The Laurie Berkner Band Blog

Holiday!!

Happy Memorial Day Weekend, everyone!

Are you doing anything fun?

We'd love to hear about your recipes for fun picnic meals, ideas for games that can involve everyone in the family, and other things you like to do while enjoying a little time off. Please leave us a comment here on the blog, and we'll feature the best (healthy, creative, and fun) ideas for the next summer holiday blog!  Winners will receive autographed postcards!  Be sure to leave your e-mail address so we can contact you.

We'll be out of the office on Monday enjoying some almost-summer sun and taking it easy before things start to get crazy with all the new projects we have coming up!

Don't forget to vote for "Rocketship Run" at ParentsConnect.com for the Parent's Picks 2010 Best Kid's CD - we're under "T" for "The Laurie Berkner Band". You can vote for more than one CD, and you can vote everyday for the next 3 weeks!  Click the badge below!

For kids' music cd

Sunscreen and Safety

Yesterday was a HOT day here in NYC, and it got us thinking... sunscreen is SO important to keep us safe while we enjoy the hot weather.  However, many sunscreens contain chemicals (such as oxybenzone) that can cause all kinds of problems, such as cancer, reproduction problems, allergies, developmental delays, and much more. 

A few weeks ago, The President’s Cancer Panel announced its findings in a 200-page document that the chemicals we find in an ENORMOUS number of common household objects and foods are directly related to cancer (See the Article).  This is groundbreaking, since the government is acknowledging that we need to begin to use these everyday chemicals with caution - they even strongly encourage eating organic foods.

So how can you protect yourself from the sun AND the sunscreen?  Easy! There are a few really great sites that break down the best and worst brands of sun screen (and tons of other skin products!)

We like The Cosmetics Database: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ - it not only rates products by hazard levels, but it also explains what problems specific chemicals found in the products are related to.  Remember: our skin absorbs the things we put on it into our bloodstreams! 

Brands such as Badger, California Baby, and Goddess Garden are both strong and safe, with hazard ratings of 1 out of 10, respectively.  (Most commonly known sunscreen brands rate in the 7-10 hazard rate - enormous for something we use so often!)

If you have any more info about safe skin products and sunscreen that you'd like to share, tell us about it by leaving a comment!

               

Nick Jr. Mega Music Fest

Last Friday, the band traveled to Brooklyn to film the Nickelodeon Mega Music Festival!  Here is a photo journal of the day - enjoy!

DJ Lance from Yo Gabba Gabba and Laurie

Hobbies

Didja know? - HOBBIES!

1) Laurie enjoys throwing pottery, and spends a little time each week working on her creations.  She also like to draw and cook!

Some of Laurie's pottery

2) Bobby has been taking classes in pottery throwing as well, and has created quite an amazing collection of cups, bowls, vases, and other great pieces that use shadow play as a design element!

Some of Bob's collection

3) When Susie isn't taking long inline skating excursions in the park, she enjoys decoupaging all kinds of amazing pieces.  She's made trunks, decorative pieces with friends and family members' names, and much more.  She has even taught Laurie's daughter, Lucy, to do it!

Susie taking a break from skating to pose with one of her favorite statues

4) When Adam isn't working on music (like his new album) or his Jazz Mindfulness Program, he's a huge Mets fan.  He also enjoys running and collecting comic books.

Another Busy Weekend

We've been very busy getting everything together for another full weekend of shows!

Tomorrow, we will travel to BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music) to shoot the Nick Jr. Mega Music Fest! 

The event will be hosted by John Leguizamo and will feature artists such as: Wyclef Jean, the Roots, the cast of Yo Gabba Gabba, The Fresh Beat Band, and many more! 

We will actually be performing the day before the actual event, because we will be in Philadelphia on Saturday for the CHOP Healthy Kid's Day Festival! 

We're excited that Hip Hop Harry will be opening for us - "When I say 'HIP HOP', you say 'HARRY' - Hip Hop Harry!"

The CHOP show is a free event, but everyone planning to attend needs to reserve a ticket (check out our website). Unfortunately, the Nick Jr. event is not open to the public - but stay tuned for more info about when it will air!

Hope to see you all there!

Some Healthy, Yummy Recipes from our FANS!

Check out these great snack and meal ideas from a Facebook contest, sent in by our fans! If you have any great snack ideas, please send to us!

Eating healthy and sustainably is crucial both for our health and the health of our Earth. (Plus, it teaches our kids these values, too!) Thank you so much for sharing your ideas and recipes with us!

Adam Cohen (Winner)
Healthy Strawberry Crisp

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon all spice
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 cup soy milk
20 strawberries
1/4 cup walnuts

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix sugar & apple sauce.
Add in egg.
Add & mix in soy milk.
In a separate bowl sift together dry ingredients.
Mix wet & dry ingredients together.
Fold in strawberries.
Grease a pan & pour mixture in and sprinkle crushed walnuts on top.
Bake for about 30-35 minutes.

Tastes a bit like Kellogg’s Special K With red berries!

Preparation time: 20-30 minutes

RUNNERS-UP:

Christine Kreitler Euker
During the summer we all LOVE going out to the garden to get a bunch of fresh veggies and some fruit. Then we make all kinds of creative things out of the veggies and fruit for snacks. Like for the Woodstock anniversary, we made peace signs and music notes with veggies and then had them for a picnic lunch. It's great because my daughter who is 2 helps us plant them, water them and then pick and eat them! What a great JOB well done!!

Sue Cowlbeck Kloetzer
Fruit Yogurt Push ups!

We have reusable push up pops, but regular reusable Popsicle trays work great too!

Stuff your favorite fruits into the bottom, middle or even at the end of the container and fill with any flavor low fat yogurt. Pop it in the freezer for a few hours for an amazing tasty summer treat!... Read More

Fresh blueberries and Strawberries from our local farmer's market is a huge hit, along with peaches in our house!

Helga McCullough
Every morning, my 5 year old and 2 year old go out to the coop and collect chicken and duck eggs. We then hard boil them for snacks or cook them for breakfast or use them in recipes. We love knowing all our eggs come from free-range, happy, healthy chickens and ducks. They are part of the family :)

Kristen Dellasega
we also let the kids pick strawberries from the local strawberry patch and then whirl 'em up with the hand blender and add to fresh water and lemon juice for a low sugar strawberry lemonade...so easy and delish!

Gina Wilhelm Bittner
When we plant our garden, we section off part of it for our son. He chooses what to plant, where to plant it, etc. and then he weeds and waters 'his garden' all summer. When his crops are ready to harvest, he goes out to choose what veggie we should have for supper and brings it in himself...sure makes a five year old LOVE vegetables and makes for many proud moments!

Vote for the LBB (and your other favorite kids' bands!)

ParentsConnect.com (Nickelodeon's parent web network) is now looking for nominations for the 2010 Parents' Picks awards!

The Laurie Berkner Band's CD "Rocketship Run" is up for nominations - and we need your help. 

If you love the LBB, please take a moment to vote for the CD (it's alphabetical under "t" for "The Laurie Berkner Band").  You can also vote for your other favorite kids' bands (take a moment to browse the list)

Everyone can vote once a day for the next 30 days, and you can vote for more than one item in a category!

Tell your friend :)

Mother's and Father's Day Webcast

Our Mother's Day Webcast aired last weekend on our website.  Check it out!

For more webcasts, check out our website!

Shaky Eggs Update!

We've been keeping busy with a lot of different events in the last week, but we haven't forgotten about the shaky eggs!

After reading all of your wonderful responses and ideas about what to do with our 4,000 shaky eggs, we're now entering phase 2: contacting places to donate! 

We've decided (with your help) that the best thing to do with the eggs is to find programs, schools, and therapies that can incorporate the eggs to help as many people (big and small) as possible. 

We have calls into several places (some of which are from your responses!) and are waiting to hear about where and when we can begin to send the eggs.

Congratulations to Elise, MJ, Sharon Dersam, and Lynn Churchill for your suggestions of places to donate.  We are following up with your suggestions and you will receive autographed CD's!

Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who participated - at this point, we wish we had even more "rotten eggs" to be able to donate! 

Our fans are the BEST.

Spring Craft Idea

Here's a simple craft idea that Laurie did with her daughter, Lucy.  Lucy really enjoyed making it, and it's so beautiful!

What You'll Need:

• Colorful tissue paper, cut into circles about the size of a soup can (they can be any size you like, though!)
• Glue
• Colored paper - construction paper works great but any kind will do.
• Long pencil or stick
• Markers
• Circle stickers (optional)
• Bottle cap for holding glue (but you can also use scrap paper, etc)

Step 1: Cut your tissue paper into circles.  They can be all the same size or varying sizes.

 

Step 2: Color your paper!  Using your markers, draw several stems, grass, the sun, and any other springtime things. 

Paper!

Markers!

Step 3: Pour some glue into a bottle cap or scrap paper.  A little goes a long way!

Step 4: Using your long pencil or stick, carefully place the eraser-end in the center of a tissue paper circle and crunch the paper around the pencil to create a flower.  Then, dip the end into a little glue and place at the end of a stem on your paper.

Step 5: Add dots to make the center of the flower (stigma!) and finish decorating any way you like.  Don't forget to add some happy bumblebees so your flowers can be pollinated!

Hang on your fridge or wall and enjoy!