With the coldest of the winter months now upon us, parents and caregivers are more likely to crank the heating and reach for plush, thick blankets to keep their babies warm. Infants who are overdressed or covered in heavy blankets or many blankets are at higher risk for SIDS. It is very important for babies to be dressed lightly and comfortably to avoid overheating. The CJ Foundation recommends the use of wearable blankets and sleep-sacks in place of blankets to keep infants warm while sleeping.

aden + anais®, creator of the original muslin swaddling blanket and unique muslin cotton sleeping bags, is proudly sponsoring the CJ Foundation for SIDS and their continuing efforts to educate parents about the importance of not over-bundling and over-heating their infants. Over 2,000 babies in the United States still die of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) each year, and overheating is a leading risk factor.  

In an effort to support the CJ Foundation for SIDS’ mission, aden + anais® began sponsoring the foundation in October 2009 during SIDS Awareness Month. Each aden + anais® product is made of 100% breathable muslin cotton, which allows baby’s body temperature to adjust naturally, reducing the risk of overheating.

The CJ Foundation recently launched its Sleep in Safety, Grow in Style (SSGS) campaign to help educate parents about the importance of designing safe sleeping environments for babies. aden + anais® is working to help the CJ Foundation inform parents of the many ways they can keep their baby safe. While over-heating is one risk-factor for SIDS, SSGS and aden + anais® seek to educate parents about this and the other risk-reducing, precautionary practices:

• Consider the use of fans to increases ventilation
• Room temperature should be comfortable for a lightly-clothed adult, approximately 61-67 degree Fahrenheit
• Cribs should be totally free of all loose blankets, stuffed animals and crib bumpers
• Lay baby to sleep in an improved crib, on a firm mattress; do not let the baby sleep on soft things, like a couch, pillow, sheepskin, foam pad or waterbed
• No smoking when pregnant or near baby
• If possible, breastfeed baby
• Offer a pacifier at bedtime
• Co-sleeping should be in the same room but not the same bed or other sleep surface as parents

Find out more here: www.adenandanais.com and about the CJ Foundation for SIDS here: www.cjsids.org

AT&T has partnered with the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB) and other carriers for the launch of text4baby. The text tips apply to expecting moms who are as early as four weeks into pregnancy, through the first twelve months of their children’s lives.
 
To opt in to text4baby, expectant family members can text BABY (for English-language tips) or BEBE (for Spanish-language tips) to 511411. After providing information on the due date, the program will begin sending the user a weekly text message containing health and medical guidance timed for that week of the pregnancy.

To help text4baby reach millions of families by Mother’s Day 2010 with the good news and free text tips, AT&T is joining forces with well-known mom blogger Heather Spohr.  Named "Best Mommy Blogger of 2009" by thebump.com, Spohr’s blog, "The Spohrs Are Multiplying," initially became popular as she detailed her family's experiences dealing with a high-risk pregnancy, an extended NICU stay and the difficulties of caring for a premature baby.

Since text4baby health tips will vary based on the due date of participating moms, AT&T has also invited two real world expecting moms-to-be to opt in to the text4baby text tips, help promote the cause, and share what they learn along the way. Beginning next week, AT&T employees and moms Nicole Anderson and Laura Hernandez will be guest bloggers for AT&T’s mom blog, Calm, Cool, Connected .

All participating moms-to-be need to opt in is a wireless phone that receives texts. 

We have two very busy wanna be chefs in the making. It's hard to assign everyone a different task that doesn't require supervision worthy of a superhero. We tried these unique bowls during our holiday kitchen baking season and they are the best tools to help manage at least one aspect of all of the "help" we received. Measuring cups and bowls by Pourfect® are the new kitchen must have. The Spill-Proof Bowl Set’s smartly designed features make it the only mixing-measuring-pouring bowl you’ll ever need. The unique channel and gull wing design creates a dripless spout to guide the ingredients where they need to go, eliminating overspill. And a small pivot below the dripless spout allows the bowl to latch onto the edge of another bowl or stand mixer while it is running without danger of hitting the beater or spilling a single drop. These bowls are perfect for cooking with the kids. Find the info here: POURfect.com

Mary Alice Cox, a longtime resident of Ventura, died Sunday, Dec. 20 surrounded by her loving family. She was 84.

Mary was born on Dec. 18, 1925 in Prescott, Ariz. to Charles and Lizzie Reagan - the only daughter in a family of three boys. During the Depression, Mary and her family moved to California, to the city of Seiad and later to Happy Camp. After the death of her mother, Mary relocated to Long Beach where she met her husband-to-be, William (Bill) Gerald Cox. Mary and Bill married on Christmas Day, 1943 and lived in Ventura County for over 60 years.

An avid traveler, Mary's many trips included China, Germany, Italy, Panama, Russia, Scandinavia and the United States coast-to-coast. Mary loved going to movies and plays with friends and family. Mary was eternally positive, quick-witted, had an infectious laugh and had a wonderful smile that could light up any room she walked into. She will be sorely missed by all who knew her.

Mary is survived by her loving husband, Bill, and her four children, Julie and George Compton of Camarillo, Arthur Cox of Oregon, Beverly Helland of Clovis and Glenn Cox of Santa Maria; nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

The family will hold a private funeral with a celebration of life ceremony for friends and the community at a date and location to be later announced.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests any donations to be sent to either Ventura Friends of the Library or the Museum of Ventura County - two organizations Mary was active in and cared deeply for.

The family would also like to extend their appreciation - and Mary's - for all of the cards, letters, prayers, flowers and encouragement they have received over the last month

Thank you all for your support as we mourn the untimely passing of the most amazing woman anyone had the honor of meeting and having in their lives.

It's turning to the season of holiday travel. Whether you're heading via airplane, train or automobile you're bound to run across every temperament imaginable. We just made a short trip up the state to a beautiful wedding. On the way home, we were getting off our flight and noticed a grumpy man ahead of us. Seems his problem was with first class passenger, the famous Charlie's Angels star Jaclyn Smith who is not only alive and well, but looking as amazing as she did when the series premiered.

You know when you board a plane with carry on baggage (and even more so now that the airlines are charging up to $50 - that deserves its own "say what" if you ask me - a bag) you are never guaranteed the overhead storage above your seat. Well, my "say what" goes to the first class jerk who decided to just stare at Ms. Smith in disgust that she couldn't retrieve her own bag from the storage above his head. Mind you, he didn't budge or even allow a little wiggle room for her to maneuver around him to get her bag. He just kept huffing about and yelling to his travel mate "I can't move, this lady can't get her bag" instead of 1) getting the bag down FOR HER like a gentleman or 2) moving out of the way. What a troll. Thank you sir, for making our travel just a wee bit longer than it needed to be.

Remember the golden rule this holiday travel season....do to others as you want others to do to you. Put a smile on your face and be helpful when you can. It's called Karma and travellers aren't immune to it.

Easing in to the new school year? Working on a budget? Bringing a lunch from home each day can save hundreds of dollars a year. We've picked some great products to share with you to help you put together a fantastic, and easy, lunch for any age.

Start with the basic lunch bag. Skip the brown bag and try a reusable bag from KidsKonserve. This kit includes everything you need from the water bottle, napkin, lunch wrap sack, and stainless steel food containers all in a washable cloth bag. They are offering a special right now on their reusable alternative to plastic baggies, plastic wrap and foil. These 13" round wraps are recycled, FDA approved, non-toxic, non-leaching, recyclable PE plastic and BPA free. Find the great styles (stylish enough for any age, even mom or dad at work) here: KidsKonserve.com.

Looking for healthy alternatives for snacks and drinks? Our new favorite juice boxes are Sensible Sippers. Compact and easy to carry and store, the juice boxes are packed with 50% organic juice and 50% water offering 40% fewer calories than regular juice. A wonderful way to stay hydrated without the extra sugar and calories. Another bonus? No artificial flavors or preservatives. Find them at a store near you or at knudsenjuices.com. 

For the peanut butter lover in us all, this peanut butter from Santa Cruz Organic comes in light roast and dark roast both offering a robust peanut flavor. The website also offers some unique recipes for cooking with nut butters. With no added sugars, no hydrogenated oils and no artificial ingredients, the certified organic ingredients in these peanut butters taste great. Find the variations in stores and more info here: scojuice.com

Once you have your lunch box and food in order, it's time to consider a litter-free lunch. LunchMates Set of 5 Reusable Napkins for kids are perfectly sized for little lunches and are machine washable. Made from repurposed and scrap fabric, each set is truly unique. Sturdy double sided cotton make these a must have for home, too. Find them here: Lilypadbaby.com

Even though many of us are still enjoying summer vacations, parents and kids are already thinking about starting school, and your local retail stores are getting ready for the back-to-school shopping season. But the economy has been tough this summer and back-to-school shopping will likely be a more expensive undertaking than in years past.

The following are some tips to help you save money on those back-to-school necessities.

1. Recycle Last Year’s Supplies. Inventory your current stock of school supplies from last year, and make a list of those items you still need to purchase.  This will give you time to monitor the various store circulars and sale flyers for the best school supply deals in town.  Just remember to try and purchase as much as possible in a single trip so you don’t waste gas going to multiple locations.
2. Make sure to follow the supply list provided by teachers.  Most teachers provide students with a list of supplies they will need for their courses – specifically the appropriate types of notebooks and folders.  Use this list as a shopping guide so you don’t purchase unnecessary items and have to make a second trip to the store.
3. Avoid purchasing your supplies from office supply retailers.  While office supply retailers offer flashy, high end school supplies, you can find the same quality items for much less at discount retailers like The Dollar Store, Big Lots and Walmart.
4. Take advantage of online sales.  Don’t forget about Bargainist, eBay and Craigslist when it comes to school supply shopping – especially for more expensive items like backpacks and electronic items like calculators.  You can find great, unexpected deals from online vendors that will help you save money and time from cruising your local stores.
5. Buy in bulk for multiple students. You can save big bucks shopping in bulk if you have one or more students to prepare for the new school year! Try a wholesale club like Costco. Individual packaged supplies can cost two to three times more at a regular store than when you purchase them in bulk.  If your child doesn’t have siblings, split the cost of bulk items with friends who are also headed back to school.  Don’t forget basic supplies like pens, pencils, folders, binders and notebooks will last the entire school year!
6. Make your purchases early! Take advantage of clearance sales and coupons as soon as you see them advertised! Some stores stop back-to-school sales within a week or two of kids starting school. By buying just enough for those weeks early on, you can stock up on supplies for the rest of the year at half off (or even more) those already-discounted back-to-school prices.        
7. Skip the logos.  Many schools now sell supplies, materials and clothing with the school logo.  These items are usually pretty pricy.  If your child wants to show their school spirit, pick out products in school colors from a discount retailer to save on cash. 
8. Pack a lunch. The average cost of a student’s lunch can range from $2.90-$3.25. That’s not including the snacks that students are tempted to purchase – smoothies, nachos and pizza (that can raise the cost to $5).  With some smart planning, you can pack your child’s lunch for less money, and it will be more nutritious than the items offered at the school cafeteria.
9. Back to School Clothes.  Students in most climates are still able to wear their summer wardrobe as they head back to school, so avoid purchasing the full-price, fall clothing items that start appearing on racks in July. You may want to invest in a sweater or light jacket that can be layered with summer capris and pants as the weather cools.  If you must purchase a few back to school clothing items, start your shopping trip at an off-price retailer like Steinmart or TJ Maxx, where you can find in style, on-trend clothing already discounted 20-60% off retail price.  Later in the season you can take advantage of sales on those heavier fall clothing items you see at the mall!

This article was brough to you by Clarky Davis, The Debt Diva for CareOne and her website is www.thedebtdiva.com

This one took me for such a loop that I decided to start a new feature. It's called "Say What?" and it's intended to spotlight the absolute ridiculous behavior on party invitations. Beyond the, in my opinion, directions on specifically what to buy someone (printed on the actual invite is really my beef), this note takes the birthday cake.

Over the weekend, my new very entertaining buddies informed me of this faux pas on a children's birthday party invite. First hand account, and you just can't make this up. It went something like this.

Party invite for 4 year old little boy comes in the mail. Tiny print on the bottom states "Call prior to party to have gift approved." Right? Gets better. Friend now assumes perhaps there's an issue with guns or violent toys. She calls a friend with closer ties to the mother. This friend thought the same thing so she called to discuss this statement with the mom prior to shopping.

Friend: Hi, got the invite and was hoping to find out...is it an issue with guns or violent toys?

B-day Mom: No, we just don't want any crap.

Of course I asked my friend if they attended the party. What do you think she said? This invitation gets a Say What? from us. Do you have some doozies you want to share for a "Say What?" article? We'd love to hear them. And by all means, you're entitled to write what you want, it's your party, but when did being polite and gracious leave the invitation world?

Do you ever run across a site and see that it matches so perfectly with your kids, you almost wish you had thought of it yourself? When I saw this site, Smarty Crafts, that was my moment. My older one has more crafts and "projects" in her closet than she has clothes or shoes. It's astounding how involved she can get creating her masterpiece of the day (like there is only one). This site (founded by two moms, of course) is brilliant for several reasons. First, they offer a monthly subscription of kits full of crafts for your kids. Second, the kits are based on national kindergarten standards, so parents have the tools to play with their child in a smart & creative way, while helping them prepare for preschool and kindergarten. So if you're the expert crafty mom or the mom who can't stomach a trip to the craft store, these kits show up at your door fully organized every month. Each shipment includes 5 activities, instructions, parent guide and more. Each package also contains a quick "grab-n-go" kit to keep stashed in your purse. Find out more: Smarty Crafts

You're invited to join us for a Tweet Chat with Dr. Richard Selznick

When: Friday, June 26th 9 to 10 AM (PST)/12 to 1 pm (EST)

Where: Twitter (TweetChat.com #DrSelz)

Hosted by: @KathieLB featuring @DrSelz

About Dr. Selznick

One of the worst feelings a child can have is being discouraged in school. The sense of hopelessness that pervades can become almost insurmountable. This is the emotional experience for the child called the “Shut-Down Learner.”

The Shut-Down Learner: Helping Your Academically Discouraged Child, by Dr. Richard Selznick, describes a common, but poorly understood group of characteristics. Referred to as "Lego kids" or "high spatial children," such kids thrive with hands-on tasks that "load" on visual and spatial abilities.

Reliable statistics indicate that as many as 30 – 40 % of the population will experience mild, moderate or severe problems with core skills of reading, writing and spelling. A significant proportion of this population are spatial thinkers, people who excel when the task is more visually-based. This often leads to the shut-down learner, a child who is discouraged and fundamentally turned off to school. These shut-down learners can become very successful adults, if they are able somehow to get through school relatively unscathed. Typical Shut-Down Learner fields include architects, engineers, computer programmers, dentists, interior decorators, entrepreneurs and businessman, to name a few. There are many other fields that tend to attract shut-down learners

Now that summer is come, it's the perfect time to get some tools and advice for getting your child ready for the next school year. If you have a struggling student or a student that doesn't seem interested in school, please join us! At our chat with the author, we will be discussing the hallmark features of a shut down learner, early signs, classifications, programs, what works and more.

Hour will included Q&A and prize opportunities. RSVP with Mr. Linky below!

To Keep Them Up, Moving, and Having Fun

1. Alphabet Soup Game: This game is a fun spin off of freeze dance! For youngsters, every time the music stops they need to yell the next letter in the alphabet. For your older children, when the music stops have them find a partner and make their bodies into the next letter of the alphabet! You can start the game at A and go consecutively through the letters or start with Z and go backwards to make it more tricky!
2. Circle Chase: Have everyone sit in a circle! For youngsters, have the child chase the parent around the outside of the circle! For your older children, have three children chase at a time around their friends … Trying not to be passed by their friend behind them!
3. Color Tag: The game leader will yell out a color and a body party (ex: Toes on Red) and the children need to put their body part on that color! To make this game more tricky yell out two colors and two body parts (ex: Stomachs on Yellow, Elbows on Green)!
4. Freeze Tag: This is a classic! One to three children are it – Parents can play with younger children as their teammate – The three children that are it work to tag and freeze all of their friends!
5. Meow Mix Shuffle: When the music starts, the children all run around within the outlined play area. When the music stops they need to make a group of two. The next time the music stops they’ll have to find a group of three… then four… and so on!
6. Musical Hula Hoops: This is a fun spin off of musical chairs – but rather than getting out when there aren’t enough chairs, the children work to fit as many people necessary within the remaining hoop(s)!
7. Red Light/Green Light Challenge: Start out by having your children play Red Light Green Light but to make it more tricky -- switch the colors – Have blue mean go and yellow mean stop!
8. To the Line!: For this game, you’ll need to set up two lines approximately 12 – 15 feet apart. Children will split into teams and race from one line, to the other, and back! To make this more tricky you can add pillow-sacks, or even try three legged races!
9. Snowball Game: Why not!? Snow in the summer time!! You’ll need as many nerf balls as you have children – When the music turns on, the children are able to throw snowballs (nerf balls) at their friends, but when the music stops they have to pretend they are pillows and fall asleep!
10. Animal Relay: For this game, you’ll need two lines approximately 12 – 15 feet apart. Have the children move from line to line acting out different animals! They can be monkeys, snakes, giraffes, bears, frogs, cheetahs, elephants! You can even have them come up with their own animals

These fun games were brought to you by My Gym. To find a location near you: MyGym

The “Charm Your Mother and Save a Life” campaign has already raised more than $350,000 for the poorest mothers  and children on the planet --- all from the sale of what is fast becoming the collectable that people can feel good about gifting to mom in these hard economic times.

This opportunity has been made available from a unique collaboration between OneWorld Health www.oneworldhealth.org, the non-profit that provides life-saving medicines for the world’s poor and PANDORA Jewelry who created the OneWorld Health Charm.

For each charm sold, PANDORA donates $20 to support OneWorld Health's work. The charm features a distinctive water drop dangle, which symbolizes the hope OneWorld Health provides with every drop of life-saving medicine it develops for the poorest mothers and children on the planet.

Find a retailer near you

While I can't say that it's an official addiction, I do love Twitter. To tweet or no to tweet, is it right for you? There are so many great articles on the do's and don'ts, but we found a perfectly written one for anyone just thinking about joining the fastest growing social media site (according to everyone either on it or writing about it). Check out this article by the blog author "It's Just Gabe" before you consider setting up an account.

Another thing to consider is if you're doing it to promote your business or service or just want to socialize. Just like all communication, you get one shot at impressing people. Establish your Twitter brand prior to jumping in. Visit profiles to see what other people are doing. Learn as much as you can about it and then don't be afraid to get out there. List building shouldn't be your goal (again, read article above) and it's pretty transparent. Think you can go on and only promote your product and service, keep moving. If you like engaging, meeting new people you would have never come across in your field and making new connections this is your arena. See you on Twitter?

Nice job Carissa...should make us all think today!

preserve. protect. LOVE.
use it up. wear it out. HEED.
stupid americans.

A shout out to the runner up: Elisha from Facebookland

Consume too much now
Pay steep price with planet Earth
When she says all done

The third and final theme of the day: You choose between conservation and consumption!

Submit via contact us email below. Enter your name, location and poetry in an email. Contest time 2 PM to 3 PM (only one hour for this one too)! Feel free to tweet it!

Prize: Green Girl Jute Reusable Shopping Tote

So many great poets out there! Here are some great submissions. Happy Earth Day and watch for the third and final theme at 2 pm (PST)!

Almost anything
Can be recycled. Except
Excuses not to. 
 
Mother Earth gives life
To all that need it to grow
Treat her with respect.

Detractors will say
That regifting is tacky.
No, it’s recycling.

the earth while she weeps
the people they feast and drink
blind to her sorrow

Earth Day For Bloggers.

We Tweet It, And We Blog It.

But do we live it?

recycling letters

to relight the neglects cry

recently saves trees

The second theme of the day: RECYCLING!

Submit via contact us below. Enter your name, location and poetry in an email. Contest time 12 PST - 1pm (only one hour for this one)!

Prize: Two Packs of Lilypad LunchMates (Set of 5 Reusable Napkins)

Mother, you’re lovely

No matter what, but I say

You look best in green.