 *** Due to Hurricane Sandy, the opening of the store has been delayed. Please stay tuned and we will let you know asap! Pottery Barn Kids is opening its first pop-up store at Mashpee Commons. On_______, the store celebrates opening weekend with giveaways, face painting, and appearances by Clancy the Bear, the official Pottery Barn Kids mascot. The first 250 shoppers will receive an eco-friendly tote, and 15 lucky winners that find a lucky sleigh bell in their bag will get the chance to select a gift card at the store, worth $25-$500, with prizes totaling $1,000. Just in time for the holidays, the pop-up will showcase some amazing gifts and remain at Mashpee Commons throughout the holiday season. Check out some of the items below, our faves are the kitchen and tea set and the adorable pj's! What are yours?
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 Well, thankfully we all made i through the storm here on Cape Cod and the Islands. We are so glad everyone was safe albeit lots of power outages around the area made it a little tough. After seeing pictures and taking a drive today we just want to take a minute and be SO THANKFUL that not only are we okay and escaped with no fatalities here on Cape and the Islands, but we are SO THANKFUL that the storm took the left hook when it did-if not it would have been a lot worse for us! We heard all day yesterday from people all over in a variety of situations. We Cape Codders are definitely a tough bunch, tougher than most. I know lots of people don't think it was the worst we have seen (some of the old timers from the 38 storm etc), however the storm was not a direct hit but it still changed the entire coast for us and definitely did . There are some major roads that will need repairing and beaches that are pretty much gone! There are inlets to ponds etc that are packed and water can't get in or out thus affecting marine life. This being said, I think it is important for our generation of parents and families to begin to address the huge question GLARING in front of us.... HOW LONG CAN OUR COASTS WITHSTAND THE EROSION HAPPENING AND WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT IT? This is a huge question and with it carries the fate of our children and future generations. Look at the pictures below and see just SOME of the damage caused by Sandy. There are solutions from all over depending on your viewpoint: beach nourishment, sewering towns, jetties, move inland, etc. All require lots of time and most of all MONEY. The coast is eroding at an alarming rate and storms like Sandy, although indirect, make a major impact. We can only imagine what a direct impact would do and we hope that never happens! If we want our children and grandchildren to enjoy Cape Cod, then we must start becoming involved in our local towns and communities for ways to fix this problem, or sadly there won't be a coast to fix. In reality, unless the sea level rise reverses, beach nourishment is still only a partial solution, we could be fighting a battle we cannot win, but perhaps we can fend it off even for a short while. How were you impacted by Hurricane Sandy? Share or tweet us your pictures of damage or coastla erosion from this massive storm!  This weekend, in preparation for Hurricane Sandy, we made mini apple pies. These are super easy to make and very easy to adapt the recipe for your own personal needs. A mama friend (KG) posted this idea a while back so I decided Sandy was the perfect time to attempt them myself! The Tiny Toddler and I enjoyed ours heated up with some vanilla bean icecream and some extra apples as a topping! These were the hit of the storm-nothing was going to bother the two of us as long as we had these tasty treats! Enjoy!
Millions of Americans forfeit critical tax relief each year by failing to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a federal tax credit for low-to-moderate-income individuals who work. Taxpayers who qualify and claim the credit could owe less federal tax, owe no tax, or even receive a refund. The EITC is based on the amount of your earned income and whether or not there are qualifying children in your household. If you have children, they must meet the relationship, age, and residency requirements. Additionally, you must be a US citizen, have a valid social security card, and file a tax return to claim the credit. General requirements: If you were employed for at least part of 2012 and are at least age 25, but under age 65, and are not a dependent of anyone else you may be eligible for the EITC based on these general requirements: - You earned less than $13,980 ($19,190 married filing jointly) and did not have any qualifying children. - You earned less than $36,920 ($42,130 married filing jointly) and have one qualifying child. - You earned less than $41,952 ($47,162 married filing jointly) with two or more qualifying children. - You earned less than $45,060 ($50,270 married filing jointly) with three or more qualifying children. Tax Year 2012 Maximum Credit - $5,891 with three or more qualifying children - $5,236 with two or more qualifying children - $3,169 with one qualifying child - $475 with no qualifying children Investment income must be $3,200 or less for the year. If you think you qualify for the EITC but aren't sure, call our office. 
 As parents we all have those secret moments when we take a timeout from the family, kids, work etc. These moments don't happen often and I have noticed that now I have to be super creative for where to go for those moments. The kids almost ALWAYS seem to sense you are taking a few mins to yourself and come knocking or barging in.... especially the bathroom!
So in the spirit of it being Friday, I wanted to do something fun today for a blog post! As you can see I'm grabbing 5 mins to read a few page of my amazing book while chugging down my caramel mocha... shhh don't tell the kids! I want to know what your seret mommy timeout is! Share below in the comments, or if you want to join the silly fun today: post a picture to our Facebook page or tweet us @capecodmommies #momtimeout a picture of you enjoying A few precious 5 mins to yourself!  By: Sung Bin
Recently when we headed out of town, I found myself compromising more than I realized. It was so difficult to be consistent about discipline and routines especially in the presence of my family and when traveling. For a week or so we were visiting my family and our friends in New York and any semblance of routine went out the window, partly because we were staying with friends for one weekend and the rest of the week in a hotel room. Mind you, I tried as hard as I could to keep to some things like bedtime routines and meal times but mostly I had to throw my arms up and just go with the flow. Not that it was the end of the world but it became apparent how important those routines really were especially after seeing my toddler looking absolutely exhausted after a packed day with a late nap or a late dinner and hearing her say, “I want to go home, home” several times. I felt I had compromised a lot with discipline as well, letting my child indulge more than her share of things I normally would try to limit. There are always the occasional sugar laden sweets and toys that my family will love to bring us and rather and try to voice my points, I felt it easier to give in. It’s still taking us a while to get back to normalcy back home. As much as I had enjoyed my time away to reconnect with the people I love, I was eager and happy to be back home to our regular schedule. I simply took for granted how difficult it can be to travel with a toddler who wants nothing more than to be where she loves, at home with a consistent routine that she recognizes. I’m still not sure how best to plan our next visit especially if it will be more than a few days. I am curious to know how other parents cope with staying consistent with children and routines. How do you handle travelling with children and keeping routines intact? Tags compliments, exercise, feel good medicine, fitness, health, leader, lipstick, mental-health,
more powerful, public speaker, purposeful, self-esteem speak up, thankful, volunteer, walk Need a shot of confidence? Here are nine of my favorite instant boosters for you: Confidence Booster #1 Stand and sit up straight! All. The. Time. You will automatically feel taller, more attractive, more powerful. Confidence Booster #2 Walk faster! Put some spring in your step. You will instantly feel more purposeful, important and confident. Confidence Booster #3 Look sharp! Take a few minutes to check your Self in the mirror before you go out. Ladies, a little lipstick can’t hurt. And guys, shave much?… Confidence Booster #4 Be thankful! Think of six things each morning and six more each night to be thankful for. Say them out loud, write them down. Confidence Booster #5 Give compliments! Look for the best in others; soon you (and everyone else) will start to notice the best in your Self. Confidence Booster #6 Sit up front! Why hide in the back row when you can see better, hear better up front? Face your fear, don’t hide! Confidence Booster #7 Speak up! Raise that hand to become a better public speaker, a more confident thinker and recognized as a leader. Confidence Booster #8 Work that body! Exercise is feel good medicine and fitness has a huge effect on self-esteem. Just do it. Really! Confidence Booster #9 Volunteer! Giving your time to others who need your help and expertise makes life all the sweeter. Try it! Give a few of these boosters a try and see if you don’t start to feel better about your Self. You know what I always say, right?… What have you got to lose??? Get my FREE eBooklet, "50 Instant Confidence Boosters" with 40 more of these confidence tips when you sign up for my FREE weekly ezine at www.PamelaWills.com. About Pamela Pamela uses her past experiences and hard-won successes to guide people from the darkness of difficult and controlling relationships to the lightness of feeling strong, confident and sexy. She does this by helping them take on and achieve regular challenges with success, learn to treat themselves with kindness and respect, set and meet high expectations for themselves and finally, tap their innate charisma and get their sizzle on! Pamela earned her Certified Professional Coach (CPC) credential from Fowler-Wainwright International and her BA in English Literature from Georgetown University. She has been writing and teaching professionally for over 20 years but continues to learn and improve her talents, gifts and skills with experience and training. Her unique background includes PR and marketing for the US Army and a natural wood finishes manufacturer (both in Germany), translations from German to English for a global retailer, choreography and dance instruction for theater, plus English language training for foreign executives. Pamela has written travel articles, a regular column on cultural differences, book reviews, guest blog posts, her own weekly blog and eZine and she speaks on radio and TV shows. Her most recent exciting news includes her inclusion as a featured coach on the Expert Panels of two major websites: Go Big! Coach Kristen Howe’s www.LawofAttractionKey.com and savvy businesswoman Kerry Swetmon’s www.LifeBusinessGrowth.com. In addition, Pamela has been added to the Speakers Bureau of B.I.G. Women’s Network in Massachusetts. Helping others increase their confidence levels has become Pamela’s passion because she learned the hard way how important confidence really is for success in love and relationships, parenting, career and business, friendships and life in general. She wants to spare others the hard, dark journey she took and set them on a bright, happy path as quickly as possible! To learn more and schedule your own complimentary SPARK Session, contact Pamela today.  Cape Cod Mommies is EXCITED to announce: The 1st Annual Cape Cod Babysitter Expo! This amazing event sponsored by: Cape Cod Mommies, B.I.G. Mashpee Commons POD & Sea Crest Beach Hotel will take place on November 4 at 10am in the Sea Crest's fabulous Chatham Room! Moms are able to sign up to interview potential sitter's! After the interview process, the moms will meet, discuss and share their thoughts! Local Nanny expert Michelle LaRowe will also be there to speak with our parents as well as give tips to the babysitters and helpers! (Read more below). Moms, Babysitters & Mother's Helper can register in advance by emailing: info@ccmommies.com or by calling Amy at (774)273-3156. You MUST register by 11/1/12 to guarantee your spot. A late fee of $5 will be charged for last minute or day of requests to participate.  About Michelle LaRoweMichelle LaRowe is the editor-in-chief of Longhorn Leads, managing the content across their portfolio of nanny sites, including eNannySource.com, NannyPro.com, GoNannies.com, 4Nannies.com, NannyClassifieds.com and NationalNannies.com. eNannySource.com and its sister sites help parents find the right nannies and household help for their families.
With her background as an International Nanny Association Credentialed Nanny specializing in caring for multiples, Michelle has been partnering with parents in raising their children since 1994. In 2004, Michelle was honored as the International Nanny Association Nanny of the Year and received accolades from President George Bush for her dedication to improving quality in-home child care. Michelle has been featured on Parents.com, Parenting.com and BabyTalk.com and regularly contributes to ModernMom.com, Momtastic.com and other popular parenting websites. She has contributed to TWINS Magazine and wrote a chapter for the best-selling Experts' Guide to the Baby Years. Michelle has also authored four books of her own entitled, Nanny to the Rescue!, Nanny to the Rescue Again!, Working Mom's 411 and A Mom's Ultimate Book of Lists. She also co-authored Beyond Parenting Basics: The International Nanny Association’s Official Guide to In-Home Child Care. Michelle serves on the advisory board of the International Academy of Baby Planner Professionals and has served on the board of directors and as vice president of the International Nanny Association. She has also served as the executive director of the International Nanny Association and as a trainer for The Academy of Coaching Parents International.  By: Krista Royal, CPA at Gary DellaPosta, CPA & Business Advisors There are many tax changes coming for the end of 2012 and 2013! With all the current back and forth in the political arena and the complicated tax code, it can be hard to understand what is changing and who it affects, so we have simplified it for you and what it means for you! Here are just a few that directly impact families: Dependent Care Tax Credit: - Depending on their income, taxpayers may receive a tax credit for child care expenses for dependents under age 13 that allow taxpayers to work or look for work. - The maximum expenses qualifying for the dependent care credit will decrease from $3000 to $2400 for one child and will decrease from $6000 to $4800 for two or more children. Impact: lower income working taxpayers with children. Child Tax Credit - Depending on their income, taxpayers with one or more qualifying children may be able to claim a child tax credit of up to $1000 per qualifying child. - Since 2003, the child tax credit has been $1000 for each qualified child of a taxpayer who is under age 17 at the end of the year. However, this was a temporary provision that expires at the end of 2012 and beginning in 2013, the credit will revert to $500 per child. In addition, the refundable portion of the credit will be reduced. Impact: lower income taxpayers with children. Earned Income Tax Credit: - The earned income tax credit is a benefit for certain people who work and have low to moderate wages. - In 2009, a separate credit category for three or more children was added, provoking an increased credit for taxpayers with three or more qualifying children. However, that was a temporary measure which will expire at the end of 2012. This will reduce the maximum credit for individuals with three or more children by $650 in 2013. Other changes that enhanced and simplified the credit calculation are also set to expire. Impact: lower income taxpayers with large families. American Opportunity Tax Credit: - This tax credit provided a tax credit up to $2500; up to 40% of the tax credit is refundable in many instances. The tax credit is for qualified college expenses (tuition, books, room and board, etc). This tax credit provided potential refunds for taxpayers for up to 4 years, and expires in 2012. Impact: lower income families with parents and/or qualifying children in college. *** A tax credit means more money in your pocket. It reduces the amount of tax you owe and may also give you a refund.   The Mashpee Recreation Department and Hot Diggity welcome you to partake in their Annual Halloween and Doggie Parade on Saturday, October 27th at 2pm on the Mashpee Green. Kids, dogs, and their parents are invited to dress up and march through Mashpee Commons. The parade kicks off on the Mashpee Green (across the street from the library) at 2:00pm (line up will start at 1:45pm). The parade will head down Steeple Street, continue through the Commons and head back up to the Green where refreshments will be served. After the parade, head back down to the Commons and trick-or-treat at the shops!
http://mashpeecommons.com/get-your-costumes-ready-for-you-and-your-pups/ |
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