parents

We had such a fun time running this year’s KSW Kohl’s Cares for Kids Summer Reading Giveaway. Your comments turned us on to so many great new books (summarized list coming soon) and even better, we heard some wonderful ways parents, soon-to-be parents, daycare workers, and grandparents are incorporating reading into their children’s lives. We were so inspired, we just had to choose those comments as the winners of the contest. Here’s a peek at what these mindful parents and soon-to-be moms had to say:

“I am 6 months pregnant with my first chid, but I have started to read outloud whenever I read a book. My husband does the same thing when he is reading next to me.” ~ Alexis Hernandez

“On hot days (like today) we spend quiet afternoons in the tent inside reading books. The kids love it! Especially when we make popcorn.” ~ Katie

“To encourage reading…I have my 8 year old read a book to my 2 year old, which then inspires my 2 year old to read a book to our yellow lab Sadie:)” ~ Tangie

“The Daycare Kiddos and I love to read. I have a huge front porch and have filled it with rocking chairs, benches, little chairs.. Everything so the kiddos and i are comfy out there. We watch the traffic, and then it is reading time. They love it.. We love to sit on the front porch and read.. Going on a Bear Hunt.. or The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
I also read to them right before naptime, as they are laying on their little beds, today’s book was the Napping House.. they loved it.” ~ Maureen

“Reading is great. It’s so great that once a week I take my son to the library for him to choose his own books. He loves it. We even got him his own library card so he feels special. This fits great for our family.” ~ Keonte

Congratulations Alexis, Katie, Tangie, Maureen and Keonte we’ll be contacting you soon

We enjoyed reading your comments so much and hearing your personal stories that we’ve decided to keep the summer reading ideas coming. Do you have your own personal way of sharing your love of reading with your child or incorporating storytime into your family life? If so, we’d love to hear about it. Just share your ideas in the comment section of this post. We’ll share the most creative entries with our readers and even link back to your site (if you have one). Leave as many comments as you like and comment often, you never know there just might be a prize or two involved for some of you.

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Ten Ways to beat Stress RIGHT NOW!

by Stacy on December 12, 2008

Photo: J Crew

Ever had one of those days? Do you sometimes feel as if you’ve had a chain of those days or as if things are piling up on you all at once? Often times we add to a stressful situation and actually make things appear worse than they really are. After all, our ability to handle any situation is 90% attitude, 10% circumstance.

Fortunately for us, Andrea from the ShortcutSleuth.com has come up with 10 really great ways we can overcome stress RIGHT NOW. I’m delighted to share an excerpt of these tips with you now.

1. Let the small things slide. - I promise you’ll feel better for it in the long run, Andrea tells us to “Figure out what really matters and choose your battles.”

2. Don’t set unrealistic goals - OK, I have a feeling we’re all guilty of this one, but when Andrea points out that, “if we expect too much” from ourself and others, “then we always set ourselves up for disappointment” it makes me reconsider.

3. Learn to say ‘no’ - I’m not sure about you, but this is a really tricky one for me. Still Andrea is pretty convincing when she says, When you’re only doing the tasks you really want to, you will be more effective and less stressed.

4. Take time for yourself every day. We’re so accustomed to doing for everyone else that sometimes we forget to focus on what we need, want and like. If we make ourself a TOP priority, then it is easier to handle the source of stress in our lives.

5. Let yourself be a kid again - This is a point we should all take close to heart. Andrea is so right with this one, have you ever noticed how a child can go from end of the world bawling to barrel of laughs in 0.001 seconds? We were that way too…. once. Let you child be your guide and try to reclaim this lost ability. Take the time to just let go and be spontaneous. Do something fun and let yourself laugh! For a few minutes, just forget about all of the responsibilities you have as an adult and in no time at all you’ll feel rejuvenated.

6. Keep a sense of humor - Sometimes when things aren’t so great, you just have to look at things and see the funny side of them. The saying that “laughter is the best medicine” rings true for many of us.

7. Take time to exercise. Not only does exercise keep you in good physical and mental shape, but it also produces endorphins that make you feel good and relieves stress. Plus, exercising is a great way to focus on ourselves, if even for a moment.

8. Eat healthy. When your diet is well-balanced, you just plain feel better. When we’re stressed, we tend to reach for comfort foods or foods that are not the best for us. They may make us feel better in the short-term, but maintaining a healthy diet will make us feel better overall.

9. Call a friend. When things are going badly, find the friend that you can count on for a good laugh or that helps you best put things in perspective, and give her a call.

10. Take a time out. When things are about to reach a breaking point, take a time out to regroup. Just like we put kids in time out so they can calm down and think about what they’ve done, time outs can work wonders for us as well.

This has been a summary of Andrea’s original post, 10 tips to Stop yourself from losing it

Have a few stress busting tips of your own? We’d love to hear them, leave a brief comment or email us at kidsstuffworld@gmail.com

Stacy

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Have you seen these nurseries?

by Stacy on November 23, 2008

So the OhDeeDoh’s Kids Color Contest has officially ended and the winners have all been chosen, but with so many fabulous kids rooms we just couldn’t let that be the end of it. So – we scoured each of the 46 entries and picked our very own KSW winners. I’m sorry to say there are no prizes but they have certainly earned bragging rights for their outstanding efforts. So without further ado… The KSW winners are

READ

OhDeeDOh Read

REASON WE LOVE THIS ROOM: It’s got a vintage vibe that’s been pulled together with real pizazz, this room is something that real parents could do with a REAL budget.

Poppy

oh Dee Doh Poppy

REASON WE LOVE THIS ROOM: This mother took her daughter’s name and really went wild with it. We love the strong use of color without going overboard.

Aubrianna’s Room
Oh Dee Doh Aubrianna

REASON WE LOVE THIS ROOM: From the crafty diy bird mobile, to the use of the fantastic fabrics, to the genius story book wall this room has it all.

Sparingly Bold Nostalgia

Oh Dee Doh Nostalgia

REASON WE LOVE THIS ROOM: We love how the strong grown-up colors work well to create a kids space that isnt overwhelming

Kit’s Room

Oh Dee Doh Kit

REASON WE LOVE THIS ROOM: Kit’s room is highly functional and I just love the wall decor (I have the alphabet version hanging in my playroom )

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It sounds like rain …

by Stacy on November 5, 2008

DIY Rainsticks

Super Crafty Suzanne originally shared this idea for a cheap, easy, and fun project for kids with Good Morning Connecticut, but I’m even more excited about her posting the idea on her site, see the post here. Who would have a guessed an old wrapping paper tube, some crafts you have on hand and a few beans could turn into something so wonderful. I truly cannot wait to share this project with my children. They’ve never met a rain stick they didn’t like.

Map storage tube

At work I often use expandable mailing tubes that would also be perfect for this project. These tubes have plastic or metal caps on each end that would make sealing the ends a neater and more permanent solution.

If you make your own version of a rain stick, we’d love to see pictures or hear your story. Post them here or email us at kidsstuffworld@gmail.com Don’t forget to check out our other Fun Things To Do With Your Kids ideas – let us know how you like the content so far and what types of activities you’d like to see more of.

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It’s never too late for Recyclobot

by Stacy on October 29, 2008

Recyclobot Costume

So it’s Wednesday you say and you still don’t have a solid plan for your child’s Halloween costume. Your just about to give in and run out and buy whatever is left on the racks you say. You’ve scoured the Kids Stuff World DIY Costumes but have come up short. Well, here’s a handy costume that works double duty. This one will please boys and girls alike AND does a bit of your recycling for you.

This costume was made using items you can find laying around your house and, as you can see, is just plain cute. Check out this high-tech candy meter that will let other parents know how much candy they should give your child.

Candy Meter

Add some glow in the dark paint to specific area and you’ve got yourself a winner. Thanks to Replayground for this awesome post! Click here for here detailed instructions

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