the green bean nursery

www.greenbeandayschool.com

2011-08-14T17:01:00.000-07:00

We are not currently updating our blog, please find information on Green Bean Day School & Nursery at www.greenbeandayschool.com

Building a School or Blood Sweat & Fears

2011-06-13T14:16:00.000-07:00

Construction has commenced! Demo of a few partitions, large brick opening cut to the infant area, prep for new window and door for additional light and playground access.

www.greenbeandayschool.com

2011-05-14T07:46:00.000-07:00

Please find all information for our expansion for Green Bean Day School & Nursery at www.greenbeandayschool.com. We will be located at 2214 N. Elston Chicago, IL 60614. We will provide care for infants 6 weeks to 5 years of age. We will open fall 2011.

Green Bean is Growing!

2011-04-30T06:14:00.000-07:00

We are so happy to announce we have secured our location for the future Green Bean Day School & Nursery. Our new location will be 2214 N. Elston, on the corner of Elston & Webster. We will care for children from 6 weeks to 5 years old. We will have a new web site and detailed information up as soon as possible. We are hoping for an August 1 grand opening. Feel free to email us for wait list inquiries.

Reggio Emilia Winter Conference next weekend!

2011-02-20T13:42:00.000-08:00

The Second NAREA Winter Conference

"Building Learning Through Documentation and Community"

Miami, Florida February 26-27, 2011 In Collaboration with Reggio Children and L'Atelier

Presentations by Amelia Gambetti, Lella Gandini, L'Atelier educators from Miami and Project Infinity educators from Georgia and South Carolina

Visit to L'Atelier, a school in dialogue with Reggio Children for 10 years

Participation of Florida Reggio Collaborative educators

Green Bean is closed Feb 2 & 3 due to blizzard

2011-02-02T16:18:00.000-08:00

A great reminder for me today...

2011-01-05T11:28:00.000-08:00

Holiday Hours

2010-12-17T11:38:00.001-08:00

As a reminder we are closed on Christmas Eve and will reopen on January 3, 2011. Have the merriest of holidays! xo

Green Bean is Going Amish!

2010-12-17T11:29:00.000-08:00

I'm so happy to be working with Amish Healthy Foods on Western to order our organic, fresh meats, cheeses & milk for the new year. They recently opened (just a few doors down from the Empty Bottle) and I am ecstatic to get such quality farm fresh food near my home. We have pamphlets at the GB to take home to see where our food is coming from and stop by for a visit the lady who owns the shop is soo nice. We got the most amazing fresh baked bread and sugar cookies added onto our order because she is just that nice. Amazing!

Belgium bans toxic childrens mats

2010-12-14T16:43:00.000-08:00

http://www.euronews.net/2010/12/11/belgium-bans-toxic-children-s-puzzle-mats/

Belgium is to ban the sale of all foam puzzle mats for babies and toddlers, citing tests showing they contain a cancer-causing chemical.

Formamides are used to soften the foam in the mats but are corrosive and can be deadly. Toxicologist Alfred Bernard explained:
“They are solvents, residues from the manufacturing process that stay in the product afterwards. They can be absorbed through breathing or through the skin. As a rule, children should not be exposed to these products.”

Belgium becomes the first European country to ban the mats and will impose a 20,000 euro fine for anyone found selling them. Jean-Philippe Ducart, a spokesman for a consumer watchdog said:

“They will be illegal in 2011 but in the meantime we ask that they be withdrawn from the market in the interest of public health and the health of children exposed to them.”

An EU-wide ban on the mats is expected within the next few years.

In November, the EU prohibited the sale of plastic baby bottles containing Bisphenol A, a compound that tests suggest have adverse health effects on babies

Make Halloween Buttons Tonight!

2010-10-25T09:13:00.000-07:00

2nd Annual Green Bean Halloween!

2010-10-23T12:57:00.001-07:00

I can't believe its been a year already! Jack is still the ladies man he was last year. Look out ladies!

Our party is this Friday, October 29 6-9. We will have plenty of food and snacks for you and your kiddos. If your child will be with us, just bring along their costume and we will do the honors of dressing them for you. Adults are not required to come in costume but feel free to dress up if you like! Can't wait!

Roll Call

2010-09-10T17:12:00.001-07:00

This fall has started with a bang and has brought on a few changes. We have a few new gals to introduce and we are very excited they are here. Again, Dawn is now student teaching in the art department at Franklin School of Fine Arts and she loves it! Mairead has moved back to Ireland to take a teaching job and we hear she is doing great. Erin Monley is now Senorita Monley at Saint Josephets in Lincoln Park where she teaches middle school Spanish.

So in their place, we have Candice, Alli & Ali.

Here's the new lineup:

Jackie (seriously, what would I do without her?)

Erin G. (our resident gypsy who travels abroad teaching english every few months and comes back bc she misses us)

Alli (Jackie's little sister and just graduated high school)

Candice (lives in the neighborhood and splits her time with us and another family she nannies for. She is here on M, TH, Fri.)

Ali (will start next week and is already GB family as she is Beckett's aunt. She recently left a preschool position on the north side. We are very happy she will be joining us!)

Levi & parents are flying to Portland this weekend for a close friends wedding, we are taking a few days to do some scouting & sightseeing and will be back on Wednesday. Thanks for being such great parents!

Exciting things around the corner...

2010-09-09T16:31:00.000-07:00

In order to accommodate our very long wait list and to fill a large demand, we are in the midst of securing a location for a larger nursery with the same 'at home' environment as well as a Preschool! I am ecstatic at the prospect and am running at top speed to get everything completed as soon as possible. I will of course have a more formal announcement to all my parents, but just wanted to keep you all in the loop with what we are working on for the upcoming year. More exciting announcements to follow very soon!

LABOR DAY

2010-08-19T10:56:00.001-07:00

Just a reminder we will be closed for Labor Day on Monday, September 6.

Rama Lama Pajama!

2010-08-17T13:53:00.000-07:00

Cooking With My Kid

2010-08-14T19:04:00.000-07:00

Levi has recently started helping more in the kitchen, ok he really just wants to crack eggs all day long. However, I'm now glued to this incredible blog I know about through an amazing moms network I've been on since my pregnancy days. I look for inspiration all the time here and think if Gus eats it, maybe __ will too. So check it out, its fantastic and such a great way to spend quality time with your kid every day. www.cookingwithmykid.com

The Green Bean is 1!

2010-08-14T12:11:00.000-07:00

1 year anniversary party details coming soon!

New Phone Number

2010-08-13T14:27:00.000-07:00

Please note our new phone number, 773-982-8032.

Phone Trouble

2010-08-10T16:43:00.000-07:00

Don't be alarmed if you can't get through to us. Our phone line is down and until we can get it serviced, please call my cell phone at 312-953-4173 to get a hold of us. Thank you!

Potty Trained in 1 Day? Very Tempting...

2010-08-04T18:04:00.000-07:00

I'm a sucker for celebrity endorsements...but I'm not sure about this one. Is it worth a try? http://www.potty-training-in-one-day.com

UPDATE: Upon further consideration, this doll is just too creepy for me to support!

Green Mama

2010-07-26T18:54:00.000-07:00

Love Manda, she's my green guru and highly recommend any of her classes and events.

Upcoming Events

Live Green Save Green
July 29, 2010 - 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Elmhurst Public Library
Creating Eco-friendly Play Spaces
July 31, 2010 - 12:30pm - 1:30pm
Colori - Eco Paint Boutique
Healthy Homemaking 101
August 4, 2010 - 7:00pm - 9:00pm
LivingRoom Realty
Greening the Nest: Preparing body, home, and baby
September 11, 2010 - 10:00am - 3:30pm

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10 Reasons To Line Dry

2010-07-26T12:28:00.001-07:00

One of the first things I did when we moved in was hang up our clothesline. We have the perfect porch for line drying and its so much better to line dry all of our cloth diapers (it increases their lifespan). I found a great site that is leading the way in the clothes line revolution (if you can call it that) www.laundrylist.org. Here are their top ten reasons to line dry

Top Ten Reasons to Line Dry

10) Save money (more than $25/month off electric bill for many households).
9) Clothes last longer. Where do you think lint comes from?
8) Clothes and linens smell better without adding possibly toxic chemicals to your body and the environment. Yankee Candle thinks so, too...
7) Conserve energy and the environment, while reducing climate change. Learn how!
6) It is moderate physical activity which you can do in or outside. You can even lose weight!
5) Sunlight bleaches and disinfects.
4) Indoor racks can humidify in dry winter weather.
3) Clothes dryer and washing machine fires account for about 17,700 structure fires, 15 deaths, and 360 injuries annually. The yearly national fire loss for clothes dryer fires in structures is estimated at $194 million. See a diagram of the critical danger zones of the dryer.
2) It is fun! And can be an outdoor experience that is meditative and community-building. It may also help you avoid depression.
1) Demonstrates that small steps can make a difference. You don't have to wait for the government to take action!

Parking Lot Times & Guidelines

2010-06-23T07:34:00.000-07:00

GB Parking lot hours

Drop offs

7:30-9:30 AM * Must use your flashers and not block driveway

Pick ups

3:00-6:00 PM * Must use your flashers and not block driveway

Your car may be towed if you park in the lot at any other time not posted above. So please use the 15 minute loading zone in front of the building for those daytime hours.

GB Parking Lot

2010-06-21T18:11:00.000-07:00

As of now, you will be able to park worry free in the neighboring lot. We will soon have a painted off section with 3 parking spots and a sign for Green Bean Parking. Worth every penny! Thanks for your patience on this!

Parking

2010-06-16T09:02:00.001-07:00

I'm sorry there has been parking problems. My neighbor is not as cooperative as I had initially thought. Until I can get him on the phone, I recommend not using the lot to the right of the GB. You can still pull up in the driveway by the front door with your blinkers on, just don't park in a spot. The tow trucks have been out. If you have a drop off before the 9am loading zone you can use the parking lot on Spaulding and use your blinkers or double park my Jeep. Im looking for a more permanent fix, but this is what we have for now. I was told construction will end in a few days on Armitage. Summer in the city...

Green Ideas Event in our building!

2010-05-11T12:33:00.000-07:00

Busy Beaver hosts Green Ideas Event Tonight

May 11, 2010 by Busy Beaver Button Co.

Busy Beaver Button Co. is the nations only green button company

Have you ever wanted more information about alternative energy production methods like photovoltaic and wind generation? How about alternative heating such as solar space, hot water or geothermal? Are you considering adding a green roof?

Join the Logan Square Chamber of Commerce and Busy Beaver Button Co.for a case study called Solar Hot Water Panels on a Roof in Logan Square. You can talk to neighbors who’ve done it, at the 4th and final session of the Chamber’s Green Ideas Series.

The session will be held on Tuesday, May 11, at 6 PM at Busy Beaver Button Co. located at 3279 W. Armitage Avenue in Chicago.

It’s free to attend, but space is limited, so please RSVP to greenideas@loganchamber.org or call the Chamber of Commerce at 773-489-3222.

Memorial Day

2010-04-23T09:11:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that Green Bean will be closed on Monday, May 31 Memorial Day. You will not be required to pay for that day. Enjoy your Holiday!

Clothing

2010-04-21T16:54:00.000-07:00

I'm loving seeing all the kids in their new Spring outfits, but doing everyone's laundry is getting very confusing! With all these boys wearing the same size and same brands, I'm having a hard time telling them apart. Please label your child's pants and shirts otherwise the questionable clothing will be folded on top of the shelves for you to look through and collect. Thanks for your cooperation!

Roll Call

2010-04-15T17:35:00.000-07:00

Welcome back Dawn! Today was her first day back from spending 2 weeks in London. I'm not jealous at all really, not a bit. Ok a lot. I'm sure we will travel to Europe again as a family but right now traveling just aint what it used to be. Sigh.

Dawn will be working with us until she starts her student teaching at Franklin School of Fine Arts. She's so excited to be working at the same school that Jack's mommy teaches at. Dawn could be Jack's Kindergarten teacher in a few years, how awesome would that be!

Most have met our new girls, but I wanted to write it out and tell you a bit of their background. Jonaki (John-A-Key) & Mairead (Marie - Ed) are the new girls who will be filling in for Jackie who is on the injured list. Jackie's back is doing better, she's cutting back her hours a bit and continuing physical therapy so she can heal this summer.

Mairead is here from Belfast, Ireland living with her fiance in Andersonville (Cat, you guys should carpool!) She was a primary teacher in Ireland working in the same schoolhouse as her mother and sister (so sweet). She's also nannied for many years for a child with Aspergers and is great with children. Don't be alarmed if they say they want fish fritters and to go get in the pram. I'm sure Levi will be speaking in an Irish accent when he's ready to speak in full sentences.

Jonaki will be working for us this summer as well. I'm lucky enough to share an employee with my husband. She's the gal to know at Longman & Eagle to get you seated and avoid the crazy long wait. Jonaki is a grad student going for her Masters in Social Work and currently interns at the Infant Welfare Society in Logan Square.

Also, Erin G is back from Barcelona teaching ESL and will be working again to catch up with the kids she hasn't seen since Xmas. Not to be confused with Erin M. who moved back from San Diego with her teaching degree and is now applying for teaching jobs for next school year (Evan has a HUGE crush on her btw). And Meghan will still be with us 1 day a week but will be knee deep in her Practicum for Adler School of Psychology.

We have built quite the staff! I'm so happy that my son can be around such interesting, educated and beautiful women!

Green Bean Spring Fling!

2010-04-01T18:17:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting an excuse to throw another GB party since our Halloween party was so much fun. I'll be planning a spring fling for May....more details to follow!

Germs

2010-04-01T18:00:00.001-07:00

Just when we thought we were in the clear with Flu season.
IT. NEVER. ENDS!

Which Has More Germs - The Target cart or a Park Sandbox?

I know this headline jolts the germaphobe in most of us, but before you start pulling out the hand sanitizer, remember: Germs are generally benign. In fact, according to Scientific American:
"Most bacteria are well-behaved companions. Indeed, if you are ever feeling lonely, remember that the trillions of microbes living in and on the average human body outnumber the human cells by a ratio of 10 to one. Of all the tens of thousands of known bacterial species, only about 100 are renegades that break the rules of peaceful coexistence and make us sick."
With that said, throw away your pretty fabric covers for your shopping carts. That's got nothing on the local park sandbox!

[These numbers represent colony-forming units (CFUs) per square inch. A CFU is a measurement of microbial organisms.]
* Store shopping cart: 2
* Restaurant-restroom door handle: 4
* Children's library book: 7
* Stuffed toy in a doctor's office: 8
* School-desk surface: 12
* School computer mouse: 23
* Store floor: 33
* Public-park swing: 59
* Restaurant tray: 204
* School musical instrument: 262
* Video-game controller in an arcade: 551
* Public-park sandbox: 7,440
* Classroom faucet handle: 32,000
* Cafeteria water-fountain spigot: 62,000

We'll be sticking to chalk drawing and blowing bubbles in Palmer Square!
HCHW

Drop offs

2010-03-23T16:36:00.001-07:00

Our awesome new neighbor (to the east) cut down the fence today and is allowing us use of the driveway right next to our front door! Feel free to start using asap.

He's also offered me the ground floor of the building for a larger daycare. Not sure how I feel I about that, I love the intimacy of our home environment but do like the idea of a large open space for toddlers to run amuck. Also, one of my goals is to open something in the vein of Moomah in New York City, www.moomah.com. I can't believe Jon Stewarts' wife and I have so much in common, aside from our mutual adoration of Jon Stewart. Not sure if the neighborhood is ready for that? Let me know your thoughts?

Parking

2010-03-18T16:56:00.001-07:00

I'll be meeting with the Alderman next week to discuss bumping up our loading zone to 7 am. I'm so sorry for those that have received tickets out front. I hope that cop feels good about targeting working parents rather than the thugs that graffitied out building. On that note, we've called graffiti busters and they claim to take action in 2 weeks of every call. Hopefully so!

If the Alderman can not do anything about our loading zone due to rush hour traffic on Armitage, I am hoping to possibly rent the driveway and a few spaces from the building to the East of us. The building just switched owners and I'm hoping the new owners will be easier to work with then the last. This would make drop offs so much easier! I will keep you posted.

And the winner is...

2010-03-17T17:38:00.000-07:00

We make a lot of macaroni & cheese, sometimes its the only thing a child will eat for lunch. So the trick for me is balancing it out with the just enough veggies to make us both happy. I've gone through a lot of incarnations but the overall unanimous winner was this week's combination. Even the kids that don't normally eat m&c (Hazel & Willy) they had more than one helping!

1 box Annie's whole wheat mac & cheese

1 jar Earths Best carrots

1/2 bag of Organic Veggie Trio (carrots, gbeans & corn). I use this mix a lot for pureeing baby food, its a hit and its available at Costco!

The only thing I did different was add the jar of baby food and it made a huge difference. The color or texture didn't change but added a secret veggie they didn't know was in there.

Any tricks you have with your picky one, please share in the comments! Together we can outsmart them! Any childrens' cookbooks that you really love? Do share!

We're back (sort of)...

2010-03-10T09:09:00.000-08:00

Hello, Levi and I are back from vacation. However, we won't be seeing you till next week. Levi came down with the stomach flu on our last day in Florida. His loving cousins shared their bug with him. I don't wish this on anyone and am being extra cautious and keeping him out till Monday at the minimum. We hope to see you all as soon as possible, I miss the kids and I know Levi misses his buddies!

Vacation Reminder

2010-03-02T10:14:00.001-08:00

Levi and I will be in Florida March 4-10 visiting family and playing in the sand. Jackie, Dawn, Erin, Alyssa & Meghan will all be working throughout the week.

Pardon our mess

2010-02-22T08:16:00.001-08:00

This weekend we started the process of insulating our stairwell. This will help keep the north east side of the building warmer and cut down on our energy costs. We will be re painting the walls next week, so bear with us.

Also, please be aware of our new loading zone in front of the building. The hours are from 9AM - 7PM M-F. Due to rush hour traffic on Armitage, we could not get earlier times for drop off. I am calling our alderman and seeing if there is anything we can do about that. However, in the meantime this is not lost on our local police, we are now a target and a few parents have received tickets during drop offs in the morning. Please either use the meter or park on Spaulding. If you can't park, you can always call up and we will be glad to come down and pick up your babe so you don't have to leave your car parked illegally.

Visit us on Facebook!

2010-02-05T08:43:00.000-08:00

I'm finally finding a way to share all of our cute photos we take throughout the day. Become a fan of 'green bean nursery' on facebook and see what we've been up to!

Of course if you have any objections to photos of your child on facebook, just let me know!

Are You Awake?

2010-02-02T15:33:00.000-08:00

A Wake-Up Story from Healthy Child Healthy World on Vimeo.

Babysitting now available!

2010-01-20T17:29:00.000-08:00

Either myself or one of my staff will now be available for babysitting at the Green Bean. Please schedule at least a week ahead of time for a week night or weekend date. Our rate is $14/hr.

We will also be available for babysitting on Valentine's Day.

We still offer date nights every Wednesday. Children that do not attend the Green Bean are also welcome.

Spammed!

2010-01-20T06:16:00.000-08:00

Sorry if you received an annoying email at 4:30am from my account, someone or some virus has compromised my account. Hopefully, its been resolved and you won't be receiving any more of those!

Longman & Eagle

2010-01-19T14:38:00.000-08:00

I'm so proud of my husband and his partners for creating such an amazing and unique new restaurant / bar / hotel. Longman & Eagle opens tomorrow night and biased or not, its totally amazing!

Here's a nice write up from Urban Daddy

The Inn Crowd
Wild Boar Sloppy Joes and Whiskey in Logan Square
Go ahead, get comfortable.

Start with drinks at the bar. For dinner, try something hearty, something braised, something very anti-January. A little dessert never hurt anyone, either...nor has that extra cocktail.

Now you're looking a little sleepy. Your first instinct: go home. Your second instinct: get a room.

Always go with your second instinct.

Welcome to Longman & Eagle, a new Logan Square restaurant and bar opening Wednesday that, come spring, will offer you a little something extra: sleeping arrangements.

In short, imagine a cozy old Chicago inn from the turn of the last century—a time when men were men, Chicago was Chicago and kindly innkeepers were your late-night salvation.

The hard-nosed butcher block tables and barstools—imported from some old factory floor—tell you this is a spot for no-nonsense belts of whiskey. Meanwhile, the Kobe meatballs, wild boar sloppy joes and hot Yuzu Toddy (Maker's Mark, applejack, yuzu honey) ensure your palate will be appropriately soothed.

After dinner, squeeze up to the bar just to listen to a few 45s from the vintage jukebox, stocked with an assortment of classic and indie rock. And when the handful of rooms in the boutique hotel upstairs debuts in the spring, and when L&E begins serving breakfast downstairs, you might be tempted to just stay the night.

You've always loved sleepovers.

Longman & Eagle
2657 N Kedzie Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
773-276-7110
www.longmanandeagle.com

New Faces

2010-01-06T07:24:00.002-08:00

You have probably noticed lots of new faces this week. Dawn rang in the new year in the Virgin Islands with her husbands family, so I have lots of friends helping out until she returns.
Erin is now in Barcelona where she will begin teaching ESL. Luckily, she referred us to Meghan who will be taking her place on Mondays and Wednesdays. Meghan has worked as a nanny in the Lincoln Park neighborhood and for nanny agency K Grace for over 6 years. She is also attending Adler School of Psychology and is a perfect addition to our team!

Winter 2010 Availability

2010-01-05T18:54:00.001-08:00

We are currently full and are wait list only.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-03T17:16:00.002-08:00

It's been a long and restful Holiday break which has been wonderful. But, I am so excited to see everyone tomorrow and see how big all the babies have gotten and to hear all the new stories the kids have to tell. I have really missed them, and I know Levi has missed his buds. We are both looking forward to getting back on a set schedule!

I'm so excited for what's to come this year and am so thankful that I can be a part of your child's life. Its truly an honor and I hope the very best to all of the green bean family in the new year!

New Years Eve!

2009-12-17T13:06:00.000-08:00

If any parents are interested in ringing in the New Year sans baby, I've decided to host a NYE party for the little ones. Pete has booked 3 shows around the city and will be tied up with those till the wee hours of the morning, so Levi and I are going to stay in this year. We're going to order pizza and have a slumber party at the GB with a few of his closest friends. If you are interested in dropping off for a dinner date, slumber party, etc. we can surely accommodate you.

PS Levi's surgery went great, thanks for all your support and well wishes! He walked out of the hospital by himself and even stopped to share a Teddy Graham with a girl in the waiting room.

OK Seriously...

2009-12-14T17:58:00.000-08:00

Not to make this a blog about my sons ears but COME ON! I mean there's a handful of you that are going through this and/or going down this road and know what I'm talking about. Its so frustrating to see them in pain and equally as exhausting to get them through the nights. Friends have suggested that surgery can't be the only option, 'have you tried those homeopathic drops at whole foods? get a second opinion' Of course I have tried all of the natural remedies, but at some point you have to get to the root of what's causing the infection and forego temporary fixes and instant relief.

Last Thursday night was the worst night yet, I had to hold him the entire night and couldn't let go or he would scream. We were 40 minutes late for our surgery the next day, couldn't say for certain that he did not drink the water that was by his car seat so we had to reschedule back to this Wednesday. Wednesday at the GB will be popsicle day! His surgery isn't until 5 pm that evening and can only have water, apple juice, popsicles and jello up until 2 pm. Oy Vey!

On a positive note, Dr. Young is the head of the ENT department at Childrens'. I fully trust that Levi is in the best hands possible, not the warmest/fuzziest doctor but the best nonetheless.

Last week was one of those really exhausting and trying weeks as a mom. I keep going back to this photo my friend Myra took last year at Art Chicago alongside her 3 year old son Owen...perfect!

Change of Plans / I love the suburbs!

2009-12-10T17:01:00.000-08:00

Due to a sick cancellation, we were able to get in for tube surgery tomorrow morning in Westchester. This is a bonus because in the suburbs, they perform the surgeries at 8 am, in Chicago they do late afternoon. This is important, because now I don't have to starve Levi on a clear, liquid diet all day long. It would get ugly if he couldn't have milk for a whole day! Also, he will have the weekend to recoup and hopefully we all will start sleeping through the night. Fingers crossed! See you Monday.

Wednesday, Dec 16

2009-12-09T18:15:00.000-08:00

A week from today, Levi and I will not be at the GB. We will be at Children's Hospital getting tubes put into his ears. Levi's first ear infection came when he was 2 months old and has seemingly been one long drawn out ear infection after the next. Needless to say, we will all be relieved to have this problem fixed.
I finally picked up some probiotics for children at Whole Foods, its a good idea for someone like Levi who has been living on antibiotics for the past year. The brand is Rhino (for children over the age of 1). I put a teaspoon in his milk every day and he can't even tell the difference. The probiotics will replenish the good bacteria that he's lost and get his digestive system back on track. So far, so good!

Babies: The Movie!

2009-12-03T17:14:00.000-08:00

Thank You Canada!

2009-11-23T17:43:00.000-08:00

While I was in Canada, I simply googled 'Montreal and H1N1 shot'. It took me all of 15 minutes to google, locate and walk to the Palais de Congres to receive my H1N1 shot.

They have an efficient clinic set up to accommodate and distribute 300 vaccines an hour. It took me 20 minutes to walk in and out and (15 minutes was for observation after the shot). Unbelievable! They gave a free shot to an American and asked me no questions. I was prepared to say I was pregnant/living with my French/Canadian boyfriend etc. but I didn't have to. They kindly reprinted all the vaccine information from French to English and let me watch the English sub-titled version of the informative video in the waiting area. Meanwhile, I'm still waiting for a call from my DR. (who knows I run an infant daycare) to see if I'm 'high priority' enough to get the shot. So thank you very much Canada, hopefully the US will catch up sooner than later.

Holiday Scheduling

2009-11-14T16:59:00.000-08:00

Green Bean will be closed the Friday after Thanksgiving, you will not be responsible for payment for that day.

We will also be closed Christmas Eve through the New Year. Wednesday, Dec 23 will be the last day we will be open until Monday, January 4. Of course, you will not be charged for this time.

Update / cleaning conundrum

2009-11-12T17:44:00.000-08:00

Everyone is AOK! No child at the GB has caught swine flu. Mom is on the mend and even back to work this week. This scare did make me question green cleaning during flu season, because my first instinct was to go buy a bucket of bleach and sanitize everything. Meanwhile, 2 days prior to this piggy flu news, I was outraged when this was listed as the standard practice in the daycare orientation I attended (this meeting requires its own post but it was eye opening to say the least).

Bleach is a highly caustic chemical and can burn skin and eyes just with the slightest contact. There are warning signs of death on the bottle if ingested or swallowed. And this is the solution to spray on our children's toys that undoubtedly end up in their mouth? Not to mention that when bleach travels from our drain into the natural world, it can create carcinogens as well as reproductive, neurological, and immune-system toxins.

Thankfully, most all of our toys are wood. Wood is not bacteria-friendly and is considered an anti-bacterial surface. Plastic on the contrary, is a happy haven for bacteria. We disinfect and clean our toys and surfaces with a mix of green cleaners (simple green, mrs. meyers and dr. brommers, bon ami and any other fancy packaged cleansers, I'm sure I have it). I am an advocate of simplicity and try to use just white vinegar and water mixtures outside of flu season. However, all guides and my 'bible' HCHW all recommend warm soapy water and eco-friendly soap and a scrub brush. There is no need to set off toxic bombs in our homes when soap and water will do the exact same thing without leaving the toxic footprint behind for our children to live with.

Aside from making sure the children have the best possible care they can receive outside of their own families, conscientious cleaning is just about the most compassionate thing we can do for our children at the green bean.

Recipes for safe cleaners

http://healthychild.org/blog/comments/recipes_for_safer_cleaners

update: after extensive bleach research I will be ordering biokleen and seventh generation chlorine free bleach

H1N1

2009-11-06T19:03:00.000-08:00

I hope I didn't come off as an alarmist with my previous post. I just got this email from Town & Country (Levi's pediatrician) which put things in perspective and hopefully will ease your minds as well.

Dear Nicole,

We are now into the seventh month of this outbreak, and fortunately, the overall

severity of this infection has not increased. The media reports the most severely

affected patients without regard to the significant numbers who are not very ill

and recover easily. According to Center for Disease Control estimates, almost

6 million individuals have been infected, generating approximately 20,000 hospitalizations.

By those statistics, an individual with H1N1 disease has less than a 0.3% chance

of even being sick enough to be hospitalized. Please try not to fall prey to the

media-based hysteria. They are only giving the part of the story that draws viewers.

Diane Holmes M.D.

I know I've spoken highly of the book; Healthy Child, Healthy World in the past. In their monthly newsletter they give 4 perspectives on the choice to vaccinate. I will be honest, if I didn't work with children I don't think I would get the vaccine at all. However, since I do I will be getting it.

"Healthy Child Healthy World doesn’t typically address the vaccination debate, but we know it’s important to our audience of parents. And, it’s become especially important with the pandemic spread of the H1N1 virus. Parents are scared and we want to help. We don’t have a recommendation for whether you should vaccinate or not, but we do believe you should have easy access to expert insights that can help you make an informed decision. Here are four perspectives you should take into consideration.

Dr. Robert Sears:

Dr. Sears’ position on the issue is emblematic of the entire discussion. He states that in general, he doesn’t “have a recommendation one way or another.” He acknowledges H1N1 to be a serious illness that is potentially life-threatening, noting that “seasonal flu in the U.S. causes about 20 infant and 100 total pediatric deaths each year. The swine flu has so far caused 112 pediatric deaths.” In light of the 36,000 Americans who die of the flu every year, he believes that “the shot helps protect against the flu and lowers this risk.” But he also acknowledges the risk inherent, stating that “there hasn’t been a lot of research on safety and efficacy of flu shots”.

Though that fact is less than a comfort to both patients and physicians, Dr. Sears doesn’t “see any reason to doubt that our immune systems won’t respond to this vaccine the same way they respond to regular flu shots.” He also covers potential side effects, which he doesn’t predict to be any different from those experienced from regular flu shots.

So what really concerns Dr. Sears then?

“(W)hat I DO worry about is that infants will be getting FOUR (count them, FOUR) flu vaccines this year – two doses of the regular one, and two doses of the swine flu vaccine. That’s unprecedented. We’ve never given anyone four doses of a flu vaccine in one year.

There is no way to predict what the side effects might be.” His other major concern is that despite a complete lack of testing to determine if there is any harm to fetuses or young babies, both the regular flu and H1N1 vaccines are recommended unequivocally for pregnant and nursing mothers.

He advises getting the shots alone, as far apart as you can from any other shots. And he urges parents “to delay any vaccines for diseases that don’t pose an immediate danger to a baby’s or child’s life and catch up on those vaccines in February or March, a couple months after finishing the flu vaccines.” Consult your physician for which diseases pose an immediate risk and which can be delayed.

Dr. Jay Gordon:

Dr. Gordon seeks to quell the widespread alarm about H1N1 and discourage a knee-jerk impulse to vaccinate. He advises that winter flues are unavoidable, and integral to strengthening proper long-term immunity. “Children, in particular,” he says, “must suffer through a lot of winter illnesses because their immune systems are so inexperienced. New viruses get more people sick than older ones and this year the H1N1 virus is the newest common infection.”

Dr. Gordon believes the media are responsible for creating more anxiety about winter illness than at any time in recent memory. They are taking advantage of this situation to drive up TV viewership, increase web page visits, and sell more newspapers, he says, citing the SARS scare, the Bird Flu scare, and the West Nile Virus scare as examples.

He also includes the potential mortality risk as part of a broader scare tactic:

“The CDC released fatality data this past week and were quite clear in their assessment of this relatively non-virulent strain of influenza: 75-80% of the 76 children had significant or severe underlying medical problems.

Any child's death creates an extremely difficult public discussion but of the 300,000,000 Americans there are 45,000,000 children and teens and there have been 76 deaths of younger people. About 15 of these deaths occurred in seemingly healthy children and teens.

Please put all of these numbers in the proper perspective and realize that there are many important lifesaving topics for the media to publicize but none which sell papers and create TV viewership quite as well as this new flu…the science is terrible but the publicity is geared towards increasing fear, selling vaccines and Tamiflu and keeping us all on edge.”

He does not predict disaster from this year's pair of flu vaccines, but doesn’t think that they're a good use of our health care dollars, saying, “They are definitely not worth the amount of media and medical attention they've received and continue to receive.”

Jackie Lombardo, Sierra Club National Toxics Committee and SafeMinds.org:

Ms. Lombardo brings up questions about levels of mercury in the vaccine, and the contentious use of the preservative thimerosal. She provides a comprehensive breakdown of all of the ingredients used in the four different manufactured versions of the vaccine, and confirms that some do contain thimerosal, which is 49% mercury by weight.

The dangers, especially the risk of brain damage, associated with mercury are well established in scientific literature. So concerns over mercury exposure for infants, children, and pregnant women are no small matter. She points out that, “reviews in the medical journal The Lancet found a lack of health benefit of the seasonal flu vaccine for children under two and significantly increased rates of vaccine related adverse events in children.”

She recommends reading the package inserts very carefully, paying special attention to risks and safety studies, and insisting on a mercury-free version if you decide to get the shot. Refer to her complete list of ingredients before getting vaccinated.

Dr. Greene:

Dr. Greene emphasizes how little we know about the potential severity of the H1N1 flu, but he does believe it’s likely to be several times worse than usual flu season illness, with children, college and grad-school age adults and pregnant women most vulnerable. Interestingly, he points out that boys who catch H1N1 seem to get a lot sicker than the regular flu.

Overall he feels positively about the prognosis for the vaccine, though he admits that we don’t know the whole story. Though no serious side effects have been noted so far, he warns, “I expect we'll see some side effects emerge when larger populations are immunized. After all, if we gave enough people bananas or spinach we would see a few serious side effects and allergic reactions.” But he does feel that the benefits outweigh any risks.

He also quells a persistent rumor: that people will get the flu from the H1N1 vaccine. Not true, he says: “Unlike some other vaccines, this one is not a live virus; it's bits and pieces that recombine in the body and then prompt it later recognize and attack the flu virus.”

He prefers the versions with no added mercury as a preservative (the ones that come in single dose vials), and he reminds parents that no infants under 6 months should get the vaccine.

What You Can Do:

1. Carefully consider all of the perspectives we’ve presented here. Consider your child’s unique risks (e.g. children in day care are more at risk for catching H1N1 than children who are at home most of the time). Make an informed choice for your child. Unfortunately, the fact of the matter is that you’re taking a risk either way.

2. Stay as healthy as possible during flu season. Use our 10 Tips for Flu Season Super Defense, and practice vigilant but common sense prevention.

3. If you’re feeling ill, use Microsoft Health Vault's at-home tool designed to help people decide whether their symptoms indicate heading to a clinic or hospital or staying home in bed. This may help alleviate the strain on hospital emergency departments and help limit the number of people exposed to this life-threatening illness.

4. Still have more unanswered questions? The New York Times recently ran a comprehensive Q&A that covers more obscure concerns."

Editor's Note: Dr. Greene's quote says that the vaccine does not contain a live virus. This is true for the shot, but not for the nasal mist - which does contain the live virus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_rKKawZx0I

H1N1

2009-11-06T15:00:00.000-08:00

I was just told that one of our moms was diagnosed with swine flu today. I will be staying very late and sterilizing absolutely everything. I'm also going to try my best to get the vaccination shot for Levi tomorrow morning through his pediatricians office. I hope you all consider the benefits of doing the same. I will let you know more information as soon as I can.

On the up side; no one else in their family has caught it.

November 5

2009-11-02T18:02:00.000-08:00

I wish I was posting lots of photos from our Halloween party but I don't have any! I have to wait till they trickle in, but it was a great party. If you do have photos, please email them to me! It was thrilling for me to see all our babes together at the same time. Thank you to all the parents for coming with your bees, monkeys and bears!

I'm very excited to finally be meeting with DCFS this Thursday at 10 am for orientation to proceed with my daycare licensing. It has taken 10 months to get this meeting with the city! The time its taken to get my daycare license, I could have earned my masters degree. But I love this age group so much, that I will forever be bottle feeding and burping and asking where their belly button is. Its just that awesome for me. So thank you for being patient and trusting us, the green bean will soon be a licensed facility.

As promised...

2009-10-27T19:21:00.000-07:00

Here's the cutest bike-riding ring-bearer ever. Thanks to the bride, she bought all matching suits for the little ones and he wore his first clip-on tie. He was amazingly well behaved for being in a church for 4 hours.

Green Bean Halloween Party!

2009-10-20T17:52:00.001-07:00

Friday, October 30 5-7 p.m.
Bring your costumed little one for the cutest play date ever! We will
serve brains (spaghetti) and eyeballs (skinned grapes) and have a mini
haunted house for the kids. Its going to be awesome!

And for the adults we will celebrate with Gato Negro wine and a nice
selection of seasonal pumpkin ales. We are super Halloween dorks, so
please do us the honor and be our guests and don't forget to bring a
camera!

Love,
Ladies of the GB

Food

2009-10-20T14:10:00.000-07:00

As promised, here's a sampling of what we've learned the kids will eat. I usually try to introduce a wild card every week (this week is baby beets). I love seeing their face when they try something new. We usually end up making a few different meals during the day for those picky eaters who won't eat what is served, because who won't eat grilled cheese?

We currently have no one with food allergies, but do remain peanut free. We do not serve juice. No one drinks juice yet, but when its time and they start asking for it, we'll discuss with parents if its OK.

Breakfast

For those on baby food, we serve Earths Best Organic food and cereal.

The older kids love cheesy scrambled eggs, cinnamon raisin bagels with cream cheese and tons of fruit (no yogurt right now bc they think its baby food). Whole wheat waffles are Levi's favorite so we always have those on hand.

Lunch

You must know Dawn is a very good vegetarian cook and that's where we excel. She is also a firm believer in garlic and puts it in everything she makes. She's convinced it keeps you healthy so we all eat a lot of garlic! I don't cook much meat, but will start making Levi eat more sausage per doctor's orders today. He needs to put on some weight, he's only 21 pounds!

A few crowd favorites; garlic tofu scramble, polenta with fresh herbs and marinara, pasta of all kinds, pizza bagels, spinach and cheese quesadillas, veggie lasagna, mac n cheese n peas, veggie dogs/burgers, chicken / soy nuggets with a side of organic veggies with every meal.

Snacks

hummus / lentils

grapes / raisins

cheese

diced cinnamon apples

'bunny' crackers (Annie's)

fruit / veggies with cheese

puffs / cheerios

Yobaby organic yogurt

I don't serve anything that I wouldn't eat myself, I just need to start making a low fat version for myself. Ha!

Going home

2009-10-10T14:39:00.000-07:00

Its totally snuck up on me and I've had it on my calendar forever... This Friday, Oct 16 I will be leaving in the afternoon to head home to Indianapolis for my cousins rehearsal dinner. I'm a bridesmaid in his wedding and Levi is a ring bearer (I hope they don't mind that he will be crawling down the aisle!) I will be here in the morning and will leave after lunch. Dawn and Jackie will be able to handle the afternoon crew fabulously. Today, I went shopping for a suit for Levi. Of course there is NO dressy clothes for boys in all of Oak Brook but a zillion fancy dresses for girls! I just need a bow tie and 3 piece suit - when I find it I will def post photos! Thanks! And don't forget the following Friday is our Halloween party 5-7!

Look what we made today!

2009-10-08T12:05:00.000-07:00

We finally made our little pumpkin man! We used old plastic bags, a flower pot, Levi's clothes and our pumpkins from the patch. The kids can not stop staring at him, its so funny!

Food

2009-10-06T10:01:00.000-07:00

I wish I was the disciplined type to post a menu on Sunday to let you know exactly what your children will eat the coming week. I just don't think its going to happen, especially during the Bears season since most every Sunday I am at Soldier Field braving the elements and rooting for Johnny Knox.

I will post a sample menu based on this weeks food options. Ingredients vary and I try to include the most seasonal fruit but we do have our staples and I have each child in mind when I'm grocery shopping.

I'm very excited for today's experiment. I made whole wheat penne pasta and I pureed fresh broccoli and green squash for the sauce, olive oil and parmesan cheese and it was a big hit. E had 3 helpings! I'm really exploring purees and even though the older kids won't eat baby foods, I'm working it into most of their meals without them even knowing.

and the doctor said...

2009-10-01T05:34:00.001-07:00

Levi and I went to get checked out last night. As many of you know, I've been pretty hands off with the children due to my congestion. I thought it was just allergies but turns out I have a sinus infection that is not contagious and Levi has a mild ear infection. After taking meds last night and this morning, we are both feeling better. I am still stuck on poopy diaper duty since I'm the only one that can't smell them right now.

Go here now!

2009-09-29T06:45:00.000-07:00

I got my fall fix at Goebbert's Farm in South Barrington, ILL. We had amazing weather, took funny photos, and Levi saw his first camel! We ate a huge bag of kettle corn and its the best I've ever had. www.pumpkinfarms.com

I can't wait till next year when he can ride his own camel and walk through the corn maze. I am tip toeing into the world of baking and bought pumpkin butter to make some pumpkin bread this week. I love fall!

No open house this weekend

2009-09-25T09:07:00.000-07:00

Sorry, I posted an old 'ad' from Daily Candy, it was for our open house last month. I will not be here this Saturday for an open house. Levi and I will be picking out pumpkins and apples from the orchard tomorrow.

If you would like to arrange a visit to our nursery, please be in touch for a convenient meeting time.

We will have full time availability in October.

2009-09-23T05:53:00.000-07:00

Play by Numbers

Register Now for The Green Bean Nursery

Pop Quiz: 32 tiny hands and feet + 16 sparkling eyes + 8 smiles =

How Jon and Kate made a quick buck? Wrong. (In so many ways.)

Answer: The happy tots inside The Green Bean, a soon-to-open nursery for kiddies ages 6 weeks to 4 years. Registration starts now — and to keep things intimate, they’re capping enrollment at eight children.

Babies keep busy with fair trade teethers and toys, while toddlers plant vegetables, participate in nontoxic craft projects, and even learn to compost. Tykes of all ages will enjoy fresh, organic meals and all-natural bedding within the ecofriendly space.

Get a sneak peek at the open house this weekend.

You’ll see it all adds up.

The Green Bean, 3279 West Armitage Avenue, between Spalding and Sawyer Avenues, second floor (312-953-4173 orgreenbeannursery.com). Open house, Saturday, 1-5 p.m. For more information, go to thegreenbeannursery.blogspot.com.

Fall

2009-09-16T18:58:00.000-07:00

I'm giddy with fall fever, its my favorite season of the year. This September has been nothing short of amazing and we are milking every minute that we can spend outdoors with the kids.

With fall comes a holiday I never cared for until I had a baby. Halloween gets much more fun when you have a kid who has no say in the matter and will wear whatever you want them to wear. (insert creepy laugh here).

Save the date for the First Annual Green Bean Halloween Extravaganza! Friday, October 30 from 5-7 pm. Come! Relax! Meet the parents, meet the staff! Let your kid crawl and walk around uncomfortably in their ridiculously cute costumes! Its going to be awesome!

Levi last Halloween...wahahaha

Reason #25 why Dawn is so amazing...

2009-09-16T18:18:00.000-07:00

Today, we baked an almost entirely organic veggie lasagna from scratch. For those that know me (mom) you know how exciting this is. Ok Dawn, did all the hard work and I layered it and baked it. Dawn is teaching me how to cook and cook so that kids will eat it. Just yesterday, she cut up apple slices and sprinkled cinnamon on them and they were a huge hit! So easy and simple and I'm learning so much. Cooking is one area that I've leaned on my husband for far too long. I'm totally inspired to cook now so there will be lots of experiments, more than half will fail but I will do my best to provide the best ingredients and the very best intentions. In the mean time, Dawn will teach me the tricks of the trade. Todays creation was eggplant, zucchini and okra lasagna with homemade cheese sauce, Levi and I had seconds for dinner and it was delicious!

Fall schedule

2009-09-15T05:27:00.000-07:00

Due to some shuffling of days and schedules, we now have availability for full time. Please be in touch if you are still interested in part time.

Got a hot date?

2009-09-10T19:15:00.000-07:00

I do! And I can't wait to go to a nice dinner with Pete, its been ages. Wednesday night date night will start this coming Wednesday night. Lindsey will be working date nights, she's a recruiter by day but really wants her kid fix. She's worked in a daycare for 7 years and is absolutely amazing with children.

We will offer this service weekly every Wednesday night 6-10 pm. You must let me know no later than Monday of the week you will want to utilize PNO *parents night out* if you plan on keeping your child in our care. We will need to plan accordingly for dinners and possibly add another sitter depending on the number of children. The rate is $14/hour and is separate from your weekly cost of child care. You will make checks payable to Nicole Toalson on the date of service.

We will follow your child's routine as much as possible. Dinner, bath, reading and bedtime will be on the agenda and we will be do our best to get them to bed at their normal time.

Please contact me with any questions, comments or suggestions! Enjoy!

Flu Guidelines from the Washington Times

2009-09-04T18:07:00.000-07:00

Staff at the green bean have already or will receive flu shots asap.

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines Friday for day care programs that echo the advice for schools: Children need to be vaccinated - against both regular flu and the new swine flu - and they should stay home when they're sick. They shouldn't return until 24 hours after a fever naturally subsides.

"If your child comes down with the flu, we hope you plan to keep them home and not share this with their playmates," Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said.

The guidelines urge day care providers to do a quick health check every day, looking for children with flu-like symptoms or other signs that they might be getting ill, such as not playing normally. Centers should separate the sick child from others until he or she can be taken home.

But it can be very hard to tell if a child is sneezing because of flu, the common cold or even allergies.

"There are many, many different kinds of respiratory illnesses that children get, and we don't want to be sending children home unnecessarily," said Dr. Beth Bell, a CDC epidemiologist.

So a fever is what Dr. Bell called a "reasonable indicator" of flu, either the regular winter strains or the swine flu that scientists call the 2009 H1N1 flu.

While not everyone with swine flu has a fever, the CDC has said such cases are rare.

Regular winter flu kills 80 to 100 youngstersin the United Statesevery year, so children are supposed to get vaccinated against it each fall. But swine flu is putting new emphasis on flu and children: At least 40 children have died of it since spring, accounting for about one in 13 U.S. swine flu deaths, the CDC said this week, and it spreads very easily among children.

One puzzle: While regular winter flu is most dangerous to children 4 and under, most children who have died of swine flu so far are between the ages of 5 and 17. It's possible that's because school-age children are the group most infected so far, but scientists aren't sure.

Regardless, children of all ages are supposed to be among the first in line to receive the swine flu vaccine when it arrives in mid-October.

Vaccination against both types is a good idea for day care workers, too, Mrs. Sebelius said. It could mean the difference between a center staying open or having to close because of absent staff. Any child care workers that care for infants, or who themselves have high-risk conditions, will be among priority groups for the swine flu vaccine.

"It's the best way to keep them safe and the way to keep the children in the center safe," Mrs. Sebelius said." Washington Times

Check it out!

2009-09-03T18:33:00.000-07:00

I understand how easy it is to forget your check book, for the past few years my check book has been reserved for city of Chicago parking tickets. So I thought I would share with you an easier way to make your payments for child care. 2 families are now using online payment. Its a free service through Chase, they've set it up online that I receive a check in the mail directly from Chase for their child's weekly care. It's worked out great for us so far.

Also, remember we are closed on Labor Day, so we will see you on Tuesday! Enjoy your holiday weekend!

Photos are in!

2009-08-31T14:24:00.000-07:00

They are so stinking cute! Huge thanks to Alyssa Miserendino for capturing all these cuties at the open house.

You can view all photos and purchase directly from her site here.

http://alyssamiserendino.smugmug.com/People/green-bean-opener/9315025_7cmay/1/635250018_cy9FT

updates

2009-08-29T08:43:00.000-07:00

Lots of things happening over here.

We will be getting our buzzer installed early this coming week.

Planting on the garden has begun and we now have a rain barrel and compost bin.

Our hot water has been fixed!

We renewed our CPR / First Aid training for the year on Friday, much thanks to Jackie's mom who works for Northwestern Hospitals. Check out the classic photo on the fridge of the child dummy, Milo and Levi! Its so so funny, they were understandably freaked out by the dummy.

We have new babes starting this week; Henry, Hazel, Jacqueline and William! Welcome!

Our current availability is now only Monday. We have 2 spots still available for full day or half days. Tuesday - Friday are full.

Back to Work

2009-08-22T13:35:00.001-07:00

Flashback to almost exactly a year ago when I returned to work to the NBC building (an hour late) for the first time in almost 5 months. I was late because I had failed to remember Levi's breast milk at his in home day care. I also forgot the tubes to attach to my breast pump and couldn't pump the entire 10 hour day. Needless to say I was in physical pain, scatterbrained and I missed my baby. It was one of the worst days, physically and emotionally I can remember in a long time. I was also coming to the realization that I couldn't (didn't want to) keep the production schedule of long days and very late nights. So...

I've reached out to my online momma group and they've sent me some great tips to help with your transition back to the real world and avoid the mistakes I made. Enjoy!

"I only lasted a few weeks pumping at work, but for me it was very important

to book my pumping times in my work calendar so people couldn't schedule me

for meetings. I would just book the 30 minutes without an explanation and

people scheduled around me. If pumping be sure to have healthy snacks on

hand.

Don't forget the small cooler to bring home that precious milk everyday."

"I'm going back to work next week. I don't have any tips from personal

experience, but here are some things I'm doing to get myself ready:

-establishing a frozen milk supply, that way the day care has extra in

case one is spilled, or Sean just eats like a goblin that day

-I'm bringing Sean in early in the week for a "trial run" I'll go to

work for a few hours (ahem-volunteering my time as teachers are known

to do), that is also when I'm bringing his supplies (crib sheet,

diaper rash ointment. . .). I'm hoping it makes the first real drop

off easier because I've already left him there before. If you can't

drop him off for a few hours before the first day of work you could

always just visit and let your baby play for 30 min or so

-if you can go back to work on a Wednesday or Thursday it makes the

first week away very short. Then you can ease into it more.

-I've heard having a picture of your baby makes it easier to pump (I

haven't tried this)"

"I highly suggest really preparing the night before. Pick out your outfit,

back your pump and all the supplies and get everything ready to go in order

to make it as easy as possible. Also make sure to get everything ready for

baby too...especially if you are bringing baby to daycare or something and

don't have a nanny. Also, give yourself AN HOUR longer than you would normally need. It takes awhile to get used to the new routine in the morning and if you have more

time you will be less stressed.

DON'T FORGET BREAST PADS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You do NOT want to be at work

without them.

"If you work downtown you can buy medela accessories at the pharmacy by

northwestern. i did that once when i was in a pinch.

keep breast pads in your desk. i also think some of those heating pad things

that have adhesive on the back that are for sore muscles are good to have

on hand. i had blocked ducts a couple of times and it came from out of

nowhere while i was at work."

"I also suggest having some of the storage bags that you can pump

directly into stashed somewhere at work, in case you forget bottles

one day. I've pretty much forgotten every combination of things, so

keep backups for as many things as possible. Luckily my work gives you

a locker so I can leave the actual pump there.

Oh, also label your little cooler and ice pack, especially if you have

the medela ones. I opened the fridge door at in the mom's room and

found 6 identical coolers."

"I suggest using a more standard looking lunch bag so your stuff "fits in" in

the office fridge. I second the suggestions to have extra frozen milk at

daycare, block your calendar and have the storage bags at your desk just in

case. I hooked mine up using rubber bands once. And since I could never

figure out what do with my wet pump parts after I'd washed them, I invented

a pump parts bag using an old towel. I LOVED having that thing.

http://marketingmommy.blogspot.com/2007/11/tales-from-pump-im-inventor.html

Packing everything the night before was key too. I'd even go so far as to

post a checklist by the door.

And Nicole, if you could do one thing for the mamas...call or email them mid

day to tell them what their babies are up to. I'll never forget how much I

loved the update calls I'd get from Adriana periodically. She always started

with "Nothing's wrong..."

Noted. Moms' I will send you a photo of your little one on his/her first day and let you know that all is good. I know how hard it is and will do everything I can to make this transition for everyone as easy as possible. At least you will have peace of mind that they are safe and in loving arms.

availability update

2009-08-20T08:06:00.000-07:00

Tuesdays and Thursdays are full. We do have room on MWF for all day or 1/2 day.

Sneak Peak at our open house photos with lots more to follow!

2009-08-18T06:15:00.000-07:00

Great article forwarded to me from a fantastic GB mom...

2009-08-17T16:53:00.000-07:00

OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR

Your Baby Is Smarter Than You Think

Brian Rea

GENERATIONS of psychologists and philosophers have believed that babies and young children were basically defective adults — irrational, egocentric and unable to think logically. The philosopher John Locke saw a baby’s mind as a blank slate, and the psychologist William James thought they lived in a “blooming, buzzing confusion.” Even today, a cursory look at babies and young children leads many to conclude that there is not much going on.

New studies, however, demonstrate that babies and very young children know, observe, explore, imagine and learn more than we would ever have thought possible. In some ways, they are smarter than adults.

Three recent experiments show that even the youngest children have sophisticated and powerful learning abilities. Last year, Fei Xu and Vashti Garcia at the University of British Columbia proved that babies could understand probabilities. Eight-month-old babies were shown a box full of mixed-up Ping-Pong balls: mostly white but with some red ones mixed in. The babies were more surprised, and looked longer and more intently at the experimenter when four red balls and one white ball were taken out of the box — a possible, yet improbable outcome — than when four white balls and a red one were produced.

In 2007, Laura Schulz and Elizabeth Baraff Bonawitz at M.I.T. demonstrated that when young children play, they are also exploring cause and effect. Preschoolers were introduced to a toy that had two levers and a duck and a puppet that popped up. One group was shown that when you pressed one lever, the duck appeared and when you pressed the other, the puppet popped up. The second group observed that when you pressed both levers at once, both objects popped up, but they never got a chance to see what the levers did separately, which left mysterious the causal relation between the levers and the pop-up objects. Then the experimenter gave the children the toys to play with. The children in the first group played with the toy much less than the children in the second group did. When the children already knew how the toy worked, they were less interested in exploring it. But the children in the second group spontaneously played with the toy, and just by playing around, they figured out how it worked.

In 2007 in my lab at Berkeley, Tamar Kushnir and I discovered that preschoolers can use probabilities to learn how things work and that this lets them imagine new possibilities. We put a yellow block and a blue block on a machine repeatedly. The blocks were likely but not certain to make the machine light up. The yellow block made the machine light up two out of three times; the blue block made it light up only two out of six times.

Then we gave the children the blocks and asked them to light up the machine. These children, who couldn’t yet add or subtract, were more likely to put the high-probability yellow block, rather than the blue one, on the machine.

We also did the same experiment, but instead of putting the high-probability block on the machine, we held it up over the machine and the machine lit up. Children had never seen a block act this way, and at the start of the experiment, they didn’t think it could. But after seeing good evidence, they were able to imagine the peculiar possibility that blocks have remote powers. These astonishing capacities for statistical reasoning, experimental discovery and probabilistic logic allow babies to rapidly learn all about the particular objects and people surrounding them.

Sadly, some parents are likely to take the wrong lessons from these experiments and conclude that they need programs and products that will make their babies even smarter. Many think that babies, like adults, should learn in a focused, planned way. So parents put their young children in academic-enrichment classes or use flashcards to get them to recognize the alphabet. Government programs like No Child Left Behind urge preschools to be more like schools, with instruction in specific skills.

But babies’ intelligence, the research shows, is very different from that of adults and from the kind of intelligence we usually cultivate in school. Schoolwork revolves around focus and planning. We set objectives and goals for children, with an emphasis on skills they should acquire or information they should know. Children take tests to prove that they have absorbed a specific set of skills and facts and have not been distracted by other possibilities.

This approach may work for children over the age of 5 or so. But babies and very young children are terrible at planning and aiming for precise goals. When we say that preschoolers can’t pay attention, we really mean that they can’t not pay attention: they have trouble focusing on just one event and shutting out all the rest. This has led us to underestimate babies in the past. But the new research tells us that babies can be rational without being goal-oriented.

Babies are captivated by the most unexpected events. Adults, on the other hand, focus on the outcomes that are the most relevant to their goals. In a well-known experiment, adults saw a video of several people tossing a ball to one another. The experimenter told them to count how many passes particular people made. In the midst of this, a person in a gorilla suit walked slowly through the middle of the video. A surprising number of adults, intent on counting, didn’t even seem to notice the unexpected gorilla.

Adults focus on objects that will be most useful to them. But as the lever study demonstrated, children play with the objects that will teach them the most. In our study, 4-year-olds imagined new possibilities based on just a little data. Adults rely more on what they already know. Babies aren’t trying to learn one particular skill or set of facts; instead, they are drawn to anything new, unexpected or informative.

Part of the explanation for these differing approaches can be found in the brain. The young brain is remarkably plastic and flexible. Brains work because neurons are connected to one another, allowing them to communicate. Baby brains have many more neural connections than adult brains. But they are much less efficient. Over time, we prune away the connections we don’t use, and the remaining ones become faster and more automatic. Moreover, the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that controls the directed, planned, focused kind of intelligence, is exceptionally late to mature, and may not take its final shape until our early 20s.

In fact, our mature brain seems to be programmed by our childhood experiences — we plan based on what we’ve learned as children. Very young children imagine and explore a vast array of possibilities. As they grow older and absorb more evidence, certain possibilities become much more likely and more useful. They then make decisions based on this selective information and become increasingly reluctant to give those ideas up and try something new. Computer scientists talk about the difference between exploring and exploiting — a system will learn more if it explores many possibilities, but it will be more effective if it simply acts on the most likely one. Babies explore; adults exploit.

Each kind of intelligence has benefits and drawbacks. Focus and planning get you to your goal more quickly but may also lock in what you already know, closing you off to alternative possibilities. We need both blue-sky speculation and hard-nosed planning. Babies and young children are designed to explore, and they should be encouraged to do so.

The learning that babies and young children do on their own, when they carefully watch an unexpected outcome and draw new conclusions from it, ceaselessly manipulate a new toy or imagine different ways that the world might be, is very different from schoolwork. Babies and young children can learn about the world around them through all sorts of real-world objects and safe replicas, from dolls to cardboard boxes to mixing bowls, and even toy cellphones and computers. Babies can learn a great deal just by exploring the ways bowls fit together or by imitating a parent talking on the phone.

(Imagine how much money we can save on “enriching” toys and DVDs!)

But what children observe most closely, explore most obsessively and imagine most vividly are the people around them. There are no perfect toys; there is no magic formula. Parents and other caregivers teach young children by paying attention and interacting with them naturally and, most of all, by just allowing them to play.

Alison Gopnik is a professor of psychology at Berkeley and the author of “The Philosophical Baby.”

Newbies!

2009-08-17T10:53:00.000-07:00

Hi,

My blogs are slowly turning into quick bulletins - too much to do here! I wanted to clarify a few things for the part and full timers who are about to start in a few weeks. Most of you are 'easing' into the routine of daycare and coming a few weeks before you go back to work etc. The transition week will still require your full weekly amount, regardless of the time spent at the nursery. I hope you understand this is the only fair thing to do as I'm holding spots for most people almost in a month in advance and not requiring weekly dues in the mean time. Most places require weekly dues till you begin and a non refundable deposit just to hold your spot. Any questions or concerns please be in touch. Thanks all! Can't wait to see you soon!

good news is

2009-08-13T14:46:00.000-07:00

we still have a few slots available on M, W, TH and Friday. Bad news is that Tuesday is full.

We may be full...

2009-08-12T15:44:00.000-07:00

While Levi is taking a very rare early evening nap, I wanted to take a second and let parents know where we stand with availability. Working on many part time schedules is very time consuming and with only verbal commitments from many of you, please understand that its not set and your spot is not finalized until we have forms in hand with a weeks deposit. I'm sorry to have to be so strict, but I want to focus my time on the children and not rearranging a lot of temporary schedules and many parents need immediate placement. So if we have worked on times and days, please drop in and supply me with the consent forms and then we can secure your children's spot here at the green bean. Thanks a lot!

Dream come true!

2009-08-09T13:54:00.000-07:00

What a day! Thank you to all of you that helped me in getting ready for yesterday. I'm so happy with the feel of the space (thank you Lori for your design coaching!) it is so so cozy and comfortable. Yesterday was so amazing to see so many kids tearing into all the activities and having a great time. We signed up quite a few baby beans yesterday but we do still have space for more. With a very large demand for part time care, I am juggling schedules and I am happy to fill your specific needs.

Thank you all, it really is a dream come true!

Hello Again!

2009-08-07T07:39:00.000-07:00

I was so not prepared for the tidal wave of calls and emails I've received after the Daily Candy posting! I have to apologize to those I haven't gotten back to - I've been swamped. We have been hard at work on moving, cleaning, decorating and also have taken in our own first little bean. 'E' and Levi have become fast buddies and it makes me so happy when I see them playing together and sharing. They wear each other out and Levi has been sleeping so much harder and 1 hour longer in the mornings (great news for me)!

First week has been awesome, considering all the modern day conveniences we have not had. All final construction will be done today and we will be fully operational. Just in time for us to open our doors and let the kids run wild, I can't wait!

Many of you have noticed that I get no cell phone reception inside the space. Our land line here at the Green Bean is 773-956-5607.

Also, many parents have been stopping by prior to the open house to secure a spot. I do still have spots available for tomorrow, but not many. I am giving priority to full timers but am still open to part timers. I just like the consistency of a core group of kids.

However, there has been so much interest in socializing and play groups that I am working on a schedule for half day play groups/workshops. This would allow those with children currently with a nanny in need of a little social hour / play time to come over for a few hours a week and play, story time in the garden, learning how to recycle, painting on the sun porch, park play etc.

If you are interested in either full or part time, weekday or a Saturday play group at the Green Bean - please get in touch with me asap and I hope to be able to work with your schedule. Future plans will include Green Bean Birthday parties and other eco-friendly activities.

Its coming together!

2009-07-31T19:37:00.001-07:00

I can't believe it! The construction dust is clearing and its looking so great. Up tomorrow at 7 am for a marathon weekend of cleaning and scrubbing, setting up furniture and decorating. Today was a milestone. The fence was put up, lights turned on, debris removed, stain finished, shellac - ing done, exterior painting started etc. While a few things will still be unfinished as of Monday, absolutely everything should be finished as of Friday of next week. The kitchen countertops will be in on Thursday at the latest, they are using a special treatment that uses less chemicals and takes a few extra days. As much fun as this whole process has been, I can't wait to get to the business of babies.

Taking a breather...

2009-07-29T19:18:00.000-07:00

I was hoping to make huge strides in unpacking and setting up today. However, Levi had his 1 year check up and not only does the poor kid have 5 band - aids on his legs and arms from shots but he also has a double ear infection! I had to slow down and baby him because he was so miserable. Hopefully, he will sleep well tonight and we will be back at it tomorrow.

On good grounds

2009-07-29T14:13:00.001-07:00

The soil was just tested in the backyard of the green bean and it turned out very good! We can plant veggies in the garden as planned. We will also have container gardening and composting for toddlers up in the sun porch.

Moving day(s)

2009-07-27T19:00:00.000-07:00

Hi, Just a quick note to let you know I am in and out moving things over to the new space and making last minute runs for toy storage...Levi is so over this part of the process. He wants to get to the playing with new friends part of the deal. If I don't email you back right away, please don't hesitate to call my cell 312-953-4173. See you soon!

world wide web

2009-07-22T19:40:00.001-07:00

We are now live at www.greenbeannursery.com! The complete web site will follow after the opening. I have to take a moment to thank a few special people that have worked so very hard for the green bean.

Cody Hudson designed my fabulous logo and all the artwork for the opening and for the web site. He does big time fancy pants clients like Burton, Bugaboo and Nike as well as showing his art at Andrew Rafacz gallery here in Chicago. I've been going to his art shows for years now and I am so honored to have his art work representing the green bean. You can see his art work here www.struggleinc.com.

Alyssa Miserendino of www.alyssamiserendino.com. Her photos are beautiful and I can't wait to see her work from my son's 1st birthday party. She had the genius idea to shoot the party in all of its candid glory rather than have a sit down portrait for his 1st birthday. It will be a great keepsake for us to remember the day and celebration. She will also be photographing the open house and will have photos on a web site for parents to view and purchase.

And last but not least, Gregory McClendon at www.thisisseamless.com is doing my web work and is a super talented designer as well. I am so lucky to be surrounded by such talented and amazing friends. There is plenty more that I will give shout outs to in the near future, stay tuned!

Floors are finished!

2009-07-22T19:05:00.000-07:00

I am so happy with how the floors came out, they are finished and look amazing! They were sanded 3 times with a water based treatment and it was not the chemical bomb I was afraid it was going to be. The rest of the weeks to do list; stain the wood trim, install kitchen cabinets, install energy star kitchen appliances! I will be able to move over the nursery furniture this Sunday. I will have 1 week to get things in order before we open. I've ordered a lot of fantastic art and hope it makes it in time for the open house.

You're Invited! Open House Saturday, Aug 8

2009-07-18T15:36:00.001-07:00

Happy 1st Birthday Levi!

2009-07-18T15:09:00.000-07:00

Q & A

2009-07-14T19:53:00.001-07:00

I wanted to answer a few questions that keep coming up

Q: Do you have openings?
A: Yes, I do have openings. I've saved several openings for the open house since no one has actually seen the space yet. Its very important for the parents to feel comfortable with me and with the environment their child will be in.

Q: Do you charge extra for cloth diapering?
A: No! I welcome cloth diapers!

Q: What if my baby is crying, will you pick him/her up?
A: Of course! One parent said that another daycare provider answered 'No, at this age they are just looking for attention" !!? I can't believe this was a response! It makes me angry - of course they want attention they are babies and toddlers that look up to their care giver for support/love/praise.

Q: Do you take part timers?
A: Yes, I will take both part time and full time.

Q: Do you have other staff?
A: I currently have 1 full timer (Jackie) and a few part timers and temp help (Nicole #2) until school starts and she goes back to teaching 2nd grade. I am interviewing several qualified girls in the upcoming weeks.

Q: Will you have a schedule?
A: Yes, I look forward to a set schedule! While I will not dictate each child's nap time, I will adhere to their normal naps/feeding times. There will be a lot of free play but it will be guided. We will use every opportunity to turn play into an educational experience.

Q: Do you use sign language?
A: Yes, I will use the most common signs (water, milk, more) etc.

Q: Will you have a TV?
A: No. We will be TV free, but will be listening to a lot of NPR and music through out the day.

Q: Why should I go with a 'green' daycare?
A: I have a million answers for this one. But if I could recommend one required reading and the one book that steered me down this path, Healthy Child Healthy World This book does an excellent job of explaining the impact we can have on our children's health by eliminating toxins and pesticides from their environment and foods.

shelebration!

2009-07-14T18:28:00.000-07:00

We went to Millennium Park last night for the Shel Silverstein 'Shelebration'. It was one of those perfect Chicago summer nights and it just made me fall in love with my city all over again. Not only are the new gardens by the Modern wing at the Art Institute amazing but how cool is it that Chicago would do a whole festival in honor of Shel Silverstein and have one of my most favorite musicians to sing his songs (Will Oldham)! Levi had a ball with all the other kiddos, and ate from everyone's picnic basket the entire time. Now I have to download all of his books to play on my ipod at the nursery. Speaking of, I'm hunting down children's music that will not drive me insane. Please leave me any suggestions that you or your baby likes.

Can't type - hands hurt!

2009-07-13T13:19:00.000-07:00

Painted all day Saturday and finished it and I must say, its better than I expected! It looks beautiful. I am so happy with Colori and they were the nicest people to deal with ( I had to go back 2x on Saturday for more paint). These are the colors I chose. The blue is 'salt water' and it looks so nice in the bedrooms. Cricket white and Green Tea are lovely. This week the floors will be sanded and hopefully start on the wood working and finishing. I'm also in the midst of planning Levi's 1st birthday party and am currently looking for a petting zoo to come to the backyard. It will be over the top, but he's only 1 once!

inspiration!

2009-07-07T21:28:00.000-07:00

Staying up late and looking through Flickr for nursery photos and I found this gem!

Of course its from the 70's but it could also be on the cover of Cookie this month - its timeless! I absolutely love it. I keep stressing out on all these color swatches but I look at Levi's room and its all white with colorful art and pops of color throughout. I need to post a photo of his room next.

decision time!

2009-07-06T05:20:00.000-07:00

Now that we have walls up - today I make my visit to Colori www.colorichicago.com. They are an eco-paint boutique on North Ave and offer color consulting. I have a very clear image of what I want but still no decisions have been made, so I need help. The look and feel will be very cool and soothing to babies and adults as well. Hopefully they have non voc chalkboard paint!

Saturday, August 8

2009-07-02T18:30:00.000-07:00

Grand Opening for Busy Beaver Button Co. and The Green Bean on Saturday, August 8!

the green bean;
an eco-friendly nursery
3279 W. Armitage Ave. FL 2
Chicago, Illinois 60647

Open House
1:00-5:00PM
sweets, drinks and organic baby food!

Ribbon Cutting
1:30PM
Ceremony with 35th Ward Alderman Rey Colon

we have walls!

2009-07-02T18:17:00.000-07:00

I know its not the most exciting picture, but its proof we are using every effort to retain a perfect little non toxic space for your babe. Christen owner of Busy Beaver Buttons and owner of the building went the extra mile and surrounded our space with EcoBatt http://www.ecobatt.us/eco_batt.html pretty amazing stuff, its made from sand and comes with the greenguard certification.

GREENGUARD Certification
ECOSE Technology contains no phenol, formaldehyde, acrylics or artificial colors. EcoBatt Insulation is certified to GREENGUARD for Children and SchoolsSM, the industry’s most stringent IAQ standard, and also passes California CHPS Section 01350.

A (baby) step back

2009-06-29T10:02:00.000-07:00

I should be used to the delays and blown deadlines from remodeling our house a few years ago, but its still frustrating as I just want to get in there!

Our hopes of moving in this week are gone. We are looking at a mid-July move in date. I will have to reschedule the open house date and push it back to August. I just won't have the time to get it ready. Apologies to all! For those parents that are interested in a later start date anyway, you will still be welcome to stop by and see the progress anytime once we move in (July 19). We will be able to get (non voc) paint on the walls as of next week while the carpentry finishing takes place.

For the children already signed up for Monday, August 3 there will be no changes. That will continue to be the first day for those with spots at the green bean!

Hang in there, its worth the wait I promise!

the green bean nursery

www.greenbeandayschool.com

Building a School or Blood Sweat & Fears

www.greenbeandayschool.com

Green Bean is Growing!

Reggio Emilia Winter Conference next weekend!

The Second NAREA Winter Conference

"Building Learning Through Documentation and Community"

Miami, Florida February 26-27, 2011 In Collaboration with Reggio Children and L'Atelier

Presentations by Amelia Gambetti, Lella Gandini, L'Atelier educators from Miami and Project Infinity educators from Georgia and South Carolina

Visit to L'Atelier, a school in dialogue with Reggio Children for 10 years

Participation of Florida Reggio Collaborative educators

Green Bean is closed Feb 2 & 3 due to blizzard

A great reminder for me today...

Holiday Hours

Green Bean is Going Amish!

Belgium bans toxic childrens mats

Make Halloween Buttons Tonight!

2nd Annual Green Bean Halloween!

Roll Call

Exciting things around the corner...

LABOR DAY

Rama Lama Pajama!

Cooking With My Kid

The Green Bean is 1!

*New Phone Number*

Phone Trouble

Potty Trained in 1 Day? Very Tempting...

Green Mama

10 Reasons To Line Dry

Parking Lot Times & Guidelines

GB Parking Lot

Parking

Green Ideas Event in our building!

Busy Beaver hosts Green Ideas Event Tonight

Memorial Day

Clothing

Roll Call

Green Bean Spring Fling!

Germs

Drop offs

Parking

And the winner is...

We're back (sort of)...

Vacation Reminder

Pardon our mess

Visit us on Facebook!

Are You Awake?

Babysitting now available!

Spammed!

Longman & Eagle

New Faces

Winter 2010 Availability

Happy New Year!

New Years Eve!

OK Seriously...

Change of Plans / I love the suburbs!

Wednesday, Dec 16

Babies: The Movie!

Thank You Canada!

Holiday Scheduling

Update / cleaning conundrum

H1N1

H1N1

November 5

As promised...

Green Bean Halloween Party!

Food

Going home

Look what we made today!

Food

and the doctor said...

Go here now!

No open house this weekend

We will have full time availability in October.

Play by Numbers

Register Now for The Green Bean Nursery

*Fall*

Reason #25 why Dawn is so amazing...

Fall schedule

New Phone Number

Fall