Clever Parents is excited to introduce a new column, The Connected Parent, written by Patty Wipfler, the founder of the Parents Leadership Institute (PLI). (Note: PLI recently changed its name to Hand in Hand.)

Patty’s professional career has centered on teaching and supporting parents. She has been a teacher, school founder, and non-profit director. Over the years, Patty’s ideas about parenting formulated into an approach she dubbed Parenting by Connection. Hand in Hand was founded to support Parenting by Connection which emphasizes respect, listening, leadership development and the importance of interpersonal connections. Read the rest »

The North Carolina Museum of Art took 164 acres of land from a now-relocated state prison and turned it into a park for visitors to enjoy. One highlight is the Art Park which consists of a trail lined with temporary and permanent works of art – some of which are perfect for children to climb through! Learn more on the North Carolina Museum of Art website.

“Baby 2 Pack” pacifiers sold at discount dollar stores recalled.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with Kole Imports, of Carson, California announced a voluntary recall of ‘Baby 2 Pack’ pacifiers sold nationwide at dollar discount stores, according to the CPSC. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

“The pacifier’s nipple can easily detach from the guard, posing a serious choking hazard to young children,” said the CPSC.

About 3,600 packages of two pacifiers were sold at discount dollar stores nationwide from August 2005 through March 2006 for about $1, according to the CPSC.

“The recalled pacifiers are rubber nipples attached to a white or light blue plastic guard,” said the CPSC. “The cardboard packaging has a picture of a baby, some toy blocks, a toy train engine and a diaper pin with a bear on it. The pacifiers are sold in packs of two. Writing on the front of the packaging includes, “Baby,” “2 pack Pacifiers” and “BI194.” The back of the packaging has an American flag and the writing, “AN AMERICAN COMPANY.”"

“Consumers should take the recalled pacifiers away from babies immediately and contact the retailer where they purchased the pacifiers or KI for a full refund,” said the CPSC.

For additional information, contact KI toll-free at (800) 874-7766 anytime or send an email to recall@koleimports.com

Putting on sunscreen is like changing the oil in your car. You need to do it and it serves a good purpose, but anyway you slice it, it’s a drag. Oily, greasy, it’s impossible to put on your own back unless you are a member of Cirque du Soleil. And your kids? Putting sunscreen on a resisting two year old is a recipe for disaster. Of course, skin cancer is a far worse proposition, so we grin and bear the apply, re-apply ritual. Read the rest »

Is the clutter in your house driving you – or someone you love – crazy? Do you collect piles of paper that either continue to mount or just get moved around? Do you still have in your possession clothes from high school, books that have long been read and forgotten, or old furniture that just sits in an attic? Do you shutter at the thought of calculating how much money you have spent on items you really don’t need? Help is here. Read the rest »

Give a girl a blanket and you keep her warm and cozy; teach a girl to sew and she’ll build a business keeping others warm and cozy. When she was twelve, Jenn Griffith’s grandmother taught her how to sew. As a child who loved creating gifts and crafts for family and friends, this new skill opened up a world of possibility. Fast forward several years, a husband and two children. After making quilts and baby blankets as gifts for her friends, Jenn decided to turn her passion into a business. To the pleasure of babies and parents everywhere, Hopscotch Lane was born. Read the rest »

Having trouble figuring out what to have for dinner? Break the meal into three parts: meat, starch, vegetable.

Usually I have one of each on hand, either fresh or frozen. I keep several meats (e.g. chicken breasts, pork tenderloin, fish fillets, etc) in the freezer along with frozen veggies for just these types of instances.

For example, make the starch (e.g. couscous – cooks in 5 minutes!), saute a chicken breast, steam some frozen broccoli with a sliver of butter and salt and a tablespoon of H20 in a covered bowl in the microwave, and make a quick pan sauce out of the drippings from the chicken using broth or wine.

Place the chicken on the couscous, cover with the pan sauce, put the broccoli on the side, and voila – a quick, easy, vaguely-fancy weeknight meal that didn’t require a trip to the grocery store!