Kids Create: A (friendly) Art Competition & Giveaway

It has officially arrived. My favorite season of all -- spring. There are so many ways to celebrate today. Check our events calendar to find something fun to do.

Whatever you do, make sure you head over to Rita's for a free Italian Ice to celebrate the start of the season.

The West Orange Public Library is searching for an aspiring artist to design their new teen logo. Enter your original designs in their Teen Logo Contest for a chance to win a certificate good for the Spring Session of Art Classes at the Montclair Art Museum! What more motivation could you need?

Open to West Orange card holders in 6th thru 8th grades. Winners will be announced during National Library Week, which runs from Sunday, April 11 thru Saturday, April 17.

Teen Logo Contest
Who: West Orange Public Library card holders in 6th thru 8th grades.
What: Enter an original design for the Teen Logo Contest.
Where: West Orange Public Library, 46 Mount Pleasant Avenue, West Orange, NJ.
When: Going on now.
Cost: Free. For more information call 973-736-0198.

Photo by LAGtheNoggin

A Caribbean Island tale of love and compassion comes to life this weekend at Lacordaire Academy. The musical is based on The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson with a touch of Romeo and Juliet in it.

Catch the musical tonight through Sunday:

Once on This Island
Who: Middle-school kids and up.
What: A musical production of the Caribbean tale of love.
Where: Lacordaire Academy, 155 Lorraine Avenue, Montclair, NJ, 07043.
When: Friday, March 19 and Saturday, March 20 at 7 pm and Sunday, March 21 at 3 pm.
Cost: General admission is $10 and children 12 and under are $5.

Photo from l - r: Irene Worth, Elijah Lewis and Katie Wolchko.

Big 5 Lax & Soccer Academy was started 5 years ago by Rob and Whitney McOmish. They offer a true love of both sports and an extensive background.

Rob McOmish started coaching 12 years ago at MHS with the Boys soccer team. He is currently the Assistant Varsity Girls soccer coach at MHS and the has been the Assistant Boys varsity lacrosse coach at MHS for 7 years. Rob played both sports at MHS while in high school. He then went on to Montclair State where he played soccer, lacrosse and even a little football. In 1997, Rob was named All-American at MSU as well as Player of the Year in soccer. He was recently inducted into the MSU Athletic Hall of Fame.

Big 5 offers week long sessions held at Fortunato Field in Montclair. The summer programs, led by an impressive staff, focus on all basic skills of both sports to get the players ready for the future while having lots of fun.

Continue reading "Camp Highlight: Big 5 Lax & Soccer Academy" »

My mother called me last week telling me to throw away my kids' bath toys. She was watching the Today Show and a parenting segment discussed how bath toys are a breeding ground for harmful bacteria. Bacteria such as fecal matter. Gross.

The worst toys are the ones with holes in them--you know, the ones that squeak. The bath water becomes filled with bacteria from your kid's body and gets into the toys, where it will multiply. Even flushing your toilet can spread bacteria into the air and onto the toys. What was the advice from Dr. Tierno, the professional featured in the segment? Air dry the toys away from the tub and store in a closet. Most importantly, avoid toys with holes.

I discovered how filty bath toys can get years ago while giving my daughter a bath. I noticed black gunk near the whole of her rubber ducky and threw him out. Now, I only allow a couple of holeless toys in the water, but I just throw them back on our shelf and never think about them. They're probably covered with poop.

Do your kids play with bath toys? Do you clean them often or never think about it? Will you be tossing them?

Continue reading "Rubber Ducky You're the Worst" »

Graco Children's Products is recalling 1.2 million of its Graco Harmony High Chairs after receiving 464 reports of them tipping over. The screws holding the front legs of the high chair can loosen and fall out and/or the plastic bracket on the rear legs can crack causing the high chair to become unstable and tip over unexpectedly.

This recall involves all Harmony™ High Chairs. The Harmony™ high chair was manufactured from November 2003 through December 2009 and is no longer in production. The model number can be found on the label that is located on the underside of the foot rest.

Check model numbers and get information on ordering a repair kit here.

This has been a bad year for Graco. In January, they recalled 1.5 million strollers after receiving reports that 7 children had their fingers amputated by the hinges.

Writer Ed Shankman and illustrator Dave O'Neill will be at The Fine Grind this Saturday to entertain children (and their parents) with reading and illustrations of their books I Met a Moose in Maine and Boston Balloonies. The local duo have won awards for their whimsical books.

Meet the Author Series: Ed Shankman and Dave O'Neill
Who: Little kids who love books.
What: Local author and illustrators, Ed Shankman and Dave O'Neill, will read and illustrate their award-winning children's books.
Where: The Fine Grind Coffee Bar, 101 Newark-Pompton Turnpike, Little Falls, NJ.
When: Saturday, March 20 from 10 a.m.- noon.
Cost: Free

Over at Watchung Booksellers, another award-winning author Ellen Weiss will read her book The Taming of Lola: A Shrew's Story...

Continue reading "Meet the Authors: Saturday Storytimes" »

The Montclair High School marching band made Montclair proud at the St. Patrick's Day parade yesterday. It was a long day -- we're told they didn't pass 53rd St. until 5 pm!

Photo by Gail Ciecierski

I visited Montclair's Side Door drop off center (learn more about it in the video and after the jump) and brought the Middle School kids some of my award winning (well, not really) green shakes for St. Patrick's Day. There were mixed reviews but most of the kids were pleasantly surprised at how the banana overpowered the spinach.

These shakes are a big hit in my house with many, though not all, of our family members. Use the neon green color as a way to gross your kids out and dare them to drink it. Whatever works, right?

Spinach and Banana Shakes:

2 cups frozen spinach (or more to taste)
2 bananas (or more to taste), preferably frozen, but not necessary -
great way to use up aging, brown bananas
4 cups water

Puree in blender until completely smooth. Add more water if necessary. You can pour these into popsicle molds and even dip in dark chocolate.

Enjoy!

Continue reading "Take Back the Kitchen: Spinach and Banana Shakes" »

In the world of sports, the month of March is less about the great weather and more about the madness.

Madness, you say? Mad about what?

The NCAA tournament, or "March Madness", as it is referred to by many, captivates the sports world and gambling community like not many annual events can. The tournament, which officially begins today, is known mostly for those who fill out the tournament brackets, predicting who will win the games.

Besides Super Bowl pools that require buying boxes in grids, the NCAA bracket contest is the most wide-spread form of mainstream gambling in the United States. Brackets are filled out by more than one million people annually, including many famous celebrities. President Obama even fills out his bracket every season.

Nearly every popular website promotes bracket contests, usually for free, with a major prize for winners. ESPN, one of the most popular of these sites, only requires that an entrant be thirteen years of age to win the $10,000 grand prize. It has been criticized that contests like these promote gambling to young adults.

Continue reading "Let Them Be Mad: Your Kids and Fantasy Sports" »

There are some great family events this week. Stay on top of all local happenings by checking our Upcoming Events calendar often, signing up for our newsletter and becoming a fan on Facebook. Here are this week's highlights:

Join a Stamp Club
March 18
The Essex County Environmental Center teaches about stamp collecting after school today.

Knit Your Own Scarf
March 19
The Sip & Knit workshop begins today at the Montclair Public Library.

Take a Trip to CMOM for Free Admission Day
March 20
The Children's Museum of Manhattan is havign free admission day - go play!

Continue reading "This Week's Highlights: March 18- 23" »

Dr. Frank Alvarez responded to parents of Renaissance Middle School students today with a letter assuring them that the school's "essential elements will not be compromised". The letter is in response to the email that went out last week from the school's PTA urging parents to "Act Now!" to save the school's program.

Read the Superintendent's letter here.

Renaissance school isn't the only Montclair school worried about its magnet program. Northeast Elementary School's PTA sent out on email last week stating that the BoE's proposed cuts "threaten to decimate our global studies magnet and the quality of our childrens' education".

The threats include the cancellation of the Spanish program, the lay-off of the librarian and a reduction in over half of school aides. The Northeast PTA urges parents to attend the March 22 BoE meeting at George Inness Atrium at 7:30 pm to "stand up and be counted!"

With Governor Christie's announcement of a $820 million school aid cut, the threat seems imminent.

Read the entire email on the PTA's website here.

Robert Lohrer lives in Montclair with his wife and two children. The Lohrers were "family of the week" in their daughter's kindergarten class and Robert was asked to go in and discuss nutrition and fitness--two subjects which he has had a long standing interest. He was prepared to do just that, and after reading our post on childhood obesity he had an inspiration.

"Your March 3 'Childhood Obesity' post -- and the comments and discussion it engendered -- provided considerable inspiration (and subject material) and I actually put together a little poem -- in Seussian pentameter no less! If you have the patience to read it, you'll see a good many of the verses came right out of your post and the comments especially about exercise v. computer/video games, etc."

Robert read it to his daughter's class, but said he omitted some of the "clearly political comments" when he read it to the kids. Here is the poem in its entirety...

Continue reading "Barista Kids Post on Childhood Obesity Inspires Poem" »

Who me? Race in a triathalon? If that idea is the farthest thing from your mind, fear not, Montclair YMCA is hosting a mini-tri just so kids and adults can get a "taste" of what it's like.

This is one family-friendly race almost any able-bodied person can do, and the score-keeper is you. So do your personal best, you are guaranteed to win.

In its second year, this annual event has enticed some participants to try the real thing, says Y organizer Paul Mickiewicz. Here's how it works: enroll for $15, swim laps in the pool 15 minutes, dry off, then up to the cycling studio for 15 minutes, then run to Montclair High School and back again.

Open to everyone, you don't need to be a member of the YMCA. Sign up at the front desk, or by email, paulm@montclairymca.org. Call Paul for more info: 973-415-6111.

Montclair YMCA Mini-Triathlon
Who: All ages
What: A fun mini-triathlon for the entire family.
Where: The Montclair YMCA, 25 Park Street, Montclair, NJ, 07042.
When: Saturday, March 20 at 1 pm.
Cost: $15 per person.

Montclair High School's Marching Band has the honor of participating in the NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade - the oldest and biggest parade of its kind in the world, for a fourth time today.

"We are thrilled to be included this year," said Band Director James Wasko. "We're invited every year - and it's nice to go again. We'll be playing several Irish pieces as well, such as Danny Boy, Harrigan and When Irish Eyes Are Smiling."

There's double exposure for the school, too. Marching ahead of the 65-strong band as the Honor Guard, carrying the American flag, will be MHS' Junior Airforce ROTC.

Continue reading "MHS Marching Band in NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade" »

This video is sure to make your Irish eyes smile. Happy St. Paddy's Day!

In response to Governor Christie's budget cuts on education, Superintendent Alvarez announced that for the second year in a row, top administrators will forgo a pay raise in an effort to help Montclair's teachers, other staff in the district and the education system.

Last week, Renaissance school parents and staff feared the budget cuts would ruin the magnet program in place, but were assured by Dr. Alvarez that the district would avoid that, but stated that there would be changes to come.

From the district's website:

Continue reading "Montclair Administrators Sacrifice Pay Raises " »

Calling all pint-sized Picassos. The Summer Reading Club is almost here and that means the Montclair Public Library entreats you to enter its Bookmark Contest.

Create an artistic bookmark with this year's theme, "Make a Splash @ Your Library", and you could win a prize and have your entry made into bookmarks for Summer Reading Club distribution! Forms are available at the Library's 3rd Floor Youth Services desk for kids in kindergarten thru 8th grade.

Pick up your form today and submit it by Friday, April 23. Contest winners will be announced on Friday, May 14.

Good luck!

Bookmark Contest
Who: Grades K-8th.
What: Create a bookmark for this summer's Reading Club theme, "Make a Splash @ Your Library."
Where: Montclair Public Library, 50 South Fullerton Avenue, Montclair NJ, 07042.
When: Monday, March 15 - Friday, April 23.
Cost: Free.

Photo by D Sharon Pruitt

Looking for a real camp experience for your school-aged kid? Sleepaway camps are an option.

I never went to sleepaway camp, but people I know who did have such great memories from their summers at camp. My husband spent most of his childhood summers at Kutsher's Sports Academy (on our list) back when it was in the Catskills. He still has close friends from those days.

Our list is of sleepaway camps 3 hours away or less from Baristaville.

Let us know of great camps that we should add to our list and we'll update it throughout the registration period. The link will be available under Summer Camps in the sidebar.

Continue reading "Sleepaway Camps" »