Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Around the Home: Bird house



This bird house is just for decoration -- it wasn't designed for birds to actually live there -- but it makes a cute addition to the yard. We also have real nesting boxes that the birds enjoy.

Anyone else have decorative bird houses or nesting boxes in the yard?

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

South Florida kids become restaurant critics in TV show Check, Please!

For parents and grandparents brave enough to take children out to eat, one of the most important factors is finding a restaurant that serves something the kids like.

Three kids "dish" on South Florida restaurants in the show Check, Please! which starts its sixth season on May 16 at 7:30 p.m. on WPBT2. The young foodies, local first- and second-graders, join host Michelle Bernstein to talk about what they liked and disliked about their dining experiences in various restaurants. It's the first time the show includes children.

However, the May 16 episode of Check, Please! isn't about just macaroni and cheese and chicken nuggets. Celebrity chef Bernstein and the kids discuss sushi, tofu, filet mignon, Thai food and more.

Future shows will include grown-up guest reviewers, with restaurants ranging from Jupiter in northern Palm Beach County to Kendall in Miami-Dade County. If you're in South Florida, you can apply to be a guest reviewer at the Check, Please! site.

From WPBT2, here are the episode descriptions:

SHOW # 601- Broadcast Date: Monday, May 16

*Our Special Kids Episode!*
See what South Floridians have to say about Jaxson’s Ice Cream Parlor & Restaurant in Dania Beach; Thai Cafe in Miami Lakes; and Café Abbracci in Coral Gables.

Guest reviewers: Demi-Nicole Bernadotte, Second-grader; Jude Rivera, Second-grader; Frankie Sanchez, First-grader

SHOW # 602- Broadcast Date: Monday, May 23

See what South Floridians have to say about Big Bear Brewing Co. in Coral Springs;
Café Sharaku in Ft. Lauderdale; and Tin Muffin Cafe in Boca Raton.

Guest Reviewers: Jessica Stein, Art Teacher; Yoshi Kirsch, Car Exporter; Jerry Friedman, Chiropractor

SHOW # 603- Broadcast Date: Monday, May 30

See what South Floridians have to say about Jaguar Ceviche Spoon Bar & Latam Grill in Coconut Grove; Secreto Restaurant in Kendall; and Buena Vista Bistro in Miami.

Guest reviewers: Manuela Menendez, Psychologist; Angel Medina, Banker; Scot Marken, Nonprofit CEO

SHOW # 604- Broadcast Date: Monday, June 6

See what South Floridians have to say about Capt. Charlie’s Reef Grill in Juno Beach, CW’s BBQ in Hobe Sound; and Havana Restaurant in West Palm Beach.

Guest reviewers: Esse Asker, Manufacturer Representative; Tom Priester, Realtor; Maurissa Jones, Lawyer

SHOW # 605- Broadcast Date: Monday, June 13

See what South Floridians have to say about Moca Café & Lounge in North Miami; Bash Wine Cafe in Sunrise; and Sugar Reef Grill in Hollywood.

Guest reviewers: Rose-Philippe Coriolan, Radio Station Operations Manager; Bob Feinberg, Medical Sales Manager; Richard Miller, Fundraising Consultant

Sponsors for Season 6 include Badia Spices, Whole Foods Market, Creekstone Farms, Southern Wine & Spirits, Johnson & Wales University, and Care Plus.

Monday, April 11, 2011

B Kind 2 Earth Day celebration

The good news: Earth Day (Friday, April 22) isn't one of those "fluffy" holidays that requires you to send a card to someone or go out and buy special food or decorations. The bad news: Well, there isn't any!

There are lots of ways to celebrate Earth Day, and you can be as simple and easy or as involved and productive as you like. The point is to do at least one thing -- one thing! -- for the earth and get others to do the same. If you can do that, then head to the B Kind 2 Earth Day Facebook Fan Page and "like" it to show that you are in for doing an earth-friendly deed and spreading the word. Then, click here to register your location.

You can probably come up with a list of things for your family to do without thinking too hard: recycling, using a washable cloth instead of a paper towel, buying something pre-owned instead of new, planting a tree, using "green" household cleaners, switching out light bulbs to the newer less-polluting ones or donating to an ecological good cause.

I would like to lead some mom friends and their little ones on a nature walk and pick up any litter we see along the way -- something that young children can do and get into. Now I just gotta invite my friends . . . .

The B Kind 2 Earth Day cause is a joint effort by the National Wildlife Federation, Nickelodeon and The Motherhood. Naturally, I think this is all awesome because I am a NWF Be Out There Founding Mother, I won the Nickelodeon 2009 Parents Picks Award for Best Local Blog (Miami) and I've met Emily McKhann and Cooper Munroe from The Motherhood (at the Blogalicious conference in Miami last fall).

What are you going to do on Earth Day?

Friday, April 8, 2011

Where can young children get out and play in Disney World?

My family loves going to Disney World, but one of the "gotchas" about taking very young children is that it's too busy and crowded to let them walk on their own -- they get trampled (I've seen it happen!) or worse, they can get lost. That's why when we were in the Magic Kingdom, we made it a point to visit Pooh's Playful Spot in Fantasyland:



and the play area in Mickey's Toontown Fair, where the little ones could safely run around, go down slides and make new friends.



However, both of these play areas have closed as Disney World expands Fantasyland.

Cue sad face.

Going around the theme parks, it's not fun for a toddler or young preschooler to go from carrier to stroller to high chair to lap -- without ever getting a chance to release some energy, run around and play. In my experience, a kid who doesn't get physical activity during the day is a cranky kid who has a hard time falling asleep at night. And all parents know that isn't part of the recipe for a fun vacation.

However, my kids still get to enjoy physical play at these spots around the Magic Kingdom:

1. Tom Sawyer Island in Frontierland is a great place for kids of all ages to stretch their legs. The ground is uneven in some places, and there are stairs, so wobbly toddlers will need some help. However, there are bridges, tunnels and pretty views on the island (you take a pontoon "raft" across the river near Splash Mountain), so it's really fun to explore. My four-year-old loved the bridge made out of barrels and walked across it several times. He also loved the fort. My one-year-old couldn't walk across the barrel bridge but enjoyed the challenge of the stairs that are placed throughout the island.



2. There is a small playground under the train station in Frontierland where kids play. You have to walk under the train station to get to Splash Mountain, and the play area has a Splash Mountain Brer Rabbit theme to it. It's not very big, but it's in the shade. Score!

3. In Tomorrowland, the stage area (on the far side, near the railroad tracks) is often where characters will come out and start a dance party. If your kids like to get their groove on, just follow the music. Check the weekly schedule, available at your resort or near the entrance of each theme park, for times and locations of character appearances.

4. If your child is good with stairs, definitely climb up the Swiss Family Treehouse in Adventureland. The stairs are narrow, really allowing only single file, and are well-contained, so you don't have to worry about your child falling from the top of the tree. Once you've exerted yourself with climbing up, the stairs then lead you back down. It's so fun, your family might want to go back a second time!

There are places for little ones to play in the other Disney World theme parks too. We like the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids play area in Hollywood Studios:



The Affection Section petting zoo area in Conservation Station, Animal Kingdom, is a place where kids can walk around and touch goats, sheep and other animals:



The Boneyard, where kids can play in the sand and pretend to be paleontologists uncovering fossils, is another choice at Animal Kingdom.

All Disney World resorts have playgrounds in addition to their spectacular pools, like this one at the French Quarter (notice the Mardi Gras colors -- Disney thinks of everything!):



so families can let kids get the wiggles out.

It's fun to experience the magic of Disney World with little ones, who definitely have more fun when they get the chance to get out of the stroller and play. It makes for a better overall family vacation.

Disneyphiles, what are other safe places for young children to play?