Parent Talk Receives Service Award!

Thanks to the devoted volunteer efforts of Jenny George, Parent Talk has partnered with Project Night Night for seven years running to stuff "night night bags" for children and teens in area shelters.  This year, Parent Talk assembled 243 Night Night bags, positively impacting the lives of hundreds of children.  We are proud of our members who mobilize to support this organization annually and who have donated close to 1500 bags over the last seven years. 

Interested in volunteering with Parent Talk?  Here is a list of open positions and ways that you can get involved. 

Spring Cleaning the Toys

After the influx of new toys from the holidays and three birthdays in January and March, our playroom (and living room and bedrooms) are literally bursting at the seams. The race cars, babydolls and legos are constantly underfoot, and maybe it's the 26 consecutive weekends of winter but if I hear another round of "Let It Go!" I might just box it ALL up and toss it out on the curb.  

Fortunately it won't have to come to that since the Parent Talk Used Toy, Clothing & Equipment Sale is coming up which means the donation POD is open and accepting donations, so this weekend while the kids are finally playing outside I'll be rounding up everything we've grown out of and make a trip (or two) to the POD!  

Below I've rounded up my favorite toy organization and storage strategies too - so take a peek, get inspired and reclaim your playroom from the winter toy-splosion! The pin links are included too if you want to save the articles for later.

Great tips for an organized AND educational playroom:

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/164099980146915598/

Add seating & storage:

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/164099980147007681/

Dress-up Storage DIY:

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/164099980143288067/

Anyone with a little boy in their life will appreciate this one - Lego Storage:

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/164099980146401997/

Reading Corner Inspiration:

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/164099980146402386/

The biannual Parent Talk Used Clothing and Equipment Sale is coming up May 3rd. Click here for all the details, including donation and consignment information. Sale starts at 8:30 and make sure you get there early! There is also still time to sign up for a volunteer shift so you can shop early on Friday.


Written by Wendy Todd

Rosemary Pool Update - Meeting Monday April 7th

It may be cold and drizzly now, but let's think about summer for a minute. Here's the latest on the future of the Rosemary Pool. Join in the Park and Rec Meeting on Monday April 7th at 7:00pm to share your vote!

This is the opportunity for Parent Talk families to share their ideas for the framework that will be presented to the selectmen in mid-April. Love the beach aspect? Want closer restrooms? Let your thoughts be heard as the plans move forward.

Please consider attending the meeting and sharing this post with your community. Here's to thinking about summer and warmer weather!

Ideas to Display Your Silhouette Art

Image from Thenester.com

Want to start your Mother’s Day shopping early? Want a special, unique gift for grandparents or relatives that will be treasured for years to come? Want a delicate record of a little face? With a tiny pair of surgical scissors, black-coated paper and precise eye-hand coordination, Joy Anne McConnell, internationally known silhouette artist, will freehand cut your child’s silhouette portrait in only two minutes. 

Image from amyscasablanca.com

Joy Anne will be creating her magical portraits at the Parent Talk Play space located in the Caryl Community Center Saturday, April 5^th from 9 to 5, at 4 Springdale Ave, Dover.  Please RSVP now to arrange an appointment; her schedule fills up quickly!  For information, contact Mary Celeste Brown at silhouettes@parenttalk.info or 781-453-5418.  

Kids silhouette art display

Congratulations to our 2013 Volunteer of the Year, Nikki Amara Myers!

Beginning with 2013, Parent Talk will name a "Volunteer of the Year" in recognition of the strong spirit of volunteerism within our organization. The volunteer is chosen from the general membership by the board of directors.

Known to many as just "The Sale Lady," Nikki has long been a staple of the Used Toy, Clothing and Equipment Sale.  She first joined the sale committee as coordinator of the sellers kits and quickly worked her way up to chair the sale. She has been co-chair of the Parent Talk Used Toy, Clothing and Equipment Sale for 4 consecutive sales beginning in the Fall of 2012.  The hours she has dedicated to our organization are too many to count, but for Nikki it has always been a labor of love.  

Nikki's enthusiasm for Parent Talk, and specifically the sale itself, is never evident than on sale morning when she enthusiastically greets everyone in line. Her commitment to the success of each sale is ever present, and she has even made at least one trip to the ER at the expense of promoting the sale she loves so much.

Thank You Nikki!

Want to get more involved with volunteering?  Check out our open positions here! Meet new families and learn more about all that Parent Talk has to offer moms, dads and kids.

Setting Strong Foundations for Our Young Children in Sports

Written by Julia Sappenfield

Many of you probably remember playing sports as children: picking teams, trying new games, the rush of victory, and the (momentary) crush of defeat.  We learned to make friends by capturing the flag, but we also blushed at being chosen last.  We learned that there are winners and losers, and that we always have to compete in order to win.  Having been inundated by the First Lady with statistics about childhood obesity and healthy lifestyles, Americans are very much aware that we should expose our children to sports and athletics at young ages.  But how young?  And in what way?  And should we worry that our children will become too outcome-driven and competitive?

Many of us are trying to figure out when to get the little one onto his first snowboard, or into her first sports class.  There are, within a 20 minute drive of my home, gymnastics, karate, tennis, skiing, football, soccer, and other sports classes for kids as young as 3 or even 2.  Our little ones only have so much time and energy in a week – so how do we choose between these offerings, and even more importantly, WHEN should we choose an activity like this for our kids?

Dr. Richard Ginsburg, Co-Director of the MGH PACES Institute of Sport Psychology and professor at Harvard Medical School, recently co-authored Whose Game Is It, Anyway?  In that book, he and his co-authors consider the benefits and detriments of early exposure to sports and athletics, from various perspectives: medical, psychosocial, and educational.  

Join us on Thursday, March 6^th, at North Hill in Needham, for a discussion led by Dr. Ginsburg as he explores the effects of sports participation on young children, and a healthy way to introduce our children to playing sports.

To register, please click here for Eventbrite. 

photo credit: Keysia~Luvs2TakePics~ via photopin cc

5 tips to stay on track with your New Year's fitness resolutions

Please welcome Jen Dehestani, ACSM Certified Personal Trainer at JFit 360°, who shares some great tips on keeping up with your New Year's fitness resolutions. Look for a special auction item from JFit 360° at the Go Green Party, plus a discount for Parent Talk members.

1) Buddy up 

Odds are you have some friends who have the same New Year’s resolutions as you, becoming more fit and healthy. Buddy up with one, preferably one you really like ;) and workout together.  By working out with a friend, you will chat and laugh, and time will fly by with both of you forgetting how hard you’re working.  The buddy system is a great tool for motivation and accountability; if your friend is meeting you at 6:30am for that run, no way you will leave her hanging (again, you can see why selecting a friend who you really like is key)!

2) Create an inspiration board 

Create an inspiration board that is all YOU to help remind you of your goals.  Every time you look at it you will be reminded of your goals and that a lot of small changes add up to big ones.

 Here are some easy tips for designing yours:

•  Look through magazines and online for images, quotes and power words that speak to you.
•  Don’t make your board too wordy and busy, aim to keep it crisp and clean so that each time you look at it the messages are crystal clear and easily identified.
•  Place your board in a spot where you will see it often without having to go digging it out (i.e., on your refrigerator door, in a frame on your coffee table, over your kitchen sink or in your workout area at home).

Here's the inspiration I created that's on my refrigerator door. 

 Get creative, have fun with it and stay motivated…pretty soon you’ll be adding a photo of yourself looking smoking hot in your bikini onto that inspiration board! 

3) Let technology help

My favorite technology when it comes to fitness and diet is called MyFitnessPal.You can log in from your computer or add it as an app on your smartphone – and it’s FREE.  Want to lose 10lbs? Plug your stats and weight loss goals into the program and away you go. The app logs your daily food intake along with your exercise to keep you on track, providing you with a net calorie amount. Technology never looked so good, and neither have you!

4) Don't let the cold weather get you down

The weather this winter has been brutally cold.  Sometimes the thought of bundling up with 5 layers, boots, hats and gloves, is not as appealing as staying inside your nice n’ toasty house with your slippers on.  This is where you have to dig deep and what’s that Nike tag line??...Oh yeah “Just Do It”!  You will thank yourself come summer when your thighs are less thunder and more lightning.

5) Variety is the spice of life

It's a fact of life; if you get bored of something, the harder it becomes to motivate to continuing doing it.  If you do the same workout day in and day out, the boredom factor will inevitably set in. Keep things interesting and keep the boredom at bay by mixing up your workouts.  Go for a run one day, take some yoga, do a spin class, workout with a trainer (wink wink). The key to being fit is consistency, and variety keeps you moving and burning those calories. 

About the Author

Jen Dehestani, ACSM Certified Personal Trainer at JFit 360° .

Get Fit From Every Angle with JFit 360's in-home personal training! Receive 40% off all training packages as a Parent Talk member! The personal trainers of JFit 360 provide you with highly customized programs brought directly to you in the comfort and convenience of your own home.  One-on-one training as well as small group training is available.  For more information, contact us at info@jfit360.com or call (508) 333-4887.  Visit us at jfit360.com

Thank you to JFit 360°  for donating an auction item for the Go Green Party. Check them out to learn more about their personal training services and more.