have a holly, jolly christmas

I just had to post Lulu's visit to Santa yesterday. I don't think he was a favorite of ours.

New Years for the under-five set

How will you celebrate New Years with the kids this year? Our little one was too young to care last year (and honestly probably is this year, too), but we'll do something to let her join in the fun. My family had our own New Years celebration at 8pm, 9pm or 10pm on New Years Eve -- late enough for the staying up to be a treat, but early enough to allow for parents or teenagers with plans to get to their other parties. We toasted with Martinelli's sparkling cider and played games together, and then had our own countdown to the appointed hour and sometimes a balloon drop. Will you do something special this year?

Post your ideas below and look for compiled answers in January's newsletter! Thanks, and be safe this season!

photos with Santa

I'm planning to go get emma's photo taken with Santa taken next week and I spent a couple hours today trying to find the best (cheapest?) place. Here is what I found:

Pentagon City, 703-415-5009: Santa is there generally 10a-8p every day (Sunday is 11-7). The girl I spoke to didn't know the pricing for photos, and there's no info on their website.

Tysons Corner Center, 703-847-7300: Santa is there 10a-8p every day (Sunday is 1-6). Their cheapest package is $11.99 for one 5x7. I didn't speak to anyone there, but I'm sure you could also use your own camera to take photos as long as you purchase a package. Kids get a "free gift." More info here.

Potomac Mills, 703-499-9128: Santa is there 10a-9p Monday through Saturday. Their cheapest package is $16.99 for one 5x7, and you can also use your own camera to take photos as long as you purchase a package. Kids get a free reindeer antler headband. More info here.

Landmark Mall, 703-813-8999: Santa is there from 10a-9p Monday through Saturday (Sunday 11-8). Their cheapest package is $12.99, and the girl on the phone told me you can use your own camera and you don't even have to buy a package! More info here.

For most of these Santa does take hour-long breaks around 1 and 5, but you can check individual websites or call before you go.

And, I'm getting my Christmas tree tomorrow! (Well, we are.) Anyone have any suggestions of a close, friendly, well-stocked lot? We'd prefer to support a non-profit or charitable organization (Boy Scouts, Jaycees, a local church...), but we'll take any tips!


*****

Update: We had a great experience at Landmark. There was no one else waiting to see Santa when we went, and he took extra time to try to make the baby comfortable so she'd sit with him. No dice, of course, but we did end up opting to buy the cheap package so we could get this photo (and crop mommy out, of course):

take two xanax and call me in the morning

It's been a trying day. I hate, HATE this aspect of parenting.

http://diana-caffeinated.blogspot.com/2007/11/take-two-xanax-and-call-me-in-morning.html

More Holidays in DC

I've had some more great suggestions made to me offline, so I wanted to post them here.

Have more ideas? Interested in forming a group to try something listed here? Post a comment to connect with others and use the listserv or an email to make some plans!

National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse (daily Dec. 6-Jan. 1)

Mount Vernon by Candlelight (Fri, Sat, & Sun only, Nov. 23-Dec. 9)

Parade of Lights Holiday Boat Parade (Sat., Dec. 1, 5:30-6:30pm)

Advent Noonday Noels (Wednesdays, Dec. 5, 12, 19, 12:05pm)

Union Station's Holiday Train (Nov. 20-Jan.6)

Creche Exhibit at the National Cathedral (Nov. 19-Jan.11)

The Nutcracker at The Washington Ballet (Dec. 6-23)

A Christmas Carol at Ford's Theater (Dec. 6-29)

Smart Holiday Shopping

By Jennifer Davies
My son will turn one in a couple of weeks. Friends and family have asked me what his favorite activities are. Aside from emptying my purse, unloading my kitchen cabinets and tearing up my work documents, I tell people he pretty much likes anything that makes noise, rolls, or can go “in and out” of something. But now, I want to qualify that by saying “but make sure it doesn’t have lead!” We have all heard the recalls; Fisher Price….1 million toys…Dora the Explorer…Thomas the Tank Engine… Sesame Street figures… just to name a few. With holiday shopping upon us, I wondered how to be a smart consumer and politely direct the gift-buying grandparents in the right direction.

Why the concern?
The majority of recent recalls, particularly by the big manufacturing companies, are due to high levels of lead-based paint. Lead is a heavy metal that is toxic and is not allowed to exceed .06% in United States. In small children, repeat exposure and ingestion can build up and affect the brain and nervous system, leading to developmental disabilities. As many of you probably are aware, houses built prior to 1977 (all of Fairlington) used lead paint. My pediatrician required Ryan to get tested at 9 months for lead. This is not meant to alarm you, but instead ensure that we are all informed and aware of our children’s environment (including daycare, preschool, and any other place your child frequents).

Useful information on finding more about toy recalls.
By far, I encourage all of you to visit the US Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website; http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/category/toy.html It has the most current, complete and updated information available – in one place. You just need to click on the item you want to investigate. The one drawback is that there are no photos of the toys. The site is for all recalls, not just lead paint, but I found it helpful. I also found the following blog interesting, albeit a little quirky; http://adopttwoboys.blogspot.com/2007/08/lead-free-toys-list.html The blog provides information about lead-free, all natural toys as well as opinions about them. If you don’t want to go to the blog, please note the links listed below.

Where to shop?
The following list of links for online shopping is by no means complete, but it can be a helpful start if you are interested in shopping for alternatives. I would also like to say that the information is based on research and talking to local toy store owners. It is impossible to say definitively that all the products are lead-free.

I have also identified products that can be found at Kinder Haus Toys in Clarendon. They are a family owned store that has a lot of interesting gift ideas. They will be happy to direct you to lead-free manufacturers. Contact information is at the end of this article.

http://www.ebeanstalk.com
http://www.monkeybeantoys.com/ : although some toys are made in China, they are regularly inspected
http://www.northstartoys.com/ : handcrafted wooden toys, recycled materials used when possible

The following are also available at Kinder Haus Toys:
http://www.unclegoose.com/index.html : they have a great selection of educational toys
http://www.maplelandmark.com/
http://roytoy.com/main.html : Log cabins, building blocks
http://www.lauritoys.com/ : soft puzzles
http://www.channelcraft.com: classic American toys

Good luck shopping and happy holidays!

Kinder Haus Toys
1220 N. Fillmore Street
Arlington, VA 22202
(703) 527-5929
www.kinderhaus.com
kindhaus@kinderhaus.com

MOMS -- Have any toys not made in China that you would recommend to the group? Know of a website that can direct us to safe toys? Use the comments section below to add your ideas!

Holidays in DC

In the December inaugural edition of our newsletter, we plan to include some ideas on how our families can celebrate the upcoming holidays. It seems that many of us are away from extended family here in the DC area, so for those of you who won't be traveling, is there something you do locally to celebrate the season? Which holidays will you celebrate this year? Have you created your own traditions, or are you looking to start new traditions with your little one(s)?
And for those in the other camp, do you have any tips for traveling around the holidays with kids? Anything you wouldn't leave behind, or something you would?

Please email your input directly to Shane (boomanning@gmail.com) or post it in the comments below, and look for some of the tips to be highlighted in your upcoming December edition of the Fairlington MOMS Club "Bottom Line!"

And to get the conversation going, here's my input:
Even before Emma joined us, our little family loved to head up to the Mormon temple in Kensington, Maryland, for their "Festival of Lights" and Christmas tree display, along with an international assortment of Nativity sets. They usually have a living Nativity scene as well, and there are music concerts most evenings in their indoor theater, in addition to Christmas-themed films. The whole thing is free, though the seating for the concerts does often fill early. The display begins on December 1st and continues the whole month. You can see photos of past years here, and see a photo essay here.

2003 Festival of Lights

Blog Guidelines

This blog is for sharing our experiences as moms, discussing parenting issues, sharing ideas, and getting to know each other. It is not for selling items, airing personal grievances, or one-on-one communication.

Please remember to be tolerant and respectful of others' thoughts and ideas. Remember that posts and comments posted on the blog can be seen by the whole group.

Remember general etiquette and internet safety:
Never post photos or identifying information of another mom (or her kids!) without their permission.
Be cautious of posting too much of your own personal identifying information.
Be wary of posting too much information about upcoming events (ie, dates, times, and locations) -- the listserv or a personal email is much more secure than this forum.

Thanks, and enjoy!

Welcome!

Welcome to the Fairlington MOMS Club blog! We're looking forward to some great online discussions in addition to our regular meetings and activities. Get involved -- make our MOMS Club your own!

Have something you'd like posted? Email a board member or Shane M. with your ideas and we'll get your discussion started!