LilSugar

Do You Sign With Your Babe?

babysugar — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 10:00:53 -0700

Most baby stores now carry sign language merchandise from books to DVDs and flashcards to placemats.

I only taught my lil one the sign for "more," but my friends have been more diligent in their efforts. Advocates say that children who sign are less likely to throw tantrums since they can communicate earlier. On the flip side, others argue that signing can delay speech development as tots learn to rely on their hands.

When it comes to sign, what's your stance?
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"Wee"kend Getaway: Nantucket Island

LilSugar — Thu, 21 May 2009 13:00:09 -0700

An island getaway that offers parents and wee ones an opportunity to soak up the sun and enjoy a few days of leisure? Sign me up!

Located just 30 miles off the coast of Cape Cod, getting to Nantucket, which means the faraway island in the language of the Wampanoag tribe, is half the fun. While small planes – and a few commercial airliners – travel there, arriving by slow or high-speed ferry from Hyannis helps put the body and the mind in vacation mode as parents and their offspring approach the 19th century whaling village.

With nary a traffic light, fast-food restaurant or Starbucks in sight, Nantucket offers families plenty of adventure along its beautiful beaches.

What could be better for families than the aptly-named Children's Beach. Located right in the island’s harbor, this beach is known for its shallow waters, playground, casual restaurant and lifeguard. Concerts and puppet shows are performed right in the beach’s bandstand.
Jetties Beach, about a mile from town, provides access to rentable watersport equipment, including kayaks, windsurfing boards and Sunfish.

For non-beach activities, read more.

The Whaling Museum can teach families about life in the former whaling village. Complete with a 46-foot sperm whale skeleton, a whaleboat and a discovery room where kids can rummage though sea captains' chests is a perfect break from the sun.
Take an afternoon boat ride 15-25 miles offshore on a whale watching tour. Tour goers are guaranteed to spot a Humpback, Finback and Minke Whale while learning about conservation efforts.
Take a nostalgic cruise through Nantucket Harbor on an afternoon ice cream cruise that shows off the harbor’s famous sights while serving kids the best ice cream on island.
Lil pirates will be begging to go on the Pirate Adventure cruise, a sunset sail on a 31-foot sloop where tots put on their pirate hats, shoot the cannon and go on a treasure hunt around the wharf.
Nantucket’s five paved paths offer plenty of bike riding terrain that can take families past the Siaconset fishing village’s beautiful cottages and past unbelievable ocean-front mansions.

Camps For Every Type of Camper

LilSugar — Wed, 20 May 2009 04:00:00 -0700

When Joaquin Phoenix became an unintentional astronaut in Space Camp what child didn't pack their bags and ask their parents to sign them up? For nature lovers there are log cabin camps with mess halls and communal showers. For the youngster destined to take the stage as a triple threat there are getaways that offer vocal, dance and acting lessons. Talk to your child about what type of overnight camp best fits their interest and then get planning. We've rounded up a couple of fun options to get the conversation going.

Space Camp: Every child of the '80s watched Space Camp and dreamed of hopping aboard the next space shuttle. The real Space Camp isn't quite as adventuresome, but does offer future astronauts the opportunity to try out a simulator and see what life is like on the International Space Station. The weeklong camp also allows kids to pick a specialty area and build their own robots or learn to fly an F-15 fighter jet.
Equestrian Camp: There are a number of horseback riding camps that teach everything from basic horsemanship to specialty riding classes. Many are set up like dude ranches with a western feel about them, while others are more general camps – offering arts and crafts, swimming and athletics – in addition to their focus on horses.
Sailing Camp: Sailing camps tend to include a number of water sports like water skiing, canoeing and tubing in addition to the boating experience. Though the focus of these camps is on the sailing experience – from basic seamanship to manning a one-person boat – they usually include a variety of outdoor activities to round out the experience.
Computer Camp: All those hours your youngster spends in front of the computer may actually prepare them for a future career. Computer camps put that interest to work and develop life-long skills as programming, languages and applications, as well as video games and web page design.
Dance Camp: Tots that like to tap their toes can choose from ballroom to tap, and ballet to hip hop camps that focus on technique, self-confidence and promotion.
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Lil Find: Bitty Braille

LilSugar — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 09:00:51 -0800

Sign language has gained popularity among parents of non-deaf tots as a way to communicate with their lil ones prior to their being able to speak. It is also a great way to teach older kids about children with special needs. Introduce them to another form of communication for kids with different abilities with Bitty Braille t-shirts and onesies. The shirts (starting at $26) feature words or names in studs and their translation in hand-embroidered cursive writing. Choose from more than half-a-dozen words such as "cutie," "happy" or "buddy" or go for one with your lil learner's name for a personalized version that will help introduce the world of Braille. A portion of the sale of each shirt is donated to the American Foundation for the Blind, the national nonprofit organization that employed Helen Keller.

Mom-Me Time: Citibabes

babysugar — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 10:00:48 -0800

New York seems to reign superior when it comes to things that are hip and cool. And, they've done it again with an amazingly convenient and luxurious club for moms, Citibabes. Started by two women, Tracey Rensky and Tara Lipton, the club opened a little over two years ago in downtown Manhattan. And, it has been hugely popular - currently has over 500 members. The membership is a whopping $2,000 a year but apparently it's worth every penny.

Moms and dads can drop off children ages three months to five years, for some babysitting which is only $8 an hour, while they relax in the club's lounge, workout, get a mani-pedi or their hair blown out. The caregivers at the club have been background checked extensively so the parents can rest assured that their lil one is in good hands.

To learn some more about Citibabes, read more

Some of the amenities that are included in the Citibabes membership are:

Access to the Citibabes store, which is stocked with adorable kids clothes.
A workout facility with adult fitness classes and cardio equipment.
An unbelievably cute indoor playground, which is especially nice for rainy, snowy, or cold days.
A cafe specializing in organic and healthy fare for the whole family.
Lounge and Concierge services to help families find a nanny or plan a party.

Services the club provides at an additional cost are:

Birthday parties with photographer, gift bags, special cakes, etc.
A hair and nail salon to pamper Mommy and her friends.
Personal training and private exercise sessions so Mama can get back into shape.
Art, music, cooking, dance, language, science, and sports classes for the lil ones. How will you pick which one to choose?
Private counseling services, workshops and discussion groups on subjects ranging from childhood development to discipline, toilet training, and infant and child CPR.

For pregnant women who aren't so concerned with the indoor playground yet, they can still join with a prenatal membership. When they sign up, they receive a posh little bag with a book and access to all the amenities. Once baby arrives, she'll be a step ahead of the gang knowing her way around Citibabes. Lucky girl.

We're hoping these clubs will open across the country. Wouldn't it be so nice to channel that old polished and fabulous you while junior is playing in kiddie wonderland? Sign me up!