Lafayette Kids Lab: Our Little Scientist!

Last week my youngest child (2) and I had the opportunity to visit the Lafayette Kids Lab to participate in one of their current research studies.    

I met Lauren Myers - the director of the program a few years ago and have always been curious to see what their research studies are and how they work, but until now my children were never the right age to participate.  The Lafayette Kids Lab is a division of the Lafayette College Psychology Department. Professor Lauren Myers and her research assistants gather data and information on how children develop, think and learn.  As a former educator who has spent many hours reading research studies over the years while in undergraduate and graduate school the opportunity to have one of my children participate in such a study was really exiting. Children's Research studies help scientists learn much of what they know about children's development, abilities and understanding of the outside world. This research helps parents, physicians and other scientists to know the best ways to educate and teach young children!

Though I have to say I wasn't sure what to expect. When people think about research studies I feel like there is maybe a little bit of a concern for what they might be asking the children to do and how they will react or parents concerned that their children might be treated like little lab mice. I am happy to report that this did not feel at all that way. The experience was very age appropriate and really felt like a little playdate! All my children enjoyed the experience and even the big ones who were not being studied enjoyed the visit!

The study that was being researched at the time (and will continue through the end of this month) was related to learning more about how children interact and learn through video chatting/FaceTime experience. The researchers are gathering data from children each week to help determine if children learn better in person from a human in front of them or via a video screen.

I was truly impressed by the professionalism of the researchers, the structure of the study experience and the space that was set up for us the visit. Our daughter felt immediately comfortable with the staff and enjoyed the play experience.  She even got a certificate mailed out to her with her picture on it showing she participated in a scientific study!  The staff was fantastic with our kids and we definitely will be interested in returning as they continue their work with additional studies.

While this study will be ending soon, the researchers are always looking for more children to help them with upcoming studies. If you are interested in participating in a study, please call them at (610) 330-5870 or e-mail them at lafayettekidslab@gmail.com

Little World Makes a Big Difference

Little World Makes a Big Difference 

Imagi Nation - A Little World for Big Thinkers ALLENTOWN, PA

In a world where everything is kid-size, a child’s hard work and ambition can prove to be enormous when playing with a purpose. Children who have visited Imagi Nation since its opening in October have taken on the roles of doctors, news anchors, fire fighters and police officers not only for pretend play, but also to make a real difference in their community.

Children are given 20 Biznis Bucks, the currency of Imagi Nation, upon entrance to the pint-size city which they run. They are “paid” an additional 10 Biznis Bucks for each job they complete, however not all occupations yield a paycheck. Positions such as customer or patient require them to manage their money wisely in order to afford things like groceries at the Market or check-ups in the Health & Dental Center. When children earn 50 Biznis Bucks, they are eligible to open a Savings Account and keep track of their earnings as they explore more than 40 different careers. At the conclusion of their visit they make a decision to invest their money and receive interest on a return visit, or donate to one of 3 local charities: American Red Cross Lehigh Valley – Bucks Chapter, Pediatric Cancer Foundation of the Lehigh Valley and St. Luke’s Hospice for children’s bereavement programs.

Educating children in financial literacy is one goal of the Biznis Bucks program, however owner Wendy Pitts had another idea in mind when creating the concept. “In a ‘selfie- centered’ world, we wanted to provide children with an opportunity to think about the needs of others and experience the joy of giving rather than receiving.” By the end of the first quarter, industrious visitors have earned the local causes over $1,200 and will likely surpass that amount for the next quarter.

Imagi Nation is the Lehigh Valley’s first educational entertainment experience for children with an emphasis on social skill development. Imagi Nation specializes in imaginative play, school field trips, birthday parties, private events, special family events and corporate team building sessions. Visit http://www.imaginationexp.com for more information. A Little World for Big Thinkers ©.

For the first quarter 2017, Imagi Nation kids donated over $1,200 to Pediatric Cancer Foundation of the Lehigh Valley, American Red Cross Lehigh Valley-Bucks Chapter and St. Luke’s Hospice children’s bereavement programs.

Read even more about Imagi Nation and how to experience their attraction in our recent review here! 

The BEST DIY Starbucks Iced Mocha!

I really love a Starbucks Iced Mocha Latte. The thing I really DON'T love about them is the price.  A grande costs me nearly 5 bucks! OUCH! So even though I'd find myself craving one a few times a week I really try to limit myself to swinging through the drive through a few times a month.

This is my favorite afternoon "mom treat" once the toddler goes down for a nap and the big kids is cozied up with a quiet activity (see here about how we implemented daily afternoon quiet time!)  It is time for momma to power through the day with a little pick me up!

Image credit: Starbucks.com

I tried making them at home and never had success. I'm not lying when I say that I literally have been trying for years to find a great make at home recipe.  Some of the recipes I ran across even required cooking your own chocolate on the stove!! Who has time for that?!?! My kids barely allow me enough time to eat meals let alone prepare a special syrup to flavor my coffee.

I went to all lengths to find one that fit the bill and nothing... I searched tons of bloggers' pages and none of them nailed it in my opinion. About two weeks ago... for a while I had a dark chocolate syrup that I purchased for one of my coffee experiments and it didn't cut it. Many of the recipes I read about required using cocoa - which I realized seemed to be the missing piece in my elusive DIY Iced Cafe Mocha.  The following is my DIY Starbucks Iced Mocha. The cost of each drink just a fraction of my Starbucks treat and tastes just as delicious plus I can make it at home without needing to run out!

I recommend using a robust coffee - it doesn't need to be espresso, just a nice strong coffee.  I LOVE to use the Grande Intenso pods with our Dolce Gusto Coffee Maker from Nescafe because it has a cold brew option - meaning I don't need to wait til it cools to add ice!  Their pods are fantastic and brew incredible coffee both cold and hot. For this recipe I've been using their Grande Intenso. The coffee comes out frothy and full bodied. Its much more compact than our old Keurig and makes better coffee. 

You can also using a French Press (this one gets great reviews and is currently marked down!) is a great way to make your own cold brew by brewing in the fridge overnight.  I also love Chameleon Cold Brew or Nitro from Target . 

Prepare your mocha flavoring  by placing 2-3 Tbs. cocoa (we recommend dutch, not dark cocoa powder) , 2 Tbs. of Milk and 3-4 Tbs. of Hershey's Dark Chocolate syrup in a bowl and mix - at first it will seem like its not going to mix - keep going (I promise) it will come together into a dark syrup. Once it is mixed you are ready to combine it with your coffee. **HINT you can also add your ingredients all to a mason jar and SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE, its easier than hand stirring and faster.

Stir (or shake) everyone together and you are done! Top with whipped cream and enjoy! 

Cheers! 

Did you LOVE this recipe! Share it with a friend or on social media or comment below!

 We would love to hear what you thought! 

Image courtesy of Sabotta Imagery

Sponsorship/Affiliate Disclaimer: 

lehighvalley.findandgoseek.net only exists because of hours upon hours of work that comes directly from the heart of a mom who wants to make the Lehigh Valley a better place to raise your family. Because of our effort we publish a resource that makes your life as a parent easier, makes the Lehigh Valley more welcoming to a family new to the area and helps make the Lehigh Valley a more vibrant and engaging place for families to grow and live. In order to make it possible to continue doing this we must find ways to generate income from our work. At times you will see posts from sponsors who pay us a fee to help them spread the word about their business or event. All opinions expressed are 100% our own, products reviewed in this blog may have been provided at no charge to us in exchange for our unbiased honest review. This article contains affiliate links from businesses that give us a very small portion of your purchase should you decide to purchase from any of our links.  Barters and fees that we receive from our sponsors and affiliates help make the website the best it can possibly be, they put food on our family's table and allow us to keep doing what we do! By patronizing the businesses who support us and by choosing to opt in to offers we share you keep lehighvalley.findandgoseek.net alive - making it possible for us to continue to provide information and engaging content for years to come. Without you and without our valued sponsors the website could not continue to operate. We love all of our LVFGS Families and thank you for your support.

Settling into Summer with Sparkle Stories : A Sparkle Stories Review

Having the kids all home for the summer is a blessing for sure - except when you have that sacred two or three hour window when one or two of your kids should be napping... the extra noise created by my older kids can be really disruptive to the toddler's nap and when the toddler doesn't nap the toddler isn't happy when means momma isn't happy....

I've read about Sparkle Stories in a few places including when they were mentioned in another blog a few months back and recently I decided to check them out when they introduced a FREE 10 day trial. My kids were hooked immediately. They ask to listen in the car, before bed during our "quiet" afternoons at home, all. the. time. which I don't mind because it is something I can easily say YES! to.

So what are they? Sparkle Stories actually describes it quite perfectly "Sparkle Stories are simple, delightful and filled with a sense of wonder. They inspire children to play, to marvel, to laugh, and to be kind." Additionally the content is purely for children so "You'll never need to worry about inappropriate content - as we craft each of our stories to be perfect for young ears". The stories are beautifully written and are performed with many voices for each of the characters and different series - each with unique characters and themes.

The "story spinner" David as they call him has a lovley tone to his voice. The stories are not only magical and engaging but many of them have powerful messages that address anything from fear of the dark, to changes in a family's life, social struggles, bullying, to the emotions that come with ending/beginning a school year. 

There are also TON of stories just for fun that pique little one's imaginations, stir up creativity and inspire children to think and play!

I dedicated myself to creating a more structured home routine this summer what one of my children was repeatedly asking me what we were doing later today or tomorrow or next week. She wants to know the plan! And I found this was the perfect way to work sparkle stories into our day. I work (lehighvalley.findandgoseek.net) a number of hours each day (often before the kids wake or after bed but it nice to get some time in during the day as well - since I'm usually freshest after my 1pm latte).

I have one napper still and really needed something that my older two children could do that was both mindful of their little sister and didn't require too much supervision from me that and had some educational value and inspired some quiet time so mommy could work a little bit. I think most parents would agree this is a pretty tall order. Now we're only a weeks days into summer but so far my plan is working (insert evil mom laugh here) but In all seriousness this has been a life saver on all fronts! Above is my middle kiddo who fell asleep the first afternoon they listened to the stories and took a solid 1/5 hour nap! If you were wondering - yes, those are vintage Little Mermaid Sheets from 1991 we used them for some fort building.

I set them up with a story in their room each afternoon for their "quiet time" and its become pretty well accepted most days. They love the stories and the characters and are even engaged in listening to the story. We've also began to listen during breakfast time recently - it seems to help them focus on eating. Getting a good solid breakfast is hard for us, my kids wake up ready to hit the road running and rarely want to stop to eat breakfast.

So here is how you can listen! There are a few different options.

The Sparkle Stories App

By becoming a subscriber you can listen to unlimited stories as often as you like! Their app makes it really easy to stream content or download stories for offline listening. The app is searchable and sorted by age ranges, themes and the different original series available. You can also stream the stories from the mobile version of their website on your phone.

Sparkle Stories Podcast

Sparkle stories releases a few stories each week on their podcast (like on demand radio, if you haven't used podcasts before). Which you can easily subscribe to wherever you choose to listen to podcasts (Apple users will have an embedded call with a purple microphone to manage podcast usage). Just search for Sparkle Stories and subscribe! Each time a new story is added you will be notified. Its super easy and FREE!

Sponsorship/Affiliate Disclaimer: 

lehighvalley.findandgoseek.net only exists because of hours upon hours of work that comes directly from the heart of a mom who wants to make the Lehigh Valley a better place to raise your family. Because of our effort we publish a resource that makes your life as a parent easier, makes the Lehigh Valley more welcoming to a family new to the area and helps make the Lehigh Valley a more vibrant and engaging place for families to grow and live. In order to make it possible to continue doing this we must find ways to generate income from our work. At times you will see posts from sponsors who pay us a fee to help them spread the word about their business or event. All opinions expressed are 100% our own, the product reviewed in this blog article has been provided at no charge to us in exchange for our unbiased honest review. This article contains no affiliate links and we do not receive any compensation if you decide to try Sparkle Stories.  Barters and fees that we receive from our sponsors and affiliates help make the website the best it can possibly be, they put food on our family's table , provide you with great content and allow us to keep doing what we do! By patronizing the businesses who support us and by choosing to opt in to offers we share you keep lehighvalley.findandgoseek.net alive - making it possible for us to continue to provide information and engaging content for years to come. Without you and without our valued sponsors the website could not continue to operate. We love all of our LVFGS Families and thank you for your support.

Fourth of July Celebrations in the Lehigh Valley

We've got your guide to fun on the fourth in the Lehigh Valley! 

Theres TONS of events, activities and fireworks to check in Allentown, Bethlehem Easton and beyond all throughout the Lehigh Valley this year! 

The celebrations aren't just limited to the 4th of July this year either! With the holiday falling on a weekday celebrations are spilling into the weekends before and after the fourth making it easy to enjoy lots of different celebrations and festivities and multiple fireworks displays if you like!

Allentown Fireworks

Dorney Park Fireworks

Bethlehem Fireworks

Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs Fireworks

Longswamp Fireworks

Upper Macungie Fireworks

Easton Fireworks

Quakertown Fireworks

Lehighton Fireworks

Woodstone Country Club

Jim Thorpe Fireworks 

Check out all of these great local festivals to celebrate our nation's independence! 

Stay at Home Independence Day Festival - Jim Thorpe

Heritage Day - Easton

Allentown's 4th of July Festival

Woodstone Country Club -  Danielsville

Kutztown Folk Festival 

See even more fun for the fourth in our full holiday guide!

Read More from Lehigh Valley Find&GoSeek! 

                                             

Sponsorship/Affiliate Disclosure: 

lehighvalley.findandgoseek.net only exists because of hours upon hours of work that comes directly from the heart of a mom who wants to make the Lehigh Valley a better place to raise your family. Because of our effort we publish a resource that makes your life as a parent easier, makes the Lehigh Valley more welcoming to a family new to the area and helps make the Lehigh Valley a more vibrant and engaging place for families to grow and live. In order to make it possible to continue doing this we must find ways to generate income from our work. At times you will see posts from sponsors who pay us a fee to help them spread the word about their business or event. This article contains affiliate links from businesses that give us a very small portion of your purchase should you decide to purchase from them. Barters and fees that we receive from our sponsors and affiliates help make the website the best it can possibly be, they put food on our family's table and allow us to keep doing what we do! By patronizing the businesses who support us and by choosing to opt in to offers we share you keep lehighvalley.findandgoseek.net alive - making it possible for us to continue to provide information and engaging content for years to come. Without you and without our valued sponsors the website could not continue to operate. Opinions expressed in this article are 100% honest and real and are not in any way altered based on sponsorship agreements, barters or payments we have received as a media partner. We love all of our LVFGS Families and thank you for you support.

Ju-Ju Monkey features new product!

I was recently selected as a tester to try out a new product by Oil Change Aromatherapy - offered exclusively at Ju-Ju Monkey in Allentown.  We received their Mend 01 Formula and tested it out on a weird rash that popped up on our toddler (23 months)! It can be tough as a mom to know the right the products to use for every little irritation, rash, boo-boo, and scrape. This product solves that problem though because it literally helps just about everything!!

These bottles are formulated by hand with careful attention to proper dilution rates for the essential oils included as part of the formula by a certified aromatherapist. They come in a super easy to use spray bottle that is a breeze to apply to even the squirmiest kiddo.

Our toddler's mystery rash was confined to her chest and we were able to snap a few photos to track how well it works. The photos below were taken about 36 hours apart and after only 3 applications. Within an another 24 hours (2 more applications) from the time second photo the rash was completely gone, without a trace of it ever existing. 

After clearing the rash above we have found Mend 01 to be helpful with diaper rash, bug bites and minor scrapes! This stuff is an incredible product to keep within arm's reach that we can confidently recommend! 

Follow Oil Change Aromatherapy on Facebook here and Instagram here 

Your can purchase your own at Ju-Ju Monkey in Allentown or order online by selecting your product size (2 oz. or 4 oz.) 

Mad Mattr review coming soon!

Mad Mattr Review Coming Soon! 

We absolutely can't wait to let you know how this stuff works! My kids love to build and mold things with their hands! Our Mad Mattr is on the way! Click here to Get yours and let us know what you think!