Are you looking for perfect personalized gifts for the Holidays?  The Stork Store has a large selection of gifts from piggy banks to step stools that are still available for holiday delivery.  All of our gifts are personalized with the child’s name and a special design.

Order by tonight, December 14th for guaranteed Christmas delivery using ground shipping. Express delivery deadline is Friday, December 16th.

Be sure to “like” us on Facebook to receive special discounts available only to our Friends.  Happy Shopping!

There is nothing more satisfying than taking a great family picture together.  It takes a bit of work and coordination on the part of the photographer and the family, but the results will make it all worthwhile.  Here are a few suggestions to help you create the best family portrait.

1. Coordinate the outfits
Pictures always look better when everyone is dressed in the same color palette.  Choose from a selection of fall colors such as maroons, browns, and dark greens or go with a lighter spring mix of pastel colors.  Be sure to mix it up a little and have fun with the colors.  Everyone doesn’t need to wear the same colors or same style of clothing.  Have some people in solid color shirts and others in patterns.  The men can wear pants and have some of the women in dresses.  It will add texture to the picture and create interest.

2. Stand close together for group shots.
To create a warm and loving picture, have everyone stand close together.  It may feel uncomfortable to some family members, but open white spaces between people will look worse.  Try standing at an angle instead of directly facing the camera with shoulders overlapping.  Move the taller people to the back and center to create a triangle effect.  Add a chair if necessary for Grandma and Grandpa and have everyone circle around and behind the chair.  This picture should bring back good memories of a happy family with everyone close together.

3. Stay relaxed and go for spontaneous shots
Take the posed pictures early and get them out of the way.  They are great shots to have, but they may not end up being the favorite shots.  Once everyone is warmed up, allow for a little freedom with the pictures.  If it is teenager, try taking the pictures in her room where she is comfortable.  With little kids, put them in a playroom or outdoors and let them act natural.  A natural shot will capture the person’s true essence and not an awkward posed shot.

4. Vary the settings
A good photographer will keep everything running smoothly and change the scenery often.  This way, no one gets bored and there are always new poses to try.  Start with the family photo outdoors and slowly move around the yard or setting for different backgrounds and props such as a rock or a set of steps.  Move the photographer indoors if the lighting is good for an added element of composition.

5. Real smiles or no smiles
Most people think a great family picture means everyone is smiling and looking at the camera.  Ask your friends what their favorite photo is and guaranteed it’s the picture where the person looks natural and typically isn’t looking in the camera. Don’t be afraid to look off in the distance during a shot or hold back the posed smile.  Hopefully the photographer has a few funny jokes or phrases that will capture a genuine smile during the shoot as well.

Now that you have great family pictures, be sure to frame your favorite family photograph or create your holiday card. With so many designs out there, you are guaranteed to find the right picture holiday card to showcase your family. Visit The Stork Store to see our large selection of Photo Gifts at special Holiday prices.

We’ve searched and searched and finally found the best Top 15 Diet Tips recommended by the medical experts.  It’s not as easy as it looks.  Start by picking one or two and do those diet tips for a week.  Slowly add one more tip in a week and before you know it, the pounds will slide right off.

Top Diet Tip No. 1: Drink plenty of water

It’s easy to confuse thirst with hunger.  People end up eating extra food when their body is just begging for a cold glass of water.  Fill up a container of water and keep it at your desk or on the kitchen counter.  Go for the water before you go for the snacks. “If you don’t like plain water, try adding citrus or a splash of juice, or brew infused teas like mango or peach, which have lots of flavor but no calories,” says Cynthia Sass, RD, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.

Top Diet Tip No. 2: Focus on adding to your diet, not on taking away

Make sure to get the recommended 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables every day.  Although it may sound like a lot, it is doable if you add a fruit or vegetable to every meal and use them as snacks.  Just think, if you are eating good food, your stomach will feel full and you will be less likely to eat extra snacks. Grab a handful of almonds or an apple before a meal to fill up your stomach.

Top Diet Tip No. 3: Are you really hungry?

When you feel like eating, check your body for physical signs of hunger, suggests Michelle May, MD, author of Am I Hungry? “Hunger is your body’s way of telling you that you need fuel, so when a craving doesn’t come from hunger, eating will never satisfy it,” she says. “When you’re done eating, you should feel better — not stuffed, bloated, or tired.  Your stomach is only the size of your fist, so it takes just a handful of food to fill it comfortably,” says May.  Keeping your portions small will help you learn to read your body for signs of hunger and fullness.

Top Diet Tip No. 4: Be picky about nighttime snacks.

Nighttime is when you finally get a chance to sit down and relax.  During this time, it is easy to mindlessly eat food.  “Sitting down with a bag of chips or cookies in front of the television is an example of eating amnesia, where you mindlessly eat without being hungry, but out of habit,” says American Dietetic Association spokesperson Malena Perdomo, RD.  Try closing down your kitchen after a certain hour or allow yourself a low-calorie snack, like a 100-calorie pack of cookies or a half-cup scoop of low-fat ice cream.

Top Diet Tip No. 5: Continue to enjoy your favorite foods.

“I think putting your favorite foods off limits leads to weight gain because it triggers ‘rebound’ overeating,” says Sass.  Instead of cutting out your favorite foods altogether, try smaller portions. Buy one fresh bakery cookie instead of a box, or a small portion of candy from the bulk bins instead of a whole bag. “You can enjoy your favorite foods, but you must do so in moderation,” says Sass.

Top Diet Tip No. 6: Enjoy your treats away from home.

Instead of keeping your favorite treats in the house, enjoy them away from home.  Take a trip to the ice cream shop or stop by the bakery.  “By making it into an adventure, you don’t have to worry about the temptation of having treats in the house, and it is a fun and pleasurable way to make it work when you are trying to lose weight.” says Krieger.

Top Diet Tip No. 7: Go for several mini-meals during the day.

If you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight. But when you’re hungry all the time, eating fewer calories can be challenging. “Studies show people who eat 4-5 meals or snacks per day are better able to control their appetite and weight,” says obesity researcher Rebecca Reeves, DrPH, RD. She recommends dividing your daily calories into smaller meals or snacks and enjoying as many of them as you can early in the day — dinner should be the last time you eat.

Top Diet Tip No. 8: Add protein at every meal.

Protein is more satisfying than carbohydrates or fats, and thus may be the new secret weapon in weight control.  “Diets higher in protein [and] moderate in carbs, along with a lifestyle of regular exercise, have an excellent potential to help weight loss,” says University of Illinois protein researcher Donald Layman, PhD.

Getting enough protein helps preserve muscle mass and encourages fat burning while keeping you feeling full. So be sure to include healthy protein sources, like yogurt, cheese, nuts, or beans, at meals and snacks.

Top Diet Tip No. 9: Spice up your meals.

Did you know that adding spices or chiles to your food for a flavor boost that can help you feel satisfied? “Food that is loaded with flavor will stimulate your taste buds and be more satisfying so you won’t eat as much,” says Perdomo. When you need something sweet, suck on a red-hot fireball candy for a long-lasting burst of sweetness with just a few calories.

Top Diet Tip No. 10: Stock your kitchen with ready to go foods.

Having ready-to-eat snacks and meals-in-minutes staples on hand sets you up for success. You’ll be less likely to hit the drive-through or call in a pizza order if you can make a healthy meal in 5 or 10 minutes.

Sass stocks her kitchen with:

• 94% fat-free microwave popcorn (20-25 calories per cup, and you can make it in two minutes or less)
• Frozen vegetables
• Bags of pre-washed greens
• Canned diced tomatoes
• Canned beans
• Whole-grain wraps or pitas
• Pre-cooked grilled chicken breasts
• A few containers of pre-cooked brown rice

Within minutes, she can toss together a healthy medley.

Top Diet Tip No. 11: Order child size portions at restaurants.

“When you are eating out, order a child’s pizza or a small sandwich as an easy way to trim calories and get your portions under control,” suggest Perdomo. Another easy trick is to use smaller plates. This helps the portions to look bigger, and if your mind is satisfied, your stomach likely will be, too.

Top Diet Tip No. 12: Eat fruits and vegetables in season.

“If you don’t love certain fruits or vegetables, it could be because you ate them out of season when they have little taste or flavor,” says Pensiero. “When you eat seasonally, fruits and vegetables are more flavorful, at their Top, and I promise you won’t be disappointed.”

At GiGi’s Trattoria, her restaurant in Rhinebeck, N.Y., she serves simple fruit desserts, like naturally sweet strawberries topped with aged balsamic vinegar, or low-fat yogurt or fresh berries in a compote.

Top Diet Tip No. 13: Swap a cup of pasta for a cup of vegetables.

By eating less pasta or bread and more veggies, you could lose a dress or pants size in a year.

“You can save from 100-200 calories if you reduce the portion of starch on your plate and increase the amount of vegetables,” says Sass.

Top Diet Tip No. 14: Use non-food alternatives to cope with stress.

Instead of turning to food during stressful situations, be prepared with some non-food tactics that work for you. Sass suggests reading a few chapters in a novel, listening to music, writing in a journal, practicing meditative deep breathing, or looking at a photo album of loved ones.

Top Diet Tip No. 15: Be physically active.

Although it may seem counterintuitive, don’t use exercise either to punish yourself for eating or to “earn” the right to eat more.

“When you do, it sets up a negative thought pattern, which is why so many people say they hate to exercise,” says May. Instead, focus on how great you feel, how much better you sleep and how much more energy you have when you exercise. Physical activity is good for you whether you are trying to lose weight or not, so keep it positive and build a lifelong habit.

Credit given to: Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD WebMD Weight Loss Clinic-Feature

On Long Island, we spend a ridiculous amount of money on kid’s birthday parties.  Since I have three kids, I was looking for a way to reduce spending but still give my children a birthday to remember.  Fortunately, I was able to convince my one son to have a backyard birthday party.  But not just any birthday party, a messy birthday party!

Here are some of the games we played and ideas we used to make it a rocking good time.  I’m including pics so you can see how much fun everyone had.

When the birthday party invites were sent out, we made sure to let parents know what they were in for.  We said, “Messy Party, prepared to get dirty!”  In hindsight, we should have told parents to bring a change of clothes or a towel to clean off their kids.  We also did the party at 3:00 pm so we only had to supply snacks instead of feeding dinner to the children and parents.

Set up: We set up a giant tarp in the backyard to protect the grass and to make for an easy clean up.  I hit Wal-Mart and bought giant buckets that we filled with clean water and put them at either end of the tarp for rinsing between games.

To start:  I figured that kids would need a little time to warm up before they got right into messy.  We started with crazy face painting and colored hair spray to get everyone in the mood.  We also had stations around the yard in case kids didn’t want to participate in the games.  I filled up a kiddy pool with jello and had kids slide down into the jello.  We put out chocolate pudding in the sand table for finger painting and mess making.

Games:

Simon Says: An adult lead the group in simon says.  Any time a child made a mistake, they were sprayed with silly string.  To end the game, we filled a bucket of jello and dumped it over the leaders head!  The kids had a blast watching an adult get messy.

Shaving cream on plates: Again, another beginning way to get dirty.  Everyone sat down and received a pile of shaving cream on their plate.  Some kids finger-painted and other kids went into full shaving cream wars.

Water balloon toss: Make two separate lines with children standing close together.  Everyone tosses their balloon to a partner on the count of three.  If you catch the balloon, take a step back.  Keep tossing until the balloon breaks.  Be sure to have plenty of extra balloons on hand.

Raw Egg Races:  This is the typical race with the egg on a spoon.  Again, line everyone up in two groups.  Two children race each other while holding an egg on a spoon.  Have them turn around and race back.  Give the spoon to the next person in line.

Tug of War: Having a tug of war game was fun because the tarp was already so slippery.  If the tarp is still clean, put down a little cooking oil to make it slippery.  We used a jump rope, but it wasn’t a good idea because of the handles on the ends.  Use a regular rope or take off the jump rope handles.

Find the candy:  For this game, we had everyone stand at a table.  We put a few pieces of candy on everyone’s plate and covered the plate with whipped cream.  With hands behind their backs, the kids had to use their mouths to find the candy.

Decorate Cupcakes: We had a giant cake for the birthday boy, but we thought it would be fun for the kids to decorate their own cupcakes.  We had tons of bags of frosting on the table and each child used different colors to make their own creation.

Pop the Balloons: Dozens of balloons were blown up and scattered around the yard.  For this activity, we asked everyone to help clean up the balloons by sitting on them until they popped.  The also had to bring us the balloon pieces for it to count.

Water Gun Fight: After doing a piñata, we ended the party with an all out water gun fight.  Using the buckets of water, the kids had a huge water gun fight and slowly became clean.  We also brought out the hose and sprayed everyone down before they left the party.  The water guns were their favors that they took home.

All in all, the kids had the time of their lives and we took some amazing pictures.  The party cost half of what I normally spend and everyone had a blast.  That night, my son said to me, “Mom, that was the best birthday party ever!”  That made it all worthwhile!

Here we go again.  Trying to link up Facebook with the blog.

This is our latest effort to link the blog posts to facebook.  Cross your fingers

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This weekend only, enjoy hundreds of museums around the country if you use Bank of America.  Summer is almost over and if you are looking for things to do with kids, check out the site below.  If you are in NY like us, definitely hit the Intrepid, the Bronx zoo and the Long Island Children’s museum for free!

Use this link to find available museums: Free Museums

You spent 9 months debating and arguing with your husband, parents and in-laws over your baby’s name… now that you little one is here, proudly display his/her moniker for all to see!  I fell in love with the nursery wall hangings from The Stork Store.  This customized wall decor will add instant charm and personality to your child’s nursery or playroom.  Bodly spell out your baby’s name in soft, plush fabric letters, or  choose a fun saying for a room that is co-habitated by siblings.

I was amazed and impressed at the number of theme options – from precious ballerinas, adorable jungle animals, high flying airplanes and everything in between.  You can even select matching fabrics to coordinate with your child’s bedding… or for those of us who need and would appreciate a little guidance  in the decorating area, The Stork Store will happily and patiently guide you through the process of selecting the perfect theme and fabrics to match your special little someones room.   With so many amazing themes and patterns the only limit is your imagination!