6 Days Left

Our Mommies on a Mission campaign has been a great success so far! 

To date, we have sold over 300 ‘Reminder to Play’ sets and have raised $2,731 toward building a playground in Afghanistan. Our campaign finishes on June 17^th, so you still have time to help build a playground for children in need of a safe place to play.

The ‘Reminder to Play’ set is a special limited-edition design from Peekaboo Beans made just for women. The design team worked hard to come with a universally flattering design that fits all unique body types. The ‘Reminder to Play’ jacket features toggles on the inside that enable you to cinch in the waist, or leave loose. The back of the jacket covers your bottom and the front sits perfectly at the bottom of your hips. Also featured are deep pockets and thumbholes to provide comfort and warmth. 

The ‘Reminder to Play’ leggings are made to have you feel controlled and comfortable at the waist without digging in. The unique cuff at the bottom of the ankle lets you change up your style.

Our fit models loved trying on the garments, commenting on comfort and unique features such as the polka dot details inside the hood of the jacket. A favourite aspect of the jacket is the quote inside that will remind you every day that play nourishes your mind and body – both children and parents.

Let us help you choose your size! 

Click HERE to view all the sizing details and order your Mommy Beans!

Tools for a playful holiday season

With the holidays fast approaching we are all starting to think about our never ending to-do lists.  As the weeks turn into days, the days turn into hours and the hours turn into minutes... Christmas will be here before you can blink twice.  And if you are a Mom (or Dad), like all us dedicated hard working Moms at Peekaboo Beans, we might need a little extra help keeping us all on track and playfully organized over the holiday season.  With so much to do, our fabulous marketing department created this wonderfully helpful printable that lets you keep track of all the holiday to-dos in one handy spot.  

We have created it so that you can choose from the list on the side and plunk in the tasks/baking dates/wrapping dates/play dates all according to your own schedule.  We lovingly grilled all our Momma Beans at the Peekaboo Beans Playground (our head office) and asked them what are some of the regular activities and must dos that are always on their list during the hustle and bustle of the holidays. We then compiled the most common tasks and created this playful planning calendar.  

Remember though... don't feel like you have to fill up every single day... we must leave time for PLAY!  

Click HERE to download your printable holiday calendar

What every Mom should know

With Mother's Day fast approaching we take some time to celebrate the glorious Mothers we have and that we are!

As a Mom, we are always learning, growing, teaching, assisting, perfecting, creating, supporting, protecting, listening, and celebrating... just to name a few. Mothers wear many hats and we want to take a moment to recognize a few of the things that make us so unique. The staff from the Peekaboo Beans Playground (our playful head office) compiled a list of a few important things that every Mother should know:

How to make a boo boo better

How to cut your child’s bangs

Where the nearest bathroom is

How to say No

How to perfectly cook homemade macaroni and cheese

How to pack for a weekend away all in one bag.

Where the nearest Starbucks is

What makes your kids laugh

How to sew on a missing button
Trust your instincts
Where to stash the backup crayons/coloring book in case of emergency
Know the words to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
Know where your child is most ticklish
Where the wine is stocked!
Where all the drive-thru services are
That baby wipes aren't just for bums
How to pack the perfect ice-cream cone
PLAY
How to handle "potty talk" with a straight face
Understand the language of a 2 year old
How to scare away the boogieman
How to do 3 things at once with only 2 arms
Where the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny and Santa live
That you don't have to be perfect.


Happy Mothers Day to you all! 

Moments that matter

Momspeak: In parenting, the ‘5 percent’ moments are what matter

By Tracy Grant

Checking homework. Making lunches. Shuttling to soccer practice, music lessons, doctor’s appointments. Finding money for soccer uniforms, musical instruments, out-of-pocket co-pays. Much of what we do as parents, as much as 95 percent, is a largely thankless grind. We do it without thinking because if we actually thought about it, we’d never get out of bed in the morning.

 

But this is not a column complaining about the 95 percent of what we do that goes unnoticed, what the great Anna Quindlen calls “transcendent scut work.” I’m writing about the other 5 percent, and why that is the ultimate measure of parents. It is that 5 percent that makes all the difference.

 

This thought occurred to me while watching “Finding Nemo” on a big screen, in 3-D, with my 16-year-old twin sons. Christopher, who would dissect and analyze the merits of every Pixar movie ever made, had been talking about seeing “Nemo” in 3-D for months. But then I read Post colleague Jen Chaney’s cogent analysis: “As lovely as ‘Finding Nemo 3D’ is, the current economy compels me to recommend that it’s probably best to save your money, watch it in the family room and let your children’s imaginations conjure thoughts of just how vast Nemo’s ocean must be.”

 

That made a lot of sense to me, and so I groaned internally when Christopher asked if we could go see it. A Saturday afternoon and $30 gone. But as I sat in the theater seeing Nemo’s ocean ripple and sway and come to life for the first time on a big screen, I came to the realization that this was one of those 5 percent moments. Could my kids live full, complete, successful lives without ever seeing “Finding Nemo” on anything bigger than a 27-inch screen? Absolutely.

 

But here’s the problem with that. Until you experience “Nemo” as director Andrew Stanton intended it to be viewed, you don’t know what you’re missing. There is less joy in your life, but you don’t even realize it. Your life is incrementally (say, by 5 percent) less beautiful, less realized, less fulfilling.

 

This 5 percent theory factored into our decision to adopt a new dog, just weeks after our beloved family pet passed away. We found that all the things that annoyed us about the dog when she was alive were the things we missed most acutely when she was gone. No one to beg for food at the table. No one to wake you at 5:30 a.m. No one to nuzzle into your leg or look into your face with such unconditional love.

 

We could have gotten used to a house without a dog. But that’s exactly what I didn’t want to happen. I didn’t want us to grow accustomed to there being 5 percent less laughter, 5 percent less love, 5 percent less joy in the house.

 

 

My son Andrew is taking an AP art history class this year. At back-to-school night his teacher conceded that this was not a course anybody needed to take to succeed in life. That’s precisely why she loves teaching it so much. It’s the class that makes the 5 percent difference. It’s hard, I know, after spending far too many waking hours doing the 95 percent to do even more. And what that 5 percent is will be different for every family, maybe for every child. Perhaps it’s a walk in the woods or a trip to see the painting of John Brown at the Portrait Gallery. Perhaps it’s ice cream for breakfast once in a while or staying in your pajamas all day long. Perhaps it’s reading aloud all seven Harry Potter books or seeing “Nemo” on the big screen.

 

You will discover what the 5 percent is for your family. It’s well worth the search. Tell us about your “5 percent” moments in the comments section.

 

Grant, the editor of KidsPost, writes about parenting issues every other week.

 

Originally Posted in The Washington Post - October 3, 2012

The best job in the world!

Such a sweet video and had to share.  If you haven't already seen it... this is in honor of all the athletes and the amazing Moms behind them...

Being a mom is the hardest job in the world. But it's also the best.

This Procter & Gamble commercial honors everything that all moms do to help their children succeed by showcasing the amazing moms behind Olympic athletes at the London 2012 Olympic Games. The hardest job in the world is truly the best job in the world.

- Posted by Procter & Gamble on April 17, 2012.
 

10 reasons why we love being a mom!

I absolutely loved this article from Savvy Mom, which was originally posted in February.  Its one that brought a smile to my face and find myself often referring back to so I figured I would share it with all of you in case you didn't see it.  Hope it brings you as much joy as it did me to be reminded of how awesome Motherhood can be!

 

Watching Them Get 'It'

Whatever milestone they’re reaching for—their first step, tying laces, letting go of the fear of the deep end—bearing witness to someone you love achieving their goal for the first time is seriously special (and inspiring).

Taking Credit There are moments where we watch their actions and think: ‘Where did this child come from?’ Then there are moments where we’ll happily take every ounce of credit, thank you. Observing their acts of compassion, empathy, thoughtfulness and love are moments of pride we cherish (and hope we had something to do with).

Pretend PlayWe never know what they will wake up as—a wizard, a princess, a ninja, or a dragon—but we love that being their mom allows us full access to the incredibly awesome and adorable worlds brought to us by our child’s exploding imagination.

The School Pick-Up HugThese (unfortunately) have a time limit, but for as long as they last, that look of happiness/relief/excitement on our four year-olds’ faces as they run to us for a bear hug can’t be beat—by anything.

Backseat Giggles They’re best between siblings, but for an instant shot of pure happiness, nothing beats the sound of our kids’ unadulterated laughter coming from the cheap seats.

Deep SleepsIt’s not (just) because they are finally quiet, it’s how soft and vulnerable they look—being carried away after falling asleep in the car, boat, or chair—giving us a chance to marvel at how quickly they are growing, and how we want to be there every step of the way.

The Wide-Open Spaces We love how our kids remind us that the possibilities are endless; that life is unmapped territory ready to be explored. With their optimism and unspoiled outlook, they give us a daily injection of Carpe Diem we’ll never get anywhere else.

Family Movie NightsHave couch, will snuggle together. Therein lies the beauty of movie night. Add in the memory of their introduction to our favourite flicks like 101 Dalmatians, The Wizard of Oz, ET, Elf (trust us on that one) and magical movie nights are at the upper limits of perfect contentment.

Playdates

Forming instant friendships is much easier when you’re a kid in the sandbox. As we get older, somehow it gets harder. But motherhood makes for a common denominator, generating some our most significant, supportive and enduring relationships, born out of afternoons spent sharing baby advice and bottles (we’ll leave that open to interpretation).

The BreaksWe love being moms, but after a day or weekend away, we love it just a little bit more. Few reunions will ever top, or feel as good, as those between a mom and the kids who really, really missed her (and the gifts we bought back).

 

Originally from SavvyMom.ca

A Mothers lasting impression...

In honor of Mother's Day this weekend we need to take a moment and honor the most influential person in our life, our Moms.  Being a Mom is the hardest job in the world, but also the most rewarding so for all you Moms out there be reminded that you will forever leave a lasting impression with your children.  A Mother's smile, her smell, her soft hands, her hugs,  her kind words, her encouragement and her love is what we always remember the most. 


So from our Playground to you, we honor our Mothers with what we remember the most about our Moms and touch on those special moments we cherish the most:


• I was always baking with my Mom and to see her become a Grandmother and watch her bake with my own children is touching.  
• It always made me so grateful to look up and see my Mom's smiling face in the crowd at all my activities... the ball games, the school functions, hockey games etc. 
• My Mom always threw us such colorful, fun theme and intimate birthday parties. It always made me feel so special.
• At night we would talk about anything; love, school, family, anything. 
• She was always baking.  If we woke up on a Saturday morning and it was pouring rain we would rush out of bed because we knew my Mom would be baking bread, cinnamon buns and cookies.  Yum!  We would spend all afternoon baking cookies, giggling and of course eating!
• She always gave good advice.  Now as an adult I realize how good her advice was!
• Her unconditional love and her hospitality.  She was an amazing cook.
•  She always let me sit on her lap and nuzzle up to her.  Her arms were very comforting. 
• Cuddling up under a blanket and watch movies together. 
• She always said to me "Its nice to be nice" and that's something that I will never forget.
• My Mom was always so helpful, kind and was always happy and smiling.  She was a fantastic cook and loved to entertain.  And now I get to see her be this way with her grand kids, it's pretty amazing to watch.
• Give me hugs and kisses and sit and talk with me privately.
• She left me special messages in my desk or lunch bag sometimes. 

Happy Mothers Day!