August P&K Picks

The Night Before Kindergarten

By Natasha Wing

“'Twas the night before kindergarten, and as they prepared,
kids were excited,
and a little bit scared.”

I read this book to my preschooler last summer as we prepared for his official debut into the school system. The fun rhymes relate to what is surely on your child’s mind and it even tackles Mom and Dad’s emotions, too.

($3.99, Penquin Press, www.amazon.com)

The Kissing Hand

By Audrey Penn

This classic is for any parent and child who need a tender reminder of one another once they are separated during school days. My daughter loved this book, especially because it contains a sweet idea you can use. Mom or Dad simply kisses the palm of their child’s hand and if they feel sad during the day, they can place it on her cheek. Simple act, profound results.

($16.95 hardcover, www.amazon.com)

The MOM Book

4,278 of Mom Central’s Tips…for Moms, from Moms

By Stacy M. DeBroff

This is the mother of all mothering books. Approach it as if it were a cookbook and you can easily turn to one of the 600+ pages and find what you’re looking for including:

• How to find a nanny (word of mouth, place an ad, share with another family)

• How to arrive home from work in an upbeat mood (use your commute time as transition time, have easy appetizers ready to tide everyone over, do not discuss touchy subjects while everyone is tired and/or hungry)

• How to socialize your child (alternatives to saying no, ways to find a playgroup, understanding why kids whine)

• How to get organized (buying clothes, dealing with clutter, prioritizing and keeping track of family life)

Ideas and tips were created by hundreds of contributing mothers. Some passed, others failed (like baking orange peels to make your home feel more cozy – made everyone hungry!)

Stacy DeBroff is an accomplished author, spokesperson, president and founder of Mom Central, Inc. (www.momcentral.com), mother of two and resident of Chestnut Hill.

Look for our interview with Stacy on the P&K on TV section at WickedLocalParents.com

($21, The Free Press, www.momcentral.com)

Postcards from the Bump

A Chick’s Guide to Getting to Know the Baby in Your Belly

By Ame Mahler Beanland & Emily Miles Terry

This book looks at pregnancy in an unconvential way – from the inside out. Scientific studies prove babies know what’s going on in utero – they can hear, feel, remember and experience emotions before they are born. Enjoy powerful stories alongside fascinating tidbits (babies absorb more than just nutrients; they begin to learn their native language) that will help women bond with their baby as soon as her pregnancy test is positive.

($14.95, DaCapo Press, www.PostcardsfromtheBump.com)

P&K Finds

Back to School Shopping

Cool Deals at CouponCraze.com

“CouponCraze is a free online resource for coupon codes and a must go to site for parents looking to save money during back to school shopping. You can find great deals on clothes from retailers like Banana Republic, Gap and Puma. There’s about 8,000 coupon codes offered daily. Check out the Back To School category wardrobe savings and you can also get some bargains on school supplies from Staples and Office Depot.”

Stylin’ Hair for the Classroom

“Lovin’ Glop & Glam hair products to tame my daughter’s unruly hair and give some style to my son’s thick do. The funky products made specifically for kids have some pretty cool scents like banana and bubble gum but I’m mostly impressed that they found substitutes for any ingredient that could be harmful to kids. They use organic ingredients like aspalathus linearis leaf extract, euterpe oleracea fruit extract, glycine soja soybean) protein and punica grantatum extract.”

-          Heather, Editor

(www.glopandglam.com)