Easter (April 12) isn’t far away and the daffodils are already blooming.

Check out these fun spring-is-here gifts for kids from Windowbox.com

Butterfly Garden Watch them grow then let them go! Raise 3 to 5 Painted Lady butterflies while learning all about metamorphosis with this Oppenheim Best Toy Award-winning butterfly raising kit! See each caterpillars transition as it matures, changes into a chrysalid, and finally emerges as a Painted Lady butterfly! After observing your butterflies, experience the joy of releasing them into your backyard! Absolutely safe to release into the environment. Includes colorful pop-up habitat suitable for hanging or free-standing on a countertop, pre-paid certificate for 3 to 5 butterfly larvae with special food, feeding kit and complete instructions.Notice! This kit doesn’t contain any live insects, but contains a mail-in certificate for the live critters. The kit with live insects is available elsewhere in the Insect Lore store.Three butterflies are guaranteed to be perfect specimens. Please allow approximately 3 weeks for your larvae to develop. During extremely hot or cold weather, delivery of live larvae may be delayed. Available only in the Continental U.S. and Alaska.

Flower Pot Painting KitTurn the ordinary into extraordinary! Customize these two terra cotta pots with your own decorations. Kit includes two 3.5″ terra cotta pots, non-toxic paints and a brush.

Butterfly Watering CanReady, set, water! These unique watering cans are the perfect mix of fun and mischief for your little gardener. Fun to use, the watering cans make a great gift for any child eager to help outdoors. The five different designs based on creatures found in the garden add to their appeal, making them perfect for anyone under 12. Galvanized for durability and a topside loop for hanging, your plants (and kids) will be in hydration heaven! Available in Manny Mantis, Webster Spider, Flutter Butterfly, Buzzby Bee or Dot Ladybug.

Nyokki – ChickeeNyokki means grow in Japanese, and that’s exactly what these Nyokki Pets do! These little pet plants are adorable and original and they are hand made in Japan from glazed ceramic. They are shaped like eggs with fabric legs. Filled with a growing media and rye grass seeds, these Nyokki pets are easy to grow – seeds germinate and grass grows to full height in less than two weeks. You can style your Nyokki’s “hair” or cut it and watch it grow again! Choose from Monkey, Chickee, Froggie, Panda, and Piglet.

Dinosaur Plant Grow KitThis one-of-a-kind marvel has lived on the Earth for over 290 million years and has had the ability to come back to life over and over again for hundreds of years! The Dinosaur Plant came to be just before the dinosaurs began to emerge, and it still lives on today! Place this seemingly dead ball of foliage in water and within hours it transforms into a vibrant green evergreen! Let it dry out and it will return to the dried state it ships in. This fantastic specimen can hibernate for up to fifty years and will spring to life every time it is given water. This complete kit contains everything needed for you to grow your very own scaly-leaved Dinosaur Plant: plant, display bowl, and real volcanic stones! Water not included.

Take the kids to see the newborn male giraffe calf born at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden.

The 12-day-old reticulated giraffe calf measures approximately 5 feet, 5 inches and weighs 126 pounds.
Born to parents Sharon and Charlie on Feb. 9, the calf will nurse for about one year and will remain at Riverbanks for two to three years before being placed at another zoo.

The name of the calf will be announced early next week.

If you’re planning to take your family for a visit, remember the weather in February can be a bit unpredictable. Be sure to check the temperature before you plan to see the baby. The weather should be favorable and the temperature must be above 45 degrees before the giraffe can have access to the exhibit.

For more info, call Riverbanks at 803.779.8717 or click here.

Susan Shami.

Congratulations.  Susan wins FOUR weeks of gymnastics classes for free for one student (either preschool or schoolage,  her choice).

CoachWayne2GO‘s team of gymnasts bring their mobile gym and gymnastic and tumbling instruction to your neighborhood or child’s school.s

Thanks to everyone who participated. You were all correct.  CoachWayne2GO offers gymnastic classes@:
SouthBridge
Savannah Christian Prep. School
JEA/JCC
The Landings
Hilton Head Island
Bluffton

CoachWayne2GO’s mobile gym teaches budding gymnasts, as well as cheerleaders, martial artists, baton twirlers, dancers or anyone else who needs to improve their tumbling skills.

Sign up by calling 1-888-548-4545 or 912.238.1747 or email: Coach@CoachWayne.com.

Look for another giveaway from a different business to be announced here Monday.

My 2-year-old son is excited to start playing soccer and points out the Chatham County Soccer Complex every time we ride by. Have you signed up yet? Savannah Celtic’s toddler soccer program will start the week of March 23 and run through April 27.

The local youth soccer league, Savannah Celtic, already offers programs for older children.

Now in it’s 5th season, the league is having a fun, action-packed Early Goals program which specifically caters to players ages 2-3 & 4. Coaches will work on simple motor skills and ball familiarity. Early Goal players will attend one practice session a week (Mondays or Fridays — parent’s choice), 5:15-6:00 p.m. @ the Chatham County Soccer Complex on the corner of Sallie Mood and Eisenhower drives or one on Fridays @ Brooks field on Wilmington Island.

Fee for the six-week program is $50. This includes a practices t-shirt and end of the season awards.

Days to chose from:

Monday 5:15 @ Chatham County Soccer Complex (corner of Sallie Mood & Eisenhower)
Friday 5:15 @ Brooks Field on Wilmington Island
Friday 5:15 @ Chatham County Soccer Complex

For more information, contact Michell Laing michell@savannhceltic.com or 912.495.9996.

This week, I will ask our pediatrician whether my toddler son needs to start taking vitamins like these, Dr. Sears Brainy Kidz Go Fish Omega 3 soft chews and Little Champions Children’s Multivitamin soft chews.

I am willing to do anything to beef up my kids’ immunity and brain development. But there’s plenty of pros who say vitamins aren’t necessary if your child eats a healthy diet.

The question of Do Kids Need Vitamins? is a hot topic on blogs like Babble. Read the contrasting answers here.

Do you think vitamins for kids improve their health? Or are they just a marketing ploy and waste of money?

Attention thrifty mamas.

An amazing sale is going on Children’s Place stuff at Amazon.com.

Dresses like this one for $1.49. Shirts or pants for $1.50. Click here.
Thanks to SouthernMamas reader Richard Barid (Yes! Daddies read us, too) for the tip on this sale!

This little stool of mine.
I use it all the time.
To reach the things I couldn’t.
And lots of things I shouldn’t.

When it comes to baby gifts, second and subsequent children are tough to buy for. Our newborn daughter had pretty much everything she needed thanks to hand-me-downs from relatives and second-hand baby gear our son used.
Which is why the personalized Kabooster child step stool we received for Frances was such a treat. Something her very own. Something practical. Something she would have forever. Something so cute and well-made.

Kabooster step stools are made of furniture grade birch hardwood plywood and coated with a long lasting protective finish.
The finest joinery techniques are utilized for a lifetime of safe use. Colorful handles make it easy for kids to move them around and explore.

The stools have a 10 year replacement warranty and come in three colors, green, blue and magenta. You can select from 16 different icons, baseballs to tulips. (Francie’s has a butterfly) Click here to check out the step stools and give the kid in your life a boost.

Kabooster is a sponsor of SouthernMamas

Get ready to do cartwheels, hand-springs and somersaults over this week’s SouthernMamas giveaway.

CoachWayne2GO, whose team of gymnasts bring their mobile gym and gymnastic and tumbling instruction to your neighborhood or child’s school, is giving away FOUR weeks of classes for free for one student (either preschool or schoolage, the winner’s choice).

Typically, four weeks of a preschool class cost $50 and four weeks of school-age class (6+ yrs.) costs $70.

If the winner chooses to sign up after the free classes,  he or she will not charged the $35 registration fee.

Check out the rules below to enter to win:

To enter to win, find the answer to this question. CoachWayne2Go currently offers lessons at six locations. Name one. Hint: visit the CoachWayne2GO Web site by clicking here and scroll down.  Email your answer and YOUR NAME to anne@southernmamas.com. Entry period closes 9 pm Thurs. Feb. 19.

We’ll pick a name at random and announce the winner Fri. Feb. 20.

CoachWayne2GO’s mobile gym teaches budding gymnasts, as well as cheerleaders, martial artists, baton twirlers, dancers or anyone else who needs to improve their tumbling skills.

Sign up by calling 1-888-548-4545 or 912.238.1747 or email: Coach@CoachWayne.com.

Somehow superparents Amber & Dove McHargue – mom and dad to 2-year-old triplet boys – manage to find time to volunteer.

That includes partaking in the March of Dimes’ March For Babies on April 25 in Daffin Park. The McHargue family got involved in the annual event after their triplet boys were born prematurely two and a half years ago. This will be their third time walking in the fund-raising event.

The McHargues would love to get more people involved whether it be sponsoring them, joining their team and raising money and walking with them or inviting others to start their own team. Click here for more info. on how to get involved.

Triplets Lex, Brody and Collin McHargue were born at 32 weeks gestation – which is 8 weeks early. Lex spent 18 days in the hospital and Brody and Collin spent 19. The triplets – pictured here shortly after birth – all weighed less than 4lbs when they came home.

Fortunately, all three are healthy and advanced for their age. But not all premies are so lucky. Often, preemies are at risk for physical and developmental delays.

The March of Dimes helps give such babies a chance by funding research and providing resources.

“These are babies that can fit their entire wrist through your wedding band,” says Amber. “These babies deserve a chance. The March of Dimes is dedicated, dedicated to improving the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.”

To sponsor the triplets’ team, click here.

During February, South Carolina residents can visit the South Carolina Aquarium with a flat rate admission of $10, which is a savings of $7 off adult admission.

See the expanded touch tank featuring Atlantic sting rays or take a ride on the kids-only discovery boat in the new Something’s Fishy Kid Zone, watch a dive show or enjoy a family hike through the new exhibit Camp Carolina.

This offer is only available to South Carolina residents with valid proof of residency and may not be combined with any other offer. Expires Feb. 28. For more information, click here or call 843.577.3474 (FISH).

Thanks y’all for reading SouthernMamas & supporting our Mama!

Love, Hart & Francie

Alyson Beasley-Spinks.

Carin Behringer.
Congratulations. You each win one Lia Sophia jewelry item of your choice under $100 from the Spring/Summer catalog or the Kiam Collection.

February is Double Up time: purchase two items at full price and you can add two items for half price. When you purchase three items at full price, you can add three items for half price. And so on and so on. Even better, your half-priced items can be your HIGHEST priced items.

You can either place jewelry orders individually with Kristen or host a jewelry party (and receive amazing hostess benefits such as your choice of any catalog item under $100 or, during February, add $100 of jewelry to your order for only $19). See the jewelry here and check out the hostess benefits here.

Contact Kristen by clicking here and schedule your show today.

Ginger Heidel.

Congratulations, Ginger! She wins an “Off To The Hamptons” dress from Kookie, kids couture for girls only.

Thanks to everyone who participated. Don’t forget, from now until Feb. 28, enjoy free shipping on ALL Kookie orders! No minimum purchase is required. Start shopping by clicking here.

Consider this a practice run for the St. Patrick’s Day parade.

Take the kids to the Georgia Day Parade in downtown Savannah this Thurs. Feb. 12. While not a huge blow-out like on St. Pat’s, this much more kid-friendly parade is  an annual tradition with thousands of elementary school students joining dignitaries, costumed characters, and local citizens in a colorful parade through the squares of Bull Street.

The parade begins 10:30 am @ Forsyth Park and continues north on Bull Street, ending at City Hall with greetings from the Mayor and other dignitaries as well as Banner Competition awards presentations to the students.

Free and open to the public.

The Georgia Day Parade is part of Georgia Historical Society’s Georgia Days, a month-long commemoration of Georgia history.

Confused about which peanut butter brands and products are not affected by the historic outbreak of salmonella stemming from one plant in Georgia?

Click here to read the official list of brands NOT affected by the recall. Looks like Jif, Skippy, Peter Pan are all fine.

Here’s a perfect Valentine’s Day gift idea: a fine art photography gift certificate from SOMETHING BLUE PHOTOGRAPHY.
SOMETHING BLUE PHOTOGRAPHY is offering the following special for Valentine’s Day:

$195 portrait/photo session to be scheduled this spring. It includes two 8×10 fine art prints on archival paper. $50 of your fee supports Savannah Children’s Choir. Additional prints may be ordered through Something Blue Photography. Special  photo books are available and make lovely gifts as well. (Price not included. Orders taken separately).

Call now and Something Blue Photography will have your gift certificate ready to be picked up on Feb. 13. Gift certificates can also be emailed to you. Click here to visit the Something Blue Photography Web site. Contact Wendy Cooper @ 912.323.0616 or email wendy@somethingbluephoto.com.

Our pick this Valentine’s week for our new, regular feature “What to read with your kids”:

Mama’s Kiss by Jane Yolen
A missing kiss slips and slides around to the author’s short and snappy rhymes. Mama’s kiss, shown as a winged pair of lips, is first tossed across the bedroom at her daughter, but misses and sails off through the neighborhood to finally land….

Click  here to search and see where Mama’s Kiss is available to check out @ Live Oak library branches and here to see where it’s available @ Beaufort County libraries.

Every now and then, we’ll turn the spotlight on a children’s book you should check out. And we’ll throw in a few links so you can find the book at your local library branch.

We’d love suggestions from readers about their favorite library finds for kids. Email anne@southernmamas.com

Kristen Grach, a Savannah advisor for Lia Sophia jewelry, is giving away two sweet Valentine’s treats .

Two SouthernMamas can each win one item of your choice under $100 from the Spring/Summer catalog or the Kiam Collection.

Just check out the rules below to enter to win:

We’ll pick two names at random and announce the TWO winners Friday.

February is Double Up time @ Lia Sophia: purchase two items at full price and you can add two items for half price. When you purchase three items at full price, you can add three items for half price. And so on and so on. Even better, your half-priced items can be your HIGHEST priced items. The jewelry comes with a lifetime guarantee. Contact Kristen by clicking here and schedule your show or place your order today.

Kookie, kids couture for girls only, is giving away an “Off To The Hamptons” dress to a lucky SouthernMamas subscriber.

Specifically, you can win the green pique design (shown in the photo). It’s a size 5, so even if your darling daughter is merely a few weeks old, you can save it for when she’s old enough to hobnob with her BFFs in style.

Just check out the rules below to enter to win:

We’ll announce the winner here Friday.

If you can’t wait for the giveaway and want to order from Kookie now, start shopping by clicking here. From now until Feb. 28, enjoy free shipping on ALL orders! No minimum purchase is required.

Dianne Humes, a Savannah mother of two, has a rare form of lymphoma and needs a bone marrow match to save her life.

You may be her miracle match.

Dianne’s incredibly supportive friends have organized two bone marrow donor drives:

• 8:30 AM-6 PM, Fri. Feb. 13 in the Eckburg Lobby @ Savannah Christian Preparatory school.

OR

• 10 AM – 6 PM Sat. Feb. 28 @ Vickery’s in Southbridge.

Anyone, age 18-60, who meets the health guidelines, is eligible to donate and could end up being the life-saving match for Dianne.

We know y’all are busy. But donating is cinchy and will take only about 15 minutes. At the drive, you just fill out some paperwork requesting basic information as well as some health info. No needles. No blood. (Read more about donating by clicking here.)  A $25 cost pays for typing of the marrow and is 100-percent tax deductible. You will be given four cotton swabs to swab the inside of your mouth in the cheek areas. The swabs are then placed in a plastic bag and ready to go for typing. Viola.

The information is then confidentially placed on a NATIONAL DONOR registry. If you are a match, then further testing will be required.

There are thousands and thousands of different bone marrow types, says Dianne’s friend Suzanne Smallwood. “This is why it is so critical to get as many people on the list as we possibly can,” says Suzanne. “Our priority is to find a match for Dianne. But our hopes are that we will not only find Dianne’s match, but others as well.”

Once on the registry, you can remove your name at anytime for any reason.

We wish Dianne and her family all the strength in the world to beat this cancer.

(Dianne is pictured here with husband Chris and children Molly and Hayden)

SouthernMamas reader Ginger Heidel emails with a great question.  She’s searching for a regular opportunity to do some volunteer work with her 2-year-old daughter on the two weekdays she has off every week.

The aim is to find something that teaches her daughter to give back to the community, but is kid-friendly and not just a one-day event. Something a toddler might enjoy and be able to assist doing.

We’d love to hear from all you altruistic mamas out there on how you’re teaching your tots the value of volunteering. In the current Savannah Magazine issue, I featured an innovative Savannah 5-year-old who found a creative and fun way to volunteer to help fight illiteracy. Read the article here. But does anyone know of volunteer opportunities that are done weekly and are toddler-friendly?

If so, please either comment below or email anne@southernmamas.com.

All I can say is I am relieved my son has two more years until he’s eligible for Georgia’s free pre-k program because it’s going to take me that long to figure out the application process.

We continue to receive questions from SouthernMamas readers about the free pre-k application process, currently under way @ Savannah-Chatham public schools until March 16. Children 4-years-old prior to or on Sept. 1, 2009 are eligible for free pre-K in Georgia.

Private child-care facilities also offer the free pre-k, but many have a different application process. If, for example, you are interested in a private child care that has it, call the school to find out when their applications are due.  Savannah Youth University and The Children’s House take applications around mid-February. YMCA Childcare Plus starts accepting applications Feb. 15.

Many are on a first-come, first-serve basis, such as Maggies’ Morning School ,which is already full and only accepting waiting-list applications now.

Perhaps the most confusing is Charles Ellis Montessori Academy, part of the Savannah-Chatham public school system. Although Ellis doesn’t have a designated attendance zone for its higher grades, it does for free pre-k. That means they have TWO pre-k lotteries. One for those fortunate people living in the attendance zone and another for those of us outside the zone. The first lottery group gets first dibs on free pre-k slots. Those in the second group don’t have much chance.

For more info on the free pre-k program, click here.  Good luck to those you immersed in the process.

Jenny Boone.
Jennifer Zottola.
Sally Silbermann.
Congratulations on your pregnancies or new babies ladies and on winning this fantastic giveaway!
Each of you wins a newborn photo session from local photographer and SouthernMamas sponsor Nicole Williams of Memories for Keepsake Photography by Nicole. To book a session with Nicole Williams, call 912.596.0832 or email memoriesforkeepsake@comcast.net.

Look for another giveaway from a different business to be announced here Monday.

Kristen Grach loves well-made, beautiful jewelry.

But after the Savannah mother-of-three sold her upscale maternity boutique, Expectations, she had little reason to don her jewelry every day. Then she discovered wearing jewelry and getting dressed in something more than a tee and jeans – even just to go drop the kids off at school – helped her feel better, more put-together and as though she could conquer the world.

Now as an advisor for Lia Sophia jewelry, Kristen gets a chance to share her love for fun and fabulous jewelry, while earning a little spending money and setting her own hours.

You can either place jewelry orders individually with Kristen or host a jewelry party (and receive amazing hostess benefits such as your choice of any catalog item under $100 or, during February, add $100 of jewelry to your order for only $19). See the jewelry here and check out the hostess benefits here.

February is Double Up time: purchase two items at full price and you can add two items for half price. When you purchase three items at full price, you can add three items for half price. And so on and so on. Even better, your half-priced items can be your HIGHEST priced items.

The jewelry comes with a lifetime guarantee. Contact Kristen by clicking here and schedule your show today.