Archives for 2013

Author, former teacher and mom Kate Messner has battled the back-to-school blues from all sides – and won!

Her picture books Sea Monster and the Bossy Fish and Sea Monster’s First Day help students, parents and teachers address some of the fears and challenges that come at the end of summer and the beginning of the school year. We received both of these books to review and these really are Must-Haves for younger children starting school! Sea Monster’s First Day is a delightful story about starting school and making new friends. Young children will absolutely love this story! My favorite is Sea Monster and the Bossy Fish and is a fun tale about how to deal with a bully.  Both books can be found at Chronicle Books.

About Kate Messner

Kate Messner books for kids include the acclaimed Martie McGuire series, Capture the Flag, Hide and Seek and Over and Under the Snow. She’s been honored by New York Times Notable, Junior Library Guild, IndieBound, and Bank Street College of Education Best Books selections. The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z. was the winner of the 2010 E.B. White Read Aloud Award for Older Readers. Kate spent fifteen years teaching middle school and earned National Board Certification in 2006.  She’s a popular speaker at schools, libraries and professional conferences, and was the only children’s book author invited to speak at the TED 2012: Full Spectrum Conference.

We have teamed up with the Author for a Back-to-School Giveaway! You can win both books! You must be a subscriber to enter! Next, leave a comment below with a helpful tip for the first day of school or a tip for how to deal with bullies. Deadline to enter is September 10th, 2012 at midnight. One winner will randomly be selected from all entries.

Self Disclosure: I received books for free to review but any opinions are my own.

It’s time for Back-to-School and all the new school year  fashions! We love Umi Children’s shoes for the Fall! Actually, we love them anytime of the year!  They have so many stylish shoes for both boys and girls and the new fashions are “cool!” (according to my 9-year-old son).   My son received the Boys Moabb  and he loves them! These are really stylish and sturdy shoes that are  perfect for all activities!  My son likes the really cool style and also how comfortable they are. They are water resistant and very durable! My son says they are very comfortable and that it is okay for them to get wet. These are just perfect for the Fall!  Retails for $79-80 on the Umi website. They are available in OCN/DK NVY or BLACK.

We’re excited to announce that we have teamed up with Umi for a  “Back-to-School Giveaway!” You can win a gift card  ($60)to purchase boys or girls shoes! The shoes for girls are really cool too! You must be a subscriber to enter! Next, leave a comment below telling us your child’s (or yours!) favorite thing about going back to school or homeschooling! Deadline to enter is September 8th, 2013 at midnight. One winner will randomly be selected from all entries! But, wait! Do you want extra entries? You can do the following and earn up to 4 extra entries!  Here’s the list:

“Like” Umi and SoCal City Kids on Facebook

Follow Umi and SoCal City Kids on Twitter

Follow Umi on Pinterest

Sign up for Umi’s newsletter. (email list on bottom of their page) Another great thing about Umi is that they offer free shipping and returns and you can sign up for their newsletter and sign your kids up for the birthday club.

Good luck!

Self Disclosure: I received shoes to facilitate this feature.

Back-to-school is the perfect time to start building good nutrition habits – and it begins with stocking up on healthier snacks that moms and kids will enjoy. One great snack perfect for any lunch box…popchips, which come in a variety of kid-friendly flavors including original, barbeque potato, ranch tortilla, nacho tortilla and new katy’s kettle corn popchips.

popchips are never fried (unhealthy), never baked (undelicious), they’re popped! These tasty chips contain no preservatives, trans-fats, saturated-fats, fake colors or fake flavors. compared to fried chips, popchips have half the fat, fewer calories and more chips per serving. plus, they’re certified kosher and gluten free making them a great lunch box snack that taste great and happen to be better for you. SoCal City Kids loves popchips! But, if you follow us, you know that by now!

See how a single-serving bag of barbeque potato popchips stacks up, chip-to-chip with popular lay’s® barbecue potato chips:

Kid tested and mother approved, nacho tortilla popchips were recently voted the #1 crispy snack for kids by ivillage http://www.ivillage.com/packaged-healthy-snacks-kids-stuff-we-love awards/6-a-536134

Now, for some exclusive back-to-school tips from new mother and nutritionist jillian michaels!

Jillian Michaels’ Back to School Tips

•        Our kids today live in a world full of sugary sweets and fat-packed foods.  It’s our job as parents to steer them in the right direction when it comes to healthier eating and making wise snack decisions.

•        It is important to give our kids positive reinforcement – we cannot make food items sound “off limits” or else they will only want to eat it more.  Instead, we have to show them that healthy eating can also be delicious and that moderation is key.

•       There are a lot of snacks out there that seem healthier, but still have hidden secrets about them.  For example, juice boxes may appear to be the better choice over soda, but they are still filled with so much sugar that it is just as bad.  Looking at the calorie content is important, but it is just as crucial to look at how much trans-fat and sugar is included.

•       I can’t stress enough how imperative it is to look at the ingredients list of the foods you are giving your children.  Make sure the treat foods they eat are not laden with chemicals and poisons. For example, let your kids have popchips instead of potato chips fried in hydrogenated trans-fats. They are tastier than those fried chips anyway, and are made with all-natural ingredients. 

•         Let’s face it, kids love cookies.  Instead of packing the usual unhealthy options with ingredients you can’t pronounce, go for an organic option that has no hydrogenated oils or trans fats and is even more tasty.

•         If the only option at school is regular milk, pack a juice box size carton of either organic milk or coconut milk so that your kids aren’t taking in unnecessary hormones.

•         I’ve said it before – there is nothing more terrible for you than Doritos.  The things that are in those chips! That thing is like a cancer wafer.  I’d choose the new popchips tortilla over Doritos any day – all-natural, popped, and still packed with flavor that doesn’t leave you wondering about what you just consumed.

  Now, for the Back-to-School Giveaway! It is featured in the Giveaways! One mom/dad will win snacks for their kids class, provided by popchips of course! Homeschool parents can also enter and will win snacks for their family and Popchips has added a family 4 pack of Knott’s Berry Farm tickets!  So, here goes! You must be a subscriber to SoCal City Kids to participate! Next, leave a comment below telling us a tip on the best way you survive the school year! You can be serious or silly! For an extra entry, like their Facebook page and the SoCal City Kids Facebook page! Deadline to enter is September 4th, 2013 at midnight. One winner will randomly be selected from all entries. Winner will receive popchips and the tickets to Knott’s! Now, that is too cool!

Self Disclosure: I received popchips to feature this giveaway but any opinions are my own.