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Come out to play with a Giveaway!
Increase your chances to win! For more entries, you can:
* Be sure to leave a Separate Comment for EACH entry. That's SEVEN total ways to enter this fantastic contest!! Reminder: Deadline for the Mom and Baby Pendant is April 6th! Congratulations to the TWO lucky winners, Leah, who said "I also subscribe!" and RachelO who has my button!
It's the first study to examine an association between better air ventilation in infants' bedrooms and reduced SIDS risk. SIDS is the leading cause of death among infants aged 1 to 12 months, and the third leading cause of overall infant mortality in the United States.
The finding is consistent with previous research that showed factors influencing a baby's sleep environment may change SIDS risk. Among those factors are sleeping on the stomach and soft bedding, both of which may limit air ventilation around an infant's breathing pathway and thus increase the chance of re-breathing exhaled carbon dioxide, said the researchers.
Researchers explained that fan use is no substitute for practices known to reduce the risk for sudden infant death syndrome, which include: always placing infants to sleep on their backs, putting infants to sleep on firm mattresses and avoiding soft bedding materials like comforters and quilts, providing a separate sleep environment, preventing infants from overheating, and not smoking around infants. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health.
For the complete article, and a video about the study, click SIDS Study.
BREAST-FEEDING MAY REDUCE RISK FOR SIDS by HALF THROUGHOUT INFANCY
Breast-feeding reduces the risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) by approximately 50% at all ages throughout infancy, according to the results of a case-control study reported in the March issue of Pediatrics...
...Exclusive breast-feeding at age 1 month was associated with half the risk for SIDS. Although partial breast-feeding at age 1 month was also associated with lower risk for SIDS, this risk was not significant after adjustment...
"This study shows that breastfeeding reduced the risk of sudden infant death syndrome by ~50% at all ages throughout infancy," the study authors write. "We recommend including the advice to breastfeed through 6 months of age in sudden infant death syndrome risk-reduction messages..."
"In our study, 73% of the infants died before 6 months of age," the study authors conclude. "The implication of our findings is that breastfeeding should be continued until the infant is 6 months of age and the risk of SIDS is low. Because breastfeeding rates are low in the socially deprived sections of our population, there should be special programs to encourage mothers of low socioeconomic status to breastfeed their infants not only for the established benefits of breastfeeding for the mother and infant but also to reduce the risk of SIDS in their infants."
From www.medscape.com
In this animated feature, on her wedding day a woman is struck by a meteor containing a compound that causes her to grow to enormous proportions. The government speeds her to a top secret facility where she and other "monsters" will be held forever. These plans are quickly thwarted when an alien arrives on Earth in search of the compound and will stop at nothing to get it. With the voices of Reese Witherspoon, Hugh Laurie, Seth Rogen, Paul Rudd, Will Arnett, Rainn Wilson, Kiefer Sutherland and Stephen Colbert. Directed by Conrad Vernon and Rob Letterman. [1:34]
SEX/NUDITY 2 - A man makes photocopies of several items, and then sits on a scanner with his pants down (we see his bare hip and buttock side with a small tattoo on it). As a woman grows larger from exposure to an alien compound, her dress tears away revealing bare legs and shoulders. A woman wears form-fitting suits in most scenes throughout the movie.
► A nearly 50-foot tall woman kisses a normal sized man and we see his head being enveloped by her lips. A man and a woman park, the woman moves close to the man and tries to kiss him, and he pushes her away.
► Two monsters talk about whether a human is male or female and one points and says "boobies," then says that because the human has them that makes it a boy. While talking a man holds his hands in such a way that it is implied that he is making a reference to breasts. A gelatinous monster flirts with a Jell-o mold salad. A monster makes comments to a man as if they had been dating and are now breaking up.
VIOLENCE/GORE 3 - A huge metal vessel with one large "eye" stands in the middle of a desert, armed men approach it, one man climbs a long flight of stairs to try to communicate with it, it starts to move, the man runs and dives out of the way, and the armed men open fire on it.
► One monster is a part ape/part fish creature, one monster is a cockroach man and one monster is a gelatinous blue glob. An alien is a squid-like creature with four eyes and tentacles, which it uses as legs and hands, and it clones itself many times so there are hundreds of them.
► A monster shoots an alien and we hear a splat and see the alien lying motionless. Several monsters fight with many aliens and a few aliens are shot, and others are thrown. An enormous insect is struck by a blast from an alien ship, it falls to the ground, its eyes slowly close and it is implied that it is dead (another monster grieves by its side)...
See Kids-in-Mind for further movie details. Yes, folks, there is more violence and gore. What'd you expect from monsters and alien beings?
Toss out the baggies, fold up the foil, Kids Konserve empowers children and parents to do their part in saving the environment. Kids Konserve challenges children and families to cut down on the waste created by packing lunches, while teaching about the importance of reuse.
Wondering whether you need to quarantine your child when she has a cold, an ear infection, pinkeye, or another common childhood illness? Read on to find out what precautions you should take and how long these conditions are contagious, if at all. Treatment Keep your child comfy until the cold runs its course. Give him nasal saline drops, run a cool-mist humidifier in his room, and suction his nostrils at least once a day. This will ease congestion; if your child is still uncomfortable, you can give him diphenhydramine (Benadryl), an over-the-counter antihistamine that may help him feel less clogged up. Because colds are caused by viruses, antibiotics are ineffective, and other cough and cold meds can cause sedation and shallow breathing and impede the clearing of nasal secretions. Contagious factor When your child is feeling his worst (days three through five), he's most contagious. But symptoms can last for up to two weeks, and he's contagious as long as he's sick. Of course, you can't quarantine him for days. So wash your hands frequently after touching him, and keep him away from other kids during the cold's peak. And if the snot is green versus yellow? It doesn't matter. All colds are contagious regardless of mucus color. To read the entire article, including similar information about ear infections, pink eye, strep throat and fevers, see Parents.com
Each year between birth and age 5, a child gets an average of 8 to 12 colds. Telltale signs: a cough or a runny or stuffy nose.
Just give me one second…it’s difficult to type, while holding a brownie in one hand and a glass of milk in the other. Oh, who am I kidding! The outrageously delicious brownies from Fairytale Brownies barely even made it past the doorway. Hollow chocolate Easter bunnies were sooo last year. It's all about an Easter basket of brownies, baby.
Please pay attention, because what I’m about to tell you may change your life, or at least how you think of dessert: Fairytale Brownies creates some of the most decadent little brownie treasures ever to grace your lips. And trust me, mama, I know my brownies. I also know great presentation – I like things to be pretty and stylish and make a great first impression. The box that arrived from Fairytale Brownies surpassed this chocoholic’s standards.
I was thrilled when Fairytale Brownies offered to send me their Easter Medley box for a Product Review. The Easter Medley arrived in a richly-colored purple box lined with purple tissue-paper, and sealed with a silver label. No flimsy or cheap packaging here. The box contained 12 Fairytale flavors: original, caramel, chocolate chip, cream cheese, espresso nib, mint chocolate, peanut butter, pecan, raspberry swirl, toffee crunch, walnut and white chocolate. Read the list again if you need to. I know, it's pretty overwhelming at first. I really can’t tell you which brownie was my favorite. I think I may have to try them all over again, you know, as a professional. But, the true test of our overall impression was when I had my husband taste the Espresso Nib brownie. I’m not a coffee drinker, so I asked him to join the Review. Husband’s exact words, “They know what they’re doing.” Well, that's all I needed to hear to try the Espresso Nib for myself, and I whole-heartedly agreed. There is just the right amount of those flavor combinations, so that the taste of good chocolate is never lost. In other words, there is just the right amount of mint in the mint chocolate brownie, so it’s not overpowering. There is the perfect combination of caramel in the caramel brownie. The toffee crunch has just enough crunch to offer a sweet surprise, but you never forget you’re eating rich, quality chocolate.
Somehow, Fairytale Brownies manage to taste divine, and still be all-natural, certified kosher and free of trans fats, hydrogenated oils, preservatives and artificial colors. The brownies are baked from scratch with rich, dark Belgian chocolate, pure creamery butter and farm fresh eggs. Is your mouth watering yet? They are guaranteed fresh upon arrival, and they definitely came through on this guarantee. Don’t let the purple wrapping on each brownie fool you. There is nothing store-bought about these treats. They have specially designed boxes for every occasion, including Happy Birthday, Thinking of You, Congratulations, Thank You and Welcome New Baby. But, really, who needs a special occasion to send some brownie love?
The story behind the formation of Fairtytale Brownies is as sweet as their product. Co-founders Eileen Spitalny and David Kravetz met on the kindergarten playground, and remained friends through their school years. They decided at an early age that they wanted to be entrepreneurs and disseminate brownie goodness across the world. Their company was founded in 1992, where it began in a friend's catering kitchen using David's mom's 50-year-old secret family brownie recipe. Fast forward almost two decades later, and Eileen and David now oversee a gourmet brownie business that bakes over 2.5 million brownies annually! Fairytale Brownies is the nation’s largest gourmet mail-order brownie company.
Because David and Eileen have such fond memories of their early childhood play, Fairytale Brownies supports KaBOOM!, a national non-profit organization that empowers communities to build playgrounds. Purchase any Thank You, Happy Birthday, Congratulations, Thinking of You, Patriotic or their adorable Welcome Baby assortment, and a part of the proceeds is donated to KaBOOM! so they can help give the gift of play to children across the country. Ironically, my mommy support group just helped build a KaBoom! sponsored playground in our community last weekend! Definitely an amazing charitable organization.
Thank you to David’s mom for sharing that secret. Thank you to David and Eileen for knowing a good thing, and staying friends. And thank you to Fairytale Brownies. You’ve certainly made the world a sweeter place, by the millions!
Brownies like mom used to make. Only much, much better.
Don't just take my word for how great these brownies taste. Fairytale Brownies has been featured on the NBC Today Show, The Rachael Ray Show, Food Finds, Game Show Network and others! Check out their interviews and guest appearances. Just last month, they appeared on QVC:
Three things I learned from this Product Review:
1. It’s hard to hide a box of brownies from your greedy family.
2. I’m open to new tastes, as long as it is combined with chocolate.
3. A gift box of brownies can really turn your day around.
Fairytale Brownies is currently having a Recipe Contest, with a chance to win a dozen brownies every month for an entire year!! Now that is my kind of contest!
Kids can download a picture, word search or crossword puzzle from the website. Those lucky enough to live near Fairytale Brownies in Phoenix, AZ, can visit the Bakery with their picture or puzzle, and receive a FREE brownie. Or you can mail it in!
Buy it: Fairytale Brownies gift boxes start at just under $30! And they are presently having a Spring Sale with discounts, PLUS free shipping, on select brownie assortments. I saw some great brownie gift boxes for up to 40% off!! Find them at www.brownies.com.
Win it: Win a scrumptious box of the Easter Medley assorted brownies!
Come out to play with a Giveaway!
Increase your chances to win! For more entries, you can:
* Be sure to leave a Separate Comment for EACH entry. That's EIGHT total ways to enter this fantastic contest!! Reminder: Deadline for the Gourmet Gift Basket Giveaway is 11:59pm (PST) on March 24th! Deadline for Mommy Cards is March 30th! Deadline for Mom and Baby Pendant is April 6th!
Congratulations to lucky winner, Midwest Mommy, who said "I would pick the Thinking of You Morsels. They look bitesize and yummy!"
Increase your chances to win! For more entries, you can:
* Be sure to leave a Separate Comment for EACH entry. That's SEVEN total ways to enter this fantastic contest!! Reminder: Deadline for the decadent Gourmet Gift Basket Giveaway is March 24th! Deadline for the gorgeous Mommy Cards Giveaway is March 30th!
Plan A Birthday Party and Keep Your Sanity – Yes You Can!
(from ChicPartyPlans)
Three years ago, I was faced with the daunting task of planning my son's first birthday. There were so many things to consider - who to invite, what to serve, how to fill the time… oh and what to wear! I soon found myself dazed and confused, filled with excitement and ideas, but no plan of action. I shared my dilemma with a friend, and she gave me some of the best words of advice I’ve heard since becoming a parent, “keep it simple, he's one.” This is advice I’ve adhered to for the past three years, advice I’ve shared with other parents and it works every time. When planning a birthday party for a young child KISS is the golden rule - Keep It Simple and Short!
Keep it Small – Young children can get overwhelmed by large crowds, so keep the guest list small. Since children will be accompanied by parents who will likely stay the duration of the party, consider inviting no more than 8-12 children. This number is also helpful when shopping for favors and party décor as these items are usually sold by the dozen.
Keep it Short – Avoid naptime and peak meltdown periods at the end of the day. Early morning or late afternoons are literally “good times” for those in the pre-school set. For the past three years, I’ve scheduled my son’s party to begin immediately after his nap (usually around 2 or 3PM), and his spirits and those of his little guests are generally bright and cheery. On the invitation, I indicate that the party will run for two hours, keeping in mind that people will linger and things will usually run over. What I’ve noticed is that listing a 2-hour party period motivates people to arrive on time.
Keep it Simple – Given two hours to celebrate, there are a few easy things you can plan to make the party run smoothly and to ensure that everyone’s enjoyment. Remember to be flexible. Young kids appreciate choice; therefore, there is no need to over schedule and fill every minute of the party with activities. An easy activity that kids can do as they arrive (or whenever they choose) creates an opportunity to ease tots’ transition. Examples of transition activities:
– A mural for an art-themed party – place tempera paint (mixed with a little detergent to ease paint removal from clothing), brushes and smocks or large tee-shirts on a table next to a long piece of butcher paper taped to a wall or fence (works best outdoors)
– Decorating cowboy boy hats or bandanas for a farm-themed party – use non-toxic fabric paint or foam stickers
– A box of dress up clothes/props for a princess or tea party theme
Use one organized activity as a means to assemble all of the kids in one place before serving the cake. Use the cake-cutting to signal the party’s conclusion. Save gift-opening for the later; there is no need to make everyone (especially young children who are undoubtedly growing tired) sit through an event that is rewarding only to the receiver of the gifts.
Food and Favors – As with activities, be flexible with the food, allowing people to eat whenever they like rather than having an established meal time. A good trick is to pre-pack kid-friendly food (e.g. mini grilled cheese, pigs in a blanket, chicken nuggets, and individual packages of graham cracker snacks or Goldfish, fruit and juice boxes) in individual lunch bags that can easily be accessed by parents whenever kids are hungry.
When it comes to favors, do your fellow parents a favor and skip all of the sweet treats. Opt instead for a memorable keepsake that the party guests will appreciate long after the last party balloon has deflated. A few suggestions include:
– A fun photo opp with the birthday child (in dress up clothes or in front of a themed backdrop) placed in a custom-imprinted party frame
– A book, small plush toy and stickers all tied to the theme of the party
– Art supplies like crayons, paper and water colors
Following the tips above will ensure your kid’s bash is a big hit among the younger crowd. And oh, regarding what to wear… something you can sit in, kneel in, bend in, run in, skip in, and most importantly, have fun in!
Check out www.chicpartyplans.com for more great planning tips, and creative party themes for young and old!
You will likely spend the night before Easter filling a rainbow-colored basket with green plastic straw and yellow marshmallow peeps for your kid. Ahh,those were the days - waking up to a bounty of chocolate and treats, and enjoying them all week long. Well, I'm here to tell you -mom, dads, and fellow chocoholics, that those days don't have to be over! What would you say to your very own grown-up Easter basket, overflowing with award-winning gourmet treats? I thought so. I may no longer believe in the Easter Bunny (we all know that only Santa Claus is real), but I do believe in chocolate treats and decadent sweets at any age, for any occasion. Fortunately for you and me, there's Gourmet Gift Baskets.com.
Inside this great-tasting, yet 'good for you' gift basket, you'll find an assortment of snacks, including Blue Star Farms Organic Crackers, Colorado Mountain Organic Strawberry Preserves, Larabar's Jocolat Chocolate Hazelnut Bar, Peeled Snacks Organic Cashew's, Brad’s Organic Smooth Peanut Butter, Organic Valley Low-fat Organic Milk, Leapin’ Lemon White Chocolate Cookies, YS Organic Honey, Harney & Sons Organic English Breakfast Tea, and Wholemato Organic Agave Ketchup.
Hungry egg hunters will enjoy fluffy pancakes topped with 100% pure New Hampshire maple syrup, or buttery biscuits topped with thick cut, mouth-watering hickory smoked country ham biscuit slices or wild Maine blueberry jam. Our handmade, two-handle basket is cloth lined and perfect for serving breads and muffins. Decorated in bright, beautiful spring colors, this is one of our most popular Easter Baskets and is terrific for all Easter celebrations.
Increase your chances to win! For more entries, you can:
* Be sure to leave a Separate Comment for EACH entry. That's EIGHT total ways to enter this fantastic contest!! Reminder: Deadline for the Boy's Adorable Necktie Giveaway is March 19th! Just in time for Easter! Deadline for Mommy Cards is March 30th!
Congratulations to lucky winner, Michelle (#141)! Michelle said, "My son graduates in May from college. He's been working so hard on his thesis and has little time for anything else. It's almost done and wouldn't a chocolate gift basket be the perfect "congratulations" from his parents? I think I'd like to give my win to him."
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