5 Reasons to Give a Personalized Baby Book as a Birthday Gift

Posted on | by KD Novelties

Parents often exist in what is certainly a survival mode—especially when the baby is still a newborn. Suddenly, though, that once new and helpless baby is rolling over, babbling, and eventually, running through the house…and before you know it, driving off to college. While babies seemingly turn into teens overnight, parents desperately try to lock those early moments into their minds and hearts. A little reminder, like a personalized baby book, can bring those memories and  nostalgia rushing back.

New parents cherish keepsake items that preserve pieces of their child’s infancy. Those early days go by in a flash, and it’s often so easy to take some of those little firsts for granted. But special items—personalized mementos—bring back the happy memories of those sweet baby days.

Personalized baby books that celebrate baby’s favorite characters, milestones or even, yes, sweet stories that encourage potty training, all make great gifts for baby’s first and later birthdays. With a personalized baby book, baby is written into the story. And even when the little one outgrows them, parents can keep the personalized book as a memento to pull out when they want those baby days back for just a few minutes.

While mom and dad will cherish the instant keepsake, baby will appreciate personalized books in other ways:

1.       Personalized Baby Books Help Build Name Recognition

According to Parenting, babies begin to recognize their name at around 5 or 6 months of age. Writing baby into the book means that baby’s name will be used throughout the story. Parents can use the book to help their little one begin to recognize their name—and the letters within their name.

2.       Achieve New Milestones

Hearing their name read in stories associated with milestone achievements, like going potty, helps build excitement about accomplishing a new skill. While baby may receive the book to celebrate turning one year old, personalized books may be aimed towards toddler-age feats.

3.       Personalized Baby Book Remembering all the ‘Firsts’

“Elmo’s Book of Firsts” commemorates and tracks all those milestones of childhood—including the first day of school. Even the smaller moments are celebrated…like a child’s first tricycle ride and their first playground experience. Children will enjoy flipping through their book throughout their lives and may one day find themselves sharing their book of firsts with their own children.

4.       Celebrating the Day of Birth

Every child likes to hear the story of the day they were born. Read the story of baby’s journey into the world with a special book honoring their day of birth.  Books about baby’s birth story include a cover page with a special message from mom and dad…or the gift giver.

5.       Becoming a Big Sibling!

Down the road, the first baby may become a Big Brother or Sister! Introduce older siblings to their special role in the family with a personalized book that puts their feelings into words and helps them understand the changes that are happening after the new baby arrives.

Personalized books preserve lasting memories for parents; yet, these books are more than just mementos. Reading personalized baby books to baby helps them work on name recognition, celebrate milestones and even prepare for new roles—like being a big sibling! When a child hears their name integrated into a story with their favorite characters, the book comes to life. Suddenly, the book becomes their story, too…and that book will be a gift that they (or you) will cherish for years!

Simple Birthday Traditions To Make Your Child Feel Special

Posted on | by KD Novelties

If your child’s birthday is coming up, you may be thinking of how to make it an extra special day. Maybe you’re even feeling pressure since birthdays have become a big business, with parents spending an average of $287 on their child’s birthday party last year. One out of seven spent $1000 or more! If those numbers sound crazy, don’t despair. There’s a lot more to birthdays than their budgets, and there’s plenty of creative ways to brighten your child’s birthday without emptying out your 401k.

You could fill their bedroom with balloons before they wake up or when they come home from school. Or if your child enjoys a fun challenge, you could try setting up a scavenger hunt. You can hide their presents around the house, or create a more elaborate scavenger hunt around the neighborhood for your child to experience with their friends. Unlocking your child’s sense of adventure is one of the greatest gifts of all.

Speaking of activities, one of the best ways to make your child’s birthday memorable is to plan something special to do with the whole family. It could be a hike, a bike ride, an out of town trip, or even just a visit to the bowling alley or museum. Extra points if it’s something your child has never done before!

Of course, the most popular birthday tradition is cake and ice cream – sometimes combined together. The U.S. actually leads the world in ice cream consumption, with each of us eating an average of nearly seven gallons every year. So if you let your child pick out their own cake, don’t be surprised if they pick an ice cream cake! Whatever kind of cake you have, though, don’t forget to put candles on the cake and sing Happy Birthday when the time comes!

For more fun birthday traditions to add to your yearly celebration, check out the infographic below:

Share this Image On Your Site

Quick Recipes For Kids

Posted on | by KD Novelties

It is important that children learn how to be self-sufficient. Independence is a skill and it is vital that kids learn how to take care of themselves as they get older. At a certain age, this can come to mean brushing their teeth on their own or even feeding themselves, too. It is up to a parent to decide whether their child can use tools like the stove or oven, but with supervision kids can easily learn to handle these appliances safely and responsibly. Plus, recipes with healthy ingredients can have other benefits, too. Kids are more likely to try something new or eat something healthy if they have a part in preparing it.

Before your child has any ambitions of joining the kid’s version of Chopped, here are some quick and easy recipes for snacks, small meals, and appetizers that they can get started with.

Mini Pepper Pizzas

TOTAL TIME: 0:30

LEVEL: EASY

SERVES: 4

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 bell peppers, halved and cored
  • 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 c. pizza sauce
  • 2 c. shredded mozzarella
  • 1/2 c. finely grated Parmesan
  • 1/3 c. mini pepperoni
  • 1 tbsp. chopped parsley

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350°. On a sheet tray, drizzle peppers with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce onto each pepper half. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan and top with pepperoni. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the peppers are crisp-tender and the cheese is melted. Garnish with parsley.

Chicken Avocado Roll-Ups

TOTAL TIME: 0:20

PREP: 0:20

LEVEL: EASY

SERVES: 8

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 avocados, cubed
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 2 c. Shredded chicken
  • 1 bell peppers, seeds and cores removed, chopped
  • 1/2 small red onion, chopped
  • 1/2 c. Shredded Monterey Jack
  • 1/2 c. shredded Cheddar
  • 2 tbsp. sour cream
  • 2 tbsp. finely chopped chives
  • 4 large flour tortillas

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, combine avocado and lime juice and mash until only small chunks of avocado remain. Add chicken, bell pepper, red onion, Monterey Jack, cheddar, sour cream and chives and stir until evenly combined. Spread a thin layer of the chicken avocado mixture onto a large tortilla, leaving a small border around the edges. Roll the tortilla up tightly, then cut off the edges and slice into 1” rolls. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Earth Cookies

TOTAL TIME: 0:20

PREP: 0:10

LEVEL: EASY

YIELD: 20 COOKIES

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 bag sugar cookie mix, plus ingredients called for on package
  • 6 drops each blue and green food coloring

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375º and line two baking sheets with parchment. Prepare sugar cookie mix per package directions. Divide cookie dough into bowls and color one bowl with blue food coloring and the other with green food coloring. Pull out pieces from each color and start shaping into a ball, patching if necessary to create an Earth effect. Place cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets and bake 8 to 9 minutes (try to prevent browning).

Donut Apples

TOTAL TIME: 0:15

PREP: 0:15

LEVEL: EASY

YIELD: 15

INGREDIENTS

  • 12 oz. cream cheese, softened, cut into thirds
  • 2 tsp. honey, divided
  • 1/2 c. melted chocolate
  • 1-2 drops pink food coloring
  • 3 apples
  • Assorted sprinkles, for decorating

DIRECTIONS

Divide cream cheese among three small bowls. In one bowl, add 1 teaspoon honey. In another bowl, add melted chocolate. In the last bowl, add remaining teaspoon honey and pink food coloring. Stir each bowl together until combined. Slice apples and use a biscuit or cookie cutter to hollow out centers. Spread mixtures on apple slices and top with sprinkles.

Baked Parmesan Zucchini

YIELD: 4

SERVINGS PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 20 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 zucchini, quartered lengthwise
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a cooling rack with nonstick spray and place on a baking sheet; set aside. In a small bowl, combine Parmesan, thyme, oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper, to taste. Place zucchini onto prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan mixture. Place into oven and bake until tender, about 15 minutes. Then broil for 2-3 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.

Salad in a Jar

INGREDIENTS

  • Your choice of veggies, meats, fruits and cheeses
  • Your choice of dressing
  • Optional: crackers, crisps, etc.
  • Mason Jar

DIRECTIONS

For softer foods like the avocados and ham, you can show your child how to cut them up. The avocado was cut using a butter knife and ham with scissors. Tip: scissors work great for helping little hands “chop” up foods vs. using knives. Lay out all your ingredients on one large platter so they’ll be easier to layer. Ask your child to start layering (see steps above). You want to start with the dressing first so it doesn’t get the other foods too soggy. Add 2-3 tablespoons of dressing. Then start layering from the heaviest to lightest foods ending with the salad greens. Example layer from bottom to top: dressing, carrots, ham, peas, corn, avocados, strawberries, greens.

Salads can be refrigerated and kept till later, packed away in a bag for lunch or a snack, or eaten right away. Just shake to mix when you’re ready to eat!