Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in charleston, SC

Tuesday Top Five: Foods Your Child Probably Hasn't Tried, But Just Might Love

by Nicole Teed

April 28, 2009

I grew up in a household that focused on two key foods: meat and potatoes. It wasn't until I reached my twenties that I started to explore and enjoy a variety of cuisines.  Now, I'm trying to introduce my children to a wide range of foods early on, and one of the richest sources of that palatal diversity is ethnic cuisines.  Here, I've listed five world cuisines with the dishes that have gotten the thumbs-up from the short crowd.

Nutrition Work-Arounds: If She Won't Drink Milk, Get Calcium This Way

by Nicole Teed

April 27, 2009

I don't know why, but neither of my kids really drink milk. They aren't lactose-intolerant, they don't have a milk allergy, but they just don't seem to like the taste. It's not a big deal, except for the fact that it makes ensuring their calcium intake is sufficient a little more tricky. Here are some of the ways I've found to get calcium into their diets.

Most Important Meal of the Day: Kiddo Breakfast Ideas

by Nicole Teed

April 20, 2009

The idea of skipping breakfast doesn't come up in our house. Both of my children wake up hungry and eat before changing out of their pajamas.  While we've been known to indulge in Krispy Kreme every so often, on the whole I like to make sure that breakfast is healthy --  better: healthy and fast!

Here are a few ideas for making sure you start the day out right. All of these suggestions are kid-tested, and all of them include good nutrition for staying power through the morning. 

Kid-Friendly Breakfast Nooks in Charleston

by Nicole Teed

March 23, 2009

I don't know how things are around your house at dinnertime, but the 6 pm - 7 pm time slot seems to be a witching hour for my preschoolers. They're tired and cranky and hungry, and while my husband and I might like to head out to dinner sometimes, it's just not worth it. Instead, we've decided to treat the family to a meal out a breakfast on occasion, when the kids are fresh and kid-friendly food options -- pancakes! eggs! bacon! -- abound. Here are a few places I'd recommend if you and the family are eating out for the most important meal of the day.

Tuesday Top Five: Local Ways to Get Your Farm On

by Nicole Teed

March 10, 2009

I really wanted the farmer's market to be open last Saturday.  The weather was perfect to head downtown Saturday morning and pick up some fresh produce while enjoying lemonade and boiled peanuts.  Sigh.  Soon, though, the markets will be returning and the produce will be flowing from local farms.  Here are some great ways to bring the farm home to your family, and to get your family out to the farm!

Happy thanksgiving!

by Nicole

November 27, 2008

The turkey's been dressed, the pie has been made (or, in my case, purchased) and the television football schedule has been perused. While food and family may dominate the weekend, don't miss this opportunity to share gratitude for and with your children. Ask them what they're thankful for. Their answers may surprise you. Share your own ideas about gratitude. Let them give a  Read more...

Tuesday top five: bookshelf essentials for Lowcountry kids!

by Nicole

November 25, 2008

There are some books that you simply need to have around if you are a member of the Charleston short crowd. Here are some ideas for exploring -- and adding to! -- the Lowcountry charm. Seashells of the World (A Golden Guide) by R. Tucker Abbott While your preschooler will probably need some help to use this guide, this book is the perfect way to turn that trip to the beach into a  Read more...

Have manners? yes, ma'am!

by Nicole

September 27, 2008

My first few months living in the South brought a bit of culture shock for me. Here, people say "ma'am" and "sir" as a matter of routine (and respect), gentlemen actually hold doors for you (especially if they notice you juggling small children, which is fabulous!), and all the friends I made seemed to have a stash of gorgeous monogrammed correspondence cards. I've come to appreciate the  Read more...

Day trip: baby does beaufort

by Nicole

September 22, 2008

What do you do with a free Sunday, a tank full of gas, and a wanderlust? Why, you go for a drive, of course! About an hour and a half south of Charleston lies Beaufort, SC -- tucked between the quiet of Edisto and the resort of Hilton Head, with a personality somewhere in between, just as the location might suggest. We went yesterday for the first time and had such a fabulous day I  Read more...

A taste of china in Charleston

by Nicole

July 28, 2008

Charlestonians are like Chinese: They eat rice, worship their ancestors, and speak in a language that's hard to understand. ~ Advertisement for a classic rice cooker at Kerrisons Dry Good Company [via Spicelines ] The best way to escape to a far off place -- and there's nowhere further than China, really -- isn't by plane or train or boat, but by mouth. If your family is new to Asian  Read more...

Tuesday top five: tabletop destinations

by Nicole

July 22, 2008

As the daughter of Midwestern meat-and-potatoes type of folks, I grew up eating dinners of classic American family meals: pot roast, homemade pizza, spaghetti, and the like. If we wanted to get ethnic, we had Mexican food -- and since we lived in Arizona, Mexico wasn't really THAT foreign. Then I met my husband, who introduced me to Cuban food on our first date and didn't stop feeding me until  Read more...

Fabulous Fieldtrip: Blueberries!

by Nicole

June 18, 2008

Blueberry season is here, and there is no better way to enjoy this fruity summertime delight than fresh from the bush. I've mentioned Champney's Farm (4492 Rose Drive, Ravenel, SC. Phone: 843-763-6564) briefly before, but I wanted to share our recent trip to their place. It makes a great field trip for the whole family -- and it's actually in a FIELD! If, like me, you're working with your  Read more...

Feed the Family: Three Little Birds Cafe

by Nicole

June 12, 2008

I love to eat out. It always feels like a special treat for someone to put beautiful food in front of me and then NOT have to do the dishes. However, it's not always easy to find restaurants friendly enough for the whole family that serve up healthy food grown-ups want to eat. But if I had a checklist for the characteristics I look for in a family-friendly restaurant, Three Little Birds cafe  Read more...

How to Cultivate the Tiniest Green Thumb

by Nicole

May 26, 2008

I'll be frank: I'm a vegetarian, cloth-diapering, thrift-store-shopping mother who has been dubbed the "recycling Nazi" for berating certain family members for tossing out plastic bottles. While folks in Berkeley or somewhere equally self-important might call me a lightweight, around these parts, I'm about as crunchy as they come. This spring and summer, we've been really focused on food --  Read more...