Twas the Night Before Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house,

Not a creature was stirring, 

Except for myself.

My child was sleeping, all snug in his bed.

While visions of Nintendo games, flew through his head.

Only I heard the sound of reindeer hooves clatter,
Which made me sigh, "Now what's the matter?"

With ribbon and gift wrap still clutched in my hand,
I descended the stairs, and saw the old man.

He was covered with ashes and plenty of soot, 

Which fell with a shrug, all underfoot.
"Oh great," I muttered, "Now I have to clean the rug too."

"Ho-ho-ho!" cried Santa, "I'm glad you're awake."
"Your gift was especially difficult to make."

"Thanks, Santa, but all I want is some time alone."
"Exactly!" he chuckled, "I've made you a clone."

"A clone?" I asked, "What good is that?
Run along, Santa, I've no time for chit-chat."

She was my twin. Same hair, same eyes.
Same look of chagrin, same gaze of surprise.

"She'll cook, she'll dust, she'll mop every mess.
You relax, take it easy, read a book, go to bed."

"Fantastic!" I cheered. 

"My dream come true!
"I'll internet shop. I'll read. I'll sleep the whole night through! "

From the room above, my son began to fret.
"Mommy?! I’m scared...is Santa here yet?"
The clone replied, "I'm coming, sweetheart."
"Hey," I smiled, "She knows her part."

The clone went to comfort my son with a tune.
"You’re the best Mommy ever. " I heard my son swoon.

“I really love you." The clone smiled and sighed, 

"I love you, too," my sweet son replied.

I frowned and I said, "Sorry, Santa, no deal. "
“That's my child's love, she's trying to steal."

Smiling wisely Santa said, "To me it is clear, "
Only one loving mother, is needed here."

I kissed my child, and tucked him into bed.
"Thank you, Santa, for clearing my head.
I sometimes forget, it won't be very long,
When he'll be too old, for my cradle-song."

The clock on the mantle began to chime.
Santa said to the clone, "It works every time."
With the clone by his side, Santa merrily said, "Merry Christmas to all!”

To me he whispered, “And to you, a good night!”

We wish all our readers a very Happy New Year!!

Cara’s Holiday Stress Relievers - by Cara Potapshyn Meyers

Dream Water

Dream Water is the first all natural sleep enhancer. It is perfect for Motherhood Later...Than Sooner readers, especially during the holiday season. Just in time for holiday travel! With everyone running around getting ready to celebrate, we could all use good nights of sleep!

Dream Water helps you relax and fall asleep fast and has zero calories, no preservatives and natural active ingredients (GABA, Melatonin, 5-HTP). Dream Water is TSA approved in its 2.5 oz shot, which makes it the perfect travel companion.

My husband tried Dream Water versus his usual melatonin tablet. He reported that he fell asleep faster and felt that he slept more solidly. He also loves all natural products, so he plans to purchase Dream Water in bulk. 

We were given samples of Lullaby Lemon and Pineapple flavors. The pineapple flavor was my husband’s favorite! He said the lemon had a nice, soothing taste to it, however. Dream Water also comes in Snoozeberry.

Bill Clinton, Cate Blanchett, Alec Baldwin, Bruce Willis, Kristin Chenowith, Katherine McPhee & Khloe Kardashian, are all fans of Dream Water, along with over 70 Million Americans who can’t sleep.

Dream Water is excited to announce a retail alliance with CVS/Pharmacy making Dream Water available in over 20,000 points of sale nationwide! Dream Water can be found in Walmart, Walgreens, Hudson News, Duane Reade as well as airport retailers. The Dream Water website is: www.drinkdreamwater.com. Or “like” them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dreamwater.

Shanti Generation:

Yoga Skills for Youth Peacemakers

Yoga, practiced by nearly 14 million American adults, has developmental benefits for young people that can help develop self-confidence, combat obesity, and support academic achievement. Yoga has helped children with ADHD, Autism and chronic disease to stay physically healthy and mentally focused.  

Abby Wills, MA, is a Southern California yoga instructor, who holds an MA in Education and has 15 years of hands-on experience working in schools. Her unique insights enable her to understand the specific needs of the educator and the day-to-day classroom experience as well as developing tools for a teacher without a yoga background. She has developed an innovative yoga program created in tandem with seven Los Angeles teenagers and set to soothing music by Aaron Wills (aka P-Nut), the bassist of the rock band, 311. The result, SHANTI GENERATION. 

This DVD is making it easier to introduce the lifelong benefits of yoga into schools by making it classroom friendly. With the help of young teens, Abby Wills developed a transformational new yoga program to help tweens and teens develop confidence and strength while cultivating inner peace and mindfulness. The first DVD in the series, ‘YOGA SKILLS FOR YOUTH PEACEMAKERS,’ offers invaluable tools for children ages 7-16  and is now on DVD at major retail outlets as well as its five digital “pathways” available on VOD platforms.

“Shanti,” means “peace” in Sanskrit. In fact, says Wills, “We plan to build a movement by teaching young people peacemaking skills, to build a world that respects and celebrates differences in effort to create a culture of peace and unity. The yoga program we developed cultivates social and emotional learning, or SEL, through mindfulness practices including movement, breathing and meditation. Each practice is offered in a context directly relevant to the developmental needs of adolescent youth, unlike yoga DVDs created for adults or young kids. In particular, the program is designed to empower teens to cope with real life challenges, including bullying.”

DVD FEATURES:

·         Over 30 unique options for beginner and experienced yogis:

o       5 unique half-hour practice sequences: Creating Happiness, Energy Amplified, Choosing Peace, Being Sound and Voice Choice Possibility  

o       Library of Poses: 18 mini sequences for Focus, Energy and Calm 

o       Breathing Room: 5 sequences featuring stress management and self-regulation.

o       Self-Connection Room: two mindful awareness practices.

·         Interviews with the seven teen yoga students.

·         Optional narration in Spanish and Japanese.

DIGITAL PATHWAYS AVAILABLE ON VOD:

Five segments, each between twenty to thirty minutes, are available to purchase download or rent online on portals such as Netflix, iTunes, and Amazon.  These pathways include:

1. Creating Happiness: Looking for happiness? Get flexible! Breathe and move your way into happiness with forward bends for flexibility. True happiness comes through shining health.
2. Energy Amplified: Balancing and core strengthening postures give you what no energy drink ever can: sustainable body energy to power your life. Get strong, be healthy.
3. Choosing Peace: Peace is a behavior you can choose at any moment, no matter what. Get your mind on board with your breath for a peaceful journey through standing poses, backbends and forward bends designed to empower you to find your own peace inside.
4. Being Sound: Twist, bend and relax your way to deep peace. To be sound is to be free and secure at the same time. Be vibrant and radiate peace.
5. Voice Choice Possibility: Take a moment to remember what you really want and fuel up on positive energy to make your dreams come true. Breathe, visualize and move the way you want to feel.

If you have a child or tween stressed out from exams and an overload of projects before the Winter Recess, buy your child the gift of inner peace. And join them! You could probably use a little inner peace as well!

The DVD retails for $16.95  and is 90 minutes long. For more information and updates, please visit: www.cinemalibrestudio.com.

Note: Thanks to Cinema Libre Studio and Jonesworks, Inc. for providing sample products.  Cara Potapshyn Meyers and MotherhoodLater.com assume no liability relative to products reviewed in this blog.

Helping Children Deal with Loss and Grief of a Pet

My son saying goodbye to his favorite companion

It has been a little over five weeks since the loss of our beloved female dog. During this time, my son has been acting oddly, with no real explanation for his behavior. He has been going to the school nurse with various maladies. The nurse knew of our loss, so she has been very caring and tolerant of his visits to her.

My son had been complaining about headaches, stomach aches, eye problems, neck strain...and he has been biting his fingernails half way down his nail beds. As a mother, knowing your child is suffering inside, is excruciatingly painful. We read appropriate books for children on the loss of a pet. I spent countless hours having conversations with my son about his feelings of losing our dog. Still, days and weeks have gone by and my son has lost interest in his normal activities. My husband and I even spent our entire parent/teacher conference discussing my son, his behaviors and his apparent disinterest in school activities due to his grief.

The first thing we did was to speak with the school psychologist about having our son meet with her a few times. She readily agreed to do so. I then decided to do an Internet search on how children grieve and what could be done to help my son through his grief.

I learned that children grieve very differently from adults. The death of a family pet is often the first death experienced by a child. Children naturally develop strong attachments to companion animals, relating to them as siblings, playmates, confidants and even imaginary protectors. Although children experience grief differently than adults, they do grieve. They need support and guidance to understand their loss, to mourn that loss, and to find ways to remember and memorialize their deceased loved one. Children look to us for guidance in word as well action. The death of a beloved pet presents an emotional stress, even for a well-adjusted adult. Thus, it is important for adults to access bereavement supports in order to deal with their emotions and be more effective parents for their children. Also, we must avoid projecting our own overconcerns on a child, creating problems that would not have otherwise existed.

There are age related stages related to the death of a pet. For my eight year old son, children in his age group know that death is irreversible. They do not normally think this might happen to them, but they may be concerned about the death of their parents. My son mentioned to me that I had to live to at least 90 years old. They are very curious and may ask questions that appear morbid. These questions are natural and are best answered frankly and honestly. At this age they may manifest their grief in many ways, such as school problems, anti-social behavior, somatic or physical concerns, aggression, and withdrawal or clinging behavior. As with young children, it is important that they be reassured that they did not do or say anything that caused the death.

A child’s ability to cope with an animal companion’s death can be compromised by other stresses, such as parental or sibling conflict, mental health issues, and other family pressures. Children in high stress families often develop early dependencies and attachments with a family pet. When that companion dies, it may create a crisis for that child.

As adult helpers and caregivers, we need to be mindful of our own loss history and any gaps in bereavement support for us, particularly when we were children. Many of us have early memories of a pet loss. They may be punctuated with resentment due to a lack of factual information or parental preparation regarding a pet’s death. Too often, we still have feelings that we were excluded from opportunities to say goodbye to a beloved animal, when we were children. In order to adequately support our children now, when they are facing the loss of a pet, we need to heal our wounded hearts, and be mindful of our own “inner child” that may also grieve deeply when a family pet dies. In a too-busy world, so many of us have lost contact with that. Adult relationships with beloved companion animals tend to evoke our own more child-like qualities. And when we lose a pet we can be left feeling bereft, ourselves, longing for the very comfort that we now need to provide our children.

The loss of a pet can be a significant source of grief in a family. Indeed, it is the loss of a beloved member. That can lead to disorganization in family functioning, due to bereavement and changes in routines. New ones will have to be created, and it can be beneficial to discuss this. Children will need support to cope with the changes - as well as to understand the emotional impact on everyone, including their parents. It is important to show them it is good for families to react and grieve together.

When a child loses a beloved pet it is advisable to inform other significant people in your child’s life. This includes teachers, the school nurse, even the school social worker or school psychologist. We chose to involve everyone mentioned. They are in an excellent position to observe and understand any significant changes in our child. There may be an onset of daydreaming in class (noted by our son’s teacher), or at home. Homework may not get done (which has been occurring), and participation in class may drop noticeably. Appetite and sleep habits may change, or the child may become quiet, or even irritable. These are all signs that need to be addressed. Children can’t cope by themselves, and will need all the understanding and support available. Sometimes, if requested, a good teacher will schedule class time to talk about pets and their death. The loss of a beloved companion animal is often our children’s first real encounter with death, and that experience will remain and affect them for the rest of their lives. They need their adult role models to learn appropriate responses. We can help them by better coping with our own emotional problems associated with loss, death and dying. It is never too late to develop skills and approaches for yourself, that will also enhance your child’s growing ability to deal with this kind of traumatic loss.

Through my research on this subject I came across a suggestion to help with a child’s grief that never occurred to me: Memorialize your pet. According to an article called, Grief and Children, by Kimberly L. Keith, children need good distractions from fixation on the death of a pet. The following is a list of ways Ms. Keith provides, to creatively memorialize a pet.

• Encourage children to express their grief by drawing pictures of their pet, and sharing what the pictures mean to them. Always listen to what they have to say, and praise them for their thoughts. If a child would like the picture put in his/her room, then honor that wish. It could keep the pet closer to the child at bedtime until the grief has subsided.
• Make a scrapbook or log with photos as well as drawn pictures of the pet and family members. Write memories beneath or beside them. Humorous instances should be included on the pages - which can help develop associations with happiness each time the book is opened. Other small items such as a dogtag, or small toy, can be included, as well as sympathy cards, and letters. You can find some very nice packages on the market, for making scrapbooks.

• Planting a living memorial, such as a tree or bush in memory of a pet, can feel very satisfying. Making a small flower bed in a spot that was favored by the pet, can also be a fine memorial that brings some closure to the grief.
• Some people have a ritual of lighting candles on anniversaries, and reminiscing about their life with their pets. This offers them a special sense of comfort and respect. Let children participate in this.

We chose to get a memorial rock, to place in our rock garden which will have our dog’s name, date of death, and a paw print etched into it. Once it arrives, we will have a memorial service to honor our sweet dog. Each family member will have the opportunity to say what they loved about our dog and what she used to do that made us laugh. This will hopefully lead to some closure for our son.

There is a lovely, short story, written by Wallace Sife, Ph.D. from his article: All Pets Go to Heaven. To read the full story, click here.

As the last line states:

“Heaven is love, and and pets always share that with us.”

Cara's Holiday Goodies from GrandCamp Adventures

GrandCamp Adventures is a company dedicated to delivering toys and activities that help kids have fun and strengthen their relationship with their family members...especially grandparents! The products are beautiful and would make great kids' holiday gift items whether for a toddler, adventure seeker, or bookworm!

Here We Go!

Around the World Family Adventure Storybook

by

Walter Sorrells and Victor Tavares

If there is a bookworm in your home, this book is sure please! Here We Go! Around the World Family Adventure StoryBook is a beautifully illustrated book for any child who enjoys an adventurous and magical bedtime story. The book is about a set of adventure seeking grandparents and grandkids who, with the assistance of papa’s magical compass, circle the world to recover their lost treasures. Along the way, children Savannah, Luca, Aidan and their “Pa-Parents” get to know more about each other and the world around them. They discover faraway lands and traditions, breach castle walls, survive a brush with quicksand and meet a stowaway meerkat. My eight-year-old son found this book very captivating. He loved the fact that the “Magic Compass” helped the characters find their missing treasures all across the globe! Here We Go! Storybook is perfect for ages 7+ and is available for $18.95. 

Shake it Up! 

3- in- 1 Handshake Game

Secret handshakes have become a popular way to show that you are a member of a group. Great times are in store as you create your own Grandparent/Grandchild secret handshake with the guidance of 24 handshake cards.  Turn the cards over and solve the floor puzzle picture from the Here We Go! Storybook Adventure.  Enjoy these fun games at home, on vacation, or anytime you've got a few minutes for GrandCamping. 

FEATURES

• Includes three different games
• Shake It Up Handshake
• Shake It Up Memory Game
• Shake It Up Storybook Puzzle
• Handshake 101- the history of the handshake
• 3 Levels of difficulty to ensure fun for all ages

I had my son play this game with his grandparents. They had the best time making up their own “secret” handshakes (my son told me I had to close my eyes!). Because we had read the Here We Go! Storybook the day before, my son and his grandparents had a fun time trying to figure out the Storybook Puzzle. This is certainly a game that is fun for all! Suggested age: 5+. Available at local retailers and www.GrandCamp.com for $16.99

Here We Go! Music CD

Ahoy Matey! Hear pirates singing in their search for treasure or join in with a “mob” of Meerkats in a chorus all about family with original music, along with a few classics from GrandCamp Adventures.  These songs bring everyone to their feet from blues to bluegrass to reggae and even a lullaby, the CD features 10 songs, including 8 originals that cover a broad spectrum of musical genre sure to appeal to both young and old. My son and I listened to this CD and found ourselves holding hands and dancing around the room! We particularly liked, “We’re a Meerkat Family,” “Backwards Day” and “Love and Happiness for You.” What makes this CD even more special are songs specifically for children and  their grandparents to enjoy together. These include, “Nobody Loves Me Like My Grandma,” “Old Granddad” and “Nobody Loves Me Like My Grandma” sung as a lullaby. Here We Go is available at local retailers, iTunes and www.GrandCamp.com for $12.00.

Other GrandCamp items which are quite appealing include:

Meerkat Family Cuddly Collectables

Don’t just buy any cuddly stuffed animal! Begin your cuddly stuffed animal collection with the entire Meerkat family—perfect for the animal lover. A great reminder of the fun adventures you’ve been on as well as traveling companions for adventures yet to come, these high quality plush animals make the perfect gift for grandparents to give their grandchildren. The only plush animal line created just for grandparents and grandkids, these high quality characters are sure to become a part of your family. Buy them all together for greater savings and then give them one at a time or all at once. Available at $49.00 and up.

Longbeard’s Treasure Hunt

What’s not to love about a treasure hunt? The Longbeard’s Treasure Hunt activity features a note from a colorful pirate character as well as treasure maps, clues, coins and special action cards. Explore how the adventure evolves in a way that will have kids and adults scrambling from clue to clue to find hidden treasures. Available for $54.99.

Note: Thanks to GrandCamp Adventures for providing sample products.  Cara Potapshyn Meyers and MotherhoodLater.com assume no liability relative to products reviewed in this blog.

Interfaith Holiday Mayhem

It is November 30th. The stores have had holiday decorations up since the beginning of November. Greeting cards for the holidays have been out for roughly the same amount of time. Even holiday music has been playing on the radio for the past couple weeks. Worst of all, my son has been making up his gift lists for both Hanukkah and Christmas.

We are raising our son in the Jewish faith, so we celebrate Hanukkah. Since I am not Jewish, we also put up a “Christmas” tree purely to celebrate my holiday traditions. There has never been any religious affiliations with our tree discussed in our home. I never even mentioned Santa. When my son was young though, he picked up on the notion of Santa and the bringing of gifts very early on. 

We obliged his fantasy when he was younger. I thought that because we live in a predominantly Jewish community, his fantasy of Santa would fade at an early age. No such luck. My son is still steadfast in his belief of Santa. His belief is adamant to the point that some children in his school vehemently told him that he was not Jewish because not only did he still believe in Santa, but that I was not Jewish, therefore he was definitely not Jewish (by definition, some Jewish communities believe that the child MUST be born to a Jewish mother to be considered completely Jewish. We belong to a Reform Temple that states that if one parent is Jewish, then the child is considered Jewish.) 

My son came to me saddened and confused the other day. We had a VERY long discussion about this tender issue. I first had to explain to him that regardless what others thought about him being Jewish, our Temple recognizes him as Jewish, therefore he WAS Jewish. You could see his whole body relax from that explanation. I subtlety also addressed the fact that he was a better person than the children who were judging him and making him feel bad about himself. My son is quite aware that we do not judge anyone else based on what they look like, believe in, or practice. My sister-in-law is from India, so we have discussed tolerance of other cultures and beliefs from a very early age.

I explained further that although I was not born Jewish, I still embrace Judaism through taking courses at our Temple and trying to learn Hebrew. I even have my son participate in Shabbat services at sundown on Friday nights and will be taking him to Shabbat services throughout the year (Shabbat is a Jewish practice through prayer and a meal, performed at sundown, and carried through as a “day of rest” all day Saturday until one hour past sundown, Saturday night).

As for our “tree,” I explained that I grew up with holiday traditions that are not embraced by Judaism, however it brings back warm, special memories for me seeing a sparkling tree decorated with a slew of my mother’s handmade ornaments. My heart swells every year when I decorate that tree since my mother died when I was only 19 years old.

About Santa...I felt as if I had to almost dig out the Polar Express DVD we have. I had been hoping that my son would have given up the notion of Santa way before now. My son, however, insists that Santa still exists. Knowing his personality, he probably wants to “prove” to his naysayer peers that they are wrong. Whatever the case, my son still “believes.” He still has his list for Santa as well as his list for Hanukkah (lucky kid, I often tell him!), with his lists getting longer and consequently more expensive. I think that when Santa does not deliver the $400 Lego set my son is craving, the reality of Santa may finally be over. We will see. Since I don’t know what small items my son wants for Hanukkah, and he knows we buy him those gifts, he has been pointing out some Nintendo games that he would like and some inexpensive action figures he is desiring. 

Interfaith holidays...so complex and confusing to children. Yet giving up my “holiday tree” would take away so much pleasure for me. I embrace our multiple Menorahs we light up every year. I also have Hanukkah decorations that fill our home. I even have been collecting dreidels (spinning tops used in a traditional Jewish game played during Hanukkah) for my son, every year since he has been born. I write a heartfelt message on the boxes and date them so that he will have a collection of them, from me, once he is older. They are made out of all types of material: clay, metal, glass, wood. His first one is made from bone china. Yet the complexity remains.

I wonder if my son will be asking me next year, “Mommy? Is there really a Santa Claus?”

Going Biblical on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving. I've always loved Thanksgiving. It’s my favorite holiday. There are no gifts to give. There is no religious affiliation. It always centered on family for me. A crackling fire in the fireplace. Lounging around in comfy clothes. Helping and testing the homemade delectables being prepared and cooked. I've had many wonderful memories of Thanksgiving.

Once I married, I started making the turkey for my extended family. No amount of preparation squelched my enthusiasm for making the most delicious turkey I could possibly present. I never let anyone down. I basked in the delicious aroma that permeated my house! Most important, I adore almost all traditional Thanksgiving food! Yes, even the cranberry sauce, even if it is canned!

Last year was the first year my husband and I began sharing holidays with my son independently. What is most important to me is that my son is with whichever household has other children he can play with. My lawyer goes nuts when I bring this up, but my son's happiness supersedes my "turn" to have my son on a holiday. I will probably always have my son for Christmas purely for the fact that my husband is Jewish. I am always invited to my BFF's home. She has a son who is my son's age and her sister has two slightly younger children of her own. My son has a fantastic time when he is there! Conversely, my in-laws usually have either my son's cousins over on Thanksgiving or friends who have children close to my son's age. Why would I want to deprive my son fun on a holiday purely because the judicial system says it has to be "fair and balanced." I don't give a hoot about "fair and balanced!" I care about what is in the best interest of my son.

Well, I have no meal plans this year for Thanksgiving. My son will be going to my in-law's, where other children will also be present. I will have my son until about 1pm. We'll watch the parade in our pajamas and do some quiet things together. Then I have something very unusual planned for myself. I will be going into NYC to see an exhibit of the "Dead Sea Scrolls." For those of you who are unfamiliar with this, these scrolls are a collection of 972 texts from the Hebrew Bible and extra-biblical documents found between 1947 and 1956 on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea, from which they derive their name. The texts are of great religious and historical significance, as they include the oldest known surviving copies of Biblical and extra-biblical documents. They are written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. These manuscripts generally date between 150 BCE and 70 CE.

I have a passion and growing interest in theology, so, for me, this will be a special treat. I will be going in the late afternoon, once the throngs of parade watchers have moved on to gather at their feasts. I am looking forward to seeing something biblical, up close, yielding awe. The fact that these scrolls lasted a couple thousand years and are somewhat intact, is an amazement in itself.

For this Thanksgiving, I am shaking things up a bit. While I used to love Thanksgiving for it’s non-religious affiliations, I am now bringing a little bit of historic theology to this holiday. I am also doing something purely for myself. And, thankfully, I won’t be gorging on food and the extra calories my body doesn’t need.

I may make a small turkey breast for my Maxi dog and myself. I’ll add a baked sweet potato for color, but that’s about it. A nice, quiet Thanksgiving. Even if I’m making it biblical!

Wishing all of our readers a very festive,

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Children’s Book Review: The Super Adventures of Sophie and the City

The Super Adventures of Sophie and the City: 

All in a Days Work

by

Kelly Florio Kasouf

Come explore New York City with Sophie as she travels to different worlds in her Daddy's office building! Learn about fashion, design, weddings, and the glamorous life inside magazine publishing. Even though Sophie enjoys her time discovering new and magical worlds on each floor, she realizes it is more fun to share amazing experiences with the ones you love, your family. See New York City through the eyes of a curious, adventurous, and imaginative little girl.

Sophie comes from a very posh world. Her clothes are designer clothes. Her Father’s car is a Mercedes. She comes from a life that just about every little girl fantasizes about!

While visiting her Father’s office, she enters the imaginary world of fashion. She is introduced to the legendary women trendsetters in fashion and how they set the pace for designers to become more creative. The book describes how famous clothing designers conjure up their inspirations.

Sophie also shares her imaginary desires to visit exotic places, see lavish parties and attend sophisticated weddings.

In the end, though, Sophie realizes that her biggest inspiration wasn’t anything she saw in her Father’s building. It was right in front of her!

The Super Adventures of Sophie and the City is a beautifully illustrated, tender book about materialism versus love of family. The story is gloriously accentuated by elaborate watercolor drawings and scrolled type. It is truly a work of art in every respect.

About the Author:

Kelly Florio Kasouf was raised on the North Shore of Long Island and majored in studio art with a concentration in Printmaking and bookmaking at the College of the Holy Cross. After graduating, it was only a matter of time before she found herself back at the company her father lived for, Condé Nast Publications, where she soon began her career as an intern, then a merchandising assistant at Vanity Fair, and finally a special events manager at Vogue. From visiting as a young girl to interning to working, Kelly grew up inside the walls of Condé Nast. This story is an homage to her father, who passed away in December 2007, and to those in the industry who truly loved him as a leader, a man, and above all, a great storyteller. This is her first children's book. The stories are partially based on life experience.

About the Illustrator:

Judit García-Talavera was born in the Canary Islands of Spain, Judit has always been surrounded by beauty. After attending an arts-oriented high school, Judit first fell in love with illustration as a means of capturing the beauty around her. She earned a degree in Fine Arts at the Universidad de La Laguna, and has participated in several workshops in the Canary Islands, such as the Centro de Arte Gráfico La Recova in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. In 2004 she moved to Barcelona to continue her studies in illustration at the Massana Permanent Academy. Judit presently lives and works in Barcelona.

Currently available for $29.99 exclusively at Barneys stores in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas and Chicago or http://superadventuresofsophie.com

The Super Adventures of Sophie and the City will soon be available as an App
in the iTunes App Store. Check back soon.

Products to Get You Through the Cold and Illness Season While Educating Your Children- by Cara Potapshyn Meyers

Maty’s 

Get Better. Be Better.

All Natural Products

Timing is everything. These products are no exception. My entire family came down with sinus infections over the past week. I received several products from the Maty’s line to try and blog a review. Maty’s Healthy Products is a line of all natural, homeopathic and gluten-free cough and cold remedies that are safe and effective to use on infants (three months) and adults. All I can say is, thank goodness! We were all suffering and Maty’s All Natural cough and cold products were a welcome relief.

The Products Include:

• All Natural Cough Syrup with antioxidant-rich Buckwheat Honey
• All Natural Baby Chest Rub – with immune-boosting soothing essential oils
• All Natural Kids Cough Syrup with banana-caramel taste
• Breath Better Nasal Ointment
• All Natural Vapor Rub

I first tried the All Natural Cough Syrup, made with antioxidant rich Buckwheat Honey along with nine immune support ingredients. We were sent an unflavored sample for adults and a caramel banana flavored sample for children. My son is not a big fan of anything sweet, so he tried the adult sample, in the children’s dose, while I tried the flavored syrup. Since he was not up to trying the flavored syrup, I sampled the unflavored one. Oddly, I liked the flavored syrup over the unflavored, while my son preferred the unflavored. Although the cough syrups are marketed for children and adults independently, because the products are all natural, adults can take the children’s products and children over one year of age can take the adult products. The only difference is the dosage.

My husband tried Maty’s Breathe Better Nasal Ointment. I asked him to sample this one because I know that he has used similar nasal ointment products by other companies in the past. I wanted a discerning consumer’s opinion. Because the ointment has lemon balm in it, my husband said that he liked inhaling the soothing smell. He said it also dispersed in the nasal cavity more smoothly than other products he has tried in the past. My husband said he would continue to use this nasal ointment over others he has tried. He is a big fan of all natural products. This one won him over!

Finally, we were given samples of Maty”s All Natural Chest Rub. I’m a big fan of vapor chest rubs because they bring back wonderful memories of my Mother rubbing my chest and lower neck with the camphor scented ointment. What I loved about Maty’s Vapor Rub is that it has eucalyptus, wintergreen and peppermint! A much more delicate scent combination than the camphor I remember. I didn’t feel overwhelmed by the scent. There was even a Maty’s Mom Tip: “For a unique and effective method of application, rub on bottom of feet.” How pampering with a pair of warm socks on!

My son does not like ointments on him, so I tried the Baby Chest Rub. I compared it with a container of another brand name baby chest rub I had been using up since my son wouldn’t use it. Again, the scent was so much less overpowering. It was a beautiful combination of eucalyptus, lavender and chamomile. A wonderful combination for a congested baby.

Maty’s All Natural products are now a welcome addition to our house. If you prefer using all natural remedies when your family members are sick, give Maty's products a try. Since I began writing this review, my cough has quieted already! Check out these products at: www.matyshealthyproducts.com. The full line is launching early winter and products will be available at local grocery stores and pharmacies (Stop & Shop, Rite Aid, Duane Reade, etc.)

Imagine It! 

DVD

Since my son was home from school and we were still sick, we decided to watch an extremely intriguing documentary, Imagine It! My son is a very science focused person, so I thought that this DVD would be of interest to him. I was absolutely correct!

IMAGINE IT poses the question: What if you imagined a better world, then engaged in making it happen? The film encourages children to pursue an education in the field of math and science to create the changes they would like to see in a world that they would want to live in. Educators profess with confidence that the best way to predict the future is to invent it and considering that half of the world’s population is under the age of 25 (that’s 3 billion people) there is considerable potential for a new future of creators. As one of the greatest creative minds, Walt Disney, said “All of our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.”

Imagine It! is designed to provide a forum for discussion around the power of big ideas in action and to inspire people to imagine a better world by connecting imagination and creativity with science and engineering in education.

With this DVD, you get to hear from innovators, scientists and authors, such as Ray Kurtzweil and Sally Ride, who are joining a movement to get creative thinking and the arts back into schools. Imagine It! will help the public to have a better understanding of the importance of science, engineering and technology and hopes to inspire the next generation of innovators.

The 52-minute film reports on the promise of a new youth culture engaging their curiosity to change the world, empowered by science, technology, education and desire. It is about connecting imagination and creativity with science and engineering in education. 

 IMAGINE IT! features the following experts and thought-leaders:

• Ray Kurzweil – Futurist and Author, The Singularity is Near
• Sally Ride – Physicist, NASA astronaut, first American woman in space

• Chris Wink, Phil Stanton, Matt Goldman – Co-Founders, The Blue Man Group

• Charles Vest – Former President of MIT, current President of the National Academy of Engineering
• Sir Ken Robinson – Author, All Our Futures: Creativity, Culture and Education

DVD EXTRA:

• The Post-It® Challenge – An experiment for students all over the world to add value to a pack of Post-It® Notes...in just 6 days! My son was scavaging the house for post-its so that he could participate in the challenge! A true creator, my son.

Iliza Shlesinger, winner of NBC’s Last Comic Standing, stars as the host of this documentary. Director Rudy Poe co-founded the Imagine It! Project with Richard Tavener. The non-profit company’s mission is to promote the power of imagination and the importance of living a creative life. His mantra is Experience for today. Vision for tomorrow.

Imagine It! is available for $19.95 as a DVD or Digital Download. 

http://www.imagineitproject.com/

Note: Thanks to the above companies for providing sample products.  Cara Potapshyn Meyers and MotherhoodLater.com assume no liability relative to products reviewed in this blog.

Addendum to last week’s blog, Wicked October: Our Sweet Lama LuLu dog passed into Doggie Heaven on Friday, November 4, 2011. She will be missed dearly.