Heidi was slated to serve only as the host of Victoria’s Secret’s Fashion Show in New York City on November 19th, but surprised the audience by leading out the ‘Enchanted Forest’ collection towards the end of the night.  Her outfit was relatively modest for VS.  It was a well-fitted corset dress.  Everyone knows corsets are a girl’s best friend (or at least her waistline’s best friend).  But corset or not, it takes a pretty rocking body to fit into anything that size.

All joking aside, I think that it is awesome that Heidi could pull that off.  You can’t be mad  at the woman for being good at what she does.  I just wish I knew her secret.  I have a 6-week-old baby and, without going into details, I’ll just say I doubt that corset would fit on my thigh.  In all fairness though, I started my pregnancy as a size 6 not a size 0.  You can see Heidi in all of her post-partum glory on Tuesday, December 1.  The Fashion Show will air on CBS at 10:00 pm ET/PT.

A lifebook goes a step beyond scrapbooking.  With a scrapbook you document all of the big occasions–first tooth, first word, first haircut, etc.   A lifebook documents all of the small moments that you don’t really notice at the time.  Essentially a lifebook is a journal about your baby, to your baby.  You can write entries daily, weekly or even monthly about your experiences that you have had during that period.  This can include little tidbits like the song he couldn’t get enough of or how he giggled when you washed his feet at bath time. You can also include photos or even do photo documentation of things you want to jot down during the day.  If you are more inclined to do things in cyberspace, you can use lil grams–a website that helps you create virtual babybooks.

Traditionally, lifebooks were created for adopted and foster children to remind them of where they have been in their lives. But more and more biological parents are adopting this trend for similar reasons. As children get older, often a communication gap develops between them and their parents because they don’t understand each other.  When a teenager reads through their lifebook they can see how their mom(or dad) grew as a parent and perhaps get a better perspective of them. If nothing else, it will remind them how much you love them.  And when they are much older and having children of their own, they can read your baby experiences as they are going through the same thing.

Be honest.  Doesn’t the mere hint of the whimsical Winnie The Pooh theme song transport you back to some of your fondest memories of childhood?  Every time I hear Pooh’s chuckle or Tiger’s bounce it instantly brings a smile to my face.  So I was excited to hear that after 81 years, a Winnie The Pooh sequel has just been released.   This prompted me to wonder how a storyline could still be so successful after all this time.  So many shows and books don’t last two months,  nevermind decades.  What is it about our friends in the hundred Acre Wood that makes them perpetually popular?

I think that a big part of its charm is the simpleness of it all.  It takes place in a town with a population of just under a dozen characters. They live a humble life with dirt floors and widdled wood for furniture.  Why, Pooh’s biggest extravagance is honey!  I know that as an adult I have dreamed of living Pooh’s lifestyle more that once.  No mortgage, no car payments, no keeping up with the Jones’.  Just enjoying life as it comes one day at a time.   Similar to their viewers, these characters are trying to figure out the world around them.  Most often Pooh and friends are wrong on their first approach, but eventually they figure it out when they all selflessly work together.  I think that this  is the part that appeals to kids.  I watch my son play with his friends on our cul-de-sac and they stop talking to each other if don’t want to play the same game.  Kids yearn for that unconditional friendship that only seems attainable on TV.  When you add to this the adventures that Pooh and his friends embark on and all of  the silliness that occurs in between, its attraction is undeniable to growing young minds.

Recently Disney/Pixar director extrordinare, John Lasseter, announced news of a 2D Pooh movie set for release in Spring 2011.  It will adhere closely to the original animation and storyline.  Because Winnie The Pooh doesn’t need fancy animation or catchy punch lines to attract a crowd.  All Pooh needs is a little nonsensical adventure and his friends.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1 egg
• 2 1/3 flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• Colored sugar or frosting

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Beat powdered sugar and butter until light and fluffy.  Stir in vanilla and almond extracts and egg.  Stir in flour and baking soda.
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours.
4. Divide dough in half.  On a lightly floured surface, roll out each half to 1/4 inch thickness.
5. Cut out shapes with desired cutters.  If cookies will not be frosted sprinkle with colored sugar.
6. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet about two inches apart.
7. Bake for 7-8 minutes or until edges are slightly browned.  Transfer from cookie sheet to cooling rack immediately.
8. Cool completely and decorate with colored frosting if desired.

No-roll variation

1. Replace the powdered sugar with 1 cup granulated sugar.
2. Mix ingredients as described.
3. Use a teaspoon to measure and shape dough into balls.
4. Place dough balls on ungreased cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
5. Flatten with the bottom of a glass that has been dipped in sugar.
6. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until set.  Transfer from cookie sheet to cooling rack immediately.

My husband and I just recently had our third baby.  Once you have three kids it requires a little more of a lifestyle change.  For instance, to make room for the nursery, we had to give up our guest room.  And since our family could no longer fit comfortably in my cute little SUV we had to upgrade to something bigger.  When we bought my last car we had one child and he was about a year old.  I only had grown-up options on my mind–leather seats, seat warmers, power controls, moon roof.  I didn’t even consider that there might be some models that would make it easier to deal with my kids.  Mostly because it was still pretty easy to handle my single one-year-old.  Well, I learned a lot of lessons in that car.  Like a two-year-old likes to kick car doors open with no regard of how close they are to other cars.  And credit cards and coins slide easily into the CD player slot.  With my new found wisdom I was determined to get a family car that fit not only our family’s new size, but our lifestyle as well.  Here are some options that I found to make our backseat passengers a little more comfortable.

1. DVD player- This is kind of a duh! one.  But for good reason, it works.  You may be against inundating your child with television, but that little screen is still going to come in handy when you are stuck in traffic or taking long road trips.  If you make it a rule from the start that the DVD system is for special trips only, your kids will respect the boundary.
2. Backseat controls- Climate controls allow your kids to set their air at a different temperature than what is in the front;  A useful feature in our car since I am always much colder than everyone else.  Radio controls allow your older kids to plug in their headphones and listen to another station.  A useful feature when you don’t want to hear about how lame your listening choices are.
3. Sliding doors- As much as I hope and pray that they would put these on an SUV, for now they are only available on minivans.  Sliding doors are a lifesaver for anyone with small kids.  Not only do they keep your kids from banging into other cars, but they also give you a little extra space.  And as anyone who has tried to squeeze their baby out of a carseat while parked in an LA parking lot (i.e.: crowded with very small car spaces) can attest every little bit or space counts.  Sliding doors was the only pro on my list for buying a minivan, and we still almost bought one because I wanted this feature so badly.
4. Stowaway storage- When you are dealing with cars that have 7+ seats, there is a constant struggle between seating area and storage space.  The answer to this problem is stowaway storage.  Vehicles equipped with this option have large, covered storage bins underneath the feet of the middle row passengers.  This is a must have for big families who like to take road trips.
5. Leather seats- Most consumers want leather seats for the luxury.  Moms like leather seats for their wipeable surface.  With cloth seats and kids you have two options–wrap all of your seats with a protective cover or invest in a steam cleaner.  Even if you don’t allow food in the car, things happen.
6. Safety issues- Last, but certainly not least is safety features.  Check out crash test ratings.  Feel to see how flimsy the body is when you push on it.  One feature I wanted to be certain to get was OnStar.  In addition to all of its convenience (ie: directions, dinner reservations), OnStar can remotely unlock your car if you lock your keys in and they can call for help if you get in an accident.

When you are a stay-at-home mom your days can get a little…well, boring.  There is little adventure aside from finding the occasional action figure in the toilet or latest artwork on the wall.  When I find myself getting excited to see the mail truck drive by, I know it is time to get out of the house.  One of my favorite websites for finding fun things to do with the kids is www.gocitykids.com

Now part of Nickolodeon’s Parents Connect Web site, GoCityKids gives you a calendar of events for any major city you choose.  You can search a day on the calendar and it will show you virtually every kid-related event going on in your neighborhood.  You can also search by category.  For instance, I just finished doing a search for holiday events in the month of December.  Other categories include concerts, museum exhibits, storytimes, workshops, farmer’s markets and much more.

It is one of my favorite tools for planning our family vacations because not only can I find fun events, but I can also find things like kid-friendly hotels and restaurants and even certified child care if we want a night alone.  Complete with website links and parents’ reviews GoCityKids will help you find the perfect activity for your next family outing.

There are generally only two entry points for bacteria to invade your body–the mouth and the nose.  Most bacteria takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat or nasal cavity to proliferate.  If you eliminate the bacteria in that time frame then you can usually avoid being infected with that illness.  Here are some steps you can take to stay flu free.

1. Frequent hand-washing
2. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat, or bathe).
3. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water or Listerine.  Simple gargling prevents germ proliferation.  In a way, gargling has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one.  Don’t underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.
4. Clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. Blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.  Alternatively you can use nasal spray or a netti pot.
5. Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C .  *If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.
6. Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can.  Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction.  They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

As my son continues through kindergarten, it never ceases to amaze me how much more is expected out of kids academically these days.  He has many bilingual kids in his class who already have a leg up.  So I am always looking for ways to give my kids that advantage too.  I found a great tool at www.gogolingo.com.

GoGo Lingo is a website that “tricks” your kids into learning a new language.  You child gets a little pet to take care of called a lingo.  They play learning games to earn stars.  They can then use those star as currency to take care of their lingo by buying them things.  They also have to love and play with their lingo by doing activities that teach Spanish.  There is a whole lingo town to explore complete with a store, a library, a movie theater and more.  It is very inviting and easy to use for little ones.  I set my 3 year old up on it and had to tear him away from the computer an hour later.  And a little to my surprise, he had picked up the activities pretty well.

I was really impressed with how much they encourage parental involvement.  I received an email that detailed what my son had done online and how well he did at it.  There is also a parents link with progress information.  As well as a forum for questions and discussion and helpful links and data.   There are 2 levels of membership, free and premium.  The premium is $6 per month or $42 per year.  You can only enroll one child under the free membership.  And your customizations are pretty basic, but it still gets the job done.  The premium membership gives you 12 additional learning categories and many extra offline printable benefits.

My kids haven’t been using it long enough to tell how much Spanish they have learned.  But they are learning and having a great time doing it.  You can’t ask for much more than that!

Like most toddlers, my boys started getting a little picky and more vocal about their opinions between 12-18 months.  They would no longer just play with any toy I gave them.  They pointed out a specific one and expected me to fetch it.  They would no longer eat whatever food I gave them.  They spit out each bite until I brought out their favorite flavors.  And they no longer wanted to sit high up in a highchair away from the rest of the family.  They wanted to sit in a big chair like the rest of us.  For my second child, this is where the BoosterPod came in.

The BoosterPOD is a safe and stylish seat that allows children as young as 12 months old to sit at the table like a big kid.  When I first came across it, I hesitated…A LOT.  It costs about $50.00.  And after dropping $125.00 on a high chair not too long ago, it seemed like an unnecessary expense.  But after many more unsettling dinner experiences, I finally caved in and ordered it.  Here are some of my favorite features of this seat:

• The first thing I noticed about it was how stylish it was.  It fit in with the kitchen decor nicely and took up no room at all.  This is a stark contrast to our high chair that takes up a good 9 to 10 square feet and is covered in animal prints, not to mention the humongous, bright white tray.
• It also has great comfort and safety features.  It has a soft, cushy material on the top to cushion the child’s rear and hard base with gripper material on the bottom to keep the seat from sliding.  It also has a strap that goes under the seat of the chair and one that goes around the back of the chair along with the obviously necessary 3-point harness to hold the child in place on the chair.
• It is highly portable.   Taking it to restaurants made eating out so much more enjoyable.  Because it was his seat that he was used to and because it was so much more comfortable and secure, my son wouldn’t wiggle or fuss at all.  I have never been able to get either of my kids to sit well in restaurant boosters or highchairs.  And I didn’t have to worry about the potential germs that are crawling all over publicly used seats.
• It is super easy to clean because of its sleek design and wipeable material.

There are a few potential drawbacks, but they were never an issue for me:

• If you have very large dining chairs, the straps may not be long enough to go around.  If you think this may be a problem, do some quick measurements before ordering.
• It may be difficult to fit your child’s legs under the table.  Again, another dining set issue.  If you don’t have much clearance between your chairs and the table you may also want to compare measurements and product dimensions before ordering.

I love so many things about the BoosterPOD , but I think the thing that convinced me that it was worth every penny was the smile on my little boy’s face when we pushed his chair into the table and he was at eye level with the rest of us.  He was so excited and enjoyed dinner time so much more every night after that.  If you want to try the BoosterPOD for yourself, you can buy it at Target, Toys R’ Us, through One Step Ahead at www.onestepahead.com or find it at many other large retailers.

Ingredients:

• 3  large apples, peeled, cored, and chopped into 1/2 in chunks
• 2 Tbl.  lemon juice
• 2 Tbl.  granulated sugar
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 cup  firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 tsp.  baking powder
• 1 cup  (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1-1/2  cups quick-cooking oats
• 1/2 cup   flake coconut
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl coat the apples with lemon juice, granulated sugar and cinnamon.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour.  (you may want to do this prep ahead of time if cooking with kids.  Instant gratification and 1 hour of refrigeration don’t mix.  If you decide to include kids in this step it is fun for them to toss the apples.)
2. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line a 13×9-inch baking pan with foil and spray with non-stick spray.  Mix flour, brown sugar and baking powder in large bowl.  Cut in butter with pastry blender or pinch together until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Add oats, coconut and pecans; mix well. (This was the fun part for my boys.  I had them wash up of course, and then they pinched the butter and dry ingredients together until it was well combined.)
3. Press half of the crumb mixture firmly onto bottom of greased 13×9-inch baking pan.  Cover with apples, do not pour in juice from the bottom of the bowl.  Spread remaining crumb mixture over the apples.
4. Bake 20 to 25 mins or until lightly browned.  Cool completely on wire rack.  Lift bars from pan with foil and cut into squares.

(Image courtesy of Annie’s Eats.com)

I received a call from a good friend of mine this week.  We both found out we were pregnant earlier this year and are due within a few weeks of each other.  We have different doctors and we like to talk about what’s going on with our growing bellies and ask each other questions.  Her particular question during this phone call was about some paperwork she had received to get a rubella inoculation after she delivers her baby.  She had been immune to the disease with her last baby in July 2007, but had tested not immune during this pregnancy.  Knowing that I am passionate about knowledge of immunizations, she wanted to know what I knew about this one.

I have to admit I didn’t know much.  I knew that pregnant women are screened for rubella immunity during their initial blood workup at the beginning of their pre-natal care.  I knew that if you are not immune, you cannot get the shot during pregnancy and I knew that if you catch rubella during the first trimester it would most likely lead to miscarriage or severe birth defects.  But by the time we were having this conversation she was 37 weeks along and out of the woods for risks.  I told her that I also knew that without exposure to foreign people or international travel, her chances of catching rubella were slim to none since it is all but dead here in the US.  And even if she did catch it the symptoms were mild, even in children, and would go away in about a week.  The other facts that I was pretty sure of was that she would have to get the MMR shot since the vaccine’s manufacturer stopped making separate doses for measles mumps and rubella.  And if she was planning to breastfeed there was a good chance that it would be in her milk.  I also advised her to use caution with this since the MMR is the shot most widely accused of causing autism and it could be very dangerous to expose a newborn baby to that vaccine so early.

After we spoke, I felt compelled to do delve deeper into this subject.  Not only did I want to give her more reliable info, but I was also a little curious myself.  The first thing I came across was a FAQ page on the Center of Disease and Control website.  http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/combo-vaccines/mmr/faqs-mmr-hcp.htm.  It states that if a pregnant woman had a positive rubella titer (been immune) in the past, and now has a negative rubella titer (not immune), she would not need another MMR vaccination.  Their reasoning was that even though her immune level was not detectable by the screening, in almost every case there is still enough immunity there to keep her from being susceptible to catching rubella.  I was a little dismayed. The CDC is the entity that decides who needs what vaccinations when and on their Web site they clearly stated that my friend did not need another MMR shot.  Yet her doctor was giving her papers to get one anyway.  I also found out that rubella immunity is measured in titers.  If your titers are 10 or above you are considered immune.  If your titers are 9.5 your doctor will tell you that you need an MMR after delivery.  I also found many women writing about their experiences of practically being forced to get the shot before they were allowed to leave the hospital.

Next, I looked to see if there were any studies about the affects a maternal rubella vaccination could have on her baby.  There has been only one study done.  It was conducted by a pediatrician named F. Edward Yazbak and linked here: http://www.jpands.org/hacienda/yazbak.html.  He identified 60 rubella-susceptible mothers who were re-vaccinated in the postpartum period with either the MMR or the monovalent rubella vaccine and whose children later received MMR vaccine.  Forty-five of these women have children diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD); another 10 women have children with autistic symptoms, ADD/ADHD or other developmental delays; and 4 women have children with other health problems, mostly immunologic.  Only one woman’s child was unaffected and in her case she did not breastfeed at all or have subsequent pregnancies. The doctor admits that this is not the large scale study that it should be, but that the appropriate study is not feasible in the US because of government mandates.  He also goes on to say that even the rare occurrence of such severe effects warrant careful consideration of the current practice of post-partum rubella vaccinations.  Here is an article that has a little background on Dr. Yazbak and how he got into this study:  http://www.vaclib.org/email/autismom.htm

I called my friend and told her to print out the information at the CDC website and show it to her OB and tell him that she did not want this immunization.  But it still scares me that this is common practice in many OB/GYN offices across the country.  And it teaches us as patients to do a little bit of research before blindly following orders, even if that research goes no further than the CDC website.

(Photos By: Teresawer and Torsten)

This is a very kid-friendly recipe.  Let your kids unfold the pie crust, pile on the meatballs and pour the sauce on.  They can even help you shape the meatballs if you make your own!

Ingredients:

• 1 refrigerated pie crust
• About 1 lb pre-cooked meatballs, thawed if frozen(see note below)
• 3/4 cup spaghetti sauce
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray.  Unfold pie crust onto cookie sheet.
3. Mound meatballs into the center of the pie crust, leaving a 3-inch border all the way around.
4. Spoon spaghetti sauce over meatballs.
5. Fold about 2 inches of the crust over the meatballs, all the way around. Your meatball pie will look like a rustic apple tart.
6. Bake 30 minutes.
7. Remove from oven, and top evenly with cheese. Bake another 10 to 15 minutes until cheese is golden brown.

To make the meatballs: Preheat broiler.  In a large bowl, whisk together 1 egg, 1/3 cup milk, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper with a fork. Stir in 1/3 cup finely diced onion, 2/3 cup breadcrumbs, and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.  Add 1lb ground turkey and mix until combined.  Form mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls.  Place balls on a cookie sheet and broil for 10-12 minutes.

(Images courtesy of Sony Pictures)

A friend of mine has a daughter who loves Dora the Explorer.  She even kind of looks like her.  She has the same hair cut and the same build.  And, boy, does she act like her!  She takes charge of every child around her and leads them on an adventure.  She is bossy but polite, just like Dora!  And although I know that she gets some of her take charge personality from her mother, I have to wonder if some of it is cultivated in front of the TV as well.

I can attest to the hypnotic affect that TV can have on children.  There are many times when I watch my children run past the TV, stop mid-step and just stare.  If I call their name, they don’t hear it.  I have to go and shake their shoulder to get their attention.  So how much of the content that draws them in like a moth to a flame registers in their subconscious and how much just entertains them and is quickly forgotten?

I could list countless examples of kids behaving like their favorite TV character.  But knowing them personally, I know that there are other sources in their life that teach and foster that behavior as well.  So does the boob tube create the behavior or does it just encourage it?  I think that it is the latter.

Their are plenty of shows that my boys have watched that they don’t imitate at all.  But there are a few that they really get into and act out.  I think that kids gravitate toward shows that offer familiarity.  If a character reminds them of their parents or their fun aunt or uncle it makes a child feel like they are spending time with their favorite person.  Likewise, they will probably gravitate towards people they meet in real life that remind them of you.  That is why so often men tend to marry woman who are like their mother and women tend to be attracted to men with the same traits as their father.

So in reality, your child’s favorite cartoon or TV show may say a lot about you rather than them.  The bottom line?  Act the way you would want your child to act.  Because not only will they mimic you, they will be drawn to characters, friends and mates who mimic you as well.  And because kids are so impressionable, monitor what they watch.  If a main character on the show is behaving in a way you would not want your child to behave. don’t let them watch it.  On many occasions I have seen my son turn to look at me when something questionable happens in one of his shows.  He is waiting to see if I leave the program on.  Because if I do, it is just like telling him “I’m okay with that kind of behavior.”

It’s Dora and Boots!  It’s Max and Ruby!   It’s Diego and Alicia!  And they are all at your child’s fingertips.

My kids love to watch these characters on TV, but it wasn’t until my son’s Sportacus obsession that I discovered an even better outlet for my kids to play with these characters and more of their favorites.  When my oldest son, Aiden, was 3 he loved the show “Lazytown” and wanted to listen to a certain song over and over.  Like a clever mommy, I TiVOed said episode to use anytime I need to calm him down or distract him from tearing my linen closet apart.  But after a technical glitch, we lost our whole library of recorded shows, including the beloved “Lazytown” episode.

Desperate to find that tune again, I turned to the internet and  I happened across www.nickjr.com/playtime.   A Web site that not only had a radio with all the Nick tunes you could ask for, but it also has games, art and video clips too.  Aiden quickly learned the art of using the mouse and was off and running on this site.  There were some games that he required a little help with, but most of them were simple enough for him to do on his own.  Although this Web site claims educational merit, I didn’t really buy into it.  Everything for kids makes this claim nowadays and few these things truly do make much of an impact in their learning ability.  I will, somewhat shamefully, admit that I used this entertainment resource to keep my son occupied while I got housework or paperwork done in the background.  So imagine my surprise when Aiden suddenly started identifying letters and adding numbers out of the blue.  Those “busywork” games that I had sat him down in front of, had actually taught him quite a bit!  Check out this young girl’s review of nickjr.com http://deltaboogie.com/megan/nick/

Now Aiden has mastered all of the games (they frequently add new ones too), but still thoroughly enjoys playing them.  Along with making pictures in the art section or blasting the radio and jumping on the bed with his little brother, Asa.  Aiden has since taught Asa the ropes and they now enjoy playing these online games together.  About a year ago, we discovered another website that they both like to play a lot.  At www.playhousedisney.com they can do similar activities with all of their favorite Disney characters.  In my opinion, they are learning a lot more from being online than they do watching TV and they are learning some basic computer skills too.  I can’t say enough about these Web sites.  They are one of the few indulgences I allow my kids to have that I don’t feel guilty about at all!

As a mom, I tend to do overkill on bonding with my kids.  I look up crafts, take them to special events and overall spend a lot of time and money on anything that I think will support bonding.  But dads tend to know better.  They know that it doesn’t take a lot of planning and money to make your kids feel special.  They swing them by their arms in the backyard, throw them in the air as high as they can and toss the ol’ ball around.  This weekend brings a new season of opportunity for father-child bonding; that right the time honored ritual of watching football.

Now I am not talking about Dad laying on the couch while brother and sister sit across the room fidgeting.  I am talking about Dad sitting on the couch with a chips and dip in front of him and an arm around each kid giving them the play by play on the screen. This sort of experience is indispensable for a kids self esteem for several reasons.

1. It creates a designated time for them to spend time with their dad.  This makes them feel special because he is all theirs for 2-3 hours.  It is important for dads to interact and truly get into the game with their kids, otherwise they may feel like this time is for football not for them.
2. It creates a common interest. Most kids, especially boys, are going to be into what dad is into.  So this gives them a chance to cultivate that interest and learn more about it from their favorite guy.
3. It opens the lines of communication. Once the conversation is flowing about the game, it is bound to delve into other areas of your child’s life.  And this gives them a no-pressure, friendly atmosphere to express things that are on their mind.
4. It opens the door to other bonding experiences. Many dads have some kind of football experience of their own, even if it is playing in the field with the neighborhood kids when he was young.  He will no doubt take this opportunity to reminisce to his kids about the time he threw that Hail Mary and scored the winning touchdown.  This is great for two reasons. It helps kids realize their dad was once a kid just like them and it encourages interaction. Once Dad starts talking about the glory days it will mostly likely lead to him throwing a few passes to the kids on the front lawn.
5. It creates lasting memories. Contrary to some of my bonding ideas, like Disneyland passes; this creates memories of being with Dad rather than getting your picture taken with Mickey.  When there is so much going on, kids can forget you in all of the glitz and glamour.  Their memory of your Disney trip years down the road may be of the time they threw up on Space Mountain rather than the family bonding they experienced.  In contrast, it will be hard for them to forget cheering with Dad when their team clinched the victory in the final seconds of the game.

The 2009 NFL season kicks off Thursday, September 10 at 8:30 pm EST.

I was sent an innovative new baby product a few weeks ago called the Sprout Shell.  The Sprout Shell’s main purpose is to cover an infant carrier car seat when it’s not clicked into the car base.  But it also doubles (and triples!) as a nursing cover and a shopping cart seat cover.  And it’s a space-saver because you can fold it up and slip it into your diaper bag.

The shell was designed to be more practical than a traditional blanket. Thanks to its elastic stretch it won’t fall off or blow away.  And as the only carrier cover on the market that is multi-functional, it could potentially corner the market.  The Sprout Shell has earned The Baby Planners’ Picks Seal of Approval - an accolade program designed to help expectant parents prepare for their baby’s arrival with an exclusive list of products and services chosen based on quality, reliability, value and style.

So how did it hold up to the hype?  Pretty well!  It fit over my infant carrier nicely and provided a well-ventilated little tent, which I imagine would be very soothing for a baby.  It was a little snug when I tried to simulate a nursing hold with my 2.5 year old (fully clothed of course, no childhood trauma caused), but it would definitely be roomy enough for nursing babies up to 12-18 months old.  Again the secure design created an atmosphere for the baby to relax and provided a buffered from the outside world.  When used as a shopping cart cover, it did the job without all of the bulkiness of the other cart covers I’ve tried.   I can’t speak to its effectiveness at shielding germs, as it is just lightweight cotton.  My guess is that it’s the equivalent to having your baby wear gloves to the store.  It kept my son’s hands from touch the potentially germy cart and gave me a little peace of mind while shopping.  I just threw it in the wash when we got home and it was clean as new.

The one thing that put me off a little when it first arrived was the material.  The cotton looked like 10-thread count sheets.  It’s not rough, but it definitely isn’t that ahhhh! soft that you expect from most baby products.  As I began to use this product I realized why the fabric was so thin.  Duh! because it envelops your baby and your baby needs to breathe.  Still, when it retails for $40-50,  I expect a little luxury.  It does come in a variety of chic designs and I suspect that it will soften up a bit with a few more rounds in the wash.  One thing is for sure.  The Sprout Shell is guaranteed to dress up your baby’s ride.   Moms all over the internet have been talking about the Sprout Shell.   Click here to read another mom’s review http://2gerberbabies.blogspot.com/2009/07/tired-of-shelling-out-big-bucks-for.html.  And check it out for yourself at www.sproutshell.com.

The Old Way

A few of the toons on this channel make me want to cover my childrens’ eyes.  ”Top Cat” is about a low life street cat that leads his gang on scams and heists.  They show him swigging milk like whiskey and treating women (girl cats) like objects.  One “Tom and Jerry” episode made me and my husband reach for the off button in a hurry.  It showed Tom recapping a bad few weeks and at the end he was sitting on the train tracks wait for a train to come.  I have very fond memories from watching Tom and Jerry as a kid.  But watching it as an adult shows me just how much violence and and adult content it contains.  Other shows like “Yogi Bear” and “The Flinstones” teach kids good lessons like it doesn’t pay to be sneaky or underhanded and that family is more important that things.  But even these were peppered with words I don’t allow my kids to use like “stupid” and “moron”.

The New Way

The majority of what my kids watch are the younger, educational shows like “Dora the Explorer” and “Little Bear.”  But for the purpose of comparison to the shows above, I think the target audience is more in line with the “SpongeBob SquarePants” age range.  Although shows like “Fairly Odd Parents,” “SpongeBob” and “Jimmy Neutron” still use a lot of the same sophomoric language as in the shows of yore, the violence has been toned down significantly.  Instead, it seems to have been replaced with a gross out factor.  Check out this article for details of the grossness in current SpongeBob episodes. http://www.kidglue.com/2009/09/01/spongebob-squarepants-now-caters-to-lowest-common-denominator/   Also, any racial connotations from the older cartoons have been completely erased in this newer generation. 

Which Is Better?

So which one do you prefer?  Personally I go for the newer ones because the humor isn’t so dated.  But I cannot deny the retro appeal of  simpler times that the old ones represent either.  When it comes to the influence they have on kids, I guess the choice is would I rather my sons be hitting each other or farting in each other’s faces.  Neither really.  So I guess it all still comes down to the ageless principal of parental supervision whenever the old boob tube is on.

I was quite skeptical when I received my Eco Nuts in the mail.  The directions said to place 4-5 dried berries in the little linen pouch provided and throw it in the washer machine in place of detergent.  Because they leave no residue on your clothes like detergent, you do not need the rinse cycle.  If you want, you can stop the machine after the wash cycle finishes, which saves gallons of water on each load.  You don’t need fabric softener either because they naturally leave your clothes soft and fluffy.  And the berries can be reused for another 4-6 loads and then tossed out or composted.

I decided to give the Eco Nuts a challenge.  The first load I use them in was my husband’s work out clothes.  I wash them separately because they stink that bad.  I was amazed that they removed all of the odor(some detergents can’t even do that!).  I proceeded to do the rest of our laundry and they did a pretty good job.  The stain lifting action is not very powerful.  I have two young boys so I tend to get my share of tough stains.  You would definitely need a stain remover for most of the stains you encounter.  Other than that the Eco Nuts were just as good if not better than my regular Tide detergent.

Some other perks of this “nut soap”  are that it is:

• antimicrobial making them great for cloth diapers and beneficial to use with septic systems and gray water systems.
• gentle on clothes and usable on delicates like silk and wool
• hypoallergenic, no dyes or man made chemicals or artificial foaming agents
• great for sensitive skin, skin allergies, eczema and psoriasis
• non-toxic and biodegradable, there is no danger of your children getting into chemicals and making a mess (you won’t be making a mess either because there’s nothing to drip)
• lightweight to carry, 50 loads weighs as much as a hamburger and the box is about the same size
• packaged with 100% recyclable material in the USA

Eco Nuts can also be boiled and made into a liquid soap “tea” that can clean just about anything around the house – fruits and vegetables, dishes, jewelry (one of their traditional uses in India), hands, hair and even your pets.

There are other soap nuts companies out there.  Some of them use  inferior, lower-quality berries, sometimes even different species of berry.  Eco Nuts has distinguished themselves by using only berries from high up in the Himalayas in Nepal where they are particularly potent and long lasting.

Many detergent companies have gotten more environmentally friendly with smaller bottles and concentrated formulas.  But you would be hard pressed to find a more environmentally friendly way to do laundry than Eco Nuts.  Now all you have to do is hang up your laundry line in the backyard and you will be mother nature’s favorite mom on the block.  Eco Nuts are a pretty good deal at $12 for a box that does 50 loads.  And they make you feel so clean and almost virtuous every time you throw in a load of clothes.  Check out www.econutssoap.com for lots other uses and then order a box or two, shipping is free with three!

**Special Note: econutssoap.com is having a special through the end of September.  You can get a 50 load box for $8.00 insteadof $12.00**

The discovery that women respond to stress differently than men was made during a classic “aha” moment shared by two women scientists talking in a lab at UCLA.  There was this joke that when the women who worked in the lab were stressed, they came in, cleaned the lab, had coffee, and bonded.  When the men were stressed, they holed up somewhere on their own.  During this observation, they realized that nearly 90% of stress research is done on males.  The women cleared their schedules and started meeting with one scientist after another from various research specialties.  Soon, Drs. Laura Cousin Klein and Shelley Taylor discovered that by not including women in stress research, scientists had made a huge mistake.   The fact that women respond to stress differently than men has significant implications for our health.

The two doctors launched a study that has concluded that friendships are essential to a woman’s peace of mind.  Based on over five decades of studying stress in men; the scientific community has believed that when people experience stress, it triggers a hormonal cascade that revs the body to go into fight or flight mode, an ancient survival mechanism left over from the time we were chased across the planet by saber-toothed tigers.  Now these UCLA researchers suspect that women have a larger behavioral repertoire than just fight or flight.  They found that a woman’s brain releases oxytocin, the same hormone that naturally induces labor and produces breast milk, when she encounters stress.  Oxytocin buffers the fight or flight response and encourages women to tend children and gather with other women instead.  When she actually engages in this tending or befriending, studies suggest that more oxytocin is released, which further counters stress and produces a calming effect.  This calming response does not occur in men, says Dr. Klein, because the testosterone that men produce in high levels when they’re under stress seems to reduce the effects of oxytocin.   In contrast, estrogen seems to enhance it.

It may take some time for new studies to reveal all the ways that oxytocin encourages us to care for children and hang out with other women, but the “tend and befriend” notion developed by Drs. Klein and Taylor may explain why women consistently outlive men.  Study after study has found that social ties reduce our risk of disease by lowering blood pressure, heart rate, and cholesterol.  In one study researchers found that people who had no friends increased their risk of death over a 6-month period.  In another study, those who had the most friends over a 9-year period cut their risk of death by more than 60%.

Friends also help us live better.  The famed Nurse’s Health Study from Harvard Medical School found that the more friends women had, the less likely they were to develop physical impairments as they aged and the more likely they were to lead a joyful life.  In fact, the results were so significant that the researchers concluded not having close friends or confidants was as detrimental to your health as smoking or carrying extra weight.

So if friends counter the stress that seems to swallow up so much of our life these days, why is it so hard to make time to be with them?  When we get overly busy with work and family, the first thing women tend to let go of is our friendships.   That’s really a mistake because women are such a source of strength to each other.  We nurture one another.  And we need to have unpressured space in which we can do the special kind of talk that women do when they’re with other women.  It soothes our tumultuous inner world, fills the emotional gaps in our marriage, and helps us remember who we really are.  It’s a very healing experience.

Another summer has come and is now almost gone.  The kids are gearing up for school and your mind is turning towards towards the facets of fall.  Gone are the lazy days of lounging in the sun while the kids play in the sand and the sea.  As you pack up the bathing suits and life jackets and sand toys, you may come across some of the many mementos that your kids brought home to remember the beach by.  For example, my son had a baggie of sand in his pail marked “Santa Monica sand”.

My kids, like many, are notoriously nostalgic.  They won’t let me discard any of their things, even if they are worn out, broken or forgotten.  For this reason I try to reuse all that I can.  When I came across these baggies of sand and buckets of seashells, I hesitated about putting them in our memento box.  I knew the sand would spill and the shells would break making a mess of everything in there.  Instead, I thought it would be nice to preserve them through one last fun summer day of arts and crafts.

Sand Candles

Get creative with your sand by making these sand candles.  You can use the very bucket that your child collected the sand in as a mold for these candles.

Tools and Materials:

• Beeswax, 1 pound per candle
• Candle dye
• Candy thermometer
• Scissors
• Wooden spoon
• Assorted molds with flat bottoms
• Sand
• Paintbrush
• Wooden craft sticks
• Large plastic container or bucket
• Square-braided cotton wicking, number 4

Directions

1. Place beeswax in a double boiler over medium heat.  Each 1-pound piece will yield a 4-inch-tall, 3-inch-wide pillar candle.  Monitoring with a candy thermometer, heat beeswax to 175 degrees.  For a heavier coat of sand, heat the wax to 190 degrees.
2. Add about 1/8 of a cake of dye per 1 pound of wax.  Blend with a wooden spoon.  To test the color, dip a wooden craft stick into the wax, and allow to dry.  Add more dye in small pieces until you achieve desired color, remembering the finished color will be slightly darker than the stick.
3. Combine sand with water by mixing with your hands until sand packs firmly enough to hold an imprint. Cover bottom of container with several inches of sand. Set mold on top, and pack additional sand tightly around it, making sure mold stays upright. Grip mold firmly, and carefully ease it straight up and out of the sand.  If the sand wall crumbles, mix in a little more water, and begin again.
4. Cut a piece of cotton wicking to several inches longer than the height of the candle, and dip it into the melted wax to stiffen it.  Use a pencil to make a hole in the bottom of the mold.  Place one end of the dry wick in the hole, and bury it, using the pencil.
5. Making sure the wick stands upright and centered, pour the wax into the mold in a slow, steady stream.  Don’t pour too fast, as the wax will make a dent in the sand.  If you are making more then one candle, return the wax to the stove between pours. Let the candle set until completely cool (overnight, if possible), and remove it.  Dust off excess sand with a paintbrush, and use scissors to cut off the excess wick and wax at the base.

Sea Shell Wind Chimes

This is a fun way to reuse sea shells of all shapes and sizes and any drift wood your child may have found as well.  You can hang it on your patio or decorate your child’s room with it.

Directions

Find two sticks 6 and 3 inches long. Use cotton string of varying lengths; tie one end around a shell or piece of sea glass and the other end to one of the sticks. Use two same-size pieces of string to connect the sticks. Tie a 24-inch string to the top one to hang.

Kids burn so much energy during the day with lunch as their only opportunity to eat.  Prudent moms will make their way to the grocery store this week with a long list of snack to get for the school weeks ahead.  But, what do you put on that list?  Not this stuff!  Here is a list of common snacks that, tempting as they are, should be regularly avoided.  (You can have your kids send me their hate mail.)

Cookies

“If they’re fat-free, the cookies aren’t so great, and you end up eating more.  Cookies are something you should enjoy, but not as a regular snack.

Cake

As much as we love it, cake is not a snack.  With about 400 calories per slice, cake is more like a mini-meal without nutritional value.

Granola Bars

The chewier they are, the more sugar and fat they have.  The healthy ones are crunchy, and not coated in chocolate.  If your kids truly love granola bars, make your own.  There are good recipes out there and this way you can choose the oil, fruits, grains that go into them.

Cheese and Crackers

This snack sounds healthy, but both cheese and crackers are usually loaded with fat.  Try using Kraft 2% and Jarlsberg Light cheese on whole-grain, low-fat crackers for a lighter version of this snack.

Chips or Nachos

True, there are reduced fat chips and chips made with canola oil.  But chips are still the type of snack that people tend to overeat.  And there is really not much nutritional value.

For healthier alternatives try light microwave popcorn or kettle corn, cut up fruit or smoothies, cut up veggies and dip, yogurt or nuts.  This may not be the stuff they are clamoring for you to buy, but if it is prepped and set up on the kitchen counter you can bet they will dive into it when they get home.

How many times have your kids requested donuts for breakfast?  How about popsicles for a mid-morning snack?  Or maybe just an endless supply of juice in their sippy cup?  Sugar attacks us from every angle once our kids get old enough to make food choices.  And since most youngsters don’t have to watch their waistlines yet and sugar highs wear off after an hour or two, many moms are sometimes tempted to give in to the constant sugar solicitations.  But there is still the issue of healthy teeth.  Dental hygiene concerns cause most parents to take pause before giving into sugar binges.  And if you are willing to play with the truth a little, it may cause your kids to take pause too.

A wise pediatrician once came up with a clever story to warn his young patient to heed her parents’ warnings about sugar.  He told her “When we eat too much sugar, it attracts tiny little sugar bugs who grow on our teeth and give us cavities.”  The girl was appalled that she had been feeding these ”sugar bugs” with her sweet treats habit.  This set her on a mission to keep the sugar bugs away.  She began asking her mom about which snacks sugar bugs liked and which snacks would keep them away.  This resulted in the girl drinking more water and making healthier food choices. 

I have not not used this on my kids yet, but I am tempted to give it a try.  Not only to curb the sugar cravings, but also to motivate them to brush their teeth without constant nagging on my part(”time to brush the sugar bugs away!”).  The pediatrician emphasizes that you give your children this information in a non-threatening way.  You don’t want them to become paranoid about bugs crawling around in their mouth.  He says that he has used this method many times and has never had any issues with the children becoming scared or upset.  If you have an absolute “honesty-is-the-best-policy” approach to parenting(ie: “No Santa is not real, he is just a fun make-believe character”) this is probably not an appealing solution for you.  But if you are a parent who is willing to use a bit of tomfoolery to get the job done(ie: “If you keep making those faces, your eyes will get stuck like that.”) then this is probably right up your alley.

For over a decade now most doctors, researchers, and government officials have denied that there could be any link between vaccines and autism.  They’ve denied it so vehemently that they’ve refused to adequately study the very idea.  Until now.  The federal government’s vaccine advisory panel (the National Vaccine Advisory Committee or NVAC) just voted to recommend to the US Dept of Health and Human Services that they, along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, conduct large-scale prospective research trials in groups of vaccinated versus unvaccinated children to determine various theoretical risk factors and possible severe reactions to vaccines, including autism. 

For those of you who are saying to yourself, “Wait haven’t they already done that and found that there is no link between vaccines and autism?”  Well that’s entirely accurate.  To date, no study has proven that there is no link.  There are studies that have failed to prove a definite link, even some that have gone as far as saying there there is a great probability that there is no link. What they have been doing so far is using population based statistical analyses, or epidemiological studies,  to determine that vaccines probably don’t cause autism.   But no large study has yet to be done using un-vaccinated children as a control group to compare to vaccinated children.  This type of study is considered the gold standard in proving if something is safe or not.  And this is the type of study that the government has refused to do for so many years.  Autism is not the only risk that they will be able to study.  There are so many theoretical reactions to vaccines that haven’t been adequately studied.  They have just been written off as rare occurrences that parents don’t really need to worry about.  Now finally after years of public pressure and speculation, the NVAC has agreed to take action, maybe. 

First they will have to look into the logistics and see if it is feasible.  They will select a neutral third party research organization to determine how to go about the study.  If that organization deems the project to be feasible, then the study will begin.  Here are some of the topics of research that the NVAC recommends if all goes well:

• Identifying subsets of the population that may be more vulnerable to severe vaccination reactions.
• Accurately determining the statistical incidences of various severe reactions that have been reported.
• Studying the risk to babies with a family or personal history of reactions to vaccinations.
• Studying various alternative vaccination schedules that promote less vaccinations at each visit and spreads them out at a slightly older age.
• Studying individual vaccine chemical ingredients, including animal toxicology research. 

I have always looked at vaccinations as a necessary evil.  They make me uneasy, but so do the diseases they protect against, for the most part.  Some vaccines seem unnecessary to me such as mumps, rubella, varicella and HepA.  The chance of my child catching it coupled with the mild symptoms that it carries leads me to avoid these vaccines.  I still do get the measles shot and this is the one that causes me the most concern.  I have personally met too many parents with autistic children that swear up and down that it was their MMR shot that turned their child from a happy, bubbly baby to quiet and withdrawn overnight.  I don’t think every child has the risks that these children did, but I believe some do.  If this is indeed true like multitudes of parents claim it is,  it will be nice to know what the risk factors are.  That way vaccinations won’t feel so much like Russian roulette for parents down the road.

Ashley Markham remembers her mother, Melanie Billings, once telling her that some people grow up wanting to be doctors or lawyers or teachers.  What she wanted to be was a mommy.  Melanie’s lifelong dream was to love her babies and to be a voice for them.

Byrd and Melanie Billings were well-to-do entrepreneurs.  They owned several businesses, including a finance company and a used-car dealership.  They opened their nine-bedroom house  in Beulah, a rural area west of Pensacola, Fl, to children who were written off and ignored by most other people.  They were parents to 17 children total, four biological and 13 adopted.  Among the adopted were children with autism, down syndrome and other disabilities. 

The couple installed a surveillance system to help them keep track of their children as they wandered through the large house and yard.  It was those cameras that captured images of the masked men who shot the wealthy couple to death during a break-in on Thursday, July 9th.  Some of the nine children in the house at the time were sleeping, but several others saw the break-in, authorities said.  One left the house and went to get a neighbor, who called 911.

In a 2005 story in the Pensacola News Journal, the couple said they wanted to share their wealth with children in need, but didn’t imagine their family would grow so large.  “It just happened,” said Melanie Billings, who was 43 when she died.  “I just wanted to give them a better life.” 

Byrd Billings, 68, was a man with big twinkly-eyed smile, according to Susan Berry, principal of Escambia Westgate School in Pensacola, where some of the Billingses children attended.  At one school function, his big hand enveloped hers, leaving a neatly folded check for the school in her palm.  She wouldn’t say how much the check was for, but she couldn’t believe how big it was.  “They weren’t only generous with their children,” Berry said.  “They were generous with everyone that touched their children’s lives.”  When Melanie Billings picked up her children from school, she would stretch out her arms, and “the kids would run to her, the ones that could,” Berry said.  “They would go as fast they could with their arms in the air for Mom to take them.”

In a time of mourning for celebrities who left their mark in the entertainment world, I hope that we will take some time to mourn this amazing couple who left their mark in the real world doing the work most people shy away from.  There are at least 17 lives that they have changed forever and, given their loving nature,  I suspect many more.

If your child is bit by a household pet, such as a cat or dog, you may have more to worry about than a flesh wound.  Even if the pet is current on their vaccinations they may still pass on a serious infection.

Methicillin – resistant Staphylococcus aureus, aka MRSA, is a highly contagious and potentially deadly infection.   MRSA is a group of staph bacteria that are resistant to many antibiotics.  Symptoms of a MRSA infection depend on where the infection is.  If MRSA is causing an infection in a wound, that area of your skin may be red or tender.  MRSA infections can become serious in a short amount of time.  My neighbor had the misfortune of developing MRSA after a visit to the hospital.  It developed into a blood infection and caused her immune system to become depleted.  She caught every little cold and flu within a 20 mile radius.  She was put on steroids and after a year of suffering had to have a mass larger than a golf ball removed to finally be done with the whole ordeal.

New studies show that household pets may be passing this superbug between each other and to humans too.  About two years ago, scientists began to seriously suspect pets were transmitting the bacteria.  In the July edition of The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Richard Oehler of the University of South Florida College of Medicine and colleagues lay out the latest thinking on MRSA and pets.  “The infections can be transmitted by animal bites and most threaten young children”, the researchers note.

“As community-acquired strains of MRSA increase in prevalence, a growing body of clinical evidence has documented MRSA colonization in domestic animals, often implying direct acquisition of S aureus infection from their human owners,” they write.  “MRSA colonization has been documented in companion animals such as horses, dogs, and cats, and these animals have been viewed as potential reservoirs of infection.”

Dog and cat bites make up about 1 percent of emergency room visits in the United States.  Some facts presented in the journal are:

• Women and the elderly are most at risk of being bitten by a cat.
• Those aged under 20 of both sexes are most likely to be injured.
• Most bite exposures occur in young children, involve unrestrained dogs on the owner’s property, and about 20 percent involve a non-neutered dog.
• Risk is highest in young boys aged 5 to 9 years, due to their small size and lack of understanding of provocative behavior.

 Severe infections can occur in about 20 percent of all cases, the researchers state, and are caused by Pasteurella, Streptococcus, Fusobacterium, and Capnocytophaga bacteria from the animal’s mouth, plus possibly other pathogens from the human’s skin.  “Proper treatment of dog and cat bites should involve treatment of the immediate injury (whether superficial or deep) and then management of the risk of acute infection, including washing with high pressure saline if possible, and antibiotics in selected cases,” the researchers suggest.  “Bites to the hands, forearms, neck, and head have the potential for the highest morbidity,” the scientists warn.