Kelly

Get Support for a Healthier You

March 10, 2012 By Kelly

Mom’s In A Blog owner Tracy Roberts just launched an awesome new membership program designed to provide you with support and encouragement as you pursue a Healthier You.

I couldn’t wait to ask her some questions about it.

Where did the inspiration for A Healthier You come from?

Because I’ve always been a bigger girl – not always fat, just always larger than my friends – I had to figure out a way to be healthy in my body because I could never seem to get to the magic number that the doctor’s have on some chart. I knew I had to keep positive, eat good food and move my body so I started reading more about mindset, nutrition & exercise and how they all work together to make a healthier me.

What sort of resources do you plan to deliver?

Because I think it’s important to have ongoing encouragement, my plan is to send a weekly email.

As an example, the very first email will include:

Introduction to Creating A Healthier You Guide
Positive Affirmation – Neutralize Bad Habits with Good Food, Exercise & Healthy Living
Motivational Wallpaper – A gorgeous graphic that says “Decide that you want it more than you’re afraid of it!”
Healthy Recipes – Eating Better: Choosing the Right Foods to Become Healthier
Worksheets/Checklists (Self Reflection, Overcoming Obstacles, Weight Loss Goal Tracker & Diary, Overcoming Food Addiction)

Each week following will have similar items and some additional goodies along the way.

Will there be opportunity for a lot of personal interaction?

Because weight loss can be so personal and potentially embarrassing, I have set up a private Facebook group – only for members of Creating a Healthier You, completely hidden from the world so that we can share victories, defeats, dreams & fears. A place where members will encounter support & accountability without judgement.

What do you think most people need to help them stay on track towards better health?

For me, it was realizing that I can’t do it without accountability and people urging me on but also being forgiving when I have a bad day.

It’s my hope that by sharing the resources via weekly email & interacting together in our group that we’ll all be able to achieve success. And that success is measured by the individual and how their body feels not by a number on a scale.

Filed Under: Health & Wellness

Providing for the New Baby Need Not Break the Bank

February 25, 2012 By Kelly

This is a guest post by Christine Allen.

It is excited to have a baby, and being parents. Those little creatures are cute, cuddly, and loveable, but through no fault of their own, can be quite expensive. Unless money is not problem in your family, lifestyle changes are often necessary to keep household finances under control. Some of my coping strategies are given below.

Babies Have Such Simple Needs

Babies don’t require much out of life: clean diapers, adequate food, stimulation, social integration, and lots of love and cuddling. Only a few of those things cost money, and in most cases are financially manageable. The biggest outlay, for parents, is the cost of those items which are desired by the parent more than required by the baby.

Babies don’t care if their strollers are brand new with lots of neat bells and whistles. They care only that they are comfortable. Babies may enjoy a doorway swing, but no baby has ever selected the most expensive model. Cribs, baby carriers, and pack and plays need only be safe, meeting the current government safety standards. Babies don’t require that they be the most expensive models.

Many baby toys and items for use in the nursery can be purchased second hand from thrift shops, yard sales, and Craig’s list. Some nursery furniture can be acquired as gifts if you’re smart enough to list such items in a gift registry before the baby is born.

Baby Clothes Don’t Need to be Expensive

Clothes can become a considerable expense for some parents. It should be obvious that babies and most toddlers don’t care what they wear as long as the clothes are comfortable and appropriate for the weather. When parents buy expensive new clothes, it’s usually to show off their status through their baby’s attire. The baby would be perfectly happy with second hand clothes and hand-me-downs.

Babies grow so quickly that most of their clothes seldom show any wear at all. Shop at church rummage sales and at thrift stores. You’ll be amazed at how many excellent clothes you’ll be able to buy for a few dollars. Don’t buy only the sizes that fit at the present time. Think about savings in the future and buy larger sizes if the price is right. Toddlers clothing may be subject to more abuse, but there will still be excellent used clothing available, especially dress up duds for special occasions.

Save Big on Consumables

Saving money of baby food is a bit more of a challenge. Second-hand food is obviously not an option! High quality, nourishing, and trusted brands are the most important consideration. Formula and processed baby foods can be expensive depending upon where you purchase them. Never buy baby food at a convenience store unless it is a dire emergency. The price markup in most cases is outrageous.

Most large supermarkets maintain competitive prices on quality brands and often offer store brands of equal quality at lower cost. The big box stores like Costco, Sam’s Club, and BJs are excellent places to save by buying in quantity. If you’re a stay-at-home mom, you can save even more by processing your own baby food using the fruits, vegetables, and meats that you serve the rest of your family. All you need is a good food processor or blender, and you are in the baby food business.

Other major “must haves” for babies are diapers and baby wipes. Babies go through diapers and wipes as fast as they deplete the supply of baby food. If you’re not using cloth diapers, which can save money in exchange for considerable effort, buy the diapers in bulk from the big box store mentioned above. Always keep a good supply on hand. Why? Ask any parent who has ever had to improvise when they ran out of diapers!

Economize Using the Internet

Online stores like Amazon.com have changed the shopping culture considerably over the last decade. Almost every product available in the local big box stores is available on line. Most, when sufficient quantities are ordered, are shipped at no cost to you. These products include formula, processed food, diapers, wipes, supplements, and nursery items. You can save a lot by purchasing in quantity from online sources. Just make sure that the source in known and respected. There are many online scammers out there.

The major difference when ordering online, as compared to buying at a local big box store, is adequate planning. Plan well ahead and allow for shipping delays when you buy online.

Christine Allen, mama to two lovely kids from Livesnet, a site where you can find great baby gear reviews and some helpful parenting tips. She loves to write about her hunting experience of baby products and would definitely willing to give advice to new mommy hunters.

Filed Under: Shopping

Outdoor Games For Kids

February 17, 2012 By Kelly

Playing outside for most of the day, even in colder weather used to be the norm when it came to children’s activities in their free time. These days they are often spending up to 6hours on average watching TV and playing video games. We can’t blame this change in behavior entirely on TV, as our busy life’s sometimes get in the way, as well as our concern for their safety, since the world simply isn’t a safe place, and the fact that kids often don’t know what to play anymore. Old and classic outdoor games aren’t being passed on in the school playgrounds anymore, so it is up to those who still remember them to bring them back. There is a simple way to teach your children some great team building and reaction developing games in the safety of your own garden.

A group of 4 to 8 (or more, if you feel you can handle them) is ideal for these games, so consider inviting some of your kids’ friends round or the neighbors’ kids to make up the numbers. Once you’ve taught them the games, which are presented below, you can supervise the play for 2 or 3 rounds to make sure there aren’t any questions and then leave them to it. If there are any arguments regarding cheating or breaking the rules, let them try to resolve it among themselves and only step in if it seems absolutely necessary.

Bring out some refreshments for them. This will keep them energized and if you take the refreshments to them, then they won’t rush inside to grab them and then get distracted by their digital entertainment systems. Your garden shed can serve as their snack area, as well as a fun HQ for them to discuss the next game. Just clear out some room and make sure they know, that it’s part of the play area.

Presented are four of my own childhood favorites, which promote team building skills, tactics, balance and general motor skills.

Red Light, Green Light

Personally, I recommend starting with this game, as it starts off slow and then becomes more interesting, so it’s a good option of getting the kids used to the concept of playing outside. The rules are simple: One player, the traffic light, has their back to the group and shouts ‘Green Light’. The group takes slow steps toward the traffic light. The steps should be toe to heel to ensure the steps are slow. Imagining walking on a tightrope is a good way to make this style of walking clear. The traffic light faces the group and shouts ‘Red Light’. No one is allowed to move during a red light. If someone does move or wobble as they’re off balance, they have to return to the starting point. The first person to reach the traffic light wins, and becomes the next traffic light. The rules of when to walk and when not to walk are taught and highlighted in this game, as well as balance since the traffic light can catch you off guard whilst walking toe to heel.

Freeze Tag

Freeze tag is like your traditional tag, except that when someone is caught, they’re not ‘it’ instead they have to freeze where they are. They can be freed by another player, but whoever is ‘it’ can also catch the player trying to free the frozen one. Whoever is ‘It’ must play very tactically, as they are outnumbered and can be overwhelmed by the others. However, if they keep a frozen player in their sights, they can catch both the player doing the unfreezing and the player who was originally frozen. Likewise the players, who aren’t ‘It’

can develop a tactic to work together and plan unfreezing their team mates. One could
distract the ‘It’, while another frees a team mate.

Red Rover

Red Rover is a great team building game, and it also forces the children to all interact with each other. If groups have started to form in the previous games, and children being left out, then this game will ensure that everyone gets included. Divide everyone into two teams, each forming a long line, holding hands, and facing the other team. The distance between the teams should be around 20 feet, or simply enough space to be able to run from team to team without it being too easy. The teams take turns calling out, “Red Rover, Red Rover, let ‘insert child’s name’ come over!” The child called leaves their team’s line, runs as fast as they can toward the other line and tries to break through the held hands. If they break through the opposing team’s line, they get to take someone back to their team. If they don’t, they join the new team. When a team only has one person left, that person tries to break through the other team. If they do not, then their team loses. If they do, they gain a player and play continues.

Wolf’s Dinner Time

This game requires patience, good timing and a good attention span. One player is Mr Wolf, and the rest of the group faces him from a distance of about 15 feet. Mr Wolf has his back to the group. The group shouts ‘What’s the time Mr Wolf?’, and the Mr Wolf turns to the group and must answer with a time. If Mr Wolf says ‘6 o’clock’, then the group takes six steps toward him. The wolf then turns his back on the group again. He may only face them when answering. Once the wolf believes the group to be close enough, without looking in between his answers, his answer becomes ‘Dinnertime!’ and he chases members of the group. Whoever he catches becomes the next Mr Wolf. Both players and wolf must reign in their excitement. The wolf has an advantage as he dictates how many steps are taken, however, the players are aware of what will happen and should be ready for when the wolf strikes. Timing is everything with this game as if the wolf decides to strike too soon he misses his chance for an easy catch. If the players let down their guard and stop paying attention, then they are easier to catch. This then promotes keeping your concentration for a longer period of time.

These games are merely examples of some of the classic and still fun outdoor games. There are many other great outdoor games and kids love learning new things, so tell them your favorite games, too.

This article was written by Sarah Oxley on behalf of Tiger Sheds, garden shed and playhouse manufacturers.

Filed Under: Home

Children and Eye Health

February 8, 2012 By Kelly

This is a guest post by Maggie Voelker. Thanks for the great useful info Maggie!

It’s simple to tell when your child has a cold or a tummy ache—they tell you. Vision problems though, are much more difficult for children to articulate. Many times issues go unnoticed because children have no idea that they can’t see properly. This can lead to frustration, problems in school, or worsening vision if left untreated. So what steps should parents take to ensure that their children’s eyes and vision are healthy?

Warning Signs

According to the Eye Health Guide, parents should keep an eye open for these warning signs that might indicate that your child has poor vision or an eye problem.

Crossed, turned-out, or non-focused eyes
White, grayish, or yellow material in the pupil
Eyes that quickly flutter from side-to-side or up and down
Bulging eyes
Persistent redness
Puss or crust
Watery eyes
Droopy eyelids
Excessive rubbing or squinting
Eyes that are sensitive to light
Any abnormal changes

When to See an Eye Doctor

Infants three months and older should be able to track or follow an object. Try moving a favorite toy across their field of vision to see if your child can follow its movement. Many parents worry about babies crossing their eyes occasionally. For children less than four months, this is normal, though continually crossed eyes or turned-out eyes should be assessed by a physician.

At six months of age, infants should have the same focusing ability, color vision, and depth perception as adults. It’s at this age that infants should undergo a basic eye exam to ensure that their eyes are developing normally. The eye doctor will be able to assess your baby’s visual acuity, detect nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and evaluate his eye teaming and alignment.

According to the American Optometric Association (AOA), after the initial visit at six months of age, children should have another exam at age three and then around age 5 or 6, before the child enters school. This will allow enough time to catch and correct any vision problems that might interfere with learning.

The Exam

The AOA estimates that 5 to 10 percent of preschool children and 25 percent of school-aged children have vision problems. Thus, it’s imperative that your child gets adequate eye care. Depending on your child’s age the specifics of an eye exam may differ, but generally the exams will include a case history, vision testing, determination of whether eyeglasses are needed, testing of eye alignment, and an eye health evaluation.

Be prepared to answer the following questions or share the following information with the eye doctor:

History of prematurity
Family history of delayed motor development
Family history of eye problems
Frequent eye rubbing
Excessive blinking
Unable to keep eye contact
Inadequate tracking skills

Finally, if your child is old enough to understand, prepare your child for his or her exam by explaining that the doctor will be looking into their eyes and showing them pictures. Reassure them that there are no needles, but that the doctor may put drops in their eyes. Schedule your child’s appointment at a time when he or she is usually alert and happy (not a naptime!), and don’t forget, a sticker, lollipop, or new book is always appreciated after a successful appointment.

For more information on your child’s eyes visit the Eye Health Guide.

Guest author Maggie, works as a content writer in Indianapolis, IN. With an educational background in science and health, she enjoys staying abreast of the latest health and medical news and sharing this information with others. Outside of work, Maggie enjoys staying active, traveling, and trying new restaurants.

Filed Under: Health & Wellness

Mom’s Talk about Breastfeeding: When You Have Trouble Making It Work

February 2, 2012 By Kelly

This continues our series, Mom’s Talk about Breastfeeding.

Many moms struggle with breastfeeding – it isn’t always as easy and natural as you’d hope. We know it helps sometimes to know that you’re not the only one, so hopefully these stories will be an encouragement to you.

Kristina’s Story

When my twins were born one month premature I was so focused on their healthy delivery that I wasn’t paying much attention to the factors involved in breast feeding. I had every intention of breast feeding (if I could!) and immediately set about round the clock pumping to contract milk flow. Doctors and nurses assured me that my milk would come in about a week after the twins’ birth and they were right. Sadly however, it just was never enough for two so I continued supplementing with formula.

About 3 or 4 weeks later I started to experience excruciating pain while breastfeeding and sought help through a number of channels and finally landed at a breast feeding clinic with expert physicians who actually specialized in the nurturing act of breastfeeding.

It was the BEST move I made.

In one appointment they had me entirely sorted out and on a program that while I stuck to it; which included supplements, breastfeeding aids and lots and lots of pumping, really worked. I felt I had the support and understanding that I needed and in my case that also included the reassurance that supplementing with formula was indeed OK and necessary in my case as I just wasn’t able to produce enough sustenance for two babies.

At home I found it was a little more difficult at times and mainly due to well meaning friends and relatives who wanted so much to be a part of the babies care. In order for me to breast feed it took a lot of time and effort and cooperation from others and sometimes their needs and desires to hold and feed a baby seemed to trump the whole breast feeding routine. It was hard because I was so grateful for their company and their help.

The routine was grueling and in my case quite painful for a while there so I am sure many were scratching their heads as to why I continued!

The reason why I continued was because someone very early on told me something that really resonated with me. She told me that even one eyedropper of breast milk was beneficial to my boys. It all mattered. And that is what kept me going until at five months my boys started sleeping through the night and unless I was willing to wake just for the sake of pumping; my supply was just not going to survive the long spells of not feeding.

So, I stopped at five months and I feel good about it now. I struggled with it then and was sad for two main reasons: one was that I was sorry I could not nourish the boys by my own body alone and the second was that as an older mom I knew it would be the first and last time I would breastfeed and that is bitter sweet as other moms know.

It was hard. It was painful, exhausting, discouraging, deflating, rewarding and ultimately beautiful to breast feed my boys for as little and as long as I did. It was all worth it and I am so glad I did it!

Chacoy’s Story

I was excited to finally get the opportunity to breastfeed my son. I had been pumping in a milking room with 5+ other women; once I was done, I labeled the milk and placed it in the freezer which was lined with other mothers’ breast milk. It’s not the image you have in your head while you fantasize about motherhood but it was what I had to do to make sure that my son was getting all of the nutrients that he needed to become a healthy baby.

My excitement quickly turned into sadness as my 2 pound baby wouldn’t latch on. I was absolutely heart broken and no matter how much the lactation specialist told me that it was normal for preemies; that he would eventually come around I could not shake the feeling that I had failed or that my son did not like me and may ultimately be rejecting me.

I didn’t want him to be on the feeding tube any longer but since he would not latch on, or even suck a nipple from a bottle, I had to pump and freeze, pump and freeze. He was finally able to get off of the feeding tube but by that time my milk had dried up as I was not producing enough milk to keep it coming in.

I finally felt like we were on the right path but could not get out from underneath the thumb of judgement. Whether I was breastfeeding or bottle feeding, I was judged. I got dirty looks when I would go in to feed him. I could hear the whispers from the other mother’s as they watched me take my little man from his incubator to try and breast feed. ‘He won’t latch on.’ ‘Can you believe she isn’t breastfeeding’?

I finally just had to stop listening and remember that everyone has a different experience, and an opinion but nobody understands until they are actually in the situation to realize what works best for one mother does not necessarily mean it works best for the other.

As mother’s we all want what’s best for our children and whether it is breastfeeding or bottle feeding we need to support each others’ decisions in what is best for them and for their babies because sometimes it’s not a choice.

Kelly’s Story

I was determined to be a breastfeeder for three reasons.

First, because it sounded sweet and warm and cuddly. I wanted to be ‘that mom’.
Second, because our budget was tight and buying formula was expensive.
Third, because my husband was ‘green’ in a major way and breastfeeding means you don’t create a lot of ‘trash’ or need for recycling.

Nursing did not turn out to be all sweet and cuddly – at least not for me. As a big breasted woman, I usually had to use a side football hold – instead of cuddling him in my arms like other moms. It always felt awkward – but I did it. When he started projectile vomiting most of what he ate – I started to wonder if he were allergic to my milk! (Was that even possible? LOL!)

I’ll never forget the morning when I was changing my five week old baby’s diaper and found little orange crystals in the diaper. One call to my doctor and we were in the car headed to the hospital.

Turned out that the vomiting was a symptom of a serious problem – the muscle at the bottom of his little tummy was growing into itself, keeping the food from moving out of the stomach. This reached a point where he became so dehydrated that he peed crystals

He had to have surgery to clip the muscle – and thank God that went without a hitch. After the surgery though, I had trouble pumping – I was never able to pull more than a half ounce for the nurses to take to my baby in recovery – so they had to give him formula. That started a downward spiral for me – by the time he came to me to nurse, he wasn’t hungry. It seemed like I dried up literally overnight.

I had planned to nurse him for a full year, so it was sad to realize it was over already. Still – I know that the five weeks we did nurse was wonderful for him.

How about you? Do you have a story to share?

Filed Under: Parenting Tagged With: Breastfeeding Issues