How to Clean a Minor Cut

Children are forever falling, getting scrapes and bruises. That’s why it’s important to keep this tip from BlissfullyDomestic.com close at hand:

Carefully and thoroughly clean wounds with warm water and soap, working from the inside out and going beyond the actual wound area so that the bandage sits on clean skin. Pat dry the area with a sterile gauze pad and carefully apply antibiotic ointment, and cover with a sterile bandage. When applying a bandage it is crucial not to touch the white pad that covers the cut; it is sterile and touching it would introduce potentially harmful bacteria.

Get Your Child to Take His Medicine

I remember when my son contracted pneumonia at 2 years old. That was one of the worst ordeals I have ever been through. On top of general worry, there was the need to get medicine into him every 2 hours, and feeling as yucky as he did, he was not a very willing participant. Battling the will of a stubborn 2 year old is never easy on the best of days. Thank heavens for this tip from Parents2parent.com:

Break them and crush them or indeed take the beads out of the capsule and put it in syrup, honey , yoghurt, nutella or any other thing your child thinks is yummy and give small amounts at a time. Remember when you do this you may affect the strength of the medication but at least you get it in. You might need to strike a deal to get it in.

Reclaim “Me Time”

Did you ever wonder where all of that “me time” went? You remember it don’t you? Those times when you were able to read a book, watch CSI or just take a nap. You don’t have to wait until your children are 18 to reclaim this precious time.

How often do experts say we need that mental recuperation? Moms should have at least 15 to 20 minutes of “me” time a day to decompress, especially between afternoon and evening, says health psychologist Kathleen Kendall-Tackett, Ph.D., author of The Hidden Feelings of Motherhood. Then about once a week you need a longer block of time to get out and do something for yourself.

The folks at Parenting.com have put together some information on discovering what you should make room for in your day. Without it, you can’t be SuperMom to anyone.

How to Help the Teen who Has ADD/ADHD

These tips were found at Helpful Hints for the Parents of Teens and were specific to parents of children who suffer from ADD/ADHD. I found that they were just as helpful for jr high students and those without learning disabilities but who tend to be a bit disorganized.

** Have your child tackle the most difficult homework assignment first. If left until the last to be done your child could stretch out the other work he or she has in order to prolong the assignment.

** Have your child keep a planner. This shouldn’t be too difficult as most schools now provide them. Make sure your child is keepingit up to date so they do not have to rely on their memory.

** Make sure your child has a neat and organized space in which to do their homework. Stock it with all the supplies they may need; pencils, paper and books.

** Make sure your child keep a organized backpack. Empty old homework and assignments out of their folder on a daily basis.

Avoiding the Dr.

Spring is here, and that means flowers…. and pollen…. and allergies…. sniffly noses, spring colds, sneezing, etc.  One of the best and often most overlooked ways to keep from getting sick is to make sure you and your kids eat right and get the right vitamins and minerals your body needs to fight sickness. 

After doing a little research, I made a list of the top immunity boosting foods and posted it on the side of the refrigerator.  That way, it’s easy to remember what we need to be eating on a regular basis and I incorporate these items as often as possible into our regular meals. For example, when I make chicken and dumplings, a family favorite, I use partial whole wheat flour (for whole grains), and throw a few handfuls of chopped kale into the broth; it mixes with the broth and gets tender, and the boys never even notice.  I keep yogurt and fruit around for after-school snacks; and try to add much of the boys’ favorites into other not-so-favorite dishes.  For instance, when I make a spinach salad, I sprinkle nuts and strawberries or raspberries on top to make it more enticing. 

Here’s a few of the top immunity boosting foods: 

• Peppers- bell and chile pepers
  

  Source: ABC News

• garlic
• yogurt
• turmeric (the yellow spice in curry)
• oregano (which has antibacterial properties)
• green tea
• ginger
• oysters
• green veggies, including broccoli, kale, and spinach
• Pumpkins (next fall, actually cook those pumpkins your little ones got at the local pumpkin patch!) 
• Berries- blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, etc.
• whole grains 

To find out more about why these super foods work, ABC News recently ran a piece by Radha Chitale on avoiding the cold or flu; the story does a great job of explaining which vitamins are available in what foods and how the body uses them.

Travel meds

If you travel with kids, at some point you’re going to have a sick child on the road.  It might be a bout of carsickness, or an allergic reaction, or even a fever.  Keep these few necessities in a ziplock bag at all times, and grab it any time you hit the road.

• A bottle of children’s benadryl.  It can be used for runny noses and allergic reactions.  It’s also usable by both adults and children. (make sure to follow labeling instructions.)
• A bottle of children’s ibuprofen.  Treats everything from fevers to headaches to other aches and pains.
• A few Tums for kids and parents.  Sometimes too much takeout and riding can cause an ill tummy.
• A thermometer, bandaids, a tube of antibiotic cream, and a liquid measuring cup for meds. 

Of course, if you’re making a road trip, it always helps to have an extra change of clothes for each child and a pack of wet wipes (for all ages) within quick reach.  I always keep a small tote bag with these in the back of my car, even if there are suitcases.  I also line the backseats of the car with a doubled sheet for road trips to catch everything from crayons to crackers to spills (including ‘carsickness!’)

Look Less Tired

There isn’t a Mom in the world who gets the kind of sleep she needs or deserves, but it doesn’t have to appear that way! Leave your house looking fresh-faced and full of beauty sleep every day with these simple tips.

1. As soon as you wake up, splash cold water on your face for several minutes.

2. Wrap an ice-filled sandwich bag with a cloth and place it on your eyes for about five minutes. Moisturize your face with an SPF-containing cream.

3. Drink a large glass of water with breakfast to stave off dehydration for the day.

4. Continue drinking water throughout the day to avoid retaining water which can cause a puffy, tired appearance. Drink about 64 ounces per day if possible.

5. Dot concealer under your eyes and tap into dark circles.

6. Sweep petroleum jelly across your brow bones directly underneath your eyebrows and across the top of your cheekbones. Exclude powder from your make-up routine which can accentuate creases and wrinkles.

7. Brush your hair and make sure your clothing is clean and pressed to give you a more polished look.

8. Avoid salty foods and caffeine, both of which can make you look bloated.

9. Put some pep in your step. If you’re healthy enough to exercise, fifteen to thirty minutes can energize you and get your blood flowing giving you a healthy glow.

10. Clean your face and moisturize before bed and sleep on a satin pillowcase. Avoid sleeping on your side or stomach, but rather try to rest on your back.

Even if you only practice a few of these tips, you should look brighter and refreshed!

Don’t Worry, Be Happy

Sometimes when I think of all the things I have going on in my life it’s easy to feel down and depressed. Sometimes the work load is just too much. According to the site getrichslowly.com you can avoid being caught in the downward cycle of worry by concentrating on our “genetic happy point.” Learn more on how you can take charge of your own happiness.

About 50% of individual happiness comes from a genetic set point. That is, we’re each predisposed to a certain level of happiness. Some of us are just naturally more inclined to be cheery than others.

About 10% of our happiness is due to our circumstances. Our age, race, gender, personal history, and, yes, wealth, only make up about one-tenth of our happiness.

The remaining 40% of an individual’s happiness seems to be derived from intentional activity, from “discrete actions or practices that people can choose to do”.

From Field to Table

With all the media attention on fresh, local food, here’s a great idea for getting your kids involved.  Try a local pick-your-own, or U-Pick farm.  These are found all over the country, and kids absolutely love it.  I grew up on a farm, but my three boys are suburbanites, so the chance to get their hands dirty is always a great spring activity for them, especially when it involves food, another of their favorites.  We’ve picked raspberries in California and Northern New Mexico, peaches and blueberries in Florida, strawberries in Louisiana, and more.  Most U-Pick farms are family friendly and don’t frown on eating while you pick.  In fact, if the raspberry farms were really concerned with making money, they would have weighed the boys on their way in and again on the way out!  Most will have baskets to pick in, and some even supply little red wagons for carrying what you pick.  (or tired kids!) 

To find a local farm in your area, visit www.pickyourown.org , which lists u-pick farms by state.

Double your Energy in 3 Easy Steps

Ever wish you could double your energy in order to get more done? Well now you can - and without a pill or a triple shot latte! LifeOrganizers.com writes how you can double your energy with three easy steps:

Step 1: Identify Your Tolerations
Step 2: Zap Your Tolerations
Step 3: Make the Commitment

Read more on how Dee Kite has incorporated these three simple steps to add more energy to her life!

Don’t Pay For What You Can Do Yourself

A lot of people needlessly pay “professionals” to do things they could do themselves for free. In today’s shaky economy, wasting money in this way is foolish and impractical. When you come across a situation in life that you think you need to call someone to “fix” for you, do a little research to see if it’s something you would feel comfortable doing yourself. Examples of things you can do yourself at no cost are haircuts and color, housecleaning, oil changes, yard work and landscaping, pest extermination, minor home repairs and improvements, and home decorating. You can also commit to learn valuable skills that can help you cut costs like sewing, light carpentry, cooking, baking, auto care, and computer repair. If you don’t have these skills and have no desire or time to learn them, ask around to see if any of your friends or family members do possess them. Offer to do a favor for him or her in exchange for them helping you out. While it’s great to trust yourself to do some things on your own, there are certain situations where a professional should be contacted. Plumbing, electrical, HVAC, medical problems, etc are all best left to the experts.

Exercise By Doing Chores

You have to clean your house anyway right? And the yard is covered with a blanket of rotting leaves? Why waste time and money walking nowhere on a treadmill at the gym for an hour when you can burn calories and be productive at the same time? Bust out that rake and lose some weight. It only takes 20 minutes of raking to burn 100 calories for a woman who weighs around 150 pounds! Running around after your children all day no longer has to be an exercise in frustration but rather it’s an exercise of calorie-busting! As great as this information is to have, you also have to adjust your diet if you’re serious about losing weight. Check in with your doctor to make sure you are healthy enough to embark on exercise and calorie reduction in your diet. Have your doctor give you a daily caloric intake target to aim for and learn the art of counting calories. Search online for calorie-counting and calorie-burning tools to help you to meet your goals.

Sleep More for Better Decisions

I’m just as guilty as the next person in thinking that skipping an hour of sleep to wrap up a project is a great idea. But the researchers at Harvard Medical School have found evidence to the contrary. It seems that by reclaiming that hour of sleep I might make better decisions about that project and have a better quality product - all in less time. Read more on why you want to make sure you save time for a good nights sleep.

Sleep assists the brain in flagging unrelated ideas and memories, forging connections among them that increase the odds that a creative idea or insight will surface.

Test that Allergy

If you’re concerned that your child may have an allergy the best place to test your theory is at a doctors office. At least that was the controversial subject over at parenthacks.com. Whether you think the advice is sound or not, you should discuss this with your doctor before actually attempting. Read the pros and cons on this topic before making any decision and make sure you’re aware of the potential complications of a peanut allergy.

I suggested to my friend that they give him the peanut sample at the doctor’s office at his next well visit. Next to the ER, that’s probably the best place to be if you’re having a reaction, right?

Quick Mommy-Makeover

It’s hard not to suffer from a case of the “frumpies” when you are a Mom. Kids make it hard to take time to do your hair and make-up and are famous for encrusting Mom’s clothes with any variety of “stuff” from their sticky, little fingers. You don’t have to become invisible just because you’ve procreated; get yourself back into the beauty game! With little time and expense you can be that gorgeous woman you once were before you embarked on Motherhood.

1. Check your hair for grays and if there are too many for your taste, pick up a box of semi-permanent color. You can match your natural color or get wild and experiment with something a tone or two in either direction. If you don’t feel comfortable doing it yourself, see a professional. While you’re there, get an updated hair style and when you get home stop sticking your hair up in that unattractive ”suburb-bun”!

2. Put on a little make-up. It doesn’t have to be much, but unless you’re a rare natural beauty, everyone can use a little help to look polished.

3. Buy a few new outfits. They don’t have to be fancy lest you’d be reluctant to wear them around the kids. Try to buy something black or at least in a very dark color in case the kids do smear grape jelly across your shirt.

4. Give yourself a manicure and a pedicure. Again, nothing fancy, just make sure there isn’t a week’s worth of peanut butter caked under your nails. Feet can get really gross really fast so be sure not to neglect them either.

5. Finally, keep your skin moisturized, drink plenty of water, and get as much sleep and exercise as you can.

Moms always put everyone else first, but that doesn’t mean you have to put yourself last!

Give Yourself an Instant Pick Me Up

Everyone experiences a time when depression threatens to take over. It doesn’t have to be a big life altering event that throws you into a depressed mode, it can be the concurrence of a variety of small things that build up overtime. It is important to know that we can all work beyond our hardships, though some may seem Lifehack.org has some interesting tips on how to overcome depression. I particularly like this one because it’s opposite what you might think:

1. Give Someone A Genuine, Massive Compliment
The reason this technique works is that it takes the focus off of yourself. It’s easy to become self-centered and overly focused on your own problems until you realize something very important: EVERYONE feels like this at times. EVERYONE is insecure about something.

Scheduling Me Time

It matters not whether you are a stay at home mom or a mom in the workforce, your life is likely chaotic. You are constantly on the run, fitting things in your schedule, all the while taking care of your baby’s every want and need. You can barely fit in all the doctor’s appointments and playdates, much less think of taking care of yourself. Scheduling in some “me time” is not only helpful but really essential to keep your sanity and well being.

As you think of what you want to do with your very own time to youself, it shouldn’t be something off of the to do list. Any time that you can capture in a day or week should be focused around an activity that brings you peace and happiness. It need not be extravagant, but should allow you to relax. A manicure, lunch with your sister, or drinks with your friend are great examples. If you don’t have that much time or want to keep the spending to a minimum then it can be something as simple as going to a book club meeting, having time to write in your journal, do yoga, or even just take a long hot shower without interruptions.

You should discuss the importance of time for each of you with your spouse. Though your baby brings you more joy than anything in the world, you each need some down time and should make sure to schedule this on your calendar at least once a month if not once a week. It need not be anything over the top or cause you to spend too much, but having some time to decompress can do wonders for your mental well being. Discuss this up front and then it will just be a part of your schedule as soon as you are both adjusted to life with a baby.

Workout Gear that Fits - In all Stages of Pregnancy

Some moms are frustrated by the lack of choices for quality pregnancy workout gear. Well moms, be frustrated no longer! Enter BornFit - workout wear designed to fit from pre to post pregnancy. For details on the product, be sure to check out the full review at The Full Mommy.

BornFit focuses on inspiring mothers to remain active throughout all stages of their life. Their unique styles of moisture-wicking tops and bottoms are known for their ‘relaxed fit’ and their ‘maternity collection’. BornFit offers women a chance to exercise in clothing perfectly suited to their changing bodies.

Meals for Toddlers–How Can I Mix It Up?

When you think about moving beyond bottles and feeding your baby real foods, it sounds like so much fun. If you’re anything like me you raced to the grocery store to get baby food as soon as the pediatrician cleared your baby. I remember beign so excited to get her started on solid foods and trying out new textures–the whole thing was just another reassurance of how exciting it is to be a mommy.

Fast forward a few months and to the point where you are teetering between real foods, baby foods, and still a regular flow of bottles as well. Not only is it expensive and you feel as though you are the grocery store every day, but it begins to become difficult to come up with new options for feeding your little loved one.

I had to create some new mealtime options that offered a more comprehensive menu full of healthy options. Here are some ideas that I’ve come up with and borrowed from others, they seem to work quite well with our eleven month old.

*Instead of the same old oatmeal baby cereal with a fruit, instead offer cheerios and bananas for self feeding and yogurt that you can feed to them. This gives them all of their major food groups and offers a nice alternative to the same old breakfast.

*Sautee some ground turkey or ground beef and cook up some noodles. We use this as a base for soup for the adults and then offer the pieces of each to our daughter. She gobbles it up and she’s getting some great protein! I mix in some shredded cheese and some diced pears and she not only has every single food group but also has an interesting dinner that she will eat every last bite of.

*Lunch time is always the most difficult here. I have made chicken noodle soup and offered the noodles, chicken, and vegetables–minus the broth it’s easy to eat and offers a nutritious balance. The old standard of lunchmeat can be dressed up a bit–offering ham or turkey is great but if you offer some hummus, cheese, and perhaps peas you can really pack a nutritional punch.

*Rather than serving the same old scrambled eggs, we use an old Italian trick. As we use eggs and breadcrumbs to coat our chicken before baking it in the oven, this makes for a great meal as well. Take the leftover breadcrumbs and egg, mix together, and sautee as a patty on the stove. We all love this and the baby is carrying on the tradition!

*You can create your own meals for your toddler based on their favorites. If they love veggie burgers, cottage cheese, and peas then you can make this into an interesting array on their tray. They’re sure to eat it and you can pat yourself on the back as you’ve given a nutritious and delicious meal!

De-Stress at the Table

So you’ve done it. You followed our advise a few months back and you’ve brought the family back to the dinner table. But now you find that you have heartburn after every meal. Your family dinner time may need a little fine tuing. WebMD has these tips and more on how you can de-stress at the dinner table:

1. Turn Down the Volume.

Nothing brings down the stress level like turning down the volume of your environment.

“That means no cell phones, no TV, and no radios blaring in the background, and it means not answering the phone during mealtime,” says Ekroth.

What should be in the background? Soft, soothing music is an instant stress buster.

Ekroth suggests letting each family member contribute suggestions about what to play, or letting a different person pick the music for each meal. If you have a CD burner, a good family project is creating an hour of dinner music that includes everyone’s favorite relaxing tunes.

Create a Workout Network

Sometimes it’s hard to find time to exercise. If you’re exercising by yourself it’s easy to make excuses not to. That’s why creating a network can help you reach your exercising goals. Read this great story at Workout Mommy on how one mom and her network succeeded in running their first marathon.

Will I Ever Sleep Again?

It may seem as though once that baby comes along, you will never get a good night’s sleep! Rest assured that you will get back to some restful sleeping, but it may take time. You will likely hear those people that say “my baby slept through the night at two weeks”. You really should take a step back and consider what people mean by “sleeping through the night”.

Generally most newborns wake at least every 3-4 hours once they are home from the hospital to eat. The amount of time that this cycle goes on varies from baby to baby, and yes there are always exceptions to the rule. When you consider how much growing they are doing in the first few months, it’s no wonder that they need to wake up and eat so much. This too shall pass and soon enough, mother and baby will be resting easy again.

There’s no point in rushing any sort of schedule because it takes time. Once you see that patterns are developing though, it may be helpful to try putting the baby down for naps around the same time. Before you know it, you’ll be getting a morning and an afternoon nap from the baby. Putting the baby down around the same time every night and developing a night time routine can help tremendously. Getting into the habit of giving a bath, bed time story, and a bottle can provide some necessary structure. The baby will soon get used to these patterns and eventually fall asleep on their own.

You will get past the sleep deprivation phase, even if it doesn’t feel like it at the time. It’s just a phase like everything else in motherhood and soon enough you will both be waking up after a full night’s sleep, ready to take on the day.

Teething Mayhem

There’s always the things that nobody ever told you before you had a baby. You find out all these tricks of the trade only after you’ve lived through some of the more trying experiences. Nobody tells you that teething can be one of the most trying times for baby and mommy. Some babies get their teeth and you’d never even know it–they just pop up one day! Then there’s others that go through a temporary personality change just to cut a few teeth.

You feel terrible for your baby as you know it must be painful. You watch them go through the full range of symptoms and at the same time you get to panic. Seeing your baby drooling is expected, but when they start running a fever and tugging at their ears you of course fear that it must be something worse. The reality is that so many of the symptoms you see exhibited are a result of teething, just ask your pediatrician and chances are they will fall under the umbrella.

You hear all sorts of old wives tales, but there isn’t too much you can do to help them. I’ve found that Tylenol and Orajel are the best friends when it comes to combatting the pain that teething can cause. You don’t want to go overboard, but giving this combination can really help to ease the pain and discomfort. Tylenol becomes particularly important when it comes to a fever, so be sure to keep some on hand.

You can always try the methods you’ve certainly heard worked for others–teething rings, teething biscuits, and of course a frozen waschcloth. None of those ever worked for us, but more power to you if they do. Just be patient and realize that it’s a painful phase, but it’s only that–a phase! They say that the pain from teething is quite intense, so this is a time when just being a good mom that comforts her baby is the best thing you can do.

Baby Milestones–Everyone is Different

Once you get past the initial adjustment period with a new baby, you feel like you actually know what you’re doing. You’re not as sleep deprived and perhaps have even picked up a tip or two that works for your baby. If they’re crying you’ve learned what each cry means and you’ve found the perfect way to rock that little darling to get them to go back to sleep. It’s right about that time that the questions and comparisons begin.

Just like with pregnancy, everybody has a story to tell and they somehow end up comparing their babies and experiences to yours. You’ll hear questions like “oh are they sleeping through the night yet?” and “how many bottles are they taking?”. Then the comparisons somehow have a way of working themselves into everday conversation. You immediately start second guessing yourself and feel as though perhaps maybe you’re now doing things wrong if Johnny slept through the night at two weeks.

It only gets worse as the baby gets older. All of a sudden you hear that Mary skipped crawling and walked at nine months, and on and on it goes. As hard as it may be, you have to ignore this unsolicited advice and focus only on your baby. Every single guideline out there is an average and that means that there’s usually a pretty broad range when it comes to each milestone. If your baby isn’t holding their own bottle by ten months or feeding themself by eleven months, it doesn’t mean that there’s a problem.

Talking to your pediatrician helps, they will give you honest ranges and work with you along the way to determine if there’s ever a reason to be concerned. Sure there are exceptions but they are usually much more obvious. Help is available but the probability is that your baby is just fine and you’ve just been a victim of comparison by another mother. It happens to every mother and every one of us has done the dreaded comparison in our head.

Spend time with your baby and certainly observe them all the time. Talk to your pediatrician if you really think that there’s a problem, but the reality is that everything is likely just fine. Your best weapon–figure out a nice way to tell the other moms to leave their comparison stories at home!

Make Monday a Moving Day

People say that exercising will give you extra energy. It’s also true that you need to exert energy to get more of it. That’s why Workout Mommy put together this routine to start your week. Give it a try and see how it jumpstarts your day.

March or jog in place
25 squats
Run up/down a flight of stairs 10 times.
15 push ups
25 lunges on right leg only
15 push ups
25 lunges on left leg only
25 mountain climbers
20 squat kicks
Breathe!
Finish off with 25 crunches, 2 sets

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