Staying Cool, Feeling Adventurous
Exploring our list of family favorites
It finally feels like summer, as I’m now writing this letter in my office with the hum of our window-unit air conditioner (installed today) in the background. I don’t know about you all, but my summer is completely booked. Aside from a very long summer road trip, I fully plan on taking our little guy to visit some of the places and activities that won our 2022 Family Favorites! In the past, Townes and I have worked through lists of local places to visit like all the Toledo Metroparks, all the library branches and now I want to compile a list based on the best local to-dos as determined by our readers. Take a look at the winners, and let us know how your family enjoys these local adventures.
This issue also announces the winners and congratulates those local disability friendly establishments. See the results in our Exceptional Families column. For this year’s Maternity Guide, we focused on the oh-so-timely health concerns of moms-to-be and postpartum mamas with two of our features, and we also include a celebration of a local new mom, WTOL’s Zeinab Cheaib. From our food review and lists of new Toledo area family-friendly businesses to our exploration of the APA’s guidelines on social media use, it’s an issue full of helpful tips.
Hope you all enjoy the rest of this beautiful Midwest summer!
XOXO,
Erin Holden
Assignment Editor
Toledo Area Parent
My Favorite Things
Wiggle Wednesday Kids’ Club is a completely free event held at the Franklin Park Mall from 11am-12:30pm in partnership with Toledo Area Parent. Featuring different forms of entertainment each week (the first one was hosted by STEAM-focused Snapology), it is a fun event that I look forward to sharing with Townes.
C11 Products is a cleaning product brand owned by a local entrepreneur. I discovered their sprays (safe for kids and pets) while at the Perrysburg Farmer’s Market a while back, and I have been loving their all-purpose cleaner in the scent Lemony Lavender. Browse their website, c11products.com, to learn more.
Lady-Comp Fertility Tracker – Ladies: since 2017, I have used this fertility monitor to both not get pregnant, and then to get pregnant. You take your temperature every morning with it, track your periods, and it will learn your individual cycle to a T. It’s not cheap, but I can attest to its effectiveness. More people need to know about it!
Shrinking (Apple TV) is one of my new favorite shows. Starring Jason Segel as a therapist who recently lost his wife in a sudden car accident and is struggling to connect with his daughter, it’s a tragicomedy that will make you laugh until you cry, and sometimes you’ll just cry.
The Gospel of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goop, and the False Promise of Self-Care by Rina Raphael – I picked this up at the Maumee library on a whim and couldn’t put it down. Raphael is a very thorough journalist who picks apart the unsavory practices of the booming wellness industry. These supposed cure-alls often leave women feeling even more lost — and unwell — than they were before the words “self-care” and “wellness” entered our collective zeitgeist. Read it before you buy yet another salt lamp!
