1214bspwest

baystateparent FREE

DECEMBER 2014

Massachusetts’ Premier Magazine For Families Since 1996 Massachusetts

WESTERN MA EDITION

GREEN PARENTING TIPS

PIONEER VALLEY MUSEUMS OFFER CREATIVE OUTLET FOR FAMILIES INSIDE POPULAR WESTERN MASS WINTER FARMERS’ MARKETS HOW TO KEEP THE KIDS BUSY ON WINTER

BREAK

Winter Guide OUR PICKS FOR INDOOR & OUTDOOR FAMILY FUN

baystateparent Western MA Edition

is turning 1...

and we want to put YOUR CHILD on our March Cover!

jenniferrosephotography

kathryndeanephotography

To celebrate our 1st birthday in March we’re pulling out all the stops, inviting parents to send a recent photo of their child (aged 6 months to 16) for consideration as our birthday cover model.

Parents can send 1 photo of their child to models@baystateparent.com with the child’s name, age, town and parent’s

Ashley Vassallo Photography

contact information. The finalists will be invited to our office (located in Millbury, MA) for a professional photo shoot. The winner will be chosen from the finalists and will be asked to come back for the final shoot and appear on the cover of the March issue of baystateparent West!

All entries must be received by Monday, January 19th.

Don’t delay, enter your mini-model today! models@baystateparent.com 2 DECEMBER2014 3

Great Wolf Lodge® New England is here!

Or should we say, heah?

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Families can whip down waterslides, play MagiQuest®, our interactive adventure game, and get manicures at Scooops® Kid Spa. Waterpark passes, as well as use of our Howlers’ Peak Ropes Course, are included free with your stay. It’s fun on top of fun on top of fun.

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BAYSTATEPARENTWEST 2 3

4 DECEMBER2014 5

table of contents DECEMBER 2014 VOLUME 1

1.

3

NUMBER 10

things we learned

while making the december issue

Snowshoes don’t go in reverse. To turn around, you need to walk in a wide circle until you’re pointed in the right direction. Snowshoes often have a tapered point at the back that will catch in the snow if you try to walk backwards. Turn to page 24 to learn more about the basics of this fun, family activity.

Winter Farmers’ Markets in Amherst, Northampton and Greenfield all accept SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits as a way to make their goods available to all members of their communities. Learn more about the area’s vibrant winter market scene on page 30.

2.

Best-selling “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” author Jeff Kinney is building a new coffee shop/ bookstore in the town of Plainville, one he hopes will open next spring. What else is Kinney up to? Turn to our Take 8 interview on page 38 and find out.

Our Winter Guide Featured Articles

30 32 33

DISHIN’ WITH THE DIETITIAN: Holiday Food Safety RIPE BITES: Host an Ugly Sweater Party

7 8 8 9

10

How to Keep Yourself Sane – And Your Kids Busy – On Winter Break

19 20 22 24

Game Night: Age-Defying Family Fun Mass Family Favorite Gamewright Turns 20

WELCOME: A Letter from Our Editor MEET OUR CONTRIBUTORS bsp ONLINE MOM MATTERS: Expert Working Mother Tips to Avoid a Holiday Meltdown

12

GREEN PARENTING: Shop Local: It’s Green and It’s Good

13

OUT & ABOUT: December Calendar of Family Events

26

LET’S GO: Pioneer Valley Museums Offer Free Fun, Creative Thinking for Families, Youth

28

3.

RIPE: Families Discover Food, Friends, More at Western Mass Winter Farmers’ Markets

in every issue

FINALLY FOREVER: Greenfield Exhibition Celebrates Children in Foster Care, Artists

29

DECEMBER’S CHILDREN: Meet Josmary & Marybelis

29

CIRCLE OF FRIENDS: Area Adoption Events

34

OUR DECEMBER FAVORITES: Facts, Finds and Freebies

38

TAKE 8: Meet “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” author Jeff Kinney

advertising directories

36 37 37

CONSIGNMENT CORNER DANCE, GYM & ENRICHMENT PRESCHOOL & CHILD CARE ADVERTISER’S DIRECTORY

voted

e st BPARENTING

Geocaching: Year-Round Treasure Hunting Family Fun

PUBLICATION

Snowshoeing: Slow Down, Explore With Your Kids

Local Media Association

in North America

BAYSTATEPARENTWEST 4 5

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meet team

baystateparent

welcome to

baystateparent

The mention of winter seems to evoke one of two reactions: “I can’t wait to get outside!” or “I’m not going outside until April!” This month, we have great ideas and todos for both persuasions.

For the outdoor set, Michele Bennett Decoteau outlines the basics of the hottest winter sport around: snowshoeing. It’s easy, fun, inexpensive and a great way for families with children of all ages to enjoy the outdoors in a whole new way. Sure, you can hike during the other three seasons, but winter provides unique ways to get up close with a side of nature you can’t find any other time of the year. How so? Turn to page 24 and find out.

Michele also examines another fun hobby the whole family can enjoy: Geocaching. It’s an activity that’s a study in contrast: families using billion-dollar satellites to find plastic boxes full of trinkets in the woods or on other public lands. But it’s much more than that, providing the adventurous with an exclusive gateway into locations and areas you may never think to visit, even in your own hometown. Better yet, it’s free. Discover the whole new world that awaits on page 22.

For the indoors-by-the-fire crowd,

nothing beats a good, old-fashioned family game night around the kitchen table. There’s no screen — assuaging that relentless screentime guilt many of us harbor — and game nights offer laughs, critical thinking, creativity, memories and that precious face time for which all strive. And popcorn, always popcorn. Games expert and Massachusetts father of two Joshua Glenn notes that game nights also fill the quality-time gap that can occur when children reach their teen years. There’s a lot teenagers may not want to do with their parents at that age, but pull out a good board game and even the coolest kid will take a seat. Read more about family gaming on page 19.

There will be plenty of time for family game nights come late December when Winter Break arrives. It’s a long one this year, nearly two weeks thanks to Christmas landing on a Thursday.

Starting on page 10, Sara Pokorny offers a host of family fun to-dos over break — for nature lovers to time travelers — as well as expert tips on how parents can peacefully manage and enjoy all that togetherness.

Want even more options? On page 26 Jessica Day examines the amazing offerings of the Smith College Museum of Art and Amherst College’s Beneski

Museum of Natural History. Both destinations are stocked yearround with incredible offerings for the entire family, and fun ways you can explore and enjoy art and science with your children.

While the end of December is all about celebration, getting there isn’t easy for many, especially mothers juggling the pressures of work and home. For those working in corporations, the last three months of the year are a particularly brutal time, according to former Fortune 200 COO Teresa Taylor. Turn to page 9 and check out her Top 5 tips for surviving what she calls a “holiday meltdown.” Even better, her advice is good year-round for any parent — corporate employee or not.

On page 12, enjoy our new column, Green Parenting, written

by Northampton mother of three Angie Gregory. Angie examines easy, everyday ways families can live a green lifestyle.

Lastly, follow us to Greenfield on page 28, where we talked to Pam Kinsmith, a potter and mother of two former foster children.

Kinsmith found a beautiful, amazing way to bridge her personal and professional passions and raise adoption awareness in a unique art exhibit.

M e li ss a

Melissa Shaw, editor

publisher KIRK DAVIS

creative editor in chief MELISSA SHAW 508-865-7070 ext. 201 editor@baystateparent.com creative director PAULA MONETTE ETHIER 508-865-7070 ext. 221 pethier@holdenlandmark.com senior graphic designer STEPHANIE MALLARD 508-865-7070 design@baystateparent.com

advertising director of sales REGINA STILLINGS 508-865-7070 ext. 210 regina@baystateparent.com western mass sales manager JESSICA O’MALLEY 413-437-4673 jessica@baystateparent.com multi-media account executive DONNA TYBURSKI 413-530-7187 donna@baystateparent.com

In Association With advertising director BETH BAKER 413-283-8393 ext. 245 bbaker@turley.com presidents KIRK and LAURIE DAVIS copy editor BRYAN ETHIER

photographers CHRISSY COSTIGAN STEVEN KING JENNIFER SALVON

• Over 50,000 readers

Ashley of Longmeadow, This month's cover model is

who sure looks ready for the holidays!

We at baystateparent are, too, and wish you and your family a wonderful winter filled with fun.

• 25,000 copies distributed monthly • Find us in ALL Big Y stores PLUS 400 other locations • distribution manager TOM SIGNA 508-865-7070 ext. 112 tsigna@holdenlandmark.com

baystateparent is published monthly with a main office at 22 West Street, Millbury, MA 01527

www.baystateparent.com cover photo

© Jennifer Salvon

BY JHS photography BAYSTATEPARENTWEST 6 7

Meet Our December Contributors Michele Bennett Decoteau is a Massachusetts writer, editor, beekeeper, outdoorswoman, and mother of two. She has lived all over the state including the banks of the Connecticut River, Linde Brook, and Slaughterhouse Pond. This month Michele shares how your family can start enjoying two fantastic outdoor activities: snowshoeing on page 24 and Geocaching on page 22. Read about the basics and get ready to head outside and have fun!

online

bsp west

Jessica Day is a lifelong resident of Western Massachusetts, with the exception of leaving for college in the late ’80s. She lives in Greenfield with her husband and two daughters. She credits her parents with instilling in her a love of all things New England, even the winter months, because what better excuse is there for settling in with a good book? Starting on page 30, Jessica takes a look at the area’s vibrant winter farmers’ market scene, which offers much more than food. On page 26, she reports on the family treasures to be found at the Smith College Museum of Art and Amherst College’s Beneski Museum of Natural History.

It was another busy month for baystateparent West online, where we’re keeping close to the keyboard bringing you the latest news, events, tips and more.

Oh, and giveaways! Were we busy with giveaways!

Here are just a few of the products our online readers won this month: • A $130 inclined sleeper • A baby bump sound system • A sweet science kit that teaches your child about electric circuits and lighting • A gadget that ensures you never lose your cell phone again.

• And a three-day getaway to Smuggler’s Notch valued at $2,500!

Angie Gregory lives in Northampton with her husband and three kids, and is an avid gardener focusing on herbal medicine making. She has worked in the community fostering projects like Grow Food Northampton and started Mother Herb Diaper Service out of her home after the birth of her second child.

The business is now a cooperative venture and has relocated to Holyoke under the name Simple Diaper & Linen. Starting this month, Angie will be writing a regular column for baystateparent, Green Parenting, focusing on simple, everyday ways families can live a green lifestyle.

Sara Pokorny is a freelance writer who lives in Amherst and is a proud puppy mommy to Link and Piper. She's interviewed everyone from Mike Tyson to the late Joan Rivers, but still names the time she talked with the mall Santa Claus as her favorite story yet. With Christmas falling on a Thursday this year, the winter break is one of the longest parents face, but Sara’s got you covered with tips and to-dos on page 10.

Disappointed you missed out on November prizes?

Turn to page XX and check out what we’ve got in store for you this month, including a $90 glide bike!

Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/ baystateparentwestmagazine Follow us on Twitter: @bspwestmagazine Stay in touch with us online everyday, and you’ll get the jump on entering to win that bike, along with many other fun books, DVDs, gear and more than crosses our desk.

Meet up with us online, we want to hear from you!

Country Bank Extends Warm Winter Wishes to You All!

countrybank.com • 800.322.8233 MEMBER FDIC | MEMBER DIF |

8 DECEMBER2014 9

EQUAL HOUSING LENDER

MOM MATTERS

Expert Working Mother Tips to Avoid a

HOLIDAY MELTDOWN

BY MELISSA SHAW

For working mothers, major holidays are not the only stressors that appear in the last three months of a calendar year.

October through December often represent the urgent fourth quarter of a company’s fiscal year, which for many means a mad rush to cut expenses and make plan. For Teresa Taylor, former COO of $12 billion telecom and media company Qwest, the time meant trying to balance her responsibilities to the 30,000 people who worked under her with the three she loved most in her personal life – her two sons and husband.

You can guess which side won more often than not.

“I dreaded it when it was coming,” she says of the months-long stretch she termed the “Holiday Meltdown.”

“In the industry I was in, there was always something that wasn’t right.

In the fourth quarter we’re trying to

shore it up, which meant budget cuts, reorganizing, do we have the right strategy?”

The final three months of the year meant reorganizing departments, possible layoffs — “which were always horrible” — and then trying to plan for the year ahead.

“It was a double whammy, besides the holidays, besides the kids, it was just the worst time at work,” she says.

After working her way into a corner office at Qwest, Taylor says she reached a turning point when her boys were in elementary school.

She tried to balance it all but kept missing personal and professional commitments. The dual demands led her to a crossroads many working mothers face: Should I quit my job?

Yet Taylor wanted another option and crafted it.

“I did not want to quit working, and I was determined to find a way I could have my career and a family life,” she says. “I just didn’t believe all this stuff everybody was saying, ‘You can’t have both. You have to choose. Something’s going to suffer.’ I just didn’t buy it. I really focused on ‘How can I make this work?’”

To do that, she realized she had to stop measuring herself against that mythical perfect mother image and define her own.

“The core of it all was really not being so hard on myself,” she says.

“Saying ‘This does not have to be perfect, I can’t be the perfect mom in the way society defined it.’ Part of it was just letting this go and defining it for me.”

Over a couple of years and a lot of trial and error, Taylor developed five tips she says heavily resonate at the holidays but are valid for working mothers yearround.

1. Wear the game face. “It is not necessary to let everyone know how miserable you are.

It is not productive and only creates more chaos. It is OK to cry, but find a place that you can cry alone – mine was the women’s bathroom in my office.”

2. Third grade only comes once. “Each school grade comes with unique characteristics that shape your children. Try to rise above the details and look at the bigger picture. Treasure — don’t dread — this busy holiday-at-school time.”

3. Manage your time more efficiently. “Be present in what you’re doing, finish it and move on. I have my list of things to do, and I’ll assign time slots to it. If I have one hour to work on a presentation at work or one hour to wrap presents, I do the best I can for that one hour.”

4. Combine your work and family schedules. “I used to keep two different calendars – one for home and one for work; but I was missing work deadlines, my kids’ activities and other events.

So I combined the calendars, which caused me to start talking about my family at work and integrating my two lives. It’s one life and one calendar! And now I don’t miss a thing. More than ever, the holidays are the right time for combining.”

5. Stay in the moment. “When you’re at work or in a meeting,

be there. When you’re at home, be there. If you’re in a business meeting, don’t be wishing you were somewhere else. Be present where you are, and don’t feel guilty about where you’re not.”

Taylor says Tip 4 — blending her personal and professional schedules — was a game-changer.

“For me the point was: I’m going to define this the way it works for me and not listen to all these messages that are out there about how to be a mom. For me it was blending. I just pushed it all together and said, ‘This is just me. I’m one person, this is what I do.’ It worked much better,” she notes. “When I started blending them things went much better for me. My performance at work got much better, too.”

The most difficult tip for Taylor to follow? Number 5.

“Staying in the moment. It still is, right now,” she says. “That constant talking to yourself in your head, or you’re sitting in the meeting and think, ‘I forgot to call the doctor.’

Your brain is just working and it’s hard to turn that off. In a meeting to look at the people who are talking and listen to them and not think, ‘Oh, I forgot the cupcakes.’ Or the other way around, when you get home at night and focus on the kids and not think about the whole day at work. I still struggle with that one.

It’s a discipline, it’s really hard to do.”

Currently Taylor is still very busy — sitting on the boards of three public companies, including T-Mobile USA and a Fortune 500 energy holding company — and authoring a book, The Balance Myth: Rethinking WorkLife Success.

The key to handling it all? “Give yourself a break,” she advises.

“Define what works for you. Set your own expectations; don’t let it be defined by someone else.”

BAYSTATEPARENTWEST 8 9

How to Keep Yourself Sane – And Your Kids Busy – On Winter Break

BY SARA POKORNY

The tree is trimmed, cookies are in the oven, the kids are playing and the season seems right – on the surface. Perhaps the tree is half done and leaning to the right after a failed family decorating session. The cookies might be burning, actually, because those “playing” kids are making quite the mess all over the living room carpet and it’s up to you to go stop it.

You’re losing it, your partner is losing it, the kids have already lost it - welcome to holiday break.

At a time when the pressure is not only on for gift giving, decorating and entertaining, the kids are also home more than normal thanks to school vacation. Because Christmas falls on a Thursday this year, winter break for many school districts is close to two weeks. An abundance of vacation days can make home life all the more difficult, but it doesn’t

have to be this way and, in fact, it shouldn’t be. Sticking to some rules — big and small — can help allay stress for parents and children, and keep sight of what the holiday season is really about.

First and foremost?

Cut yourself a break.

“Parents need to be realistic about their expectations on themselves,” said Annette Cycon, LICSW, Founder and Director of Training at MotherWoman in Hadley. “There’s a lot of pressure to feel like we have to do it all and do it all perfectly. So we don’t have five different kinds of pies made; it’s more important that everybody is happy and loves each other.”

This is the first stop on the “maintaining self-care” track that

Cycon feels is essential to keeping sanity intact for parents and children alike. The quicker you accept that the Super Parent cape can be packed away until January, the better off you’ll be.

Scheduling rest is important: days to sleep in, naps and stress-free spots to fit in family traditions.

“I promise you that your children won’t remember the dust on the mantel, but they will remember baking cookies with you,” said Donna Denette, Executive Director of Children First Enterprises in Granby.

As for the rest of the holiday hours, be aware of how children’s schedules are altered, particularly younger ones.

“This may be the year you ask people to come to your house,” Cycon advised for families who do a great deal of traveling in order to see

relatives. “Disruptions in schedules can be difficult to manage, and you must remember it’s really OK to ask for some kind of accommodation that will help your children to not become stressed, overactive or overtired.”

To that end, don’t be afraid to ask family members to babysit. You might also consider a child swap with friends. If another family has an older and a younger child similar in ages to your own, one family can take the older children for the day while the other can watch the younger.

The concept of “less is more” is also best for little ones.

“Young children can easily get over-stimulated by the noise, the company, and the gifts,” Denette

C

H liday Photo Special www.chrisharringtonphotography.com • 413-588-4085 10 DECEMBER2014 11

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noted. ”Better to enjoy a few things at a time and put some things away than let your child get overcome with it all.”

Gift oversaturation can be avoided by sorting toys into piles and packing away all but one, then rotating them once a week. It’s like finding new treasures each time.

It may seem a simple notion, but limiting sweets is another strategy that can be overlooked. Load kids up on healthy snacks before visits where people tend to put out holiday treats.

Nancy Farber, director of Cushman Scott Children’s Center in Amherst, advises parents to keep plans to a minimum around what she refers to as the “Witching Hour” — 5 p.m.

“Their energy level is low, they may be tired, they may be hungry.

As a parent of four, I found it best to do your visiting and run your errands early in the day,” she said.

“The stores are busier, more hectic and there’ll be more arguments from them since stores often put ‘no-nos’, like candy, at their level at the checkout. The threshold for being logical is much lower at the Witching Hour.”

While advice on how to handle not only situations, but also yourself and your children can certainly be doled out endlessly, you may still ask: “Yes, but what can we do?”

For the nature lovers: Unless you’re an outdoor enthusiast, it’s most likely far too cold to head outside more than a handful of times over the break, but that doesn’t mean the weather should stunt one’s ability to enjoy nature. The Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory and Garden in South Deerfield (281 Greenfield Rd., South Deerfield, magicwings.com) is an 8,000-square-foot indoor space that’s home to nearly 4,000 exotic and domestic butterflies. It’s also set in a tropical environment, making it possible to forget the winter blues altogether – at least for a little while.

For the museum-minded: While some museums seem somewhat kid-repellent with the “look, don’t touch” attitude, the Amelia Park Museum is far from it (29 S Broad St., Westfield, ameliaparkmuseum.org).

The hands-on experience plays host to Story Hour every Monday, Craft Hour every Thursday, and Science Hour every Friday. The same can be said for the Children’s Museum at Holyoke, which houses an imagination playground, mailbox slide, Curvey Climber and TV

studio (444 Dwight St., Holyoke, childrensmuseumholyoke.org).

Mass MoCA has Kidspace, a gallery that houses the works of professional, contemporary artists and provides a hands-on area for children to create and study art (87 Marshall St., North Adams, massmoca.org).

That’s not to say anything “hands-off” should be counted out. Children and adults alike will be delighted to see “Adventures in Gingerbread,” the fifth-annual gingerbread house exhibition and competition held through Dec. 31 at the Springfield Science Museum and comprised of creations made by local bakeries, schools and organizations (21 Edwards St., Springfield, springfieldmuseums. org). The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge has a school vacation week program that runs from Dec. 27-Jan. 2, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with “Rockwell and Dickens: A Victorian Holiday Celebration.” There’s also a fashion show on Dec. 27 at 5:30 p.m.

(9 Massachusetts 183, Stockbridge, nrm.org).

For time travelers: Sometimes an old-fashioned holiday is the perfect way to go for family fun, and Old Sturbridge Village provides that every Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening through the month of December with Christmas by Candelight. Enjoy Victorian carolers, model train displays, Punch & Judy Puppet shows, the dance from Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” and holiday traditions explained and recreated, such as roasting chestnuts, yule logs, mistletoe and much more (1 Old Sturbridge Village Rd, Sturbridge, osv.org).

For ultimate activity: If there’s one thing Western Mass has plenty of, it’s skating rinks. Many not only offer public skating hours, but also lessons in hockey and figure skating. Try out the Smead Skating Arena, which also hosts ice-side DJs every Friday and Saturday night (1780 Roosevelt Ave., Springfield, 413.781.2599, fmcicesports.com) or Amelia Park Skating Rink, which has some weekday daytime skating hours as well as weekend sessions (21 S. Broad St, Westfield, 413.568.2503, ameliaparkice.org).

Winterfest & “The Tunnel of Lights” 2014

Conne 58 N East Win Easy to fin 86 www

Connecticut ConnecticutTrolley Trolley Museum

58 North Road East Windsor, CT 06088 Easy to find, Exit 45 off I91 860 627 6540 www.ct-trolley.org

Fri thru Sun Nov. Fri28-30 thru Sun Dec. 5-7 Nov. 28-30 Dec. 12-14 Dec. 5-7 Dec. 19-21 5pmDec. - 9pm 12-14

Dec. 19-21 5pm - 9pm

$1 OFF Adults/Seniors 50¢ OFF Youth/Children

Dec. 26-30 6pm - 9pm

OUTSIDE Climb aboard either the “electric sleigh” or a warmer enclosed car and take a ride through our famous “Tunnel of Lights” INSIDE Holiday displays Visit with Santa who will be here with a gift for each child until Dec. 21st 23 Sip a cup of hot cocoa while you enjoy the entertainment

Expires 12.31.14

On view through December 31

Free Activities December 6-21 Holiday Weekends Crafts, letters to Santa and gallery games.

December 26-31 Wacky Week Live performances by HOOPiVERSE, magician Matt Roberts, Chris Yerlig and stunt comedian Wacky Chad

Need more suggestions?

Head to baystateparent.com and check out the latest family fun in our online calendar.

21 Edwards Street, Spfld, MA 01103 • 800.625.7738 • springfieldmuseums.org •

BAYSTATEPARENTWEST 10 11

GREEN PARENTING

SHOP LOCAL: It’s Green and It’s Good

BY ANGIE GREGORY

W

estern Massachusetts.

Maybe it’s where you call home, or perhaps you’re just visiting, but you’ve likely been attracted to where you are by the beauty of the natural landscape as well as the vibrancy of the local businesses, schools, and community you see.

There’s a whole social landscape that is equally important to the location where we live. Sometimes we get the best of both worlds, and that’s one of the reasons I truly love that we settled here and grew our family in Northampton. When I think about how I was attracted to first settling in the Hilltowns of Western Mass., it was because I was romanced by the idea of really embodying a country lifestyle, like cooking on cast iron and using a wood stove, while my kids got entertainment from watching the natural world around them. “Of course they would just want to play in the stream all day or help me garden!” I thought to myself.

I painted this real natural picture of how my life had to “look” in order for me to live up to my ideal standards of harmonizing with nature. Any of you reading this can verify that our kids come into this world with their own life direction, needs and personality, and living in a more remote and isolated location didn’t end up working for my very social 4-year-old, and it didn’t bode well for my postpartum struggles with a new infant. So we left the stacks of forgotten wet cordwood in the driveway and the under-insulated farmhouse with tiny squeaking guests for a more satisfying perch 12 DECEMBER2014

in a town that allowed us to stumble into playmates, coffee shops and libraries without too much advanced planning.

I realized how much I really valued face-to-face interactions, and this was something I was missing. Sometimes in the sea of online resources we can feel a little overwhelmed and often default to learning what “popular” opinions are to inform our decision making. I love being able to have conversations with real people about life, our kids growing up, and what’s going on around town, as well as get my questions answered in person when shopping around. Maybe you’ve heard the adage, “Shop local”. It’s sometimes associated with supporting local farms, and it also applies to getting the things you need at locally owned stores and businesses in your town.

One resource I really treasure here in the Pioneer Valley is PV Local First, and it’s all about shopping local. They’ve compiled potent information about the myriad ways that your dollar has significant power in keeping your treasured community marketplace vibrant.

Doing something “green” typically is going against the grain of common culture. For example, there’s a little more effort involved in remembering to take our reusable shopping bags to the grocery store; I personally love a good challenge. It feels like this generation of parents are shopping with a purpose and really crafting and curating their surroundings.

We want to not only do right by our natural surroundings but also have a sense of beauty in our lives that

reaches beyond the streams and forests. Our purchasing power is our way of keeping our social landscape a little greener.

Why? Because when you make a purchase at a local business over a big box store or online warehouse, significantly more money will recirculate into the community keeping it vibrant. It’s not to say we need to go cold turkey with our online shopping habits, but it can be a fun challenge to replace what we might pick up online with, for instance, an enriching experience that might be awaiting us by going into a local bookstore instead!

PV Local First has outlined 10 reasons (and really good ones, some that you might not even think make a shift, but they do!) why shopping locally rocks. You can read them in more detail here: pvlocalfirst.org/ why-shop-local, or if you’re more of a visual learner, you can view this graphic: http://visual.ly/buy-localboost. Here’s my take on a few: 1. Customer service is often better.

A customer might have many questions about a new product they’re looking to introduce to their family or try themselves. They want to know their options, the price, how it works, what its impacts are, and if they’ll like it. Most of the time small businesses hire people who love and engage with the lifestyle and products being sold.

They’re knowledgeable, they’re insightful, and most importantly they’re helpful. What hurts small businesses most is when, after that knowledge has been “harvested”

by the potential customer, they then leave the store and go shop for the exact product online at a cheaper price. This really damages small business, so much so that they might not be around next time you need to come glean more information and you’ll be stuck bobbing in the sea of too-muchinformation online.

2. Environmental impact is reduced. Take your morning cup of coffee. If you choose to take a sip from a delicious local roaster, likely they’ve limited their imports and obtained most supplies from other local vendors. Things haven’t traveled as far, which means less resource depletion and pollution reduction. Plus some coffee producers make it their mission to purchase beans from small local farms, which supports the workers where the beans are harvested to offer a positive global impact.

3. Non-profits receive greater support. I know I’ve done my fair share soliciting local businesses for raffle prizes for my children’s school fundraisers. Local businesses are owned by people who live in the community and are more invested in its future and are willing to give. We owe much gratitude to the fact that non-profits receive as much as 350% more money from local business owners than from nonlocally owned business. Good luck getting an online company to give a gift certificate at your school’s upcoming fundraiser!

Photo courtesy The Berkshire Theatre Group

OUT& ABOUT

Stockbridge celebrates the holidays with a series of family events December 5-7.

Photo courtesy First Night Northampton

Photo courtesy Mass MoCA

Photo courtesy Stockbridge Chamber of Commerce

Dickens’ Christmas classic will be performed by The Berkshire Theatre Group in Pittsfield December 14-22.

Children can get creative during Mass MoCA’s Winter Break at the ArtBar starting December 26.

Enjoy New Year’s Eve with First Night Northampton and its celebration of the arts.

BAYSTATEPARENTWEST 13

OUT&ABOUT MELTDOWN WARNING: Before you pack up the mini-van, please confirm your destination. Although we’ve done our best to ensure accuracy at press time, things can and do change…

Street, Holyoke. 1 p.m.-2 p.m. A free, safe, confidential drop-in support group for mothers of infants and babies up to age 1. Expectant mothers and mothers in recovery welcome.

Administered by the Birthing Center at Holyoke Medical Center. 413-536-7385.

4 Thursday

Photo courtesy Old Sturbridge Village

Drop-in Playgroup. Northampton Parents Center, 297 Main Street, Northampton. 9:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. northamptonparentscenter.org.

Vote for your favorite entry in Old Sturbridge Village’s annual Gingerbread House Contest during Christmas By Candlelight evenings.

1 Monday Drop-in Playgroup. Northampton Parents Center, 297 Main Street, Northampton. 9:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. northamptonparentscenter.org.

Drop-in Playgroup. Flywheel Arts in Easthampton’s Old Town Hall, 43 Main Street, Easthampton. 10 a.m.–Noon. For children birth through kindergarten and those who care for them. Via Easthampton Family Center.

Moms Night Out. Grow, Third Floor, Thornes Marketplace, 150 Main Street, Northampton.

7 p.m.-8:30 p.m. A free, safe, confidential, drop-in MotherWoman support group for mothers of infants and children up to 4 years old who are experiencing a challenging postpartum time. Expectant mothers welcome.

Babes in arms are welcome. motherwoman.org.

2 Tuesday Drop-in Playgroup. Northampton Parents Center, 297 Main Street, Northampton. 9:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. northamptonparentscenter.org.

Drop-in Playgroup. United Church of Ware, 49 Church Street, Ware. Tuesdays, 9:30 a.m.11:30 a.m. Through the Ware Family Center, for children birth to 5, snacks provided.

413-967-8127.

Drop-in Playgroup. Flywheel Arts in Easthampton’s Old Town Hall, 43 Main Street, Easthampton. Tuesdays, 10 a.m.–Noon. For 14 DECEMBER2014 15

children birth through kindergarten and those who care for them. Via Easthampton Family Center.

3 Wednesday Drop-in Playgroup. Community House, 33 Main Street, Cummington. 9:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Children up to age 5 can participate in these parent-run playgroups and enjoy art activities, stories, songs and play together. cummingtonfamilycenter.org.

Drop-in Playgroup. United Church of Ware, 49 Church Street, Ware. Wednesdays, 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Through the Ware Family Center, for children birth to 5, snacks provided.

413-967-8127.

Drop-in Playgroup. Northampton Parents Center, 297 Main Street, Northampton. 9:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. northamptonparentscenter.org.

Bright Nights at Forest Park. 89 Longhill Street, Springfield. 5 p.m.-9 p.m. One of New England’s best holiday lighting experiences with more than 600,000 lights along a 3-mile route.

Follow the lit path through Santa’s Magical Forest to Santa’s Cottage. Runs through Jan. 4.

Cars, mini-vans, trucks and motorhomes, $18 per vehicle Mondays-Thursdays, $21 FridaysSundays and holidays. brightnights.org.

MotherWoman Postpartum Support Group. Midwifery Care of Holyoke, 230 Maple

Drop-in Playgroup. United Church of Ware, 49 Church Street, Ware. Thursdays, 9:30 a.m.11:30 a.m. Through the Ware Family Center, for children birth to 5, snacks provided.

413-967-8127.

New Parents Support Group. Greenwood Center, 231 Maple Road, Longmeadow. 10 a.m. Designed for new parents and babies up to 1, open to all moms. Free. 413-794-BABY. Tom Knight Music Class. Northampton Parents Center, 297 Main Street, Northampton. 10:45 a.m.–11:30 a.m.

Participatory family music class. Free. northamptonparentscenter.org.

5 Friday Drop-in Playgroup. Community House, 33 Main Street, Cummington. 9:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Children up to the age of 5 can participate in these parent-run playgroups and enjoy art activities, stories, songs and play together. cummingtonfamilycenter.org.

Drop-in Playgroup. Flywheel Arts in Easthampton’s Old Town Hall, 43 Main Street, Easthampton. Fridays, 10 a.m.–Noon. For children birth through kindergarten and those who care for them. Via Easthampton Family Center.

Getting Real About Motherhood. UMass Amherst Family Center, 1200 N. Pleasant Street, Amherst. 9:45 a.m.-11:15 a.m. This MotherWoman support group is for pregnant through postpartum mothers of infants through preschoolers. Snacks and childcare provided up to age 5. Free. 413-256-1145.

Parents of Toddlers Support Group.

Greenwood Center, 231 Maple Road, Longmeadow. 10 a.m. This fun, child-friendly environment is open to all parents of toddlers who are interested in discussing potty training, setting limits, temper tantrums, new sibling adjustment and more. Free. 413-794-BABY. WeeMuse Adventures. Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street (Route 7), Pittsfield. 11 a.m. Little ones ages 18 months-3 can explore the Aquarium

and three museum galleries. Each week features songs, stories, scavenger hunts, play time, and more. Adults $13, children under 18 $6, children under 3 free. berkshiremuseum.org.

New Parents Gallery Talk. The Clark, 225 South Street, Williamstown. 10:15 a.m.11:15 a.m. The Clark welcomes new parents and their infants into the galleries for an informal guided gallery talk. This program is designed to give parents a cognitive break from thinking about “all things baby” and is best suited for parents with pre-toddlers. Strollers and front-carrying baby carriers are permitted.

Free. clarkart.edu.

Mother Goose on the Loose. Greenfield Public Library, 402 Main Street, Greenfield. 11 a.m. Songs, rhymes, and activities geared for ages 3 and under. Free. greenfieldpubliclibrary.org.

Christmas By Candlelight. Old Sturbridge Village, 1 Old Sturbridge Village Road, Sturbridge. Dec. 5-7, Dec. 12-14, Dec. 19-21, 4 p.m.-9 p.m. Escape the frenzy of a modern Christmas with an enchanted evening of gingerbread, roasted chestnuts, music, dance, and a sleigh ride (weather permitting). Meet Father Christmas and chat with Santa Claus. osv.org.

Tales of Christmas. Taggart House, 18 Main Street, Stockbridge. 5 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Gather ’round to hear classic stories of the season. Free. stockbridgechamber.org.

Tree Lighting Ceremony. Park Square, 1 North Street, Pittsfield. 5 p.m.-8 p.m. The Taconic High School Honors Choir will perform traditional carols and holiday songs.

Holiday Celebration with Santa.

Eastworks Event Space, 116 Pleasant Street, Easthampton. 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Live music, bright lights, warm community, presents for the kiddos and a visit from the Big Guy himself. There will be a sensory-friendly area and music will be played at low volume. 413-529-2428.

Sibling Preparation Class. Wesson Women and Infants Unit, North Administrative Conference Room, 759 Chestnut Street, Springfield. 6 p.m.- 7 p.m. This class prepares children ages 8-12 for the arrival of a new brother or sister. $15. 413-794-BABY.

6 Saturday Sibling Preparation Class. Wesson Women and Infants Unit, North Administrative Conference Room, 759 Chestnut Street, Springfield. 9 a.m.-10 a.m. This class prepares children ages 3-4 for the arrival of a new brother or sister. $15. 413-794-BABY. Berkshire Botanical Holiday Marketplace.

5 West Stockbridge Road, Stockbridge.

10 a.m.-5 p.m. berkshirebotanical.org.

OUT&ABOUT Holiday Card-Making Party. The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, 125 West Bay Road, Amherst. 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. $12 pair/trio ages 3+ with an adult. The Carle will provide a few ideas and all the materials you need to create six special cards with envelopes.

Registration recommended. carlemuseum.org.

Holiday Concert. First Congregational Church, 4 Main Street, Stockbridge. 7:30 p.m. Celebrate the magic of the season with a joyful holiday musical program featuring the Berkshire Lyric Chorus, the Blafield Children’s Chorus and Jack Brown, Music Director. Tickets $23. stockbridgechamber.org.

Art Lab. Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street (Route 7), Pittsfield. 10:30 a.m. Using craft materials, design your field journal and document observations throughout the galleries.

Adults $13, children under 18 $6, children under 3 free. Space is limited, call 413-4437171 ext. 10 to register. berkshiremuseum.org.

7 Sunday

Breakfast With Santa. Look Park, Garden House, 300 North Main Street, Florence. 9:30 a.m. & 11 a.m. Adults $9.50, children 2-12 $7.50. Reservations suggested. 413-584-5457. lookpark.org.

Northampton Winter Craft Fair.

Northampton High School, Saturday and Sunday. 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Features oneof-a-kind handmade crafts from 90 juried artisans, food, a silent auction on Saturday, and a children’s book sale with thousands of gentlyused, pre-loved children’s books at bargain prices. 413-259-3345.

Holiday House Tour, Stockbridge.

11 a.m.-4 p.m. Visit some of the area’s historic properties on a self-guided tour. Tickets are $20 per person and may be purchased in advance through the chamber office or on the day of at The Red Lion Inn, 30 Main Street. stockbridgechamber.org.

Children’s Holiday Story Time.

Stockbridge Library’s train station location. 11 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Free. stockbridgechamber.org.

Santa’s Cookie Workshop. Norman Rockwell Museum, 9 Route 183, Stockbridge.

3 p.m.-5 p.m. Decorate artistic holiday cookies inspired by the spirit of the season with Santa.

He’ll be on hand to help trim special treats and participate in the festivities, which will include holiday music and special gallery talks about Norman Rockwell’s holiday art. Adults $17.50, children 6-18 $5, children 5 and under free. nrm.org.

Caroling Luminaria Walk, Stockbridge. 6 p.m.-7 p.m. Meet in front of The Red Lion Inn, 30 Main Street, with your candle or flashlight and join the festive caroling followed by a Luminaria walk to the First Congregational Church. stockbridgechamber.org.

First Congregational Church Holly Fair. Main Street, Stockbridge.

10 a.m.-3 p.m. Baked Goods, Greenery, Toys & Gifts, Grandma’s Attic, Hand knits, Raffle, Luncheon, Santa Claus. Free. 413-298-3137. stockbridgeucc.org.

Postnatal Yoga: Mom & Me. Baystate Education Center, 361 Whitney Avenue, Holyoke. Sundays 10:45 a.m.-11:45 a.m.

Connect with other moms while having fun with your baby. $12 per class or $60 for a six-class card. 413-794-BABY. Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas Recreation. Noon-2 p.m. See Main Street as Norman Rockwell did when he painted the famous Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas.

Main Street becomes a magical New England village with over 50 antique cars parked along the street (weather permitting) and a range of festive activities including Roger the Jester, lunch at the Christmas Food Booth, photo ops and much more. stockbridgechamber.org.

A Choral Christmas. Kellogg Music Center, Bard College at Simon’s Rock, 84 Alford Road, Simon’s Rock, Great Barrington. 2 p.m. The 25-voice student chorus will sing a selection of contemporary carol arrangements and be joined by Anonymous 8, a women’s a cappella ensemble that specializes in medieval and renaissance vocal music. Free. simons-rock.edu.

Basketball Hall of Fame Holiday Showcase. MassMutual Center, 1277 Main Street, Springfield. 2 p.m. UMass takes on and Florida Gulf Coast University. Tickets start at $16. 13-271-3223.

Mummenschanz. UMass Fine Arts Center Concert Hall, 151 Presidents Drive, Amherst.

Mummenschanz makes the ordinary extraordinary in a visually stunning spectacle that transcends cultural barriers and sparks the imagination. Tickets start at $15, children under 17, $10. 413-545-2511.

8 Monday Drop-in Playgroup. Northampton Parents Center, 297 Main Street, Northampton. 9:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. northamptonparentscenter.org.

Photo courtesy Spirit of Springfield

Mister G’s Holiday Concerts. The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, 125 West Bay Road, Amherst. 11 a.m & 1 p.m. $8. Popular, international children’s music artist Mister G returns to The Carle for two special holiday concerts. carlemuseum.org.

Berkshire Made Craft Fair. 50 Main Street, Stockbridge. 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Enjoy Bright Nights’ 20th year through January 4 at Springfield’s Forest Park.

Drop-in Playgroup. Flywheel Arts in Easthampton’s Old Town Hall, 43 Main Street, Easthampton. 10 a.m.–Noon. For children birth through kindergarten and those who care for them. Via Easthampton Family Center.

Springfield Boys & Girls Club Festival of Trees. 1500 Main Street, Springfield.

11 a.m.-8 p.m. Runs through Dec. 14. Enjoy entertainment and visits from Santa, and view more than 100 unique, one-of-a-kind decorated holiday trees. Adults $5, Seniors $4, children under 12 are free. Current active military personnel and their families admitted free. visittreefest.com.

9 Tuesday Drop-in Playgroup. Northampton Parents Center, 297 Main Street, Northampton. 9:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. northamptonparentscenter.org.

Miss Leticia Music Class. Northampton Parents Center, 297 Main Street, Northampton. 10:45 a.m.–11:30 a.m.

Participatory family music class. Free. northamptonparentscenter.org.

Breastfeeding for Multiples. Wesson Building, 759 Chestnut Street, Springfield.

6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. This class addresses the needs of women who plan on breastfeeding twins or more. $25. 413-794-BABY.

10 Wednesday Drop-in Playgroup. Northampton Parents Center, 297 Main Street, Northampton. 9:30

a.m.–11:30 a.m. northamptonparentscenter.org.

Drop-in Playgroup. Community House, 33 Main Street, Cummington. 9:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Children up to the age of 5 can participate in these parent-run playgroups and enjoy art activities, stories, songs and play together. cummingtonfamilycenter.org.

Baystate’s New Beginnings, Continuing the Magic. Baystate Education Center, 361 Whitney Avenue, Holyoke. 2 p.m.-3 p.m.

Come in with your child so we can help you understand your baby’s cues for feeding, crying and sleep. We will share with you the secrets of your baby’s behavior! Free. 413-794-BABY. Santa’s Trains. Look Memorial Park, 300 North Main Street, Florence. 4 p.m.-8 p.m.

Open daily through Dec. 23. Enjoy a selection of running model trains whirling by displays of a whimsical wonderland of Christmas favorites and village landscapes. Chat with authentic engineers, view beautifully themed holiday trees and visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus before relaxing with a holiday cookie and hot chocolate. lookpark.org.

Keeping Baby Safe Class. Baystate Health Education Center, BRL Conference Room, 361 Whitney Avenue, Holyoke. 6 p.m.-9 p.m. This class teaches basic life support, infant CPR, first aid for choking, poison prevention and more. $35 per couple. 413-794-BABY. Before Baby Is Born. Wesson Women and Infants Unit, North Administrative Conference Room, 759 Chestnut Street, Springfield. 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. This class will cover the realistic BAYSTATEPARENTWEST 14 15

OUT&ABOUT expectations of your new life together with a new baby for the first three months after birth. $35 per couple. 413-794-BABY. Miscarriage Support Group. Owl and Raven Community Space, 2 Conz Street, Unit #42, Northampton. 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. A monthly support group for women and partners who’ve experienced the loss of a baby by miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy. A safe place where women and their partners can openly share their stories of pregnancy and loss. 515-205-9855.

11 Thursday Drop-in Playgroup. Northampton Parents Center, 297 Main Street, Northampton. 9:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. northamptonparentscenter.org.

New Parents Support Group. Greenwood Center, 231 Maple Road, Longmeadow. 10 a.m. Designed for new parents and babies up to 1, open to all moms. Free. 413-794-BABY. Winter Concert. Kellogg Music Center, Bard College at Simon’s Rock, 84 Alford Road, Simon’s Rock, Great Barrington. 7:30 p.m. The Simon’s Rock Chamber Orchestra presents a program on the themes of Storm and Fire, warming the audience with its unusual enthusiasm and skill. Free. simons-rock.edu.

12 Friday Drop-in Playgroup. Community House, 33 Main Street, Cummington. 9:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Children up to the age of 5 can participate in these parent-run playgroups and enjoy art activities, stories, songs and play together. cummingtonfamilycenter.org.

Parents of Toddlers Support Group.

Greenwood Center, 231 Maple Road, Longmeadow. 10 a.m. This fun, child-friendly environment is open to all parents of toddlers who are interested in discussing potty training, setting limits, temper tantrums, new sibling adjustment and more. Free. 413-794-BABY. A Circle of Moms. MotherWoman, 220 Russell Street (Rt. 9), Hadley. 10 a.m.-Noon.

A free, safe, confidential drop-in support group for mothers of infants and babies up to age 1 who are experiencing a challenging postpartum time. Expectant mothers welcome.

Free childcare up to age 5, snacks and parking.

413-387-0703.

Holiday Shindy. Crispina’s Church, 40 Melville Street, Pittsfield. Through Dec. 14. The Berkshires’ Holiday Craft Sale: more than 50 artists, artisans, makers, bakers, and craftspeople gather from near and far to offer shoppers all manner of handmade wares. From greenery to toys, jewelry, pottery, clothing, candles and so much more. Enjoy live music, delicious food and lovely people. crispina.com.

16 DECEMBER2014 17

13 Saturday Start With Art Preschool Series: Animals.

The Clark, 225 South Street, Williamstown.

10 a.m.-Noon. Get your preschoolers off to a good start with themed talks, gallery guides, and art-making activities specially designed for this age group. Best suited to 3- to 6-year-olds and their parents. No registration necessary.

Free. clarkart.edu.

Kids Cooking Class. Chandler’s Restaurant, 25 Greenfield Road, South Deerfield. 10:30 a.m.- Noon. An opportunity for parents and their children to explore the craft of cooking in a no-pressure setting utilizing ingredients and utensils safe and accessible to kids. December’s class is Gingerbread Houses. $25 per child, includes instruction, recipes to take home, lunch, and complimentary lunch for one accompanying parent. Reservations required. 413-665-1277.

Festival of Trees Family Day. Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street (Route 7), Pittsfield.

11 a.m., Animals Up Close; Noon, cookie decorating; 12:30, Chow Time, prepare feasts for the aquarium’s residents; 1:30, Blafield Children’s Chorus. Adults $13, children under 18 $6, children under 3 free. berkshiremuseum.org.

14 Sunday Irish Christmas in America. Berchmans Hall, Elms College, 291 Springfield Street, Chicopee.

1:30 p.m. This family-friendly performance features Irish ballads, lively instrumental tunes and thrilling Irish dancing, while photographic images provide a backdrop to some of the rich historical traditions. Tickets $22-$26. elmsirishcenter.org.

A Christmas Carol. The Colonial Theatre, 111 South Street, Pittsfield. 2 p.m. Through Dec. 22. Journey back to Victorian England and experience the classic story filled with terrific turns and infused with holiday music.

Adults $37, children 16 and under $27. berkshiretheatre.org.

15 Monday Drop-in Playgroup. Northampton Parents Center, 297 Main Street, Northampton. 9:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. northamptonparentscenter.org.

Drop-in Playgroup. Flywheel Arts in Easthampton’s Old Town Hall, 43 Main Street, Easthampton. 10 a.m.–Noon. For children birth through kindergarten and those who care for them. Via Easthampton Family Center.

The Birth Circle. Treehouse, 305 North Street, Pittsfield. 6 p.m.-8 p.m. The Birth Circle is a drop-in MotherWoman support group that provides a safe space for mothers and their support system to explore the different aspects

OUT&ABOUT of pregnancy, birth and postpartum. Free. info@gatheredwomen.org.

16 Tuesday Drop-in Playgroup. Northampton Parents Center, 297 Main Street, Northampton. 9:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. northamptonparentscenter.org.

17 Wednesday Drop-in Playgroup. Northampton Parents Center, 297 Main Street, Northampton. 9:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. northamptonparentscenter.org.

Drop-in Playgroup. Community House, 33 Main Street, Cummington. 9:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Children up to the age of 5 can participate in these parent-run playgroups and enjoy art activities, stories, songs and play together. cummingtonfamilycenter.org.

Holiday Concert wth Roger Tincknell.

Senior Center, 67 North Main Street, South Deerfield. 10:30 a.m. 413-665-9508. rogertincknell.com.

18 Thursday Drop-in Playgroup. Northampton Parents Center, 297 Main Street, Northampton. 9:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. northamptonparentscenter.org.

New Parents Support Group. Greenwood Center, 231 Maple Road, Longmeadow. 10 a.m. Designed for new parents and babies up to 1, open to all moms. Free. 413-794-BABY. Tom Knight Music Class. Northampton Parents Center, 297 Main Street, Northampton. 10:45 a.m.–11:30 a.m.

Participatory family music class. Free. northamptonparentscenter.org.

Pathways for Moms. Wilbraham United Church, 500 Main Street, Wilbraham.

10 a.m.-Noon. Face the challenges of being a parent with a safe, confidential MotherWoman support group for mothers with an infant up to 12 months. Prereigster at 413-583-3527.

Solstice Celebration. Helen Hills Hills Chapel, 123 Elm Street, Northampton. 7 p.m.-10 p.m.

Alumni, friends, family and the community are welcome to join us as Hartsbrook High School and special guests present an evening of dance, song, music, poetry and comedy in celebration of the Solstice. 413-585-2750.

19 Friday Drop-in Playgroup. Community House, 33 Main Street, Cummington. 9:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Children up to the age of 5 can participate in these parent-run playgroups and enjoy art activities, stories, songs and play together. cummingtonfamilycenter.org.

AMHERST PEDIATRICS

Parents of Toddlers Support Group.

Greenwood Center, 231 Maple Road, Longmeadow. 10 a.m. This fun, child-friendly environment is open to all parents of toddlers who are interested in discussing potty training, setting limits, temper tantrums, new sibling adjustment and more. Free. 413-794-BABY.

Always Here For Your Medical Needs

Collage-a-thon. The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, 125 West Bay Road, Amherst.

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Just in time for winter break, The Studio will be cranking out tissue paper collages all vacation long. Through Jan. 6. Adults $9, youth 1-18 $6. carlemuseum.org.

Visit our website for information and forms

www.amherstpediatrics.net Make Your Appointment Today

20 Saturday

We are open from 8:00 am – 7:00 pm (urgent care from 5 – 7) Monday - Friday 12 pm – 4 pm for urgent care on Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays

Sahaja Yoga. Jones Library, 43 Amity Street, Amherst. 10 a.m.-Noon. Free. joneslibrary.org.

Norman Rockwell: Home for the Holidays. Norman Rockwell Museum, 9 Route 183, Stockbridge. Memorable, enduring images are on view in this special holiday installation of original artworks and objects through Feb. 8. Adults $17.50, children 6-18 $5, children 5 and under free. nrm.org.

Festival of Trees 2014: On Safari.

Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street (Route 7), Pittsfield. Join the museum on a wildlife expedition through the galleries through Jan. 4.

Festival of Trees will run concurrently with the exhibition – “Lions & Tigers & Bears: Through the Lens with National Geographic.” Adults $13, children $6. berkshiremuseum.org.

Dr. Emlen Jones

Dr. Jennifer Roche

Dr. Steven Hickman

Dr. Susan Wang

Dr. John Snyder

Leslie Johnson, Nurse Practitioner

31A Hall Drive • Amherst, MA 01002 413-253-3773 • mail@amherstpediatrics.net

21 Sunday Solstice Celebration. Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, 127 Combs Road, Easthampton.

6 p.m. Gather for music and community unity at this family-friendly event with a bonfire, hot cider and music. Free, but please bring a nonperishable food item for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. massaudubon.org.

22 Monday Drop-in Playgroup. Flywheel Arts in Easthampton’s Old Town Hall, 43 Main Street, Easthampton. 10 a.m.–Noon. For children birth through kindergarten and those who care for them. Via Easthampton Family Center.

23 Tuesday Kitchen Ka-Boom Holiday Edition.

Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street (Route 7), Pittsfield. 11 a.m. & 1 p.m. Perform wacky holiday-themed experiments, using common household ingredients. Adult must accompany child. Adults $13, children under 18 $6, children under 3 free. Reservations requested. 413-443-7171 ext. 10. berkshiremuseum.org.

BAYSTATEPARENTWEST 16 17

OUT&ABOUT

Featuring Music by Dan Kane with Freddie Marion and The All-Star Dyn-O-Myte Disco Review

24 Wednesday Santa’s Trains. Look Memorial Park, 300 North Main Street, Florence. 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Enjoy a selection of running model trains whirling by displays of a whimsical wonderland of Christmas favorites and village landscapes.

Chat with authentic engineers, view beautifully themed holiday trees, and visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus before relaxing with a holiday cookie and hot chocolate. lookpark.org.

26 Friday Stay at the D. Hotel & Suites after the event and enjoy a special holiday rate of $149, including complimentary shuttle service all night and a full breakfast.

Go to www.stayatthed.com and enter the group code:

NYEBASH

Dance The Year Away Celebrate the start of 2015 at The Log Cabin SOCIAL HOUR 7–8 P.M. SIT-DOWN DINNER 8 P.M. MUSIC & DANCING TILL 1 A.M. $120

per couple

Enjoy a fantastic dinner featuring some of the region’s best food. Then put your dancing shoes on and get ready to party! Dan Kane and Friends will be there to sing some of the greatest love songs ever written, followed by Freddie Marion’s band The All-Star Dyn-O-Myte Disco Review! A great night of food, music, dancing and fun! The place to be this New Year’s Eve! It’s the perfect way to ring in 2015.

Menu & Wine Pairing • Appetizer: Garden vegetable cake with herb aioli paired with Edna Valley Sauvignon Blanc • Nantucket salad paired with Mirassou Pinot Noir • Surf and Turf: Filet and shrimp paired with Louis Martini Cabernet Sauvignon • Assorted tableside desserts paired with Pink Moscato Barefoot Bubbly • Midnight toast For tickets call (413) 535-5077 or visit www.logcabin-delaney.com.

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Winter Break at the ArtBar. Mass MoCA, 1040 Mass MoCA Way, North Adams. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Through Jan. 1. Explore the strangely beautiful inner workings of the human body in “It’s Only Human,” and step up to the ArtBar for some down-to-the-bone art-making fun! Adults $18, children 6-16 $8, children 5 and under free. massmoca.org.

27 Saturday Kitchen Ka-Boom. Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street (Route 7), Pittsfield. 11 a.m.

Perform thrilling and fun science experiments in the Sabic Innovation Lab. All experiments are kid-safe and can be recreated using items found in almost any kitchen. Each session features a different experiment. Adult must accompany child. Adults $13, children under 18 $6, children under 3 free. Reservations requested.

413-443-7171 ext. 10. berkshiremuseum.org.

A Very Merry Madeline Weekend. The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, 125 West Bay Road, Amherst. Also Dec. 28.

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Visit the special exhibition “Madeline at 75: The Art of Ludwig Bemelmans” to learn more about this artist and his beloved character, Madeline. Gallery searches, films, story readings and art projects take place throughout the day, and children will have a chance to meet Madeline. Adults $9, youth 1-18, $6. carlemuseum.org.

The Bremen Town Musicians. The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, 125 West Bay Road, Amherst. 11 a.m. & 1 p.m. Also 1 p.m.

Dec. 28. CactusHead Puppets tell the classic tale of a donkey, dog, cat, and rooster who set off on a journey together to start new lives as

musicians, and the exciting adventures they have along the way. Tickets $5, in addition to museum admission. carlemuseum.org.

Tea Time with Madeline. The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, 125 West Bay Road, Amherst. 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Families will enjoy cookies specially made by Atkins Farms Country Market, make a Madelineinspired art project, and meet Madeline herself.

Reservations required. Adults $12, children $10. 413-658-1100.

29 Monday Disney’s Winnie the Pooh Kids. Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street (Route 7), Pittsfield.

11 a.m. & 2 p.m. Young performers from the Berkshire Children’s Theater present Disney’s Winnie the Pooh Kids, a musical version of the classic children’s tale. Adults $15, children under 18 $8, children under 3 free. berkshiremuseum.org.

30 Tuesday Disney’s Winnie the Pooh Kids. Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street (Route 7), Pittsfield.

11 a.m. & 2 p.m. Young performers from the Berkshire Children’s Theater present Disney’s Winnie the Pooh Kids, a musical version of the classic children’s tale. Adults $15, children under 18 $8, children under 3 free. berkshiremuseum.org.

31 Wednesday New Year’s Eve Magic with David Hall.

Berkshire Museum, 39 South Street (Route 7), Pittsfield. 11 a.m. & 2 p.m. Join Bostonbased magician David Hall as he performs some of the most amazing magic you’ve ever seen. Adults $15, children under 18 $8, children under 3 free. berkshiremuseum.org.

First Night Northampton. Family-friendly New Year’s Eve festival of the arts celebration.

Adults: $16 all-day, children 2-10 $8, under 2 free. Full schedule of performances, times and locations: firstnightnorthampton.org.

Visit baystateparent.com to post your family event. Email listings to editor@baystateparent.com.

For more listings, visit baystateparent.com.

"There’s no reason we have to play a game together, we just want to be together. And that’s the way of us telling each other we love each other as a family, and that’s really neat."

Game Night:

Age-Defying Family Fun

BY MELISSA SHAW, STEVEN KING PHOTOGRAPHY

As

children get older, it’s common for them to want two things: space and independence. Many activities they used to enjoy with their families — especially their parents — may no longer hold the same appeal.

Except one.

“Gaming is something they want to do with me,” says Boston-area author and father of teens Joshua Glenn. “No matter how old kids get there’s a lot of things they don’t want to do with you anymore, or you can’t keep up with them, but Family Game Night is something they want to do.”

Family gaming is a pastime that defies the too-cool rule, which makes it a perfect way to pass dark winter nights, as well as bridge a gap and strengthen a bond between parents and children from preschool through college and beyond.

And Glenn should know, given he co-authored the recently released Unbored Games: Serious Fun For Everyone, a compendium of indoor and outdoor, online and offline games.

“When we were kids in the ’70s, there were a lot of family activity books, things everybody could do together,” he said. “That idea is kinda going away, at least in the world of books. All the books [today] were

either parenting guides or they were kids-only activities, like ‘adults not invited’ activity books for kids. It’s a weird divide that’s happened in the culture between parents and kids.”

And since there was no book in existence covering gaming ways for parents and children to have fun together, Glenn and co-author Elizabeth Foy Larsen had an idea: “Let’s make one.”

He cited the Dangerous Book for Boys/Daring Book for Girls phenomenon of the past few years, a wave that landed several copies in his home and Larsen’s.

“All the grandparents were buying the books,” he noted. “And those books tapped into that fear that parents and grandparents have — that kids are very screen-oriented and they’re not allowed to go out and do fun things, roam around and explore the world on their own. What we didn’t like about the Dangerous books is they’re strictly nostalgic, very backward-looking and fearful of the present; there’s no mention of screens or apps or iPhones. That was a big part of their appeal, especially to grandparents.”

But there was one problem: “Our own kids weren’t that interested in them,” Glenn said. “They wanted to do some of the things in them, but it wasn’t a lifestyle they could really do.”

He felt the need for a gaming compendium that reflected the reality of today, as well as one that was inclusive of parents, kids, technology and all genders.

“We don’t want to be hypocrites, we let our kids have some screen time and play with fun apps,” he said.

“We’re not anti-screen. We wanted to do a book for everybody that was about screen as well as screen-free activities: indoors and outdoors, online and offline, trying to really bring kids and parents together in the current world we live in, not in a magical fantasy world of the past.”

That desire led to Unbored Games, which covers indoor games, parlor games, outdoor games, card and dice games, games you have to construct yourself, board games, reviews of video games and apps, interviews with tabletop game developers and more.

Glenn enjoyed the research, especially discovering how new generations of children continue to modify classic games with new rules and challenges.

“I loved finding new versions of Hide and Go Seek and Hopscotch that had been hacked with new rules,” he said. “Kids still play them but there’s these new versions that nobody has written down yet, classic games [that] are still out there for kids, and kid culture does it own thing and

has invented its own way of doing it since I was a kid.”

Gaming is a continual evolution of creative thinking generation after generation, allowing classic games on the playground or at the dining room table to thrive.

“When you’re paying money for Community Chest, [the practice that] you should throw it all in the middle and whoever lands on Free Parking should get that money — that’s not an official rule of Monopoly, but people have hacked the rule to do that because it’s more fun,” he noted. “You learn the rules so you can have fun, but you can modify them. Every kids feels comfortable as they play on the playground modifying the rules to make things more fair or more interesting, more challenging or new.”

One of Glenn’s favorite discoveries in researching the book was the card game Anomia, which itself was a new take on a folk card game called Store.

“It’s so addictively fun,” said Glenn, who interviewed Anomia’s developer for the book. “People laugh hysterically when they play it.”

And the title is also a favorite game for Glenn to play with his sons.

“There’s a lot of things, like tag, I can’t play with them anymore because they’re big and huge and strong,” he said. “There’s all kinds of activities they don’t want to do anymore, but because games are so sophisticated these days after the big board game revolution in the past 15 to 20 years, they’re still crazy about games. It’s not hard to get them to play.”

Regardless of the game you play or the age of the players, the core of Family Game Night is timeless.

“It’s something we don’t have to do,” Glenn noted. “It’s not an errand, it’s not a chore, it’s not an obligation.

There’s no reason we have to play a game together, we just want to be together. And that’s the way of us telling each other we love each other as a family, and that’s really neat. There’s not that many ways you can do that anymore once you get past a certain age.”

BAYSTATEPARENTWEST 19

Family Favorite Gamewright Turns 20 Two decades of Slamwiches, Scrambled States, Stories (From Rory) and More

BY MELISSA SHAW, www.JGrayCreative.com

“The moment I saw the iPad was the first time I literally shook in my boots.”

So recalls Jason Schneider, and with good reason: He’s the Director of Product Development at Newton-based Gamewright. In a time when allthings-digital have enjoyed a rocket ride of unprecedented success and adoption, you might think a company that makes board, dice, party and card games for preschoolers to adults would be left in the dust. If that’s the case, well, you never played Slamwich. Or Rory’s Story Cubes, Rat-a-Tat Cat, or any of the 50 other games the company has produced since 1994.

“It’s a great accomplishment not only for a company to hit 20 years but for a game company,” Schneider says. “The toy business is so incredibly competitive and the success rate is so small that I think it’s a great feat that we made it this far. We are eternally grateful to families who have discovered our games and shared them with other families because our success hinges on families playing a Gamewright game, having a great time and sharing it with another family.”

The company was founded in 1994 by two sets of parents who wanted better games for their children.

They began with a catalog of two: Slamwich and Eagle Kingdom.

Slamwich went on to become the company’s topselling game with more than 1 million copies sold; a 20th anniversary, jumbo-sized edition, Super Slamwich, was released this year.

“At the time the idea of a card game costing $10 was considered pretty radical,” Schneider says. “Its success is largely due to the fact that families really enjoyed playing the game and spread the word. At the time, 20 years ago, having a game that was a card game was really unusual. There were really very few other card games doing what it did. And today the market is glutted with card games for families, but at the time it was pretty revolutionary that we created this simple variation on a slapping game.”

With its colorful graphics, nontraditional packaging and word of mouth, the company went on to produce more card, dice and board-game hits wellknown among families and gaming fans throughout the country: from preschool titles like Hiss and Feed the Kitty, to games for older children through adults, including Rat-A-Tat Cat, Scrambled States of America, Sleeping Queens, Rory’s Story Cubes, Forbidden Island and dozens more. It has received more than 150 awards from gaming organizations, parent councils, Mensa and others.

While Gamewright games span the age range from 3 to adult, Schneider says all titles share the same concept: “It all hinges back to this sense of creating a great game that will bring a family together.”

And rather than viewing the rise of digital apps as a death sentence for tabletop gaming companies, he sees it from another angle.

“I take it as a challenge to make games that are even stronger or better, that will give people a reason to put down their device and turn off their screen

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to play one of our games,” he says. “In 20 years we’ve yet to create a game that requires batteries, a plug or a screen because we so value this idea of families spending time with each other.”

Along with word of mouth, Schneider attributes Gamewright’s success to its relatively low price point, making it a year-round purchase and a popular goto gift for parents with children on the never-ending birthday party invite circuit.

“We’ve also put out a breadth of games where we can grow with a family,” he adds. “They discover our games with preschool games like Hiss or Feed the Kitty, and then they can move up to a differentlevel game that requires strategic thinking, like Rata-Tat Cat or strategic hand-eye coordination like Slamwich, or games that sometimes even require some sense of arithmetic like Frog Juice. The fact we’ve been able to scale and grow with a family is

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Schneider left a career in children’s programming at WGBH and Sesame Workshop to join Gamewright nearly 15 years ago.

“One of my takeaways from [Sesame] was ‘kids learn the best when they’re learning with their parents.’ I find that’s really key to a lot of the games I find and make,” he says. “When a parent is sitting down at a table with their child the last thing I want [adults] to have to do is ‘cheat to lose’ to get the game over with. There’s gotta be some sort of caloric intake for

them, too, it’s not just empty.”

He says it’s the sheer fun of the games – even those labeled for young children – that keep gamers of all ages playing hand after hand.

“To say Rat-a-Tat Cat is just a kids’ game is to miss the core of what’s there,” he notes. “I will break out Rat-a-Tat Cat, which is ages 6+, and play that with my adult friends at a game night. Rat-a-Tat Cat is a really fun game, thematically maybe it skews younger, but there’s enough in there.”

While many of its titles are developed in-

house, some of its most popular releases have been those created in partnership with creative minds outside the company, such as Sleeping Queens, a card game that was invented by a 6-year-old girl.

“I looked at the email the mom sent in and read through the rules and a couple things just kinda grabbed me from the get-go,” Schneider says, noting the game will be celebrating its 10th anniversary next year. “For a game to make it past three years is a miracle. To make it to 10, it means time after time people are buying this game after the buzz has worn off.”

The company, which releases 8 to 10 new titles a year, has a “quiet opendoor policy” for amateur developers.

He won’t solicit ideas, but Schneider says he will review those sent: “You never know when you’re going to find the next Sleeping Queens.”

But Schneider knew he did just that — and more — the moment he came across Rory’s Story Cubes, a storytelling dice game even young children can play, which was developed by a creativity expert in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

“I first met Rory through social media, he posted something on our Facebook page,” Schneider says.

“The moment he landed a set of Rory’s Story Cubes in my office, I started playing it and thought, ‘This is brilliant.’ From the moment I met that product it had me at hello. I said, ‘This is gonna be huge’ and it was huge.”

Released in 2010, Rory’s Story Cubes was the No. 1 selling toy — not just game, but toy — on Amazon that Christmas.

“It was one of those magical moments you won’t forget,” Schneider says. “Those are the moments that give me faith that we’re doing the right thing to promote family play, family interaction. That’s what drives me every day — ways to continually bring families together, bring people to spend more time with each other. We’re a better humanity when we talk with each other, when we collaborate, when we interact.”

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WINTER GUIDE

Geocaching: Year-Round Treasure Hunting Family Fun

BY MICHELE BENNETT DECOTEAU

Geocachers — high-tech treasure hunters — use billion-dollar satellites to find plastic containers in the woods! Geocaching is a growing outdoor hobby in which caches, or treasures, are hidden and their coordinates are available online.

To find treasure, seekers are armed with handheld GPS devices or smart phones, a pen, and trinkets. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? But rarely is the path to the treasure merely a straight line and X seldom marks the spot.

There are nearly 2.5 million caches hidden on public lands around the world. This is a growing hobby that provides a fun way to share the outdoors with your family in the winter.

“I enjoy Geocaching with my kids because it opens up really interesting places to us that we never would have known about or thought to try,” says Amy Marr of Grafton. She and her daughters, Ainsley, 11, and Caitlin, 7, have been Geocaching for four years.

Geocaching has its own language and terms, but with a little knowledge, this hobby can enrich family vacations, help you explore new places within your area, and get the entire family active and having fun together.

When hiding a cache, people include information about the area where the treasure is hidden, providing a wonderful insider’s guide to local history, culture, and open spaces.

Most of the treasures are small trinkets, but some are trackable items that travel the globe (more on trackables to come).

Although there are a handful of Geocaching treasure-hunting organizations, Geocaching.com is the mostpopular.Thesiteiseasytonavigate.

Enter your postal address in the Search for Nearby Geocaches box and up will pop an array of hidden treasure within a few miles of your house.

To find your treasure or cache, you can load coordinates into a handheld GPS or use a Geocaching app on your smart phone. Geocaching.com offers a mobile option for a fee; Android’s Google Play Store has a free app, as does iPhone’s App Store.

“The GPS on the phone is no longer acceptable, now my Boy Scout uses a real GPS system to find the coordinates,” laughs Brenda Synan of Worcester. Her Boy Scout and oldest child, Connor, is now 12, but they started Geocaching when he was just 8 and her youngest was only 18 months old.

There are a few things to keep in mind when choosing your first few Geocaching adventures. Plan well.

Start small with just one or two caches in a day. Choose caches that are Traditional – this means you are searching for a container big enough for good treasures. Caches range in size from “nano” — so small there is no room for a pencil and the log is merely a half-inch strip of rolled-up paper — to much larger containers that can hold DVDs. Most caches are somewhere in between and hold a handful of trinkets such as key chains, toy cars, balls, and plastic dinosaurs.

“We love it because it’s an easy way to get the kids outside — get some exercise and have some quality family time. With young kids, it was important that they be quick, easy caches to hold their interest,” Synan says.

Choose caches that aren’t terribly difficult to find and pay attention to

“We love it because it’s an easy way to get the kids outside — get some exercise and have some quality family time.”

22 DECEMBER2014 23

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the star rating accompanying it on Geocaching.com.Thistellsyounotonly howchallengingthecacheistofind,but alsohowdifficulttheterrainistoreachit.

Be sure to check the attributes of a cache to see if it is appropriate for your family. Attributes are simply graphics that tell you a bit more about the cache and list a series of icons that describe it. For example, they could state whether a cache can be accessed by bike, in the winter, has food nearby or picnic tables, has gas nearby, free parking, is stroller friendly, dog friendly and more.

“Our first cache was actually in a cemetery – Pelham Murder??

Headstone [sic]. It was intriguing for us because of the controversial headstone, but my daughter was a little over a year old, so she just played in the leaves,” says Scott Garrand, father to Alexandra, now 10, and Scott, 5. He and his West Brookfield family have been Geocaching since 2005 and have found more than 500 caches hidden in New England and a few other states.

Once you find your cache, you need to keep the simple rules of Geocaching. First, if you take something, leave something. Second, sign the log inside the cache. Bring your own pencil just in case. Finally, this is a social hobby so log your find online at Geocaching.com.

Good treasures to trade are items such as small plastic toys, toy cars, foreign coins, and glass stones. Avoid paper or items with stickers and food; anything that smells like food is not allowed in caches because it attracts animals.

“Our kids love to trade toys. We carry a backpack full of little toys and trade for other little toys. Bracelets and other jewelry appeal to my daughter, while cars and dinosaurs appeal to my boy,” Garrand says.

“The trades are the fun part,” Synan adds. “I keep a bag of things in our car, in case we have time for a quick cache. Little things, like erasers and pins, and big things like pencils from my Dad’s company. The problem with Geocaching with three kids is that everyone wants to take a prize, so I try to leave more than we take.”

Some caches contain trackable treasures. Trackables are small coins or tags that have a code on them.

These codes are entered online where you find out their mission.

Don’t keep them long! Etiquette is to pass a trackable on within a couple of weeks. If you cannot move it along, write down the number and “discover” it, but leave it in place.

Be sure to print out a cache’s information or use a smart phone to call up information on the cache. Each cache is unique with

a description; the description may help more or less with actually finding the cache. Usually the descriptions hold information about the general location, which could be a public park, hiking trail, parking lot, historical marker, or other interesting spot. Take the time to decrypt the hint before you leave. This is where a useful tip is given to actually find the treasure.

“Our favorite cache is in New Hampshire — it’s deep in the woods near Barnstead. The clue is fantastic, Hang ’em High, but it brings you into an old cemetery, and it’s a tiny, tiny cache. I won’t say where! The kids love to bring new people there and watch them try to figure it out,” Synan says.

Using the coordinates provided to find the cache sounds so simple, but most phones or GPS units only get you close – usually within 4 or 5 feet.

You have to use the hint and some keen observation skills at the last.

Once you have uncovered the cache, rehide it in the same place where you found it.

Geocaching is a fun and educational hobby. There are Geocaches all over the world, and you can include Geocaching on your next vacation or explore the nooks and crannies of your neighborhood.

Geo Speak Here are some special terms that Geocachers use: Cache: short for Geocaching.

GPS: short for Global Positioning System. This is a group of satellites that are used to determine location.

Waypoint: a specific location FTF: short for First To Find CITO: short for Cache In and Trash Out. TFTC: short for Thanks For The Cache Muggle: a non-Geocacher

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muscles,” says Martha Gach, Conservation Coordinator at Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary in Worcester. If you fall, a soft landing is virtually guaranteed.”

While there is no secret to snowshoeing –— kids can start as soon as they can walk — there are a few things to keep in mind to make that first time the best time.

1. Dress for the weather. Layering is very important, especially if you or your kids aren’t used to winter sports. Wear clothes you can move in and take off when you start to get hot. If you don’t wear snowpants, wearing gaiters over pants and boots keeps you or your kids dry and warm.

Regular snow boots work just fine for snowshoeing. Kids’ snowshoes are based more on weight than size, so most snowshoes accommodate a range of shoe sizes. For adults, snowshoes are based on weight and height.

2. Snowshoes don’t go in reverse. If you want to turn around, you need to walk in a wide circle until you get the hang of the turnaround dance.

Snowshoes often have a tapered point at the back that will catch in the snow if you go backwards.

3. Poles are optional. Having poles can be really helpful if you are on particularly steep or uneven terrain, but for a first time trip, go flat. Choose a hike that is flat until everyone gets the hang of walking in snowshoes.

If you do use poles, any sort of ski or trekker pole will work as long as when it is on the ground and you are holding the handle, your elbow is at a 90° angle.

Snowshoeing: Slow Down, Have Fun With Your Kids Outdoors

BY MICHELE BENNETT DECOTEAU Snowshoeing is an excellent way to keep kids active in the winter and gives the whole family a chance to enjoy nature together. It’s a fast-growing activity because it is inexpensive — especially compared with other winter sports, gives families a way to explore the outdoors, and provides a great way to burn energy.

24 DECEMBER2014 25

“The first time must be the best time,” says Rene Wendell, Conservation Ranger with the Trustees of Reservation at Bartholomew's Cobble in Sheffield.

“If kids don’t have a great time snowshoeing the very first time, they probably won’t want to do it again.”

“It's a great aerobic workout and good for leg

4. Plan a good snack. Having hot chocolate or some other snack for energy will improve everyone’s mood. Even though you will be out in the cold, you will dehydrate quickly, so bring water for everyone and stop to drink it.

Kids’ snowshoes aren’t particularly expensive, but it is still a great idea to rent or borrow them the first time to see if this is something they want to do again. Adult snowshoes can cost between $100-$300. Kids’ snowshoes usually cost much less, $30-$80, and will last many years. While not an overly expensive hobby, it is costly if the shoes are never used.

Retailers such as EMS and REI rent snowshoes, and many ski resorts rent them as well. Ski resorts are an excellent place to try out snowshoeing as they often have wellgroomed trails and knowledgeable guides. Also, consider asking Massachusetts Audubon Sanctuaries and Trustees of Reservations locations about snowshoes, many offer low-cost rentals and

programs. Programs offered include homeschool trail walks, tracking for families, and guided walks.

“Snowshoes can get you out in deep snow to see things you'd otherwise miss.

Deer tracks, mink trails, places where owls have left feather prints in the snow,” notes Broad Meadow Brook’s Gach.

“We have hot chocolate Saturdays at Bartholomew’s Cobble and that is a great way to get started snowshoeing,” Wendell says. “I usually take the group on a trail by the [Housatonic] River. We see birds …and lots of tracks in the snow.

Snowshoeing is a great way to see lots of different animal tracks. I’ve even seen otter and mink tracks in the snow while snowshoeing.”

“We have several snowshoe programs offered during snow season, so you can try it in a supportive and fun atmosphere. Or, if people are a little more shy, they're welcome to rent snowshoes to use at the sanctuary,” Gach adds.

Tracking is fun on snowshoes and gives even the youngest child a chance to get up close to animal signs. Squirrel tracks can be seen going from tree to tree and mouse tail tracks can be seen between tiny footprints crossing under bushes.

If you or your kids really enjoy snowshoeing, you can take this

hobby to the next level and race.

Snowshoe racing is basically running a 5K or a 10K in the snow. Racing snowshoes are smaller and lighter than regular snowshoes.

For a more gentle challenge, you can play games by following different animal tracks, pretending to be different animals, scavenger hunts, or classic outdoor games like Simon Says or Red Light, Green Light. If you purchase your own snowshoes and are ready for more of a challenge, turn your backyard into a snowshoe obstacle course with hula hoops, slopes, tunnels, and cones.

Snowshoeing can open up worlds, too. Once ponds have frozen enough for ice fishing, you can snowshoe across. You can see nests, tracks, and views not available when the water is liquid. Night time snowshoeing is spectacular. With older kids you can listen for owls when they are calling for mates in December and January.

Snowshoeing offers you an opportunity to slow down with your kids. There is no line, expensive equipment, or pressure to go fast.

So enjoy and dawdle while on snowshoes.

Places to Snowshoe Many ski resorts in the state offer snowshoe rentals and groomed trails. Some offer guided programs,

as well. Also, check out these retailers and organizations that rent snowshoes and offer programs to get you started.

Inexpensive rental fees, all sizes. Guided hikes and trails. massaudubon.org (508) 753-6087 Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary, Massachusetts Audubon Society, Princeton Inexpensive rental fees, all sizes. Guided hikes and trails. massaudubon.org (978) 464-2712

Throughout Massachusetts EMS Rents snowshoes and poles at most of its 14 stores from Cape Cod to the Berkshires. ems.com

New England Backpacker, Worcester Shoes and poles are $20/day or $35/ weekend. If you decide to purchase, rental fee is subtracted from price. newenglandbackpacker.com (508) 853-9407

Western Mass Trustees of Reservations, Ashley House, Bartholomew’s Cobble, Sheffield Inexpensive rental fees, all sizes. Guided hikes and trails. thetrustees.org (413) 229-8600

Eastern Mass Trustees of Reservations Cape Ann Discovery Park in Ravenswood Park, Gloucester Guided hikes and trails. $15 for nonmembers and family packages available. thetrustees.org (978) 281-8400

Pleasant Valley, Massachusetts Audubon Society, Lennox Inexpensive rental fees, all sizes. Guided hikes and trails. massaudubon.org (413) 637-0320 Hilltop Orchards, Richmond $20 per person for shoes, additional $5 trail fee and instruction available for additional fee.

Offers only new equipment, lodge with hot cider and mulled wine available during the day.

Moonlight treks with wine tastings for adults only. furnacebrookwinery.com (800) 833-6274

Boston Nature Center, Massachusetts Audubon Society, Mattapan Inexpensive rental fees, all sizes. Guided hikes and trails. massaudubon.org (617) 983-8500 Oak Knoll, Massachusetts Audubon Society, Attleboro Inexpensive rental fees, all sizes. Guided hikes and trails. massaudubon.org (508) 223-3060

Central Mass Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, Massachusetts Audubon Society, Worcester

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Pioneer Valley Museums Offer Free Fun, Creative Thinking for Families, Youth

BY JESSICA DAY

A

ll right, fellow Western Mass residents, here’s a pop quiz: What do Marie Antoinette and a woolly mammoth have in common? And no, the answer has nothing to do with large amounts of hair. Give up? They’re both currently in the Pioneer Valley.

To clarify, “Marie Antoinette” is actually an 18th century handcolored print of the infamous queen, and it’s a woolly mammoth skeleton, as opposed to the entire creature, but, both can indeed be found nearby — one at the Smith College Museum of Art and the other at Amherst College’s Beneski Museum of Natural History. When it comes to a treasure trove of art and artifacts, they’re just the tip of the iceberg.

Dusk is rapidly becoming plainold dark by 4 p.m. in December, but Smith College’s Museum of Art is bright, warm, and filled with families. Kids and adults are grouped around tables, examining the supplies in front of them, and figuring out what they might like to make. Concentration is punctuated by laughter, and there is no pressure here — it’s a Free Second Friday.

“Free Second Fridays are a time for multi-generational art making; adults and kids might have different skills, but we can all learn to look closely and then create art based on 26 DECEMBER2014 27

our observations,” says Gina Hall, Associate Educator for School and Family Programs at the museum.

So every second Friday of the month, the museum stays open until 8 p.m., admission is free, there are snacks for all (also free!), and creativity reigns. Families are encouraged to stay for as much or as little of the evening as they want; making art is usually followed by “Open Eyes” — an informal, guided conversation about an object in the museum’s collection. Smith’s Second Fridays also coincide with the town of Northampton’s Arts Night Out — also a monthly event that highlights creativity and community.

“Second Fridays are an opportunity for kids and their families to make something with their hands and to build a connection to the artist by that process or through what they observe,” Hall notes. “For example, the artist Tara Donovan, whose work is currently on exhibit (through Jan. 4), creates her art from everyday objects. We echoed her process at a recent Second Friday by offering simple objects to create with — straws, toothpicks, adding machine tape, and buttons.”

If the art supplies are sometimes ordinary, the art in the museum’s galleries is anything but. This past September, after a summer filled with construction, the museum

reopened completely redesigned, and reinstalled second- and thirdfloor galleries. The unveiling happened on a Second Friday.

“The museum is a great bridge between the college and the community,” Hall says. “What we’re offering is not your ‘old-school’museumexperience.We’re trying to teach kids that there are multiple ways of looking at art; we’re

College. There you’ll find Fred Venne, Museum Education Curator for the Beneski Museum of Natural History.

It’s not a long drive (or leap) from art to science. About 25,000 people visit the Beneski every year, and 10,000 of those visitors are local elementary and high school students. The museum always offers free admission, and Venne and his student guides welcome

“Free Second Fridays are a time for multi-generational art making; adults and kids might have different skills, but we can all learn to look closely and then create art based on our observations.” trying to encourage visual thinking strategies with the idea that the visitors give meaning to the art — there’s great energy and we want the museum to be a point of connection for local schools and families. We’ve worked to create a welcoming environment and to meet families and kids where they’re at.”

Travel a few miles east from Smith on Route 9, and you’ll be at Amherst

the opportunity to encourage “looking with open eyes.”

“We try to help kids ask the right questions when they visit,” Venne says. “We don’t expect them to have the right answer; we don’t expect them to say, ‘Oh, that’s a dinosaur print;’ we want them to just look at first.”

It would be hard to miss the

towering exhibit just inside the museum’s front door: a massive skeleton, of a woolly mammoth complete with curving tusks, stands proudly alongside an Irish elk (also huge!). The mammoth was unearthed in Florida in 1925, and about 80% of its bones are original. Amherst College students have been participating in field expeditions almost since the college was founded, Venne explains, as he stands in front of a case that houses the 25 million-year-old bones of Pyrotherium sorondoi, a sort of elephant-like creature, which was discovered during an expedition in 1911.

The Beneski offers family and school “field guides” with ageappropriate language about the museum’s collection. “We gear them toward different grade levels,” Venne says. “It’s all the same collection, but we’re very aware of the spiraling of curriculum, which is to say that a student will hit the same topic in his or her studies maybe three or four times in elementary school, high school, and college, but each time the level of conversation spirals upward.”

At the Museum of Art, Gina Hall mentioned the importance of “visual thinking strategies”; at the Beneski,

Venne explains the importance of “divergent thinking” — a thought process used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions or outcomes. When

collection, for example, before they even begin to talk about what could have made those marks. Through observational activities, even the Beneski’s youngest visitors can

younger children visit the museum, he has them talk about the colors, textures, patterns, and shapes they see in the slabs of the ichnology (the study of tracks and traces)

begin to understand “ichnology.”

Rich in history, rich in educational resources, the Pioneer Valley offers teachers, parents, and their children many opportunities for

learning outside of the classroom.

Fred Venne describes a project called “Postcards From the Past,” in which students used artifacts in the Beneski as primary resources to design “postcards” and write messages as though they were there when dinosaurs roamed the valley and first left their mark on muddy shores.

Both Venne and Hall point out that teachers from local communities utilize their museums for workshops and professional development in addition to leading students on field trips. “It’s about arts integration,” Hall says, “and connecting art to math and science curriculums; it’s interdisciplinary and not just for art teachers, but for those who teach history, science, and literature, too.

Everyone can find connections at our museums.”

For more information on family and school activities, programs, hours, and directions to the Smith College Museum of Art, the Beneski Museum of Natural History, and additional college and university museums in the Pioneer Valley, go to museums10.org, smith.edu/ artmuseum, and amherst.edu/ museums/naturalhistory.

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FINALLY FOREVER

Greenfield Exhibition Celebrates Children in Foster Care, Artists

BY MELISSA SHAW ARTLITSOL PHOTOGRAPHY

“This is an experience; this is not a store. This is not just about buying a cup,” says Pam Kinsmith.

P

am Kinsmith values the worth of artists and that of children in foster care, and found a personal way to bridge those beliefs in a unique Greenfield exhibition to raise adoption awareness.

The adoptive mother and potter merged her professional and personal passions into a gallery exhibit: Finding Forever: Exquisite Cup Exhibition, Giving Voice to the Children of Foster Care.

Kinsmith adopted her children from foster care and is grateful to the Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE) for the assistance it provided. MARE is a 57-year-old private nonprofit that serves as the central link between families interested in adoption, the Department of Children and Families, and its contracted adoption agencies.

“It’s been rattling around the back of my head for a long time: ‘How can I thank MARE?’ ‘How can I raise awareness?’” she said.

Her idea was clear: Ask professional

December’s Children

Josmary & Marybelis 28 DECEMBER2014 29

potters to contribute a cup that was sitting unsold on their shelf. Each cup would represent a child in foster care who is waiting for a forever home. Both of Kinsmith’s now 11and 12-year-old children spent much of their early lives in foster care.

“As a potter you make collections of things. Invariably you have a piece that isn’t exactly the same size as the other ones or has a slight imperfection or a glaze you don’t use anymore. It just sits and sits and nobody buys it,” she said.

Each mug sent would be exhibited and offered for sale, the proceeds split between the artist and MARE. Kinsmith, who is a full-time graphic designer and has been a potter for the past five years, had several rules for the project. First: Absolutely no artist could donate a cup free, each must be paid for their work if the mug sold.

“Artists are always asked to donate things and potters are probably at the top of that list,” she said.

“People just assume you can afford

These two siblings of Hispanic descent are looking to grow up together. Josmary, 7 1/2, speaks English and Spanish. She loves being a girlie-girl, having her hair done and painting her nails. At school Josmary manages to keep up academically with the help of some behavioral supports. Josmary seeks attention and frequently needs reminders about routine and following directions.

Marybelis, age 5 1/2, is a sweet girl with a stubborn streak. She enjoys playing with dolls, swimming and dancing. She has an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) for speech delays as well as for social-emotional support.

The girls’ social worker is looking for a two-parent family who can give these girls a permanent home.

The worker would prefer that there be no other children in the home or significantly older children

to donate things, but you don’t go to the grocery store and say, ‘This is my favorite kind of bread, can I have it?’” she laughed. “I’ve had to explain to potters, ‘No, do not donate your pots to me! You need to get paid!’ It’s so funny, they just don’t get it. It’s really hard for people to wrap their head around: ‘Oh, I’m going to get paid and the charity’s going to get money.’

I’m constantly having to explain it to people.”

The second mandate: All cups would be priced at $50.

“All the cups had to be valued the same just like the kids are valued the same,” she added. “How could one cup be $80 and another cup be $20? That’s like saying , ‘This perfect, little, pink baby is $80, and this other little baby isn’t.’”

Of the $50, $20 is paid to the artist, $20 is donated to MARE and $10 is used to cover remaining costs stemming from this all-volunteer effort. Earlier this year, a friend asked how non-potters could help and convinced Kinsmith to launch a Kickstarter campaign to foot the bills of renting a professional exhibition space for the month-long run, insurance, Web site expenses and more. She reached her $2,000 goal in three weeks.

“I cried; I was just blown away, holy cow! People that I didn’t know, people that I work with, other people believe in this idea, too,” said Kinsmith, who documented the entire journey at findingforeverexhibition.org. “It was really important to me that it be a gallery, that I show people what a professional gallery show is like.

These cups are precious; they’re representing a kid in foster care. It’s a special thing and I need it to look a certain way.”

After reaching out to her network of professional potters, word spread: “I invited everyone I could find. I was not discerning other than they needed to be professional work,” she said. “At the beginning I thought, ‘Maybe we’ll get 20 cups; 25 cups would be lovely.’ And then boxes started showing up on my door every

only as these two sisters require a great deal of support and attention. They are legally free for adoption. There is an open adoption agreement in place for two visits a year with their birth mother.

For more information regarding Josmary and Marybelis, please call Department of Children and Families (DCF) Adoption Supervisor Rukaiyah Saforo at (508) 929-2095. DCF hosts monthly informational meetings about the adoption process in general at the Worcester Adoption Office now located at 13 Sudbury Street. The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 17, from 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. For specific details and to register, please call (508) 929-2143. In case of inclement weather please call this number. The voice message will indicate if the meeting has been cancelled.

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day. It was mind-blowing.”

One adoptive mom in Vermont sent eight mugs; a friend and advisor in Chicago rallied his colleagues to the tune of 25 to 30 cups.

“It was unbelievable,” she said of the response. “These cups are so incredible, I have a hard time seeing any of them as potter seconds or flawed cups. They’re incredible.

These are people’s top-of-the-line work.”

The gallery opening was specifically held during National Adoption Month on Nov. 7, with 91 cups on display. This lead to Kinsmith’s final rule: “It’s not an auction, you can’t buy online. It’s really important to me that people come because half of the gallery space will be a display for MARE.” The agency used the space to display professional portraits of children waiting for forever homes, known as The Heart Gallery, as well as photo books of children in foster care waiting to be adopted.

“You have to come,” Kinsmith told those who wanted to buy a cup online or have her set one aside for later purchase. “You have to be in

the room to see what these kids are like, to see their faces. You have to come and experience what MARE has done. I said ‘no’ to my own mother and my boss! This is an experience; this is not a store. This is not just about buying a cup.”

But people bought cups: 73 were sold on opening night, 7 more sold over the weekend. The exhibit will remain open through Dec. 5, ThursdaysSundays. If any cups remain unsold, they will be packed and saved for next year’s exhibit, which is already in the planning stages.

“They will make a strong statement about kids who are in foster care for over a year,” she noted.

The sales blew away any modest expectations Kinsmith had, but what awed her even more was those who visited on opening night, sharing their stories about their adoption connections, some of which Kinsmith knew, others that she didn’t.

Even better, two of Kinsmith’s friends told her they want to attend an adoption event and learn more about the process: “If one kid gets adopted because of this it’s all worth it, even if we didn’t sell one cup.”

“I would tell any parents considering Brain Balance that the program is life changing and there is no time to wait.”

Help me unlock my true potential.

Circle of Friends Floor, Springfield. Tuesdays, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Support for foster and adoptive parents. No fee.

Registration required. 413-452-3350.

Tuesday, December 2 — Western Region Adoption Info Meeting, Mass. Department of Children and Families, 140 High St, Fifth Floor, Springfield. 4:30 p.m.-5 p.m. 413-452-3369 Thursday, December 4 and Friday, December 5 — Finding Forever: Giving Voice to the Children of Foster Care, 345 Main St., Greenfield. 4 p.m.8 p.m. Potters from across the country sent unique cups and mugs to artist and adoptive parent Pam Kinsmith. Each piece represents another child in state foster care waiting for a family to see their shining qualities. This exhibit features these unique items for sale with a percentage of the proceeds to benefit MARE. findingforeverexhibition.org

Ongoing — The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children offers an after-hours telephone hotline that provides emergency assistance to foster kinship and pre-adoptive families when the DCF offices are closed. The helpline is available 5 p.m. to 9 a.m. on weekdays and 24 hours on weekends and holidays.

The number is (800) 486-3730.

Ongoing — Massachusetts Approach to Partnerships in Parenting (MAPP) Trainings.

Western Regional DCF Office, 140 Main Street, 4th

Gi o

If your group or organization is holding an adoption information or support group and would like to have information posted for readers of baystateparent, please email editor@baystateparent.com.

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Families Discover Food, Friends and More at Western Mass Winter Farmers’ Markets

BY JESSICA DAY, PHOTOS BY DARRY MADDEN

The hills of Western Mass might be dusted with snow and the ground may be frozen, but at winter farmers’ markets from county to county, there are vibrant pockets of green to be found all year round.

Yes, you might be able to find similar produce at a traditional grocery 30 DECEMBER2014 31

store, but would there also be music, activities for your kids, and a lively sense of community? What about locally raised lamb, goat, beef, and chicken? Or wool rugs and blankets, handmade soap, paintings, and jewelry? And when Old Man Winter finally does begin to loosen his

grip, vegetable starts and flowering branches will help to remind you that spring really is “just around the corner.”

In Franklin County, the first Greenfield Winter Market was held in 2008. A community-based volunteer group pulled the event together, and

although it was a one-time event that year, three additional dates were soon added, causing the towns of Northampton and Amherst in neighboring Hampshire County to sit up and take notice.

“The Greenfield Winter Market was something of a test for local farmers

to see if it was economically viable to come up with storage systems for vegetables and also invest in systems for things like growing greens during the winter months,” explains Claire Morenon, who coordinates several programs for the nonprofit CISA (Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture).

Two years later, both Amherst and Northampton opened weekly winter markets — from December through March in Amherst, and November through April in Northampton.

“Farmers took the plunge,” says Morenon, “and the winter markets have become really good at offering the ‘whole package,’ with workshops and entertainment, and a huge variety of local offerings!”

Tamsin Flanders, market manager in Amherst, ticks off a mouth-watering — and at times somewhat exotic — list of items for sale: bread, baked goods, apples and apple cider, fruit preserves, kimchee, sauerkrauts, Turkish cuisine, fresh greens, popcorn, cheese, mushrooms and more.

“We now host around 30 vendors every week,” she says. “Both the number of vendors and customers has grown tremendously.”

The Amherst market also features a number of tables set up in the midst of the action, where customers can take a break from shopping, listen to some music, and simply “hang out.”

Last year, Flanders says, one woman

invited all her friends to the market to celebrate her birthday: “It was where she wanted to be!”

Four-hundred-fifty-acre Sunrise Farms is perched high in the hills of Colrain and Heath, and that’s where you’re most likely to find Rocky and Marilyn Lively; it takes a lot of time and dedication to raise grass-fed beef and produce delicious maple products. The farm has been in the Lively family for more than 100 years, but farmers’ markets are a more recent tradition.

“The winter markets make a big difference to us as vendors,” Marilyn Lively says. “We wouldn’t see our customers during the winter months otherwise. I also think people look forward to them as a social event.

Some people spend the whole day almost… It’s winter, so it gives people a chance to be together indoors; it gives their kids a chance to get out, too!”

The variety offered at winter markets is almost as varied as the farmers themselves: Caroline Pam and Tim Wilcox planted their farm in 2006 on one acre of rented land in Hadley. Today, The Kitchen Garden occupies 20 acres in Sunderland, and in addition to root veggies, their market offerings include fresh greens throughout the coldest months of the year.

“It’s pretty impressive,” Morenon says.

“Farmers face different challenges in the winter — things you

wouldn’t necessarily think of — such as washing and transporting greens after they’re harvested when the temperature is below freezing.”

When the Pioneer Valley was first settled, eating “locally” and “in season” wasn’t a choice, it was a fact of life; farmers grew what they needed to carry their families through the winter months — hardy root vegetables such as carrots and potatoes, turnips and parsnips — were staples in the early American diet. Today, it’s possible to buy everything from asparagus to oranges at grocery stores throughout the winter months, but as consumers have become more aware of the cost of such luxury (both environmentally and economically), many people are turning back the clock.

“Winter markets are an outlet for high-quality food,” Morenon says.

“They really support those interested in eating seasonally, and (when the summer markets end) they became the next logical step in providing year-round access to local foods.”

CISA and the winter markets in Amherst, Northampton, and Greenfield have also made a conscious effort to make the goods they sell available to all members of their local communities: SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits are accepted at all winter markets, and during the month of March the Amherst market matches up to $5 per EBT (Electronic

Benefits Transfer) swipe.

In Greenfield, the funds collected from the winter market’s Soup Cafe have gone to the SNAP doubling program, which matches benefits dollar for dollar at the Greenfield market.

“Providing access for as many people as possible is important on a personal level to many farmers,” Morenon says.

Last winter the markets buzzed with activity: Shoppers selected their purchases to the lively background music of a hammer dulcimer in Amherst; some children were learning about butterflies, while others explored fiber arts thanks to the local Waldorf school; recipes were exchanged, and chutney was sampled.

“There is a festiveness about it that is completely enticing,” says Lisa Gaimari, Greenfield resident, parent, and winter market attendee. “I would tell someone who has never been to a winter market that it is a great way to meet some people from the community, get some fresh veggies, and roast those roots all winter long! We New Englanders need these pockets of social activity — especially in the winter months when it’s too easy to throw a blanket across our laps and spend the day huddled up in the house. Get out there — it’s fun!”

For more information on winter markets, including locations, dates, and hours, visit buylocalfood.org or buylocalfood.org/farmguide.

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Dishin’ with the Dietitian

Holiday Food Safety

Simple Steps to a Happy, Healthy Holiday Season

BY CARRIE TAYLOR, RDN, LDN Whether you’re hosting for the first time or doing so as an annual tradition, it is imperative you ensure family and friends remain safe from a foodborne illness.

The chaos of holiday kitchens only begets opportunities for bacteria to contaminate the food you’re preparing. Taking steps to follow food safety precautions can mean the difference between a festive holiday season and being sick for days.

Taking the proper steps for thawing your holiday turkey is a must — refrigerate 24 hours for every 4 pounds of bird in its original packaging (sitting in a deep pan so juices do not leak). Also follow these tips from the Partnership for Food Safety Education:

read food thermometer — NOT by how it looks, feels or tastes. Follow current recommended internal cooking temperatures:

• Seafood — Fin Fish 145°F

• Leftovers & Casseroles — 165°F

• Hold hot foods at 140°F or higher while serving with heated chaffing dishes or slow cookers.

• Ground Meat & Meat Mixtures — Beef, Pork, Veal and Lamb 160°F

• Store food promptly in small, shallow food containers in a refrigerator at 40°F or below.

• Eat or freeze leftovers within 3 to 4 days.

Celebrate Throw Out Your Leftovers Day on Nov. 29.

• Wash hands properly — scrubbing with soap and water for 20 seconds before and after handling food.

HELP FOR HOME COOKS Need a food safety question answered right away?

Call the U.S. Department of Agriculture Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHOTLINE (1-888-6746854) or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s support line at 1-888-SAFEFOOD (1-888-723-3366).

Learn more at HolidayFoodSafety.org.

• Wash countertops before, during and after food preparation with a clean cloth.

• Use clean knives, cutting boards, pans, plates and food storage containers.

• Rinse fruits and vegetables — regardless of their rind — under running water prior to preparing.

Carrie Taylor is the lead registered dietitian nutritionist for the Living Well Eating Smart program at Big Y Foods. Have a nutrition question?

E-mail livingwell@bigy.com or write Living Well at 2145 Roosevelt Ave, PO Box 7840, Springfield, MA 01102.

SEPARATE • NEVER wash raw meat before preparing it.

Bacteria from the raw meat can splatter over your sink, faucet, countertops and on you!

Cooking meat properly will kill harmful bacteria.

• Place raw meat at the bottom of your shopping cart and refrigerator in case juices leak.

COOK • Verify food is properly cooked with an instant32 DECEMBER2014 33

• Hold cold foods below 40°F or cooler while serving in ice baths or in frozen, insulated containers.

• Do not keep food out longer than 2 hours.

CLEAN

• Prepare raw meat, poultry, seafood and unpasteurized raw eggs on their own surfaces and cutting boards, and with their own utensils.

CHILL

• Turkey and Chicken — 165°F • Fresh Beef, Veal, Lamb —145°F with a 3-minute resting period • Poultry — Chicken, Turkey, Duck, Goose and Stuffing (alone or in bird) 165°F • Ham — Raw 160°F and Pre-cooked 140°F • Egg Dishes — 160°F

Would you like to be featured in a future issue of baystateparent?

Send your question to editor@baystateparent.com and you might soon be Dishin’ with the Dietitian!

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Bites Deck the Halls with UGLY Sweaters

T

Host an ugly holiday sweater party

he holiday season is all about making fun memories. Why not wear some­ thing no one will soon forget at your own ugly sweater party?

Hosting one is simple — have everyone show up in the tackiest holiday apparel they can find, whether from their closet, at a thrift store or something they “blinged” on their own.

With the party attire planned, try these easy and ugly dessert ideas: • Soft, sweet and so ugly cakes: If your guests’ apparel doesn’t grab attention, your cake sure will.

Style the decorating after your own garment — use buttercream or fondant, holiday-shaped sprinkles and icing decorations to add some ugly to your cake.

• Cookie decorating fun: Bring the classic seasonal activity to your party by having guests decorate

their own sweater cookies. Set up a decorating station. Your friends can have a blast. Set up a photo station so guests can take pictures of their silly cookies to share online.

• Warm up with lattes: Who doesn’t love sipping hot beverages by a warm fire with friends? Brew delicious Spirit of the Season Mocha Lattes to toast a Merry Christmas. Offer assorted liqueurs for an adults-only party.

• It’s time to judge: At the end

of the party, hold a contest for the ugliest sweater — both real and cookie. Award winners in different categories, such as All-Around Ugliest, Most Original, Funniest, Most Non-Ugly or Most Ridiculous.

Get creative with the prizes, too.

Find an inexpensive and unique white elephant gift, or hand out little-first place ribbons.

Your party will be one to remember with these ideas.

Peppermint Hot Chocolate Ugly Sweater Cake

Spirit of the Season Mocha Latte

Servings: 10 –12

Servings: 8 2 cups very hot strong brewed coffee 2 cups dark cocoa candy melts candy 6 cups milk 1/2 cup chocolate syrup Assorted liqueurs and spirits (optional), such as: peppermint schnapps, Irish cream liqueur, chocolate-flavored liqueur, caramel-flavored vodka

1 package (16.25 ounces) Devil’s Food cake mix 1/4 cup hot cocoa mix 3 eggs 2/3 cup water 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract Buttercream icing • Red Rolled Fondant • White Rolled Fondant • Primary Colored Fondant • Piping Gel • String licorice • Sprinkles: Sugar Pearls, Trees, Yellow Colored Sugar

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Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray sweater shaped cake pan with vegetable pan spray.

In large bowl, beat cake mix, hot cocoa mix, eggs, water, vegetable oil and peppermint extract with electric mixer at low speed 30 seconds.

Scrape bottom and sides of bowl; beat at medium speed 2 minutes.

Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading to even thickness. Bake minutes 44–47 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on cooling grid 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on grid.

With spatula, lightly ice cooled cake. Roll out red fondant 1/8 inch thick; cover cake. Knead small amount of white fondant into remaining red fondant, white with small amount of yellow fondant, small amount of yellow fondant with green fondant. Roll out all colors of fondant separately, 1/16 inch thick. Using holiday cutters, patterns or cut free-form, to make collar, orna­ments and sweater neckline, cuffs and bottom band.

Use piping gel to attach licorice ornament hangers, sprinkles and sugars.

In large bowl, pour coffee over dark cocoa candy melts candy; let sit to melt.

In large microwave-safe bowl, heat milk and chocolate syrup until

steaming, about 4 minutes. Whisk milk vigorously to froth. Whisk in candy mixture until combined.

Divide lattes evenly between eight mugs. If desired, add 1 ounce of your choice of liqueur to each drink.

Eggnog Ugly Sweater Cake

Servings: 10–12 1 package (16.5 ounces) yellow cake mix 2/3 cup eggnog 1/3 cup vegetable oil 3 eggs 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg Buttercream icing Icing Colors: Juniper Green, Christmas Red Holly Mix and Candy Cane Sprinkles Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray ugly sweater shaped cake pan with vegetable pan spray.

In large bowl, beat cake mix, eggnog, oil, eggs and nutmeg with electric mixer at low speed 30 seconds. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl; beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading to even thickness.

Bake 39–42 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on cooling grid 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on grid.

With spatula, ice cooled cake. Using Tip 233 and green icing, pipe tree on cake. Using Tip 46 and red icing, pipe outline neck­line, sleeve cuffs and bottom sweater band. Attach sprinkles.

Recipes courtesy of Family Features BAYSTATEPARENTWEST 32 33

our december favorites fa sunday

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The weather may be cold, but families are still on the go-go-go this winter. Keep baby warm and snug in this breathable, machinewashable Cozy Cover.

For your chance to win, visit baystateparent.com.

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wednesday

3 10 {Fact} 10 “Ugly” Christmas sweaters were first mass manufactured under the name “Jingle Bell sweaters” during the ’80s. The rise of Ugly Sweater parties has seen sales of such finery skyrocket and return to 1980s levels.

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Desig grow your c Hung Hippo conve from a to a ro a ride to pla to ba today great for $3

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16 {WIN} 17 16 Make learning to ride a bike fun and easy with this Ezee Glider from Glide Bikes! This pedal-less model is geared for children ages 18 months to 5 to help them learn to balance and gain confidence. Details for winning this fantastic bike, which retails starting at $89.99, can be found at

baystateparent.com

today.

21 21{Fact} Today is the first day of Winter and the shortest day of the year with only 9 hours and 32 minutes of daylight.

Take heart, the days start getting longer bit by bit starting tomorrow!

tuesday

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Smell and feel good with the holiday bundle from SoapBox, which includes all-natural, fragrant soaps, hand soap and body wash. For every purchase, SoapBox donates soap, water, or vitamins to a child in need. But you can enter to win this holiday set free today by visiting baystateparent.com.

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The practice of Christmas stockings originated with Saint Nicholas. According to legend, he was known to throw small bags of gold coins into the open windows of poor homes. After one bag of gold fell into the stocking of a child, kids soon began hanging their stocking by their chimneys “in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.”

Designed to grow with your child, Hungry Hippo can convert from a walker, to a rocker, and then to a ride-on for multiple ways to play and move. Go to baystateparent.com today to enter to win this great prize, which retails for $39.99.

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baystateparent!

January: Education

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Create, cut and haul it with this construction playset that combines the creativity of Play-Doh play with this hard-working vehicle! Kids can extrude their construction materials through the back of the Diggin’ Rigs Buzz Saw vehicle, and then cut it all up with the saw arm. Learn more about this giveaway today on baystateparent.com.

Attach this ‘lil Fairy Door low on a wall, high on a shelf, or in another secret little place inside your home. Children and adults alike will delight in knowing that now the fairies have a place to come in and out! To win this whimsical prize, visit baystateparent.com today.

Ring in the New Year With

February: Love & Romance

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{Fact}

It’s National Fruitcake Day! We’re not kidding, look it up! Fresh fruitcake needs to sit and ripen for at least a month before it can be eaten. Unlike most cake and bread, fruitcake only gets better with time (or so they say).

Starting on the date the prize appears, log on to www.baystateparent.com to enter for your chance to win.

March: The Ultimate Summer Camp Guide Don’t miss out on our outstanding upcoming issues! Contact Regina Stillings at regina@baystateparent.com or (508) 865-7070 x210 for more information!

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• Read and share our articles • Find things to do with our continuously updated calendar of family events • Win great prizes those in our Favorites Calendar and many others in online-only giveaways

Consignment Corner Advertise your Consignment Shop in baystateparent for only $79 per month.

This special is with a six-month commitment, December through May, and you will be featured one month with your tips on how to consign. Only 6 consignment shops per page.

For more information contact Jessica O’Malley at 413-437-4673 or jessica@baystateparent.com Consignment & Resale shops offer great ways to outfit your family, stay trendy and stay on a budget! Most Consignment & Resale shops offer items at up to 70% off of retail prices.

So how do you make the most of your experience at a Consignment or Resale shop?

Silver Brook Mills 168 Elm St., Unit 9B, Agawam 413-363-2104 Women & Men’s Top Quality Designer Consignment Fashions

Hours: Tues.-Thurs.10am-7pm Fri. 10am-6pm, Sat. 10am-3pm Closed Sun. & Mon.

We carry sizes 0-26, Petites, Maternity, Jewelry, Accessories, Purses and Footwear as well as top quality menswear.

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Quality designer fashions at a fraction of retail.

Find us on

TIPS FROM • Find a Consignment or Resale store that fits you - Do they carry brands that you like, clothes are in great condition, organized, friendly staff, etc.

• Shop often, most stores have new items coming in daily.

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Name Brand Items for: Women, Children, Maternity & MEN

• Look at sizes below and above what you need.

Different manufactures fit differently.

Katie

• If you see it - BUY it, the item probably won’t be there next time you come in.

• Check return policiesand try on clothes if possible. Consignment & Resale shopping is like treasure hunting! Have fun and see what treasures are out there waiting for you to buy.

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• Buy for different seasons

Open for Shopping 7 days a week til 5 pm Now Accepting Fall & Winter Items: Monday-Saturday 9:30-4 p.m.

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Pediatric Care Associates 299 Carew Street, Suite 210 Springfield, MA 01104 (413) 732-5580

Beata Tyminska, MD Magdalena Czerkawska, MD

36 DECEMBER2014 37

Dance, Gym & Enrichment

Thompsons

Quality Instruction Since 1981

Summer Gymnastics www.FunWithUs.com

A Dream Come True Learning Center

Potterville Pottery

413-739-9998 1702 Riverdale Street, West Springfield www.potterville.com

(2 locations)

Tues - Fri: 12 - 8pm, Saturday: 10am - 8pm, Sunday: 12 - 4pm We are closed Mondays

Have your Birthday Party at Potterville!

Thompson Offers...

2 Year Old - “Parent and Me” 3-5 Year Old - “Tiny Tumbler” 5 Year Old - “Kinder Class” 6 Year Old & Up Girls Gymnastics 6 Year Old & Up Boys Gymnastics

INFANTS TODDLERS PRESCHOOL

6 weeks to 8 years Part Time/Full Time Slots Available

413-532-0374 • www.FunWithUs.com

Choose from a wheel party or a painting party, and get a 2nd clay activity, balloons and invitations for $25 per person (including firing and materials).

200 Old Lyman Rd., South Hadley

• New England Farm Workers vouchers accepted • We offer a 10% sibling discount and a 3% discount for monthly payment

Preschool & Child Care

Have your party on a Friday Afternoon, Saturday or Sunday. A $35 non-refundable deposit is required to book your party.

GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE

Preschool & Child Care

Allergy Warning: Potterville has a live rabbit.

ENROLL NOW They think it’s COOL. You know it’s EDUCATIONAL.

Bricks 4 Kidz® enrichment programs offer children both the additional time and the opportunity to experience STEM learning in diversified ways.

Visit our Website for information on holiday programs, school vacation programs, enrichment programs, and birthday parties.

PRE-SCHOOL/ CHILD CARE

Infant–6 wks.-15 months............... $245.00 weekly Toddler–15 mos.-2yrs. 9 mos......... $215.00 weekly Pre-School–2 yrs. 9 mos.-5 yrs...... $185.00 weekly Accredited by the

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411 Granby Road South Hadley, MA 01075 Call for an appointment (413) 532-5303

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1029 North Road Westfield, MA 01085

413-650-0147

Little Friends Child Care Center

MORNING PRESCHOOL 9:15am-1pm follows the Belchertown school schedule

Weekly Tuition Payments $16.00 per day

FEES (up to 9 hour day)

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www.bricks4kidz.com/378 kfitzgerald@bricks4kidz.com (413) 345-8035

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Established in 1987

• Follow MA learning frameworks • All staff CPR and First Aid certification • Caring for children 1-year up to 9 years of age • 2-day minimum for all programs (we fit your schedule) • Full Day Programs 7am-5:30pm available hours

• Before and after school includes snow days/vacations/ holidays/summers if needed

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Littlefriends39@aol.com Website:

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INDEX A Dream Come True Learning Center..........37 Amherst Pediatrics................................17 Anisa’s Closet ......................................36 Arbors Kids............................................6 ArtLitSol Photography............................20 Basketball Hall of Fame.........................17 Baystate.............................................40 Berkshire Bank.....................................21 Big Y....................................................4

Brain Balance.......................................29 Bricks 4 Kids .......................................37 Brighter Beginnings ..............................37 Cathedral High School..............................6 Chris Harrington Photography..................10 Connecticut Trolley Museum....................11 Country Bank.........................................8 Falcetti Music.......................................23 FMC Ice Sports......................................25

Great Wolf Lodge....................................3 Invisalign............................................29 Little Friends Child Care Center .................37 Log Cabin/Delaney................................18 Look Park............................................10 MacDuffie School..................................31 New 2 You Consignment.........................36 Next Step Dance Studio........................20 Nursing Bra Express..............................27

Oak Meadow........................................16 Pediatric Care Associates.........................36 Pioneer Valley Financial..........................31 Potterville Pottery ................................37 Springfield Museums.............................11 Terrazza..............................................23 Thompsons Gymnastics ..........................37

Sign up for our newsletter at www.baystateparent.com BAYSTATEPARENTWEST 36 37

take eight

with Jeff Kinney

Jeff Kinney is a busy man: writing and designing online games for the kids’ virtual world of Poptropica; building and opening a new bookstore/coffee shop/cultural space in Plainville, where he lives with his wife and two sons; and, oh yeah, last month releasing a ninth book, “The Long Haul”, in his best-selling Diary of a Wimpy Kid series/phenomenon.

1

What inspired “The Long Haul?” I really wanted to get The Heffleys out of their home environment. I think every creative endeavor needs to be shaken up from time to time, and it seemed like a good move to get The Heffley family — and Greg especially — out of their comfort zone.

“The Heffleys” sounds a lot like “The Kinneys.”

What similarities are there between the families? They have the DNA of my childhood in them. The stories aren’t exactly true or on the nose, but there’s enough truth in there that my family members will be able to recognize most of the stories. Greg is really an exaggerated version of my worst parts as a kid. And there’s a relationship between the other characters and my family members.

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Your sons are 11 and 9. What is their reaction to the success of the series? Do they get it and are they wondering, “Am I gonna wind up in a book?”I don’t think that the Wimpy Kid stuff really intrudes on their lives too much. I try to keep it out of their lives; generally speaking, I don’t have really any Wimpy Kid books or paraphernalia inside the house. I keep it all in my office. It’s not in their faces on a day-to-day basis.

I haven’t drawn that much from their real lives, I’d say maybe three or four jokes over the lifespan of the books so far. I thought I’d be drawing from their experiences a lot more than I do.

Head to baystateparent.com for more questions and answers with Kinney!

38 DECEMBER2014 39

If someone came to you in 2004 and said, “In 10 years your ninth book is coming out,” not to mention the movies and everything else, what would your reaction have been? I would have been really shocked to hear that there were nine books. I remember when we were talking about making it into three books and that felt like a reach to me. When I think about it, the first draft of the book online was about 1,300 pages. That right there is the equivalent of almost seven books.

My ambition is to keep the quality as high as it can be without making it feel like I’m just pumping it out or it’s a cash grab.

5

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Is the 10th book underway? Yes, I think I have about three jokes of the 350 I need to write. It’s underway, but in lowercase letters [laughs].

Kids’ screen time is a big issue for parents. You’re very successful in both worlds as a best-selling author and as a writer and online game designer for Poptropica.

How do you balance screen time with your kids? Figuring out the screen time conundrum is one of the biggest challenges for today’s parents and I think it will continue to be. It used to be a kid would sit down in front of the television or play a video game at the television and it was just this one station. Now, if you kick the kids off the TV they’ll pick up an iPad, and if you kick ’em off the iPad they’ll go to something smaller like a phone. It’s a real challenge.

We try to limit the amount of screen time; we try to keep it to a reasonable time limit. But of course there’s always the haggling, the negotiating and the pleading for more. It’s really an everyday problem and I’m not sure we’ve got it cracked yet.

7

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You executive produced the Wimpy Kid movies.

What was that experience like? The role of executive producer can cover a lot of different things.

I was pretty heavily involved, at least for an author. I worked with the writers on developing the screenplays, and I was involved with casting. I got to be on the set of the movies for about half of each shoot and worked a lot on marketing and post production. It was certainly a new experience for me and something that was very edifying, and now I’m hoping that if there’s a Wimpy Kid reboot I get to do the screenwriting as well. It’s a lot of fun for me: I live in this small town called Plainville and I get to make movies in Hollywood. It’s a good life.

Are there talks of a reboot? We’ve been talking about making a new film. We’re definitely interested in starting it back up. Of course if we did we would have to have new kids and it would be a whole new round and a different creative approach, and I’m excited about that possibility.

8

Happy

Holidays

8

from all of us at

baystateparent

Shawna Shenette Photography

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BAYSTATEPARENTWEST 38 39

Wishing You

Healthy Holidays and the Best New Year.

Learn more about all of our specialties and services at baystatehealth.org/bch or call 413-794-KIDS. CS148366

40 DECEMBER2014