ML Interest Tag: online-classes

Don’t Be Elfish: Sign Your Kids Up for the Ultimate Elf Training

by Karly Wood

Santa has a lot of work ahead of him in the next few weeks and he needs some help! If you’re at a loss for what to do with the kiddos in the days leading up to Christmas, enroll them in Elf Prep Academy.

Santa’s “exclusive school” is taking enrollees for Christmas elves. Online courses include everything your elf-in-training needs to know to be Santa’s right hand helper.

photo: Canva

Classes include New Elf Orientation, Elf History, Toy Building, Cookie Baking, The Nice List, Tree Decorating, Reindeer Care and much more. Activities are a festive combination of virtual and hands-on, and are sure to keep your little elves busy.

Great for families, you can preview Elf Prep Academy for free. Once your elf is hooked, you can purchase all the coursework (which includes a certificate and the titles of an Official Honorary Elf!) for just $25.

––Karly Wood

 

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The Creative Guide to Preparing Your Kids for School

By Official Oddbods Team

The back-to-school season is an exciting time for families as they gear up for the huge transition ahead. A new academic year may mean new teachers and new friends for most children, even new schools for some. While starting on a clean slate can be refreshing, the high level of unknowns and changes in routine can cause anxiety in some kids.

That’s why it’s good to plan a mix of fun and purposeful back-to-school activities to better prepare our children for the school year ahead. Check out these creative activities inspired by the Oddbods show that you can do with your child and the whole family. Let’s do this!

Fun-Tastical Back-to-School Activities

1. Shop for New School Supplies
Get your child excited by stocking up with some new, inexpensive stationery. We’re particularly partial to this Oddbods Creativity Kit. No matter your budget, giving your child new-to-them school supplies can help them look forward to returning to class. As much as possible, let them make their own choices so they can feel a greater sense of self and autonomy.

Pro Tip: If you have multiple children, let them hold their own shopping baskets and have the items bagged separately during check out. This saves you the effort of sorting out the purchases for each child once you get back home.

2. Order Cute Name Stickers & Get Labelling
It’s not uncommon for children’s stationery to get lost or accidentally traded among students. Name labels can help. There are many online name sticker services offering a wide variety of designs to choose from. Once they’ve arrived, sit down with your child and let them enjoy pasting stickers on their belongings.

3. Assemble a Homework Caddy 
Assemble a homework caddy with coveted stationery for your child to look forward to using after school. Becky from Clean Mama assembles adorable but super functional homework caddies for her children every back-to-school season. It’s a great idea to adopt because it helps to organise stationery in your home and injects colour into the dreaded routine of completing homework after school. When shopping for back-to-school supplies, pick out some fancier stationery for communal use among your kids.

4. Tidy Up Together
We’re being cheeky calling this “fun”, but tidying up the mudroom or coat and shoe racks ahead of the back to school season can help to reduce chaos in your home once school has started. Declutter footwear and jackets that your kids have outgrown and craft some fun, decorative touches with your child to display. Involving your child can help them feel proud of contributing to the family.

5. Plan Extra-Special after-School Snacks for the First Few Weeks of School
Make snack time family time. While you have the luxury of the summer break, why not plan some extra special after school snacks for the first few weeks of school to help your child look forward to them? Whether it’s baking cookies or freezing fruit popsicles in advance, it’s a great opportunity to bond with your child before school routines take over your days.

If your kid is running off for after-school activity, the best time for them to snack is 30 minutes before their activity. This leaves enough time for digestion and the fuels from the snack to start working.

6. Download Wacky Zoom Backgrounds in Advance
If your child will be doing some remote learning this coming school year—and if their teachers allow it—start hunting for some fun virtual backgrounds to inject some joy into their online classes. Here’s also a list of parent tips and tricks to keep your kid focused and balanced while learning from home.

7. Make New Morning Routine Charts
Morning routines are chaotic, so get your kids’ help by training them to be independent when getting ready for school with their school gear, like their backpack, in advance and perhaps, boost their mood with their choice of back-to-school essentials.

As your child grows older, they develop more executive functions which help them pay attention, remember instructions and multitask better. Based on the new skills they’ve acquired, design new morning routine charts where they increasingly become more independent in getting ready for school. As a bonus, customise the routine charts with your child’s favourite themes.

8. Read Books about the First Day of School
After spending their summer break at home, young children especially can feel separation anxiety in school. You can help to mentally prepare them for what to expect by reading books about going to a new school or returning to school. Let them know that fear and anxiety are normal feelings and that you trust your child is capable of acting in spite of them.

Check out these three popular titles among parents!

​9. Rehearse Drop-Offs & Pick-Ups
Talk to your child about how your family will be doing drop-offs and pick-ups once school starts. Drop by the school compound, rehearse the journey to and from school and show them where you’ll be sending them off and picking them up. Letting them know what to expect and giving them plenty of calm assurances can help to reduce their jitters about the coming school year.

Make this year’s back-to-school season extra joyful by trying out the suggestions above. Whether your child is filled with excitement or dread, embrace their feelings and support them through their journey so that they can succeed. Every child is different and each deserves to grow well over the upcoming school term. Parents, you got this!

 

Official Oddbods Team
Tinybeans Voices Contributor

Oddbods is more than an animation. We empower parents to transmit the Oddbods values to their children, supporting healthy development and growth. We're a non-dialogue, cartoon comedy series featuring seven unique and relatable characters who bring individual personalities to life; it builds friendships and encourages young children to celebrate individuality.

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These Mom Inventions Are Changing the Toy & Play Landscape

by Karly Wood

They say it takes a village and thankfully our tribe of moms is constantly churning out ways to help each other navigate parenting. Whether it’s inventions to reduce the daily amount of laundry, wooden baby toys that help with development or revolutionary lunch boxes that make kids excited to eat, moms have got each other’s backs. Keep scrolling to see the best mom-invented products for kids and babies.

Multicultural Play: ISH Dolls

When mom Amanda Ealla wanted to find a way for her kids to celebrate their diverse culture, ISH Dolls was created. These colorful plush dolls are designed to bring joy to children of all backgrounds and to introduce them to the avatars found in Hindu culture. This mom-owned business launched at the height of the pandemic in May 2020 with their first plush, Baby Krishna, and followed up with his companions Shiva, Lakshmi, Rama, and Sita, who will soon be joined by Durga and Saraswati (launching summer 2021).

Their clothing is designed to showcase the beauty of the culture while also empowering little ones. The Devi Collection features the goddesses Lakshmi, Durga and Saraswati with uplifting words that encourage positivity and self-expression. 

IG: @ISHDOLLS 

Online: ishdolls.com

Nostalgia on the Go: Play Maysie

Created by single adoptive mom Kayla Lupean, Play Maysie is a portable, customizable world in a case for the pint-sized bunch. Noted as “everything a dollhouse should be,” this toy is a gender-neutral classic childhood favorite that is made for adventures. Play Maysie’s design was inspired by the nostalgia of vintage tin lunchboxes. It folds out on both sides to showcase interchangeable, magnetic rooms with fixed wooden furniture—built for frustration free play, less mess and no more lost pieces! With an eye on teaching sustainability, each Play Maysie is made of eco-friendly, renewable materials for indoor and outdoor play either at home or on the go.  

At the core of the company's mission, for every three Play Maysie cases purchased, they will donate another one to a child who is entering the foster care system. Their hope is, with an integral sense of ownership, foster youth can open their Play Maysie case at any time to create an experience where they feel safe, secure, and in control during a time where nearly everything in their world is unfamiliar.

Online: playmaysie.com

STEM For All: SmartGurlz & Smart Buddies

SmartGurlz

When Sharmi Albrechtsen became frustrated trying to find educational and fun toys for her daughter in 2015, she took her experience in consumer education for STEM companies and took a leap. Seeing a world of opportunity to inspire interest in STEM-related subjects through coding, digital learning and tech, Albrechsten started SmartGurls, which later led to the creation of Smart Buddies. Using a tablet or smart phone, Smart Buddies programmable self-balancing scooters that kids code to do all sorts of actions, like zoom and spin. The introduction to coding further teaches kids to create sequences, loops, events, conditionals, functions, and variables and most importantly, get excited about STEM!

Online: smartbuddies.com

Cognitive Development for Every Age & Stage: Lovevery

Lovevery

Co-founder and CEO Jessica Rolph came up with the idea for Lovevery after reading a doctoral thesis on infant brain development. Also a founding partner at Happy Family, the mom of three wanted to nourish her baby's developing brain as much as his body. In response, she began making her own toys for cognitive development at each stage. Now, Lovevery offers subscription boxes with toys, tools and information that gives parents the confidence they are helping their kids learn and grow.

Online: lovevery.com

Montessori Delivered: Monti Kids

When Zahra Kassam learned that 85% of a child’s brain is formed by age three, before they even go to school, she knew that she had to do something, especially being a new parent herself. So, she created Monti Kids, the only program for children 0-3 that gives parents in-home access to the Montessori curriculum. Via an easy-to-use subscription service, parents receive eight levels of age-appropriate toys, delivered every three months, with free access to online classes, one-on-one support and a private community moderated by child development experts and Montessori.

Online: montikids.com

Mornings Made Easy: The Original Stretchlace

Original Stretchlace

It was during the morning-prep-for-school chaos when Jamie Montz came up with the idea for the Original Stretchlace. She had three boys all in different stages of learning to tie their shoes—the oldest still needed help re-lacing high tops, the middle was mastering tying (at a less-than-ideal pace) and the little one wanted to ditch the velcro for laces like his brothers. Oh boy! Jamie knew there had to be a better way so she scoured the market for elastic laces that looked good enough and instead she found elastic laces with locks, clips, clasps and boring colors. That wasn't going to cut it so the Original Stretchlace was born!

Online: theoriginalstretchlace.com

Nail Polish You Can Feel Good About: Piggy Paint

Piggy Paint

Melanie Hurley's girls were the motivation behind Piggy Paint, and they continue to inspire her daily. She started Piggy Paint when they were two and four as she was always concerned about the chemicals found in traditional nail polish. She started looking for a safer alternative and couldn’t find any. Thus, Piggy Paint was born! Piggy Paint is non-toxic, virtually odorless and free of all harsh, smelly chemicals. This water-based nail polish dries to a hard finish that doesn’t wash or peel off—cruelty-free, vegan and kid-friendly!

Online: piggypaint.com

Reduce Your Laundry One Towel at a Time: My Buddy Towel

Angelyn Myers, mom of six, turned the idea for My Buddy Towel into a product in less than a year. The Original My “Buddy” Towel® was created out of frustration (as are many good products)! Her daughter would always use three towels after a bath and Angie was tired of the unnecessary towel laundry piling up. She turned to Google to hopefully buy a solution. There were hooded kids towels, or bath robes, but she had already tried those with no luck. Angie needed something with full coverage, high absorbency that covered the whole body. She had frog and pink flamingo prototypes made and her daughter has only used one towel ever since—The Original My “Buddy” Towel®.

Online: mybuddytowel.com

Picky Eater Solution: OmieBox

Nancy Yen

Nancy Yen has over 15 years of experience bringing game-changing new products to market, with a focus in the kids and baby space. At Gap Inc. Nancy did merchandising and consumer insights, as well as supported the development of new store concepts (BabyGap Home). With an MBA from Stanford Business School, it’s no secret that she’s a savvy businesswoman. But when her own son, was a picky eater and underweight, she came up with possibly her best business idea yet! Searching for a lunchbox that could hold both hot and cold foods, she found there was nothing on the market—and OmieBox was born. It’s an innovative Bento-style food container that features separate temperature zones! You can find OmieBox at Amazon.com and the OmieLife website.

Shop for one here: omielife.com

Love Conquers All: Love Powered Littles

lovepowerco.com

Toronto moms Anna Lozano and Lindy Sood started Love Powered Co. in 2017 with the goal of improving the lives of families. After successful business careers, both moms wanted to achieve a better work-life balance, and also create positive change in the world using tools for mindfulness and compassion. They just debuted the Love Powered Littles Box Set, a set of 22 affirmation cards to help children affirm their own greatness—I am loved, I am compassionate, I am kind—and six bonus cards to help parents in this positive journey. These cards reaffirm children’s natural brilliance, power, compassion and strength. And we are betting they are going to be healing for parents too.

Online: lovepoweredco.com

Lighting It Up: RunLites

RunLites

Invented by an avid runner and working mother of three, Mary Tiffin created RunLites gloves and mittens because (like so many moms) she did most of her running and exercising at night and was frustrated by inefficient flashlights and headlamps. These gloves with built-in, rechargeable LED lights are comfortable, easy-to-wear and perfect for illuminating your path as you need it (and are also killer for helping you find stuff in the bottom of your giant purse). They are easy to spot and increase visibility dramatically. Tiffin also discovered that a glove with a built-in light added to her children’s visibility when walking at night or when waiting for the bus stop on winter mornings when it was still dark. They come in fingerless and full-gloved styles as well as mitten (and even a sling model for hotter months) and run from XS to larger sizes for adults and they even have a little pocket for you slide in cash and keys (We found the XS was a good fit for a child around 5 or 6, but it does depend on the size of your kiddo.). Prices range from $24.95 and up.

Online: gorunlites.com

Step to Success: easyGokids

easyGokids

Inventor and mom Wendi Cooper will be the first to tell you: kids with dangling feet while going to the bathroom face a host of issues including pain and discomfort. Not to mention that many children experience constipation and without proper toilet posture, this can go from bad to worse. From numbness to difficulty pushing and strain, Wendi knew there was a better way and she knew she wanted to help. While there are plenty of bathroom footstools out there, this is the first of its kind to fit right up against any toilet and easily tucks away when not in use so it never gets in the way. It comes in four different colors and takes up barely any room compared to other clunky stools. It is “compact, cool and discreet.” Your kiddos can sit with proper toilet posture and relax, every time, just like nature intended. Retail price start at $26.99.

Online: easyGokids.com

Literary Inclusion: Princess Cupcake Jones

Ylleya Fields was reading to her oldest daughter when she was surprised at how few books were available that featured African American characters. In response, the mom of four girls and two boys began writing her own stories that blended the personalities and physical traits of her own daughters into a lovable character: Princess Cupcake Jones. Now, the author has five books in her series, with an interactive website that features downloadable activities and merchandise all dedicated to her main character.

Online: princesscupcakejones.com

Read On: Literati Book Club

Kelly Carroll

Problem: Parents want their kids to have exposure to new and engaging books, but with so many new releases and busy, busy lives, they don’t always know what to choose (or have time to choose them). Solution: Literati Book Club, a subscription book service founded by two busy moms who wanted to make sure kids could get vetted, awesome new books delivered right to their door. Kelly Carroll teamed up with Jessica Ewing and started Literati Book Club. They work with top-educators and librarians to hand-pick five beautiful new books every month with a fun theme (science, friendship, adventure, history, etc.). You select the book club based on your kids' age and development (up to nine years old) and the books come each month. You have a week to read them, decide what you want to keep, and send the rest back. You are only charged for the ones you keep.  We love Literati so much we recommended it in our gift guide this year.

Online: literatibooks.com

—Kate Loweth, Amber Guetebier, Erin Lem and Karly Wood

All photos provided by companies 

 

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Urban Farming 101 for Portland Families

by Melissa Poulin

Portlanders  love the outdoors and animals, and with COVID keeping us close to home many families have considered growing and raising animals and plants for fun, hope, and sustenance. New to gardening and want to grow fresh food for your family this summer? Here’s our handy guide to getting your very own urban farm up and running. Read on for all the details on digging in!

Jonathan Hanna via unsplashed

Choose your garden location

You don’t need a ton of space to grow a lot of food! Even a sunny balcony or patio can yield a surprising amount. Be sure to choose a location that allows for maximum sun, but a little shade during part of the day is nice during the summer months, to keep tender veggies from burning. For minimal to no outdoor space, try a kitchen herb box on a windowsill, or contact Portland Parks & Recreation to find out about a low-cost community garden plot in one of more than 30 community gardens all over the city. Have a little more space? Container gardening is a great choice for balconies, patios, rentals, and small spaces. If you have room for a raised bed, there are resources for building a simple box of your own, and Portland Edible Gardens will even build one for you! Maximize space by choosing unused areas like parking strips and grassy medians between driveways. A water-hogging lawn can be transformed into an in-ground garden with a little effort, yielding big results.

Prepare the Soil

Good food grows from the soil up! If you want to feed yourself well, you need to feed the soil first. Portland Nursery has a wealth of information available on their website to help you determine soil health. Metro Master Gardeners, of the OSU Master Garden Extension program, can also help, including soil test kits to figure out the presence of lead and other potentially harmful toxins. Smaller container gardens and raised beds can be topped with bagged potting soil available at local nurseries. For larger raised beds and in-ground gardens, local topsoil options for delivery and pickup include Foster Fuel and Deans. For a slower burn, try lasagne-style sheet mulching to suppress grass and weeds. Layer cardboard, manure, and straw directly over the grass, and wait a month or two to harness the power of earthworms and microbes to turn it all into fertile soil. You can add a layer of topsoil before planting.

Make a Plan

For small raised beds, Square Foot Gardening is a great beginner method with gratifying high-yield results. Choose from dozens of books on the method or browse the official website for resources, including affordable online courses from certified instructors. The OSU Extension program has a short guide on raised bed planting as well. No matter what method you choose, draw a sketch of your garden and mark out what plants you plan to grow. Different plants have different germination-to-harvest rates, meaning you can grow quick-growing veggies like radishes in between rows of slower-growing carrots. You'll also want to think about how much space each plant will require. A sketch will help you estimate space requirements, as well as think ahead to fall and winter crops. Check out Portland Nursery's handy planting calendar for fruits and veggies to learn more. Keep your sketches in a designated folder or notebook so you can refer back to it later. For multiple beds and single beds alike, succession planting will help you rotate your crops and reduce pest pressure in future seasons. Take advantage of online instructional videos like the ones at Portland Edible Gardens.

 

 

Markus Spiske

Decide on Irrigation

Before you get your plants in the ground, it's a good idea to think about how you'll water them. Hand-watering with a hose, bucket, or watering can is the simplest choice, appropriate for containers and single raised beds. For multiple raised beds and larger areas, consider a soaker hose that you can wind through plants. Connect one end to your hose and let it irrigate plants while you weed or harvest. Raised bed irrigation kits take automated watering to the next level. Add a timer to take the guesswork out of it. For in-ground gardens, you can  purchase irrigation supplies in bulk for more savings.

Plant

Now the fun part! Get those plants in the ground! You can purchase starts (young plants in small containers) for most vegetables, but some plants do better from seed, like carrots and radishes, because they don't like to be moved. You may choose to plant certain things from seed to save money, or experience the magic of watching a plant grow. Consider your timing as well. If you're just getting started in June, for example, you may want to pick up larger tomato starts to ensure you get to eat those tasty ripe fruits before summer wanes. Lay out your plant starts (or draw lines in the soil if planting seeds), following package directions for spacing and seed depth. If you need extra guidance on planting or any of the steps above, Growing Gardens offers virtual consulting to meet your level of experience.

Tend and Harvest

For best results, keep soil loose, moist, and weed-free throughout the growing season. Read up on individual crop preferences. Potatoes, for example, need to dry out at a certain point to keep tubers from rotting underground. Alliums like garlic and onions have similar needs. Plan ahead so you can easily block water to those crops while watering others, using goof plugs on irrigation lines. Watch for pest pressure and consult local experts if you're having trouble defending crops against slugs, caterpillars, or other pests. Many organic methods exist to preserve your harvest while respecting Mother Nature! The Master Gardeners at OSU Extension Programs have a well-established Ask an Expert process for fielding your questions about pest control and many other gardening solutions.

Jan Babarook unsplashed

Chickens and Ducks

For even more of an urban farm experience, consider hosting your own flock! Portland allows for up to three backyard chickens or ducks without a permit, but roosters are prohibited. Buy chicks, pullets, and ducklings from established nurseries and hatcheries, who do their best to send you home with female birds. (Most offer a 90% sexing guarantee.) Due to recent high demand, you'll want to call ahead or email to join waiting lists. Naomi's Organic Farm Supply is nearing the end of their chick orders, but check the website for updates. They're also a great resource for hen and duck supplies! In Portland and Gresham, Burns Feed Store offers chicks from February through mid-August, and Woodburn's Pete's Hatchery will even mail your chicks to you!

Fun Projects with Kids

To get your child interested in gardening, read Lois Ehlert's Planting a Rainbow, then plant a rainbow garden together. Choose a mix of vegetables and flowers in every color. Try red tomatoes, orange marigolds, yellow sunflowers, "Green Envy" zinnias (or any leafy green), blue bachelor's buttons, and purple kale. Planning and planting a pizza garden is another fun way to get kids invested in tending crops from seed to table. Or build a fun structure like a sunflower house and let kids sit under the impressive canopy come high summer.

 

John Mcklung

Local Shops and Resources

The Portland Metro area is filled with nurseries, farm supply stores, and nonprofits ready to help you get growing. They're working hard during the pandemic to keep customers safe and supplied. So return the favor and buy local whenever possible! With a little planning and some patience, you can get everything you need locally to grow a great garden this year.

OSU Extension Master Gardener Program
Visit the website for your local extension office, and for more information on online events including free or low-cost classes in veggie gardening.

Online: extension.oregonstate.edu

Growing Gardens
3114 SE 50th Ave.
503-284-8420
info@growing-gardens.org
Online: growing-gardens.org

Portland Edible Gardens
503-893-9312
info@portlandediblegardens.com
Online: portlandediblegardens.com

Naomi's Organic Farm Supply
3454 SE Powell Blvd.
order@naomisorganic.com
Online: naomisorganic.blogspot.com

Coronavirus specifics: The shop is closed to the public, but open for online orders. Email your order on any day except Tuesdays and Wednesdays, when staff closes orders. Emails sent after 5 pm Monday and before opening on Thursday will be deleted. This is to stay on top of orders!

Portland Nursery
5050 SE Stark St.
503-231-5050
9000 SE Division St.
503-788-9000
Online: portlandnursery.com

Tony's Garden Center
10300 SE Holgate Blvd
503-760-7718
Online: tonysgarden.com

Coronavirus specifics: Store is open to the public. Wear a mask and observe social distancing guidelines. Taped markers throughout the nursery show appropriate distancing when waiting in line or browsing. Open Daily 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Garden Fever
3433 NE 24th Ave.
info@gardenfever.com
Online: gardenfever.com

Coronavirus specifics: Open for paid order pickup Wednesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Download and attach order forms online, and email. Staff will call to collect payment and explain pickup.

Burns Feed Store
29215 SE Orient Drive
Gresham, OR 97080
503-663-3246
Online: burnsfeed.com

Pete's Hatchery
13148 NE Portland Rd.
Gervais OR 97026
844-307-4777
Online: peteshatchery.com

Mt. Scott Fuel (soil)
6904 SE Foster Rd.
503-774-3241
Online: mtscottfuel.com

Deans Residential (soil)
6400 SE 101st Ave.
503-281-1637
Online: fineroutdoorliving.com

Wichita Feed and Hardware
6089 SE Johnson Creek Blvd.
503-775-6767
Online: wichitafeedandhardware.com

 

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