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Back to School Picks

For most of us here on the West Coast school was back in session as of yesterday and through all the chaos and reworking of schedules we hope you can take a moment and enjoy this week.  Aside from being full of craziness, it's also a very fun and memorable week for lots of us and we thought it would be great idea to share with you some of our favorite back to school picks, everything from treats to gear!

 

Visit our Back to School Pinterest Board to see them all. 

Cici Bean... coming soon!

With Fall launch of Peekaboo Beans brand new Tween line, the ladies behind the scenes have been very busy getting all the information about Cici Bean out into the world and spreading the joy!  Not only are they bringing us amazing clothing for girls aged 8 to 14 but they are also reaching out to those same young girls and inspiring them to embrace themselves, be proud of who they are and be confident to shine with their own individuality.  We love what they are all about and invite you to have a closer looks at Cici Bean and find out what makes them so extraordinary.

 

Oh and did we mention, they are having an awesome back to school giveaway right now?  Who doesn't like a giveaway!  Get all the details HERE

 

A must read from Andrea's

 

Playful Parenting by Lawrence J. Cohen, PH.D.

I was introduced to this gem of a book by a colleague who raved about all the wonderful little insights she had gained reading Playful Parenting. She was impressed with the way her daughter had responded to their new playful interactions. I found it to be an enjoyable read myself, packed with practical ideas for how to establish a connection with your child, join them in their world of play and introduce playful interactions into your daily routines. I highly recommend it to parents who are looking for a fresh approach to the way they respond to some of the daily joys and struggles of parenting.

 

The first chapter is my favourite, focusing on the value of being a playful parent and how it contributes to the great payoff of parenting, those moments when you experience a meaningful connection with your child. Infants and toddlers offer parents frequent opportunities to connect both physically and emotionally.

 

When children become school age, these moments tend to be less frequently initiated by the child. Parent child conflict over rules, expectations and performance may increase at this stage of development. The beauty of Playful Parenting is that you can apply it anywhere you are and as often as you wish. It isn’t dependant to your availability to play.  The author challenges parents to look for moments when they have a choice to respond to their child in a playful manner and watch the profound impact it makes on the relationship.

 

Take time for this amazing read, be playful and enjoy the pay off of those special moments with your child.

 

 

Let them Play!

Let them Play!

Join our Play Revolution.

Bofrot by Akosua

Bofrot, Ghanaian goodness!

Akosua, our WOW girl at the Playground, keeps coming to work with these awesome little packages of goodness!  Never lasting more than a day, we all gobble them up like they are going out of style!  So fresh, so yummy and such a treat to enjoy an old Ghanaian tradition.  So we are thrilled that Akosua's Mother has allowed us to share her family Bofrot recipe with all of you.  Enjoy, and be forewarned... it's hard to eat just one!

Bofrot -

1/2 cup warm water
1.5 oz sugar (3 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon)
1/3 egg (I beat a large egg, poured it in a 1/4 cup measuring cup, then poured out 1/3 of it)
1 teaspoon yeast (I happened to have rapid rise yeast, so used that)
4 oz of bread flour (higher gluten content than regular white flour) [that's about 1/2 c plus 1/3 cup unsifted flour]
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 t baking powder
pinch of salt
oil for deep-frying (I used canola)

Mix dough together gently and knead into a ball, cover and let rest in a bowl for at least 2 hours.  When you are ready, heat up the oil and drop it spoonful size into the deep fryer.  Fry until golden brown, remove from oil and rest on paper towel.  Cool and enjoy! 

I remember when...

I remember the countless summer days spent at our family cabin swimming in the lake from sun up to sun down. My sister and I would play games and create routines imagining that we were synchronized swimmers. We spent hours perfecting them and rehearsing them. Now that we are grown up with our own children I look forward to seeing what their favourite activity at the cabin will come to be.