Those Hazy, Lazy, Crazy Days of Summer

courtesy of sxc.hu.com

It's just barely the official start of summer, yet here in Phoenix we have been in triple digits for quite a while.  Too many consecutive days hitting above 110 degrees.  It is physically impossible to enjoy the outdoors.  We are dangerously close to getting too stir crazy at my house.  I smell a mutiny looming in the too near future.  So today I thought it would be fun if we shared fun activities for kids during the summer.  I know I need as many as I get get, before there is an uprising in my house.  You can only play indoor basketball for so long.  Anyway, I'm sure many of you have great ideas.  So don't be shy and leave fun, cool activities that work for you and your kids in the comments.  Or leave ones that don't, maybe they will for someone else.

Happy Summer!

*Using colored tape, make a hopscotch court in your house.  This is lots of fun, even for my boys.

*Make a fort.  This is hours of fun.  Can lead to a big mess, but I'd rather have something to do than listen to, "I'm bored.  I'm bored.  I'm bored.  I'm bored."  

*Visit the library.  Find out when they have storytelling time and take the kids.

*Find a children's water park nearby.  Not only will your kids have fun while cooling down, you cool down a smidge just by being by the water.

*Go in on a zoo membership with a friend.  Then you pay a little more than one trip to the zoo once, and the rest of your visits are free.  Most zoos have children areas, which even include water features.  This is a great place to go to cool off and learn.

Ymonica

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If you have a product review you would like posted or a topic you would like to have discussed please email me at momblogclub@gmail.com. I will be updating the blog every Monday, Wednesday and Fridays with new topics. Please email me so we can start talking about things that are important to you!!!

Questions

I have a friend from work who is pregnant with her first baby and is looking for some advice from the group. She writes:

"So I have some questions for the mommy blog since I'm 15 weeks pregnant and starting have some trouble with some things.

1. What things helped you stay asleep on your side during pregnancy? I was doing well sleeping on my side and now that past week, it's been so hard plus going to the bathroom constantly...I have not been sleeping well. I wake up and find myself sleeping on my back which I know is not good especially later on. I'd appreciate any ideas. I know about those big body pillows, but I don't want to buy one if they're way expensive.

2. Eating for me is difficult, especially trying to eat every 2 hours foods that are healthy. So if anyone could share maybe a whole day's worth of meal ideas that worked and tasted especially well when you were pregnant and that doesn't use a lot of dishes. I'm really interested in more natural foods, not prepackaged meals that are easy too.

- Maryanne Nelson"
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If you have a product review you would like posted or a topic you would like to have discussed please email me at momblogclub@gmail.com. I will be updating the blog every Monday, Wednesday and Fridays with new topics. Please email me so we can start talking about things that are important to you!!!

Green is more than just a color...

   Something I have always been passionate about is making sure I leave this world better than I found it.  At a young age I knew how important recycling and not being wasteful was.  I have always had a love of the outdoors and wildlife.  I considered many times what it meant to be green.  So often we hear how important it is for us to live "green."  Once upon a time, I thought to live green meant one lived a hippie lifestyle out of their VW van and lived off of a diet consisting only of tofu.  More recently than this, I simply thought it was just too expensive and even at at times an inconvenient way of life.  You'd have to buy solar panels, a new car, all new appliances for your house, and convert from gas to vegetable oil which you would have to buy from restaurants all over town, just to name a few expenses and inconveniences you would incur.  While all these things are great, they are not necessary necessities.  

   As a mother with a home of my own, I want to make sure I teach my children to keep this planet beautiful.  So I have done a lot of research and tried a lot of different things out.  I am by no means an expert, but I consider this a hobby of mine.  No matter how you feel about global warming, one thing is for sure, we must take care of this planet.  She is our home, and more importantly, the home of our children.  It is our responsibility to teach our children how to care for the earth.  And there is no better way to do this than by example.

   So for the next few weeks I am going to share some easy and cheap ways you can make your homes "green."  The first one is using white vinegar.  That's right, vinegar.  It's great, and super cheap, too.  The benefits of using vinegar are endless.  Straight 5% vinegar, which you can buy at any grocery store, kills 99% of bacteria, 82% of mold, and 80% of germs.  And it isn't harmful to breathe in.  What's better than that?  You might be wondering if my house reeks of smelly feet, and I can honestly tell you that it doesn't.  The odor goes away within a few hours, and sometimes does not stick around at all.  So here is a list of all the wonderful things you can use vinegar for;

1.  It actually eliminates odors.  Half a cup of vinegar added to a toilet bowl and left over night will remove odor.  

2.  For cleaning your dishwasher, vinegar frozen into ice cubes, add to the bottom of the dishwasher just prior to a cycle.

3.  Save money on washing pre-spray by spraying neat vinegar on deodorant and other stains on clothes just prior to washing.  (Vinegar even gets out chocolate milk)

4.  Vinegar can be used as a fabric softener by adding half the amount of vinegar as you would have with your usual softening agent.  I just pour it into one of those downey balls and toss it on top of the clothes as the cycle starts.

5.  Use as a glass cleaner.  You can use full strength or mix with water.  I use full strength and I love it.  It makes my mirrors so clear, and doesn't leave behind a filmy residue.

6.  Use full strength vinegar to polish chrome or stainless steel.  I use it on my appliances.  It works better than any stainless steel polish I have tried.

7.  Spray around doorways and other areas to repel ants.  They hate vinegar.

8.  Use a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water to clean your iron.  Add the mixture to your iron  and let it steam itself clean.

9.  Revive old paintbrushes by dipping them into heated vinegar for a couple of hours.  Then rinse with soapy water.

10.  If you use cloth diapers, I secretly admire you, simply add half a cup of vinegar to the water

in the cleaning bucket.  

   So there you have it, cheap and easy ways to save the planet, 1/2 cup of white vinegar at a time.

-monica

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If you have a product review you would like posted or a topic you would like to have discussed please email me at momblogclub@gmail.com. I will be updating the blog every Monday, Wednesday and Fridays with new topics. Please email me so we can start talking about things that are important to you!!!

Fun cleaning tips for ALL ages!!!

Just recently I was sent this press release from a blog contributer. In it there are fun ways to get your children interested in cleaning and chores around the house. I hope this helps some of you out as summer starts to come around and all of our kids become a little more active each day.

It comes from THE MAIDS Home Services:

"Summer is here and kids are looking for fun both inside and out. If your home pays the price in kid-sized messes, get the kids involved in cleaning using these fun tips from THE MAIDS Home Services.

* Don’t expect kids to use adult tools to clean, instead create supplies that are kid-friendly. Use an ice-cream pail for mopping chores or shorten an old mop handle or broom to make it kid-sized.
* Fill a squirt gun from a solution of a gallon of water and a drop of dish soap. Let kids squirt windows and mirrors and wipe dry with paper towels. Leaves glass clean and streak free!
* Cover kids’ hands and arms with dad’s old athletic socks then squirt the socks until lightly damp with a safe solution of vinegar and water. Send them off to dust around the house.
* Got a pile of blocks or action figures strewn on the floor? Scoop up toys in a few swoops using a kid-sized leaf rake to form a pile for easy pick-up.
* Make cleaning a game; give young kids grill tongs and challenge them to pick up toys and put them in a toy box or bin only using the utensils. Keep score and see who wins!
* Don’t forget the fun music to help your kids get a groove on as they boogie around the house cleaning."



For more information, visit THE MAIDS Home Services’ web site at www.maids.com or call 1-800-THE-MAIDS, “Nobody Outcleans The Maids.”


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If you have a product review you would like posted or a topic you would like to have discussed please email me at momblogclub@gmail.com. I will be updating the blog every Monday, Wednesday and Fridays with new topics. Please email me so we can start talking about things that are important to you!!!

I honor of Father's Day

I got this email from chrisblakemusic@yahoo.com today and in honor of Father's Day I thought I would put it up.

"Here's a little playlist for daddies on Father's Day.

1. Still Fighting It - Ben Folds
2. Lullaby - Chris Blake (that's me!)
3. Danny's Song - Kenny Loggins
4. Father and Son - Cat Stevens
5. Just the Two of Us - Will Smith
6. Daddy - Beyonce
7. Father and Daughter - Paul Simon
8. Daddy's Tune - Jackson Browne
9. Daddy - Wyclef Jean
10. Daddy - Red Sovine

I'm offering up Lullaby free for Father's Day at: www.myspace.com/chrisblakemusic.

I just put out a new alternative pop/rock album called WAVE and was a recent finalist in 95.5 KLOS' Battle of the Fans. I write about relationships, global warming and Steve Perry!

Listen.com once wrote, ”Chris Blake doesn't hit you over the head with his acute emotional awareness. Like a good artist, he waits by the door, strumming his guitar faithfully and hoping you'll hear what a sweet, insightful guy he really is.”

Al Bowman of the L.A. Music Awards heard WAVE and said, "Great album. Listened to it several times. Very, very good. Very good."

WAVE is available on CDBaby, iTunes, Amazon, and just about anywhere music is sold or streamed online.

Thanks!"

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If you have a product review you would like posted or a topic you would like to have discussed please email me at momblogclub@gmail.com. I will be updating the blog every Monday, Wednesday and Fridays with new topics. Please email me so we can start talking about things that are important to you!!!

Cool Products - Napkleen

"I thought you might be interested as it is the perfect disposable bib for parents on the go. It was created by Mike Chasan who spilled coffee on his shirt on his way to an important meeting. The gourmet bib -- a patented, oversized napkin/bib called Napkleen-- is the ultimate “bib” for toddlers. The disposable, waterproof product is made of 2-ply tissue and adheres to your shirt – and doesn’t move. Available in sizes for adults (13" x 6"), children (10” x 10”) and infants/toddlers (8” x 10”), Napkleen comes in six colors (made with food safe ink). For more information check out their website at http://www.napkleen.com  

- Deena Greenberg"
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If you have a product review you would like posted or a topic you would like to have discussed please email me at momblogclub@gmail.com. I will be updating the blog every Monday, Wednesday and Fridays with new topics. Please email me so we can start talking about things that are important to you!!!

Kids with ADD and ADHD

I got this email from a cousin of mine when I told her about our blog and I thought I would pass it on. As a kid who grew up with ADD it's nice to know that more is being learned about the disability and there is so much more we can do with our kids today that replaces medication. I wanted to pass this on because I believe that we need to educate ourselves about ADD and ADHD and now we have someone to contact with questions that we may encounter. Here is what she sent me:

"Hello there,

I'm Karie Harmon, in response to your email, I would like to add a topic of : kids with ADHD. My oldest son was DX with ADHD in Feb 2008. It's been a relieve to know what is going on but at the same time it's been a struggle knowing how to help him and how to cope myself.

Let me know if you have any questions,

Thanks,

Karie"

______________________________________________________
If you have a product review you would like posted or a topic you would like to have discussed please email me at momblogclub@gmail.com. I will be updating the blog every Monday, Wednesday and Fridays with new topics. Please email me so we can start talking about things that are important to you!!!

Question - Birthday Ideas

This post comes from a friend of mine who's little girl is having a birthday soon. She writes:

"Delaney's first birthday is coming up this month. Her birthday is June 29th and I need some ideas on good gifts and party ideas. Help!"

- Lindsey Mallory

Let her know if you have any ideas!!!
_____________________________________________________
If you have a product review you would like posted or a topic you would like to have discussed please email me at momblogclub@gmail.com. I will be updating the blog every Monday, Wednesday and Fridays with new topics. Please email me so we can start talking about things that are important to you!!!

Question - Nap Time

My daughter is 15 months old and, up until recently, was taking two 1.5-2 hour naps a day. She would get up at 7:30 and take a nap from 10:00 to 11:30 or noon. She would also take a nap from about 2:30 until 4:00 or 4:30. Then she would go to bed at 8:00. We've started putting her to bed around 8:30 now because of the sun not going down until later, however she's only taking one nap.

Now, she gets up around 8:00 and takes a nap anywhere from 10 to 1:00 and it's usually for about an hour and a half but sometimes goes up to 2 or even 2.5 hours.

Is there anything I should know about nap times around this age? I'm 6 months pregnant and that second nap in the afternoon was really helpful for my own sanity. I just don't want to take her naps away too soon or too late.

Thanks!
Lacey Asher

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If you have a product review you would like posted or a topic you would like to have discussed please email me at momblogclub@gmail.com. I will be updating the blog every Monday, Wednesday and Fridays with new topics. Please email me so we can start talking about things that are important to you!!!

What kind of day are you having?

I guess I should also start by introducing myself. My name is Casey and I live in Western Washington with my husband of almost six years and my two boys (ages 3 and 4 months). I used to be a middle school science teacher, but gave it up to stay home with my boys and I've never regretted it. Though some days being trapped in a basement room of a 100 year old building with thirty 12 year olds does sound like a vacation. Obviously, there are good days and bad days as a mommy. I thought I would share some of mine.

Good Day: Wearing the same clothes all day without getting any spit, pee or poop on them.
Bad Day: Running of clean clothes for myself due to the above mentioned fluids (yup 4 month old baby poop counts as a fluid).

Good Day: The kids cry occasionally.
Bad Day: We all cry . . . at the same time!

Good Day: I get the laundry done and dinner cooked.
Bad Day: We run out of burp rags half way through the day (we go through 30 in 2 days) and I forget there is such a thing as dinner until 4:30.

Good Day: The 4 month old wears the same outfit for longer than an hour without it being covered in spit-up.
Bad Day: The 4 month old destroys an outfit before I can even get it fully on him.

Good Day: The 3 yr old takes a nap.
Bad Day: The 3 yr old sits up in his bed and plays and sings with his night-night bear during nap. He then proceeds to melt down repeatedly until bedtime.

Good Day: I get 6 hours of continuous sleep in a night.
Bad Day: I only get 6 hours of sleep in a night, but it is in 1 to 2 hour chunks!

Though any bad day can turn good when my 3 yr. old turns to me and says “I want to snuggle you Mommy. I love you sooo much!” or my 4 month old smiles and giggles when he sees me coming.

What are some of your good days and bad days?
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If you have a product review you would like posted or a topic you would like to have discussed please email me at momblogclub@gmail.com. I will be updating the blog every Monday, Wednesday and Fridays with new topics. Please email me so we can start talking about things that are important to you!!!

Slingin' Baby

Before I start my intended post, I thought I should introduce myself. My name is Monica and I live in Phoenix, AZ. In June my husband, Tim, and I will be celebrating our 5 year anniversary. We have two great boys, Matthew - 4 in July, and James - 13 months. I am lucky enough to be able to stay at home with them, and I LOVE my job. I am not an expert on mothering, I just really like what I do.

I thought that I would do a product review for our post today. First, let me warn you, I have never written a product review, let alone any review. I may or may not know what I am doing. So read at your own risk.

Something that I have sworn by as a mother is the HotSling. I received mine as a gift after my second son was born. Let me get the worst part out of the way, these bad boys run about 30 to 60 bucks, most range in the area of $48 to $60. Now take a deep breath and stay with me. I promise it gets better. You can find them used or new at ebay.com at starting bids of $2.25 and new at amazon.com for $38.99. But trust me, whether you spend $60 or $2.25, they are worth the investment.

One of the greatest things about this particular brand is that it offers many sizes, nine to be more precise. I don't know about you, but I tend to get a little busty during and after pregnancy. So to have the choice of 9 different sizes is great. Too many things are one size fits all, so it's refreshing to have several options. And who is this tiny person that they model sizes after anyway? I can guarantee that she is not the average size. I do suggest that you try on the HotSling with your baby before purchasing it. This way you are ensured a comfy fit. How much room your little one takes up matters more than how much room you take up.

Photo courtesy of hotslings.com

This is the exact sling I have, in case you were dying with curiosity. Mine just might be a size or two bigger.

I was a little intimidated at first by how difficult the process of putting-on and putting-in-baby could be. The HotSling comes with an instructional booklet and DVD. Whoo! And once you read the instructions, it is seriously the easiest process. But not everyone is like me, so you might be able to figure it out on your own in like, 2.5 seconds.

The slings come in a great variation of patterns, so you have lots to choose from. They also come in 4 different styles; designer, everyday, reversible, and for the earth friendly mom, organic. I'm considering the organic for my next bundle of joy. And no, that was not an announcement.

I started using my HotSling as soon as I got it. James was about 12 weeks old. If I had had it sooner, I would have used it from his birth. Before I had the sling, James would get upset in any store, and I would always end up leaving well before I had intended. He hated to sit in his car seat, and would let me and everyone else in the vicinity know it. Also, because the car seat took up the seat in the cart, Matthew was left to roam freely. This is something that no 3 year old should be allowed to do, especially in Target. I can barely handle that on my own. So I was pushing a cart, carrying a baby, and chasing a wild child around. Needless to say, my shopping trips became more and more stressful and less enjoyable. Then I received my sling. Cue the hallelujah music. When I went shopping I put the sling on, plopped James into it, Matthew got the seat in the cart, and we were good to go, sanity and all. When we went out to dinner, rather than having to hold James on my lap, I'd sling him. He happily sat there, and I could actually eat. In my church I was in charge of putting on monthly dinners and classes for the women. When James had to tag-a-long, the sling came out. I was able to get everything done that I needed to. I literally used the HotSling for everything; shopping, entertaining, cleaning, cooking, family outings, airports, and so on. It was a sad, sad day when James outgrew it. I squeezed every ounce of use out of it, and it's still just as good as new.

Although I love the HotSling, it might not be for you. Pick what you are comfortable with. Nobody knows you better than... you. There are tons of "baby-wearing" (thanks for the term, Casey) products out there for you to choose from. Make the right choice for you. All I know is that I will for sure be using the HotSling with the rest of my kids. It makes my life easier, and so much less stressful. Any product that does that deserves a hug.

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If you have a product review you would like posted or a topic you would like to have discussed please email me at momblogclub@gmail.com. I will be updating the blog every Monday, Wednesday and Fridays with new topics. Please email me so we can start talking about things that are important to you!!!