestly been a lot of fun to become reacquainted with the uninhibited and musically expressive side of myself. Now that I am conscious of making playful music a part of our everyday routine I am interested to see how this will be reflected in my son throughout the remainder of the course. Music Together® is a parent-child music class of mixed ages from birth to age five. Classes focus on interactive play where both the caregiver and child share songs, play instruments, and participate in rhythm chants and movement activities. Classes of mixed ages foster family-style learning where the younger children watch and imitate the older ones, and the older children learn by leading the younger ones. Meryl's Music and Arts Centers offer a variety of classes for children (from birth to age seven) at studios in Harwich, S. Yarmouth, Bourne, Eastham, and Sandwich. Disclaimer: This review was made possible by Meryl's Music & Arts. All thoughts are the blogger's own.
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