The Hopscotch Blog...

Central Florida Moms Feature Hopscotch Boutique! June 27, 2008 Hopscotch Boutique is featured in the june 2008 issue of Central Florida Moms in the “mompreneurs…local moms following their passion” I was super excited when the writer, Bethann Durlin called me for an interview re an upcoming article in the magazine….yippeee! Thank you Central Florida Moms…we love you! www.centralfloridamoms.com Comments Off ............ Pretend-Play Games… Found this article in Parents Magazine: April 2008….and I thought I would pass along the info for you to do with your children 1. Celebrate a new holiday. Announce that it’s Polka-Dot Day or Purple Day. 2. Throw a doll’s birthday party. Wrap up a few “gifts”, decorate with balloons and streamers, and enjoy a mock - or real- cake. 3. Dress for the weather. Lay out items for different weather condititions, describe a certain day, and ask your child to pick an outfit for it. 4. Open a petting zoo. Place stuffed animals around the room, pet each one, and talk about what they like to eat. 5. Camp out in your living room. Climb into a tent and sleeping bags, Turn on a flashlight, and pretend to eat s’mores. 6. Form a family band. Have everyone grab an instrument and jam to a cd. 7. Imitate animals. Practive hopping like a frog, squirming like a worm, wadding like a duck, and stretching like a cat. 8. Play restaurant. In the real kitchen or a pretend one, alternate between being the customer and the server or chef. 9. Offer horsy rides. Let her bounce on your back while you “neigh” and chew hay. 10. Ride the laundy-bin “school bus”. She’s the passenger, and you’re the driver. Make stops to pick up other kids, and wave bye-bye to the mommies at each stop. Comments (0) ............ Your Life Organized! June 25, 2008 OMG….The butler bag…you must have heard of it…it has been featured on Oprah, Pregnancy Magazine, US weekly….the bag of all bags…trust me. I have one - and I love it! READ ALL ABOUT IT HERE…NEW COLORS INTRODUCED TOO! Comments (0) ............ Happy Hour at The Spa - Friday, June 27… My favorite Spa down the street from the shop is hosting a Happy Hour with White Wolf Cafe…here are the details…sounds like fun! Happy Hour Friday June 27, 2008 600pm - 9:00pm Relax, Release, and Rejuvenate! The Spa is introducing Happy Hour Fridays, your ultimate mix of wind down and wind up to jump start your weekend. The Spa will be transformed into a party atmosphere with live DJ, people, food, drinks and much more all while enjoying your choice of The Spa signature Happy Hour Menu. Unwind by saturating your senses to a soothing sublime spa treatment while enjoying mouthwatering hors d’oeuvres by White Wolf Cafe and refreshing pomegranate martinis. Just call 407-898-7737 to book on of the following Happy Hour treatments. *Text Message (a forearm & hand massage, helping to undo your carpal tunnel) *Neck Tension Cupping (don’t miss this one) surely to help with all those hours of computer work *Girls On Heels (a calf & foot massage to take the pain out of beauty and fashion) *Custom Facial (cleanse and brighten the face so you’re looking lively when you hit the town) *Hand and Foot Scrub (using organic sea salt butter to suck the toxins from your week right out of you) Remember all treatments are 20 minutes (roughly the time it takes to get onto I-4) and you must RSVP and book your service(but at least we don’t charge you for the bottle and table). So bring your girlfriends, boyfriends, or even your boss and co-workers so you can angle for that promotion, your work week- and weekend - will thank you. $25.00 per treatment includes drinks, mouth watering hors d’oeuvres, DJ and more. Due to the nature of this event, you must be on time for your appointment or your service will be cut short. A credit card is required and will be charged 48 hours prior to the party. In the event you must cancel your visit , please contact The Spa within 48 hours of the event. No refunds or credits on late appointments or no shows. Comments (0) ............ Hopscotch Presents Simply Perfect Parties… June 24, 2008 Date: Thursday, July 10 Where: Hopscotch Boutique Private Room What: Girly Glam & Leading Man OR Picasso Peewee Simply Perfect Parties is the premiere all-inclusive theme celebration provider. They offer creative and memorable kids parties for the discerning parent. All parties are designed to make a lasting impression and create a stress-free experience for mom and dad. Click here to read the details and rsvp information! Comments (0) ............ The Dirty Dozen… June 20, 2008 Written by Tracy Neely - a local mom involved in the Holistic Moms Network and local chapter in Orlando: (http://www.holisticmoms.org) IS IT REALLY ORGANIC? I recently had a conversation with a friend about the issue of where our organic fruits and vegetables come from. I started thinking about how I could openly talk about this issue with friends and family in a way where they would not feel offended or embarrassed at their lack of knowledge. I decided to purchase wallet size copies of the “Dirty Dozen” put out by the Environmental Working Group. This is a guide that features the 12 fruits and veggies with the most and least pesticides. I thought this would be a good way to start off a friendly conversation that would be non-threatening and at the same time, would give great information to friends, family and people that I meet in passing. Due to the economic crisis, it is sometimes stressful to put food on our tables, but if you could purchase the following foods organically, you would be doing your family a world of good. THE DIRTY DOZEN Buy These Organic: Peaches, Apples, Sweet Bell Peppers, Celery, Nectarines, Strawberries, Cherries, Lettuce, Grapes (imported), Pears, Spinach, Potatoes. Lowest in Pesticides: Onions, Avocodos, Sweet Corn, Pinapples, Mangos, Sweet Pea, Asparagus, Kiwi, Bananas, Cabbage, Broccoli, Eggplant Even though the business of organic produce is small in comparison to conventional produce, it is still a very big business that brought in more than $5.37 billion in annual sales as stated in The Organic Trade Association’s 2006 Manufacturer Survey. I think that is pretty amazing, but I feel so much more could be done for all of us to support organic farming. So much of the organic produce is being imported and you wonder who is watching over the suppliers to make sure organic farming standards are being met. I think as a society, we have been conditioned over time to think that our fruits and veggies have to look perfect and blemish free for us to feel that they taste good. And nothing could be further from the truth. I have to admit when I first started buying organic produce several years ago, I would pick up produce such as an apple and if it had any type of blemishes, I would think it was rotten. What I now realize, is how much of our fruit has been grown to look perfect and void of taste. Here are a few examples of why we should all buy organic produce when possible: • Help Small Farmers – there are more large-scale farms raising organic produce which undermines the ability of the small farmer to compete in this organic market. It’s estimated that the U.S. has lost more than 650,000 family farms in the past decade. • Protect Farm Workers – A Cancer Institute study, found that farm workers exposed to pesticides were six times more likely to get cancer as opposed to non-farm workers. • No GMO’s (genetically modified organisms) – buying organic produce is a sure way to avoid eating genetically modified foods. • Protect Our Future Generations – children are four times more likely to be exposed to harmful cancer-causing pesticides in food. If we make good food choices now, future generation will reap the benefits. • Protect Water Quality – the Environmental Protection Agency reports that some 74 cancer-causing pesticides have been detected in our ground water in at least 38 states. • No Synthetic Pesticides – the only sure way to keep toxic chemicals off of our plates is to buy organic produce. Here are a few suggestions when buying organic foods: • Support CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture) – CSA’s member pay in advance for a share of the farmer’s total crop. • Eat according to the season - Eating seasonal foods helps our body to be balanced and also provides better nutrients that our bodies can absorb. • Support organic vendors at your local farmers markets – Most communities will offer local farmers markets where you can buy locally grown organic produce and usually at a cost lower than what you could purchase at your local supermarket. • If shopping at your local supermarket, observe whether or not the signs say “conventional” or “organic “ produce. Let’s all remember that foods are to be celebrated and enjoyed for the nutrients they provide and also the big bold flavors that keep us wanting more. If at all possible share whatever food you have with someone less fortunate. Happy Eating!! by Tracy Neely Comments (0) ............ Next Page »