I distinctly remember being at a waterpark when I was about 10 years old and witnessing a man next to us start to go into diabetic shock. My mother, always prepared for diabetic situations because of my grandfather, handed him a Snickers Bar and two peppermint candies. He immediately took them and his children unwrapped them quickly and put them into his mouth.
My mother may have saved his life that day because she had the necessary “medication” he needed. However, I also remember that his wife and an ambulance came because he had been in the sun too long and …read more

What does it mean to raise a green kid? Apparently, Green is more than just a color these days. Green is the way we live, the way we must live in order to protect our environment AND be healthy.
AND, we MUST raise our children to be this way too.
1. Reduce consumption. Don’t buy what you don’t need, evaluate what you really want, and use everything you have.
2. Reuse when you can. Pass down clothing, donate, use papers again, etc.
3. Recycle cans, bottles, paper, books, toys, clothing, etc. Use Freecycle, eBay, and Craigslist instead of buying new.
4. Enjoy nature instead of …read more

My son, AJ, takes his lunch to all day kindergarten everyday. He also takes two snacks and a drink. So, my job as a parent is to make sure that my home-made lunch is just what he needs to get him through the entire day, provide him with energy, help him concentration, and give him enough protein and natural sugars to prevent a hypoglycemic attack, which can easily happen with him.
So, what do I provide him?
1. One fresh fruit, either a peeled pear or apple (he has a salicylate intolerance and can not tolerate the peels although they provide the …read more

The eight infants born to a Southern California woman officially turned one week old today, becoming the country’s longest living octuplets.
The babies are officially doing well. However, there is some speculation regarding the birth mother, as she is s single, 33-year-old named Nadya Suleman who already has six children…all of whom have been conceived via in vitro fertilization.
But, is this a marketing, money making strategy for her or is this simply because she is addicted to having children? And, is she seriously going to be able to care for eight babies as well as the six she already has?
I have …read more

I admit that I love cleaning my house to a shine and I love doing it with products that I know clean, including products that I know can be toxic. On the flip-side, I know there are plenty of products that are much better for my household than my Clorox Bleach. Here are six that are non-toxic and two that you will need to be careful with.
1. Baking soda: gritty for scrubbing and reacts with water, vinegar or lemon by fizzing. Speed up cleaning.
2. Borax: disinfects, bleaches, deodorizes. Toxic.
3. White Vinegar: disinfects and breaks up dirt. Choose white vinegar.
4. …read more

Raising children today who are conscious of others can be difficult. I know this first hand because my son can be quite self-centered. I don’t know if it is part of his disability or part of his personality. Or, it simply could be that we have not been focusing on teaching him to look past himself and recognize others. I don’t think it is the later because we have always placed an emphasis on sharing, giving, and helping.
There was an article in the December edition of Reader’s Digest that focused on this topic…raising children who care. In the …read more

Candles are a wonderful addition to the holiday festivities. They smell wonderful, they look luminous, and they actually can add warmth to a home.
We have all heard of the horror stories though of children touching candles, pulling them down or even playing with the matches. Last year, AJ was at just the right height to touch one of mine and it scared me to death!
The Home Safety Council has fabulous advice on how to keep and light candles with children in the home.

Make sure an adult is in the room and paying attention whenever you light a candle.
Blow out …read more

Fall is just perfect for a neighborhood game of tag football but sometimes the kiddos need a little supervision from the adults.
So, make it a Saturday afternoon (or Thanksgiving Day) tradition on your block and host a Tag Football Game in your backyard (or on your street…it’s okay not to tackle in tag). It’s a lot more fun than watching other people tackle each other and everyone gets some exercise (even the cheerleaders on the sidelines!)
Get everyone into the spirit by making team shirts, cheerleading outfits (for the boys and girls who are not playing) and have a blast!

Getting kids to brush their teeth will be double the fun with the CREST® SPINBRUSH® toothbrush. Crest Spinbrush promotes healthy brushing as it reduces plaque and massages gums. It’s been found that kids brush longer with the Spinbrush than with a manual brush.
So Kids’ Crest sponsored 10 CREST® SPINBRUSH® toothbrushes with the Marvel Heroes design. It’s great for boys ages 5-13, but some girls won’t mind it too. Here’s how to join –

This has to be the cutest elephant ever!
Coolil.com has a great toy for children called the Manuella Elephant from the Manuella line of children’s toys. The Manuella Elephant is a plush, handcrafted companion for young children that’s a great way for kids to get away from digital toys and cultivate their imagination. The 21-inch Elephant is soft and plush doll that provides comfort during sleep and something to cuddle when waking up. And the fleece-filled polyester fabric also machine washable!
Coolil.com sponsored one (1) Manuella Elephant to give-away, so I’ll make it easy.

One entry per person per …read more