By: Emily 

As a mom to a preschooler with eczema and a person who suffers from dry sinuses during the winter months, I have gone through my fair share of humidifiers, from inexpensive store brands to high-end ultrasonic models.  Because of this, I have become rather opinionated about what I look for in a humidifier and believe I am a good candidate to test and review this product.

The Luma Comfort Cool Mist Ultrasonic Humidifier HC12B is pretty straightforward to assemble out of the box.  I did get confused about the number of nozzle pieces, and the instructions were ambiguous about the fact that you can set the humidifier up with various-length nozzles, depending if you have it sitting on the floor or on a table.

Once I figured that out though, I set it up with the medium-length nozzle, as I was placing the humidifier slightly off the floor on the hearth in my living room.

The bulb-shaped bottom of the humidifier is made up of two pieces.  The top piece lifts off and is the tank that you fill with water.  This was easy to do, and the water reservoir is a pretty decent size, holding over a gallon of water (9.5 pints according to manual).

After it is placed on the base, you hear the water gurgling into the base and the instructions recommend waiting five minutes before you turn it on.  After that, I had my preschooler press the power button, which gave a satisfying beep and illuminated.  Within minutes cool mist was visibly floating out the top of the nozzle, adding moisture to the air.  The cool mist part is great, because the first thing my son did was cover the nozzle with his palm and I had no concerns about him getting burned.  The whole unit feels cool to the touch.

The unit is very quiet, producing a barely noticeable whirring or humming noise that I only hear if I consciously listen for the sound.

One of the key features of this unit is that it is designed to be attractive.  I typically hate having a bulky humidifier take up precious table space in my small home, typically crowding a table or dresser for the duration of winter.  While I’m sure I could put any humidifier on the floor, this one looks like it belongs there and is far less obtrusive than the other humidifiers I own.

Additionally, for your family’s health and product longevity, humidifiers need to be cleaned regularly so I appreciate ones that are easy to clean.  While the manual explains that the humidifier can run for 45 hours continuously on a single tank, it also recommends that you replace the tank of water daily to reduce the chance of buildup or bacteria.  I found this to be a bit confusing.  If I’m going to change the water daily, what’s the point of a 45 hour cycle?  Good thing for me, I’m not that organized.  If I can’t remember to scoop out my cat’s litter box each day, there is no way I’m going to find time to dump out and refill a humidifier tank.

I have learned the hard way that cleaning out the reservoir frequently is important, not only to keep the humidifier running efficiently, but to avoid nasty mold growth.  Trust me on this, it is not only nasty to look at but really unhealthy to neglect, so if you are going to use a humidifier, keep it clean!  I clean mine every other week when in use continuously, which is what the manual recommends.  Anytime I unplug it I try to remember to dump the water out immediately.

I ran the humidifier through two 45 hour cycles, then drained it and cleaned it as I would twice a month.  Previously I have cleaned my humidifiers with white vinegar and water, but the manual suggested using a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution, as recommended by the EPA, to help remove mineral buildup and disinfect the unit.  Good old Google helped me figure out that to make a gallon I needed to combine 1.25 cups of hydrogen peroxide, 14.75 cups of water (to get 16 cups, which equals a gallon).  I put this in the reservoir and let it sit for 20 minutes, swishing it around a bit any time I came back into the kitchen.

After the soaking was complete, I rinsed both the base and the water reservoir with clean water and let the pieces dry out in the bathtub before putting the unit back together.

The humidifier comes with a remote that includes one of those coin shaped batteries.  I understand why they went that route design-wise.  The remote mimics the shape of the humidifier and is too small to hold AAA or AA batteries.  However I never have anything but those batteries in stock and typically get irritated by products that require something that necessitates a specific trip to the hardware store to replace.  Honestly I haven’t even put the battery in the remote since you can operate the unit directly from the base.

Overall it is a unique take on humidifier design with a large tank capacity to get several days use on a single run.  I found it easy to clean and appreciated the ability to customize the nozzle height based on where the unit was placed. 

The Luma Comfort Cool Mist Ultrasonic Humidifier HC12B is available for purchase through www.air-n-water.com. Check out their Facebook page here: www.facebook.com/airnwaterinc.  

For a limited time, Cape Cod Mom’s readers can save 20% on any purchase by using the code Save20 at checkout!

Air n Water has also graciously allowed us to host a giveaway for our community!  One lucky Cape Cod Mom will win their very own Luma Comfort Cool Mist Ultrasonic Humidifier HC12B. Read more for how to enter below!

GIVEAWAY

Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored post." The company who sponsored it sent us a sample product  to write an honest review. Regardless, we only recommend products or services we use personally and believe will be good for our readers. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

By: Emily 
I was provided an opportunity to evaluate some reusable glass containers from buygreen.com, an online shopping site full of a wide range of quality environmentally-conscious products in exchange for an honest review.  The food storage collection is a new part of the Lifefactory product line and provides transportable glass storage protected by a silicone sleeve.  I received the 2-cup size containers and used them to pack lunch for myself as well as for my preschooler.  First of all, I love the colors, I got one in Huckleberry, which is a pretty purple, and one in orange, my boy's favorite color.  His lunch of cold cut roll-ups and broccoli fit comfortably in the bottom, and I had room to place a small container of orange slices on top before securing the lid.  I actually had him help me pack it, since he was excited about the cool orange "grown up" container for his lunch.  He thought it was cool that the bottom silicone sleeve had tabs on it that you attached to the lid to hold it in place.  While I read several reviews complaining about the way the lid latches to the base, I did not have a problem with them, and my four-year old did not complain about them being too tough to remove when I sent him in with this container for lunch.

I packed a stew for my own lunch, and it was very nice to have the added security of attaching the lid to the bottom of the container with the tabs.  No leakage!  I knew there was no way it would pop off, even if it flipped on it's side in my bag.  Although even without the tabs secured, the lid still goes on firmly.  I have several other glass containers and over time many of the lids have split and cracked.  These lids are made of a more rigid plastic than the containers I own, and I see no way of them deteriorating over time the way my other lids have. I also really appreciated having the silicone to protect my hands as I removed the container from the microwave, as opposed to using my shirt as a pot holder. The entire container is refrigerator, freezer, and dishwasher safe.  The container and silicone sleeve (without the lid) are microwave and oven safe (up to 425 degrees).

By: Emily
Being mom to a four-year-old who is a huge fan of trucks, I was excited about the two of us watching “Big, Loud, and Strong Semi Trucks” together.   The DVD is advertised as being for children 3-8 years old, but unfortunately it did not hold my son’s attention for very long.  As promised it contains 40 minutes of truck footage in 5-10 min segments that are interspersed with facts about trucks, and some cartoon truck who sings songs.  While he enjoyed seeing the trucks on the screen, and seemed excited about the first song with Boone, the cartoon truck driving cowboy, the production level of this DVD reminds me of some of the DIY You Tube videos of children’s songs done by creative parents.  Perhaps it would appeal more to children closer to 3 years old, but I think the advertising misses the mark by suggesting this is going to captivate the attention of children up to 8.  Kids Like Trucks is run by two dads, Jason Lancaster and Mark Harvey, who know trucks, not only because they have worked in the auto industry for decades, but also because they both have sons who just can't get enough truck action! It would be great for Kids Like Trucks to narrow down their audience a bit and change it to gear specifically to age groups as 3-8 is too wide a range.  It would also be great to see them team up with Touch a Truck events and see if they can market together or even do volumes on other classes of trucks such as a military truck series or emergency truck series.

***Blogger was provided with the DVD in order to facilitate an honest review per Mommies LLC policy which will only provide honest reviews and feedback to our community.  All thoughts and opinions expressed are the blogger's own and have not been influenced.

By: Emily

I was provided with free samples of Barbara’s new cereal line, Snackimals to write this honest review from NaturallySavvy. My son loved them, eating a whole bowl full and then asking for more.  The cereal seems like a sweeter version of the Kix cereal I snacked on as a kid.

 Let me start off by saying that I am a fan of the Barbara's product line.  I have purchase  Honest O's and the Original Puffins cereal in the past and like supporting a company that strives to, "create simple, wholesome and delicious products with the most honest ingredients." The Snackimals Cookie line marketed towards kids has expanded to breakfast cereal including both Vanilla Blast and Cinnamon Crunch flavors.  Now don't get me wrong, it is great that they are providing a non GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) corn-based product, but they already provide this with their Original Puffins cereal and the adult version has 2 grams less sugar per serving!
 
Perhaps you think I am one of "those" types of parents who hover and obsess over the nutritional value of everything that my child eats.  Not really. Well maybe, but without the hovering.  And honestly who the heck has spare time to obsess about every last thing that goes into their kid’s mouth?  I do want my son to have a palate that appreciates a broad spectrum of tastes from spicy to bitter and yes, even sweet.  I think indulging in a sugary treat is just that, a treat, not something I want to serve up for breakfast every morning.  I also happen to have a three-year-old who is more than capable of pushing my buttons and driving me ABSOLUTELY CRAZY without the assistance of a sugar high.  We still went trick-or-treating and he still knows what a donut looks and tastes like from Dunkin’ Donuts (we do after all live in New England).  I am
just so frustrated that a product that is specifically marketed towards kids as “healthy and nutritious” contains more sugar than a comparable adult version from the same company.  
  
That being said, if faced with choosing to offer your child a bowl full of Barbara’s Snackimals Cinnamon Crunch vs Kellogg’s Cinnamon Pops cereal, the 7 grams of sugar in a serving of Snackimals is better than the 11.3 grams in Cinnamon Pops per 30 gram serving.  So as far as cereal options go, Snackimals is a better choice.  
  
So here's my product comparison breakdown.  Please note that not all cereals had the same serving size listed in the nutritional information panel on the box.  To compare them evenly I converted them all to the same number of grams.  In other words, if you compare what I have compiled here with the cereal box, the numbers may be different based on the serving size. 
 
Barbara’s Snackimals Cinnamon Crunch Cereal
30 gram serving has 7 grams of sugar 

Ingredients: ORGANIC CORN FLOUR, Organic Evaporated Cane Sugar, ORGANIC WHOLE GRAIN CORN FLOUR, ORGANIC WHOLE GRAIN OAT FLOUR, FRUCTAN  (NutraFlora®, Natural Dietary Fiber), ORGANIC OAT HULL FIBER, CALCIUM CARBONATE, ORGANIC CINNAMON, SEA SALT, NATURAL
FLAVOR
 
Pros: Non GMO Corn, lower sugar than comparable cereal (Kellogg’s Cinnamon Pops).

Cons: More sugar per serving than other Barbara’s cereals that my son likes to eat.
 
Barbara's Original Puffins
30 gram serving has 5.5 grams of sugar
 
Ingredients: NON GMO CORN FLOUR, NON GMO CORN BRAN, EVAPORATED CANE SUGAR, WHOLE OAT FLOUR, UNSULFURED MOLASSES, EXPELLER PRESSED HIGH OLEIC OIL (CANOLA AND/OR SUNFLOWER), SEA SALT, BAKING SODA, CARAMEL COLOR (FROM CANE MOLASSES), VITAMIN C (ASCORBIC ACID), TOCOPHEROLS (ANTIOXIDANTS TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS).
 
Pros: Non GMO Corn, lower sugar than Snackimals

Cons: Not a big fan of the canola/sunflower oils.  Why is that needed in breakfast cereal?
 
Barbara's Honest O's
30 gram serving has 1 gram of sugar
 
Ingredients: ORGANIC WHOLE OAT FLOUR, ORGANIC NON-GMO CORN FLOUR, ORGANIC OAT BRAN, ORGANIC APPLE JUICE CONCENTRATE, SEA SALT, BAKING  SODA.
 
Pros: Non GMO Corn, sweetness from apple juice instead of cane sugar or high fructose corn syrup

 Cons: I could annoyingly argue that the better option would be to give your kiddo a bowl of oatmeal, but then they are likely to dump a giant pile of brown sugar on top, right? Honest O’s for the win.
 
Original Kix
30 gram serving has 3 grams of sugar

Ingredients: WHOLE GRAIN CORN, CORN MEAL, SUGAR, CORN BRAN, SALT, BROWN SUGAR SYRUP, TRISODIUM PHOSPHATE, VITAMIN E (MIXED TOCOPHEROLS) ADDED TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS.

Pros: 3 grams of sugar is better than the 7 grams in Snackimals.

Cons: GMO corn.  I avoid GMOs whenever possible. 
 
Kellogg’s Cinnamon Pops
30 gram serving has 11.3 grams of sugar

Ingredients: CORN MEAL, SUGAR, CORN BRAN, CORN SYRUP, CINNAMON, SALT, OAT FLOUR, BAKING SODA, VEGETABLE OIL, BHT (Butylated hydroxytoulene, added to preserve fat)

Pros: None. 

Cons: GMO corn. Does a breakfast cereal need both sugar and corn syrup?  Again, what’s up with the vegetable oil?  Get rid of the veg oil and you don’t need the BHT.

*Contest alert! Barbara’s wants your help naming the Snackimals monkey! Click on the link below to enter to win a Year’s Supply of Snackimals Cereal and Cookies.

*Everyone who enters wins a free Snackimals Dash app that is a lot of fun – steer the monkey through the jungle in search of healthy snacks for you and your friends, and recycle for bonus points!

*In addition to the grand prize of a Year’s Supply of Snackimals, there are lots of other cool contest prizes, so enter today! What will you name the Snackimals monkey? Send your suggestion today!

Link: Name-a-Snackimals contest

To enter, simply fill out the form below! Contest will run until November 20, 2013 at 11:59pm EST.  Winner will be announced on November 21, 2013.   NaturallySavvy will be responsible for shipment of the prize package.  All entries will  be validated, winner will be contacted via the email they provide on the form.   Winner has 24 hours to respond otherwise another winner will be chosen. Contest is open to US Residents 18+ only.

By: Emily
Cape Cod Mommies was given this opportunity from NaturallySavvy.com to review the Free e-book: Label  Lessons: Unjunk Your Kid's Lunch Box. We received no compensation for this review and the thoughts and opinions belong to the author.

“As parents, we’re not immune to temptation… It’s easy to be drawn in by conveniently packaged foods promising to save time, especially in the morning rush.”
 
I would say that quote from Andrea Donsky and Lisa Tsakos’ eBook, “Label Lessons: Unjunk Your Kid’s
Lunch Box” sums up my personal relationship with packaged foods nicely.  I want to provide nutritious and
healthy meals for my son.  I make efforts to minimize packaging, keep sugar low, and offer a variety of veggies and fruits with his meals.  I am also lucky as my son, while picky at times, is a pretty adventurous eater and broccoli is one of his favorite foods.  That being said, it can still feel overwhelming to keep up on all of the things one should or should not be feeding their child.  Growing up in the 80’s when Velveeta cheese was a staple ingredient in at least one of my weekly dinners and my lunch box included a can of Coke and a bag of Double Stuffed Oreos, it is easy to rationalize that, “I turned out fine” and avoid thinking too much about ingredients.
 
But a lot has changed since I was a child. As consumers we are able to more easily arm ourselves with knowledge  (thanks to the almighty Internet) and manufacturing processes continue to incorporate more and more artificial ingredients into foods (to make more money) while packaging and marketing them towards our
kids.

What I like most about this eBook is that well first, it is FREE, and second it condenses a whole bunch of information into an accessible and easy-to-read format.  You are not lectured or made to feel guilty. 
The authors are not out to build themselves up as the Ultimate Moms leaving you feeling like an inadequate parent as you read along.  The eBook is designed to empower you with information and teach you some
quick ways to be a better label reader.  For all the parents out there with smartphones, you can reference the
eBook right in the aisle of the grocery store.
 
The eBook includes their list of the “scary seven” ingredients to be mindful of in packaged goods.  I totally agree with every item they list and appreciate how they have itemized things to explain why they are worth avoiding for parents who may be less familiar with the negative nutritional impact of a specific ingredient.
 
You are then provided a side-by-side comparison of similar products, such as two brands of whole wheat bread, to show you how to read product labels and make better choices.  I already considered myself pretty knowledgeable regarding their “scary seven” list of ingredients, but when I got to the first product comparison I discovered an ingredient I had not paid much attention to before. DATEM.  From the way they describe it this nasty, man-made fat somehow manages to avoid being included in the calorie or fat count on the product
labels.
 
I hopped onto the internet to do a quick search for DATEM, since it was not something I was familiar with. 
Several websites come up that describe the chemical structure but none of them discussed any of the claims about hidden fats that the eBook contends.  When doing my own research on claims like this I strive to find not-for-profit sites (addresses ending with .org, or  educational sites ending with .edu). There were not a lot of those options to choose from.  I then noticed that the eBook provides a citation associated with each of
their claims about DATEM. I was able to follow the link about hidden fats to the Weston A. Price Foundation. As a side note, if you are not familiar with the Weston A. Price Foundation nonprofit charity, I highly recommend you read their mission statement.

So my personal conclusion on DATEM is that I would avoid it based on the rationale provided in the eBook, but want to point out that the source they cite is from a 2004 magazine article. While I believe the Weston A. Price Foundation (publisher of article) to be a reputable source of information, it is far different from a peer-reviewed scientific article that follows strict testing standards.  Going back to the citation for a minute
  though, one of the key points of the article was:

This article was written nine years ago.  Trans fats were only added to food labels four years ago in 2009.  So I would be highly suspect of any food containing DATEM today simply because the public is FAR more aware of trans fats now than when the article was written.  I just pulled out the whole wheat bread I used to make my son’s sandwich this morning and guess what, it contain  DATEM.  Gross.
 
So where is this tangent going and why should you care?  This DATEM tangent illustrates how much time it takes to investigate and research ONE ingredient that appears on a food label.  I did it to make sure that
the conclusions outlined in the eBook follow my own line of thinking when it comes to avoiding ingredients. The point of Label Lessons: Unjunk Your Kid’s Lunch Box is to save you time and condense a lot of research and  information that can be difficult to find into an easy-to-read format.  They do not shy away from providing sources for each claim, so should you want to do your own additional investigating into a specific ingredient they flag, you can. I appreciate this kind of transparency as it makes me feel confident that
  the authors of the eBook are truly out to help parents without any hidden agendas or off-the-wall claims that have no merit.

 The eBook is only 27 pages long, so it is pretty easy to read through it, especially since much of the information is organized in bullet points or brief paragraphs. I expect it to be a resource I will refer to a lot as I go about finding products that do not contain any of the ingredients I want to avoid.  First up for me is to find a new whole wheat  bread.

By: Emily

There is nothing better than a meal you can prepare for your family in advance and pop in the oven for a quick weeknight dinner.   This recipe reminds me of fall.  Perhaps it is because I like to use a variety of peppers in autumn colors, or more simply because this is comfort food.  I like to serve a side salad with the peppers and end up spearing both salad greens and stuffed pepper on my fork in a single bite.   The peppers can be frozen once prepared (before they are baked).  Wrap them individually in aluminum foil and put in a freezer bag and they can be defrosted and baked for a quick lunch or dinner.



Stuffed Peppers
6 bell peppers, assorted colors
4-6 strips bacon, chopped
1 lb ground meat (beef, bison, pork, venison, turkey…choose your own adventure)
1 cup diced onion
 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup parsley, chopped
 2 large eggs, beaten

1.       Cut tops out of bell peppers and remove seeds from center.  Chop up tops and reserve for later.
2.       Soak peppers in boiling water for 5 minutes to soften.
3.       Cook bacon in skillet until crispy (get all that yummy fat rendered).  Once cooked, remove from pan and set aside for later.
4.       Add onion, garlic, and chopped bell pepper to bacon fat.  Sauté until onions are translucent (~10 minutes).  Once cooked, remove from pan and reserve for later.
5.       If cooking immediately, preheat oven to 350⁰F.
6.       Add ground meat to skillet and break up well while cooking.  Once meat is completely cooked (~10 minutes)  remove from heat and let cool a bit.
7.       Once cooled, fold in the cooked onion, garlic, and pepper mixture and the crispy  bacon pieces.
8.       Season to taste with salt and pepper.
9.       Then add the parsley, and the beaten eggs. 
10.   Stuff peppers generously with mixture.
11.   Place in oven-safe dish and bake until brown on top (~30 minutes).

Next I had a lovely conversation with Roberta and Mark Sherwin of Atlantic Artworks (formerly Sherwin Studios).  Roberta was a scientific illustrator and Mark worked as a master engraver prior to embarking on their joint effort of creating screen printed shirts by hand.  Many of the designs use Roberta’s illustrations and they are simply stunning.  They offer printed shirts in both adult and children’s sizes so I couldn’t help but pick up a t-shirt for my son, who after spending several days at the beach this season is currently obsessed with all marine life.  The shirts are printed with soy-based inks and Mark assured me that they use citrus-based cleaners to wash the screens (all of which he makes!). What I loved most about the designs (and Roberta is quite prolific, there were so many beautiful ones to choose from) is that they are true works of art that are pleasing to look at, but they also happen to accurately depict the animal.  They accept both cash and credit cards (so you can stock up on gifts!). 

My next stop was Mother Turtle Herbals.  For those readers not yet familiar with Jennifer DelSignore’s shop, you are missing out.  She really is the poster child for the Green Harvest Market, as she first began selling her hand made, natural skin care products here.  Jennifer began making her own skin care products when her son (did I mention she has five kids?) developed a strong sensitivity to artificial
dyes.  Boy was I glad she accepted
credit cards!  I stocked up on a shampoo bar (perfect for packing in your carry-on luggage since it is solid), some lavender and rosemary soap (a gift), and a push-pop style tube of non-nano
zinc sunscreen combined with a variety of herbs and oils known to deter bugs.  The sunscreen was a huge hit with my son who has a tendency to forcefully resist my attempts at sunscreen application.  In the past I have tried having him “help” by applying the lotion himself, but that resulted in me being covered in several toddler-sized handprints of lotion and both of us in tears.  This push pop is great because I was able to push it up just enough to dispense the appropriate amount of sunscreen, and he had full control of rubbing it on his arms and legs.  It was rather easy to rub in too (especially for zinc-based lotion).  Jennifer’s selection of products is impressive and now that I have had some time to try out a few I can say with confidence that I will be a repeat customer.  

These are just a few of the vendors you can interact with.  I had a nice chat with Marie at Cape Cod Saltworks, which is harvesting sea salt the old fashioned way.  I sampled some gluten-free (and delicious) crackers at the White Lion Bakery (which will soon be stocked on shelves in Whole Foods) and had an
enjoyable time learning all about the container gardening systems for sale at Victory Garden. 

So, in addition to hitting up the market for organic fruits and veggies you can get fresh eggs, wild harvested jams, unrefined sea salt  harvested right here on Cape Cod, gluten-free baked goods (which also happen to be free of refined sugar), and a nice variety of organic soups, sandwiches and brick oven pizza.

The Green Harvest Organic Farmers' Market & Artisans' Fair is held every Tuesday from 12-4 at the Cape Cod Fairgrounds (formerly called the Barnstable County Fairgrounds) located at 1220 Nathan Ellis Hwy, East Falmouth.  You can sign up for their newsletter to get a weekly listing of which vendors will be participating by sending an email to: greenharvest@comcast.net.

Panera Bread opened on Wednesday in Mashpee Commons filling the corner spot where the old Star Market used to be.  My family stopped in Friday morning to check it out and give the breakfast menu a try, something we had never done before. 
 
The store front is on the corner of Steeple and Greene Streets with outdoor umbrella seating along both sides of the building.  As we entered I noticed a few workers were busy assembling several patio heaters, which will be a welcome amenity as we move into autumn.  The entrance was smaller than I expected, most of the other franchise locations I have visited have a very open floor plan. 

Arriving at 7:30 am had its advantages, there was no line.  I would imagine that a moderate crowd would cause the line to spill out the door and onto the sidewalk rather quickly.  In fact I overheard an employee stating that opening day was crazy with lines going on forever.  Inside, seating was divided into two sections.  The inner seating area has cozy booths, several tables and access to the bathrooms (both the men and women’s have diaper changing tables). There is a gas fireplace that I expect will add some nice ambiance when the weather cools.  The seating along the exterior wall is separated from the inner seating area by a glass wall.  All of the exterior windows within the glass-enclosed section of seating can be opened, providing two options for patrons who choose to sit inside.  The interior seating adjacent to the food pick-up area is air-conditioned, the seating adjacent to the windows is open-air.  I do believe that Panera has sacrificed some additional seating at the expense of providing these options and felt the door to access the open-air seating was in an awkward location.  However, the divisions dampen the acoustics and unlike the majority of the other Panera Bread establishments I have patronized, this one has a cozy feel. I will be interested to return during the peak lunch hour rush to see how a crowd of people impacts the line as well as the noise level in the interior seating area.

I am going to admit this up front.  I am a bit of a foodie.  I can spend absurd amounts of time surfing food blogs before traveling to figure out the best places to eat.  I tend to avoid chains and seek out local restaurants and cafes.  However there are times when I do not have the luxury of researching my
food options in advance or the only options available are chain restaurants.  There are some advantages to chain restaurants, especially when traveling. The standardization of food means consistency.  You can order the same sandwich at the Panera in Indiana and the Panera in Cape Cod. Same menu.  Same preparation.  The comfortable expectation of a decent meal. 

Panera Bread is one of those fast-casual restaurant chains that I enjoy eating at.  They strive for a café-like atmosphere and their menu has a variety of options from salads to sandwiches to soups.  I ordered one
of their “signature” breakfast sandwich selections; steak, egg and cheese on a sweet onion and poppy seed bagel.  My husband ordered a “power” breakfast sandwich; ham, egg and cheese on whole grain bread.  We ordered a mango smoothie for my son.  The eggs on both sandwiches were cooked well.  I appreciate a well cooked egg and these were just set, not overcooked and hard.  My sandwich was hands down the better choice.  I believe that all of their bagels have a sourdough base, which I love, and the sweet onion flavor went really well with the steak, egg, and cheese filling.  The whole grain bread in the power sandwich my husband ordered was tasty, but it was one long slice of bread cut in half.  For those conscious of carbs, this may be a good option but while I was satisfied after finishing my bagel sandwich, my husband was still hungry.  Using the excuse of “research” I went back up and ordered a gruyere and sausage soufflé. 
I’m glad I did.  The soufflé was delicious.

Meanwhile my son had been happily sucking down his mango smoothie recognizing that this was a rare sugary breakfast treat.  Made with mango puree, ice, and Stonyfield Farm vanilla yogurt, the smoothie may be low fat, but it had a
whopping 48 g of sugar.  The minute the soufflé hit the table he pushed the smoothie aside.  Perfectly creamy eggs and sausage were layered with gruyere cheese and surrounded by pastry.  Having already consumed a whole bagel sandwich I only planned to have a taste, you know for “research” purposes.  

After one bite I was clamoring for more.  My son agreed and we kept greedily watching my husband waiting for him to offer each of us another bite.  He made the mistake of setting down the last bite to use his napkin and my son wasted no time snatching it off the plate and popping it in his own mouth. The added bonus, it was cheaper than either of the breakfast sandwiches.

Panera is a nice addition to the shops in Mashpee Common. 
I would certainly consider it a family-friendly establishment.  They do have a kids menu with the expected options such as macaroni and cheese or peanut butter and jelly, as well as turkey (advertised as vegetarian fed and antibiotic free) ham and roast beef sandwiches. But use our soufflé experience as an example and keep in mind that standard menu items may also appeal to little taste buds.  Organic apple juice and milk, yogurt, and fruit cups were available in the refrigerated section next to the register.   There were ample high chairs, accessible in several locations.  The booth seating is a nice option forcorralling kids into one area and the multiple seating sections have the added benefit of providing some sound proofing. Next time I’m in Mashpee Common you can bet I’ll be popping over to Panera to pick up a soufflé.

*** Cape Cod Mommies did receive a gift certificate to Panera in order to facilitate this review, however the review and the thoughts are the author's own.

The photo includes: Selectmen in attendance include: Carol Sherman, Michael
  Richardson, Tom O’Hara and John Cahalane. Town officials in attendance: Town  Manager Joyce Mason, Town Clerk Deb Dami, Assistant Town Manger Thomas Mayo, Fire Chief George Baker, Planning Board Director Thomas Fudala, John Renz and Mary Derr from the Mashpee Commons. Additional individuals are Mashpee Commons staff and special guests.

The fifth week of Music Together® class was full.  All of the regular attendees were present as well as some extra participants making-up a missed class from another session. The group dynamic can really set the tone for the session and this week it was cohesive. Almost like a piece of music itself, our class was a performance. 

First the initial tuning of bodies and minds as the studio fills with a cacophony of sound.  Children mill around, warming up in their individual ways.  Some quietly trill about like fluttering flutes. Others are bright brass and full of energy.  Miss Alicia as conductor brings us all together and the performance begins.  It is a back and forth dance between caregiver and child.  The gentle push to encourage self-expression; the gentle pull to correct distracting behavior. We all have the familiar routine down.  Dancing, swaying, spinning and twirling. 

It has been extremely rewarding to observe day-to-day changes in my own son’s interaction with music and how he expresses these changes each week in class.  Although I only see the other children once a week, I have noticed changes in them as well. They all are comfortable in the studio space, venturing out of their caregivers laps and responding to the songs. Even those who in previous weeks have been timid were smiling and bouncing to the rhythm of the music. During the lyric-free song where we all play along with various percussion instruments it was easy to see how well some of them are able to feel the tempo and sporadically keep time with the beat.

Our weekly session provides an opportunity to make order from what they are hearing and feeling and to express that in a non-verbal way. The choreography among the children comes to a close as the class reaches its finale and we settle back into our circle to say goodbye.  In addition to the musical benefit of class, it is a great opportunity for them to interact with each other, observe patterns, connect actions and learn appropriate ways to express themselves. 

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.

One of the nice things about taking the Music Together® class with my son has been the opportunity to participate in an activity that allows me to forget everything else going on in my life and give him my undivided attention.  Regardless of your situation (working part-time, full-time, or as the primary caregiver) it is impossible not to multitask, dividing attention between all the responsibilities that demand your attention. The biggest challenge of parenthood has been this never-ending juggling act and I often find myself guilty of doing too many things at once.  I appreciate having a scheduled time each week where I can focus solely on him.  Now that my son is old enough to communicate through his limited vocabulary and hand gestures, he is pretty good at letting me know when he needs some undivided attention at home.  Lately we have had a lot of fun playing with his collection of percussion instruments. I have begun to notice that he can sporadically keep tempo when we are tapping along to a song.     

Incorporating music into our play time together has fostered language development through singing and physical coordination both by playing instruments and dancing. It is also a great way to release physical
energy.  My son seems more receptive to all patterns of sound and rhythm, pointing out the rumble of an
idling motorcycle, the rise and fall of a siren, the cry of a seagull, and even the thrumming of rain on the roof.  Not only does he recognize the“music” in these sounds, he attempts to imitate them— growling like the motorcycle, shouting, “whEEE-OOOooo” at the ambulance, cawing back at the seagull, and tapping his fingers on the wall like raindrops.  I am glad that my attention was focused fully on him during these moments. Not only so that I actually took notice of them, but also so I could encourage his natural curiosity as he begins to relate sounds and rhythms to the world around him. 

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.