Author Archives 
Sand: what you need to know
by Jill on 7/06/11 | 3 Comment(s)
My kids happily play in the sand – beach or sandbox – for hours at a time. Now that Jenn has outgrown the sand-eating phase and is almost out of the sand-throwing phase, it’s fun for all of us. I have always rolled my eyes at my friend who won’t let her daughters play in [...]
Ticks: how to lick ‘em!
by Jill on 5/02/11 | 2 Comment(s)
Even in NYC we need to be aware of ticks. I have never found one on the kids or myself after a weekend in the park, but I have found them on the dog, so they must be out there somewhere! Per the NYC Department Health and Mental Hygiene website, there are two kinds of [...]
Awesome Allie: launch pad for fun
by Jill on 4/04/11 | 0 Comment(s)
I can’t remember the last time I went to see a kids’ show and was embarrassed by the lack of my 7th grade science knowledge. How could I not know that My Very Educated Mother Just Sat Upon Nine Pizzas was a crucial phrase for understanding the galaxy? For the rest of you who also [...]
Guess how many of us are still giving OTC cough/cold meds?
by Jill on 2/28/11 | 0 Comment(s)
In 2008, when the FDA issued its warning that we shouldn’t give children under 2 OTC cough or cold remedies, I dutifully tossed my infant versions of said medicines. We didn’t use them much, but I liked having them if I needed them and nothing soothes this worrying mother like a teaspoon of cough syrup [...]
PBS Design Squad visits- and you can win tickets!
by Jill on 1/11/11 | 4 Comment(s)
The first time my kids (5 and 3) went to the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) in Queens, they disappeared with my husband for the entire day; hours longer than I could have hoped. NYSCI has something for every age (or at least 3 – 40, in our case!) and boasts the largest collection [...]
Shop local: Brooklyn Holiday Markets and Craft Fairs
by Jill on 12/08/10 | 1 Comment(s)
While occasionally efficient, too much on-line holiday shopping can zap the holiday spirit right out of you. So once you realize you have been staring at your laptop for hours, (yes, I mean you!) just turn it off. Then, grab a friend, pretty up – whether that be by brushing your teeth or a putting [...]
Massive recall of Benadryl and Motrin…again (and don’t forget the Rolaids)
by Jill on 11/23/10 | 0 Comment(s)
Can you believe we are facing another recall from McNeil? Remember the last one where more than 40 varieties of Children and Infant’s Tylenol, Motrin, Benadryl and Zyrtec were recalled? This time the recall is for 4 million packages of Children’s Benadryl allergy tablets, 800,000 bottles of junior-strength Motrin caplets, and Rolaids Extra Strength Soft [...]
Recall: Hyland teething tablets with belladonna
by Jill on 10/26/10 | 1 Comment(s)
Fortunately, we have weathered the teething storm at our house, but if you are in the thick of it, please stop using Hyland’s Teething Tablets. The FDA has warned consumers to stop using them and the Standard Manufacturing Company, the product’s manufacturer, has voluntarily recalled the tablets. Consumers are advised to immediately stop using and [...]
Shopping Frenzy with daily discount sites
by Jill on 10/24/10 | 2 Comment(s)
“Hurry, hurry. The Plan Toy dollhouse voted Best “blah blah” is on sale for the next 24 hours!!” Since signing up for many of the sites (strictly as research for this article!), my in-box has been filled with spending possibilities. As I scroll through my emails in the morning, I consider the possibilities: a facial [...]
Cutest Etsy Halloween Costumes or DIY
by Jill on 10/06/10 | 1 Comment(s)
I am not clever, sadly. But I’m happy to give money to people who are clever, a la the folks who make the cool Halloween costumes at Etsy. Yes, some of the prices are steep and (to me) a little prohibitive, but not all of them. And if I’m going to spend 20 bucks on [...]
Warnings about sleep positioners
by Jill on 9/30/10 | 0 Comment(s)
When I read about the FDA stance on sleep positioners this morning, I was particularly troubled. Because although it never really helped, I tried using the one below when my son was an infant - the days when I would have tried anything to get him to sleep. The FDA and the Consumer Products Safety [...]
Fisher Price recall: 10 million toys!
by Jill on 9/30/10 | 0 Comment(s)
Fisher Price has recalled more than10 million childrens’ toys today because of a variety of potential dangers, including choking hazards and protruding pieces, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. The recalled toys include nearly 7 million tricycles, in which the several children fell on the trike’s pretend key. Also recalled were high chairs [...]
Bunk beds- should you or shouldn’t you?
by Jill on 8/11/10 | 1 Comment(s)
As my daughter approached 3 (still in a crib!) and my tall son seemed to be growing in the shape of a C in his toddler bed, I had to come up with a new sleeping solution.We don’t have a bedroom big enough for them to have two twin beds. We needed a compact solution. [...]
Vitamin D: Why you and your kids need it NOW
by Jill on 7/29/10 | 1 Comment(s)
This morning at breakfast, I remembered that the kids and I hadn’t taken our vitamins since before vacation, a week ago. Not really a big deal, though with all the press that vitamin D has gotten lately, I made sure the kids and I took ours today. What can happen if we don’t have enough [...]
Red bumps? Our kids have it- you?
by Jill on 7/27/10 | 5 Comment(s)
It’s ridiculously hot in NY today as I type; I’m terrified our electric company is going to break down yet I can’t bring myself to turn down the air conditioner, and my son Baker’s chest and back are COVERED in red bumps — so many red bumps that they run together into a giant red [...]
Looking for a cheap way to furnish your place? Brooklyn mom has the solution
by Jill on 7/26/10 | 2 Comment(s)
Conceived by a Brooklyn mom in 2007, Film Biz Recycling (FBR) was started as a means to combat the waste prevalent in the NY film industry. The Long Island City–based not-for-profit redirects props, dressing and building materials left over at the end of many local movie, tv show or commercial shoots. Instead of ending up [...]
Swimmers Ear: Not just from swimming
by Jill on 7/19/10 | 1 Comment(s)
With the temperatures in the 90s for too many days lately, everybody I know has been trying to cool off, generally in some sort of water. This might explain why so many of my friends’ kids have had swimmer’s ear this summer. So far, it has yet to visit my house, though I am ready [...]
Recall: Kellogg’s Cereals (yes, the ones most appealing to kids)
by Jill on 6/28/10 | 0 Comment(s)
I don’t buy them (though I love Apple Jacks!), but Jake and Jenn have been known to shake the babysitter down in the grocery store from time to time and suddenly there’s a box of Fruit Loops in the cabinet. Now the Kellogg Co. has recalled a few of our favorites, so go check your stash [...]
Recall: Drop-side & Fixed-Side Cribs: 2 mil!
by Jill on 6/28/10 | 0 Comment(s)
My daughter’s big-girl bed is being delivered today, and I have to say I’ll feel safer with her in a bed, given all the crib recalls lately. The US Consumer Product Safety Comission (CPSC) announced a voluntary recall last week by seven manufacturers of more than 2 million cribs! Per the press release, the recalling [...]
Your sunscreen B-team
by Jill on 6/22/10 | 2 Comment(s)
Shut up about the sunscreen, I’m sure you’re thinking. But lest it seem like I’m beating a dead horse, read on. Yes, we all know to use it and probably know how, even. Hopefully we all dutifully have found our favorite brand and ordered cases of it to prepare for summer. (Of course, we also [...]
Best sunscreens & moisturizers for your kids & you
by Jill on 6/13/10 | 3 Comment(s)
You can spend a small fortune on sunscreens (or gym memberships!), but none of it matters unless you use it. In a study conducted last year of 1,000 adults, Consumer Reports found that the 250 surveyed adults with children under the age of 12 “were no more likely than adults without young children to use [...]
Floyd Bennett Field: astronomy, camping, gardening, cycling, birding and more!
by Jill on 5/12/10 | 2 Comment(s)
In today’s NYTimes Frugal Traveler blog, Matt Gross talks about camping at Brooklyn’s Floyd Bennett Field. What fun – a city camping trip accessible by public transportation! If nothing else, it seems you and your urban kids could end up with a great story. You can see from the photo above where the campground is [...]
Simple Planting projects for Earth Day
by Jill on 4/22/10 | 1 Comment(s)
Now that the spring flowers are out and cherry blossoms have borne beautiful blooms, my son Jake and I decided to try planting something of our own. It has been a great way for us to talk about Earth Day and learn some science too. Jake’s bean plant was about as simple as it could [...]
Lice….yes, we have to talk about them
by Jill on 3/29/10 | 2 Comment(s)
So far, we have been lice lucky at our house, but I’m sure our time will come. In the meantime, every time that there is a “sighting” at school, we wait to enter our kids’ classroom while the rubber- gloved teachers root through the kids’ hair….. and the parents chat about nits and chemicals. Secretly, [...]
Are you pregnant? Then here’s your list!
by Jill on 3/25/10 | 0 Comment(s)
You are pregnant and you walk into a baby store for the first time. The first display you see are all those adorable newborn clothes. Then all the cute infant shoes, then all the bottles, breast pump accessories, pacifiers, babyproofing items, toys, monitors……It is overwhelming! The question is: what do you REALLY need to buy [...]
