Parenting Children

When my kids are home all summer long they are constantly eating. I think it has to do with all the fresh air and energy they are expending. I am always trying to keep healthy, fun snacks in the house for them. We even sometimes make them together and that gives us something to do inside and gets them to experiment with cooking and baking! Here are some great snack ideas and recipes for you and your family:

Peanut Butter Snack Mix

3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons peanut butter
4 cups Chex cereal assorted
2 cups mini pretzels
1/3 cup peanuts or any kind of nuts you would like

Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 175F.

2. Combine honey, butter and peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat until smooth. Combine cereal, pretzels and peanuts in a large bowl. Pour peanut butter mixture over cereal mixture and toss to coat. Spread on baking sheet and bake for 1 and 1/2 hours.

Watermelon-Cucumber SalsaI

1 1/2 cups diced and seeded watermelon
1 cup diced, peeled cucumber
2 tablespoons minced red onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and serve!

Apple Chips

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon (or more to taste)
Pinch of ground cloves
Pinch of nutmeg
1 large crisp apple, such as Braeburn or Granny Smith
Preheat oven to 200 degrees, then line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

1)Stir together the dry ingredients in a small bowl, then sprinkle half the mixture onto the baking sheet.

2)Cut the apple into slices as thin as possible, up to 1/8 inch. (You don’t need to peel or core it; the seeds will just fall off.) If you have a mandoline, cut the apple vertically into rounds.

3)Arrange the slices on the baking sheet in one layer. Sprinkle the remaining spice mixture over the apples, then bake in the middle of the oven for 11/2 hours. Rotate the pan and bake for another hour, or until the apples are crisp. (If yours aren’t getting crisp enough, try turning off the heat and leaving them in the oven overnight.)

4)Loosen the chips with a spatula, then cool for 10 minutes before removing them from the parchment. They’ll keep in an airtight container for up to one week.

What are you kid’s favorite snacks?

Don’t forget to enter my giveaway by 12 midnight tonight for a great organic tote bag!

[tags[ snacks, snacks for kids, parenting, family, cooking with kids, SAHM [/tags]

If it is one thing you don’t need when you have kids is more “things”. You carry around a diaper bag, juice boxes, changes of clothes, a camera and for special occasions you bring out the camcorder. there is something new on the market that allows you to record videos of your children that will take up no more room in your bag than your cell phone, the Flip.

The Flip Mino is a ultra cool hip camcorder that is forty percent smaller than the Flip Ultra and still manages to do all the things its larger cousin does. It can hold 60 minutes of video, has a super fast startup and easy integration with a computer. The Flip Video Mino doesn’t use alkaline batteries, it has a rechargeable lithium ion battery instead. You get four hours of recording time per charge, perfect for parents because we already have enough things that need batteries! The Flip Video Mino and Flip Ultra don’t have all the bells and whistles that other camcorders have, but it has what you need for everyday home videos. Perfect for parents on the go.

The Mino is easy enough that my children can use it. The only thing I wish if had was I wish it had more stability control. It is easy to record, to download the videos on the computer with new instant-upload feature as well as the existing editing app. It is a great deal at about $179.00. Flip also launched a “Make Your Own DVDâ€? service, where for $19.99 they’ll create a DVD of up to an hours-worth of footage you upload, as well as keeping your video archived “forever”.
So cool and perfect for youtube, Myspace and just capturing some memories at home!

Flip, Flip mino, great gadgets, capturing memories, parents

As a parent I have forgotten to go somewhere with my child I was scheduled to be at, forgotten to feed them before i put them in a car for over an hour and forgotten many things in the diaper bag. I have not, however forgotten my child in a hot car but I easily could have. Any parent that thinks that they could never leave a child in a car is kidding themselves because we are all have so many things on our minds and accidents happen.

Already in 2008, we’ve had 352 incidents with children left in hot cars and 72 deaths. That is a very real and very scary statistic to me.
Harrison’s Hope is a web site that is devoted to informing as many people as they can reach about the dangers associated with leaving children unattended in or around vehicles.
Children should never be left in vehicles even if it is to run into a store for “a minute”, even if you have to wake up your child to go into the store. I have had to wake up my children many times to go into a store and I remember how tempted I was to go into a dry cleaners and leave my kids locked in the car right outside the dry cleaners where I could easily see them. I just couldn’t do it, I was too scared.

Harrison’s hope web site has many tips for keeping kids safe in and around cars. Things like keeping your car always locked and using drive thrus instead of having to go into a restaurant or store are ease to do.

parenting, kids, kids in cars, keeping kids safe, car safety, kids and hot cars

My children love fruit, especially berries! We go and pick them in the summertime at our local farm and I hope we have any by the time we get home with my kids in the backseat with them. Strawberries are my favorite and there are so many things you can do with them!

Did you know that California provides 88% of the nation’s strawberries, and the region is experiencing an incredibly bountiful harvest this year? With over 35,000 acres of fields across California, the growers will be picking nearly 6 million crates of delicious, ripe strawberries this week to deliver to grocery stores nationwide. Yum!

Did you also know that: strawberries contain powerful antioxidants and rank second among the top ten fruits in antioxidant capacity: one serving of strawberries contains more Vitamin C than an orange. Who knew?
* Strawberries may help reduce the risk of heart disease, fight some types of cancer and lower blood pressure. Not bad for a little delicious red berry!
* Don’t forget! The antioxidants in strawberries also aid in memory performance and may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, two key factors that can cause age-related diminished brain function.

Now here is the fun part you can go to www.calstrawberry.com for information or recipes including this amazing sounding strawberry shrimp ceviche or www.strawberryville.com for games and facts for kids.

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Something parents never tell you before you have kids is “say goodbye to your vacations”. Sure, you can take vacations with kids, but finding a kid or family friendly place to go is the tough part. If this is a problem for you too, than say hello to Sandals Beaches all -inclusive resorts.

Not only is Beaches a family friendly resort with four amazing destinations, but they are having a terrific WonderFALL celebration this fall only! Not only do you get to enjoy everything Beaches offers year-round, but you can SAVE up to 45% off published rates and get 2 Nights Free (on stays of 7 nights)! The WonderFALL celebration is taking place during the off-peak season months of September and October.

As part of this WonderFALL Celebration, Beaches has a great fall line up of special events and activities. From even more Caribbean Adventures with Sesame Street® that includes the premiere of a brand new stage show and a new activity with Abby Cadabby, exclusive Gordon and Elmo live performances and special parenting workshops hosted by Sesame educators, to Dive In Movies, “Baby You’re A Star Photo Contest� ( where your little one could win the chance to be featured in the next Beaches brochure) and even a celebration for Grandparents, it’s all happening ONLY this FALL at Beaches family resorts!

Wondering what there is to do for the adults? Beaches offers amazing fun activities like: tennis, golf, state-of-the art fitness centers,
snorkeling and scuba diving with all equipment and instruction included (lessons are extra but equipment is free to use), nannys for the kids, swim-up bars and nightly entertainment and stage shows.
Need I say more?

Go here to book your WonderFALL celebration trip at up to 45% off and remember to send me a postcard!

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I have a couple of fears that have carried me through childhood into adulthood. One of them is a fear of burglars. I really fear my house getting broken into especially when I am home, so I am very careful about locking doors and windows. I was invited to try out the new Schlage keypad lock, and I couldn’t wait to receive it and try it out.

This lock is different from typical locks because it is a deadbolt but you can add, change or delete user codes. Perfect for families with children who think they will lose a house key or for a babysitter of housecleaner. You can give them their own code and delete it any time! Or what if you want a room in your home off limits to a caregiver or a child? This would be ideal way to keep them out.
It was easy for my husband to install, the directions were simple to program the lock and it looks great.

Schlage Locks have been named a platinum award winner in the Awards for Design Excellence but they also have great features.
They have a simple keypad with coated buttons, a ton of finish options, easy installation, locks for interior or exterior doors and a ‘Turn Lock’ feature that allows you to lock & leave without a key.

Schlage locks can be purchased online or in various retail stores.

Schlage locks, home protection, indoor and outdoor locks, keeping family safe

I have written before about how I think Gardasil is basically just a way for Merck to earn more money to pay off the Vioxx debts it has. I don’t believe in making a vaccine, like Gardasil which was brand new on the market, required for all teens. Now nearly 8,000 reports of adverse reactions to the Gardasil vaccine have been filed with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention since June 2006.

Reaction totals for the vaccine included 15 reports of death and 10 confirmed deaths, but none of the deaths has been tied to the vaccine, CNN said. Other adverse reactions include reports ranging from injection site pain, nausea and dangerous blood clots to paralysis stemming from a neurological disorder called Guillain-Barré syndrome. The CDC said it is studying these reports.

The vaccine was approved in 2006 for girls as young as 9 years old. Merck said more than 26 million doses of the vaccine have been distributed worldwide, including almost 16 million in the United States.

The company said the vaccine is safe and effective. In a statement Merck said a report of an reaction “does not mean that a causal relationship between an event and vaccination has been established — just that the event occurred after vaccination.” Just a big coincidence right?

HPV is believed to be the most prevalent sexually transmitted disease in modern times but only a relatively small number of those infected go on to develop cervical cancer.

What do you think of these severe reactions to the Garsdasil vaccines? Do you think our government should be able to make a vaccine mandatory when it is so new?

source

Gardasil, Gardasil reactions, vaccines, vaccines reactions, adverse reactions to vacciens, parenting, parenting teens, Gardasil vaccine

We recycle in our home and have been for years. There is one thing that I have thrown away in the regular garbage forever though without a second thought- my toothbrush. Recycline Preserve toothbrushes are not only made from recycled plastic, but you can recycle them when you are done!

The preserve toothbrush handle is made from 100% recycled plastic, including Stonyfield Farm® yogurt cups! The curved, easy to grip handle makes it easy to reach every part of your teeth and gums and the
soft, virgin nylon bristles placed in a tri-level configuration with softer outer rows to protect your gums and tooth enamel. They are available in medium, Soft, and Ultrasoft and Preserve Jr. for kids 2-8.
The Preserve Jr toothbrush combines soft bristles, pea pod grips and the unique Preserve angle to help teach your child to brush properly and comfortably. Its ergonomic, pea pod shaped handle makes it easy for young hands to grab on to while the soft bristles protect your child’s teeth and gums.

When it is time to replace your toothbrush (dentists recommend switching it every three months) send the toothbrush and case back to Preserve using our postage-paid label to be re-processed into plastic lumber for picnic tables, boardwalks and decks.
What a great way to teach children about recycling and how old things can be made new again!

The best part? They are available at Target stores nationwide for only $2.04!
Check out all the preserve recycline products like razors, cutting boards and tablewear here.

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Now that I am caring for just one baby, I look back on my first kids, twins, and think “how did I do that?” Maybe I am wiser now, and I understand what taking care of babies entails or maybe it was because I was five years younger than I am now. I do know this: taking care of twins was challenging and I am glad I had them while I was young. I am glad I am not the oldest woman to ever have twins.

A 70-year-old from Muzaffarnagar, India, became the world’s oldest woman to give birth after she delivered twins this past Friday! The woman, who has two adult daughters and five grandchildren, wanted a male heir so badly that she underwent in-vitro fertility treatment. Her husband, Charan Singh Panwar, 77, mortgaged his land, sold his buffalos, spent his life savings and took out a credit card loan to finance the treatment.
The twins were born one-month premature and weighing only two pounds but they are healthy and expected to survive.

I want to know what doctor in his right mind would treat a 70 year old woman with IVF? You may have your own opinions about parents who are older having babies, but 70 is a whole different ballpark. Imagine the things that could have gone wrong, not only with the woman but her unborn children also. How are you going to care for the children if you sold all of your buffalos and used your life savings?
Perhaps IVF would have been a better choice 20 years ago, when she was a spry 50!

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I have seen it many times before, heck I have even been guilty of it. It is probably the most common parenting mistake we mothers make and sometimes we don’t even realize we are doing it. Do you know what I am talking about?
Sabotaging our husbands.

You know the drill, your husband asks if you would like him to change the baby’s diaper but you just do it instead because it is easier then watching him struggle. Maybe you are the only one who bathes your child because you don’t think your husband does it correctly.
Dads get a bad rap for not pitching in or helping with the children, especially babies, but maybe it is because we mothers don’t ever truly let them. How did you learn to burp a baby or clean up a boo boo? You know because someone along the way taught you.

Are we helping ourselves by micromanaging every detail of what Dad does with the baby? Maybe your husband takes longer or doesn’t exactly do everything the way you do, the end result is probably the same.
A happy, fed, clean baby. Show your husband how to care for your child, ask his opinion and praise his fathering in the presence of others. Let him get experience and confidence. Then you can maybe get a break every once in awhile. Isn’t that what every mother needs anyway?
Get your husband set up and go out alone and go get a coffee and relax, your baby is in perfect, capable hands.

parenting, parenting children, dads, moms and dads

Summer is officially here and my children couldn’t be happier. I, on the other hand love summer but dread the things that go with it like bug bites, diligently watching kids by the water and skinned knees. I have armed myself with ointments, band aids and bug spray in preparation this year. Momdocs.com has some great summer safety tips for your family:

Have a Sun Protection Strategy: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends sunscreen with a minimum Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15. Look for products that provide “broad spectrum” coverage to protect against both UVA and UVB rays. Use this sunscreen routine with your child–daily application 30 minutes before going outside and reapplication every 2 hours (or sooner if swimming, toweling off, or sweating). Creating a routine will establish good habits for the future. In addition, don’t forget a wide brim hat, sunglasses with 99-100% UVA/UVB protection, and sun protective clothing.

Keep Pests off Your Little One: In the summer, many insects can bite or sting your child. For pesky mosquitoes and ticks, consider a DEET containing insect repellant. Apply sparingly to exposed skin (avoid backs of hands and around the eyes and mouth) and/or to clothing once a day. As the percentage of DEET goes up, the duration of action increases. To prevent unnecessary exposure, always use the lowest percentage that will last for the planned length of time spent outdoors. Never go above 30% or use on children under 2 months old. (I wasn’t meticulous about this one and my son had chigger bites all down his legs from the park just last week!)

Keep the Pool Cool and Clean: Small yard pools provide a great way for kids to have fun and cool down when the temperature rises, but they can also harbor germs, such as bacteria. To keep the pool free from unwanted “swimmers,” after each use disinfect it with bleach by cleaning with a solution of ¾ cup regular bleach to one gallon of water, then rinse well and dry thoroughly. Safety must: Always supervise children regardless of age when they are around any water; whether it’s a bucket, a small backyard plastic pool, or the local community pool.

High Heat Means Hydrate: Excessive heat exposure may cause your child to experience a heat-related illness such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion, or even heat stroke. How to prevent this: take breaks in the shade, avoid playing outside during peak sun exposure hours, and drink, drink, drink! Make sure your child is taking in plenty of fluids before he become thirsty.

Rid Rashes and Relieve Itchies: Running through the yard in bare feet, taking a nature walk on a trail, and picnicing in the park are some of the joys of warmer weather. But all of this outdoor activity can expose your child to a host of plants including those which cause poison ivy, poison oak or poison sumac. If an allergic reaction occurs, ask the pediatrician about an oral antihistamine and/or a topical skin care product such as a steroid cream or calamine. If the rash is extensive, looks infected, or is not getting better, call your doctor right away.

What are your mommy survival tips on summer safety?

mommydocs, summer, summer safety, summer safety tips, summer fun, parenting, moms

Bored Inc. is run by a mother/daughter team out of Los Angeles and has something for everyone! They have been designing products for over ten years, but just launched their own line. I love that they offer something for everyone in the family, I love the great designs and I especially love their prices!

We tried the monsterDecoramaâ„¢, (wall stickers) and I was surprised at how easy they were to use. It is a two step process and looks amazing when complete. My son loves the monsters over his bed! Check out the girly skulls and floral designs too.
Bored, Inc. also makes a ton of adorable vinyl coin purses, wallets and belts and nothing is more than $24. I am in love with my nesting doll coin purse but my daughter claimed it as hers! I will have to get one of my own though, that is how cute it is.

They have adorable shirts and onesies for kids. We have the stinky poo onesie for our son and he is adorable in it! I love the save our sushi line. Just look at that crabby cakes tee, perfect for my daughter!

Bored Inc, has so many items at such great prices, you will be forever grateful to me for turning you on to it. It is hard to find anything cuter. Now go and order something for your kids or a gift and don’t forget to pick up a little something, or two, for yourself!

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The official start of summer is just days away and I know how hard it is to keep kids entertained all summer long. I found making a list on my calendar helped me pick a fun thing to do every day. Here are 45 cheap or better yet free, great ideas for summer fun for you and the kids:

Catch firelies

Decorate t-shirts outside with paint or dye

Have a tea party outside

Make a birdhouse

Make your own ice popsBake a pie or cookies

Feed the ducks

Go swimming

Plant a garden or a herb garden

Play with water balloons

Play with water guns

Go on a scavenger hunt in your neighborhood

Play hide and go seek in the dark

Find a new playground

Have a picnic

Make S’mores

Learn how to knit and teach your kids, maybe even take a class

Visit the zoo

Visit a museum or children’s museum

Let your children play outside in the rain

Make a theme day, like a “red day” wear red eat only red foods (tomato, apples, strawberries, polish your nails red) or “dinosaur day” (read about dinosaurs, color dinosaur pictures, eat only veggies that day)

Write a letter to a grandparent or friend

Have a lemonade stand

Pick fruits or veggies at your local farms

Make an indoor sand or (Rice!) box

Find free movies in your town
Play hopscotch

Draw with sidewalk chalk

Play with bubbles, have a biggest bubble contest

Race some bug you find on the ground

Join a reading club for grades 1-6

Have a “day of beauty” paint nails, have masks, give your kids a massage

Go to a free reading time

Buy a hammock and take a nap together

Play with a remote controlled RV or boat

Visit a day fair or carnival

Go for a hike

Can berries for the winter

Grab your sleeping bags and sleep on the floor together

Do some arts & crafts

Grow butterflies (My kids LOVE this!)

Visit a neighbor

Make a bubble pool in your backyard

Make ice cream

Make a trip to a board walk

Bowling!

Just be together

What are your favorite family summer fun ideas?

Now that I have had my third and final child, I have to say I am so enjoying this mother thing more. Not that I didn’t love being a mother before K was born, but that I am feeling more relaxed and comfortable in my new role of mother of three. Having twins with no help was hard. It was the hardest thing my husband and I have ever done. No sleep, my husband worked long hours and we were alone in a new town with no help or friends to turn to.

This time I have more energy, I have 5 year old helpers and I am actually sleeping at night! K is a good baby, a little demanding at times because he would love to be held and talked to all day long, but who wouldn’t?
My other two were a little more patient, it was if someone told them they were twins and they had to wait turns. K knows he is an only child.
Even when I have to wake up in the middle of the night to nurse him, K’s big smiles and grins make the exhaustion disappear. I am happy to have him to myself for an hour in the middle of the night. It is our own time to explore each other’s faces and voices.

Knowing this is my last baby makes me want to savor every second. I want to memorize the lines in his tiny hands, capture his baby smell and recall in a moment the cooing sounds he makes when he is excited.
I love all of my children and I know that the memories I have of all of them will never fade.

children, parenting, mothers, infants, complete families, parents

Since we don’t have family that lives near us, my husband and I do not go out much. When we do go out it is when one of our family members is visiting or on the rare occasions, we will hire a sitter. Having a checklist for myself and a information sheet for my babysitter has proven great for both of us and puts my mind at ease. You can use the checklist that follows for your own reference.

-Make sure your sitter has an updated information sheet with parents cell numbers, pediatrician’s number and your street address, what the kids can have for snacks, any allergy information and relatives or neighbors phone numbers

-Be straightforward about discipline and what is okay and not okay for them to do

-Give the baby sitter a schedule to follow

-If you don’t want the sitter to answer the phone have them call you at a specific time

-Talk to your baby sitter in front of the kids about what the kids are allowed to do and what is not allowed. can they go outside? Do they need to wear a bike helmet if they are riding a bike? Can they watch TV? and so on

-Have them write down any information you will need to know when you return, like how many bottles the sitter gave the baby, when was the last time your children ate or what time did they go to sleep.

What preparations or information do you give your babysitter?

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