Franklin Goose

You're Invited!

 

Hey there, expectant mothers!

Franklin Goose is getting ready for our annual Baby Shower, and you’re invited! Come and join us on May 14 at 7:00 p.m. for a fun-filled evening.

In addition to discussing baby shower parties and decorations, we’ll be giving tips on registries. Plus, Caley Cantrell, author of You’re Bringing Me A Baby?, and Jennifer Kaiser will be discussing how to introduce your new baby to pets and how to prepare older children to the adjustment of a new sibling.

A lactation consultant will also join us to answer questions and offer tips for those of you who plan to breastfeed.

Plus games and giveaways!

Space is limited, so please call to RSVP to reserve your place. This event is for expectant mothers only. For more information and to RSVP, please contact the store at (804) 355-0595. 

 

Packing Toddler Lunches

(sheri)

On Thursday night we hosted a class about packing toddler lunches. It was a great class to discuss how to pack wholesome and interesting lunches for your little one. Kathryn, the teacher, explained that she, like many of the parents at the class felt like some times she gets into ruts with her lunches. I knew many parents felt the same way. What I didn't know was that these ruts can actually be detrimental to our little kiddos. It can often have a negative effect on their willingness to try different foods, closing their minds and stomachs to many things early on. Kids will not starve to death, as hard as it may be to let them go without meals it is important to let them know they can't just eat hot dogs and pancakes.  Eventually their biology will take over and they will eat so don't feel pressured to give in to demands.

Find places that inspire you for recipes and ideas. Keeping kids lunches interesting and fun can help win the battle over picky appetites!

Here are a few of our favorite blogs for inspiration:

• Out of the box Food
• 100 Days of Real Food
• Weelicious
• Central Eats

• Yummy Mummy Kitchen
• Love and Lemons
• Sprouted Kitchen
• Edible Perspective

 

A few tips we learned from Kathryn:

1. Find ways to hide veggies in their food. (Try the veggie cream cheese recipe below for inspiration)
2. Add nutritional yeast to their food, it is an amazing way to get omegas and nutrients and they will think it is a special topping!
3. Kids love to dip so use hummus, or other things in their lunches for them to dip their veggies into
4. Oatmeal with fruit is a great toddler lunch. For a boost of vitamin B12 make with coconut milk
5. Freeze leftover veggies and fruits for meals later on
6. Send greek yogurt for lunch as an alternative to other yogurts, it is lower in sugar
7. Baby lead weaning recipes are great for little ones and the whole family
8. Freeze smoothies in a Silisqueeze container and then pack for lunch in the morning and it will thaw by lunch time. 

Here are a few of the products we love for packing lunches:

1. Kids Konserve Insulated Jars
2. Kids Konserve Nesting Trio
3. Kangovou Dishware set with a great lunch tray!
4. Dabbawalla Washable Lunch Bag
5. Eco Lunchbox Bento Box

 

Here are two recipes from the class that we were lucky enough to sample:

The next two recipes are from weelicious.com

 

Do you have recipes or tips you would like to share? We would love to hear your ideas! We wanted to thank Kangovou and Kids Konserve for their great donations!

 

 

 

 

Happy Earth Day!

(emily)

At Franklin Goose, our mission is to ensure that parents and families can be responsible environmentally. We strive to sell products that are natural and organic or that are made of recycled materials.

So Earth Day is a pretty big deal for us.

We believe that every person should not just be environmentally aware but take responsibility for the earth. We’ve seen the effects of living without concern for the planet, and we know that it’s going to take more than just people turning off the lights when leaving a room. It’s going to have to be a lifestyle change.

So how do you start talking to your kids about this? Do you sit down and have a talk about recycling and leave it at that? You could, but kids (and adults) learn more by experiencing than just listening.

Earlier this month we discussed how toys are not just sources of entertainment for children but also viable teaching tools. Through playing children learn lifelong skills. They are also able to use their imagination and role play, allowing them a safe place to learn about life and their world.

If you’re looking for toys that could help your children gain perspective and understanding of environmentally responsible living, there are a few items we’d like to suggest.

 

Green Toys

We love Green Toys. All of their products are made with 100% recycled milk jugs, which saves energy and reduces greenhouse emissions. That’s awesome in itself, but Green Toys also makes several toys that are great for teaching children about living green.

 

Planting Kit

These planting kits are great for spring. Children can grow their very own organic sunflower, allowing for parents to teach about gardening and responsibility.

 

Recycling Truck

Green Toys makes a lot of different cars and other vehicles, but one of our favorites is the Recycling Truck. It comes with cards depicting bottles, cans, and paper that your child can sort into the truck before lifting the bed and dumping them out through the rear door. Recently one of our customers told us how her son loves his recycling truck and can now identify the ones on the street, which allows him and his parents to discuss recycling and why it’s important.

 

Plan Toys

Another favorite of ours, Plan Toys has a lot of fun and unique toys that are made responsibly.

 

Eco Town

The Plan Toys Eco Town includes an eco home, eco train station, charging station, and street accessories, plus a mat that has grass, trees, rivers, and roads. With it, your child can create whole worlds that are green.

Vegetable Garden

Plan Toys has tons of dolls and dollhouses for children, plus accessories. One of our favorites is the Vegetable Garden, which comes with a wheelbarrow, a watering can, a spade, 4 vegetable beds, and removable carrots, radishes, turnips, and cauliflowers. This a great toy for teaching children about being sustainable.

 

Wonderworld

Wonderworld is big on protecting the environment and insists on only using rubber-wood from replenishable sources and water-based, non-toxic paints and lacquers.

 

Wonderworld Eco House

Speaking of being sustainable, the Wonderworld Eco House from Smart Gear is the perfect dollhouse for girls and boys. It comes with furniture (2 beds, bedding, bathroom shower, toilet, table, chairs, kitchen stove), but it also comes with several green and earth-friendly items. This house is completely sustainable with its rain barrel, solar panel, and wind turbine. The three dolls that are included will love living in this green house and traveling on their scooter.

 

These are just a few of the items we carry at Franklin Goose that are environmentally friendly and teach children awareness. For the green moms and dads, we also sell other items that are made with recycled or organic materials – everything from clothes to plates and bowls. We’re also always interested in learning about other green products, so if you have any you’d like to share with us, please leave us a comment!

What are some ways you encourage your children to live green? (FG)

5 Great Earth Day Crafts

 

(sheri)

 

Monday is Earth Day. For us we consider the Earth in what we sell, how we live, and what we teach everyday. So to have one day to call international attention to our quest for a better and safer place to live is great. It is an opportunity to teach our kids about the importance of taking care of and honoring our planet. By doing so, I believe we also honor ourselves and each other.

Children learn so much through play so why not teach them about our planet through creative projects and play?

We found some great ideas on the web and wanted to share them with you.

Personal Recycling Bin

 

(Image from Momtastic blog)

 

Momtastic has a great idea, have your little one make their own recyling bin. They will be so proud to have the family recycling in their bin. It is a great way to show them about how we can recycle, what can be recyled and why we recycle. This can start great habits early on!

 

Earth Day Tree Craft

(Image from Maryland Momma's blog)

 

Maryland Momma's post about how to make a tree for Earth Day caught my eye right away. I think it is a great craft for a little one. It can also make a great centerpiece for the dinner table on Earth Day, making an opportunity to discuss Earth day with the whole family. The craft incorporates recycling, creativity and nature, a great combo for any craft, any day.

 

Tin Can Bird Feeder

 

(image from Turning the Clock Back blog)

 

On the blog, Turning the Clock back, this Tin Can Birdfeeder is the featured Earth Day craft. This craft is great for any age. Your little one will have a great time recycling a tin can into a bird feeder, after all what kid doesn't love to paint? I think this bird feeder would be a great way to remind kids every day about Earth Day since they will see the feeder a lot as it hangs in your yards. It is also creates opportunities to talk about birds and other outdoor creatures.

 

Tin Can Flower Pot

 

The Make Myself at Home blog featured this great Earth Day craft. I love teaching kids how to plant and care for flowers or plants. Imagine planting an herb in a tin can so they can even eat their Earth Day craft all summer long. This craft allows each child to customize the craft to reflect them. If you cut out images from nature you can talk to your child about the earth and the importance of caring for it while you make their flower pot.

 

Recycled Boats

 

 

I love this craft from East Coast Mommy! You can upcyle instead of recycle, which is even better for the planet. You can also play outside, if it is warm enough, or in the bathtub or sink if it isn't. There is so much opportunity for creativity, for talking about recycling, upcycling and the effect of plastic trash on our oceans and other waterways. Your kids can have fun creating their own custom boats, while learning about rivers, oceans, lakes, ponds, waterfalls and streams. They can learn about the importance of conserving water so there are plenty of places for people to sail their boats.

 

What will you be doing for Earth Day? We would love to hear about and see your crafts or ideas!

 

 

 

 

Autism Awareness: Toys That Teach

(emily, maryjo, & amber)

Toys are great for two reasons: they provide children with entertainment and learning at once. If you think about it,  how many toys feature the alphabet or numbers or encourage problem-solving? Toys allow children to learn in a fun way.

A lot of times we buy toys for children and do not think much about how that toy will help them other than amuse them for a while.

With some children, however, considering the educational side of toys when purchasing a gift is beneficial. Autistic children struggle with communication, expression, relationships, and interaction. Yet toys can be a great way for them to develop.

The three of us (Emily, Maryjo, and Amber) have had different experiences with autistic children. We’ve interacted with children in both professional and personal settings, and together we’ve compiled a list of different toys we believe would be beneficial for children with autism.

 

Puzzles

Puzzles are a great toy for developing fine motor development. They allow children hands on activity, which helps stimulate them and encourages them to develop hand skills like the pincer grasp.

They foster achievement through cause and effect and problem solving. Peg puzzles feature pictures for where the pieces go. For autistic children, this visual cue is a positive reinforcement for finding independent success while completing the puzzle.

Blocks and Block Puzzles Building architectural masterpieces out of blocks allows children a chance to create and develop something on their own. The inevitable tearing down of the blocks fosters a child’s understanding of cause and effect.  

 

Musical Instruments

Making music (and noise) is really good for kids. It stimulates the senses and teaches cause and effect. It’s a great introduction to noise and stimuli. Plus it allows a child to express themselves, (and how!), while also positively encouraging new skills.

 

Scooters, Walkers, and Pull-Along Toys

Scooters and walkers encourage gross motor skills as well as independence. A pull along toy teaches cause and effect and motor skills. Plus, they’re so much fun!

Books 

Sitting down and reading with a child has so many benefits. First, it develops language and vocabulary. It also encourages social interaction between the child and adult, and reinforces listening skills and following oral directions. While reading to a child, adults can encourage pointing, a fine motor skill.

 

Dollhouses

A dollhouse provides great imaginative play that encourages the development of language and social interaction. Playing encourages the use of new words, and allows for discussions of daily routines and the expression of emotions.

Food and Cooking Toys In addition to encouraging motor skills and language development, these toys also provide children with life skills. They can express their likes and dislikes. They also allow for parallel play, which is an important stage of development that leads to one on one interaction. The imitation of daily events and role playing will help children develop skills they will later use in life, fostering their independence.

 

 

All children need to learn these skills, but for some children they will have a harder time developing them. Encourage all children, autistic or not, with toys that foster achievement. Keep in mind that each autistic child is unique, so play to your child’s strengths. Encourage him or her. Play with your child. Choose toys that encourage hand manipulation and that will encourage your child to communicate. 

In your experience, what toys have your children enjoyed? Do you have any suggestions for toys that autistic children would enjoy? (FG)

Frankie's Funky 5

At Franklin Goose, one of our favorite things is when kids can have fun! Here are the top 5 toys kids love to play with when they come to our store:

 

The Balance Bike

A crowd pleaser!

Any given day you can be sure to find a kid gliding through the store on one of these.

 

The Cooking Center

Kids can play with this one for hours!

 

The Shopping Cart

Always a winner!

We often laugh over the various items we find at the end of the day.

 

The Train Set

A main attraction, kids crawl, waddle, and run for the train set as soon as they're in the store.

And the Musical Band!

Kids (and dads!) can't keep their hands off this one.

What's your child's favorite toy at Franklin Goose?

Royal Expectations: 6 Months

(emily)

 

Hey there, royal watchers, can you believe that Kate Middleton is in her sixth month of pregnancy?

She looks good, too. Wow.

 

6 months means Kate is approaching the end of her second trimester and we’re halfway to meeting Britain’s newest royal.

So what does that mean for Kate (and the others of you who are preggers)?

Kate is most likely

• experiencing an increase in energy and is over her morning sickness;
• feeling the baby move, especially when she’s trying to sleep;
• gaining weight (which means it’s time to shop for maternity clothes!); and
• having cravings.

Kate could also start having Braxton Hicks contractions. She might also be fretting over the future and her new role as a mother.

All of these are extremely normal behavior for women, but sometimes they can make pregnant women feel uncomfortable and frustrated. So Kate, if you are, we have a couple of tips:

1)   Try eating healthily and drinking a lot of water. Even if your body is begging for pickles and ice cream, try to maintain a healthy diet. The weight you gain is normal and can be easy to lose after the birth, but giving into your cravings for sweet and salty foods still isn’t beneficial.

2)   All the changes you’re facing might confront you with just how real your pregnancy is. A lot of mothers begin to doubt themselves and worry that they will struggle with taking care of their child. However, this actually reveals that the bond between mother and baby is already developing. Talk to your baby. Take pictures of your belly and progress to show your baby later. Build your relationship before he or she is born. You’ll probably still have a few healthy concerns, but you’ll feel closer to your child and will connect with him or her.

3)   Journal. Get your thoughts out of your head and down on paper. It’s a great way to make sense of what you’re feeling. Plus, it will help you record little things about your pregnancy and life that you can share with your child later.

4)   Enjoy your pregnancy. Start nesting and preparing for your child’s arrival. Get excited. It’s not much longer now!

 

Kate is looking great, and we're so excited to continue to watch her pregnancy continue. (And of course to eventually meet her royal little one.) We're also excited to hear about your pregnancy experiences, both past and present. What were some of the things you experienced in your 6 month? And did any of you ever really crave pickles and ice cream?

Let us know in the comments! (FG)

Costa Rican Spice Plantation

(sheri)

A few weeks ago (which now feels like months ago) I visited a biodynamic spice plantation in Costa Rica with my sister, niece and daughter in law. The experience was so inspiring and educational. I thought I would share some images and a little about what we learned.

 

Cacao

The plantation grew cacao trees, beautiful chocolate supplying cacao trees.

This is how a cacao pod starts to grow.

 

Eventually it grows into this pod.

 

Each pod grows little beans inside. These beans are covered with a white flesh. We sucked on the bean with the white flesh and incredibly it tasted very similar to chocolate.

 

 

Inside of each bean is the cacao "meat". This is where the cacao comes from which eventually becomes chocolate.

 

These are raw cacao nibs. They are the meat of the bean. Raw cacao is extremely high in anti-oxidants, it is great for energy as well as a myriad of other benefits. I use it to make smoothies, cookies, and ice cream. If you don't buy good ones they can taste very bitter,  a good raw cacoa nib should never be bitter. I am adapting a few cookie recipes I will share later this month using raw cacao and coconut sugar.

 

 

The next thing we discovered was the cinnamon tree! No one in the group had any idea cinnamon grew in trees. Did you?

 

There are three layers to a cinnamon tree; the outside bark, the cinnamon and then the cinnamon wood. She has shaved the bark off so what you see is the cinnamon. When you taste it like that it is soft and pliable, and delicious!

 

These trees were Ceylon Cinnamon. There is a dinstinct difference between that and regular cinnamon. It has hints of mint and ginger along with the cinnamon flavor. The taste was amazing! Ceylon cinnamon has incredible health benefits as well:it is an anti-bacterial which will slow the growth of bacteria, it is antiviral so it can help treat viral infections, antifungal so you can use it to help with fungal infections, it contains antioxidants which are amazing for fighting diseases, it is fantastic for high blood pressure and can help with inflammations such as arthritis. There are so many more uses and benefits I was amazed! She suggested putting some in your coffee in the morning. Her father in law mixes a teaspoon of ceylon cinnamon with a tablespoon of honey every morning to help his arthritis.

 

The other things that amazed me were seeing how a peppercorn grows. I had no idea they were this cool! The peppercorn we use is inside of the green shell.

 

This is what turmeric root looks like when it is ready to harvest.

 

This incredibly elegant vine is a vanilla bean vine that got away from the farmers. Normally the vines, which grow up to 30' long, are strung horizontally through trees so they are easy to harvest. I was in awe of how perfectly the vine grows when left on its own.

 

I never grow tired of seeing my favorite plant, the orchid, growing in nature. It is such a beautiful and rare thing for me to see.

This is the plantation we visited. They do allow volunteers to come and work at the biodynamic farm. I was very tempted but then remembered I have Franklin Goose to run.... Oh well, a girl can dream.

 

Homemade Vanilla Extract Recipe

(sheri)

(The vanilla bean flower blooms only in the morning for one day before it starts to die and produce a bean.)

Recently I visited a Vanilla Plantation in Costa Rica (which I will blog about on Monday). During our visit we learned how to make our own Vanilla Extract. It was so easy Icouldn't believe it. If you make your own vanilla extract you not only get to use the whole vanilla bean, not wasting a bit of this precious spice, you also get complete control over what is in your extract, no fillers, sugar added etc.

Here is how you do it:

1 inch of vanilla bean (seeds removed, use for ice cream, baking or other goodies)

1 ounce of high proof alcohol (suggestions are 90 proof grain alocohol or 150 proof rum)

 

Place the vanilla bean in a glass jar and pour the alcohol over the bean. Let the liquid steep in a spot away from heat and light for 6-7 weeks. After this you may use the vanilla extract. Leave the bean in the liquid, as it only gets better with time. You can use this extract for up to 2 years. Once you have finished with the liquid you can use the bean to make 1 or 2 more batches. (If you make 1 more batch take the vanilla bean after you finish the extract and add the bean to sugar for a fantastic vanilla flavored sugar.)

(The vanilla bean before it is dried in the sun.)

 

I always feel so good when I use something to its full potential before discarding it. This recipe certainly takes this amazing spice and uses it to its limit. The vanilla bean is such a beautiful creation, which takes a great deal of labor to become what we use in our cooking, it would be a shame to waste even an inch of this delicacy.

Franklin Goes Everywhere: Staunton, VA

 

(emily)

 

Where's Franklin? Can you find him?

Franklin loves to travel! In fact, he wants to go everywhere! Not that long ago, Franklin went to Staunton, VA, with Emily and her family. Little Jolie, Emily’s niece, enjoyed showing Franklin the city. There were so many interesting things to see and do!

 

The first thing Franklin and Jolie did was go to the park. Gypsy Hill Park, in fact. Emily told Franklin and Jolie that in the summer there are free concerts at the park, and every Fourth of July there’s a big to-do with food, vendors, and music.

 

At Gypsy Hill Park, Franklin enjoyed the slides at the playground and the swings, too. He and Jolie really wanted to ride the Gypsy Express but it was closed for the season. Jolie thinks they should come back in the summer and ride it then, and Franklin agrees. He loves trains. 

At the Duck Pond, Jolie and Franklin made friends with the ducks. Franklin tried to get the ducks to play a game of baseball, but the ducks wanted to swim instead. Silly ducks.

Franklin and Jolie took their adults to Main Street to look at all the shops. It started to rain and got a little cold, so they all went inside a coffee shop to take a break and warm up. The adults had coffee and tea, while Jolie stuck with milk. Franklin thought the coffee was so good!

All too soon it was time to head home to Richmond. Franklin thinks Staunton is a really beautiful city, and Jolie says he can visit with her at any time.

Staunton is a really beautiful city. Located in the Shenandoah Valley, the city is the home of former president Woodrow Wilson. The city also has numerous museums and historic sites. The Frontier Cultural Museum allows guests a glimpse into former cultures and lifestyles of early Virginian settlers. Then there’s the Blackfriars Playhouse, which hosts Shakespeare and other plays year-round in the only recreation of the original Blackfriars Theatre that once stood in London.