Author

Kristi York

Browsing
In Daycare

Cleaning Tips & Mold Prevention for Kids’ Silicone Sippy Cups, Bottles and Toys

No Comments

No one wants mold and bacteria around — especially not in sippy cups and water bottles that are going right into our kids’ mouths. There are endless options and styles out there, but they can sometimes be complicated and time-consuming to clean. The first step to keeping your child’s drinkware germ-free is to label it clearly, to avoid mix-ups at daycare, camp, sports and school. Once it comes home for washing and re-filling, try these tips to enhance the cleaning process. Clean mold from Sippy Cups When you invest in a new sippy cup for your toddler, you don’t want it to become damaged or unusable due to a washing blunder. So, don’t immediately throw away the outer packaging or the little insert that comes inside the cup — there is valuable information on there! Read the “wash and care” instructions and follow them carefully. You can also visit the…

by
Keep Reading
family camping
In Summer Camp

20 Tips for First-Time Camping Families

No Comments

Planning your family’s first-ever camping trip? Forgive the tent-related pun, but you might be feeling like the stakes are high, with the trip’s success resting entirely on you. However, there’s no need to (brace yourself for tent pun #2) get in a flap about it! We’re here to help with practical tips to ensure you have a tent full of happy campers from start to finish. Read on for 20 tips for first-time camping families. Before you go Limit the distance. Don’t venture too far on the first trip. If you keep your travel time reasonable, it will be easier to head home if there is bad weather or someone becomes sick or injured. Search for a nearby location with convenient amenities and family-friendly features like a beach or playground. Talk about it. Since this will be a new experience for some (or all) family members, chat about what to expect. Camping…

by
Keep Reading
Kids outdoor toys
In Parenting

Outdoor Toys for Spring and Summer 2023

No Comments

You know you’ve turned the page into spring when you pull out the seasonal storage bin, to re-discover the outdoor toys that have been out of sight, out of mind all winter. Goodbye, snow shovel – hello, Frisbee! Your kids’ activity and gear choices will vary from year to year, depending on their age and interests. Here’s our round-up of can’t-miss outdoor toys for spring and summer – coming soon to a park or sidewalk near you! Toddler Bubbles. Chasing bubbles has always been, and will always be, a hit with young kids. Be prepared to draw a crowd if you’re playing in a public space. Get more bang for your bubble by choosing an oversized wand or a battery-operated bubble blower. If your bubble liquid supply is dwindling, try mixing up a DIY recipe at home. Wheeled transportation. A sturdy wagon, jogging stroller, or bike trailer is handy to…

by
Keep Reading
Hosting your kids' birthday party
In Mom Moments

Am I A Horrible Parent if I Don’t Host a Giant Birthday Party For My Child?

No Comments

At the risk of sounding like a birthday Grinch, I’ll admit: I don’t enjoy hosting my kids’ birthday parties, especially large ones. Does that make me a terrible parent? As a mom, I do some things very well, but organizing elaborate social gatherings is not one of them. I admire those of you who are party-planning pros, since my skills and confidence in this area are minimal. The weeks leading up to the so-called “fun” event to celebrate my child’s glorious arrival into the world are filled with tension, overanalyzes, self-doubt, and a long list of tasks and errands intended to make everything “perfect.” When you pause to think about it, it’s a little ironic. My child’s actual birth was (to put it delicately) an arduous experience for me. But does enduring those many hours of labor give me a free pass on the same date in every year that…

by
Keep Reading
washing hockey gear
In DIY

Washing Your Child’s Hockey Gear; A Head-to-Toe Guide

No Comments

A bag of sweaty hockey equipment is like a Holiday Inn for bacteria. When the zipper closes, it creates a damp, dark environment where bacteria will thrive, resulting in the pungent, unpleasant smell that hockey parents know so well. (Sorry to be the one to tell you, but as your young player enters the tween and teen years, it only gets worse!) I play hockey myself and have many hockey-parent friends, so I’ve compiled their best tips for washing hockey gear and keeping it as clean and odor-free as possible. Moisture is Your Opponent The number one tip was unanimous: dry it out. Immediately following each game or practice, every piece of equipment should be removed from the bag and hung up (or at least spread out) to dry. To facilitate this process, I purchased a metal “tree” style rack with rods that hold various pieces of equipment and allow…

by
Keep Reading
In Parenting

10 Low-Cost (But Still Heartwarming) Holiday Activities

No Comments

Since everything is more expensive these days, I’m aiming to go smaller (not bigger) this December. Rather than overspend and overdo it, I’m planning to scale things back and focus on the simple pleasures of the season. If you’re also cringing at the high totals on your gas and grocery receipts, here are some fun, low-cost activities to bring your family comfort and joy this holiday season. See the light. This year, my budget won’t have room for tickets to an indoor light festival or drive-through attraction of elaborate LED shapes. Instead, I’ll be taking evening walks to admire the front yard displays in my neighbourhood. Or, when I’m driving at night, I’ll turn on some Christmas music and take an alternate route to admire the twinkling lights and illuminated inflatables. Let it snow. Fresh air is good for the body and mind, so head out into the winter wonderland…

by
Keep Reading
walk to school
In Parenting

Walking to School – How to Overcome the Roadblocks

No Comments

Back-to-school season is a great time to start new routines or tweak existing ones. Maybe you’ve always liked the idea of your kids walking to school, but haven’t been able to do it consistently. To help you hit your stride, here are some common issues and tips to overcome them. “There isn’t enough time in the morning.” In households across the land, the morning rush is a daily struggle. As the new school year begins, some honest reflection might reveal areas for improvement. Could you be more organized? Could you wake up earlier, or pack lunches the night before? Can you minimize or eliminate distractions? You’re likely to have better results (and lower blood pressure at breakfast) if you adopt a structured plan. If your kids are old enough, make it into a mini science experiment. Use technology to record the actual time and distance, then calculate the necessary departure…

by
Keep Reading