Will You Be Refunded If Your Baby Is Not a Genius?

So even though The American Academy of Pediatrics highly recommends that children under two refrain completely from watching TV, how many moms out there still allow their children to watch a couple shows, I mean, they’re educational, right? Or are they?
Well if you own even one Baby Einstein DVD, the company, owned by Disney, will refund you $15.99 for up to four Baby Einstein DVD’s per household, bought between June 5, 2005 and September 5, 2009. So why the refund? The Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood launched a lawsuit arguing that “The Walt Disney Company’s entire Baby Einstein marketing regime is based on express and implied claims that their videos are educational and beneficial for early childhood development. “
So as I definitely do not believe in sitting a baby right in front of the TV, Brody has definitely watched his share, and he is under two.
I remember when I was a nanny and one of the moms told me about the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation, she wanted to try and follow it with her son. This was some what difficult especially because she had a four year old daughter who was allowed to watch TV. It ended up her doctor told her another piece of advice, while you should avoid a ton of TV where children are concerned, when needed it can be a wonderful educator and babysitter. I do believe people take advantage of this and sit their children in front of the TV out of laziness though (and extreme circumstances like when you are sick and can’t move and your child watches almost all of the Hi-Five episodes on-demand) I do not rely on TV to teach my son and make him a genius. Even if we are watching Hi-Five, I use the show to help him learn colors and numbers while reiterating what he just saw. I still read to him constantly, dance, sing, play games and teach him in other ways.
So I guess my question is, while these shows and DVD’s may help aid in learning, does anyone really completely rely on them to teach their children and will you be returning them if you do? (If you are going to admit you do….)
Do I personally think the DVD’s make baby geniuses, no, but do I think Brody learns from Hi-Five or the shows he watches, yes.
I am interested in your opinions:
Do you have children under two who watch TV?
Do you think they learn anything from what they watch?
Do you feel better about letting them watch TV if they are learning?
Do you own Baby Einstein DVD’s and will you be returning them?

http://www.babyeinstein.com/parentsguide/promise.aspx

Sick Days… Not What They Used To Be…

Sick days are just not what they used to be… remember the days when sick days were “fun” ~okay, maybe not fun, but definitely not bad. You could just stay in your PJ’s, lay on the couch watching The Price is Right, and get served tea and crackers without even moving.
Hmmm… not anymore… not now that you are the mom. You can’t call in sick when you are a mom. I guess I should consider myself lucky that I was the only one sick, Brody and Matt were fine.
The timing was horrible though, because we did have plans to go away for the weekend (going to Pitt Homecoming with all of my college friends) and Thursday afternoon when I started to get sick, we started to realize there was not a chance I could spend 5 hours in a car to Pittsburgh since I couldn’t spend 5 minutes with my head up and out of the bathroom.
At least since we were going away our parents had planned to watch B, so my mother-in-law came to pick him up early Friday while Matt was working downstairs and I couldn’t move.
Now, I know I am jinxing myself when again I will say, I never get sick. (Way to go, definitely jinxing myself while we are coming right into flu season…smart Ashley…) Anyway, I used to get sick all the time in college but since then, hardly ever, I swear by vitamins and they seem to work. I don’t really get colds, never had the flu (there I go again… just stop writing!) So I have been miserable since Thursday when I was hit with what I would have to say is the worst virus I have ever had.
It’s been horrible…
I laid on the couch Thursday afternoon and I don’t think I got up again yesterday… oh, except to go to the hospital (my husband and parents basically made me and I did not have the energy to argue anymore) I couldn’t even lift my head to eat, I literally was eating crackers laying down…
It is so sad to watch Brody running around me playing, trying to stack toys on top of me, pulling my hair, trying to get me up to play with him, and I couldn’t even move.
Luckily Matt was home at a decent time on Thursday and took over Brody duties. He played with him, took him & Cooper out for a walk, and gave him dinner, did everything I couldn’t. There is definitely a feeling of guilt while I am just laying there and he is doing everything.
My parents picked up Brody on Saturday and he slept there (like he was supposed to while we were going to be away) and they brought him back Sunday.
And then Monday came around… I really thought I would be better by today... not so much. Brody was up early (for him) at 7am, so I jumped up to get him and instantly felt sick again. I pulled him right back in bed with me and put on Hi-Five. I bought myself 46 more minutes to sleep in while he watched two episodes of Hi-Five. Matt left for work at 8am and I brought Brody down to have breakfast. I could stand and do a few things but would have to lie down (or run to the bathroom) every half hour.
Today was tough, but I am hoping tomorrow will be better.
What are you supposed to do with an energetic 16 month old while you can’t even move?? Now, I need to get ready for bed in case Brody gets up again tomorrow at his new early time. Good night!

When Parents Tell Their Children to Lie

What has become of some parents? I am sure by now everyone has heard of “Balloon Boy”~ poor kid that we are even calling him balloon boy, but I figured you would know who I was talking about better then if I wrote Falcon Hennes.

I wasn’t watching the news coverage as it was happening but I did log on my computer and read the yahoo article, when they still couldn’t find 6 year Falcon. I felt sick for his parents and their entire family, I really felt horrible for them. Then with in a half hour he was found and he was hiding in the garage, horrible, but then to hear that not only was he hiding, but his parents may have put him up to it?!?! Ugh Ugh Ugh, who does that??

Falcon was so distraught he ended up vomiting on television because his parents made him lie. What is happening to parents in our culture?? There is no excuse for this behavior.
I admit to being someone who is completely into television, celebrities, ect… but I would never, ever, put my children in that position for the price of fame.

At least for Falcon, he must have learned to be honest somewhere along the line, that lying about hiding and what happened physically sickened him on television. The sad part, the parents probably don’t even appreciate that their children are sincere and don’t want to lie, and instead the parents only care about the fame.

So instead of just looking negatively at the Hennes, let’s think of what positive lesson we can take from this to teach our children. Also think of how often you tell little white lies in front of your children and how they could grow up thinking lying is okay. We can also take this as a warning to ourselves as how parenting can go horribly wrong, even with the best intentions.

Did your children hear about this incident? And if so, what did you tell them?
Is there a lesson here to teach our children to be honest (even if we are asking them to lie?)

Buy Ketchup in May

Have you ever wanted to know the best day of the week to buy groceries or go out dinner (both Wednesday), or to even ask for raise (Thursday or Friday)?

Mark Di Vincenzo did research for over a year to find out the best times of the day, the week, the month to do a variety of things, and he shares his expertise in his new book, Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon.

This book is not only entertaining it can be extremely helpful with telling you the best time to buy and sell a home and the best day of the month to make an offer on a house. The author, Mark was on Rachael Ray today and he shared a bunch of his little tips that are also in his book. Some of the tips are very interesting and may even help you.

I personally get bugged out by milk products that have expired. My husband will drink milk a few days after the expiration date (ew!). For me, if it is even a day or two before, I won’t touch milk, yogurt, or even eggs, but Mark tells us that actually eggs are good for 3-5 weeks after their expiration date! (who knew??) And they go on sale when they are close to the date that is listed on the egg carton. Now while I think the 3-5 weeks sounds crazy, I may be okay eating eggs a few days to possibly a week after.

Mark also says to buy shoes in the late afternoon/early evening. Your feet swell during the day and are at their largest in the late afternoon, so you know they will fit you. Thanks Mark for just saving me on those shoes I wear once and never again because they were killing my feet by the end of the day.

Airport rush hour mimics highway rush hour, so there is less “traffic” in the middle of the day. The airports are less crowded and less stressful. Saturday is also the best day to fly for the same reason. If you are flying somewhere tropical remember to apply your sunscreen 15-30 minutes before you go outside, it takes that time to start working.

Mark also tells us the best month to get a flu shot is October~ even more specific, mid-October (so get it now!). He explains that the flu shot truly takes about two weeks to kick in and the flu season completely hits around Halloween and lasts through March or April. So if you get your flu shot now you will protected right into the spring!

Mark also shared the best time to buy:
Furniture~ New models come out in February and August, so everything is discounted in January and July.
Cameras~ Presidents Week, new models are out and old ones are discounted.
Tools~ Tools hardly ever go on sale, expect for probably the only time you may find yourself actually buying tools, the week before fathers day.
Computers~ Take advantage of back to school sales, the best sale for computers.

….and don’t forget to buy ketchup in May (picnic season when ketchup, mustard, and relish are all discounted) and champagne in December (when the demand is high, so you may think the opposite, but the price is actually lowered to keep up with the competition).
Just remember timing is everything and by doing certain things at the right time you will get more for your money, maximize your time, and even take better care of your health.

A Surprising View

Today was Elisabeth Hasselbeck’s first day back on The View from maternity leave after having her third child, son Isaiah, two months ago. She starts by telling a revealing story about how she accidentally sent out a picture to her family that may have showed more of herself then intended.

The picture posted is a picture of her son, Isaiah. Elisabeth explained this was similar to most of the pictures she was taking and then she became so excited when she finally took one of her son smiling. She immediately sent it out to her entire family, including her parents, her brother, her husband, brother-in-law, father-in-law, ect…

“You know when your baby smiles for the first time, I reached for the iPhone and took the photo. Well no wonder he was smiling, because my nipple was in the photo!” Elisabeth revealed. “It’s worse then drunk dialing, it’s embarrassing!”

So her warning to all of us: Do not send pictures out when you are sleep deprived and delirious, (or at least have someone double check them before they go out!)

Has anything similar ever happen to you? Did you accidentally send out a picture or text you were later embarrassed about? If you are a fan of The View, are you happy Elisabeth is back?

Saving $$$$ With Coupons

My husband went shopping at Banana Republic a couple weeks ago and came home with a bunch of new clothes. The first thing I asked was if he used any of the coupons we have had sitting in our kitchen, he of course said “No, it was a spur of the moment shopping trip”. Ugh. Okay, so in the meantime he has worn the clothes and taken off the tags, while we kept getting more 25% & 40% off coupons.

I think since we got married and even more since I had Brody I have been using coupons. I just started getting ones that were $5.00 off for diapers and I didn’t want to just throw them out. Now it has become a little bit of an obsession. I get annoyed when I have to buy diapers and don’t have my $5 or $6 dollar off BJ’s coupon. I also recently saw Bill Rancic (the first winner of The Apprentice) on Rachael Ray talking about people who use coupons. He was telling everyone how much people can save per year and he said some statistic about how the majority of people who use coupons make $75,000+ and the people who use coupons the least make under $20,000… interesting…

So anyway, I took my coupons, Matt’s clothes, and went to Banana. Without even looking at the clothes in my bag, the cashier took my receipts, my coupons and refunded our credit card $98.00!
Awesome, right?!? For doing nothing, for making a quick trip to Banana and handing in my coupons! J

So now when I see certain coupons, I am going to share them with you guys. Even if it is just a dollar here, two dollars there… just think, if you saw that dollar laying on the street you would pick it up, right?

Coupons:

http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/
Click on Coupon Guide (Valid through Oct 24th)
A bunch of 20% off coupons~ Arden B, Build-A-Bear

www.alice.com
Bill Rancic discussed alice.com on Rachael Ray, he said it is a wonderful website where you can buy essential dry goods. Alice.com tracks your purchase history and emails you when you are running low on certain items. They also offer competitive prices and coupons on their site.

http://www.iseeme.com/oriveownna.html
My Very Own Name Personalized Storybook~ free shipping & signed by the author (offer ends Oct 18th)

www.diapers.com
$10 off your first order & 40% off Halloween costumes & free shipping!

http://www.earthsbest.com/promos/promos.php?cat=coupon
Earth’s Best Coupons
(I used the $1 off 10 jars of food all the time when Brody was eating baby food, & I still use the $1 off 2 products whenever I buy B his crunchin’ grahams)

www.coupons.com
Awesome site!!

www.couponmom.com
Great site~ has Enfamil & other formula coupons and free samples.

www.AAA.com
If you have AAA~use it! Ask for your AAA discounts at hotels, restaurants, & check AAA for coupons.

http://www.mybambino.com
Sale going on & free shipping on all orders over $60.

http://piperlime.gap.com
30% off on select styles~ ends Oct 25th.

** It does help to be organized and keep your coupons in one place. Target has little plastic coupon holders for $1 that really come in handy!**

Raising a Healthy Eater ~ Installment 1

I was so excited when Brody was 4 months and our doctor said we could start trying baby food. Every week I tried a different food and was so impressed when Brody liked each kind. I was thrilled he was such an excellent eater. He loved eating the peas as much as the applesauce.

Brody is still a decent eater, but every week I notice he gets a little more finicky. Not only does he hate being spoon fed anymore, he is starting to only pick out the things he likes. Now while sometimes these are still good foods (broccoli, peppers, avocado, fruit) he is starting to refuse meats and proteins. He does love cheese and beans, so he is getting protein there, but besides chicken nuggets he isn’t eating any other type of chicken or meat at mealtime.

This brings me to the question, how can I keep him a healthy eater and stop his bad food habits now?

I have been reading a lot on children’s eating habits, mostly because I want to make sure I raise healthy eaters. I have struggled with my weight for as long as I can remember and I want to make sure my children don’t have the same problem. I can almost trace back to exactly where my eating went wrong (the whole fat free craze in the 90’s, when I thought I could eat as many jelly bellies as I wanted because they were “fat free”) and I can see the things I want to do differently with Brody. Eating habits from your childhood carry over into adulthood, so I want to make sure Brody is establishing healthy eating habits now.

I think one of the problems with Brody is nibbling during the day, so by the time meal comes he is full. This is fully my fault and it just an issue of convenience.
It is easy to be running errands and give Brody a yogurt rice crisp bar (while organic, still not the best option to fill up on), Graduates lil crunchies, and crunchin’ grahams. Then right after our errands, when we go to lunch, Brody just doesn’t want to eat anything else.

So I read an article on children’ s eating habits that said just this: constant crunching (even on healthy snacks) is preventing your child from learning to recognize their own feelings of hunger and fullness, which is an important skill that will make them healthy eaters for life.

So how can I break Brody from this habit?
Here is advice I read & will share with you:

Set a schedule.
Kids thrive on structure and schedules. So try keeping snacks to one mid-morning, one mid-afternoon, and bedtime if they absolutely need it. Also, have your child sitting at the table for these snacks, not always eating on the go.

If they ask for a snack at another time, especially if they just ate, remind them snack time or meal time is coming. If you are not comfortable with this, offer them carrot sticks or another vegetable or fruit to hold them over. If they are truly hungry they will eat their vegetables.

As for protein, it said to include protein and fat into their snacks to keep kids satisfied longer. Try peanut butter on celery or carrots, a slice of cheese melted on whole-grain crackers, or apple slices dipped in yogurt.

And keep the junk out of sight! It’s harder to tell your children no when you have all sorts of goodies sitting out. Keep only healthy snacks in arms reach in your pantry or fridge~ like baby carrots or applesauce.

Well, I will start trying these tips today for Brody (& maybe for myself…) we’ll see how it goes!

What is your child eating?
Does your child have healthy eating habits? Do you?

~Ashley

Baby Yoga Pose: Super Baby

At my Mommy & Me Yoga class last Friday one of the moms was telling me how she had been doing the poses at home and how much they were helping with her baby’s digestion, gas, and helping her baby to sleep better. I thought of the idea to share a pose with you each week. You can try these poses at home with your baby, they are very easy to do and only take a few minutes.

Baby Yoga is little baby exercises such as grabbing their thighs and rotating them around, baby chair poses, flying on mom's knees ~ Super Baby pose (this week’s pose) and Puppy Pose ~ where baby lies over your thighs rocking back and forth. What I love about Baby Yoga is that it gives you more ways to interact with your baby and make them smile. The routines are very short, about 5 to 10 minutes, which is perfect for busy moms. There are routines to try at bedtime to help your baby sleep better and routines specifically for digestion and to ease gas pain.
You can comment or contact me if it seems unclear how to do the pose, or if you have any questions about the pose.

This week’s pose:
Super Baby

Brody hated tummy time, all he would do was scream. We even tried a tummy time mat, but that didn’t work either. There are a few poses in baby yoga that are the same as getting your baby to do tummy time.

One of them is Super Baby. As your baby gets older and gains the neck strength, they will also enjoy getting a different view of you and the room.

How to do Super Baby:

First, bring your baby into your arms. Try to make sure your baby hasn’t eaten in the past half hour.

Lie down with your baby on your belly.

Prop your knees into a 90 degree angle. Bring your knees and feet close together.

Place your baby’s belly down on your shins so that your baby is looking down at you.

Leave your hands around her chest and waist to keep her safely in place.

You can make Super Baby easier or harder and work on your abs by straightening your legs and lowering them to the ground without touching the ground. If you baby is under four months I would stay with your legs closer and keep a tight hold on your baby.

Come out of Super Baby by lifting your baby and body into sitting position. Give your baby a big hug!


http://www.itsybitsyyoga.com/

Stay Home, Stay Happy

Today Rachel Campos-Duffy filled in as a special guest co-host on The View, (Elisabeth is out on maternity leave & Sherri was sick today). You may remember Rachel from the Real World San Francisco. Rachel is now the mother of five children under the age of 10 (& has one on the way); she is married to Sean Duffy (Real World Boston). Sean is running for Congress representing Wisconsin, and both are devoted Republicans who met on Real World Road Rules All-Stars.

Rachel just wrote what she calls a “love letter” to stay-at-home-moms. The letter is actually a book, Stay Home, Stay Happy: 10 Secrets to Loving At-Home Motherhood, which was published at the end of August by the Penguin Group. Rachel wrote the book after she was notified in 2003 that she was not going to be one of the co-hosts on The View after guest hosting. In 1999 and again in 2003, Rachel made on-air attempts to join the hosting line-up of The View, but each time she was not chosen for the position. Rather than be deterred by what some might call failure, Rachel instead found inspiration.

Rachel presents a new way of looking at stay at-home motherhood that will transform the way readers view their days, their family, and their home. The book is said to be a warm, inspiring, and practical handbook for at-home moms. Rachel made sure to include “common sense and practical ideas that we all need to be reminded of,” she said in a recent interview. “I wanted to edify women who have chosen to be at home with their families,” she said. The world at large can often be oblivious to what transpires in a home, including the ongoing efforts of stay-at-home mothers. Rachel said, “There’s just not a lot of validation, but it’s never been a better time to be an at-home mom.”

Rachel writes that “Being an at-home parent does not make you a better parent. What it does afford you is more opportunities to become the best parent you can be.” With that striving can come a simultaneous need for a reality check, as at-home parents have opportunities to fall short of their own expectations because they have more opportunities to interact with their children, she explains. “But that also means that there are more occasions to reconcile and plenty of time to learn about and from one another in the process,” she writes. “It is a book that isn’t about whether to be an at-home mother or not. It’s a book where if you’ve chosen to be an at-home mom or it chooses you — like happened to me — how to do it joyfully so you and your kids look back on the time with really warm memories.”

For one thing, men as husbands and fathers are more open to partnership in the home than they were decades ago, she explained. Technological advances, like the Internet, make it easier for at-home parents to reach outside of their homes, beyond what once was often an isolated experience for women, she continued. Ultimately, Rachel hopes that her book will motivate and remind at-home moms to recognize and indulge in the pleasurable and satisfying aspects of their work. “There is a way to do it and be joyful,” she said.

With practical advice and candid, engaging stories from her own life and other moms who are making it all work, mothers will learn about:

* Embracing the choice to stay home with joy and confidence
* Taking care of yourself, guilt-free

* How rekindling your relationship with your husband benefits the whole family

* Reveling in the chance to explore new passions and creative outlets

* And the 10 things that no mom can live without!

http://www.rachelcamposduffy.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Stay-Home-Happy-Secrets-Motherhood/dp/0451228073/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255382356&sr=8-1

Under Two~ Prevent The Swine Flu

The swine flu vaccine has finally arrived, but it is currently only available in a nasal-mist form. The problem with the nasal mist~ it’s not recommended for children under the age of two because of possible dangers. Moms with children under two are advised to wait until the vaccine shot is cleared. The good news~ the wait might only take another week, at least 40 million doses of the H1N1 flu shot are rolling out in mid-October.
Once the H1N1 flu shot is available, you could still be waiting to be vaccinated. According to reports, doctors, hospitals, and schools will only find out how many batches they can expect to receive as the shipments start to arrive, which will likely send most clinics and vaccination programs into a tailspin with the influx of patients. Also, if you do choose to vaccinate baby with the shot, once might not be enough. Doctors are saying that young children might need to be vaccinated twice before being considered fully immune to the illness.
You are supposed to call your pediatrician's office now to find out how to set up an appointment and when they expect to receive the vaccine.

I am personally still figuring out if I am going to get Brody vaccinated when the shot does become available (he had his regular flu shot last month). I am curious to hear what you think & if you will be vaccinating your children and I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on the vaccine itself.

~Ashley

For more info: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091005/ap_on_he_me/us_med_healthbeat_swine_flu_q_a

If You Want to Play Dirty, Make Sure You Have Coverplay

Ahh…. Shark Tank, how I love thee… For those of you who haven’t seen Shark Tank (Tuesday nights on ABC 8pm EST), the premise is simple. Struggling entrepreneurs come to the “Sharks” (five self made multi-millionaires) asking them to invest in their business and in return the Sharks get a percentage of the companies’ equity. What really makes the show interesting is when a few of the Sharks really like an idea and they try to out bid each other for a piece of what they think will be the next big thing.
I worked in reality television for years before I had Brody. I remember sitting around in company meetings trying to think of a fresh unique idea for a reality show, why didn’t I think of this?!? Leave it to Mark Burnett, (the man behind Survivor and The Apprentice) to come up with this one~ what a great concept!

So what does Shark Tank have for the mom’s out there? Well, besides the adorable Shark, Robert Herjavec (my new TV crush), I would say almost every episode has someone trying to pitch a children’s item, and some of them are brilliant products! I will be mentioning more items in future blogs, but one of my favorites was on last night’s episode. Shark Tank has started showing updates on past entrepreneurs who struck a deal with the Sharks.

Last night’s update was on Coverplay. After Allison Costa had twin boys, she constantly used her play yard for the twins to nap and so they could play together in a safe area. Allison developed this wonderful product after discovering how difficult it was to clean her play yard after hours of use. Allison went to her friend Amy Feldman, who is a designer, and together they created an easy solution, a super soft play yard slipcover with cute designs that is easy to wash.

After seeing Allison and Amy on the show I knew I needed to buy one of these slipcovers. Play yards are one of the most popular infant items, they get a ton of use but also endure the wear and tear of spit up and spills.

Coverplay is a “germaphobes” dream! I started to think of all the instances where my hygienic Coverplay Slipcover would really come in handy~ when different children nap in your child’s play yard, if you are bringing your child to nap in someone else’s play yard, if you have a hand-me-down play yard, when traveling and using a hotel’s play yard, plus I am sure it will extend the longevity of your own play yard as well.

~Ashley

For more information on COVERPLAY Slipcovers, visit http://www.coverplayard.com

Coverplay sells a line of 20 different slipcovers that fit easily over almost any play yard on the market. The portable crib covers are machine washable and provide parents an easy way to protect their children from germs and keep play yards clean. COVERPLAY is all about making life easier for moms.
Coverplay is a Patented ProductNot intended for use with any Play Yard attachments (changing table, basinet, toy or pocket attachments).

Traveling With Baby

In August my husband Matt and I took our first vacation with Brody to Aruba.
Now, I have never been one to be afraid of flying, my step-mother is a flight attendant and since I was little I have flown all over. For some reason with this trip I was having horrible anxiety. I realized it was because it was going to be Brody’s first flight and the anxiety was more about the logistics of the trip. How will I entertain him in a small confined space for four plus hours? Do I bring our own pack-n-play or use the hotel’s? (other answers coming soon… )
Do I bring his car seat, and if so, how do I transport it?
Our close friends who recently traveled to Europe with their one year old gave us a great piece of advice.
They told us to about the gogo Kidz Travelmate. It is basically a plastic attachment with wheels that hooks onto to your convertible car seat. The best part, you can check your stroller and your child can sit in the seat while you pull them through the airport. Brody loved it! It is easy to attach and take off when you need to either gate check the seat or fasten it into the airplane seat. It also fits perfectly in the overhead compartments. It was a life saver! So many people commented on our new device, especially the parents who were lugging their own large car seats while trying to push a stroller.

http://www.gogobabyz.com/product-i14550-c26-g6-b0-p0-gogo_Kidz_Travelmate_.aspx

gogo Babyz also makes an version for infant seats, Infant Cruizer.

http://www.gogobabyz.com/product-i14474-c27-g6-b0-p0-Infant_Cruizer_AT.aspx