Tip of the Week: Art for All Ages!

Planning to take your budding Picasso to the Museum of Contemporary Art?
Then check out Target Family Days on the second Saturday of the month, 11
a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free for families with children under age 12,
and it includes art activities and tours. Upcoming dates are Feb. 14, March
15, April 11 and May 9. For more information, visit mcachicago.org

Tip of the Week: Baby Belts

We all love our little ones and their baby bellies. There is absolutely
nothing better than tickling those tummies! But there will come a time
when they'll need belts to hold up those cute little drawers. Baby belts
are difficult to find in stores, but you'll have a great time shopping on
this Web site discovered by one of our Triple B mothers:
http://shop.babybeltz.com/main.sc. These belts are both practical and
cute, and the site offers lots of color combinations to help you pick just
the right one -- or, if you like them as much as I do, the right two or
three!

January Mommy Mingler!

Hello BBB Members!

Don't forget about our upcoming Mommy Mani/Pedi Night!

The salon is at 1917B W. Fullerton and we will be there from 7p-10p.

Manicures are $12, Pedicures are $23, and both are $30.

Please call the Front Office at 312.944.7677 to register!

Tip of the Week: Tots on Tuesdays!

 While I always look forward to the start of the New Year, I dread the
 doldrums of January and I am always fearful of the time we will have to
 spend indoors. I am always on the lookout for fun things to do with my
 daughter to prevent either one of us from climbing the walls, and I
 remembered Tots on Tuesdays at the Shedd Aquarium. Every Tuesday, Shedd
 offers a full day of activities created especially for preschoolers. "Tots
 on Tuesdays" includes story times, crafts, animal touch programs, videos,
 costumed characters, dancing and singing. Activities are theme-based and
 they change the theme every eight weeks, providing new experiences
 throughout the year. "Tots on Tuesdays" programs are designed for children
 ages 3 through 5, but younger and older children enjoy them, too. This is
 free with admission price. Find more information about these activities on
 their website www.sheddaquarium.org.

 Also, don't forget that you can use your Chicago Public Library card to
 checkout Museum passes to gain free admission into area Museums including
 The Shedd Aquarium! www.chipublib.org

A Thought for the New Year

There are often gifts that we receive that mean more to the person giving them than to the receiver. There was the fiber optic mechanical angel that we received from our elderly neighbor one Christmas that, despite my husband's repeated requests, I just can’t seem to get it from the basement closet out to the garbage can. God forbid she might see it in there! More importantly, I know that when she picked it out, it was done with a thoughtful heart. For that reason alone, we have a closet full of gifts that I just can’t justify parting with.

This fall, my husband’s grandmother passed away, and when my mother-in-law said that she had left a Christmas gift for us, I admit that I had high hopes. I could tell by her enthusiasm that it had meant something to her. Unsure of what this might be, I tentatively opened up a small, red, sequined box shaped like a Christmas light. I feigned enthusiasm as my mother-in-law explained that she had left this especially for us. Turning it over, I realized that it once contained chocolates. Clearly, this was something that the average person would have thrown out (after all, if we kept every pretty box and ribbon, our home would be a disaster area!). However, this box obviously had meant something to my husband’s grandmother. Perhaps it had been given to her by her husband on their first Christmas or by a dear friend. Or maybe this small box reminded her of a special Christmas that her family had spent together. I probably will never know what made her keep this box. Maybe she just thought it was too pretty to throw away. I knew right away that I had to keep this, and that it deserved a special place in our home.

In the end, I decided that we would keep the box on the coffee table in our living room every year during the holidays, and we would make it our family suggestion box. Each family member would be allowed to make one request each week and the rest of our family would have to honor it. My husband’s request was that we pick up after ourselves, my request of course was that he be a little more laid back about the typical messes that families make, and my daughter requested that we all stop bickering (oh, the knowledge of six year olds these days).

So, that little red box with the sequins peeling off turned out to be a very special gift to our family this Christmas and always. I am certain that Grandma Arlene would happy to know that it has a special place within our family and that we are honoring her and her gift to us.

This holiday season, take a moment to look beyond the gifts you receive and remember the people behind the ribbon and paper. Happy New Year to you and your families, and may 2009 bring you lots of red, shiny boxes with hidden surprises.