Baby Shower Food Ideas

School's out -- and guess who's coming back home?

Filed under: Teens & tweens

Your baby bird left the next last fall. Sure, it was hard. But over the last nine or ten months you've stretched your wings and found that life after raising kids really does exist.

Just when you start to get comfortable, though, maybe even consider redecorating a corner or two of your now larger nest, comes a knock at your door.

Your baby bird has returned; it's summer vacation.

Continue reading School's out -- and guess who's coming back home?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Things Remembered - Free Standard Shipping with $99 ...
Free Standard Shipping with $99 purchase

Kohls - 15% off when using Kohl's Credit Card
15% off when using Kohl's Credit Card # Expiration: 5-20-2008

The Baby Outlet - 5% off any purchase
5% off any purchase

Overstock - 10% off Memory Foam + $1 Shipping
10% off Memory Foam + $1 Shipping # Expiration: 5-19-2008

PD*Poll: Little Leaguer gets benched for mom's no-show

Filed under: Kids 5-7, Fun & activities, In the news

A seven-year-old Boston area Little Leaguer recently got benched for two games in a row because his mom failed to show up for her volunteer time in the concession stand.

The two-year-old rule requires that parents pitch in at concessions because it's the primary revenue for the league. The boy's mom had to go to work that day, despite knowing about the commitment for months, and so the boy missed out on game time as a consequence.

Continue reading PD*Poll: Little Leaguer gets benched for mom's no-show

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Hollywood moms strut their swimsuit stuff

Filed under: Just for moms, Pregnancy & birth, Life & style, In the news, That's entertainment

Need another reason to feel inadequate? Well, here's another. USMagazine.com has posted nine pictures of Hollywood moms in their bikinis. Some of them look fabulous. Some of them (Lisa Rinna, anyone?) look scary. Some of them look so good it makes me want to throw up.

I never looked like that in a bikini before I had a baby! Of course, I don't have a personal trainer and work out seven hours a day or get paid to look that good (although my husband says I look that way anyway...I think I'll keep him).

Interestingly enough, some of the moms are younger and some are a little more mature. Poster child for hot mom Heather Locklear is 46 years old. Now, I'm not knocking 46, but that woman's body looks better than those of a lot of teenagers. Also of note is how the gals claim they keep in shape. Whether or not it's true it's nice to think some of them have to work for it too.

Perhaps if the snaps are a hit US will move on to hot celebrity moms in one-pieces. Those can be hot too, you know.

And, by the way? Tori Spelling looks smashing pregnant. She should be that way all the time. Maybe it's the self-tanner but that woman has a glow. Also by the way? That is EXACTLY how I look in my bikini. EXACTLY.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

One Step Ahead - 15% off $100 purchase
15% off $100 purchase # Expiration: 6-30-2008

Kids and clutter

Filed under: Babies, Toddlers, Preschoolers, Kids 5-7, Kids 8-11, Teens & tweens, Chores, Resources

Got kids? If you do, chances are you have clutter too. Many parents, myself included, follow the old 'forest for the trees' principle--if you concentrate on the kids' stuff, you can't see what a mess your whole house actually is! Well, now perhaps it needn't be that way. An interesting article from the San Mateo Daily Journal helps put matters into perspective.

Kids, they say, seem to have the most stuff. Between what they bring home with them from school or the yard or wherever else, along with all the gear necessary to raise a wee one (not to mention the things the child simply HAS to have because everyone else in his or her class has one), it's more stuff than a parent can ever imagine having had as a child.

Conversely, the kids usually get the smallest rooms in the house, save the bathroom. All that stuff in such a small place is going to make clutter, or spill out everywhere else and clutter that space too. If you're like me and live in a small space to begin with, the tips in the article, such as using clear (labeled!) plastic bins and making sure you get furniture that serves more than one purpose (see: my pack and play is a bed and a place to play) might be just what you're looking for--amid all the clutter, that is!

Pic of what would look like my fridge if it were covered with baby stuff instead by Wm Jas.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

CPSC issues warning about open windows

Filed under: Toddlers, Preschoolers, Kids 5-7, Kids 8-11, Health & safety

After a long, cold winter, the days are getting longer and the weather is finally warming up. Depending on where you live, this time of year can be quite pleasant. Not too cold, not too hot. It's just right for opening up the windows and letting the fresh air blow through. But open windows can be deadly hazards to children and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission wants parents to be aware of the dangers.

Since April, CPSC says there have been 18 incidents of children falling through open windows. Sadly, two of those incidents resulted in the deaths of small children. "We are issuing this warning so parents will take the necessary steps to prevent these incidents from happening," says CPSC Acting Chairman Nancy Nord.

Tips from the CPSC for keeping kids safe when the windows are open:

• For windows higher than 6 stories, install permanent window guards. Below the sixth floor, window guards should be of the type that adults and older children can open in case of fire.
• Install window stops to prevent windows from opening more than four inches.
• Window screens can easily be pushed out - don't depend on them to prevent falls.
• If possible, open windows from the top instead of the bottom.
• Discourage climbing near windows by keeping the immediate area free from furniture.

CPSC Statistics from 2002-2004 show that an average of 25 fatalities a year are attributed to falls from windows. Children under five account for about one-third of those deaths. Don't let your child be another one.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments