monday's five things: reasons you should check out marbles, the brain store

Last Monday, the Bug and I had the pleasure of checking out Marbles: The Brain Store during their advanced opening media day. The company officially opened it's first east coast store at The Mall in Columbia (Nordstrom wing, first floor) last Tuesday.

Not only did we have a chance to play with all of the cool brain-based learning games, we had a personal store tour with CEO Lindsay Gaskins.

Today's 5 things? Reasons you should check out Marbles!

1. It's unique collection of items that are entirely brain based! What is a brain store? (That's a great question!) It's a one-of-a-kind retail store with a smart collection of hand-picked, expert-tested, certifiably fun ways to a healthier brain for all ages. Their collection is selected based on current brain research and organized by 'brain-development' categories: critical thinking, memory, coordination, visual perception, word skills and age.

2. Say buh-bye to Mommy Brain. You know you're completely overstimulated on a daily basis. And that you have way to many things to remember. It's no wonder you forgot to send in that field trip slip or missed your last hair cut appointment. {{You didn't? Hmm. Maybe that's just me...}} Marbles has a great collection of brain building games for all ages. That means you too.

3. You won't find Baby Einstein here. CEO Lindsay Gaskins has a 16-month old at home, so we had a chance to chat baby and toddler games. Although the store merchandise is typically aimed at ages 4 to 100+, you will find some items for the tiniest of brains here. Those items are usually geared toward parent-child interaction, since that's the best way to develop your infant and toddler's brain. "We like games and items that are fun for kids AND their parents," said Lindsay. Check out Tobbles for your baby or toddler while you're there. Fantastic game to help build coordination, too.

4. There's a game for that. I couldn't believe the sheer amount of fun games in stock -- and most I had never seen before. My favorite for a young child? Pengaloo. It takes a simple "memory" flash card game to the third dimension. Literally.

5. It's a DO TOUCH kind of store. Trying to shop with a toddler can be tough. Trying to shop with a toddler in a museum kind of store (you know, the 'look don't touch ones') is just plain torture. The Brain Store is very much hands on. How can you buy a game if you don't have a chance to play it first? In fact, that's one of Bree's (the new store manager) favorite things about going to work. Having a chance to sit on the floor and play with kids. What other job lets you do that on a daily basis?

Just added Marbles to my Christmas shopping hit list... Go check it out!

Find Marbles: The Brain Store on Facebook and Twitter

Historic Ellicott City Does Double Duty

Many thanks to Heidi Weddle Pepin, our guest blogger today! Thanks for the thoughts!
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My husband, John, and I have ventured into Historic Ellicott City on a number of occasions lately - our five year wedding anniversary as well as for my birthday. Each time was a very different experience, one with my little pumpkin, a few other family members, and one with just the two of us. Each gave me a little insight as to what works and what you should think twice about if you decide to venture downtown.

Historic Ellicott City is filled with ups and downs, a seemingly mountainous climb up and down the streets, as well as endless sets of stairs leading into restaurants, creeping their way up to multiple floors, outdoor seating areas, and a vast array of places that are pretty much impossible to navigate by stroller unless you have multiple sets of hands. For instance, Cacao Lane has great outdoor seating, with a treehouse-like atmosphere set into the back of the restaurant complete with an outdoor bar. But tackling the 100 or so (a slight exaggeration) flights of stairs leaves one wondering why you didn’t just leave the stroller in the car. If you’re looking for a more unusual setting for a date for just the two of you, it’s a little pricey, but definitely different.

If you have the little one in tow, a better restaurant is La Palapa Grill, a Mexican restaurant with pretty decent food. There were several strollers parked at the tables and I didn’t feel out of place with my little pumpkin. There was no question in my mind when I walked in here that there would be a baby changer available, while Cacao Lane seems like they take themselves too seriously to offer that kind of amenity. Beware though, La Palapa definitely caters to the bar scene, so steer clear of that section if you’re having a family night.

Mumbles and Squeaks Toy Shoppe is a gem, carrying an array of educational toys for all ages, including organic, wooden, and classics, as long as you don’t mind navigating the crowded aisles and tightly packed spaces, including the stairwell to the second floor. Yet another example of a bad place to bring a stroller in Ellicott City, but a great place to stop and find a special something for your little one. (Somehow I managed to escape the shop without buying anything. My willpower must be great.) I haven’t taken my daughter into the store as of yet, but I have a feeling it’ll be a favorite once she sets foot across the threshold. The sheer amount of things they manage to cram into this store defies all imagination.

Another great shop is I Love Theatre. It’s an odd combination of theatre and sports memorabilia, but somehow perfect for my husband and I. While he perused the assortment of Red Sox items, I wandered through aisles of Les Mis posters, Drama Geek mugs, and, my personal favorite, Wizard of Oz items of every shape, size, and kind imaginable. If it’s got Judy Garland on it, I’m a sucker for it.

For our date night, we decided to use one of the Groupons that I had purchased and treat ourselves to a little more upscale dinner that we’re used to (unless takeout Chinese food somehow counts.) After a movie in Columbia, we dined at Portalli’s, a traditional Italian restaurant offering an assortment of courses, including appetizer, pasta, salad, and fish or meat. We decided to mix it up a little, splitting the Antipasta, which I have to say that I would definitely treat myself to again. The fresh ingredients made for a delicious starter. My husband went for the Caprese salad, which he raved over, and I tried the Seasonal gnocchi, which that night consisted of sausage and spinach with gnocchi. Tasty. Very tasty. My last course was a disappointment, as the monkfish didn’t have the flavor or consistency that I was looking for, but John said the sauce on his lamb shank was absolutely delicious. So, with mixed results, we decided that we might come back but stick to the top half of the menu and definitely go without our little pumpkin. The crowd in Portalli’s is a bit eclectic, with couples obviously ready for their prom night, families with older children, and an assortment of adult-centric groups.

All in all, Ellicott City can be the perfect choice for a date night or an outing with the family. I’ve only managed to delve into a small piece of it here and am looking forward to visiting the Ellicott Mills Brewing Company, the Diamondback Tavern (which I’ve heard great things about), and bringing my daughter back to see their variety of free attractions and, of course, the toy shop!

Image courtesy of city-data.com.

Civil(ity) Parenting

Once or twice during the work week, I take a break from the "oh-my-god-we-have-to-be-out-of-the-door-by-seven-forty-five-and-drive-40-minutes-to-work" crazed dash to spend a little time with Lila out for breakfast. Well, breakfast for me and a mid-morning snack for her (after all, she's been up since 5:30 or so. She's eaten. I haven't). We'll stop by our local Starbucks or other cafe, split a muffin, have juice or a latte. Don't worry - -the caffeine is only for and consumed by me. We talk. I still don't know what she's saying, but one day I will. We'll leaf through a paper or book. It's just a little bit of "we" time that doesn't involve anything but hanging out.

It was nice enough to sit outside yesterday for our coffee break. We were flipping through Baltimore's Child when a mid-fifties aged woman whizzed by in capris, tennis shoes and sunglasses carting a huge tote bag and one of those mega togo coffee cups. She called over to us- - "That's just so civilized. Sitting. Drinking Coffee. Good for you!"

Civilized?

Dictionary.com defines the adjective civilized /ˈsɪvəˌlaɪzd/ Show Spelled[siv-uh-lahyzd] as "having an advanced or humane culture, society, etc." or "polite; well-bred; refined."

Hmmm. Humane culture. That's something I can get on board with.

Then it dawned on me. Our coffee times are one of the only times of the week that I'm NOT one of those crazed, speed-demon, java-shooting women with the large tote bags running from one place to the next. While I'm not in line to sign my 11-month old up for finishing school (or whatever the 21st century equivalent), I do believe we want our kids to know how to relax and enjoy the simple art of conversation (or contemplation). If we don't model it ourselves, how will they learn?

Those quieter respites help make us more empathetic, happier and saner. Often times, we hear or read about making time for ourselves. I think we often seek coffee time as 'me time' or 'adult time,' reserved for adult-only participation. While I'm not suggesting we give up such space, perhaps sharing 'coffee moments' with our children helps build a culture of respect - - and civility.

If you're in the Baltimore/Howard/Carroll County areas, you've probably seen one of those "Choose Civility" bumper stickers. Choose Civility is an ongoing community-wide initiative, led by Howard County Library, to position Howard County as a model of civility. According to the program website, "the project intends to enhance respect, empathy, consideration and tolerance in Howard County." The project was inspired by the book Choosing Civility: The Twenty-Five Rules of Considerate Conduct, written by Johns Hopkins Professor Dr. Pier M. Forni (now on my 'to read' list). I thought you might like to know what 15 (of the 25) principles of civility Howard County adopted:

Pay attention
Listen
Speak kindly
Assume the best
Respect others' opinions
Respect other people's time and space
Be inclusive
Acknowledge others
Accept and give praise
Apologize earnestly
Assert yourself
Take responsibility
Accept and give constructive criticism
Refrain from idle complaints
Be a considerate guest

Imagine if those were your household rules. Would you really need any others?

The project put together a list of civility-minded books for the younger crowd. You can download the PDF.

So today's 'cool' tip? Grab some coffee. Sit outside with your kid(s). Talk. Enjoy it.