Kids’ Books

Favorite Bedtime Books

I recently joined the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators and my first few meetings have me thinking about my favorite bedtime books. I have a quite a few. In fact many of my favorite bedtime books have no words! But instead of making a list of which books I love, I am actually… Read more »

Gardens: Great Idea for Picky Eaters

                    Even if you live in an apartment with no yard at all, you can grow food in containers and help your picky eater learn to try new foods. I loved reading about a study from Australia that showed school children who participated in gardening and… Read more »

Stick it to Picky Eaters

At the Farm to Table Conference in Pittsburgh last month, I spoke with many parents looking for ways to encourage their children to try new foods. So at my workshop, “Kids’ Tasting Party” I introduced a concept that works wonders for us: serve food on a stick. I taught kids and parents how to make… Read more »

Picky Eaters by Nature?

Is your child genetically a picky eater? At the Farm to Table Conference in Pittsburgh on March 22 and 23, I talked with a lot of parents about their little picky eaters and how My Food Notebook worked for us. We discussed many strategies that help kids try new foods and a big one that… Read more »

Customers Love Customization (& Contests)

Customers love when a product or service can be tailored to their needs. One great way to attract more customers or clients is to be flexible and provide exactly what your client needs without driving yourself crazy. Right from the start, plan how much you can customize your products and services, and keep an open… Read more »

How does your (picky) eater amaze you?

Though my picky eater is picky enough to refuse link sausage and only eat patty sausage, there are some surprising things he will eat. Eggplant with ketchup and smoked salmon are two rather surprising favorites of his! This article from Parents magazine highlights another eclectic mix of foods that kids will eat even when they… Read more »

Contest! Win a Free Copy of My Food Notebook

About a month ago, a great blog hosted a giveaway contest of My Food Notebook. Gina, the voice behind Totally Full of It, was looking for creative ways parents handle their picky eaters. I’m so grateful for her support and was happy to partner with her! If you visit her blog, I highly recommend this… Read more »

Grumpy Kid? Angry Kid? You’re Not Alone

I’m a mom of a grumpy kid. Like other moms, I was looking for ways to help my grumpy kid not be so grumpy. In the search for a way to help understand that he could choose to be grumpy or choose to be happy during his days, I told him a little story. What… Read more »

Grumpy Kids? Not these Kindergarteners!

This post originally appeared in June 2012.  Kindergarten Thank You Notes At the end of May, I read The Bumpy, Grumpy Road to two kindergarten classes here in Pittsburgh. At first they laughed with delight when they saw Dylan, a little boy, driving a car. They were impressed! But then Dylan started to use grumpy words. In each… Read more »

Review for “The Bumpy, Grumpy Road”

Is there anything nicer than a great review from a expert in the field of dealing with emotions?  I’m lucky enough to be part of an amazing group of women as a contributor to  30 Second Mom. I found many other moms running their own businesses, writing books and dealing with grumpy kids! Dr. Christina Hibbert,… Read more »