All Done Monkey

When Daddy Has an Accent: A Very Special Friday on the European Mama

bilingualism, multiculturalism No Responses »

May 172013

I am so excited today to be posting on The European Mama. Olga is a friend of mine from Multicultural Kid Blogs. Many of you will remember the wonderful post she wrote for me earlier this year on the role of church in their lives, even though they are not religious. This post was one of the reasons I started my Parenting and Faith series.

One of the topics Olga blogs about is multilingualism, so when she asked for some help after her baby was born, I decided to write about how our Monkey has started to notice the differences in how my husband and I speak, even correcting his Daddy’s English!

So hop on over and read our post, and while you’re there be sure to check out Olga’s wonderful site:

When Daddy Has an Accent: A Very Special Friday on the European Mama

Sweet Tea Ten Ways

family, food, recipes 3 Responses »

May 162013

In the South, summer means sitting on the porch swing and cooling off with a tall glass of iced tea, more properly known as “sweet tea.” (Because really, is there any other way to drink it? Sorry, Mom!)

When my parents started dating, my father was a frequent dinner guest at my mother’s house. As a mark of respect, my grandparents always served him a big glass of iced tea. Every time, he drank it down to the very last sip.

Two years later, after my parents were married, my father finally admitted to his in-laws that he didn’t like iced tea! “I figured our relationship was irreversible at that point!” he laughs. All these years later, and my grandparents still tease them about this

Well, I do love iced tea – only if very sweet! – so I asked some fellow Southerners for their favorite sweet tea recipes. So brew up a batch, pour a tall glass, and sit back and enjoy!

1. Sarah Dees of Frugal Fun for Boys: I use 2 large sized Lipton tea bags in 2 cups of boiling water. Let the tea steep for 6 minutes, then add 1/3 cup of sugar and enough water to make 2 quarts. It’s not super sweet that way. If you want real Southern tea, add more sugar!!

2. Mackenzie of Cheerios and Lattes shares a Chick-Fil-A Sweet Tea Copycat Recipe.

3. Jaime of Frogs & Snails & Puppy Dog Tails: 4 bags of tetley tea, boil in a pan of water and let sit a few minutes. Put one cup of sugar in a gallon pitcher, add the tea to the sugar and mix, then fill with water. Refrigerate and serve when chilled. Always better the next day:-) GA gal style

4. Amy of A Nest for All Seasons teaches us the secret of making sweet tea with no dregs!

5. Samantha of Stir the Wonder: I make sun tea- yum (I’ve learned recently that it can be unsafe, but I’ve never had an issue & I’ve been drinking it since I was a kid.) I use about 6 tea bags & a cup of sugar or so in a large clear/glass tea jar full of water and let it sit in direct sunlight outside for a few hours until brewed. Then chill it in the fridge or drink with ice if I don’t want to wait for it to cool.

6. Randi of Dukes & Duchesses swears this minty lemonade iced tea is the best sweet tea ever!

7. Melissa of The Happier Homemaker: My Meme’s Sweet Tea: Steep three large teabags in two cups of boiling water for fifteen minutes. Dissolve one cup of sugar and add cold water to make 2 quarts. We’re from Charleston, SC, and they like it super sweet down there!

8. Angie of Country Chic Cottage put a healthy twist on the traditional by creating a sweet great tea recipe.

9. Niki of HomeMadeville: My mom does: 3 family size tea bags in a 1 qt pot, filled with water about 3/4 of the way. Bring water to boil – let boil for a couple of minutes. Put 1 and 1/2 cups of sugar in a gallon tea pitcher, then pour hot tea over sugar (leaving bags in pot). Stir with wooden spoon if you have it. Continue to add cold water into the pot (tea bags still in pot) and then pour into gallon pitcher until full. Stir. Put tea in refrigerator after it has cooled to room temperature. (I use a tad less sugar – 1 & 1/4 cup)

10. Jessie of Play Create Explore: I live in Arkansas, and I was about to write out how I do it, but found this recipe and it’s the exact same thing I do: Amazing Ribs Southern Sweet Tea

Do you love sweet tea? What’s your favorite summertime drink?

Care Kits for the Homeless: Moms Gone Global {Random Acts of Kindness}

Random Acts of Kindness 2012 5 Responses »

May 142013

I am so pleased to announce the return of the popular series on Random Acts of Kindness. What started as a temporary series last fall is now a regular feature. Each month, a blogger shares the random acts of kindness they have committed with their little ones. You can visit the Random Acts of Kindness page to see previous installments of this series. You can also follow the Random Acts of Kindness Pinterest Board. I have been truly inspired by these wonderful posts!

Today we learn ways to show kindness to the homeless, from Jill of amazing Moms Gone Global. She sent me this post as she was packing for vacation: Talk about commitment! Thank you, Jill, for this great post!

I feel honored to be a part of the Random Acts of Kindness Challenge. Thank you Leanna for putting this series together and for giving me the opportunity to participate!

Teaching compassion is a cornerstone of raising good global citizens. When driving around our city, we witness many homeless individuals in need of compassion every day.

Therefore, the focus of our random act of kindness is to give hope and aid to these homeless individuals on the street by providing them with care kits.

It is very important for parents to model empathy and charity when it comes to the plight of the homeless. It’s easy to look the other way and ignore the people on the street who are holding up signs in a state of desperation, but kids must learn to see these individuals as human beings who deserve kindness, comfort and consideration.

Some argue that giving to the homeless enables them and perpetuates their predicament. I believe that being generous with the homeless is necessary and good for the community.

To help the homeless is a compassionate act which is a high virtue and demonstrates a concern for the welfare of others without judgment. This sets a good example for the community. Further, to help the homeless in their time of need is a model of good behavior that may inspire them. It may also provide them the hope that is required to lift themselves out of a bad situation. They may one day pass those acts of generosity onto others — as kindness can be contagious.

With these sentiments in mind, I thought it would be a great idea to put together care kits and personally deliver them to the some of the people we see standing on the streets each day hoping for handouts. Speaking to a homeless person while making eye contact with them is a great way to show them respect and let them know that you recognize their value as a person. This provides them a sense of dignity that they rarely experience.

The care kits we created consisted of a reusable shopping bag filled with healthy snacks and personal hygiene items including sanitizer, toothpaste, toothbrushes, moisturizer, tissue packs, wipes and deodorant.

In an effort to feed the recipients’ souls, we included a small handwritten heart-shaped note in each bag.

The men and women we have approached on the streets were all very polite and appeared genuinely thankful for the gifts. We have seen most of them before, but only through the car windows. To engage in a conversation with them made a big impression on my boys. They now understand that these folks are real human beings who need and deserve compassion and comfort like the rest of us.

There are many ways to be kind to people who are homeless and looking to rebuild their lives. Several programs exist in shelters that require interested volunteers. In most instances, all that is needed is a small amount of your time.

Each member of our family volunteers at our local shelter which provides many services to the homeless in our city. The boys donate their outgrown clothing, toys and books to the shelter on a regular basis. We work at the donation center during the holiday season, and I serve as a reading tutor for some amazing children at the shelter’s elementary school.

Another easy way to engage in a random act of kindness for the homeless is to carry fast-food gift cards with you and hand them out when you see a person in need. This is a great option for those who have any fears about the way a cash gift could be spent.

Links for more information about helping the homeless:

GiveBackpacks.org is an organization dedicated to supporting the homeless population in Austin. Visit the organization’s website for ideas on what items homeless are often in need of.

Homeless Shelter Directory to find a homeless shelter near you.

35 Ways to Help the Homeless

Moms Gone Global

Jill is the co-founder of Moms Gone Global, whose goal is to help parents foster cultural awareness within their children so that they may grow up with a meaningful understanding and appreciation of diversity. The website’s contributors write about their experiences as they endeavor to enrich their children’s global education by the exploration of foods, music, languages, customs and traditions of the world’s cultures.

You can see a full schedule of the posts in this series by visiting the main Random Acts of Kindness Challenge page. You can also follow the Random Acts of Kindness Pinterest Board.

First Annual Backyard Barbecue Bloghop

family, food, Kid Fun, recipes 3 Responses »

May 132013

Summer is almost here, and with it comes memories of picnics and barbecues, racing under the sprinkler, and playing in our tree house down by the creek.

This year we are looking forward to having lots of popsicles (including tamarind pops), cooking with zucchini, beets, and other seasonal produce from the farmer’s market, and playing outdoors.

To celebrate all of the fun wonderful recipes, activities, and crafts that summertime brings, this year we are co-hosting the first annual Backyard Barbecue Bloghop!

Please link up below all of your family-friendly summertime ideas below. The linky will be open through July 13, so be sure to come back later in the summer to share more of your great summertime posts!

I will be pinning selected posts to my new Summertime Family Fun Pinterest Board!

The Backyard Barbecue Bloghop is brought to you by:

All Done Monkey

Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes

Mud Hut Mama

With our wonderful co-hosts:

The Squishable Baby

Creative World of Varya

Kid World Citizen

Something 2 Offer

Local Fun for Kids

Rainy Day Mum

Kid Lit Giveaway Hop: Giveaway from Kids Yoga Stories!

bilingualism, books, education, Kid Lit Blog Hop, natural parenting, travel 12 Responses »

May 122013

Enter our contest below to win a copy of Sophia’s Jungle Adventure, a yoga-inspired children’s book by Giselle Shardlow

My Monkey loves to move! Even when reading or playing a video game, he simply cannot sit still. On a recent visit, my dad couldn’t stop laughing as he watched Monkey watching a video. First Monkey was laying on his stomach, then sitting, then hanging over the edge of the couch, then upside down, and so on. At our preschool playgroup, he is the same way. He can’t just sit and sing the songs with the other kids. He has to get up and dance.

So I was thrilled to come across Kids Yoga Stories, the yoga-inspired children’s books by author Giselle Shardlow. Giselle bases her books on her own experiences as a teacher, traveler, yogi, and mom. She was kind enough to send us a copy of her wonderful Sofia en una Aventura por la Selva (available in English as Sophia’s Jungle Adventure), and Monkey loved it straightaway. Finally a book that spoke to the way he likes to read – in motion!

As someone who has always loved yoga, I adore these books because they finally give me a fun, easy way to introduce my son to yoga. I tried to teach him some movements myself when he was younger, without much success. And as my own yoga practice has fallen by the wayside, so has my motivation to teach him.

Enter Kids Yoga Stories, which make yoga fun for kids by setting the movements within the context of a story, so that each motion taught is linked to an action in the storyline. Kids zoom like an airplane as Sofia and her family travel to Costa Rica (yes, our beloved Costa Rica!), salute the sun with Sofia before she begins her hike through the jungle, and act like the monkeys and jaguars she sees.

Along the way, they also learn about the importance of saving the environment for these beautiful creatures, in a way that is easy for children to understand and therefore to care about.

The book is also a great resource for parents, who can refer to the full, illustrated list of poses and a parent-teacher guide at the back of the book.

Monkey loved acting out the story and imitating Sofia’s poses. I was impressed with his attention to detail, as he even made sure to hold his hands the same way as she does. Of course, he often decided to change things up a bit: “How about like this? How about upside-down? How about like a robot?”

This kind of creativity is encouraged by Giselle, whose motivation in creating these interactive books is to “get children moving, learning, and having fun.” Mission accomplished!

You can find more about this and other books and resources from Giselle at Kids Yoga Stories or on Amazon worldwide.

Kid Lit Giveaway Hop

I am so pleased to be able to offer a copy of this great book as a prize to one reader, as part of the amazing Kid Lit Giveaway Hop! Each participating blog (find a list of all of them at the end of this post) is running a book giveaway to celebrate Children’s Book Week.

The contests will all run through May 19, 2013, so see how many you can enter this week!

But before you do, make sure to enter below to win a copy of Sophia’s Jungle Adventure! The winner can choose either the English or Spanish version of the story.

Enter now to win this great book!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

World Citizen Wednesdays #25: The Best Gift My Kids Ever Gave Me

World Citizen Wednesdays 1 Response »

May 082013

Welcome to World Citizen Wednesday!

Each week we pose a question to members of the fabulous Multicultural Kid Blogs group and share their answers here.

To find out more about these amazing bloggers, check out the Multicultural Kid Blogs Facebook page and our new Multicultural Kid Blogs website!

This week, in honor of Mother’s Day, we ask…

What is the best present you have ever received from your kids?

Melissa of Where going havo?: An iced coffee. When my daughter was about four, she and my husband were out together and stopped by the store for a snack. She led him straight to the shelf with the iced coffee I like and made him buy it and a snack for me. I loved that she thought of me and knew what I liked even though I wasn’t there.

Daria of Making Multicultural Music: I love and keep the “love notes”… even especially the silly ones and ones not written for holidays. I have one where my daughter (then six) drew 2 dinosaurs, a large one and a small one and the little one told the big one “I love you”.

Cecilia of Spanglish House: Besides wild flowers arrangements, sweet and funny notes and drawings. Last year we had a Derecho that hit the area where we live and our front tree was blown over. My husband asked my boys what could we do with the wood from the tree, and my boys suggested lamps for mommy, and they did it. They used branches and work on the stands, my husband took care of the shades. They are beautiful and I was truly surprised!

Varya of Creative World of Varya: My husband and my daughter usually treat me a lunch/dinner and mani-pedi. Plus, there is always some yummy dessert! Last year they made me a lovely Mother’s Day card. I still keep it.

Jennifer of The Good Long Road: My boys are young (3.5 and not quite 2). My favorite gifts are impromptu things like a flower they picked in the yard or a picture they color for me. Simple, but treasured.

Alyson of World Travel Family: We don’t do presents for Mother’s Day in our family. But my most memorable Mother’s Day breakfast in bed was in a tent in Townsville, Australia, on a semi deflated air mattress with a dip in the middle that made a nice little pool. My 2 year old had an accident. I was forced to stay there and enjoy my cup of tea.

Meera of InCultureParent: My kids are not big on art, but they give me these casually done pencil-drawings that capture our every day moments all the time – like us playing in the backyard or walking to the library and I love them! My most precious gift was a home-spa session my husband and the kids put together for my birthday – my little one was holding the two slices of cucumber on my eyes from falling, and my daughter came up with a banana face mask and a water- with- rose- petals from our garden bath for my feet

Frances of Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes: For Mother’s Day the cute cards he makes at his pre-school. He’s only 4 yrs. old and he loves picking flowers for me; and to draw and color so he’s always making “pictures” for Mommy. He’s also ‘s showering me with kisses. He grabs my face, and kisses my forehead, nose, cheeks, and yes my chin, too! LOLOL

Kim of The Educators’ Spin On It: One year my 8 year old son and my husband made gingerbread cookies from scratch. They both left little handwritten notes around the house with cookies for a Treasure Hunt with handpicked flowers at the end. He left work early to come home and do it with him after school while I was at work. It was the sweetest thing ever!

Amanda of Maroc Mama: Time. I’m not huge on gifts but having quiet time to myself, in my bed, watching movies is a magical gift for me!!

Carrie of Crafty Moms Share:Last year for my birthday my husband took her to a store and let her pick out what she wanted to give me. I got quite an arrangement of gifts (a candle snuffer, a horse hook to hang up and earrings I had planned on giving my mother but Hazel insisted I should keep them). Nothing we needed at the time, but things we have found good uses for and I knew she really loved them all.

Heidi of 2KuriousKids: All of the cute gifts made at school of course! But my kids recently took a picture of them and used craft sticks to make a cute frame out of it and wrote I love you Mom!

Stephanie of InCultureParent: The most adorable card with hand picked flowers, together with homemade breakfast when I woke up. And I always love the gifts they so proudly make at school for me too!

Thanks to all the bloggers who shared their answers here! You can read answers to earlier questions in our previous installments of World Citizen Wednesday, including tips for traveling with kids!

Find out more about these wonderful bloggers by visiting our Facebook page, subscribing to our Facebook feed, following us on Twitter, or following our group Pinterest board! On Twitter, you can also find us by using the hashtag #multiculturalkids. And now you can visit our new Multicultural Kid Blogs website!

Family Reunion Souvenirs

family 4 Responses »

May 072013

Summertime is approaching, and for many families – including mine – that means it’s time to come together from faraway places, to relax and catch up after time spent apart.

It can be fun to send everyone home with a memento after these wonderful get-togethers, but this is especially significant for children, as a way to maintain the connection with faraway relatives.

As you start to plan your family gatherings, here are some ideas for some fun but inexpensive souvenirs.

1. Family Photo Album

What better way to preserve the memories than a photo album? These can capture a moment in time for growing families, since children change so quickly. With online services like Shutterfly, putting together an album can be as simple as uploading your photos and choosing a cute background. Best of all, these albums serve as continual reminders for kids of relatives they don’t see very often.

Here are two ideas for a family reunion album:

a. Make ahead: One year before our reunion we gathered photos of all the grandchildren and made an album for my parents as a thank you gift. As it turned out, we all loved it so much that we ordered copies, too!

b. Looking back: After one trip to Costa Rica, we put together a photo album of our trip, which we also sent to our family there.

2. Quote Book

When I was in high school I started to write down funny quotes from family and friends. It has evolved into a tradition, to the point that if I miss a family gathering, someone else will take over the “scribe” duties for me. Creating a quote book for everyone can be a great way to bring back fun memories from the trip.

3. Awards

When I was younger, I got to tag along with a good friend on a family trip. Everyone was so warm and welcoming. One of the way they made us “tag-alongs” feel like part of the family was to create a mock ceremony to make us honorary members of their clan.

Some families hold a similar ceremony at reunions to make everyone feel special by handing out simple awards to recognize each person’s unique qualities. These can be serious or humorous, depending on the family.

4. Custom T-shirts and Other Items

Image courtesy of Cafe Press

Another popular souvenir for family reunions and other gatherings is a custom t-shirt. At one time these were typically done at specialty shops and were not practical unless you were ordering in large quantities. Today, however, companies like Cafe Press, make it easy and affordable for anyone to design and order custom shirts.

But why limit yourself to T-shirts? You could also order other clothing items – such as baby clothes! – or something altogether different, such as water bottles.

Whatever you choose, have fun planning your family gatherings this summer!

How do you preserve memories for your children after a family reunion?

Pattycake: Simple Baby Games

child development, Kid Fun 8 Responses »

May 032013

One of the most fun developments in the early months of a baby’s life is when s/he starts to laugh, especially those big, catch-your-breath belly laughs. It’s impossible to stay in a bad mood once you hear one – they are highly addictive!

Baby Monkey’s first big laugh came, of course, from watching his older brother. But Mom and Dad have a few tricks up their sleeves, too, to make this little one laugh!

One of the most reliable methods is so simple that I am always surprised that it works: Baby Monkey loooooooves to play pattycake!

For those of you unfamiliar with it, pattycake (also called pat-a-cake) is a very simple hand game. (Here is an overview of the history of this game). Older children play it by clapping hands with each other. For a baby, an adult will typically hold baby’s little hands and clap or roll them in rhythm to the song.

Pattycake, pattycake, baker’s man

Bake me a cake as fast as you can

Roll it and pat it and mark it with a “B”

And put it in the oven for Baby and me!

This is the version I sing with Baby (substituting his name for “Baby”), but of course there are many variations. Here is one version of pattycake I found on youTube, as played by older children. And here is one of a mother playing with her baby. You can see how much this baby enjoys it, too!

What makes pattycake so much fun for babies? I’m sure part of it is the close, face-to-face interaction with someone they love. Also, babies love to hold onto their parents’ hands. I know Baby is always grabbing my fingers and playing with them. Plus, young babies who can’t clap on their own yet must love the motion itself. And of course there is the anticipation of getting to the rolling part!

Pattycake: Simple Baby Games - Alldonemonkey.com

Those little hands love to grab hold of everything!

When we were in Costa Rica when Monkey was a baby, I discovered that they have a variation of this game as well. Everyone loved to hold Monkey’s little hands and clap them to this song:

Tortillitas de mamá (Mommy’s tortillas)

Tortillitas de papá (Daddy’s tortillas)

The version I heard was always this simple one, although I have since read a slightly longer version, giving the “golden ones” to Mommy and the “hot ones” to Daddy. The book Tortillitas para Mamá and Other Nursery Rhymes gives still another variation, with Mommy getting the burned ones and Daddy the good ones (!)

I suspect that there are similar games in many other part of the world, since it seems to tap into something the babies really enjoy.

Does your baby love pattycake? Do you know of a similar game from another culture?

This post was written as part of the May Multicultural Kid Blogs Blogging Carnival.

This post contains affiliate links.

Walking Through the Garden of Ridvan: A Look Back

Ridvan 2 Responses »

May 022013

It is hard to believe that as of sunset tonight (which has already happened in many places) Ridván will be over. I have had so much fun participating in the first ever Walking Through the Garden of Ridván series with Bahá’í Mom Blogs and getting ideas for how to celebrate this special holiday with my boys.

Here is a look back on all the fun things that the participating bloggers shared during this 12 day festival. For a full list of the posts, see our main page.

We set up a Ridván tent, learned about celebrations around the world, and sampled rose water cheesecake…

…used music to celebrate, made a felt story board, and shared hospitality…

…made crowns, used nightingale puppets and sensory play, and created a beautiful environment…

…tapped into the joy of the festival, celebrated with loved ones, and, finally, left the beautiful garden.

How did you celebrate Ridván this year?

May Culture Swapper Is Live!

Worldwide Culture Swapper Linkup 3 Responses »

May 012013

Welcome to the Culture Swapper! I am proud to be co-hosting the Worldwide Culture Swappers link up again this month, created and sponsored by Worldwide Culture Swap and co-hosted by myself and Kid World Citizen.

The monthly Worldwide Culture Swapper is a way for bloggers to share blog posts or photos about anything related to culture, geography, language, traditions, customs, etc. So if you are searching for new ideas for teaching your children about the world, this is the place to look!

Each month favorites will be highlighted on our website and Facebook page. In addition, we pin featured entries to our Raising Global Citizens board on Pinterest, so be sure to check it out!

Here are a few of our favorite posts from last month’s Culture Swapper:

We celebrated Ireland with Loving Learning.

We learned about Aboriginal culture with Homeschool Group Hug.

Finally, we discovered all about Aboriginal dot painting with Navigating By Joy.

Thanks to everyone who shared in April’s Culture Swapper. We can’t wait to see what you’ll share this month!

And now on to this month’s Culture Swappers Link up….

The rules

Link up any family friendly activity, craft, recipe, articles and posts that say a bit about your nationality or one that you are learning about.
You can submit more than one link so come back throughout the month to share your activities.
By linking you are giving us permission to feature your activity on our website and Facebook page.
Please grab a Culture Swapper badge from the sidebar and put it somewhere on your blog (or add a text link to us in your post).
Sorry, no giveaways or shops.

A new Link up will start on the first day of every month.

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