A Safe Holiday Season = A Fun Holiday Season

Featured Blogger, Go West Young Mom with

Holiday Safety Tips from Dr. Antonio Caceres


Dr. Antonio Caceres of Geneva's New Beginnings Pediatrics shares some safety tips to help ensure that your family enjoys a happy and safe holiday season.

Photo by ume-y on Flickr.Toy Safety: 

  • Some toys may pose as a choking hazard for children. This is especially true to kids under 3 years of age. Children under age 8 years can choke and suffocate on un-inflated or broken balloons. Remove strings and ribbons from toys before giving then to young children.
  • Magnets and button batteries can have serious complications such as esophageal and stomach perforations, including death if swallowed. Keep them away from young children and call your doctor immediately if your child swallows one.
  • To prevent both burns and electrical shocks, avoid giving young children under age 10 years a toy that must be plugged into an electrical outlet. Instead buy toys that are battery operated.

 Food Safety:

  • Wash your hands frequently especially if handling foods. Make sure your kids do the same.
  • Fully cook poultry and meats, and wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly.
  • Always keep raw foods and cooked foods separately, and use separate utensils when preparing them.
  • Be sure to keep hot liquids and foods away from the edges of counters and tables, where they can be easily knocked over by a young child’s exploring hands.
  • Foods that require refrigeration should never be left at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Fireplaces:

  • Make sure the flue is open. Remove all decorations, papers, and boughs from the fireplace area before lighting any fire.
  • Do not burn gift wrapping papers in the fireplace. This may result in a flash fire because wrappings may ignite suddenly and cause burns.

Read more ...

Black Friday is almost here! I am still deciding which option I'll pick this year...

Scenario # 1: Wake up at 1am, get a pair of comfy shoes on, drive in the dark to my favorite store, wait in line with lots of other delirious women, maybe get a freebie or two, and run toward some of hottest deals of the season.

Then, there is..

Scenario # 2: Stay curled up in a warm bed, wake up when my kids do, stroll to the kitchen for a cup of coffee, then pop open the laptop and buy some gifts that will conveniently be delivered to my door. 

What's your style?  Actually... both options sound good to me right now.  But, no matter what, I will defintitely be scoping out the best deals from the top retailers. 

In order to save time, I put together a list of quick links to some of the most popular stores:

Walmart

Target

Sears

Toys R Us

Best Buy

Macy's

Kohls

Kmart 

Costco

 

www.freedigitalphotos.net Photographer: Simon Howden

Bloggers, this is for you!

Shutterfly is offering 50 free holiday cards for anyone who has a blog and wants to do a write up about Shutterfly's 2010 Holiday Card Collection (certain resctictions apply).

Since many of my readers are also bloggers, I wanted to spread the word. 

The CoMo Kid's blog is participating in this promotion.  You can see CoMo Mama's write up about the Shutterfly Holiday Collection, read about her obsession with photo books, and learn more about the promotion here!

Is liquid yogurt a good substitute for milk?

 

Sometimes it's really hard to get kids to drink milk.  I've had this dilemma in my house, and it seems like a very common issue with kids.  They either won't drink any milk at all, or will only drink chocolate milk.

And, what about that liquid yogurt drink that some kids love...  Is liquid yogurt a good substitute for milk?

Go West Young Mom has a fantastic section on her site called "Ask the Expert" where one pediatriction gives his opinion on this topic and offers some tips for parents.  Read more here

Photographer: graur razvan ionuthttp://www.freedigitalphotos.net

 

Locked Out

Today, I was playing outside with my kids and suddenly remembered all of the times I've been locked out of my house.  It's November.  It's getting cold (brrrr).  And, it's getting dark earlier.  Winter is that time of year where you really don't want to be locked out of your house without your keys.

New moms & dads are so busy remembering the diapers, the bottles, the pacifier, the extra clothes, and most importantly, the baby, that sometimes getting out the door is the only thing that's on your mind.  Then, when your kid gets a little older, they have the ability to lock YOU out!  It's happened to me and so many other mommies. It's one of those things that can be sort of funny until it happens to you.

So, make sure you have a neighbor or friend nearby with keys.  Or just have a spare pair hidden somewhere. Because one day you will be playing outside with your kids, and the door will shut, but, this will be one less thing you have to worry about!

Every mom I know loves Scholastic because of their great value and quality. And, kids love their books too!  We were actually reading a Scholastic book last night at bedtime, and I am getting ready to order some new books now.

Sippy Cup Mom is hosting a Giveaway for Little Scholastic Books.

You have the chance to win $70 worth of books for your toddler.

Giveaway now closed

Click here to read more about the books from Little Scholastic and enter the contest!

Okay, I know I'm not the only one who spent years eating stuffing that was baked inside a Turkey.

But, now, there seems to be a debate - TO STUFF OR NOT TO STUFF!

My family has given in, and we're now non-stuffers.  : (

Read more about this debate and have the chance to win a $150 Visa gift card  at 3 Kids and Us.

This site also has recipes, reviews, a holiday gift guide and more!

www.3kidsandus.com

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net

Photo Frame

Need a great Christmas gift for a preschooler?

Check out the Vtech KidiLook Digital Photo Frame.  It's bright, stylish, and it stores up to 100 digital photos.   

It features:

  • A built-in motion sensor
  • Real digital clock display
  • Kids can create their own story with their photos
  • Easy one-click download

*Bonus for mom and dad* This will be a great quiet gadget to keep the kids busy in the car, while on the way to all of those holiday get togethers!

 

 

Moms Review 4 You is hosting a Giveaway for a 4 peice Noric Ware Holiday baking set! 

I just bought my first Bundt cake pan last week, and I can't wait to use it for the holidays.  Moms Review for you, was lucky enough to recieve 4 Nordic Ware pans, test them out, and review them on their site.  It's rare that you call a baking pan "beautiful", but I really can't thing of any other word to desribe them.

To read their review & enter the contest for the Giveaway - Click Here

 

Have you seen these Hallmark Recordable Storybooks yet?   I've heard about them, but hadn't seen one up close until recently.  My kids got one from their Grandparents and were in awe when they opened the book.  Their grandparents voices were loud and clear, and the kids absolutely loved hearing their grandparents read them the entire story. The books have nice thick pages with beautiful illustrations.

  I know this is going to be a bedtime favorite!

 

Did you take your kids to a Veterans Day Parade?

We went to our local parade.  The kids had a ball watching the marching bands, waving their flags to the beat of the music, and seeing the Veterans drive down the street in old military vehicles.   Hopefully, these are some of the moments they'll remember in years to come. 

Thank you to all the men and women who serve our country. 

 

Every so often, my husband and I get a night out by ourselves.  But, usually, we're out-and-about, exploring new places with the kids.

I feel like we've done almost every activity under the sun. Yet, I am amazed daily at how much I still need to learn.  Everyday, I'm learning with my kids by going on new adventures, whether it's a state away or in our own backyard.  

So, I am inviting you on my quest to make life a little bit easier for parents everywhere, through blogs and awesome deas for fun!