A peek behind the scenes

While you’re waiting for the next issue of Playdate to come out tomorrow (Wednesday, Jan. 27), I thought you might enjoy a little peek behind the scenes of what we’ve been up to the last couple weeks.  One of the really fun parts of working on Playdate is the page design, where we finally get to see the stories & photos come together to create a (hopefully) attractive & interesting package.

Sometimes it’s fun to kick around a few ideas. In this issue, our “cover story” is called “The Tantrum Zone.” Here are two different concepts the designer (TJ Mullinax) tried on for size:

Which would you choose? Be sure to let us know what you think about our choice when you pick up a copy of the new issue later this week.

Last day of chemo

Here’s a message Michelle posted on Facebook on Sunday:

“I’m totally celebrating the fact that tomorrow is my last chemotherapy treatment – I MADE IT! The 7 weeks of radiation that I’ll do next will seem like a cakewalk compared to chemo. Thanks to everyone praying for me and sending me good vibes – it is really working because I feel stronger than ever, and I still have my … eyebrows! Plus, I’m totally chemolicious, baby!!!”

Good Clean Fun

5 ideas to make bath time a splash

1. WAVE YOUR WAND. Of course, adding a little tear-free shampoo or bubble bath to the water always gets the party started. But letting the kids blow bubbles with a bubble mixture and wand inside the house is even more magical. Just watch out for a slippery floor if too many bubbles escape from the tub.

2. RAID THE KITCHEN. Measuring cups, whisks, funnels and plastic bottles are all super fun in the tub. Make a game by asking your child to count how many 1/4 cups fill a cup, etc. Dollar stores and second-hand shops have cheap kitchen tools if you don’t want to use your own. Also, don’t use anything sharp or made of glass.

3. GO FISH. Cut some fish shapes from sponges or craft foam. Give the child a small net (costs $1 or so in the pet department) to catch the fish. For preschool-aged kids, cut out ABCs and ask them to tell you the name of each letter they catch. A fun bonus: Shapes cut from craft foam will cling to the side of the tub like stickers when they’re wet.

4. WATER COLORS. Earlier in the day, add a few drops of food coloring to water in an ice cube tray, then freeze. Kids can drop a cube or two in their bath water to experiment with color blending.

5. BUBBLE BARBERSHOP. Why just shampoo when you could design a new crazy ‘do? Help the kids shape foamy unicorn horns or spiky Mohawks, then lather up a bubble beard and mustache. Have a shower mirror handy so they can see their sudsy styles. When the show’s over, give each kid a popsicle stick to “shave” the bubbles off their face or arms.

Best part about these projects? The clean up is easy!