This year the Movies on the Block schedule unfortunately has few films appropriate for children. My boys LOVED seeing Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Star Wars on the big screen outside. Movies on the Block does make for a great affordable date night out. Free movies shown outside (in the empty lot across from Tazza) in downtown Providence every Thursday, June through September. Bring your own blanket or chairs. Pack a picnic supper or buy food from Tazza or other downtown eatery.

Five of Rhode Island’s six gubernatorial candidates have accepted an invitation to participate in a forum on May 4th about reinvesting in women and families.

Moderate Party candidate Kenneth J. Block, Democrat Frank T. Caprio, the state’s general treasurer, Independent candidate and former U.S. Sen. Lincoln D. Chafee, Democrat and state Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch, and Republican John Robitaille have committed to participating in the forum sponsored by the Women’s Fund of Rhode Island and the Poverty Institute. (Republican candidate Victor Moffitt was invited but has not yet responded, the sponsors said.)

The event, “Women’s Policy Issues in Rhode Island: A Gubernatorial Candidate’s Forum,” was announced Tuesday at a news conference to highlight a new report that shows how spending cuts have eroded programs designed to improve the economic wellbeing of women and their families.

The forum, which is open to the public, will be held at the Lincoln School auditorium, on the East Side of Providence. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.; the forum begins at 6 p.m.

• To submit a question for the panel to, e-mail forumquestions@wfri.org by April 30th.

• To register to attend the forum, RSVP to forumrsvp@wfri.org.

One of my favorite things about social media is the influence it has on my real-life world. I built Kidoinfo using social media tools and it has allowed me to meet, connect with and form a community with amazing parents and businesses.

The first Kidoinfo event, Parents Using Social Media, was standing room only at Bravo Brasserie in downtown Providence. Mary-Kim Arnold expertly moderated a lively discussion with our four fabulous parenting panelists: Katy Killilea, Michelle Riggen-Ransom, Erin Barrette Goodman, and TJ Sondermann. TJ swept in at the last minute to replace Alex Taylor who was sick. Alex was missed but TJ was a stellar stand-in. To those who attended, I loved having the opportunity to meet you in person for the first time or reconnecting with familiar faces. Thank you to the sponsors—your support made the event possible. If you missed the event, I hope to see you at the next one. I am including a list of our panelists’ Top 10 Social Media Resources along with links to a few articles recommended by Mary-Kim Arnold. Over 40 people filled out a survey praising the panelists for their fine presentation and asking for more events in the future. Just some of the suggested topics include: how to monitor/protect kids online, juggling work/life balance, and connecting work-at-home parents. Please share your favorite resources, what you liked about the event, and ideas you may have for future events.

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PANELISTS

KATY KILLILEA

• Read Bio
• Read Meet a Parent Interview

• Top 10 Resources
This is an honest list of what I use most often. It goes without saying that Kidoinfo is my primary source for family stuff.

For cooking inspiration
1. 101cookbooks.com—simple good food
2. coconutandquinoa.wordpress.com—to help me work in obscure ingredients
3. wednesdaychef.typepad.com—fun criticism of newspaper food columns
4. smittenkitchen.com—great for baking especially

For chilly nights
5. ibex.com—to envision being swathed in fine merino wool from head to toe

To stay informed
6. nytimes.com—especially the “dining and wine” and “books” parts
7. hulu.com—more and more often we rely on John Stewart for the day’s news (in the case of hulu, it is yesterday’s news)
8. wbez.com—I listen to Chicago Public Radio in the morning. Because of the time difference, it is one hour behind WRNI and allows me to catch more of Morning Edition before the BBC comes on. No offense, BBC.

For music
9. lala.com (will play whatever you want, for free, and not illegally)
10. kcrw.com—this is what pandora would play if pandora understood me

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MICHELLE RIGGEN-RANSOM

• Read Bio
• Read Meet a Parent Interview

• Top 10 Resources

Social media
1. twitter.com/mriggen
2. facebook.com/mriggen

Parenting (sort of)
3. http://mimismartypants.com/

Work
4. http://mashable.com/
5. http://blog.hubspot.com/
6. http://www.chrisbrogan.com/
7. http://smallbiztrends.com/

Other/Fun
8. http://www.poptech.org/blog
9. http://www.etsy.com/
10. http://perezhilton.com/

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ERIN BARRETTE GOODMAN

• Read Bio
• Read Meet a Parent Interview

• Top 10 Resources

1. Wordpress – This is the blogging platform I’ve been using for almost two years. (Before that I was on Blogger.) I am very pleased with all that it can do, especially now that I am starting to connect with other Wordpress users and learning more about all the various features and plug-ins.
2. Picnik – Free online photo editing. Sort of a Photoshop-light. Lots of fun features! Great for adding special effects or text to your photos and also for making photo collages.
3. Flickr – This is where I upload and store all of the images I use on my blog. I have my account set so that only I can download the full-size version of my image. Visitors to my flickr site only have access to a smaller, lower-resolution version. I highly recommend that all parents who are sharing images of their children and their home online use some kind of photo-editing program to reduce the size of all photos. Otherwise (with most blogging platforms) people can click on the image posted on your blog and get a GIANT version of the photo, which may contain personal details that can present safety concerns (a street sign that shows where you live, your street number on your house or mailbox, your license plate etc.).
4. Feedburner – This allows readers of my blog to receive my posts via e-mail. It also allows me to see how many subscribers I have, when they subscribed, and what their e-mail addresses are.
5. Google Alerts – I use this to filter the news I want so I don’t get bogged down by everything else. I have Google Alerts set for terms like: Family Yoga, Kids’ Yoga, Birth Network, CSA, Farmers Market, etc. This allows me to get a quick look at what’s happening around the world in my specific areas of interest. I also have Google Alerts set for my name, my website URL and my blog name, which lets me know when someone writes about me online or links to my site.
6. Constant Contact – I mainly use Constant Contact to promote my events by sending out e-postcards/invitations. I have also used it successfully to solicit feedback through post-event surveys. I currently do not publish an e-newsletter for myself, but I have designed them for other people/organizations/small businesses.
7. Soule Mama – This is one of my favorite blogs to read. Author Amanda Soule has been blogging for over five years. (I had the pleasure of interviewing her for kidoinfo.com last year!) Even if the content is not your cup of tea, she provides a wonderful model for a beautiful, creative, professional, family-friendly blog.
8. Scott Noelle’s Daily Groove – I’ve been a subscriber to Scott Noelle’s Daily Groove e-mails since our first child was a toddler. I love his format. It is easy for me to gobble up each morning while making my family’s breakfast, but stays with me throughout the day as I digest the power of his pleasure-centered parenting messages.
9. The RI Birth Network – I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to spread the word about this wonderful resource for expectant and new parents in Rhode Island. The Birth Network site has an extensive member directory that allows parents to search for the services and providers they need.
10. Local Harvest – This is a site I frequently link to from my blog. It is a great place to find farmers markets, CSAs, and restaurants that feature local foods. You can also search their events page to find local food and farming-related events in your community or sign up for their “keep me posted” feature and get listings of local events delivered to your in-box.

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ALEX TAYLOR

• Read Bio
• Read Meet a Parent Interview

• Top 10 Resources

1. Flickr is a huge community of people making images with cameras of all sorts.
2. Moo makes beautiful (mostly paper) things out of your photos.
3. Dropbox is an easy freemium tool to share files (text, photos, whatever) between computers and access them online.
4. Make Magazine is full of inspirational projects.
5. Delicious Bookmarks is a great way to organize bookmarks in a way that is easy to search and share with others.
6. Posterous is a really easy (but powerful) way to start a blog.
7. School Closings seems to be the most direct and clean way to find out what schools are doing about the weather.
8. Providence Daily Dose provides a local news alternative to the Projo.

These two I helped out with:
9. Twalala is a Twitter client is a way to filter out tweets you aren’t interested in.
10. Minivite is a simple way to share information about an event with others.

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TJ SONDERMANN

• Read Meet a Parent Interview

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MODERATOR

MARY-KIM ARNOLD

• Read Bio

• Resources

1. Faux Friendships, from The Chronicle of Higher Education: http://chronicle.com/article/Faux-Friendship/49308/
2. The Evolution of Social Technology, from The Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gina-bianchini/the-evolution-of-social-t_b_433815.html?view=screen
3. Social Media and Young Adults, from The Pew Center: http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Social-Media-and-Young-Adults.aspx
4. Cross-Generational Dialogues on the Ethics of Digital Life that you can download from the Macarthur Foundation site. (scroll down – midway – pdf) http://digitallearning.macfound.org/site/c.enJLKQNlFiG/b.2029245/k.C6EC/Library.htm

Today meet local dad, Alex Taylor, another panelist from the upcoming Kidoinfo event, Parents Using Social Media. Please join us on February 9 at Bravo Brasserie. Click here for details.

Kidoinfo: What neighborhood do you live in?
Alex Taylor (AT): I live on the East Side, PVD, near Brown Stadium.

Kidoinfo: Where were you born?
AT: I was born on Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland but was only there for about 2 years. I usually say I’m from the Eastern Half of the United States.

Kidoinfo: How long have you been in Rhode Island?
AT: Valerie and I moved down here from Boston in August of 2001.

Kidoinfo: What is your current state of mind?
AT: Thirsty.

Kidoinfo: Who’s in your family?
AT: My wife Valerie and I have two boys who are 6.89 and 3.33 years old.

Kidoinfo: What trait do you most admire about your family?
AT: I think we’re pretty curious and flexible, at least most of the time.

Kidoinfo: What is your favorite thing to do?
AT: I really can’t ever answer favorite questions. I like a lot of different activities and try to be well rounded. I like learning new things and I appreciate the times that I get to pass that along by teaching others.

Kidoinfo: Where is your favorite place to hang out?
AT: See above, but I will say that one thing I really like about Providence is the high probability that you will run into a friend while out and about. We like to walk places (or ride) rather than drive whenever practical because we are likely to have some unplanned encounters along the way. Frequent destinations include: Kreatelier, Lippett Park, Ran Zan, The Red Fez, Sessions Street Park, Seven Stars, Three Sisters, Wayland Square.

Kidoinfo: Where would you most like to live?
AT: I love a lot of things about Providence, but Winter isn’t one of them. I really enjoyed living in both San Francisco and Australia.

Kidoinfo: What do you like to do when you are not with your kids?
AT: I like physical stuff like snowboarding (winter isn’t all bad) and scrambling around outside, though I’m looking forward to including both guys in this more when they are a bit older. I also do plenty of screen time stuff like video games and goofing around on the Internet. It’s nice to get some time alone with Valerie too.

Kidoinfo: What is the most overrated thing about parenthood?
AT: Infants.

But not yours, yours is totally awesome!

Kidoinfo: What is your most treasured possession?
AT: Mobility. I like things, but being able to move through the world is priceless.

Kidoinfo: What superpower would you most like to have?
AT: Flight, though invulnerability is a close second.

Kidoinfo: Who is your favorite fictional mother or father?
AT: Fictional parents, especially dads, that survive the opening scenes almost always suck in some significant way. But I like Marlin and Crush from Finding Nemo. Marlin is braver than he thinks he can be and learns to let his son be the same way. Crush doesn’t get a lot of screen time, but he’s got some good advice.

Kidoinfo: What are you going to do now that you have answered these questions?
AT: Get back to work.

Kidoinfo Presents: Parents Using Social Media on February 9, 2010. Please join us for an evening of conversation, food and cocktails.

Sponsored by:
• Cutler & Company
• Leslie Kellogg: Residential Properties
• Renaissance Gymnastics Academy
• Rhode Island Council for the Humanities (RICH)
• Rag & Bone Bindery
• Ocean State Montessori
• Soul at Work
• St. Peter School
• The Bridge Montessori
• Amy Ro photography
• Hennessey PR Consulting
• Breathing Time Yoga: Yoga w/ childcare
• RI Families in Nature
• exhale. return to center

Social Media. Do you love it? Hate it? Are you obsessed with it? Don’t know anything about it? Or want to learn more?

Kidoinfo wants to hear what you have to say!
6:30 – 8:30pm. Tuesday, February 9, 2010 at Bravo Brasserie  123 Empire Street, Providence, RI
Tickets: $15. Pre-pay by Paypal here. Cash or check at the door only.

TOP 5 Reasons to attend Kidoinfo’s Parents Using Social Media event

1. Have Fun – unplug, get out of the house, meet interesting people in your community.

2. Learn Something – Four smart, parent-panelists, plus a professional moderator, and  of course wonderful participants, who all have something to share.  Learn about websites, tools and tricks.

3. Get MOO Discounts* – the perfect little business or playdate card.

4. Free Food (appetizers) – Great location at Bravo in downtown Providence.  And enjoy the cash bar too.

5. Win Stuff – raffle for cool prizes!

*MOO Discount code:  Get code at event.

I launched Kidoinfo over two years ago to connect parents with information; to their kids, to other parents, to their community. As a new parent I wanted to learn about what was available in terms of events, ideas, coping strategies, and resources, and I wanted a way to share this information with others. I have learned a great deal over the years — and think I am a better mother as a result — thanks to advice from friends and parents I barely know. Now my boys are 8 years old and although I am long done with diapers and night feedings, I am still discovering great things available for families in Rhode Island and the connections I make with other parents are essential and meaningful to me.  Although Kidoinfo is a website, a blog, and a weekly email, these are only the tools that help us to engage in real life with our kids and our community.

Continuing on this path, I have decided to initiate a series of networking and educational events called KidoConversations, which will address a range of topics on how online and offline resources can benefit our life and business while helping to foster deeper community connections. I am excited to introduce this new means for connecting with other parents, readers, colleagues, and friends.Panelists Parents Using Social Media
The first in this series, “Parents Using Social Media,” features a panel discussion moderated by Mary-Kim Arnold, the executive director of the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities. The panel includes four local-area parents who use social media in a variety of ways, some socially, others for business, and often for both. This event will provide a unique opportunity to interact with these experts in parenting and business in a question and answer discussion. In addition, the panelists will share their favorite online resources in a special handout, “Parents’ Guide to Social Media.”

Details:
February 9, 2010, from 6:30 – 8:30pm
Bravo Brasserie – 123 Empire Street, Providence, RI
Tickets:$15 (includes appetizers). Cash bar.

Click here for more details.

Here are few gifts dad may like depending on your budget and his interests. For some local handmade options, check Linda’s crafty gift ideas for dad.

1. Quality time with the kids. A family outing or just dad and the kids may start with breakfast at home or at his favorite diner or coffee shop. (My husband loves having bagels and lox at home as much as dining out at the Modern Diner in Pawtucket) followed by an afternoon outing like a trip to the beach, park, or museum. My husband takes photos wherever we go.

2. An event. Give a gift-certificate (for two, if it includes you) to his favorite local restaurant or tickets to a sports game or music concert.

3. Re-purposed. Wallets and messenger bags made from old sails (Ragged Edge products found at OOP!), tires or street signs make a very stylish statement and are a cool re-use of discarded items.

4. Good for the environment. More cool green gift ideas found on TreeHugger.com include a living ecosphere, bike basket, enamel stacked lunch box, beginner beekeeping kit, and a push reel mower.

5. Techy Gadgets. My husband loves most tech things as do many dads I know. Although my husband may covet the new iPhone3G with cool added or improved features, he will keep the phone he got last year. An iTunes gift card of any value though is always handy and appreciated—allows him to buy music, movies or special apps for phone, music player or computer.

6. Make a book. Have your children help create a special keepsake for dad. Every year we make my husband an accordian book filled with pictures and words documenting our sons’ current stage of development, likes and loves.

With the cold weather lingering, new mamas can begin to feel trapped inside with their babes. Fear not!  There are many (low-cost) indoor baby-friendly venues at your disposal that get you get out of the house…which can be a real sanity-saver in those first months of motherhood.  Check out some of these “hot spots”:

• Coffee shops—Grab a beverage and a comfy chair and take some time to relax.
• Libraries—Most libraries have story times for babies – a great place to meet other new moms!
• Book stores—Check out the children’s section and read any number of colorful baby books to your little one, or get reacquainted with your favorite author’s latest book. (Books on the Square in Wayland Square has a weekly story time specifically for babies.)
• Walk the mall—Get your exercise and maybe even lull your baby to sleep at the same time!
• Join your local YMCA—The Y has many wonderful family-friendly activities, including swim classes. Or, after your baby reaches six weeks of age, let the babysitting staff take care of him or her free of charge while you resume your exercise routine.
• Join a New Moms Group—There is nothing better than connecting with other new moms who are experiencing the same highs and lows of motherhood as you! (Check the Kidoinfo Resource Directoy for local groups.)

Kristen Kardos, MA Ed., and Kathy McGuigan, MSW, the co-founders of RI New Moms Connection, provide affordable, accessible pregnancy and new mom groups throughout Rhode Island. In “Tips for New Moms” they share their knowledge, resources, and helpful ideas for moms just beginning their journey into parenthood or moms who may need a little refresher.

Editor’s Note: Although “Tips for New Moms” is written with the new mom in mind—to support women in their journey through motherhood—it is certainly not the authors’ intention to exclude dads. Every new parent will find their tips, resources, and insights helpful. I invite all moms and dads to share ideas on how they manage their new role as a parent with Kidoinfo in the comments below.

The birth of a baby is a momentous occasion and impacts a new parent in countless ways. In the weeks and months after baby is born, a new mom may feel lost and disconnected with her former self. For our entire lives thus far, we have defined ourselves as a student, daughter, sister, wife, colleague, professional…and now we take on a new role: mother. Managing this shift applies to new dads as well. While it sometimes feels like accepting this new identity means loosing a bit of oneself, that need not be true.

In order to find balance, it is important to reflect on the changes that have taken place. The following questions may help you to explore your thoughts and feelings about your new life and new role.

• Have my expectations for who I thought I would be as a mother been met? If not, how can I become comfortable with the realities of my new life and “cut myself some slack”?
• Do I have enough time for myself to do some of the things I enjoyed before the baby?
• Do I feel comfortable in my decision to go back to work/not go back to work?
• Do I have a community of new mom friends with whom I can connect and share this journey?

New parenthood brings many changes to our lives and our selves. Take some time to consider the major transition that has taken place and be compassionate with yourself as you navigate the new world of motherhood. And when you find yourself asking, “Will I ever just go out for coffee with a friend again? Will I ever have time to read a book just for the pleasure of reading? Will I ever be able to enjoy my hobbies again?” answer with YES! In time, you will find a balance…as you have in the past. You will wear many hats, and wear them well.

Kristen Kardos, MA Ed., and Kathy McGuigan, MSW, the co-founders of RI New Moms Connection, provide affordable, accessible pregnancy and new mom groups throughout Rhode Island. In “Tips for New Moms” they share their knowledge, resources, and helpful ideas for moms just beginning their journey into motherhood or moms who may need a little refresher.

Editor’s Note: Although “Tips for New Moms” is written with the new mom in mind—to support women in their journey through motherhood—it is certainly not the authors’ intention to exclude dads. Every new parent will find their tips, resources, and insights helpful. I invite all moms and dads to share ideas on how they manage their new role as a parent with Kidoinfo in the comments below.

Today’s Kidoinfo Interviewer: Katy Killilea

With his wife, Erin, Asher owns the very popular and stylish Frog and Toad store on Hope Street on Providence’s East Side.

Kidoinfo: What neighborhood do you live in?
AS: Warren, North End

Kidoinfo: How long have you been in Rhode Island?
AS: Fifteen years

Kidoinfo: What is your current state of mind?
AS: Rational

Kidoinfo: Who’s in your family?
AS: My wife, Erin, and two daughters, Flavia, three years old, and Hazel, six months

Kidoinfo: What trait do you most admire about your family?
AS: Our sense of humor. Without it we’d be goners.

Kidoinfo: What is your favorite thing to do?
AS: Go to the beach with a hastily packed cooler, insufficient beach towels, SPF 60, and just enough cash to pay for parking.

Kidoinfo: Where is your favorite place to hang out?
AS: Booth #4 at Whole Foods, fresh from a fruitful shop, ready for a family lunch, and happy to see any friends out shopping as well. (more…)