Behind the Bellani Women » Uncategorized

Demonstration Classes ahead

bellani — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 22:47:36 +0000

I know many families are unsure of what class would be best for their little one. To help in making this decision Bellani is offering several demonstration classes at no charge to the community. Pre-registration is required and taken in person or over the phone only. Please feel free to call with any questions, 401-234-1279.

Kindermusik Village (for newborn through 18 month olds) Friday, December 16th at 9:45 am

Rock-a-Baby RI (for newborns through 4 years old) Thursday, December 22nd at 11:45 am

Little Van Gogh Art Class (for children 18 months – 3 years old) Thursday, January 5th at 10:30 am

Preschool Dance Class (for children 2.9 – 5 years old) Wednesday, January 4th at 9:30 am and Saturday, January 7th at 10:30 am

Dance Class (for children 18 months -2.9 years old) Wednesdays, January 4th at 10:30 am and Saturday, January 7th at 9:30 am

Tot Gym (for children 6-12 months) Saturday, January 7th at 11:30 am

25 Reasons to take a Child Development Class at Bellani

bellani — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 23:08:26 +0000

1. The instructors are super cool.
2. You don’t have to be an artist, a singer or a yoga person – just a caregiver that wants to have fun with their baby!
3. You need bright colored rooms to block out the gray – dismal winter.
4. You enjoy watching your child try something new.
5. You like having other caregivers around you – to listen and to support you.
6. Having something to look forward to each week lightens the load of daily parenting duties – diapers, laundry, cooking, cleaning, diapers.
7. You like to laugh.
8. You like to tell others about all the little things your child is learning to do.
9. Exposing your child to other children is sweet, hillarious and so important.
10. Bellani has the feeling of home – filled with people that care and are so happy to see you.
11. You love how each classes’ hello song makes you feel.
12. Kelly (and Julie, Jen, Amanda) give advice and insight into any product in their store – a class and personal shopping assistants – yeah that works.
13. We truly want to know you and your baby.
14. Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name…and they are always glad you came.
15. Your child is a sponge and wants/needs to experience new rhythms, places to crawl, colors, shapes and more!
16. Winter is still here.
17.I f you are a member you get 10% off.
18. “Music is a valuable activity that contributes immensely to the development of a child.”
19. Learning to be fit as a child = a fit adult later in life!
20. “Participating in art activities helps children to gain the tools necessary for understanding human experience, adapting to and respecting others’ ways of working and thinking, developing creative problem-solving skills, and communicating thoughts and ideas in a variety of ways.”
21. In Little Explorers they are moving their bodies, socializing and problem solving all in 45 minutes!
22. Being part of community builds self-confidence.
23. You and your child are not interrupted – truly a bonding time.
24. Your only job is getting here – not even on time just in time.
25. The instructors are super cool.

So what class will you be taking, the schedule is up and ready for registration!

New Moms Groups in RI

bellani — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:25:29 +0000

This new little person in your life has burst onto the scene and revamped your life in a matter of seconds. They’ve also somehow managed to turn everyone around you into “experts” with lots of baby raising advice to give. Did we mention baby’s arrival turns everyone into a regular Roger & Ebert, ready with a thumbs up or down at your every move? They mean well but it’s certainly not always welcome.

New motherhood is like a roller coaster ride – exhilarating highs and sudden dips with lots of speedy blurriness in between. It’s an amazing ride but exhausting and always more fun when you’ve got friends to share it with. Friends who also enjoy and ride roller coasters, catch our drift?

Our New Moms Group is the perfect place to find other roller coaster enthusiasts!

What exactly can you expect from our New Moms Group?

You’ll surround yourself with women who can identify with this new phase in your life. They’re operating on just as little sleep as you are.
You’ll enjoy some special time with your baby and get to witness them make some of their first friends.
You’ll find a second home here at Bellani. Clean, welcoming facilities where you and your baby can relax.
You’ll discover a place where you can be the parent you want to be – no judgment.
You’ll find answers to your burning questions – diapering, breastfeeding, sleeping, teething, you name it, we got it covered. Your New Moms Group facilitator and our staff are each trained experts in a variety of topics affecting mothers, babies and families.
When you walk through our doors, you’re entering a village of families. You gain access to the expert advice of our staff but also the wisdom of parents who’ve been there.

See those adorable babies up top? These are babies who met when their moms decided to join us for a New Moms Group. They met when they were just weeks old and now, a year and a half later, they’re still friends.

Are you a new mom? Bring your newborn to 6 week old baby and join us for our latest New Moms Group starting November 29th. You’ll find your own little cheering squad for your role as a mom and friends who’ll ride the roller coaster with you!

Safe, warm and restrained in a car seat

bellani — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 15:40:33 +0000

Running errands with kids can be inconvenient when you have to take jackets on and off constantly. Wrapeaze is an innovative product that ensures that both mom and baby will be comfortable. Its unique design is stylish, warm and practical.As a car seat technician and a member of the group of people who believe that a winter coat is unsafe in a child restraint, the wrapeaze solves many problems for us! Wrapeaze is made of 100% polyester lightweight fleece. The wrapeaze has a simple velcro closure and a loose fitting poncho style.

Sizes

Infant: 12″ (0- 24 months)

Toddler: 20″ (2-6 yrs)

The original Wrapeaze is a hooded wrap that envelops the child in warmth quickly and easily-with one hand. No more wrestling with little arms and sleeves while you stand in a cold parking lot. Your child will love that their movement is unrestricted, and you can avoid tantrums and tears. There is no better way to fuse utility with style!

Emergency Room, Trip 6?

bellani — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 12:28:12 +0000

Yesterday I was having a lovely day, chatting, ordering, preparing for our annual trip the ABC Kids Expo when my littlest was climbing up my back and fell. She split her chin on the counter. I quickly swept her into my arms, applied pressure to the wound, threw on a frozen vegetable to help with the pain and headed over to the Kent County Emergency Room.

Somehow, this is my sixth trip to the ER. My son has been stitched (lawn chair accident), My daughter has been stapled (fell in a garage onto the foundation), the littlest had her finger stitched together after a chair she was sitting in fell and squished her digit and a random asthma trip or 2. There a few things I realized while sitting there. Firstly, ERs aren’t child friendly. Thank goodness for mom’s pocketbook of tricks. Stamps from yoga class and a toy car were lifesavers, the lollipop in the bottom helped, too. Observation 2, what did we do before the iphone? We used ours as a mirror so she could see her cool new sutures. I also used it to text my husband (and grandmas!) updates. Observation 3, everything gets easier. I was as calm and cool as a cucumber. I remember being so upset to bring a child to the ER the first time, this time it was like airport security. Within 1.25 hours we were on our merry way and went about our day. Just like with all things parenting, it gets easier, and we all get stronger.

Do you have a greater risk for Gestational Diabetes?

admin — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 11:44:19 +0000

I was reading an article recently about the percentage of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Attributable to Overweight and Obesity. Since GDM is considered by many to be a precursor of type 2 diabetes I was curious what are some of the things people can do to prevent getting GDM and Type 2 later in life.

Nearly half of Gestational Diabetes can be prevented with weight management. So get out there and get some physical activity. The other aspect of it is eating healthy. If you aren’t sure how to get started or even where to start, check with your health professional for advise and direction.

How do you know if you have GDM. This website LiveStrong has a quick, easy reference. If you feel you have any of these symptoms, the earlier you seek medical advise the better.

Making Baby Food : Easy!

bellani — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 16:11:51 +0000

Today we’re going to share with you our new favorite Oxo Tot food prep tool – the Baby Food Mill.

We’ve seen a few of these on the market and they’ve always left a little something to be desired – flimsy, doesn’t fit enough food, limited capability – just okay, not exceptional. OXO Tot has raised the bar and created the ultimate Baby Food Mill loaded with useful features:

Three interchangeable stainless steel grinding disks allows for preparing foods in a variety of textures
Easy turn knob separates seeds and skins for turning whole cooked fruits and vegetables into fresh purees
Simple, spring-loaded lever for easy disk exchange and disassembly
3 non-slip legs secure placement over bowls and pots up to 11-inches in diameter
Legs fold for easy storage
Non-slip handle and knob
Approximately 2.3-quart capacity
Dishwasher safe

Take a look at how one mom, published author and baby food expert Chantal Valentine, uses her OXO Tot Baby Food Mill in the kitchen:

We love the idea of pureeing left over foods right after dinner! Less waste and you save some time the next day. As you can see, the OXO Tot Baby Food Mill makes creating nutritious baby meals a cinch.

Here’s a funny little video on what you can expect from your OXO Tot Baby Food Mill after hours =)

A Lunch Box Favorite!

admin — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 12:32:14 +0000

School lunches. Blah. Some mornings I stand in the kitchen and think to myself “they need lunch again, everyday huh”. I get bored. The kids get bored. How many times can you have a ham and cheese sandwich???

My oldest son LOVES banana bread. It is the only thing I make from scratch (if you didn’t know cooking is not one of my favorite hobbies or interests for that matter). But he loves it so much that I wanted the healthiest recipe I could find. I make two batches, slice them nice and thick then freeze them individually. In the morning I take out a slice, slather on a substantial layer of cream cheese, cut in half and put together (so the cream cheese is on one another) and away he goes. The bread is still frozen so by the time he get’s to school it’s perfectly thawed.

Here’s the recipe I use from Deceptively Delicious. I have modified it a bit. I don’t use the cauliflower puree. It makes the bread smell awful and it gets moldy quickly. It calls for 1 1/2c banana puree, I increase that to 2 cups to make up for the omit of the cauliflower. Keep in mind 2 cups of banana puree is about 5 bananas. Pureeing the bananas (or smashing them with a fork as we call it) is a great activity for the kids to do. Especially if they wash their hands really well, they can get in there and get their hands all gooey. Fun!

Nonstick cooking spay
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional, but I recommend it)
1/2 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 large egg whites
1 1/2 cup banana puree
1/2 cup cauliflower puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9 x 5 loaf pan or 2 mini-pans with cooking spray.

2. In a bowl or zipper-lock bag, mix the flours with the baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon, if using. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, mix the sugar and oil with a wooden spoon until well combined. Mix in the egg whites, bananas and cauliflower purees, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and mix just until combined.

4. Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes for the large loaf or 25 to 30 minutes for the mini loaves. Let cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then turn bread out of the pan to cool before serving.

Tip: You can also spread peanut butter on it for something different.

Happy Back to School! -Shannon

Itsy Bitsy Yoga Demo

bellani — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 17:37:55 +0000

Itsy Bitsy Yoga for Tots is a supportive, fun-loving, and active yoga class. As tot’s mobility increases, classes offer tot-centric poses that encourage and support their physical explorations. Tots become more confident in their moving bodies as they practice yoga both in and out of class.

During a Tots Itsy Bitsy Yoga class crawlers and walkers playfully practice yoga postures while they are standing, sitting up, walking, and jumping. Parents also get to do a little yoga, but no yoga experience is required.

Interested, but not sure? We have a free demo class on Monday, August 15 at 10:30 am. Interested in coming, register by calling, 401-234-1279

Friday’s Phineas and Ferb Ticket Giveaway

bellani — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 17:05:27 +0000

Schools out for summer and anything is possible as Phineas and Ferb create their biggest invention yet, Disney’s Phineas and Ferb: The Best LIVE Tour Ever! Coming to the Providence Performing Arts Center on November 27th, Get your tickets today at www.PPACRI.org or at the PPAC Box Office.

Phineas and Ferb create their biggest invention yet — Disney’s Phineas and Ferb: The Best LIVE Tour Ever! Phineas, Ferb, and the whole tri-state area gang embark on a bold escape jumping out from behind your TV and onto the stage in a live action adventure – right in your hometown! And, before you can wonder, “Hey, where’s Perry?” the beloved pet platypus shifts to his secret double life as Agent P to foil another one of Dr. Doofenshmirtz’s evil plans. Musical madness abounds in an escapade so awesome that even Candace can’t help but join the hilarious hijinks. It’s the ultimate end to summer vacation, so seize the day ’cause Phineas and Ferb are gonna do it all!

As promised, we are giving away a pair of tickets to see Disney’s Phineas and Ferb: The Best LIVE Tour Ever! in November each day this week. To enter today you must be a subscriber to our weekly email list *subscribe here* and post the answer underneath our blog entry of the day! Winners will be selected from valid entries.

Thursday’s question of the Day: Where do Phineas, Ferb and the gang live?