v 4 issue 8: Good Sport

We have a great way to introduce a love of sports to young ones. In this issue you will find some of our favorite cool sports items as well as a guide to finding the right sport for you little sports enthusiast.


Cover by Tonya Dailey









1 Babypro offers a unique viewing experience for children of ages 9 months to 4 years. Working to encourage a lifetime of physical activity and healthy living, these videos help children visually explore the natural progression of sports through different ages. A great way to introduce a love of sports to young ones.

2 Chart your superstar's height through the ages and stages of childhood with this fabulously boyish All Star Growth Chart. Top notch artistic effects and superior quality help this chart stand up to the test of time. Find it at Ashley Taylor Home.

3 'Tis the season to show off your love of the game. This is the sweetest way to do it. The Jock Lollitop by Clothesline Candy is the cutest little embroidered tee wrapped up in a tasty little package. What a great gift! Available at Rocknsprouts.com
Enter code: TTW10 for 10% off your total order!

4 The Mini Mitt Chair is a small sized lounger upholstered in plush, easy to clean fabric. The perfect size for catching toddler and kid sized tooshies. Available in a variety of shades, it's the grand slam of finishing touches for any sports themed room.

5 A super duper soccer backpack specially designed to easily carry a size 5 soccer ball. Includes a large main compartment, a secret spot for headphones and music players, and extra side compartments on the outside for whatever else you might need. Pack it once and you'll be ready for soccer practice in a snap.

6 Just like Dad... Your little man will look so grown up in his first pair of boxers. We adore these little Skivvies adorned with sports motif, they are stinkin cute! One size fits little tooshies up to 25 lbs. Available at Bambini Bliss
Enter code: TTW for 20% off your total order over $100!

7 No Sunday is complete without this adorable hat found at Bebecakes Boutique. A toasty brown top knot hat appliqued with a good ole football Dad (or Mom) can be proud of. Grows with baby to fit through the whole pigskin season. Only 18 smackeroos!
Enter code: TOTTRENDS for 15% off your total order!

8 Score your child a winner of a quilt. A brilliant blue handmade quilt decorated with soccer balls of equally brilliant colors. Garnet Hill has it in sizes to fit cribs, twin, and double/queen sized beds.


This weeks mom tips:
Time Saving Tip:
I take return address labels around in my purse and when I take the kids to the doctors office I just stick one on the sign in sheet instead of having to write all the info out and watch the kids at the time. It's a GREAT time saver for me!
-submitted by Kristin, (Mommy of 3)

For quick baby food I purchase frozen squash and frozen sweet potatoes that are cut into bite sized pieces or peas and corn and put them into a baby food jar (I save them because I also cook and puree food and these are great to freeze the food in to avoid plastics) and heat them up in a baby food warmer.
-submitted by Andrea

Cleaning Tip:
Use cotton balls dipped in bleach to remove mildew from the corners of the tub. Just let them sit and when you are finished cleaning the bathroom, remove the cotton and rinse.

Sanity Saving Tip:
Let calls go to voice mail! Phone interruptions cause you to become distracted from your to do list or spending quality time with your kids. By returning phone calls at your convenience you can get your list done and cut down on chatter time.

Financial Tip:
Protect Your Home

If you haven't carefully read your homeowner's insurance policy in the past year or so, you could be seriously jeopardizing your biggest investment.

Even before the massive losses caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, insurers were scaling back policies to make it harder for homeowners to receive payouts that would cover their true rebuild costs in the event of a total home loss.

You should have an extended replacement coverage policy, where your payout can be more than the current value of your home. Find out what it would actually cost you to rebuild your home today. If your policy doesn't cover that amount, raise your current level of insurance.


How to find the right sport for your child



Children thrive with physical activity. They love to run, jump, climb, skip, throw and catch – it is part of their wiring and there’s a good reason for it.



Begin playing sports as young as 3? Absolutely! Sports play an integral role in the development of young children. Physical activity develops both gross and fine motor skills. A delay in developing these skills has a lasting effect on a child’s growth and development.

The development of gross motor skills like running, balancing and catching is directly connected with the development of fine motor skills like writing, using utensils and brushing their teeth.

Sports are a great way to not only develop gross motor skills, it also helps a child gain confidence, learn social skills, and create healthy habits to last a lifetime. Here’s how to introduce sports to your young child for maximum benefit.

Step One: Explore what is available in your community. The options are often overwhelming from gymnastics to tee ball, soccer to tennis, horseback riding and martial arts – there are sports for every personality, skill level, and interest.
Look for age appropriate activities. For example, a typical 4-5 year old will be just beginning to grasp many gross motor skills like running, jumping, bouncing, kicking, and walking a straight line. Depending on your child’s development tumbling, swimming, or soccer may be great choices.
As children move beyond kindergarten and are in their early elementary years their gross motor skills really take off and the opportunities for sports expand.

Step Two: Present your child with a couple of options based on what is available in your community and what matches their interests and personality. Many children will want to try everything while others will be reluctant to get involved. Where does your child fall in the spectrum? Keeping their personality and talents in mind consider giving them a couple of options to choose from.

Step Three: Look for programs which are focused on fun not competition. Yes winning can be fun however the point of sports is to learn about ourselves, grow both physically and mentally, and to enjoy the results of trying our best – winning is simply a bonus. A program which is focused only on winning short changes the child of the many benefits of sports. They learn that their efforts only matter when they win.

Step Four: Be an involved, but not too involved, parent. We’ve all been to games where 5 year olds are running down the field and the parents are yelling at the children about their on field performance – yikes! It’s important for your child to know that you support them to do their best, cheer them and their teammates on instead of coaching from the sidelines. If their skills could use a little improving, and really whose couldn’t? Then practice with them at home – make it fun!

Step Five: Be a good role model. Show your child that physical activity is an important part of life, not just by signing them up for sports but through your own actions. Get involved in physical activity yourself. Become involved by bringing snacks, practicing with them, and helping out where you can.

Physical activity plays an integral role in the overall development of a strong and healthy child. Keeping your child’s personality and strengths in mind, support them to find sports which focus on skill building and fun. Follow through and support them to grow and develop their strengths. They’ll be more confident and skilled adults - they’ll thank you for it in the long run.