big apple abc's: a great gift from mr. boddington's studio

Tired of all the typical kids' artwork that adorns your kids' walls? Jazz things up a bit with a whimsical version of an ABC poster from Mr. Boddington's Studio. Forget "A" is for "Apple" and "B" is for "Boat." Each letter corresponds to something special about New York City. "A" is for "Alternate Side of the Street Parking" -- what kid doesn't know about that?! "M" is for "Metrocard," that thing they play with and inevitably lose when they pull apart your wallet. "Y" is for "Yellow Cabs" because we learn to hail them at about age 2 (a true story about my cousin Sara!), and "Z" is for "Zillionaire Jogging" because that's why Central Park was created! If your kids don't get some of the jokes ("P" is for "Pigeons and Pilates", or "O" is for "Overworked Attorneys"), you definitely will. Only $20 on www.mrboddington.com, where you can also get some very chic wedding invitations, place cards and baby announcements.

Papa, how do you spell big apple? NYC loves ABC Poster. Hand-drawn , 11" X 17", flat matte in brilliant color. ($20)

what a difference a blowdry makes! thanks to the Paul LaBrecque Salon and Spa

Growing up with straight hair, I always wanted my sisters' gorgeous curls and they always wanted my stick straight locks. After all, the grass is always greener. Seems like this concept holds throughout the generations.

My four-year-old daughter, who has the most gorgeous curls, would give anything for her friends' straight do's. This weekend, I took her to the well-known Paul Labrecque salon and spa on Manhattan's Upper West Side (www.paullabrecque.com), where I get my own hair cut, for a much-needed trim. Her only request was for my favorite stylist, Jasmine, to cut off her curls!

Jasmine kindly explained that if she cut off the curls, her hair would still be curly and offered her an allover trim with a little angling in the front and a professional blowdry instead. My very shy daughter sat staring in the mirror as her hair was straightened, leaving Jasmine and I trying to determine whether or not she was going to be happy with the results. But the second she was finished, a huge grin spread from ear to ear at the fact that she has rediscovered herself as a girl with straight hair!

For the rest of the afternoon, she was in heaven--prancing around town, swinging her head from side to side in disbelief. We pinned her hair up so she could take her bath and not ruin her 'do, and this morning, she put on her best dress and party shoes to go to school to show off her new look. Let me tell you...she walked down the hall of her preschool as if she was on the catwalk! Teachers and students stole second glances and made a big fuss over her transformation. I have never seen her so happy!

Thanks to Jasmine and the amazing Paul Labrecque team for pulling this off--it will truly be a day she remembers for life! As for me, I am dreading tonight's bath when we have to wash her hair and the curls will reappear. Jasmine, do you have any openings tomorrow?

For more great cut, color and styling ideas, plus some amazing hair care products, go to www.paullabrecque.com.

The Saving Seed: Growing a Financially Healthy Family Tree

"I want this!" "Mommy, can you buy me that?" are just a couple of cries that are all too familiar when it comes to buying things for your kids. In many cases, they just don't understand the concept of money and the fact that it doesn't grow on trees. It's important to find ways to let them know the value of money and there's no better person to tell us how than Ashley Parks.

Ashley Bogard Parks, CFP, holds a Bachelors of Business Administration from Texas A&M University and a graduate certificate in Financial Planning from Southern Methodist University. She has been advising clients since 1999 in her hometown of Dallas, Texas, where she lives with her family. Her book, The Saving Seed: Growing a Financially Healthy Family Tree, is available for purchase on her website, www.thesavingseed.com. Here, are her tips for talking to your kids about money...

Kidandcaboodle: What is the right age to introduce the concept of money?

Ashley Parks: "Children begin to count somewhere around age two. And at this age, role play, fine motor skills, verbal development and sense of self are blossoming as well. Each of these areas presents opportunities for introducing the concept of money. A child may not know the difference between a nickel and a quarter, other than one is larger than the other, but they can surely begin to count coins and sort them into like piles. Simple, practical, everyday exercises such as this begin to develop a child’s awareness of money. In your make-believe play, bring in the concept of shopping with one person being the store owner and the other the shopper. Again, simple concepts weaved into everyday life and they’ll be off to a great start. Use money words in everyday experiences. At the store checkout line, verbalize what you’re doing, “I’m now paying the clerk for the groceries we just purchased.” Whether banking online or at a physical branch with your child in tow, verbalize it, “I’m telling the bank how much money to pay for our house,” or “I worked today so I’m putting some money in the bank to save for later.” You’re planting these seeds that will grow into their understanding of money and its uses in the world. Lastly, age two may be the time when the word “mine” is used quite frequently in the household. Introduce the concept of sharing so that when giving is later introduced they have a base to build on. Children can understand more than we may realize. Exposure plants those seeds in them for future growth."

K&C: Any advice on how to teach your kids the value of money?

AP: "We each put a value on what money means to us. One person spending $100 on a haircut may seem well worth it but ludicrous to another. Likewise, that person wanting a $5 haircut may feel that $100 spent on video games was worth the cost. When teaching the value of money, link it back to what your family personally values and where the money goes to fulfill that value. Children may not value money spent until they’ve had to work or sacrifice for it. A child who earns an allowance and has had to save up that hard-earned money to buy something tends to think much longer about spending that money than someone who was handed it. Allowance is a great way to help children start to value money. There are different money issues that should be discussed as a child ages. You need to tailor the lessons to their developmental stages. My book, The Saving Seed: Growing a Financially Healthy Family Tree, goes into detail each stage from Toddler through Teen to give great, practical tips as they go through each stage. You’re not just teaching your children the value of money. You’re teaching them responsibility, consistency, appreciation, confidence and awareness. You’re laying the groundwork for their financial lives."

K&C: How do we help our kids create savings?

AP: Savings must start with some seed money. That seed money is their allowance, money from gifts and other income they have been given or earned. A fun activity to begin is creating a savings jar, spending jar and giving jar. They want to physically see that money, they worked for it and they want to know it’s there! I recommend that any income received is broken down 10% giving jar, 20% savings jar and 70% spending jar. As your children age, you can convert the jars into bank accounts."

K&C: Can you give us some basic terminology they should know?

AP:

a. Money

b. Bank

c. Owe

d. Spend: use now

e. Save/Saving: to be spent later

f. Give: share with others

g. Cash

h. Credit

i. Debit

j. Account

For more great financial advice, or to purchase The Saving Seed: Growing a Financially Healthy Family Tree, go to www.thesavingseed.com.

BuyABoutique.com: Accessories by the Bundle

Sometimes it's hard to get out of your "mom" clothes--what you wear to the playground or to the PTA meeting--but every now and then it's a necessity. And when you do, you want to look your best. Not only do you want to sport a chic outfit but you want to pair it with beautiful accessories at a price you can afford to complete the look. And after a day of changing diapers and settling arguments, you want it to be easy. This new website saves the day, with cutting edge designs, affordable prices and savvy style tips.

BuyABoutique.com (BAB) is the brainchild of founder Bill Mazhar, whose family business was located in the heart of Manhattan’s wholesale district. “I saw that there were numerous stores with great designs and good prices for accessories but they were only available to big retail shops who had to purchase a large quantity of accessories to even qualify for an order. Luckily, our store allowed both retail and wholesale purchases.” But there was still something missing. Mazhar realized that customers wanted experienced stylists to help them match their favorite accessories and they wanted discounts for purchasing items that matched perfectly together. In addition, they preferred trusted name brands when purchasing their accessories. By combining these factors, he established a new way to purchase jewelry and BAB was born.

BAB has a team of designers that curate jewelry from quality brand names and sells them in a bundled set which we call a ‘Mini Boutique’ at a steep discount. Mini Boutiques are brand name accessories composed of two or more items. BuyABoutique.com is different from other sites because it sells all of its products in bundles prepared by experienced stylists at prices that are heavily discounted. After all, who doesn’t love a bargain? The website provides customers with designer bundles at discounts over 50% off the retail price. Stylists pair up with name brands to offer styling advice and create very trendy mini-boutiques to sell on BAB for unbelievable discounts. Choose from a handful of must-have collections including: BOLD (statement pieces), EDGY (innovative jewelry made of wood, gun-metal, beads and animal prints), BOHEMIAN ( eclectic options) or SOPHISTICATE (a cultured, cosmopolitan look).

Some of our favorite bundles: The Swan Necklace and Bracelet from Elizabeth J’adore. The faux pearl necklace is an edgy alternative to the one your grandmother gave you for your high school graduation and pairs beautifully with the flower white leather bracelet (bundle price, $64). The Luxe Sophisticate features a necklace, bracelet and earrings crafted from a mixed medley of materials, including stunning crystal stones, glitzy rhinestone chains and an ultra-delicate floral motif made from minted gems (bundle price, $144).

The best part: At BuyABoutique.com, you get expert advice on how to wear the items you are purchasing. Let leading industry stylists help you put together a winning accessories look that will take you from work to day to night with ease. Go to www.BuyABoutique.com to choose your favorite jewels.

help! it's cold and flu season

Welcome to cold and flu season…it’s time to get educated! Help Remedies’ Medical Director David Pompei (Pharm.D) provides the below tips on navigating through the drugstore clutter and other useful information for surviving cold/flu season. Keep them in mind when taking care of your kids, but practice what you preach and follow them yourself as well.

1. PREVENT yourself from needing to visit the drug aisle - wash your hands regularly, exercise, consider getting a flu shot; these basic public health measures do reduce the chance of getting sick.

2. IDENTIFY YOUR SPECIFIC SYMPTOMS. If you do get sick, avoid characterizing your condition using ambiguous terms such as 'cold' or 'flu'. Instead, identify your specific symptoms; do you have a headache, does your body ache, do you have a fever, are you congested, do you have a runny nose, etc. and select product/s with active ingredients that focus on your specific symptoms rather than catchalls that may have medications that you don’t need.

3. TAKE LESS. Take just the amount of medicine you need. If a small dose relieves your symptom, there is no additional benefit in taking more. Start with a moderate dose – if you need more you can take more, up to the recommended dosage per day.

4. ASK QUESTIONS. The drug aisle can be confusing at times, and the pharmacist is there to help you get the right medication for your needs.

5. DON’T OVERDO IT. While you’re sick, take care of yourself. Rest, use a sick day, drink lots of fluids (including that old remedy, soup).

For more great info, go to www.helpineedhelp.com.

Happy Holidays: Ready, Set, Dine

The holidays are here and there's a good chance you'll be setting the table for company sometime soon. On behalf of Caldrea, Lifestyle Expert Kelley Moore offers ideas for how to set the table while entertaining this holiday season. I love these ideas because they're easy to do and give your table a professional, chic vibe.

Make the Table Visually Stimulating
Dazzle your audience with tabletop décor by adding color and texture. For the holiday introduce seasonal colors such as eggplant, fuschia and gold to enhance the setting.

Try a Fun, Unexpected Centerpiece
While flowers are always beautiful, sometimes it is fun to add sculptural elements. At a friend's house recently, a fantastic array of vases that she'd bought on a trip to Italy were not only beautiful and different, but also a conversation starter for the table.

Provide a Menu Card
This not only allows guests to see what they have to look forward to, but you can design the cards to fit the color palette of the table and build out your holiday theme. Keep your dishes and ingredients in sync with the season to be truly cohesive.

Create Unique Placecards/Takeaways
By assigning seating for your guests, you avoid the awkward first couple of moments sitting down to the table. You can mix and match personalities to initiate conversations and new friendships. Perhaps make a matchbox with their initial on it and then send them home with a Caldrea Candle. To check out the new Caldrea Holiday Collection in Crimson Pear Ginger, go to www.caldrea.com.

the smurfs are in the house

Have you seen the much-anticipated Smurf's movie yet? I haven't...but my kids are all too familiar withe adorable blue creatures since they decorate the shampoo and body wash bottles in our bathtub. Every kid will love the fun, new bath-time products created to celebrate the movie launch. Suave Kids® introduced specially designed bottles of shampoos, detanglers and body washes – all featuring the Smurfs. While the packaging is engaging for your tykes, you won't be disappointed by the faithful Suave formulas inside. They lather up effectively, rinse out pretty well (better on my son's straight hair than on my daughter's endlessly curly locks, but that can probably be said for most brands) and leave hair soft and shiny. True, my daughter chooses the one she wants to use based on the color of the product (pink and blue are her favorite) but hey, whatever it takes to get them to wash themselves is okay by me. Go to www.suave.com for more info.