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How to Have a Happy Marriage When You’re Busy Being Parents 2007-07-16 11:58:22 This is a great article by Elizabeth Pantley, Author of Kid Cooperation, Perfect Parenting and Hidden Messages
————————-
Is your marriage everything you ever hoped it could be? Or has it been pushed down your list of priorities since having children? Let’s face it, parenthood is a full-time job, and it dramatically changes your marriage relationship. But marriage is the foundation upon which your entire family is structured. If your marriage is strong, your whole family will be strong; your life will be more peaceful, you’ll be a better parent, and you’ll, quite simply, have more fun in your life.
Make a commitment
To create or maintain a strong marriage you will have to take the first critical step: You must be willing to put time, effort and thought into nurturing your marriage. The ideas that follow will help you follow through on this commitment and will put new life and meaning into your marriage. A wonderful thing may happen Read more:Happy
, Parents
$1 clothes at Fashion Bug 2007-07-19 15:12:04 Had to share this great deal!
Buy one item and select the second item for $1, July 19-21 at Fashion
Bug.com. No coupon required.
Fashion & BeautyFashion & Beauty
Summer give-a-way contest! 2007-07-23 07:07:47 Ok guys, I just love giving stuff away so we are having another contest.
This one is really easy. All you have to do is reply here and tell me you are interested in winning and you’ll be entered into a random drawing.
The prize is a kiddy pool.
The Wet Set Tropical Sunrise Pool:
66″x16″
holds 168 gallons of water
made of sturdy vinyl with extra repair patch in box
It is perfect for little ones to cool off on hot summer days!!
I’ll leave this thread open until the end of July and then pick a winner. Hope to hear from you all soon!
ContestContest Read more:Summer
I love you, goodnight! 2007-07-22 07:07:32 I Love You, Goodnight! has become a staple at our house during the bedtime routine. I picked up this book one day a few weeks ago and since then, it has become my son’s favorite book. We read it together every single night. He giggles with delight when I read about how much I love him. Last night he even read it right back to me - almost word for word! It was the most precious thing ever. I completely melted!
From silly to sweet, each page of the book compares the mama’s love to something in terms a little one can comprehend.
“I love you like I love blueberry pancakes. I love you like I love strawberry milkshakes. I love you like frogs love flies. I love you like pigs love pies. I love you like the moon at night: big and round and warm and bright. I love you, goodnight!”
ParentingParenting
Tales from the poop files 2007-07-26 12:01:49 For some reason when you become a parent, particularly a mom, poop becomes a major topic of conversation. From how often a day your kid is going to what color and consistency, there is no shame in the poop talkin’ game! Moms have a ton of questions about newborn poop, breast milk poop, formula poop, my-kid-just-started-solids poop, toddler poop and that’s as far as I’ve come at this point with the inquiries. Now I’m at or pretty darn close to the potty teaching stage. I imagine there is a lot more conversation on poop to be had in my future. In the mean time, let me share a funny tale with you.
Yesterday morning, my 2 year old son tells me he wants to go swimming. I’m thrilled. It’s scorching outside and he needs to practice his swimming. So, I slather him up in sunscreen and we get changed into our swimsuits (or baby soups as my son refers to them). We go in the backyard, I open the pool gate and he runs to the pool steps. Next thing I know he&rsqu Read more:Tales
, files
Needing a Vacation 2007-08-02 11:07:19 I’m getting the itch. It is totally time for a vacation. The Summer heat is exhausting. The daily and nightly grind is getting old. I need a change of pace. We did a nice amount of traveling last year, but it’s been about 9 or 10 months since our last trip and I am hungry for some change. We have a big trip planned for October but I’m not sure I can wait that long. I don’t need to travel to the other side of the world and I don’t need a huge adventure (although that’s always nice!). A weekend get-a-way would be perfect. The issue is that I’m conflicted about leaving/taking my son. I love traveling with him. I love being with him. BUT, I really miss that time alone with my husband. I miss the sense of adventure and spontaneity and damnit, I miss sleeping in!! I could also really use a break and a recharge of my batteries. I just know I’d miss my son terribly and I’m sure he’d be less than thrilled for us to leave him. In fact Read more:Needing
, Vacation
Fifteen random things about randomness 2007-08-03 18:17:52 1. First of all, what is with the silver ball sacs people have hanging from the back of their trucks? I honestly don’t get it so can someone please clue me in.
2. Second, what is going on with the people who drive around with a circus hanging from their rear view mirror? How the heck do they see while they are driving? I mean, isn’t that just a tad bit distracting?!?!
3. My son can’t go on a car ride without falling asleep.
4. I drove a half hour to get my kid a hair cut today at a specialty kid’s cut place to save $15. Would you?
5. The three of us (me, hubs and our son) went swimming this evening and it was a blast.
6. Tomorrow morning we are going to the beach! Anyone jealous?
7. It’s nauseatingly hot here so don’t be jealous.
8. I just joined Facebook with the name Csara BabyTalkers. If you are on FB, please add me as a friend. Pretty please. With sugar on top.
9. Did you know that McDonald’s has their own potato farmers that only Read more:Fifteen
, things
, randomness
Coffee Machine Killer 2007-08-08 12:55:38 I’ve officially been dubbed the coffee machine killer. I don’t know what it is but I can’t seem to keep any of my coffee-makers fresh and working correctly. Is it possible to just not know how to make a freakin’ pot of coffee the right way? I don’t think so. I swear it’s the water…..but everywhere I’ve lived? That doesn’t make sense, does it? I clean my pots, I’ve recently changed the water filter on my Cuisinart coffee maker (which was way overdue, but still…) and I use it daily. Well, not anymore since the coffee comes out tasting and smelling like burnt rubber. I just don’t know what I’m doing wrong. I have gone through many different coffee machines and after a while the coffee just starts tasting nasty. How do you maintain, clean, care for and basically keep your coffee maker going? I’m sending out an SOS!!! I love my coffee maker and don’t want to see it die. Plus, a mama needs her coffee! Read more:Coffee
, Machine
, Killer
The Cookie Monster 2007-08-08 07:25:38 Ok, so my child is totally obsessed with cookies. I was so good about not feeding him sweets for the first year, but apparently that went completely out the window the second he tasted his first bite of birthday cake. I still try to offer and make sure he eats healthily but the kid is literally obsessed with cookies. I don’t even know where this came from but it is getting ridiculous. At all hours of the day, he is asking for cookies. He tells me he’s hungry every 20 minutes and I really don’t think it’s possible. Boy can eat!! Yesterday for breakfast he ate two pancakes, two eggs and fruit (banana, strawberries, and blueberries). There is no way he is still hungry after that. He also had a cup of chocolate milk. I’m thinking he might be getting belly aches and mistaking it for hunger. The problem is, every time he’s hungry, he asks for cookies. Help! Do I just pretend I don’t hear him (say cookie) and offer him something healthy? There’s Read more:Cookie
, Monster
Delicious Summer Salad 2007-08-06 17:52:28 Just thought I would share this delicious summer salad! It’s so easy and very family friendly. My 2 year old loves it.
Ingredients:
Tomatoes
Cantaloupe
Fresh Basil
Goat Cheese
Olive Oil
Salt
Freshly Ground Pepper
Chop tomato and cantaloupe into small chunks. Mix with olive oil. Scatter with basil and goat cheese. Top with salt and pepper. Stir and ENJOY!!
This is a French recipe made by the great aunt of my best friend.
Feeding, salad, summer foodFeeding, salad, summer food Read more:Delicious
, Summer
, Salad
Mommy Cards 2007-08-11 12:20:36 Mommy
cards are a great concept! They are the perfect way to assure your children will always be in close contact. You can hand them out to babysitters, doctors, teachers, daycare providers, family and friends to let everyone know where you can be reached.
Keep these clever cards in a hip leatherette mommy card holder! Stitched cases are double-sided and come in red, yellow, orange, or green.
ProductsProducts Read more:Cards
Full-time mothering is … bad for children? 2007-08-14 11:29:40 Gretchen Ritter, a woman who apparently makes her living directing the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of Texas and as associate professor of government and women’s studies, maintains stay-at-home moms are dangerous subversives and a plague on society. “It is time to have an honest conversation about what is lost when women stay home,” she wrote in the Austin American-Statesman earlier this month. “In a nation devoted to motherhood and apple pie, what could possibly be wrong with staying home to care for your children?”
Ritter goes on to tell us:
That choice by women denies fathers the chance to be involved;
Women lose a chance to contribute as professionals and community activists;
It teaches children the world is divided by gender;
It stresses children out;
It victimizes women who work because employers fear women professionals may opt for the same choice some day and quit their jobs;
It makes it tougher for fam
A HowTo Guide for The Kids Club at your Gym 2007-08-14 10:28:50 Ok, so I’ve had a gym membership for almost 2 years now (and I’ve been paying extra for the kids club every month) but I can count on my 2 hands how many times I’ve gone and my son has literally gone like 4 times. That is, until recently. See when I decide to do something, I mean really do something, there is something inside my mind that just snaps into shape and I can do it. So I made the commitment to myself that I’m going to start working out at the gym and I’m going to bring my son to the kids club. It will be good for both of us.
Day 1: Saturday - we got dressed, I told little J that we were going to the kids club at the gym. I told him that I’d be in the next room exercising with the other mommies and daddies and he’d be in the fun kids room with all the other kids. There were lots of toys and a tv and even a playground.
I also left him with his sippy cup and a little snack. It wasn’t too difficult to leave him. He cried, but the Read more:Guide
My kid might be student of the month, but you won’t be able to tell by looking at my car! 2007-08-12 13:28:31 The back of my car will never look like that.
I’m not the bumper sticker type o’ gal. If my son ever comes home from school with a bumper sticker that says “my kid was student of the month” at so-and-so elementary school, well he’s in for a little upset if he asks me to sport it on my wheels. I guess that will be the start of a lesson, among many, that we would like to teach our child.
Fortunately my husband and I agree on this issue and we’ve actually discussed it before. If you were ever driving in front of us with a bunch of bumper stickers on your car, we might have been talking about you. Hey, I’ll fess up. If you have even one on your car, you may have been the spark of this conversation. We weren’t making fun of you or anything, but it did solidify our joint agreement that we will never place these stickers on some of our very valued possessions. Yeah, I know that cars are just that - possessions. However, we put out a nice chunk
15 Healthy Summer Snacks for Kids 2007-08-17 06:54:42 1. Yogurt and fresh fruit
2. Nuts and dried fruit
3. Carrots and hummus
4. Applesauce and graham crackers
5. Ants on a log (celery with peanut butter or cream cheese and raisins)
6. Apple or banana with peanut butter
7. Whole grain crackers with cheese
8. Fruit and string cheese
9. Avocado and whole grain crackers
10. Melon (watermelon, cantelope, and/or honeydew) and cottage cheese
11. Fruit and cheese kabobs
12. Rolled turkey breast slices, and or rolled low fat cheese slices and pear, apple, or peaches thinly sliced
13. Mini quesadilla or burrito (whole grain tortilla) with veggies and cheese
14. Smoothie (you can “hide” tons of healthy stuff in here)
15. Cucumber slices and salad dressing
**Remember that nuts, granola, whole grapes, raisins and peanut butter are choking hazards for young children.
What other fun/healthy/kid-friendly snacks do you give your little ones?
Feeding, Friday Fifteen, toddlersFeeding, Friday Fifteen, toddlers Read more:Summer
A good reason to laugh 2007-08-21 06:12:23 There are no words. You just have to see for yourself.
LifeLife
Parmesan Chicken Sticks 2007-08-20 20:04:10 This is a wonderful recipe from my Barefoot Contessa Family Style Cookbook. It is meant to be a fun meal for kids because the chicken is on sticks, but you can omit them and believe me, the kids still like them just as much….as do the adults. These are moist and delicious and go perfectly with a mixed green salad and/or some homemade mac n’ cheese.
ParmesanChicken
Sticks
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts (3 to 4)
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 extra-large eggs
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Unsalted butter
Good olive oil
Bamboo skewers (6 to 10 inches long) or ice-cream sticks
Lay the chicken breasts on a cutting board and slice each diagonally into 4 or 5 large strips.
Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. Beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water on a second plate. Combine the breadcrumbs and Parmesan on a third plate. Dredge the chicken breasts on both sides in the flour
Halloween costumes for babies 2007-08-25 06:33:26 I’m a total sucker for a baby in an animal costume. I mean, how cute is that?!? Well, Halloween
is coming up and Costume SuperCenter has some adorable infant and toddler Halloween costumes. Yes, including animal costumes of course. However, they have all the other classics and super hero costumes, as well as some brand new 2007 editions.
You can get 10% off any costume $30 or more, plus free economy shipping on orders $60 or more until September 10.
What are you planning to dress your little one up in this year? What have you done in past years?
Last year we were in Thailand during Halloween so my son didn’t dress up, but the previous year which was his very first Halloween, he was Super Baby!! It was so cute and quite fitting.
babies, baby halloween costumes, halloween, toddler costumesbabies, baby halloween costumes, halloween, toddler costumes
Popular pregnancy and parenting searches 2007-08-24 15:13:13 This week for my Friday Fifteen, I am going to list 15 popular search terms that lead people to Baby Talkers and a link to help them find what they are looking for.
1. The number one most popular search term is Natural Labor Inducers
2. Infant Teeth Care
3. Stripping Membranes
4. Mom Forums
5. Pregnant with a bad cough
6. No Spill Cups
7. Walmart Swing Sets
8. Baby won’t nap: get some help here, here, here, and here.
9. Toddlers talking in their sleep
10. geritol tcc (this is one I’ve never heard of)
11. children place coupons codes - which I need to post the most recent one ASAP
12. ttc message boards forums
13. fit pregnancy forum
14. toddler meal planner and toddler menu
15. infants and teething problems
Have a great weekend everyone!
Friday FifteenFriday Fifteen
Cool find of the day! 2007-08-29 07:46:20 I’ve decided to add a new weekly feature here at Baby Talkers. I’ll be on the lookout for cool, innovative products specifically for kids, although if I find some for us mamas, I’ll be sure to let you know. Each week, I will post about something I find. This week, you can “chalk it to me”……
Now waiting for dinner can be fun! These bright chalkboard placemats can be doodled on over and over again. Just draw, wipe off and draw again. You can also play tic-tac-toe, hang-man, or any other game you can imagine. Parents can leave messages for their kids in the morning wishing them luck on a test, reminding them to eat their veggies, or just to say “I love you”.
Very cute!
cool findscool finds
Book Giveaway for First Time Moms 2007-08-27 19:28:45 Do we have any first time “moms-to-be” around? If so, I’d like to pass along a brand new book called Mama Knows Breast; A Beginner’s Guide To Breastfeeding, written by Andi Silverman. It will be on sale to the public on September 15, 2007 and is now available for pre-order on Amazon.
“Breastfeeding may be natural, but it certainly isn’t easy. That’s why Andi Silverman wrote Mama Knows Breast, a beginner’s guide that’s full of friendly, frank, and reassuring advice. Readers will discover essential information on breastfeeding techniques, baby holds, and medical conditions. They’ll also learn the straight scoop on gnawing infants, unexpected leaks, ill-fitting clothes, and bewildered spouses. Other topics include:
The pros and the cons of breastfeeding
When, where, and how to breastfeed in public
Feeling sexy in a nursing bra
Breastfeeding at the office
Written by a mom who has been there, and packed with anecdotes by women fr Read more:First
, Book Giveaway
Be careful what you wish for. 2007-08-30 05:51:21 For the longest time, I’ve been wishing my son would sleep in his own bed. Last night it came true. My 26 month old (to the day, strangely enough) actually slept in his own bed for the entire night. At 7:37 a.m, he peeked his little head in my door and then started to back away. I had to actually lift my head up and say hello to him so he’d come in. He had a huge smile on his face and told me that he slept in his own bed. Awwwwwwww! Meanwhile, in my head, I’m like I know honey and I missed the heck out of your warm little body all snuggled up to mine. But, instead, I said “I know….and I am SOOOO proud of you!!!” and gave him lots of hugs and kisses.
Little does anyone know that what I really meant when I wished for that, was for him to fall asleep in his own bed without me having to lay down with him. I don’t mind so much that he gets up and comes in our bed in the middle of the night. In fact, I quite like it. However, I know it’s best
Baby Talkers Referral Contest 2007-09-26 13:49:03 Hey everyone!
I’ve been thinking and I think it’s time for a little boost in members and forum activity, which is why we are going to run a referral contest. For your chance to win some cool prizes, all you will need to do is tell your friends about Baby Talkers
!
You must be a registered member in order to compete in this contest. If you haven’t already, please register for your free account today.
Prize Bin
First Place: Vsmile Baby Infant Development System (9-36 months)
Second Place: Baby’s Box of Fun! A Karen Katz Lift-the-Flap Gift Set
Third Place: A free 1 year subscription to the private forums at Baby Talkers. If you are already a subscriber, you will get the following year free.
How to Win
This is a referral contest, meaning the person with the most referrals at the end of a limited time period, wins.
Refer your family and friends using the BT Refer a Friend Link found at the top of the forums.
Example:
http://www.babytalkers.com/forums/sendmessage.php Read more:Referral
, Contest
Gym’s Babysitting Service Update 2007-09-26 12:34:50 About six weeks ago, I wrote a HowTo Guide for Using the Gym’s Babysitting Service
. Although I did not consistently go every single day, I stayed pretty consistent and just kept working on it. Finally at around the magic 2 week mark, my son started to really enjoy going. Now six weeks later, he actually asks me to go every single day. He runs in as soon as we get there and, you will not believe this, but he actually cries when he has to go!! He is very excited to see me when I come to get him, but then he starts to protest and doesn’t want to leave. I never thought I’d see the day.
I used to be lucky to get a 20 minute workout, now I can go for an hour and a half (not that I do) and my son will be perfectly fine. The other day I went in to get him and he was no where to be found. In the back of the room, they have a big playscape area. Picture a McDonald’s playground with the enclosed slides and climbing structures that you can’t really see inside. Well, o Read more:Update
Burger King Promises Healthier Kids’ Meals 2007-09-24 20:02:27 Burger King has pledged to offer healthier fast-food items for children under 12, with plans to sell and market flame-broiled Chicken Tenders and apples cut to resemble thick-cut french fries.
Burger King is building a Kids Meal that will contain the flame-broiled Tenders, organic unsweetened applesauce and low-fat milk, for a total of 305 calories and 8.5 grams of fat. It will be available in restaurants sometime in 2008, the company said. The fast-food chain is also developing what it calls BK Fresh Apple Fries. The red apples are cut to resemble french fries and are served in the same containers as fries, but they are not fried and are served skinless and cold.
“We not only want to better inform parents and kids about these new menu options but also to demonstrate through product innovation that better-for-you foods can be fun and taste good,” said John Chidsey, Burger King’s chief executive.
The 2.4-ounce serving of Apple Fries will have 35 calories, the company s Read more:Burger
, Promises
, Meals
, Burger King
TOTW: Germs 2007-09-24 07:45:54 Let’s talk about germs, baby!!
Are you a germaphobe? Do you disinfect everything? Are you one of those people that carries a bottle of purell with you everywhere you go? Do you wipe down restaurant tables and shopping carts? Do you throw away the cheerio that falls on the floor, or do you believe in the 5 second rule?
Topic of the WeekTopic of the Week Read more:Germs
Favorite Animated Movies 2007-09-21 11:09:48 In no particular order, here are fifteen animated movies that I love. I eventually want them all to be part of a collection, but so far I only have Finding Nemo and Cars because they are my son’s favorite.
1. Cars
2. Finding Nemo
3. The Little Mermaid
4. Madagascar
5. Toy Story
6. Ice Age
7. Beauty and The Beast
8. Shrek
9. Monsters, Inc.
10. A Bug’s Life
11. The Incredibles
12. Aladdin
13. The Lion King
14. The Jungle Book
15. Pocahontas
Friday FifteenFriday Fifteen Read more:Favorite
TOTW: Extended Family 2007-09-17 13:44:03 Sorry for getting this up a little late in the day, but I didn’t want to forget to post a new topic for the week! This week’s topic is extended family, meaning anyone outside of your home. Do they respect your rules and requests when it comes to parenting your child? For example, if your family members are watching your child, will they offer your child something you don’t normally allow (such as candy)?
My answer is going to be pretty quick right now, but all in all, yes, my family respects my “rules”, but I also am very easy going about them and am usually totally fine bending them if my son is not with me. I usually tell my mom to not even ask me, just go ahead and do whatever she wants. I trust her completely and know she has wonderful judgment when it comes to parenting.
Please feel free to add to the discussion by asking more questions on this topic.
Topic of the WeekTopic of the Week Read more:Extended
, Family
Family Friendly Chicken Dijon 2007-09-17 11:14:46 I got this recipe for Chicken
Dijon from Deana at the hometalkers forums a while ago (parenthesis are her notes), but just recently tried it. It was a huge hit in my family. It’s so easy and the chicken cooks absolutely perfectly when prepared this way.
Chicken Dijon
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 “tubes” of string cheese
2 TBS dijon mustard (I sometimes use ’spicy brown’ mustard)
1/4 cup skim milk
3/4 C Italian style bread crumbs
Pound chicken breast so that they are 1/4″ thick. Take a piece of string cheese and roll a piece of the flattend chicken around it. do this with each chicken breast. Set aside.
Whisk together the mustard and milk. Dunk each piece of chicken into the mustard/milk mixture, then into the breadcrumbs. Lay the chicken seam side down in a lightly greased 9X13 pan. Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes.
(I serve with garlic mashed potatoes and either a salad or a steamed green veggie)
Garlic mashers: about 2 very large baking pot Read more:Family
, Friendly
, Family Friendly
Symphony in Motion 2007-09-13 08:05:29 I’ve talked about the Symphony
in Motion
mobile before, and have heard nothing but great reviews on it from friends that have used it for their child too, so this is my cool find of the week.
A multitude of movements and motions captivate and stimulate baby’s developing senses. The mobile plays classical music by Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven for relaxing, cognitive development, and/or stimulation.
When my son was an infant, I’d lay him in his crib, turn on the mobile and was able to get 15 minutes to myself. All of you moms know what a big deal that is! To watch his reaction to this mobile was fantastic too. He’d kick his legs and shake his arms and scoot all over the place. His eyes would light up and he’d coo. It was too cute.
I know many mommies spend a lot of time on the nursery making sure everything looks perfect and goes together. This mobile is big and very bright and definitely does not “match” most bedding sets and nursery themes, ho
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