last moon

giovedì 23 agosto 2012

30 Killer Blogs Full of Snack Ideas for Kids



It’s not uncommon to fall back on snack staples when it comes to getting food to your kids during their afternoon snack attacks, however sometimes those old standbys can get a little stale. These 30 blogs offer tons of fun, new snack ideas for you to try to keep the kids satisfied when the afternoon munchies strike.
Homemade Snacks for Kids
By making homemade snacks that look and taste like the store bought varieties that kids love you achieve two goals.  First, you can control the ingredients that go into the snacks and second, you can save money.  Kids won’t feel like they are missing out on what their friends are eating when they’re served these snacks.
Snacks for kids following the Paleolithic Diet
The Paleo diet, or Caveman diet as it is also known by, is made up of food that is gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, lactose-free, soy-free and preservative-free.  Eating like the cavemen used to eat before foods became commercialized and filled with chemicals can be a smart, healthy choice for kids with allergies.
Bento or Muffin Tin Snacks
Bento boxes are of Japanese decent and contain many little boxes or compartments within a larger box.  Bento boxes can be used for lunches as well as snacks.  Muffin tin snacks are similar to Bento boxes in that they utilize a variety of small foods making up the lunch or snack, but obviously there is no box to hold the muffin tin.  Muffin tins are a fun way to serve lunches and snacks at home.
Vegetarian and Vegan Snack ideas
Vegetarian or vegan snacks are a great idea whether you’re a vegetarian or not.  Children need to eat approximately 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily to get all of the vitamins and minerals they need.
Snack Ideas for Busy Moms
When kids walk in the door from school you know what comes next. “I’m hungry.”  With everything that busy moms have going on, it’s nice to have snacks ready and waiting and snack ideas for things kids can easily pull together themselves.
Healthy Snacks that Kids Will Love
Snacks that are healthy and fun to eat are a winning combination.  These bloggers have kids too, and have found some healthy snack options that their kids love.

How to Show Your Nanny Appreciation Without Spending a Dime


Many nanny employers deeply appreciate the commitment and dedication that their nanny gives to their family, and would love to dish out lavish bonuses and expensive gifts as a token of their appreciation, but simply don’t have a budget to allow for that after paying their nanny.
The good news is that it doesn’t take an additional financial investment to show you’re nanny that you truly appreciate her. A few kind words, a moment of your time, or a handmade gift will go a long way in showing your nanny that you genuinely care for and appreciate her.
When considering how to show your nanny you appreciate her, first evaluate how the kids can help.  Whether it’s posing for a photo, stamping their footprints on a card or having the children help to prepare her a special meal, children of any age can help to show their nanny that she is loved.  The children’s age and skill level will determine what role they can play in doing something special for their nanny. Older kids may choose to write a poem or give an independent gift while younger children may prefer to do something together.
Second, choose a budget friendly project.  Handmade scrapbooks with photos of the nanny and children together are grand tokens of appreciation. Older children can make or decorate frames that can hold a favorite photo. They can also write letters to their nanny to thank her for helping to care for them. Families can bake cookies or make a meal together to express their appreciation. The project you decide on can be as simple or as elaborate as you like. A tech-savvy dad may enjoy putting together a slideshow made from photos of the children and the nanny. A mom who enjoys knitting may have the children help pick out yarn for a scarf she’ll then knit.
If you don’t have time to tackle a huge project, consider doing a thank you jar. Take a clear jar and put a slit in the cover. Each time you think of something your nanny has done that you appreciate, write it on a slip of paper and put it in the jar.  Once the jar is filled up, give her your collection of thanks. Children can also add contributions and help to decorate the jar with paint or stickers.
Lastly, after you’ve chosen a project, prepare to give it to her. If the children are old enough, they’ll likely want to enjoy giving their nanny a gift. If you’re hosting a dinner for her, have them make invitations and help to set the table. If you’re giving a card, leave it somewhere where she’ll discover it, such as on top of the children’s dresser or in her nanny log book. The unexpected thank you is what makes giving the token of appreciation special.
If a project seems like too much work, simply writing a handmade thank you card for no specific reason or having the children greet the nanny at the door and then sing her a favorite song she taught them will be cherished expressions of gratitude.
When nannies feel like their work is appreciated, they become more vested in their position. Since nannies work independently, there’s typically no employer around to give daily feedback or to notice the level of care she puts into completing even the most mundane job tasks, like loading the dishwasher or folding the kids laundry.
While it would be normal to show your nanny appreciation for something she’s done above and beyond the call of duty, showing appreciation just because you are grateful of the role she plays in your family will go a long way to boost confidence, morale, job commitment, and performance.
 P. .S. This post was  proposed to me for publication by Anne Laurie . I'm therefore publishing it by her invitation and under her permission


 http://www.gonannies.com/blog/2012/08/19/how-to-show-your-nanny-appreciation-without-spending-a-dime/

Tips for Dealing with Separation Anxiety in Children

Tips for Dealing with Separation Anxiety in Children

Few things tug at a parent’s heartstrings like the cries and pleas of a child in the throes of a separation anxiety attack; still, they are a normal (if distressing) part of childhood development. With proper coping strategies and plenty of love, the worst of your child’s anxieties can be managed until he’s older, at which point most children tend to outgrow their fears of being separated from a parent or familiar adult.
Managing your child’s separation anxiety and helping her to cope with the necessary but painful routine of parting is a matter of being patient, for the most part. Keeping your composure and maintaining a grip on your patience is absolutely necessary in order for you to successfully employ other management techniques.
  • Establish a Goodbye Ritual – Sharing a special goodbye ritual with your little one is both comforting and reassuring to her, letting her know that staying at school, daycare, or under the care of a nanny is a new part of her routine. Because structure and repetition are so important to young children, establishing a ritual that accompanies every separation can help normalize that separation, making it less stressful for her over time.
  • Stay Calm – Kids react to the emotional state of a parent or loved one, so allowing yourself to become overly emotional or anxious in her presence is likely to only exacerbate the anxiety and fear that she’s already feeling. Maintain your composure as best you can, saving the emotional moments for a time when you’re out of her sight.
  • Don’t Hover or Linger – While it might seem that your hysterical child will never calm down after you leave, childcare providers will almost always reassure you that their emotional state will improve dramatically once you’re gone. Lingering around and hovering over her will only prolong the process, stretching out both her suffering and your own.
  • Speak with Caregivers and Teachers – Experienced childcare providers and preschool or kindergarten teachers are well-versed in reassuring both hysterical children and their concerned parents, so don’t hesitate to speak with them about how your child is adjusting. When normal separation anxiety is particularly difficult for a child to shake, or persists after a significant adjustment period, these people are your best allies in combating your little one’s fears and helping her learn to cope with separation in a calm, healthy way.
  • Resist the Temptation to Sneak Away – It can be very tempting to wait until your child is distracted and slip quietly from the room, but this may not be the most productive method of dealing with her separation anxiety. Looking up to find you inexplicably gone, without any sort of a goodbye, can lead to a panic that she’s been abandoned or, at the very least, to feel that she can’t always trust that you’ll be where you should be.
  • Communicate With Your Child – You can help prepare your child for preschool, kindergarten, or childcare by talking about the upcoming change, practicing separation on a small scale, and answering any questions that she has. These methods can be very effective in preventing the worst of her anxiety before it starts, and maintaining that open line of communication as she adjusts to her new environment and has new experiences is vital.
  • Be Firm and Consistent – Don’t waver or bring your child home after a particularly bad outburst, as it sends the message that a tantrum will yield the desired result of either leaving daycare or school with you or sending your nanny home, rather than being separated. Focus on maintaining a firm but gentle demeanor, and a strong grip on your resolve.
  • Know When Separation Anxiety Indicates Something More Serious – While separation anxiety is a very natural, normal part of growing up for many children, there are times when it could indicate something more serious. If a previously happy, well-adjusted child begins to regress and show signs of anxiety again, or if existing anxiety is severe and does not lessen with time, you should contact your pediatrician or medical provider for advice.
Kids that suffer from separation anxiety rarely require the attention of a medical professional, though those that do may have an underlying anxiety disorder than manifests as a profound fear of being separated from a parent or loved one. Be sure to let your pediatrician know exactly what’s going on with your child, especially if her behavior is regressing; reverting to immature habits can be a sign of abuse, and should be taken seriously.
P. .S. This post was  proposed to me for publication byPatricia Salway . I'm therefore publishing it by her invitation and under her permission

 http://www.liveoutnanny.com/blog/tips-for-dealing-with-separation-anxiety-in-children/

30 Blogs for Creating a Safe Sleep Environment


safesleep 30 Blogs for Creating a Safe Sleep EnvironmentNew parents like to think of their baby’s nursery as her safe haven, and that her sleep will always be peaceful and free from danger. This is, however, not always the case. While sleeping might seem like a risk-free activity for a baby, the truth is that there are some factors that parents and caregivers must take into consideration in order to protect the safety and well-being of the precious little one in their care.
The internet is home to what seems like an endless stream of blogs, many of which are dedicated solely to parenting and childcare topics. These blogs can be a treasure trove of valuable information on sleep safety; here are 30 that feature sleep safety and related posts very prominently.
Crib Safety
During the first few months of her life, your baby will spend a significant portion of her time sleeping in her crib. Because this small space makes up so much of her world during this period, it’s important that you educate yourself as thoroughly as possible on how to keep it safe and secure for her.
  1. New Crib Safety Standards
  2. Baby Crib Safety: Frequently Asked Questions
  3. Choosing a Crib: Crib Safety 101
  4. New Crib Safety Guidelines: What Parents Need to Know
  5. Choosing a Safe Modern Crib
SIDS
Few things are as terrifying to a parent as the idea of SIDS, or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. While the exact cause of SIDS is still unknown, the number of unexplained infant deaths has dropped considerably since 1992, when the American Academy of Pediatrics released findings that babies who sleep on their backs tend to be at a lower risk than infants who regularly sleep on their stomachs.
  1. Preventing SIDS
  2. How to Prevent SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) and Avoid the Development of Flat Head Syndrome
  3. How to Prevent SIDS
  4. 10 Tips for Preventing SIDS
  5. Preventing SIDS Requires More Than Putting Them Back-to-Sleep
Pacifier Use
For such a small piece of rubber and plastic, pacifiers sure have been known to drum up a lot of controversy. Parents and caregivers who find the devices to be valuable comfort objects sing their praises, while others swear that they affect the formation of a baby’s mouth and increase her risk of needing expensive orthodontia as she gets older. Recently, however, studies linking pacifier use to safer sleep and a reduced risk of SIDS have brought the binky back to the forefront of parenting debates.
  1. The Great Pacifier Debate
  2. Pacifiers Protect Against SIDS, But What About Breastfeeding?
  3. Pacifier Use and SIDS
  4. What’s Wrong with Pacifiers?
  5. Should You Use a Pacifier? The Pros and Cons of Pacifiers
Nursery Safety
The safety of your little one’s nursery can affect not only how safe she is when she sleeps, but also how safe she’ll be as she gets older and spends more alert time in her room. Creating a secure environment for your new baby to grow and learn is a popular topic for bloggers; these posts cover the spectrum of opinion and personal experiences.
  1. Tips For Choosing Safe Paints For a Nursery
  2. A Checklist For Creating a Safe Nursery
  3. How to Create a Safe & Non-toxic Nursery for Your Baby
  4. Rest Easy, Baby: The Secrets of a Safe Nursery
  5. Creating a Safe Nursery for Baby
Sleep Routine
Establishing a safe sleeping routine for your baby requires that you make sure that how and where she sleeps are both in accordance with safety guidelines, regardless of what time it is or how much sleep you’ve missed out on.
  1. Baby Sleep Basics
  2. How Room-Sharing Affects Your Baby’s Sleep
  3. Getting Baby on a Sleep Schedule
  4. Bedtime Routines: The Key to Sound Baby Sleep!
  5. Safer Sleep for Babies: New Guidelines
Bedding and Bumpers
Despite the American Academy of Pediatrics’ strong stance on soft bedding, plush toys, and crib bumpers, some parents insist on using these items for their baby’s comfort. Crib bumpers, in particular, have been banned by the city of Chicago, but are fiercely defended by parents who feel that they protect a baby’s head from injury.
  1. Baby Bedding and Safety
  2. Bumping Bumpers?
  3. New AAP Safe Sleep Guidelines: Bid Bye Bye to Crib Bumpers
  4. Chicago’s Crib Bumper Ban — and What to Do with Your Bumpers
  5. Crib Bumpers — Yay or Nay?
While the web can be a vast sea of useful and accurate information, no blog post replaces the professional opinion of your pediatrician or family doctor. Be sure to consult with a healthcare provider before making any changes to your child’s routine in order to ensure that all advice you’ve received is accurate and medically sound.
 P.S. This post was  proposed to me for publication by Sara Dawkins  I'm therefore publishing it by her invitation and under her permission. See also the link below fore more information:

 http://www.nannypro.com/blog/30-blogs-for-creating-a-safe-sleep-environment/

mercoledì 22 agosto 2012

30 Blogs Full of Kid-Friendly Crock-Pot Recipes


The Crock-pot is a lifesaver for parents who want to get a good meal on the table but just don’t have the time to prepare one after work. You can’t go wrong with the simplicity of adding everything to the Crock-pot before you run off to work and being able to return home after to the delicious smell of a home cooked meal and dinner that’s ready to be served.  These 30 blogs have the working family in mind and have tons of kid-friendly Crock-pot recipes for you to choose from.
  1. Freebies 2 Deals You can find more than kid-friendly Crock-pot recipes on this blog. You’ll also learn a method to freeze the meals ahead of time so that all you have to do is get up in the morning and dump a bag into the Crock-pot before leaving for work.
  2. Justfindit4u This blog posts new kid-friendly Crock-pot recipes every Wednesday.
  3. Crockpot 365 Blogger Stephanie is cooking in her Crock-pot every day for a year.  There are tons of recipes on this blog that appeal to families who have kids to please when it comes to meal time.  She has 3 kids and will tell you what her kids thought of each recipe and you can choose which ones to try from there.
  4. Cookingwithmykid Great recipes abound on this site, not all for the Crock-pot, but still well worth a look.
  5. Mommyskitchen An awesome blog written by a mom who uses her Crock-pot a lot in summer and winter alike.  Check out the many recipes found on this blog and get some ideas from her month of menus.
  6. Just a pinch There are tons of recipes on this blog, and it’s got a great search feature on the side that allows you to search for kid-friendly recipes, Crock-pot recipes, chicken recipes and more.
  7. Semi Homemade Mom Taking a little help from the store while still using her Crock-pot, this blogger has tons of great recipes with the family in mind.
  8. The Farm Girl Great recipes and stories from this Idaho mom of 4.  She has lots of Crock-pot recipes – just do a search for them on her blog.
  9. A Busy Mom’s Slow Cooker Adventures This working mom found that she didn’t have time to get dinner on the table with all of the things she was involved in.  So she turned to her Crock-pot for the answer and she is blogging about it.
  10. Living a Changed Life  You can eat healthy while cooking meals in the Crock-pot.  Check out this blog from a lady who lost 90 pounds!
  11. Ring Around the Rosies From the freezer to the Crock-pot, this blogger shows you how to make up 12 meals for the freezer during only a 2 hour naptime.  Lots of ideas to save you time and money making healthy meals for your family.
  12. Get off Your Butt and Bake Tons of recipes for the Crock-pot, just do a Crock-pot search to pull them up.  Lots of other yummy recipes as well.
  13. Get Crocked Did you think that Crock-pots were just for cooking dinner?  Here is a blogger that not only has lots of dinner recipes, but she has lots of breakfast Crock-pot recipes too.  How about Crock-pot cinnamon rolls?  Mmmmm.
  14. Moms with Crock-pots Find a recipe for green eggs and ham for the Crock-pot on this blog.  Plus tons of cheesy Crock-pot potato recipes, as well as many others.
  15. Family Fresh Meals Crock-pot recipes for everything from vegetarian stuffed peppers to Mexican Lasagna on this blog.
  16. Crockin Girls These bloggers have even written and published their own cookbook!  The blog is great because you can find recipes by main ingredient.  If you’ve got some chicken you need to use up just click on chicken to pull up those recipes.
  17. Six Sisters Stuff Just as you’d expect, there are 6 sisters writing this blog, and together they share Crock-pot recipes, kid’s crafts, and much more.
  18. Crock-a-doodle-do This working mom with two kids tells other working moms how she gets dinner on the table every night using her Crock-pot.  You can serve up dinner each night too with her help.
  19. Chef in Training There are many interesting recipes on this blog, starting with soup and ending with Honey Sesame Chicken.  Give them all a try.
  20. Plain Chicken Not all of the recipes on this blog are Crock-pot recipes, but quite a few are, and the others are pretty delicious looking too.  It’s worth a gander.
  21. Weight Watchers Crock-pot Recipes Trying to get back your girlish figure after having kids?  These recipes offer the perfect combination of both delicious and nutritious.  And as an added bonus, they’re all simple to make too.
  22. Tasty Planner This is a great place not only to find Crock-pot recipes, but also to put together menus and create grocery lists.
  23. The Lady 8 Home An insightful blog about home life, chores, and Crock-pot recipes.
  24. Practical-stewardship This blogger has a slow cooker Saturday routine so there are plenty of recipes to choose from on this site.  There’s also little bits of other interesting stuff too.
  25. Crystal and Co. The mommy resource is what this blogger claims to be.  She has a killer recipe for Crock-pot mac and cheese that the kids will love, plus many others you can try.
  26. The Mom Initiative 10 Sanity Saving Crock-pot recipes on this blog.  Many other mom tips are here as well.
  27. Blessed Beyond a Doubt This site has several Crock-pot recipes posted by this homeschooling mom.  All recipes have been taste-tested by her kids and were favorites.
  28. Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures Lynn shares recipes for Crock-pots meals that her family loves.  She also has an allergy section if you need help with cooking for people with allergies.
  29. Jamie Cooks it Up This blogger has posted more than a dozen different family-friendly Crock-pot recipes as well as other healthy recipes.
  30. Crock-pot Ladies This isn’t just any site about Crock-pot recipes.  There’s a recipe for making sweet tomato butter in the Crock-pot, Peach vanilla butter, blueberry angel food cake. 
 P. .S. This post was  proposed to me for publication by Anne Laurie . I'm therefore publishing it by her invitation and under her permission

http://www.gonannies.com/blog/2012/08/16/30-blogs-full-of-kid-friendly-crock-pot-recipes/sweet treats.  If you are looking for unique recipes for your Crock-pot, this is the place to go.

How to Throw a First Birthday Party on a Budget

It’s your baby’s first birthday and you are so excited that you want to invite the world to celebrate this momentous occasion with you.  However, you don’t have the money to throw a big expensive bash.  No worries, you can still throw a smashing first birthday party on a budget.
Avoid serving meals. Many times, first birthday parties are attended mainly by family and friends.  You have two options here.  If your family traditionally gets together for birthday parties and shares a meal as well as cake you can make it a potluck.  Ask close family members to each bring a different dish and let them know you’ll supply the cake and drinks.  The other option is to hold the party at a time when a meal is not expected.  Have the party at 10 in the morning or at 2 or 3 in the afternoon.  People won’t be expecting a full meal at these times.  If the party runs into a meal time then everyone can decide if they want to chip in together and order pizza or some other form of takeout to keep the party going.  Or they may just head home to eat.  Either way, you don’t have to foot the bill to feed everyone a meal.
Look for ways to save money.  Buy your paper products in a solid color instead of buying products with cartoon characters or designs.  Your one year old isn’t going to know the difference.  Tell everyone that the party colors are based on the nursery colors and go from there.  If you do want a theme, choose a simple one like rubber duckies or nursery rhymes.  You can print out a few pictures from your computer to carry the theme through.
Make your own decorations.  Hang big tissue paper Pom-Poms at various points around the party space or use them to decorate the food table.  These are inexpensive to make and have a real wow factor.  Choose a lovely color for the table cloth and pick it up at a dollar store.
Make your own cake.  Buying a cake from a bakery is going to be much more expensive than making it yourself.  You can also make your own cupcakes. Cupcakes are simple to make and they can be topped off with a paper topper to match the party theme.  Print out small pictures of whatever the theme is and then punch or cut out the pictures.  Glue or tape them onto a toothpick.  Stick the toothpicks into the cupcakes.  Put the cupcakes on a pretty cake stand or tray and you are ready to go.
Make your own party punch. For drinks you can mix up a simple punch using a generic 2 liter bottle of Ginger Ale, a carton of sherbet in a flavor that matches the color scheme, and a big container of frozen lemonade.  Kids and adults alike love this punch.  Another option is to serve pitchers of lemonade and cucumber water.  These are refreshing and stylish.  Adding slices of lemons in the lemonade will make it seem more like party fare.
Play simple games. If you want to do games with the kids at the party go with tried and true games like musical chairs, hot potato, and freeze dancing.  Prizes from the dollar store or a box of theater candy can also work well.
Recycle for wrapping paper. Wrap presents in the comic section from the newspaper instead of fancy wrapping paper.  Or recycle a gift bag that you’ve received in the past.  Another way to stay thrifty and environmentally friendly is to make your own fabric gift bags for use year after year.  Use any fabric that you might have around the house.
Scale back on party favors. Party favors are a growing trend, but mostly for older children at kids’ only parties.  You won’t be breaking any major society rules if you don’t pass out party favors at a first birthday party.  If you want to offer something, try personalizing some candy bars.  You can print out your own message of, “Thanks for Coming to Johnny’s First Birthday”.  Then using double sided tape, attach it as a belly band around the existing candy bar wrapper.
E-mail invitations. To avoid the cost of postage for mailing out a bunch of invitations utilize the many different e-mail invitation sites.  Or make your own invitations and hand deliver them.
As you plan your child’s first birthday, keep everything in perspective and realize that your child is only one and will have many more birthdays to come.  Let him have fun running around or making a mess with a cupcake.  Make sure that you take lots of pictures or ask a friend to take them so you can be part of the fun.

 P.S. This post was  proposed to me for publication by Barbara Williams.  I'm therefore publishing it by her invitation and under her permission. See also the link below fore more information:

 http://www.findababysitter.org/blog/how-to-throw-a-first-birthday-party-on-a-budget/

New Poems


N. 3
Whom you are
I should know
Who was me
I remember

But what are we now?