Shakadoo

Everything to do with your shak.

You are here: Home / Archives for And Now for Something Completely Different

Out-Of-The-Box Ways To Pick A Baby Name

by

I’ve written before about my weird obsession with baby names. I literally have lists upon lists upon lists of names that I love, and I snobbily judge other people’s naming decisions as too popular, too trendy, too “kreativ”, too pretentious… Though, I’m sure if I ever had one of my own, there would be no way I could settle on just one. The baby naming struggle is real! If you are looking for some unique, out of the box ways to decide on a name, you might like this post at The Bump:

-”DH and I had a bet for March Madness with baby boy names. If his final pick won, we would use his favorite name. If my final pick won, we would use my favorite name.”

-”We pulled names from two hats”

-“We had such a hard time naming our second son that we were open to anything, so we started soliciting suggestions from others. I posted on Internet forums, and he put up a small chalkboard by his desk at work and asked people to write suggestions on it.”

Photo Credit: Marco Raaphorst

+1
Share
Share
Pin
Shares 0

How Not To Name A Baby

by

I have a not-so-secret obsession: I love baby names. I think about them almost every day. Family members are constantly asking if I’m pregnant because of the sheer amount of baby name books I have. I have a list of baby name choices that I will guard with my life so no one else steals them. It doesn’t help that I also love writing fantasy and sci fi stories- I’m constantly on the hunt for new, unique, but wearable names. Long story short, I’m extremely picky about baby names. Some would even say I’m a baby name snob. Oh well. Here are my tips to make sure you don’t scar your child for life:

-Make it wearable. No matter how pretty the name Anastasiana Neveah Tatiana Belladonna Ravenna sounds to you, you have to think….. Could you seriously give a baby a name like that? Can you picture yourself calling a three month old “Rocky Dexxxter Blaze Savage”? A twelve year old? A forty year old? Probably not. At least, I hope not. Say it out loud. A lot. Start calling your pregnant belly by the name you are going to give your kid. If you can’t stand it for a few days, it’s not meant to be.

-Avoid trends and pop culture references like the plague, unless you can be subtle about it: Don’t name your child Brayden Hayden Aidan Bentley or Katniss #Selfie Beyonce Sherlock.

-Be original, but don’t go crazy: There is a fine line between giving your child the name that 10 other classmates will have, and naming them Contezza Anjelyyna Jaxxon Deziray. Also, I’d avoid any bizarre spellings.

-If you have to be “kreative”, save it for the middle name: there is a current trend of kids having “word” names, like River, Sonnet, Lyric, even “Infinity” and “Ocean” etc. I think it’s a bit kooky, but it’s more acceptable for a middle name.

-The Golden Rule: Think of your child. This is their name, not yours, and they will grow up to be a real live adult someday. They have to live with it every day, and it will be their entire identity. Your pick has to be absolutely perfect. No pressure though.

-Don’t listen to anyone’s advice: if you’ve found a name you love, that you know is THE ONE, even if it’s one of the ones I listed above, don’t let anyone talk you out of it. Unless you’re going to name your child Jezebel Renesmee St. Nikolas Eleven O’ Hara. Don’t do that.

Photo Credit: Branden Williams

+1
Share
Share
Pin
Shares 0

Easter Egg Hunt…. In the Dark?

by

As a kid, egg hunts are the best part of Easter! They’re most likely to never get sick of them, but there are ways you can amp up the fun. Check out this idea from juleed at WarmHotChocolate— a glow in the dark easter egg hunt! Use large plastic eggs, fill them with treats, and a glow stick! Then hide them (at night)! You could also try it indoors with most of the lights off. The kids will have a blast! Here are some tips from the original post:

-I recommend using all large eggs or purchasing mini glow sticks.

-The solid color eggs were better at giving off a “glow” in the landscape that the transparent eggs.

-Since you have to “turn on” the glow sticks, there isn’t a lot of opportunity to prep this activity in advance. It takes about an hour to hide them, so plan accordingly!

Photo Credit: Robert S. Donovan 

+1
Share
Share
Pin
Shares 0

Outing Idea: Symphony!

by

One of my favorite memories from growing up was going to the ballet. We’d always go in December to watch The Nutcracker. It was so much fun and it exposes you to a different art form! It was also fun exploring the city a little with my parents and sister. I went to see a symphony a few times as well. It was still fun (since I liked classical music) but you don’t have the added visuals, so it can be a lot harder to get kids to focus– especially fidgety ones. This post by Carly at Africa To America has some tips on how to take your kids to symphonies, operas, and ballets while getting the most out of the experience:

Before: Talk about this music with your child before the performance to both build excitement and to help make the experience relevant and accessible. Prepare your child for what he will see. Talk about the different instruments that make up an orchestra and what music families they belong to. Explain symphony etiquette.

Arrive early! You’ll have a chance to walk around the symphony hall a bit and check out the musicians warming up.

Afterward, talk! Does the music sound scary, happy, peaceful or exciting to your child? How does it make him feel? Ask your child which piece was his favorite and why?

Photo Credit: Kristy Rennt 

+1
Share
Share
Pin
Shares 0

Celebrate International Women’s Day! Read to Your Kids

by

Saturday was International Women’s Day, but it’s not too late to celebrate! Teaching kids that women are strong, intelligent leaders is absolutely vital to eliminating sexism in society, so it’s important to discuss it with both your daughters and your sons. One way to do this in a way that kids will enjoy is through reading. Read books to your kids about strong, smart, brave girls– not just barbies and princesses (not that a princess can’t be those things! I’m a huge Frozen fan!) Girls can be so much more than just “pretty” though, and they need to learn that from an early age! They can be scientists, politicians, astronauts, business owners, teachers, archaeologists, artists, writers, doctors, inventors, adventurers! One way to highlight all that women have accomplished is by reading books about women that have changed history. This list by Allison McDonald at No Time For Flashcards is of books about great women throughout history who have brought about change, and will give your daughters AND sons some new role models:

A Picture Book of Amelia Earhart (Picture Book Biography)by David A. Adler

A Picture Book of Harriet Tubman (Picture Book Biography)by David A. Adler. 

Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World’s Fastest Woman by Kathryn Krull

The Story of Anne Frank by Brenda Ralph Lewis

Marvelous Mattie: How Margaret E. Knight Became an Inventorby Emily Arnold McCully

Elizabeth Leads the Way: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the Right to Voteby Tanya Lee Stone

Photo Credit: Eat Sleep Draw Tumblr 

+1
Share
Share
Pin
Shares 0

Can a Baby Have an Accent?

by

I know what you’re thinking- of course not! Babies can’t even talk- how could they possibly have accents? However, this post by the Dictionary.com blog may surprise you. Babies begin learning the sounds that make up their parents’ language long before they start learning individual words. Language acquisition occurs extremely quickly, and is still trying to be understood by researchers. Check out the results from the experiment from the article:

In her experiments, Kuhl observed that the infants were more responsive to the sounds of their own language than to the sounds of other foreign languages—even before they were able to speak themselves. She discovered that babies as young as one year acquire the specific accented sounds of their parents and that the first year of listening makes a lasting impact on the way we speak for our entire lives

Photo Credit: keitamiyoshi

+1
Share
Share
Pin
Shares 0