The Holiday Ebook Is Here!

Yup, that's our holiday ebook in the Kindle store! It's hard to believe that a little over 2 months ago, Around the World with Little Pim was basically just an idea. We launched our Kickstarter campaign with crossed fingers, and now here we are: fully funded with our holiday ebook on Amazon just in time for the holidays.

But enough reminiscing...

The Little Pim holiday ebook is finally a reality and we really hope you enjoy it. We have sent Little Pim to France, Mexico, Brazil, and China to sample some tasty holiday treats and learn about how other countries and cultures celebrate the winter holidays. Join him on this delicious adventure and you might just pick up a few new words in French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Chinese!

If you could go on a holiday food tour like Little Pim, where would you go?

7 Budget Saving Tips for a Family Trip to Europe

Want to try out your child’s Little Pim language skills with a family trip to Europe? Follow our 7 easy tips to visit the continent without breaking the bank. 1. Friendly Skies: To save on international airfare, remember this one easy tip: Depart on a Tuesday, and return on a Wednesday for the lowest fares.

2. Shoulder Your Way To Savings: Shoulder season is what the travel industry calls non-peak travel season, the periods between prime summer months and the Christmas/New Year’s holidays. If you’re flexible, visiting Europe in the “shoulder” months of January through March will save you a bundle.

3. Do Your Homework: Not all credit cards are created equal. Check before you jet off to make sure your card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees. Note: Amex Platinum, most Capital One cards, and Chase’s United MileagePlus and Sapphire cards are all good options to avoid foreign fees.

4. Pack Smart: Most airlines will allow one checked bag free on international flights, but charge a HUGE surcharge for a second bag, up to $100! Think one large (within the weight limit) bag per person, instead of two smaller ones.

5. Home Away from Home: For families, nothing beats an apartment or house for stretching out and cooking your own money-saving meals. Try Airbnb for unique options and user reviews or VacationHomeRentals.com for everything from Italian villas to Paris apartments. Want to stay for free? Home exchanges with a like-minded European family might be just the ticket. Check out HomeExchange.com or HomeLink.org.

6. Ride the Rails: Whether you ride London’s Tube (where kids 16 and under ride free) or the multi-country Eurail (kids under 4 free, kids 4 to 11 ride for ½ price), train travel is the most economical option for European family travel. Plus, most kids love a train ride, so you have built-in entertainment value as well.

7. To Market to Market: Now that you have your own room with a view, and a fridge, you can take advantage of farmer’s markets, artisanal shops, and roadside stands to eat like a local and on the cheap. Bon appetit and bon voyage!

--By Melissa Klurman

Holiday Shopping Extravaganza at Citibabes!

You're invited to the New York holiday shopping event of the season! Located in the chic Soho area, Citibabes says, "Tis the season..." for a little bit of holiday cheer.

Join Little Pim, along with over 75 other retailers, on Saturday, December 14 for a day-long holiday shopping extravaganza for families. You'll be able to get gifts and advice for everyone in your family, AND do some good while you're at it, as a percentage of the proceeds will go to Toys for Tots.

Childminding appointments are available to keep your little ones occupied while you finish up your holiday shopping... but RSVP soon! You need to book your childminding session in advance.

For more details, check out the Citibabes invite:

holiday shopping citibabes

Cosmo Latina Loves Little Pim!

cosmo latina gift guide

Latina moms and aunts are about to fall in love Little Pim! Cosmo Latina just featured our Spanish program as a great way to "teach your or anyone else's kids Spanish" this Holiday season. Check it out!

Thanksgiving at Little Pim: What We’re Thankful For

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, the topic of what we’re thankful for has been front and center in our minds this week.

So we polled our staff and Little Pim parents and had them fill in the following blank:

“THIS YEAR I’M THANKFUL for__________________”

Here are just some of the responses we received. What would you add?

… my mother taking my kids to cultural events like classical music concerts. That when my kids get sick I can take them to the doctor (thinking of countries where kids have to travel far away to get help). That my boys are each others’ best friends  – Julia, LP founder and CEO

… the super nice people that I work with at Little Pim.  They all make me laugh and work so hard.  I’m also thankful that I don't have to fly this holiday and that family is coming my way – – Alyson, LP senior vice president

… my family and my health --Heidi, parent

… living in New York. Even though I grew up here, everyday I am surprised by how easy it is to meet people from all different backgrounds and who speak a variety of languages. Only here would it be this easy for me to strike up a conversation with a stranger in French! (Yes, it's true; New Yorkers like to have conversations just like everyone else.) --Thea, LP product development & social media

… as always, having my work, family and friends. A warm bed and a place to call my own.  Also, my good health and the means to keep it –Tommy, LP web developer

…. my amazing son. His love of learning anything new, from Spanish to piano, completely dazzles me every day. And I’m also thankful for the amazing educators in his school who work together to help him grow and succeed -- Melissa, LP blogger

…. My friends and family; decaf Nespresso; the never-ending possibilities of things to do in NYC and having Instagram to capture them all – Staci, LP digital marketing

… having more free time to spend with my family – Ken, parent

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!from the Little Pim Staff

6 Great Thanksgiving Travel Tips for Families

Thanksgiving is the busiest travel holiday in the United States; according to AAA, more than 36 million Americans will hit the road for turkey and cranberries this year. If you’re one of the nearly 3.15 million folks flying for your feast, a little strategy will save you a lot of stress, and hopefully get you to your family dinner with a smile on your face. First, leave yourself plenty of time to get to the airport and through security. Next, pack some patience, and read our Thanksgiving travel tips for flying families, below:

1. Power Up: Great news for families flying this holiday season: the FAA has just given the thumbs-up for electronics to be used below 10,000 feet. This means you don’t have to power off your iPod during takeoff and landing, and the kids can keep listening to their favorite Little Pim language lesson uninterrupted. (Note that rules differ based on airlines, and you still can’t use cell phones at any height, so stash some crayons and coloring books in your carry-on as well).
2. Shoe-phoria: More good news from the FAA: Although adults still need to kick their kicks at security, children 12 and under can keep their shoes on–-great news for little feet everywhere.
3. Stroller Success: No matter what age you are, you’ll still need to take off your jacket and bulky layers before you go through the metal detectors. And all children, no matter how big or small, must be removed from their stroller, and the stroller has to be folded and placed on the conveyor belt. Think quick-folding umbrella strollers for ease of travel.
4. Be an Early Bird: Most airlines allow you to check in and receive boarding passes 24 hours in advance. Take advantage of this opportunity to guarantee your seat assignment; airlines routinely overbook planes, and if you’re the last one to check in, you could be bumped from the flight.
5. BYOF (Bring Your Own Food): If you’re flying domestic coach, repeat after me: bring your own food! Most carriers no longer provide even a mini bag of pretzels for cross-country flights, and food for sale isn’t always guaranteed. Pack easy to stash food and snacks such as dried fruit, nuts, granola bars, pre-spread cheese and crackers, and PB&J and you’ll be your family’s food hero.
6. Lollis, and Pacis, and Bottles – Oh my!  Don’t let ear pain ruin a flight for your little ones. Have them suck on a pacifier, bottle, sippy cup, or a lollipop during takeoff and landing---sucking helps combat pressure changes in the ear from altitude changes, and helps keep Eustachian tubes open and pain free.

--Melissa Klurman 

Melissa Klurman is an award winning travel writer who has dispensed holiday travel advice in outlets ranging from ABC News to the Wall Street Journal. She’s also a global traveling mom and a contributor to our blog pages here at Little Pim.

4 Tasty Surprises for Your Thanksgiving Table

Although Thanksgiving is a quintessentially American holiday, at Little Pim we also think it’s an excellent opportunity to explore the melting pot of cultures that comprise the United States. And there's no better way to taste a culture than to literally pick up a spoon and start cooking up some global cuisine.

Have your kids tie on an apron and give you a hand with some of these globally inspired, easy to make, recipes for your Thanksgiving feast:

POTATO LATKES

In 2013, the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah (festival of lights), falls on Thanksgiving, creating a unique opportunity to celebrate “Thanksgivukkah.” These savory potato latkes (pancakes), are the traditional way to celebrate Hanukkah, and also make a great Thanksgiving side dish or appetizer.

Ingredients

• 4 large russet potatoes, peeled
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tbsp. matzo meal
or flour
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Vegetable oil or shortening

Directions

1. Grate the potatoes on the large holes of a box grater or use a food processor with a shredder blade. Squeeze moisture from grated potatoes with your hands or a dishtowel. Add eggs, matzo meal or flour, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until combined.
2. Heat enough oil to come up about ¼ of an inch in a large skillet.  Oil should be hot, but not smoking. Shape potato mixture into small pancakes and fry until golden brown on one side, about 2 minutes. Flip the pancake and repeat on the opposite side. Remove cooked potato pancakes and drain on paper towels.

(NB: although you can cook several latkes at a time, do not crowd the pan or they will not become crisp enough.)

Serve latkes hot with sour cream and/or our easy applesauce (recipe, below).

EASY APPLE SAUCE

Peel, core, and slice 5 large apples (a combination of eating and baking apples works well) and place in a large, flat-bottomed saucepan. Add 1 cup of water and bring to a boil, then simmer until apples until soft, about 15 to 20 minutes. Mash apples with a potato masher (this results in a slightly chunky applesauce). Add cinnamon to taste. Serve warm or cold.

Fein Tau Weiyama (South American Pumpkin Bread)

(courtesy of Saveur)

This rich dessert bread can stand in for traditional pumpkin pie on your dessert sideboard.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup canola oil, plus more for pan
• 2 cups flour, plus more for pan
• 1½ cups sugar
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp. kosher salt
• 2 (15-oz.) cans pumpkin purée

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°
2. Grease and flour a 9" round cake pan; set aside.
3. Stir together oil, sugar, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and pumpkin in a bowl; add flour, and stir until just combined.
4. Pour into prepared pan, and smooth top.
5. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour.
6. Cut into squares or wedges to serve.

YORKSHIRE PUDDING

Yorkshire pudding, a British import to the United States, is commonly known as popovers here. Crisp on the outside and airy on the inside, popovers should be served warm and are a great accompaniment to turkey and gravy. These might be your new favorite dinner roll replacement.

Ingredients

• 1 c. flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 large room temperature eggs
• 1 tbsp melted butter
• PAM or other baking spray

Directions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. While oven is heating, place a 12-cup muffin or popover pan into oven to also heat.
2. Whisk together milk, eggs, and butter. Add flour and salt. Whisk until completely smooth.
3. Carefully remove the heated pan from the oven (parents only for this step) and spray with oil. Evenly pour batter into sprayed pan then return hot pan with batter to oven.
4. Bake 20 minutes, keeping oven door closed during baking.

Empowering Language Tips for Parents

SheKnows recently published an article on raising bilingual kids featuring our very own Julia Pimsleur Levine! The article encourages parents to "Fill Your Baby's Brain with Language" and includes some incredible case studies and language tips for parents who want to raise multilingual children.

The take home message is this: all parents are capable of giving their children the gift of a second language. Different families take different strategies: from One Parent One Language (where each parent picks a different language and sticks to it) to simply learning a new language along with your kids. The is no one right way to do it, and each family provides a bevy of useful language tips for parents who are thinking about introducing a new language. There is a style for every family.

Elsewhere on the internet, our friend Ana Flores of SpanglishBaby reminds us not to "underestimate how important commitment and consistency are in successfully raising a bilingual child." In her piece, she runs through some general Do and Don't language tips for parents to keep in mind as they begin to incorporate another language into their family's lives.

Both pieces are must reads for families who are just starting to speak in new languages and for parents who are looking for ways to expand on what they are already doing!

1. Fill Your Baby's Brain with Language
2. 7 Do's and Don'ts of Raising a Bilingual Child

Instagram Contest: Let's Eat!

Yes, we're a little late to the party, but we finally entered the 21st Century and joined Instagram... and we're having a holiday photo contest! Here's everything you need to know:

Sweepstakes

Get Holiday Shopping Advice and Win Prizes at our #SmartHoliday Twitter Party!

Let's be honest: holiday shopping is stressful. Especially for kids. You're on the hunt for wholesome gifts that will delight and entertain your little ones... but there is so much stuff out there. How do you shop smart? Why not spend an evening chatting with the experts?

You're invited to a very special holiday party. No, it's not black tie. No, you won't have to travel a long way on a cold night to get there. It's a Twitter party!

Please join us for a night of Holiday advice and exclusive giveaways on Tuesday, November 12 at 9pm EST. Our esteemed panel includes our amazing host, Allison McDonald (No Time for Flashcards), along with Amy Mascott (Teach Mama), Mia Wenjen (PragmaticMom) and Tara Ziegmont (Feels Like Home).

All you have to do is RSVP and keep your eye on the #SmartHoliday hashtag on Tuesday night. Follow @LittlePim for more twitter party details – and don't forget to follow our panelists! Details below.

Also: check out our Amazon page to get a head start!