News

Hi,

 I am so excited to share these empowering toys and books for fierce young females! These products encourage a girl to learn, experiment, and, in turn, grow!

 And every item on this list is from a female-owned company!

1. Bravery Magazine is a printed publication for kids features a brave woman in each issue. Full of educational content, fun DIYs, and illustrated biographies, Bravery is as inspiring as it is beautiful. They believe that introducing kids to strong, brave role models will empower them to be strong and brave, too.

2. Hopscotch Girls are beautiful and empowering coloring books for girls!

Encourage girls to think beyond social conventions and stereotypes and inspire conversations about what it really means to be confident, brave and beautiful.

3. Yellow Scope was founded by scientists and moms, Marcie Colledge, PhD and Kelly McCollum, MPH. Yellow Scope grew out of their shared passion for science, education, and closing the gender gap in science! Each kit is lovingly assembled by hand in Portland, Oregon.

4. We couldn't resist including ourselves on this list! Snickerdoos encourages kids to think big, get creative, and find their inner superhero! When a child engages in role play, they must share ideas, and act upon them. What did the doctor say? How did the patient feel?

Some Halloween traditions may look different this year to keep everyone safe during the COV ID-19 pandemic. However, there are still plenty of ways to celebrate and continue the fun of Halloween! 

Creative Halloween Ideas for 2020: 

A Halloween Candy Hunt - Think Easter Egg Hunt but with individually wrapped candy hidden throughout the house or yard. Better yet, with a map or clues along the way! Just watch that Fido doesn’t find any candy first! 

Flashlight Haunted House Candy Hunt - Hide individually wrapped candy throughout your home, then turn off the lights, hand your child a flashlight and send them on a candy hunt! Once all the candy is found, settle down for popcorn and Halloween movie night!

Virtual Costume Party - Invite your friends, grandparents, and cousins to meet on Zoom for a costume party! See who can get the most into character! Rain or shine, the party will go on! 

Good Old-Fashion Carving Pumpkins - Don’t need to explain much more here! Pumpkin carving is a great idea for social distance fun with friends or neighbors outside. 

How do we support children from not feeling anxious with all the ongoing changes? I have turned to friend and marriage and family therapist, Stefanie Bond, for her advice and guidance on helping children stay calm during these ever-changing times.

Snickerdoos: 1. How do we support children's natural anxiety with big shifts and changes?

SB: Decrease your kid's anxiety by talking to them during these big times of change.

It's natural for children to experience stress and anxiety from recent changes in the world and their daily lives. You can help your child cope with their reactions by getting curious and talking to them.

You can help your child learn to settle their confused minds and overwhelmed bodies by providing room to express their feelings, space to ask questions, accurate age-appropriate information, and tools to help them decrease their anxieties.

Common areas of confusion and concern for children: Why are parents on their laptops all day? Why are they're not going to school? Why are can't they see their friends or go to gymnastics? Why is everyone wearing masks? When is the virus going to be over? Tackle these big questions with conversations.

Snickerdoos: What is the best thing WE can DO to help children?

Simply, you stay calm, and they stay calm.

Hi, Friends!

It's Monday. How are YOU feeling? I know that I am feeling a lot these days. I am feeling big doses of gratitude for valuable time with my family, pleasure in the small things like walking my dogs, and a fair measure worry if I am making the best choices for my two young children. (How much iPad is too much iPad?) I have been wanting to be hyperaware and sensitive to how they are feeling. That is why I decided to turn to Traditional Chinese Medicine Doctor, Paige Yang, for her advice and guidance on nurturing and supporting children, especially during COVID.

Snickerdoos: It is clear that children suffer from anxiety and stress, just like adults--possibly more so because they are still learning how to deal with these emotions. Because we aren't able to see you and other acupuncture practitioners during this time of social distancing, can you share acupressure points we can hold to help calm and relax ourselves and our children? 

PY:  Yes! There are a handful of points that I have been enjoying during quarantine. From the top down: Massaging "DU20" at the crown of your head helps to calm the spirit, while also improving energy. The "LI11" helps to boost your immune system and relieve muscular tension.  The "LI4" is a great point for stress, tension, pain in the body, and tightness in the face. It also helps harmonize your body's circulation of energy.  The "ST36"  is one of the best points to boost your immune system and regulate your digestion. Lastly, "LV3"  is wonderful for easing stress and calming energy.

Snickerdoos: I am making more meals than ever before! Are there foods that can help us reduce anxiety and worry? 

PY: Foods to help ground your energy will help to reduce your anxiety. Foods that are harvested from the ground, such as root vegetables and foods that are placed inside of the ground, such as seeds, are great for reducing anxiety. You can also look to "heavier" foods or foods that take longer to digest with the same idea as grounding you to reduce anxiety. These "heavier" foods include animal proteins, nuts, beans, and legumes.

Snickerdoos: As a mom, what has been working for you to stay positive during COVID? 

PY: I am lucky to be staying with my parents during COVID and sharing childcare responsibilities with my two parents and husband. We made a daily schedule of when we are each in charge of my son. No one person has him for more than 4 hours/day. As a result, we have committed to being present with him and this has made a huge difference for his overall well-being as well as our adult well-beings--forcing us to get off of our devices for the hours we have him each day. 

I hope you enjoyed reading Paige Yang's suggestions and insight as much as I did! Want to learn more about her and her practice? 

Visit her Instagram! 👈🏾 (Don't just take my word for it--her tutorials are aaamazing!)

Warmly,

Natalie 

Hi Friends, 

I hope you are doing well, and staying healthy during these most unusual and for many stressful times. While we #stayhome in support of our global health, I love seeing communities, parents, and care-takers supporting one another with ideas, inspiration, and a good dose of humor. I praise you, parents, taking on teaching, and nurturing the youngest generation. I wanted to share with you some of my favorite online resources for adults and children staying home. 

FOR THE KIDS

Scholastic Classroom has tailored enjoyable, interactive lessons for your preschooler. Each day is a new topic that begins with a video lesson, followed by a quiz and project! The topics range from stars and the moon to seasons and animals. 

Busy Toddler is an incredible resource for families with young children. Teacher and mother, Susie Allison has a gift for creating fun learning activities from simple household items. No need to make a shopping list; you have everything you need at home for the fun and learning to begin.

Cosmic Kids is a part of our daily routine. Stretch, learn, and grow through yoga. Posses and movements are stimulated through storytelling, which is the perfect way to capture a child's attention. 

Mo Willems Draws everyone's favorite children's book author and animator; Mo invites YOU into his studio every day for his LUNCH DOODLE. Kids will draw, doodle, and explore new ways of writing. Who knew drawing could be so easy?!

Vooks is a streaming library where children's books are read aloud. Turn screen time into reading time! 

FOR THE GROWN-UPS

Yoga & Meditation because we all know we need a little more zen in our life these days. Join Yogi Charu for daily yoga + meditation, 7 pm (Eastern). 

Master Class has 80+ courses (20 lessons per course), all taught by the experts! Learn to cook from Gordan Ramsy, act from Natalie Portman, and boldly express yourself from RuPaul! We will emerge from quarantine with some new tricks up our sleeves. 

Museums: Visit the world's most famous museums from the comfort of your sofa. Discover the ancient Rosetta Stone in London, tour the Guggenheim's famous spiral staircase, and peek at artworks from Monet, Cézanne, all in the same afternoon. 

Welcome to Harvard! Many elite universities are now offering FREE online courses. From statistics to history, there is so much to learn and relearn. 

And our favorite pretend play resource, Snickerdoos costumes. ;) We love encouraging fun imaginative play at home. And right now is the perfect time to visit our website! We are offering 25% off sitewide! Stay home and shop small! 

Sending light and love from our home to yours! 

Natalie