mommy ® magazine Bring On Secrets to a The New Spontaneous Family Year Getaway Perfect Parenting Resolutions Rock Out! Climbing the Outdoor Elevator The Sound and the (again and again and again) (Four-Year-Old) Fury at Shamrock Park Music Compound and Nature Center Where DO In this issue: • Birth Stories Babies Come • Preschool Foodies • Social Development From, Daddy? for Babies Timing the Big Talk Your Family’s Local Survival Guide Jan/Feb 2018 Welcome to the Club send us a photo and info about your baby (up to 1 year old) to: [email protected] Seager James Anthony Blackwell Ziggy Michael Carlson Born June 1st 2017 Born August 10, 2017 Weighed 6lb. 15oz. 20.25in long. He was welcomed by his loving parents Welcomed by his joyful parents and Shaun and Jen Carlson and his big siblings proud big brother Maverick Arabella, Dillon, and Declan Your baby's birth story, IN PRINT! Where your faith is just as important as your SAT scores. Layne Elizabeth Hall From the moment you step onto our campus, you’re welcomed Born June 24, 2017 into a nurturing and positive learning environment. Fully Welcomed by parents David and Kaleigh Hall accredited, our challenging, comprehensive curriculum is interwoven with Biblical truth and values of honor, character, integrity, self-discipline, diversity, and kindness. Let's talk about birth, baby. Long labor, short labor, C-section, or adoption? Experience a school Committed to Christ & Academic Excellence. Hospital, birth center, at home, or in a taxi? OPEN HOUSE Every mom has at least one good story about it! Let us January 25th | 6:30-8:00pm know if you're willing to be interviewed: An Exceptional Christ-centered Education • Pre-K through 12th Grade 5415 Bahia Vista Street, Sarasota, FL 34232 • SarasotaChristian.org [email protected] 941-371-6481 ext. 238 2 mommy magazine® January/February 2018 facebook.com/mommymagazine ® mommy magazine ® [email protected] mommy-magazine.com facebook.com/mommymagazine Sara Malone, Editor-In-Chief Amy Shepherd Dow, Editor Kathryn Coleman, Office Manager mommy Your Family's Local Survival Guide magazine Raven Greulich, Calendar Administrator January/February 2018 Volume Thirteen, Issue Three Jason Kimble, Copy Editing Ciera Coleman, Graphic Design & Photo Editor 2 Welcome to the Club 20 Morals & Manners This issue's cover photography by: Katie Jones, Marketing & Social Media Elaine Glickman Printed by Sun Coast Press 4 Special Events in January and February 22 Weekly & Ongoing This Issue's Columnists and Contributors: Pages 4-6, 10, 12-14, 16 Events in January Joseph Brunetti Fiona Galloway Long and February Kara Chalmers Beth Luberecki 7 From the Editor Chelsea Clarkson Rob McLain Pages 22-24, 28-30, Elaine Glickman Ashley Murphy 9 Birth Stories 32-33, 37, 39 Stephanie Knight Charli Nimz Lindsay Marchisello Erika Kohne Rawley Ryckman 25 Are We There Yet? Ryan Stanley 11 Mothering, Honestly Ashley Murphy reviews Music Compound 2018 Resolutions For advertising information: by Chelsea Clarkson [email protected] 26 Extraordinary Parenting Beth Luberecki interviews Mission Statement 13 That Awkward Mom-ent Cartoon by Ciera Coleman Carolyn Hoffman mommy® is a bimonthly magazine written by, for, and about local moms in the greater Sarasota 31 Preschool Foodies area. mommy® strives to achieve a balance 15 Daddy between useful information and entertaining Big Talk, Mister Food Art! content. Dubbed Your Family's Local Survival Guide, by Rob McLain by Charli Nimz mommy® provides mothers of children (birth-10) with guides to area parks, eateries, stores, and family events. mommy® is written to serve as 17 Forty Carrots 34 Park Reviews the local reading alternative to family magazines Family Center’s Joe Brunetti visits Longwood that are produced for a larger regional/national audience. mommy® contains views and opinions Parenting Pointers Park and Shamrock Park from across the parenting spectrum. These views Social Development do not necessarily reflect those of the Corporation. by Katie Schaeffer 36 Fit Mommy Robyn Miller We will consider the work of freelance writers, article ideas, as well as anecdotes or personal stories related 18 Teacher Feature to parenting in the greater Sarasota/Bradenton area. Rachel Chappell 38 Birth Stories All submissions become sole property of mommy Tatum Ridge Elementary Rebekah Greer magazine®. If selected for publication, all submissions will be edited for length, clarity, and/or taste without notification and may be republished in any format, including On this issue's cover: online, in perpetuity. Baby Oceana, 8 months old, Mommy, Corp. watching her big brothers 1661 Ringling Blvd, #758 Sarasota FL 34230 Luca, 5, Miciel, 9, and Kian, 7 voice or fax: (941) 404-8860 frolic with Mom Shelly and Dad Daniel [email protected] on Siesta Key, Want to see your children in the magazine? December 2017. Send photos of your cute kids to: [email protected] Leave Earth clean for our children. Please recycle your free copy of mommy® after you have read it from cover to cover. ©2005-2018 Mommy Corp. All rights reserved. Reproduction in part or in whole without written permission is prohibited. mommy magazine® January/February 2018 facebook.com/mommymagazine 3 Special Events January 1 to February 28, 2018 2 Teen Bad Movie Night at 4 Video Gaming at Selby 6 Nathan Benderson Park 6 Scrapbooking Fun. $15. 9 Celery Fields Cleanup. 8am. Have a family-friendly event Shannon Staub Library. 6pm. Library. 4-6pm. Drop in and play Movie Night. Moana! 4:30pm. 9am-4pm. Paper crafting Meet in the Nature Center. 6893 you'd like to list here? Because who doesn’t love to games on PlayStation and Wii. For more information see the workshops include scrapbook Palmer Blvd, Sarasota. Visit Send your info to watch and make fun of a terrible Recommended for ages 11-18. monthly events calendar at layouts, card making, and special Sarasotaaudubon.org/events/ for calendar@ movie with friends? Popcorn will Sclibs.net. nathanbendersonpark.org or projects. Participants may bring more information. mommy-magazine.com. be provided! For grades 6-12. contact [email protected]. their own supplies and/or purchase 5 Sand Volleyball at Bee Ridge 4675 Career Lane, North Port. supplies from instructor. Lunch 9 Read with the Dogs at North Deadline for event Park. 8am-9pm. Ages 10 and up. 6 Family Game Day- Featuring Port Library. 6pm. Ages 5 and submissions is the 10th of provided.Community Education 2 Free Backstage Tour of The Free. Open play on five lighted Giant Twister at Shannon Staub up, younger if accompanied by a the month prior to print. Center, 4940 Pan American Blvd, Sarasota Ballet. 9:30am. FSU courts. For details call 941-316- Library. 11am. A variety of board North Port. Cityofnorthport.com. caregiver. Children are invited to Center for the Performing Arts. 1330. Scgov.net. games and one “life sized” board (It's also a good idea to read to certified pet therapy dogs To reserve your spot: 225-9899 or game featured each month. verify event and weather 5 National Bird Day with Jim 7 Andrew Monroe Memorial from Suncoast Humane Society. [email protected]. Sclibs.net. Siesta info online before heading Hoover. 10am-4pm. Visit all the Scholarship 5K Run/Walk Sclibs.net. out with your kiddos.) Key Beach. Andrewmonroe.com. 2 Winter Camp: Arts & Bots birds who live there temporarily 6 Tween STEM Club at 9 Free Concerts in Downtown at Glazer Museum. Jan 2-5. while they recover from injuries. Jacaranda Library. 11am. Ages 7 SUP & Surf Teen Waterman Venice. Centennial Park Gazebo. Find where art and technology Save Our Seabirds, 1708 Ken 7-12. New topic each month Training. Sundays 9:30am on 3-5pm. Come enjoy live music meet! Code an Ozobot, paint with Thompson Pkwy. 388-3010 or related to Science, Engineering, Lido Key. 1/7-2/11. For ages 3-5pm Jan 9-10. Venicegov.com. January Sphero the sphere-shaped robot, [email protected]. Technology, or Math! Registration 11-18, who want more time out and much more! glazermuseum. 9 Teen Craft Night. 5:30pm. 5 Primary Readers- Early required; light snack served. on the water learning stand up org/camps. Ages 12-18. Drop by to create Blueberi Photography Edition at Gulf Gate Library. September’s topic: Farewell to paddleboarding, surfing and water new crafts each month. Snacks 3 Open Lab in the Creation 2:30pm. Ages 5-7. K-2nd graders Cassini—The Grand Finale with safety. Surfitusa.com. special guest, NASA Ambassador, will be provided. Sclibs.net. Station at Selby Library. make a great leap into the world 8 Lego Club at Gulf Gate Linda Stein! 10:30am. Come use our Adobe/ of independent reading. To Library. 4-6pm. Calling all LEGO 10 Fire Rescue Puppet Show Mac software and sewing encourage this we look at different 6 Adulting 101 at North Port Enthusiasts. We have blocks of all at Shannon Staub Library. machines on your own personal series each month in a fun way Library. 1:30pm. Ages 13-22, sizes and complexities; just bring Children and families will receive projects. Time slots are filled on with activities and discussion. monthly themes range from your imagination. Sclibs.net. Fire Safety Education from the a first-come-first-serve basis. Snacks served. Reserve your getting a job to maintaining your North Port Fire Rescue with the 8 Read With the Dogs at Elsie Sclibs.net. space and get your book early. car. Call for details 861-1307. puppet troupe The Safety Bunch. Quirk Library. 3:30pm. For Sclibs.net. Sclibs.net. Sclibs.net. 3 Teen Gaming Club at North ages 5-11. Children are invited Sarasota Library. 3-4pm. Join us 5 Parents Night Out at ESJ Jan to read with certified pet therapy 10 Technology Playground Jules, 2 6 Annual Orchids Expo.