Drool Baby Expo Boston

Drool Baby Expo is coming back to Boston on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 at the Westin Waterfront Hotel in the Seaport District. The event is a great opportunity for expecting and new parents (and grandparents, aunts, friends, etc.) to see what’s new in baby gear and toys direct from the manufacturers. There is also opportunities to buy products and great discounts and tons of relaxing activities including cupcake eating, spa service pampering, giveaways and gift bags.

Drool-Expo-2013---Eventbrite-Header-GraphicSome of the brands that you can see and learn about include: Bugaboo, Chicco, Diono, Ergobaby, Nuna, Orbit, UPPAbaby, 4moms, and plenty more.

This event is so fun every year. Here’s a video that gives a peek inside:

The great folks at Drool Baby Expo want to give a lucky reader a set of tickets to the event! The prize pack includes one standard ticket (includes gift bag) and one value ticket (no gift bag). Enter below to win. The winner will be selected at 5pm ET on Monday, May 13, 2013.

WINNERS TO BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY!

photos courtesy of Drool Baby Expo and Rebecca Deaton Photography

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Curious-George-in-costumeA couple of weeks ago, I was invited to the local PBS affiliate to hear the results of a study recently commissioned by PBS Kids. We are a PBS Kids family for sure, so the whole family was excited to attend the event with me. While I was hearing about the study, my little guy was hanging out with Curious George. [Cue the Pre-School Squee!]

According to PBS Kids, “The national survey of parents with children ages 2-12 also indicated that parents are less likely to support their kids’ math skills from the earliest ages, and that many parents have anxiety about supporting math learning at home.”

Responding to this need, PBS Kids and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced a new program called “It All Adds Up.” It All Adds up is “an effort that aims to boost math learning at home – and everywhere – by providing resources for parents.”

PBS Kids and the CPB have already been doing great work over the last two years in literacy and math via more than 100 games and apps through the Ready to Learn program. It All Ads Up will build on that success and make them accessible online at PBS Kids’ Lab, “a site that aggregates games, apps and offline activities to help support math and reading learning for kids 2 -8.”

Here are a couple of photos of my little guy and a little girl playing a particularly awesome Curious George game available at PBS Kids’ Lab. It uses the microphone and the camera on the computer to allow the game to be interactive with little ones who maybe haven’t mastered the mouse or the keyboard. My guy LOVED it.

Curious-George-PBS-Computer-Game

Curious-George-Computer-Game-PBS

Here are a few of the awesome new resources:

New FETCH! 3-D Online Game: Ruff Ruffman’s Monumental Mini-Golf
Kiddos aged 6 to 8 will help Ruff build his mini golf course. Kids will partner up (safely) with other kids who are also online to solve puzzles and create structures. All along they will be practicing spatial reasoning, measurement, and shape manipulation. At the end of the game, kids get to play through the mini golf course that they just helped create! This game is in public beta, so there will likely be more changes to the game, but it’s a great time to get in and try it!

PBS-Parents-Play

PBS Parents Play & Learn App
This is PBS Kids’ first app designed exclusively for parents. Available for free download, the app offers games and ideas for parents to practice math skills with their kids. The games are organized around familiar places like home or the grocery store and also divided by stages: baby, toddler, and pre-school. I happen to LOVE this app and wish it was around when my guy was even younger. It’s available in English and Spanish plus on basically every platform you could possibly want: iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Android phones/tablets (including Kindle Fire).

PBS-Peg-And-Cat

Launch of Peg + Cat
I’m very excited about this. PBS Kids will be launching a new show called Peg + Cat in Fall of 2013. It features “spirited Peg and her sidekick Cat as they embark on adventures and learn foundational math concepts and skills.” We got to see a quick clip at the event, and it is adorable. Can’t wait! I’m sure my guy is going to love it!

To stay up to date on all of the good things going on at PBS Kids, be sure to follow them on Facebook.

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Best Boston Area Kids Consignment Sales Spring 2013

by Kim Tolander on April 3, 2013

There are tons of great finds at local Consignment Sales. A sale can also be a great place to recycle some of the clothes and gear that your kids no longer need.

Here is a list of upcoming Boston Area Kids Consignment Sales in Spring of 2013.

This list is made with an online tool called Listly. If you’ve been to the event and found it to be great, give it a vote up the list! Am I missing a sale? It’s easy to add the sale!

Boston Area Kids Consignment Sales

Boston Area Kids Consignment Sales

Spring 2013 Kids Consignment Sales in the Greater Boston area

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    1. West Suburban Mother of Twins Tag Sale - Marlborough - April 13, 2013

      West Suburban Mother of Twins Tag Sale - Marlborough - April 13, 2013

      We are very excited to announce that the club's next tag sale will be at a new, much larger location! Come join us on Saturday, April 13 at the Sts. Anargyroi Church, 9 Cashman Street, Marlboro. This new location provides us with more than double our previous indoor space - so we'll have an even larger selection than ever before!

    2. Parent Talk - Used Clothing Toy Equipment Sale - Needham May 4, 2013

      Parent Talk - Used Clothing Toy Equipment Sale - Needham May 4, 2013

      Parent Talk - Used Clothing Toy Equipment Sale - Saturday, May 5, 2012. In 1993, Parent Talk held its first Used Clothing, Toy & Equipment Sale. This now twice-yearly event is attended by hundreds of shoppers, and all un-sold items are donated to local charitable organizations that rely on these goods to serve families in need.

    3. Consign My Closet - Acton, MA - April 26 to 28, 2013

      Consign My Closet - Acton, MA - April 26 to 28, 2013

      Frugal is in!! This is the hot, new way to shop for kids, everything toddler to teen... We consign only the best brands of clothing, gear, toys, sports equipment and more at fabulous prices!!

    4. Outfit The Kids! - April 5, 2013

      Outfit The Kids! - April 5, 2013

      Children's Consignment Event in Woburn Massachusetts

    5. Chelmsford Mothers Club Kids Tag Sale Consignment Sale - April 6, 2016
    6. South Shore Mothers of Multiples - A Kids Consignment Sale in Braintree - April 6, 2013

      South Shore Mothers of Multiples - A Kids Consignment Sale in Braintree - April 6, 2013

      This is the South Shore Mothers of Multiples bi-annual sale of gently used clothing & equipment from infant’s sizes to early grade school, as well as indoor & outdoor toys, books, shoes etc… Stock up and save $ now for the upcoming winter! Come early for the equipment as those go first! We will have 14 sellers at tables with double the stuff!

    7. Annual Rummage Sale at First Parish in Wayland - April 6, 2013

      Annual Rummage Sale at First Parish in Wayland - April 6, 2013

      Toys, books for all ages, antiques, furniture, jewelry, linens, kitchenware and housewares, lawn and garden, small appliances, sporting goods, clothing for all ages, and fun accessories. In the Bric-a-Brac department, nothing costs more than a dollar.

    8. Massachusetts Mothers of Twins Founding Chapter Spring Sale in Winchester - April 6, 2013

      Massachusetts Mothers of Twins Founding Chapter Spring Sale in Winchester - April 6, 2013

      Please join us on Saturday April 6th, 2013 for our Spring sale! Registration is NOW OPEN! Our Sales are a HUGE hit! Our legendary clothing

    9. Thrifty Mama Consignment - Duxbury - April 13 & 14, 2013

      Thrifty Mama Consignment - Duxbury - April 13 & 14, 2013

      Our sales offer clothing items for infants, children, and women. We also consign children's entertainment items (such as dvds, books, movies, games,toys, bikes and sporting equipment) and baby items such as bedding, room decor, etc.

    10. LexFUN Consignment Sale - Lexington - May 18, 2013

      LexFUN Consignment Sale - Lexington - May 18, 2013

      LexFUN!'s Annual Consignment Sale is a fantastic one-day sale of high quality, gently used children's clothing (newborn to 8 - all seasons), toys, games, books, strollers, car seats, high chairs, cribs, baby furniture, bouncy seats, baby gear and equipment, bikes and wagons.

    View more lists from Kim @kimworld

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    Boston night

    Exciting news for travel to and from Boston from San Diego! Alaska Airlines is now offering directy nonstop flight services from San Diego to Boston, and to celebrate there is a special rate available.

    Alaska Airlines launches nonstop flights today between San Diego and Boston—the sixth new city the carrier has begun serving from San Diego in the past year. To kick off the new service, the airline is offering a $159* one-way fare, which is available now through April 9 for travel from April 30 through June 12, 2013.

    I’ve never flown Alaska Airlines, but I’m intrigued by their inflight entertainment system which is a handheld device that has movies and tv programs available video-on-demand. The devices cost $10 in the main cabin and are free in first class. Hot meals are also offered for $6 and a cheese and fruit platter for $7.

    photo by: mitulmdesai

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    I was invited to the recent opening of the new Kidville in Wellesley. If you haven’t heard about Kidville before, it’s a one-stop shop for families with kids ranging from birth to 6:

    • Music, Art, Dance, Gym, and Enrichment Classes
    • Pre-School Alternatives
    • Camps
    • Birthday Parties
    • an Indoor Playspace
    • a Boutique
    • a Hair Salon for kids.

    My little guy is 4.5 years old, and I wish we had had a Kidville close to us when he was smaller. We sat in on a “Rockin’ Railroad” music class which is offered at different times for babies up until 5 years old. Here is what Kidville says about the class:

    Embark on a musical adventure with our live 4-piece band. Featuring sung story time, hands-on play with instruments, sound recognition games, plus original hits and familiar favorites, this class is sure to get you and your little one dancing.

    It’s quite a bit different than most music classes. Here, take a look yourself:

    Pretty fantastic, right? The live musicians were a hit with the kiddie crowd. Kidville Wellesley is sure to be a hit with all the kids *and* their parents. Call them and check it out one of their trial classes.

    Here are some photos from the event and inside the BRAND NEW facility!

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