Poppyseed ~ Nov/Dec 2014

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November•December 2014

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The Cool Holiday Gift Guide • Healthy Eats • Kids’ Health • Fun Projects...

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& MORE!!!

publisher & owner Joey Coakley Beck jbeck@beckmediagroup.com editorial director Hayleigh Worgan hworgan@beckmediagroup.com

Issue Four November•December 2014

contributors Jeremy Holmes, Decca Knight, LewisGale Regional Health System, Heather Quintana, Hayleigh Worgan account executives Cheryl Matthews cmatthews@beckmediagroup.com Amy Messick amessick@beckmediagroup.com Danielle Reynolds dreynolds@beckmediagroup.com advertising inquiries advertise@beckmediagroup.com poppyseed@beckmediagroup.com (540) 904-6800

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LLC

806 Wasena Avenue, Suite 101 Roanoke, VA 24015 540.904.6800 fax 540.904.6803 www.poppyseedfamily.com Poppyseed Magazine is the property of Beck Media Group LLC. It is a free publication printed bimonthly and is distributed throughout Southwest and Central Virginia and beyond. The concept and design of Poppyseed Magazine, as well as the design, advertisements, art, photos and editorial content is property of Beck Media Group LLC and may not be copied or reprinted without written permission from the publisher. ©2014 Beck Media Group LLC All Rights Reserved. PRINTED IN THE USA

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Happy Holidays from your Poppyseed family! We are so excited for you to see our holiday issue—it is packed with fun activities and cool gear for you and your entire family. Don’t miss our events page—it is one you will want to hold on to throughout December because no one wants to miss an opportunity to see Santa!

We have also included an informational page on three major holidays that you and other families you know may be celebrating. Our space is limited, so we could not include all observed traditions, but we want you to know that, whatever you are celebrating, we hope your holidays are full of happy moments that you will remember for years to come.

Have you liked us on Facebook yet? If not, you are missing out on some pretty awesome giveaways. Go to www. facebook.com/poppyseed and like us today to win some of the gear we feature in this issue. Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to bringing you more great issues in 2015!

www.poppyseedfamily.com

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Happy Holidays A helpful guide to understanding a few well-known traditions As December approaches and we began to celebrate family traditions of our own, we must remember that other families may observe different holidays with their children. We have compiled a short list of holidays that people you know may be celebrating this year to help you understand how their month may be a little different from yours:

Kwanzaa

begins on Friday, December 26 and ends on January 1. Each family celebrates in their own way, but some traditions include songs and dances, African drums, storytelling, poetry reading and a traditional large meal, typically served on December 31. A candle on the Kinara, a candleholder, is lit by a child each night and one of seven principles, called Nguzo Saba, is discussed. These are values of African culture that help build and reinforce community among African-Americans.

Christmas

is widely-known as a Christian holiday, serving as an annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Typically observed on December 25, it marks the end of Advent, and is sometimes marked by a church service on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Traditions have evolved over the centuries and the holiday has become both a religious and secular celebration. Regardless of religious affiliation, many families around the world come together for Christmas on December 24-25 to exchange gifts, share a large meal, and participate in holiday festivities.

Hanukkah

is an eight-day Jewish commemoration of the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. According to legend, Jews rose up against their Greek-Syrian oppressors during this time. Hanukkah translates to “dedication” in Hebrew and usually falls in November or December. It is celebrated by the lighting of the menorah, a nine-branched candelabrum.

One candle is lit each night through the duration of the holiday. Hanukkah is also honored with traditional foods, games, and gifts. This year, festivities will begin on December 16 and end on December 24.

No matter what you are celebrating, don’t forget to remind your family and friends how much they mean to you this year. Sometimes the greatest gift is a simple card or phone call to let them know you care. Happy Holidays—no matter how you celebrate—from your Poppyseed family!

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each meal (and look on line for ways to cook them).

Proper tools are really important—I use an Oxo brand peeler. They are inexpensive and make great stocking stuffers. A sharp knife is also important. A dull knife is dangerous as it can slip.

Remember, your child doesn’t have to help you for the entire meal—but 5 or 10 minutes most days in the kitchen will go a long way to helping them learn skills and develop positive associations with healthful food. It may even help the grownups in your family add more fruits and vegetables in their diet!

Quality Time in the Kitchen Keeping your holiday helpers healthy & happy

Written by Heather Quintana

Getting your kids in the kitchen is one of the best ways to prepare them to be healthful adults. The more your kids are involved with the food—helping to prepare, plan meals, share their ideas, peel and cut—the more likely they are to enjoy it! Modeling healthy eating and empowering kids to be able to cook for themselves as they grow into adults is one of the best ways to encourage good eating habits that will stick with them long after they move out.

Eighty-six percent of American adults do not consume enough fruits and vegetables to protect their health. Only 9.5% of high school students eat enough fruits and vegetables each day. The food we eat affects our physical health, mental health, and our ability to think clearly. We’re all so busy, and it’s easy to grab a pizza, tear open a box of Macn-Cheese, boil some hot dogs, or swing by the drive-thru. When asked their favorite foods, most young children list chicken nuggets, pizza, French fries, or Mac-n-Cheese. It’s what’s on every “kid’s menu” around. But, those foods are not supporting our health. With a little planning, and some level of commitment, we can start to add more fruits and vegetables into our diets. You don’t have to become a health zealot in order to make some small changes. A little at a time can start to make a big difference over time.

Kids as young as two years old can help wash, spin, and tear lettuce into pieces for salad. They can sprinkle in the olives and cherry tomatoes. They can help shake the homemade dressing. A three-year-old can pick the ends off the beans. A four-year-old can make his or her own peanut butter banana bites or spread hummus on celery sticks and dot with raisins. Or mash an avocado. A five-year-old can learn to safely use a peeler to peel cucumbers or carrots. An eight-year-old can hollow out grape tomatoes and pipe in herbed cream cheese for a holiday party. A middle school kid can plan which vegetables to serve

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Heather’s Favorite Roast Vegetables

You can use most vegetables—the harder the vegetable, the longer it takes to cook. So if you want to add peppers, toss them in half way through cooking. Cauliflower tastes fantastic roasted. Use as many or as few varieties as you’d like.

Ingredients: 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1” cubes 1 onion, cut into wedges 4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1” pieces 3 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1” pieces 2 white potatoes, cut into 1” cubes 1 lb Broccoli florets or Brussels Sprouts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare vegetables and toss with 3 TBS olive oil.

Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt, pepper, and herbs of your choice (I like rosemary or an Herbs d Provence blend). Place one layer in large roasting pan and roast in oven, uncovered, about 20 minutes. Toss and roast 10 minutes or until tender-crisp.

Heather Millar Quintana is a Certified Health Coach and Director of Happy Healthy Cooks in Roanoke, a program that turns kids and their families on to healthful whole foods because their lives depend on it. At any given time, you’ll likely find Heather cooking, teaching, mountain biking, relaxing by the water, or busy raising two happy healthy funny sweet boys.

The Benefits of Classical Education Faith Christian School gives students the foundation to excel Faith Christian School prides themselves on their efforts to give students the tools to engage with the world around them from a Christian standpoint. They emphasize a classical model of education that focuses on three stages of learning: grammar, logic, and rhetoric.

In their early years, students are trained in the art of grammar. They memorize a variety of information that they can access to enhance skills that will be developed in higher grade levels. Next, they begin to study logic. “Middle school students can often exasperate their parents with their desire to argue,” says Head of School, Peter Baur. “We Peter Baur equip them with the ability to discern and to reason. The goal is to give them a template for learning instead of just giving them answers.”

The ability to reason will help them identify invalid arguments once they are immersed into the culture around them. It will also help them to delineate valid versus invalid reasoning in a world saturated with news that is often influenced by political agendas, false, and/or misguided.

The final part of their education model is rhetoric.

Many of us spend so much time staring at our smart phones that we forget the basic building blocks of communicating with one another. Honing this skill helps graduates communicate well in any given situation. It gives them confidence when speaking publicly, a problem that many seasoned professionals struggle to overcome.

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“The greatest reward is seeing the light bulb go off for our students,” says Baur. “It is a privilege to be involved in their lives and being able to engage their hearts and souls.”

Baur adds, “This is an exceptional place to be because of the quality of our staff. Our school attracts people who love to learn and aspire to become more developed educators. We are among peers who are constantly encouraging one another to greater levels of excellence.”

The entire faculty is presented with what can often be a difficult task—engaging the culture around students and helping them understand why they agree or disagree with information that is presented. However, because of their diligence, graduates from Faith Christian School enter the “real world” less intimidated by all it has to offer and ready to develop meaningful connections with their community.

Graduate Katherine Quiroz, a Bill and Melinda Gates Scholar, is one of many alumni currently applying what she learned in her new endeavors. She explains, “The fundamentals of rhetoric and logic are crucial to understand, as they play a major role in college academics. I am thankful that I had a thorough exposure to these topics, because without that strong foundation, I know that my college courses would be much more difficult.”

Visit Faith Christian School online at www.faithchristianroanoke.com, for more information on the programs they offer and the enrollment process.

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What kind of parent are you?

Written by Decca Knight

Parent-In-Training

In my many years working with parents and children, I have encountered a variety of parenting styles. No doubt you have observed them as well, in the aisles of Target, at the playground, at your child’s softball game. There is the drill sergeant parent who barks orders like a commander. If their “soldiers” don’t comply, they are punished. They provide little love or nurture.

There is the permissive parent, whose child is crawling on the tables at the restaurant while they are surfing Facebook on their iPhone. There is the helicopter parent, who constantly hovers over their child, solving the minor spat between siblings and who approaches their child’s high school teacher to complain that they are not being “nice enough” to their child. There is the “best friend” parent who worries about upsetting their child and therefore avoids setting limits.

There is also the hybrid parent, who shifts between various parenting styles depending on their mood.

So, how do we develop our parenting style? Often our approach has its foundations in how we were parented. For many of us, this is the only model we have. Even if we say to ourselves, “I will be different from my parents,” we often fall into the same patterns. Then we regret and feel guilty about our missteps. We therefore need

to educate ourselves about different parenting philosophies.

There is no one “right” approach.

Different styles work for different families. Based on their personalities, some kids need more structure, while others flourish when allowed more freedom. A good place to begin is to read a few of the hundreds of parenting books out there. I have many favorites, but most often I find myself recommending the following: Parenting with Love and Logic (Foster and Cline), The Whole Brain Child (Seigal and Bryson), How to Talk So Kids Will Listen (Faber and Mazlish), and The Conscious Parent (Tsabary).

Read, take notes, and develop your own parenting journal. Write down the underlying principles, strategies, and techniques that resonate with you. Keep it in your kitchen, so that when you are feeling overwhelmed, you can reference it and re-center yourself. Your kids will thank you… thank you for being consistent and clear in your approach, whatever it may be.

Decca Knight is a wife, mother, counselor, and parenting educator. In an effort to further help kids and parents, Decca began studying a variety of parenting philosophies. She teaches classes, consults with other “Parents-in-training,” and runs Blue Ridge Parenting and Consulting LLC. For more information about parenting classes and consultation visit Decca’s website www.blueridgeparenting.com

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Powering Down Help your child make choices that reduce their environmental footprint As someone who works in an environmental field, I am occasionally asked (and I sometimes ask myself) why I do what I do. There are lots of good answers, of course, from the pragmatic to the principled: I want to help people save money by finding ways to use fewer resources, I want to do something to address climate change, I want the world my daughter lives in to be healthier, cleaner, and better than the one I grew up in. While true, these answers aren’t always satisfying, particularly not to a curious 9-yearold who is no longer satisfied with “because I said so” as a reason for turning off the lights when she leaves a room, and for whom the Appalachian Power bill is as inscrutable a concept as telephones connected to the wall by a cord.

There’s a more fundamental reason many of us do this work, though, and a reason that I think is vital to instill in our kids if they are to grow up as responsible stewards: compassion.

The fact is, all of our choices—in how we use energy as in everything else—have consequences, and when it comes to our environmental footprint those consequences are often disproportionately levied against the weakest and poorest of our fellow humans. For example, the Exxon Valdez oil spill continues to haunt our national memory; yet, according to a 2010 New York Times article, the Nigerian Delta which supplies a huge amount of the world’s oil, has suffered the equivalent of an Exxon Valdez spill every year for the past 50 years. The residents of the Delta, most impoverished and many reliant on drilling operations for employment, are almost powerless to stop the pollution. Being concerned with our environmental impact is synonymous with being concerned with how we impact people, even people half a world away.

While most kids may not have the ability to understand the science behind the threat of climate change or the vagaries and stresses of the household, the habits and skills of compassion are being instilled at a very early age. Between 3 and 6 years old, children are developing the self-awareness and empathy that allows them to understand how and why other people hurt, and where their actions may play a part.

Perhaps by teaching our kids that wasting resources can affect other kids, just like them, elsewhere in the world, they will become adults who can not only crunch the numbers on their power bill, but consider the human cost as well.

Jeremy Holmes is Program Director for RIDE Solutions in Roanoke. He is an advocate for families getting out of their cars and getting to know their neighborhoods by walking, biking, and taking the bus together.

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The Cool

Holiday Gift Guide It is easy to give in to temptation and purchase an iTunes gift card or the newest video game for your child. However, we know that you can find something perfect for them with just a little extra effort. Give your children unique gifts this year that reflect their personalities and help them develop intellectually.

For inspiration, check out these cool products we found:

The Street & Snow Scooter is easily convertible from scooter to skis so riders can be ready for the snow any time. The handlebar adjusts for optimal height and quickly folds down for easy transport and storage. www.kidcrave.com

Kids can learn some of the magic behind stop-motion animation with this Stop Motion Animation Kit. www.uncommongoods.com

Lenz Frenz are cute and cuddly stuffed animals (available in six styles) that feature a hidden case to store your child’s glasses.

They help them cherish their specs and keep up with them! www.mylenzfrenz.com

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The yoMOTO Balance Bike has four wheels for extra stability! This is the perfect gift for your little one that is just getting used to a bike and not quite ready to leave training wheels behind. www.kidcrave.com This rechargeable UFO light boasts powerful rechargeable batteries and an elegant touch dimmer, while making the humble bulb the star of the lamp! A unique addition to your child’s room, this is a lamp that they will enjoy for years. www.aplusrstore.com

The Kloo Language System contains 16 fun card games that make learning a new language, like Spanish or French, easier for beginners! These games allow 1-4 players, so the whole family can play (and learn!) together. www.kloogame.com

These classic wooden racecars are head-turning beauties, draped in striking color to stand out at the race track—this will make the perfect addition to your child’s race car collection. Wooden cars available in a variety of colors and styles. www.candylabtoys.com

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Visit our website,

www.poppyseedfamily.com, and

our Facebook page during the month of December for more cool gift ideas!

A stylish must-have for school or travel, this retro-cool tin lunch box features a robust space rocket design on the front and back. Each lunch box has space for personalization with your little one’s name. www.feterie.com

PinPres Playful shelving from OOO My Design.

Handmade in Spain from the finest locally sourced wood. Available in two sizes. You can also choose from natural wood or color painted designs. Not only will this help your little one keep their toys tidy, it is an interactive piece of furniture that doubles as a toy. www.pin-pres.com

Oxblood Big & Tall Blocks contain typographic elements artfully squeezed, stretched and cubed into Uncle Goose’s handmade hexahedrons then peppered with patterns provide aesthetes of all ages alphanumerosymbolic enlightenment. www.houseind.com

Holiday Advice for Mothers & Moms-to-Be I am pregnant and have been thinking about flying to see my family for Christmas. What month of my pregnancy should I stop flying? Why does this restriction exist?

Pregnant women at 38 weeks (8 months) should refrain from flying. There is a risk of early onset of labor and/or rupture of membranes.

I love holiday meals and treats! Are there any drinks or items of food I should stay away from while pregnant?

Pregnant women should stay away from alcohol and raw seafood during the holiday season and during the entirety of their pregnancy.

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John Harding, MD, FACOG LewisGale Physicians OB/GYN

To contact Dr. Harding, call 540-772-3680. To locate other OB/GYN’s near you, call Consult-A-Nurse® 24/7 at 877-242-2362 or visit LEWISGALE.COM/BABY.

My little one loves to play in the snow! How long should I allow him/her to play outside in the cold weather?

Going outside to play is a great way to stay active and to get some vitamin D during the winter months! Before sending children out in the snow consider the temperature, wind, precipitation, and/or snowfall.

Younger children are not able to regulate their body temperature as well as older children, so their duration of play will be less.

Ensure that your children are wearing multiple layers of clothes, preferably not cotton, as it holds sweat and moisture and speeds up heat loss. The base layer should be thin moisture wicking fabric, followed by two insulating layers, and topped with a wind/waterproof outer shell. Mittens, hats, and waterproof boots are also essential. If your children sweat, their mittens get wet, or snow gets in their boots, have them change into dry gear immediately. It also helps to bring kids in periodically for a snack and to provide fluid for hydration.

Our family is very active, especially in the winter months. What is the best age for our children to learn to ski/snowboard?

Learning to ski or snowboard will be child dependent. If your child has achieved the following skills, he/she may be ready to begin to learn to ski – balance, lower body muscle strength, coordination, follows simple directions in a group. It is important they wear the gear required for safe skiing in the cold conditions before considering skiing. If they won’t wear the gear, it’s too early for a ski lesson.

Typically children have the developmental skills to ski around the age of 4. If your child seems ready, many slopes offer instructors for children with games that help them attain the skills needed for skiing. While children can learn the basics as young as 4, most kids won’t have the skills or stamina to start skiing until the age of 6-8.

For those kids interested in snowboarding, traditionally the age requirement has been 8+. However, advances in snowboarding have changed when kids can start. Like skiing, it is best to enroll your child in a few lessons with a certified instructor.

Moriah Krason, MD, FAAP LewisGale Physicians Pediatrics

To contact Dr. Krason, call 540-772-3580. To locate another physician near you, call Consult-A-Nurse® 24/7 at 877-2HCA-DOCS (877-242-2362).

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Project Kid Page 20 November•December 2014

Inspiring creativity in kids of all ages!

Brrr!! It’s cold outside! Stay warm and spend the day making a few new decorations and toys with your children. Project Kid has 100 ingenious crafts that will entertain your whole family.

The best part? You can win your very own copy on our Facebook page this month!

In the meantime, check out this great fall/winter project from their collection:

Juice-Box Owl

Directions:

Materials needed:

• Cut two wing shapes from the felt. Each wing should

1 juice box, emptied and cleaned One 12-by-12-inch piece of patterned craft paper Clear tape Wool felt (available from MagicCabin.com) Scissors Pumpkin seeds (about 50) Tacky glue 2 cotton balls 1 basket coffee filter Yellow watercolor paint Paintbrush 2 wooden beads

• Wrap the juice box in the patterned craft paper like you would a present. Tape to seal.

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• Excerpted from Project Kid by Amanda Kingloff (Artisan Books).

Copyright © 2014. Photographs

by Alexandra Grablewski

be as tall as the box, with the top straight edge ½ inch wider than the side of the box, and the center of the wing 3 inches wide.

To create a feather pattern, glue pumpkin seeds on the wings and let the glue set. Depending on the height of your box, you’ll need about sixteen seeds per wing.

To give shape to the wings, glue a cotton ball on both top side edges of the box, and glue the wings on top of them.

To create the eyes, paint the coffee filter with the water color paint. Just give it a light, washy coat and let it dry.

Cut a 1-inch-wide ring from the ruffled edge of the coffee filter and then cut it in half. Bunch up the strip to create a rosette shape, twist the back half into a short stem, and wrap tape around the back to secure. Repeat with the other half of the ring.

To create the eyes, glue five or six pumpkin seeds in a circle on each filter rosette, and then glue a bead in the center. Glue the rosettes side by side to the top of the box.

Glue a pumpkin seed in between the rosettes as the nose, and two on the bottom of the wrapped juice box as the feet.

Psst. Keep an eye on our Facebook page where we’ll be giving a copy of this away!!

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We love healthy recipes, but we couldn’t resist promoting this easy and delicious Ice Cream Sandwich Bar from Modern Parents Messy Kids. Many family traditions include making, baking, and sharing cookies. This recipe adds a twist to the conventional holiday cookie and turns it into an ice cream sandwich dessert that kids can customize by choosing their own cookies, ice cream, and toppings!

Here are some quick tips for creating your kid-friendly Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert Bar:

For the cookies:

You can use store-bought, homemade, or even holiday cookies that you have been gifted. Provide a few cookie choices, but not so many that they are overwhelming. Try to pick cookies that are flat and not too soft or crumbly so sandwiches will stay intact. We suggest double chocolate chip, chewy oatmeal raisin, snickerdoodles, and ginger molasses cookies. You can find recipes for all of these flavors on www. modernparentsmessykids.com.

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Ice Cream:

Consider holiday flavors like Candy Cane, Eggnog, Milk Chocolate or Maple Cinnamon. Keep your ice cream on ice, if possible, and make sure it is the last thing you put on the table to keep it from melting.

Toppings:

Mini chocolate chips, shredded coconut, crushed candy canes and chopped nuts are great options to include for your guests. Kids will love rolling their sandwiches in these toppings, so keep wipes or towels on hand to clean up messes.

Here are a few suggested flavor combination idea: • Double Chocolate Cookies with Chocolate Ice Cream • Snickerdoodles with Cinnamon Maple Ice Cream • Ginger Molasses Cookies with Eggnog Ice Cream The options are endless with this dessert table, and your children will have so much fun creating ice cream sandwiches with their favorite sweet stuff!