We have had so many parents over the last couple years since we started Dayton Parent asking for ways to meet other parents.  They sometimes felt like they were in their own little bubble as many of us do when raising children and needed to connect with other moms and dads.  There are some great groups here in the Dayton area such as The Family Network, Parents without Partners, MOMS Group of Oakwood, Dayton Mothers of Twins, and more.  It may be that you are looking for another mom to go on morning walks with, or find a dad that can relate to being a stay at home dad, or maybe find some other parents to have fun fieldtrips checking out cool places in Dayton or you just need to have an adult conversation with someone that won’t mention (or at least try) Dora, playing legos, or going peepee in the potty.

We are excited to introduce Dayton Parent PLAYDATES!  This is a great opportunity to get out into our community with your children and see all that we have to offer.  Each month we will feature a fun place that will be inviting us in and allow us to have a great time either playing or learning a new skill.  There will also be other area businesses there that you can talk face to face with if you want and continue learning all that Dayton has.  Our first playdate will be Sat. January 16th, 2015 at Whole Foods-Dayton on Miamisburg-Centerville Rd. from 2pm-4pm. The kiddos will be learning how to make healthy snacks (hands on) and it is FREE.  Please email [email protected] to RSVP with names of children and ages.  Stay tuned for other dates and times and we hope you will join us each month.  We can’t wait to get to know you!

The post Introducing Dayton Parent Playdates! appeared first on Dayton Parent Magazine.

These crazy hectic days that seem to blur together for many of us parents right now mean we are in the midst of the best years of our lives.  It may be hard to see between the lack of sleep puffy eyes, Legos all over the floor, children running in and out of rooms haze but many say it really is.  So I want to be in the moment and soak up the joy of cuddles on the couch, “mom, I need help” cries, and night time routines that seem to take longer and longer.  It is nice to be needed

Our day yesterday was a crazy one as I am sure the week leading up to Christmas is for many.  The day started calm enough with lazy kiddos not wanting to get up and ready for school but eventually realizing it is a fun week with class parties and gifts so they scarfed down their Blueberry Eggo Waffles, pulled everything out of their folders leaving a mess for me to go through and clean up, and made it to the bus with seconds to spare.  I do love that they have to have a few hugs from momma before they get on the bus still.

I came home to throw some laundry in to hopefully make a dent in our mountain, straightened the first floor in case any neighbors or family pop by (please just stay on the main floor and don’t look at the mess up stairs!), did dishes from last nights shake and bake pork chops meal that the girls barely touched because all they want right now is Kraft Mac and Cheese and then sat down to work.  These days, I have to question myself often.  How the heck do I have any time to work?!  I am thankful that it is from my home and that I get to be here for emergencies and not have to get out of my comfy clothes if I don’t want to but it is very much a challenge to fit it all in.

Once the kids get home the craziness ensues again and I have to take one to the eye Dr. because of complaints of blurry vision and then yep, she needed glasses so we picked out a pretty rainbow pair because in her mind they match EVERYTHING.  Then that same child had her first Ortho appointment and got braces on the same day as new glasses.  All she needs now is a bad perm and we are good to go for the “awkward” phase   We come home excited to show daddy and sis the new “Abby” and she goes from excitement to sheer devastation as she runs upstairs to say hi to her hamster “Winter”.  Somehow Winter got out of the wire cage for the first time and the dog did what dogs do and protected his home.  As it laid there lifeless and my child is screaming- I tried to cover it up quickly and console her while daddy gently grabbed it and cleaned up the mess as well as removed the cage.  We had a hamster burial that evening as a beautiful sunset surrounded us.

It seems like when one child is acting up, the other is fine or when one child is having the “worst day ever” the other is fine.  Thank goodness for this because I don’t think I could have handled much more in a span of just a couple hours.  We tried to distract my 9 year old and put gifts together for our neighbors in stockings and prepared the teacher/bus driver gifts for the next morning as well as the class gift exchange presents.  She is a tough one and it was a day I am sure she will remember for a while but it is in this blur of craziness that life is happening and again, it is so nice to be needed.

I know that the days leading up to Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are crazy for us parents and I hope that you are able to enjoy the little moments (even hard ones) because these really are the days we will best remember.  I am so thankful and filled with Christmas spirit.  I hope you are as well.  Enjoy your littles.

The post These Crazy Hectic Days That Seem to Blur Together appeared first on Dayton Parent Magazine.

Dayton is an awesome place to raise families and these are just some of the reasons why we love this city…

1. Everyone is just so nice- Really!  Some cities are a little harder to get to know others and make friends.  Dayton has a ton of mom/dad groups, Facebook city pages, community events, etc. and (most) everyone is excited to help you get adjusted or introduce you to others.  They also do something called Downtown Dayton’s First Friday and many of the downtown businesses open their doors for entertainment and to introduce you to what they offer.  This is a fun family night out or date night idea.

2. We are a military town with Wright Patterson Air Force Base at the center.  It never gets old to look up and see military planes flying over the city.  We are lucky to have this great base as a part of Dayton and even luckier to be able to enjoy the National Air Force Museum for FREE.  They are both at the core of who and what we are.

3. We bleed green for Dayton Dragons and red for University of Dayton Basketball.  When Dayton brings sports to the area, we support them!  Dayton Dragons holds the record for being the most sold out team in pro sports- pretty impressive for little ole Dayton

4. There is no shortage in outdoor play as the Five Rivers MetroParks have over 19 parks all over our great city with free fun for all ages.  They even do the Midwest Outdoor Experience which draws in thousands and allows kids/adults to try new activities such as backpacking, zip lining, fly fishing, mountain biking and more.

5. FESTIVALS!  We love our festivals and almost every city has their own and for some reason they are all themed with food (not that we are complaining!)  Strawberry Festival, Pretzel Festival, Sauerkraut Festival, Pork Festival are just a few and there is an abundance of fried foods, craft vendors, and rides to go around.

6. We have a ton of history from our little town.  The Wright Brothers were born here hence the idea of “flight”, Annie Oakley is buried just down the street in Greenville, and we were the host of the very first National League Football game!  Set up a day to explore Dayton Historical Society, Sunwatch Village, and Carillon Park for some family fun.

7. Dayton was also the inventor’s capital of the US in the early 1900s.  The following things were invented or inventors were born right here!  Cash Registers, Pop Top Beverage Cans, Electric Wheelchairs, Parking Meters, Step Ladders, Cellophane Tape, Gas Masks, Parachutes, Space Food, and Movie Projectors to name a few- who knew?!

8. We have the best pizza, steak and dessert around. Literally.  Pine Club Steakhouse was voted as one of their top picks from Food Network, USA Today and NY Times.  Marion’s Pizza has the most delicious thin crust sausage covered pizza and Fronana has healthy ice cream made out of bananas and mixed with lots of yummy flavors.  I know, your mouth is watering.

9. Creativity flows from every city within Dayton.  We love how Dayton lights up the night with beautiful bright lights and giant water features that greet any guest.  We also love how Victoria Theatre and Schuster Center have all of the best top Broadway shows right here in our little Midwest town.  La Comedia Dinner Theatre also brings forth some great talent as well as sweet potato suffle and Fraze Pavilion and Rose Music Center bring in huge national talent for concerts and fun nights out.

10. Cost of Living cannot be beat.  Dayton has the greatest little airport (Dayton International Airport) with big flights making for easy travel, homes can be purchased double the size in other cities for the same money and yet pay for jobs is at an all time high with big companies coming in everyday wanting to set up roots in our awesome town.  Who can blame them?!

Everything you could possibly need is right here in our hometown.  If we want to travel to the bigger cities like Cincinnati, Columbus or Indy we can within an hour or two for a lovely weekend getaway which makes it even better.  The city has done a great job of building our future but it really all comes down to the people.  We may be a little biased here but believe Daytonians are the best.  If you are thinking of moving here, do it without question.  If you are fortunate to already live here, enjoy every minute.

The post Reasons we love Dayton! appeared first on Dayton Parent Magazine.

It is always nice to see when the dish we bring to a party empties quick.  The most googled recipe for Super Bowl parties is Easy Buffalo Chicken Dip so we wanted to bring it to you.  Buffalo wing sauce combined with two kinds of cheese, cream cheese, and chicken is great comfort food. The dip is plenty cheesy, creamy, and there’s just enough kick from the wing sauce. It’s a fast, easy recipe that’ll be a guaranteed hit with everyone at your next event.

EASY BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP

YIELD: one 9-inch pie dish, serves 6 to 12 PREP TIME: 5 mintues COOK TIME: about 30 to 35 minutes TOTAL TIME: about 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups chopped chicken, cooked (you can use shredded chicken as a substitute)
8 ounces brick-style cream cheese, very well-softened (lite okay)
8 ounces buffalo wing sauce (medium heat)
2 cups finely grated cheddar and monterey Jack cheese blend (or similar), divided

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350F and spray a 9-inch pie dish with cooking spray; set aside.
To a large bowl, add the chicken, cream cheese, wing sauce, 1 cup cheese, and stir to combine.
Turn mixture out into prepared dish, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.
Top with remaining 1 cup cheese. Tip – For a make-ahead option, at this point cover with plasticwrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days before baking. Remove plasticwrap before baking.
Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes (start watching at 25 minutes because all ovens, cheese, etc. varies), or until lightly golden browned and bubbly. Serve immediately with chips, crackers, bread, or your favorite dippers. Dip is best warm and fresh but extra will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat gently before serving.

May the best team win and your appetizer dish be empty!

The post Most Popular Super Bowl Recipe- Easy Buffalo Chicken Dip appeared first on Dayton Parent Magazine.

We may have had a mild November and December but Winter is not even half way over.  With colder temps, delays and snow days- children (and parents!) can get stir crazy quickly.  Here is a Top 10 list of things to do to keep the “Mom, I’m bored!” shouts to a minimum.

1. Break out the playdough, cookie cutters, a rolling pin and a $1 table cloth.  Let the kids go at it and get creative.  Playdough is great for all ages.  To take it to the next level, they can create food and play restaurant with a wait staff, chef, and customer.

2. Make snow ice cream!  Grab a bowl, fill it with snow, add a pinch of sugar and vanilla and then a splash of milk and eat.

3. Have a puzzle day.  Pull as many out as you can and time the kids to see how long it takes them to complete.

4. Pick a theme and let them build with Legos.  Superhero, Princess, School, Shopping, City, etc. and see what they come up with.  They can make a whole town!

5. Have a chef cookoff.  Give each of the kids the same ingredients and see what they can make.  You be the judge.

6. Bring the snow inside!  Fill a tub and let them put their snow suits on and get in.  This way- you get to stay warm and they get their fun.

7. Crafts galore.  Grab yarn, popsicle sticks, googly eyes, paper bags, markers, glue, tape and crayons.  Put them on the kitchen table and let their imagination go wild.  They can make puppets and put on a puppet show.

8. Learn or teach the children how to sew.  Watch youtube videos if you need to and you all can learn.  Maybe start with a pillow or something simple.

9. Organize photos.  Let the kids help you by sorting them out by years and then they can even help you fill up photo books if you actually have them printed and not just all on your phone.  If they are still on your phone- develop them!

10. Have a cleaning contest.  Write down all the things that need to be completed and make them small tasks.  On each slip of paper write out a task and fold them up.  Put them in a hat and let the kids pull their task.  Once completed with all of them you can have a reward.

The long days of winter can be brutal at times here in Ohio but they can also be beautiful.  Enjoy every moment you have with your children and make these snow days fun for the whole family or at least whoever is lucky to be with them on snow days.

The post Top 10 List For Fun in Winter! appeared first on Dayton Parent Magazine.

I am 38 years old and I believe in Santa.  In a world of doubt, skepticism, war and poverty, I choose to believe in Santa Claus as we all need a little hope, love, joy, and belief in our lives.  If I dwelled on the bad, I would miss the wonder of good in my children’s eyes.  My 8 and 6 year old girls believe with all their heart as they should and I do as well.  I see the joy in Santa at the mall as he listens to wishes of each child.  I see the excitement on little one’s faces as they look for Tinker, our Elf, each morning.  I take pride as I watch family graciously open gifts that I spent tireless hours looking for the perfect one and more then anything- I feel the love in the air this time of year- especially- as parents try to show the true meaning of Christmas to their little ones.  Most everyone is in a more giving spirit and I see this as I walk around and notice the toy donation bins full, food pantries filled and charities bubbling with volunteer help.  Yes, there is bad out there.  But there is more good. I wish this feeling lasted all year long.  On a side note, I am pretty sure I saw the real Santa when I was grocery shopping the other day in my small town.  There was a gleam in his eye as he drove out of sight (in his Dodge Ram!) and I thought to ALL a Merry Christmas and to ALL a good night.

The post I Believe. appeared first on Dayton Parent Magazine.

The post Would You Rather? appeared first on Dayton Parent Magazine.

I have found that a very popular topic of discussion is whether or not to work or stay at home for moms of young children. The two things I have concluded are that the grass is almost always greener on the other side and there is no right answer. Each woman is her own unique being and has her own strong opinions on this. I hope that we can all respect others decisions as well since we do not know the circumstances as to which they came to that decision. Some women are single and running the show by themselves so it is not an option. Some women have a husband that was laid off and is going back to school so he may be staying at home while the wife works. Some women may be so driven that they would just go insane without their job. Some women thrive on being at home and managing the kids and household. Some women have always dreamed of being a stay at home mom, some women may have a child with special needs that dictates her decision to stay at home. It amazes me to see the amount of women that will turn down high paying jobs to take a more relaxed position with flexible hours even though they are capable. I was one of these women because for me I love the ability to work out of my home but still make the money that is needed to manage our household. I enjoy working and being needed outside of my house just as much as I enjoy being needed inside my home. Wherever you are in your life right now I know you are doing your very best and I am proud of you. Sometimes I am so jealous that I don’t have a perfectly clean house with dinner on the table every night of the week and my kids on a tightly run schedule. Most times, I love our crazy, hectic life and have to remind myself that I am not perfect. Actually I have two new favorite sayings, “Good enough is my new perfect.” and “Pick 2- clean house, happy kids, job”. Whether you are a mom with a nanny working a high power job or a mom with 2 jobs trying to make ends meet, I know you are doing your best and that you love your kids. That is all that matters.

The post The Grass is Always Greener appeared first on Dayton Parent Magazine.

Throughout the year I am always very appreciative of the small and big things in my life that give me meaning. The month of November however does seem to make an imprint even more on thankfulness as we celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. Many are posting their 30 days of thankfulness on Facebook so I figured I would post

A Mom’s List of Thankful Things…

1. Our beautiful children.

2. Naps (both us and the kids!)

3. Starbucks coffee (its the simple things in life)

4. Experiencing life through the eyes of our little ones.

5. Getting a shower in and actually getting to shave my legs.

6. DVR

7. Me time (far and few between).

8. Good health for my family.

9. Vacation memories!

10. Little toes

11. Their hand in mine.

12. Seeing my best qualities in them.

13. At least one child having a high pain threshold.

14. Giggles

15. Having an air mattress night, watching movie and eating popcorn.

16. An excuse to get to color and watch Disney movies.

17. The dress up box.

18. Seeing a lego before I step on it (crisis averted!)

19. Hearing “I love you to China and Texas and Heaven and Antartica and back!”

20. Watching siblings actually get along.

21. Making mud pies, blowing bubbles and running through the grass barefooted.

22. Giving them experiences they will always remember.

23. A Snow Day when everything is cancelled.

24. Watching their personalities come to fruition.

25. Having a stuffed animal picnic.

26. Seeing their faces on Christmas morning.

27. The magic of the Tooth Fairy, Santa, and the Easter Bunny.

28. The feeling we get when we actually feel like we did something right as a parent (occasionally it does happen!)

29. Having their pictures everywhere to brighten our day.

30. Facebook or Twitter as an adult outlet

The post A Mom’s List of Thankful Things appeared first on Dayton Parent Magazine.

Whether your child is dressing up as Queen Elsa, a Minion, Spiderman, Rapunzel, Minnie Mouse or whichever character excites them the most- it is a fun time of year for the parents to enjoy as well. When they are younger we get to express our opinion in what we would love to have them show off as but as they grow up we get to see their own personalities come out and their creativeness as they strive to narrow it down to the final costume of the year. Here is to a safe evening out, just enough frights to make it fun and enough candy to keep both them (and us!) happy. Here are the dates for most cities in the surrounding area of Dayton, OH that are participating in Trick or Treat/Beggar’s Night this year (to the best of our knowledge). Have a spooky fun night!

Beavercreek Trick or Treat 10/31/2014

Bellbrook Trick or Treat 10/30/2014

Bethel Township Beggar’s Night 10/30/2014

Brookville Trick or Treat 10/30/2014

Centerville Trick or Treat 10/31/2014

City of Dayton Trick or Treat 10/31/2014

Englewood Trick or Treat 10/31/2014

Fairborn Trick or Treat 10/31/2014

Germantown Trick or Treat 10/30/2014

Huber Heights Trick or Treat 10/31/2014

Kettering Trick or Treat 10/31/2014

Miami Township Beggar’s Night 10/31/2014

Miamisburg Trick or Treat 10/31/2014

Middletown Trick or Treat 10/30/2014

Moraine Trick or Treat 10/31/2014

Oakwood Trick or Treat 10/31/2014

Piqua Trick or Treat 10/30/2014

Riverside Trick or Treat 10/31/2014

Springboro Trick or Treat 10/31/2014

Sugarcreek Township Beggar’s Night 10/30/2014

Tipp City Trick or Treat 10/30/2014

Trotwood Trick or Treat 10/31/2014

Troy Trick or Treat 10/30/2014

Urbana Trick or Treat 10/30/2014

Vandalia Trick or Treat 10/30/2014

Washington Township Beggar’s Night 10/31/2014

Waynesville Trick or Treat 10/31/2014

West Carrollton Trick or Treat 10/31/2014

Xenia Trick or Treat 10/31/2014

Yellow Springs Trick or Treat 10/31/2014

The post Frightful Fun- Trick or Treat Dates for Dayton! appeared first on Dayton Parent Magazine.