News from NEPA's KidDilly Network www.kiddilly.com

A giant mug of green tea is an essential part of my morning. The warmth emanating from mug and the comfort in each sips’ soothing desent to my tummy has become an integral step in my morning routine (In fact, I’m sipping as I type).

Although I am a self-confessed morning tea-a-holic, I rarely take time to enjoy the experience during other intervals of my day.

The whole nature of preparing tea causes one to slow down and to experience the present moment.  Making tea can be an ordeal. Making tea takes time. I guess that why I can’t be found sipping it during prime time productive hours.

Just one visit to Sugar’s Tea room in Forty-Fort with my 5-year old daughter, and I’m rethinking my rushed ways.

Once seated in the beautifully Victorian-English inspired dining room, our server invited us  to select one of dozens of hats to wear during our stay. She then familiarized us with the amazing menu selections.

After much deliberation, I chose the five-course tea , with vanilla green tea being my flavor or choice.(Although with all the wonderful varieties, it wasn’t easy to pick just one). My daughter selected the lovely little peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches with hot chocolate.

Individual tea pots were quickly presented, along with a plate of the most magnificent home-made scones. They came  in varieties, like chocolate chip and cinnomon, that I had never before been lucky enough to taste. The scones were served with a lovely little dish of fresh, flavored whipped cream to spread on top.

As the afternoon progressed, I found each course more enticing than the first. From the flavorful soup, amazing salad, to the pleasing sandwiches, and the “knock-your-socks off” strawberry layer-cake, every delectable detail was a feast for the senses.

My little girl and I had such fun at our tea party for two. We  gracefully stuck-out our pinky fingers as we sipped  from the delicate china. We giggled when we asked tea-riffic questions like, “One lump, or two, darling?” And, we delighted in our borrowed hats, all the while ooohing-and-aaahhhing at the delightful and pleasing décor.

Take it from my daughter, who during our splendid visit to Sugars Tea Room, announced, “This is the most fun day of my life, darling.”

I would have to agree.

Sugar’s Tea Room is exceptional.

Definitely make your reservations by calling (570) 714-4TEA well in advance. In the meantime, stop in during regular business hours to visit their lovely gift shop, or to pick up a scrumptious scone for your travels.

Does life get any better than a delightful Sugar’s tea party with your sweet little girl?

Allie

This One’s For You Mom!

Leave the kids at home and escape!

Get away from the tears when the Elmo’s World credits begin to roll. Maybe Dad can take over reading Good Night Moon for the billionth time. Forget about your child tossing Cheerios from his highchair onto the floor to become his self-serve snack as soon as he escapes confinement.

Fragranced oil, relaxing music and a pair of kind hands can work out all of the stresses that motherhood puts in your neck, shoulders and back.

Where did I find this mini-escape? At the Sapphire Salon & Destination Spa in Pittston.

From the moment I opened the door to the ‘castle’, I felt I received royal treatment. Ashley kindly offered me complimentary coffee or tea and showed me around the boutique filled with jewelry, purses and other special items.

Soon I was escorted upstairs to the changing room and spa area. There, I was greeted by a tired mother’s favorite sound…quiet. Well, other than the soft music, of course.

And the massage was heaven. The therapist’s skilled hands eased away all of my tensions. And, when my hour was up, there was still more to enjoy. They offer a complimentary sauna, where I took pleasure in the peace and quiet while nibbling some granola and sipping water.

It was definitely a delightful experience and I would recommend it to any mom. You’ll feel so rejuvenated you won’t even notice the crunch of Cheerios underfoot that night!

Donna

Has this happened to you?

You’re in the mall, park, airport or a similar crowded area with your child. You get distracted for just a moment, and when you turn your attention back to your toddler, he or she isn’t there!

I had a similar frightening experience last summer at the beach.  We were there with a large group of family members, and the person who was watching after my toddler lost track of her.  She could have been anywhere.  By the pool, by the ocean, by the street. My heart raced and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. 

Luckily, we found her safe with another family member after about two minutes.  But those two minutes felt like an eternity to me.

It is every parent’s biggest fear. And, it’s the premise behind Intelent Technologies, which was started in 2005 by Barry Wallace. The idea was to create a child locator system that was simple, effective and affordable.

After several scary moments with their then 3 year-old son, Barry’s wife Julianne came up with the idea for the Giggle Bug Toddler Tracker. The product is the result of several years of market testing and customer feedback on child locators and child safety products.

The Giggle Bug Toddler Tracker is designed to be used with children 18 months – 6 years of age. You simply clip the Bug onto the child’s clothing before turning it on. Then hold down the button on the back of the Bug (between wings) for 3 seconds. The Bug’s eyes will flash, showing you the unit is on.

If your child is out of sight, you can locate him or her by pushing on the hand-held parent unit. Doing so causes the Bug to emit a loud, but still child-friendly beep. The range in which the unit will function indoors is between 75-100 feet, and outdoors is 100+ feet. More information regarding this can be found at www.giggle-bug.com.

If the Bug becomes dislodged or is removed from the child’s clothing and the clip closes, the unit will “beep” and flash until the clip is opened and reattached.

The Giggle Bug Toddler Tracker has been featured on The View, Nanny 911, iVillage Live, The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet and other programs, and has received an iParenting Media award for product excellence.

The Giggle Bug can be purchased for $19.95 plus shipping & handling at www.giggle-bug.com. Order now and get a second Giggle Bug free, just pay shipping & handling!

I’ve tried this product and I agree it gives a parent a certan peace of mind.  It will definitely be on my child at the mall and at the park.  And my Giggle Bug will be the first thing I pack for the beach this summer!

The KidDilly team has one Giggle Bug to give away to our readers!  Leave us a comment telling us your missing toddler tale and/or why you really need a Giggle Bug, and you could be the lucky winner!

Donna

Everywhere we looked, children and their families were enjoying themeselves. In addition to shopping, there was face painting, entertainment like the lively Renaissance jousting reenactment, and wonderful horse and carriage rides.

Old Fashioned Horse and Carriage Rides

Kiddilly was sure to make a visit to The Bottega where owner Dori Waters put out a fine spread of Valentine’s Sweets and coffee. Also inside, an artist sketched caricatures for onlookers peeking through the store’s plate glass window, while local authors, Pat Thomas and Lindsay Barrett George (who is also a talented illustrator), signed copies of their picture books for gleeful children.

After enjoying a nice time at The Bottegga, we made our way to the wonderful Kids Quality Consignment  to visit proprietor, Becky Bruner. Becky assisted shoppers in a shoulder-to-shoulder crowd enjoying KQC’s famous half-price winter clearance sale and one of the largest selection of Doug and Melissa wooden toys in the region.

Looking for great deals on items for children? Right this way . . .

If you weren’t able to make it to Clarks Summit yesterday, there is still time. The Festival will continue through President’s Day. 

If you are out and about with your children on any given Tuesday morning around 11 AM and just happen to be in the neighborhood of the North Pocono Public Library on Van Brunt Street in Moscow, do stop in for their marvelous story and craft hour.

Every week, little readers gather among the volumes and volumes of picture and chapter books in the children’s collection to listen to a volunteer bring the magic of the page come to life.

Guest readers volunteer from every segment of the population. From preschool administrators to stay-at-home moms, to retired grandmothers, there is always a welcoming voice and a smile to greet the guests when they arrive.

Volunteers pick timely themes and construct the hour’s curriculum accordingly. Whether the theme is an upcoming holiday, back-to-school topics, seasonal subjects, or an aspect of nature, story-hours are well organized and executed.

Children generally need adult assistance with the craft and for that reason and issues of precaution and safety, parents or caretakers must accompany children at all times while visiting the library. And a note of intrest, spots fill up fast and the current library is rather tiny, so calling ahead to reserve your spot isn’t a bad idea!

For more information, or for a schedule of future story hours and other kid-delightful events, please call the circulation desk at (570) 842- 4700.

Allie

The KidDilly team is honored to have had the opportunity to speak with the creator of an amazing (and so far still free!) e-zine for kids—Stories for Children Magazine’sVirginia Grenier.

Stories for Children (SFC) debuted in April 2007. Since then, it’s won numerous awards including Preditor & Editor Reader Poll 2008 for Top Ten Magazine in fiction, nonfiction, and Poetry. Three of their magazine covers have placed in the Top Twenty in the 2008 Readers Poll: SFC May 2008 3rd place, September 2008 8th place, and March 2008 12th place. Also, at the time of the interview, 18 of their past stories or illustrations have placed or won awards.

Each monthly issue is loaded with fun stories and articles based on age-appropriate reading levels. There are also puzzles, games, children’s book reviews, crafts, and poems to inspire the imagination.

So what makes this online magazine different from the rest?

In Ms. Grenier’s words, “Stories for Children Magazine is designed to unlock your children’s imagination and take them on an exciting adventure into the World of Ink with Stanley Bookman (the SFC mascot) from Storyville as their guide on the magical monthly trips.

Stories for Children Magazine is not just for adult writers. One thing that sets Stories for Children Magazine apart is that we also publish stories written and illustrated by children and teens. While submitting stories to children’s magazines, I was shocked to discover that few magazines allowed underage writers. I vowed to change this and have done so with Stories for Children Magazine.”

Do you have a little writer in your household? SFC would love to get more submissions from young writers! So let their creativity flow, submit their work to SFC, and maybe it will be published in their magazine!

I also asked Mrs. Grenier if she had any favorite stories from past SFC issues.

She explained the Granny Awards at SFC are presented in multiple categories and all you have to do is be published or donate artwork to the magazine. Annually, the editors at SFC come together to choose their Top Three favorite stories by age group, articles by age group, poems, youth submissions, inside artwork, and magazine cover art.

“It’s a real thrill to announce our Granny Award winners and send them a trophy engraved as a thank you for supporting, donating their talents, and believing in us,” she says.

SFC also has interviews with wonderful authors and illustrators monthly. This is a great tool for schools. Many teachers ask their students to research an author and/or illustrator to write a report about. SFC is an excellent resource for to begin. In the Featured Guest pages and the SFC Contributor pages, they can find information on everyone who has been in Stories for Children Magazine.

Stories for Children Magazine has something for teachers and parents too. Mascot Stanley Bookman shares a new topic on a holiday or event that happened in the current month along with tips to help children become better readers. There’s a Fun Links page for parents and teachers with information on great sites to places where they can buy art supplies, crafts, and more.

SFC plans to add a blog to the website by the summer of 2009. This will be for families and will cover vacations on a budget to interviews with those who work with or entertain children. This will be a weekly blog with each week having a certain topic of discussion. Regarding the blog, Ms. Grenier states, “We’re really excited about this project because Stories for Children is more than just a magazine. We’re a family and a community committed to excellence in our work ethic, in the products and services we provide, and in our relationships with our readers, contributors, freelancers, featured guests, and advertisers. We strive to be fair, honest, committed, and give warm fuzzies and support to those we work with.”

I invite you to take an adventure in the World of Ink with Stories for Children Magazine.  It’s most definitely a dilly! 

If you’ve missed the past issues of SFC, you can purchase the first annual anthology Best of Stories for Children Magazine Volume 1, a collection of over 20 poems which was released November 2008.  Visit LuLu.com  or the SFC Bookstore to purchase.

Donna

Wegman’s Dickson City Produce Department.

Every mom knows the drill – “5 A Day for Better Health” and “Eat a Rainbow of Fruits and Vegetables.”

“But, it’s February,” you say.

And it hasn’t always been easy to provide your family with appetizing produce options in the middle of winter. Instead of peeling and chopping, moms so often find ourselves boiling and plopping this time of year (Oh, no! Not frozen green beans, again)!

Wegman’s Produce department to the rescue!

Plump berries, luscious pineapples, a shmorgusborg  of citrus and a half-dozen varieties of apples. And that’s just the fruit!

There is spring-worthy fresh asparagus, fresh broccoli and cauliflower, and appealing zucchini and summer squash!

Even hard to find, fresh herbs and spices are there for the picking.

So before you turn to the cupboard for another can of sliced pears in heavy syrup, head to Wegman’s for your fill of farm fresh goods, even in the middle of winter.

It’s a Dilly!

Allie

The old adage is, “A picture’s worth a 1000 words.”

Whoever said that never saw pictures by Julie Overholser at Shades of Gray Photography. Her photos say so much more!

Julie is not only the owner; she’s also the photographer and artist for Shades of Gray Photography in Clarks Summit. She photographs infants & children, maternity, senior portraits, weddings and other seasonal events. Her unique specialty is photo-tinting by hand.

In her own words, “We take the photo tinting art techniques of the past and combine it with a child of the present, to create a memory that will last long into the future. Each Hand-Tinted portrait is just that – Hand-Tinted by me with individual subtleties in shading and color to create a one-of-a-kind, cherished portrait.”

Of course, color, black & white, and sepia prints are also available.

In my living room you’ll find five of her fabulous photos, and one of them is a hand-tinted treasure. I’m certain as my kids grow, that photo will become even valuable to me.

Julie is collaborating with CityMommy to make sure we moms in NEPA have our photos ready to submit to the Times Tribune’s Mother’s Day edition! The Times-Tribune Mother’s Day portrait deadline is March 20 (for color photos) and April 3 (for b/w). We are scheduling this event well in advance to give you the best chance to make sure you do not miss this great opportunity.

CityMommy Special appointments are available:
Thurs. February 19 2pm – 4pm; 5:30 – 8:00pm
Fri. February 20 10am- 1:00pm; 1:45pm- 4pm; 6 pm to 8pm
Sat. February 21 9am – 12:00; 12:45 to 6pm

To schedule your 15 minute sitting, email your first & last name, date & time preferences (choose 2 hour time slot if possible and we will fit you in where we can), phone number , number of children and their ages to: donna@citymommy.com

Your 15 minute sitting will be held at the Shades Of Gray studio, 701 Morgan Highway, Clarks Summit PA. Directions are available upon request.
Hand-Tinting incurs an additional fee. Limit one free 5×7 per household. Some restrictions apply. See studio for details.

Shades of Gray Photography
701 Morgan Highway
Clarks Summit, PA 18411

I hope you can make it to this event & let Julie capture the heart of your family! Make sure to email me for your appointment donna@citymommy.com.

I know I’ll be there! 

Donna

Make a Smilebox greeting

One bite of Lynn Sandy’s scrumptious sweets and you’ll be making up occasions to celebrate!

What? Today’s February 7th? Why it’s Garth Brook’s birthday–let’s order a Lynn Sandy’s cake!

Oh, dear–it’s Ashton Kutcher’s birthday, too? We’re going to need two cakes!

Choose from traditional cakes, personalized portrait cakes, specialty filled cakes, and cheese cakes to name only a few. Lynn’s in-season-only strawberry shortcake is one reason summer can’t come fast enough.

For my mother’s most recent milestone birthday (in the interest of peace, I won’t mention which one ), I ordered one portrait cake per table, each with a photo of her in a different phase of life, and the cakes doubled as both dessert and centerpiece. They got rave reviews from every guest.

What’s your favorite Lynn Sandy’s flavor?

Donna

Red balloons, $2; baby pink table cloths $4; a room full of children dancing and smiling; priceless!

Sweethearts under six recently gathered with their parents at the Gymboree Play and Music in Clarks Summit  for a Valentine’s Day Sweetheart Party.

Gymboree hosted the darling event for Citymommy kids to celebrate February’s sweetest holiday.

The guests enjoyed music, dancing, crafts, games, and what definitely seemed to be one of the evening’s biggest attractions, billions of bubbles!

The other big hit were the sweet treats provided by Lynn Sandy’s Cakes in Scranton. Adorably decorated, definitely delectable vanilla and chocolate cupcakes were on the menu.  The kids all agreed, they were two “yums” up!

Gymboree of Clarks Summit is an impeccably clean, super safe, and fabulously fun indoor play and learning center. 

Owner, Maurita Kelly Pascale, and her talented staff work tirelessly to ensure every child has a delightful learning and play experience.

If you missed out on the fun, no worries. Gymboree of Clarks Summit has a three more Sweetheart Parties left on its February calendar. Dates and information are below:

 Our pa

Saturday, February 7, 2009 at 2:00-4:00 pm (drop off for 3-5 year olds)*

Sunday, February 8, 2009 at 11:30am-1:00pm
Tuesday, February 10, at 4:00-5:30pm

$15 per child member, $20 non-member, adult must accompany each child
* $20 member, $25 non-member

Parties fill up fast, so be sure to call  (570) 586-5880 to reserve your little love bug a spot.

Allie

(Please email allison@citymommy.com or donna@citymommy.comfor more information about CityMommy’s free membership and upcoming play opportunities!)