Johnson's Baby Soothing Naturals Product Review

New Mom Product Review: Johnson's Baby Soothing Naturals

Description: Johnson's Baby Soothing Naturals Nourshing Lotion.

Review: My child had very dry elbows and knees and slight dry skin on the legs.  I have tried every product for babies you can get in the way of lotions and creams, even oil.  Johnsons naturals nourishing lotion claims to relieve dry skin from the first use so I gave it a go.  It worked! 

When you apply the cream you will notice it has a slight grainy texture, I was worried this would dry like this, but it absorbed into skin quickly and left no grainy residue and was not greasy.  Next morning even the very dry elbows were as soft as a baby’s cheeks!  Now I won't use anything else, even works wonders on my skin.

Natural Remedies For Teething Baby

Teething can be a horrible time for babies. Not only does a new tooth cause pain and discomfort for your little one, it also can be scary to have something new growing inside their mouth. While there are lots of products on the market, such as baby Tylenol and teething gels, these products can be dangerous for your child. Before you go shopping at the pharmacy aisle, try some of these natural remedies to stop teething pain.

What most people don’t realize is that not all babies are in horrible pain while teething, they’re simply uncomfortable and scared. The option many people skip to cure teething pain is to distract the baby with a toy. Focusing on the pain can make it worse, so try to give them something else to think about.

Another natural cure for teething pain is giving the baby something to chew on. Pressure on their gums will not only feel good, it will distract them from the pain and discomfort by giving them something to do. Here are some ideas for what to give your baby.

* Frozen teething ring. While the cold helps numb baby’s sore gums, freezing normal rings can make them hard and uncomfortable. They now make soft teething rings that stay soft when you freeze them. Just be careful; soft rings can break open if chewed to hard. Make sure the ingredients inside wont harm your baby.

* Frozen washcloth. Just wet it down and pop it in the freezer. It has all the benefits of the teething ring, but it’s softer for more sensitive babies.

* Teething Biscuits. While the teething biscuits that your mother gave you contain chemical you probably don’t want baby to have, they do make new organic biscuits you can give. Just be sure to check that they’ll dissolve in your mouth before giving them to your child so there’s no risk of choking.

If you’ve tried all these options and nothing’s working, don’t worry just yet. There are natural products and herbs you can give your baby before turning to medicines. Here are just a few that others have found helpful. Check with a doctor before giving anything to your child.

* Natural teething tablets. The best one’s to use contain Chamomilla for irritability and Belladonna for inflammation. They come in a form that dissolves in your child’s mouth so there’s no risk of choking.

* Clove oil. This is pretty potent stuff; so you want to dilute it. Just mix a few drops with 2 tablespoons of safe, edible oil and rub into baby’s gums. The rubbing action will also soothe them as well.

* Vanilla extract. Rubbing a little bit on baby’s gums not only feels warm and soothing; the vanilla also has a calming effect.

If you’ve tried all these remedies and nothing has worked, take your child to their pediatrician. A common problem is that parents may miss signs of an illness because they think the crying and fussiness is caused by teething. The most important thing to remember with a teething baby is patience. When you get upset and frustrated, you child gets upset and frustrated too.

Take Time to Give Thanks

Do you get so busy preparing for Thanksgiving that you forget to be thankful? Many of us do. We get so wrapped up in all the preparations, the cooking and all the family coming that we forgot to stop and remember all our blessings. Just like during the year, we get caught up in the day-to-day worries and forget to be thankful.

There are so many basic things we should be thankful for that we take for granted. If we have a home, be it a house, apartment or trailer, we should be thankful we have shelter. Too many people have no homes or have unsafe living conditions.

We all have the occasional round of the flu or colds go through our families. But overall, most people are fairly healthy. We should be thankful that we are able to get around, work, play and have a normal life. Too many times serious illness can strike without warning. We need to take advantage of good health while we still have it, instead of taking it for granted.

How many times to do we look in the closet and complain that we "have nothing to wear" when in reality we have more clothes than we know what to do with? We have multiple pairs of shoes and boots, sweaters and coats. We are able to stay dry and warm without any worries.

Why should we wait until Thanksgiving to be thankful? We should be grateful for our blessings all year round. Maybe the best way to show how thankful we are for our blessings is to share them. What better time to share than Thanksgiving, when those without feel even more left out, especially those without family. There are many ways to share your blessings.

One way to spread the blessings is to donate some gently used things to a reputable charity. There are many good organizations out there that take clothing and other household items. Even though you could donate all year round, Thanksgiving is a good time to think about giving back.

Another wonderful way to share your blessings is to donate your time to a homeless shelter. Most have a special meal at Thanksgiving for those without homes or families. Even if you put off your own family dinner until Friday or Saturday, imagine the joy you would bring to others by giving up your time to make one day a little brighter for them. And you don't have to stop after one day. There are many opportunities to volunteer year round.

Before you sit down at your Thanksgiving meal this year, take the time for each member of your family to share what they are most thankful for in the past year. You might be surprised at the things your family is thankful for this year.

Thanksgiving Activities For Older Kids

Thanksgiving Activities For Older Kids:

Expressions of Gratitude:
Ask your children to create a gratitude list to share at the table. Invite them to be creative in their expression of it. They can print it, write a story, put on a play or even sing a song. As parents, it is important to also participate in the exercise. Create your own gratitude list and be prepared to share it with your family.

Family Tree:
Ask your older children to create a family tree. This project can take several days and may require your assistance. The Internet is a great tool for heritage and family information. Connecting with the past helps children to define who they are, who they want to be, and appreciate the essence of family.

Dinner Plans:
Involve your older children with the mealtime planning. Have them choose a recipe, shop for it and follow through on the preparation. Ask them to put some thought into the process and choose a recipe that they would want to make every year – establish a tradition. Remember, boys can cook too!

Charity Begins at Home:
Ask your children to devise a way to give back to the community and then support them on the follow through. Ideas can be as straightforward as volunteering at the local homeless shelter to more creative and complicated ideas like raising money for a charity that speaks to them.

Environmentally Grateful:
Your children are aware of their impact on the earth. They’re being brought up at school and via their peers to be aware of recycling, water conservation, and energy and fuel conservation. Get your children involved in making this holiday and each subsequent holiday an environmentally friendly holiday. Have them come up with ideas to be responsible and ask them to follow through.

Thanksgiving Day Activities For Kids

Thanksgiving is always a time of fun, family and food. However, it is also a time when the kids can get a bit stir crazy, especially if the weather is bad. If you plan some Thanksgiving Day activities for kids that can keep them distracted, you won't have to hear, "We're hungry!" every five minutes this year.

If the kids are old enough, invite them to help fix dinner. There are simple things they can help with, including setting the table. Plan some things in the menu that are easy for kids to cook. Depending on the age range, some of the kids could really be a big help in the kitchen, even if it's just getting utensils and potholders.

Set up a craft room where you can put out different supplies that are age appropriate. Let their imagination run wild. An older, responsible child or an adult, who isn't helping prepare the meal, can keep an eye on the younger children. Make it a contest. See who can come up with the best turkey, Pilgrim or Indian drawing or costume. They could make a specific project, such as napkin rings, or other things that could be used to decorate the table. You could even challenge them to see who can draw or write the most things for which they are thankful.

Of course, another craft is the standard handprint turkey, where the children trace around their hands, with the spread fingers making the feathers. If you have a large window you want to decorate, you can also use tempera paint to make a flock of turkeys on your window. Add a little liquid soap to the paint first to make washing off both the window and the children easier. Let them paint their thumb and palm brown and the rest of the turkey "wings" (fingers) using other colors. Gently press their hands on the glass to see their turkeys appear!

If weather permits, have a mini-Olympics. Have various events the children can compete in for prizes. The sillier the games, the better. Two game ideas are an Egg Relay Race and Turkey Bowling.

Egg relay races (as long as you have enough for dinner) are always a favorite. All you need are two hard-boiled eggs (less messy), two spoons, and four bowls. Divide the children into two teams and line them up. Have the first child on each team take an egg in the spoon to the empty bowl, which is placed a few feet away. They have to deposit the egg in the bowl, bringing back the empty spoon. They hand off the spoon to the next child, who runs down to bring the egg back. This pattern continues, until the first team has all its members complete the task.

Turkey Bowling is easy and fun (and can coordinate with craft time). Get ten two-liter bottles, put a little sand in the bottom, and then spray paint them brown. Glue or paint feathers and faces on the bottles. Once they are dry, set them up in a bowling pin pattern, and then use a ball (small for the older kids, medium for the younger) and your set to get a turkey (three strikes in a row).

Keeping the kids busy will make the day much more enjoyable for all, and less frustrating for the grownups. You may discover some new traditions along the way that will continue when the children grow up and have children of their own. distracted, you won't have to hear, "We're hungry!" every five minutes this year.

Kids Day - Does Your House Have a Kids Day?

All of us like to feel special and loved. Our kids are no exception. Take time each month to set aside time for each child to have their own special “Kid Day”. It is hard for some families to do things together, with everyone running in so many different directions between work, sports, school and other activities. It’s good to just slow down and take time to be a family.

Find a calendar with large squares for writing and fill in everyone’s schedule. Once you know what days are available, set aside one day for each child. Then you have to decide what sorts of activities everyone wants to do. If budget, or even time, is an issue it would be a good idea for everyone to suggest what they would like to do. Next, make a list and then the parents can select the ones that will be realistic choices. Once you have a list of ideas, such as maybe trips to the zoo, swimming, fishing, a picnic, etc. the children can select what they want to do on their day and add it to the calendar.

Another idea is to have a “parent-kid date” where each child to do something special with one parent or the other. Parents take turns every other month going on the date. The other parent stays home with any other children. The family members who stay home can have fun, too, with maybe a movie night or something. It might be a good idea to have the parent-kid date during the child’s birthday month to make it extra special. It doesn’t have to be anything expensive, even something as simple as going to get an ice cream cone after dinner. The one on one time with the parent, without interruption from siblings or another parent, is sometimes all the child needs to feel special.

Each month will be different, with either family outings or the dates. Maybe another way to keep it interesting is to have all the requested activities on slips of paper and draw one, so everyone will be surprised. If doing one thing per child each month isn’t possible, let each child take turns making the choice once a month. Some families find it hard to even sit down for one meal a day together, let alone several activities a month around busy schedules.

It might also be a good time to look at the family’s activities and see if there are any things that could be removed from the schedule to allow more family time. In today’s world, there can be such a push for kids to be involved in everything that they don’t have time to just be kids. Keeping the lines of communication open, starting when the kids are younger, will only help strengthen the family as they get older.

Preschool Learning Skills

When children reach elementary, middle, and high school, they will be bombarded with homework assignments, reading, papers, reports, and a myriad of tests. It is important for preschoolers to have preschool learning skills and learn at their own pace. The pressures in later years will come soon enough.

In order to reinforce your child’s learning experience and help them to absorb what is learned in preschool, you can utilize some techniques at home in a fun and unique manner.

Reading to them at bedtime is a great way to increase their listening skills. Let them choose the book they wish you to read to them, and mix it up by reading the entire book one night, and asking them to either tell you what the outcome will be or to complete sentences they may remember.

To help them with their motor skills, purchase some drawing paper and crayons and have them create pictures in whatever genre they choose. To aid them in their listening skills, play a game such as Simon Says. This enables them to follow directions which can enhance their skills at preschool as well.

Another way to increase their skills is to ask them what they learned in preschool and to show you either verbally or through drawings. Mix up the discussion by asking if they made any friends, what are their names, and if they got along. Let the child lead the conversation, and if you find he or she doesn’t want to talk about it, let it go for a day or two.

Above all, experts advise parents not to overdo it by constantly asking questions or direct them to do a particular task. They are children, after all, and they should be allowed to play as children in order to clear their minds and just enjoy being a child.

Getting Your Toddler Interested In Reading

Reading is one of the most important skills your child will learn. It's a skill that most of us use each and every day. Getting your toddler interested in reading will make her more excited about learning how to read when the time comes.

When to Read
Bedtime is one of the most popular times for parents to read to their children. Listening to a story is a great way for your toddler to wind down from a busy day. It also gives you a chance to bond with her in a special way. Some toddlers also like for their mom or dad to read to them before a nap.

Sleep time isn't the only time you should read to your child, though. You could set aside a time in the morning or afternoon to read a book. If your toddler asks you to read to her at other times, do so if possible. There's no such thing as reading to a child too much.

Many libraries have story time once or twice a week. Taking your child to these readings can pique her interest in reading. Experienced storytellers have a knack for making stories exciting, and seeing all of the other kids enjoying the story will make a positive impression.

Making Reading More Fun
You don't have to be a professional storyteller to make reading fun. The one-on-one attention you give your toddler when reading to her is very valuable. It allows opportunities for interaction that she doesn't get elsewhere.

When reading to your toddler, use different voices for different characters. You could also get Dad, Grandma, or Big Brother in on the act and have them do the voice for one of the characters. Use finger puppets or props. Anything you can do to get your toddler excited about story time is great.

Let your toddler help you turn the pages. Point out objects in the pictures and ask her what they are, or ask her to find specific objects. Ask her what she thinks will happen next, or what she thinks of the characters. Things like this will get her involved, and that's one of the most important things you can do to instill a love of reading.

If Your Toddler Won't Sit Still
Some children, especially very young ones, do not have the attention span required to sit through an entire story. If this is the case with your child, don't push her. Read as long as she will listen, and save the rest of the story for later.
Some children like to play with toys or roam around the room while being read to. If your child does this, it doesn't necessarily mean that she's not listening. If she's being fairly quiet, she probably is.

Reading to your toddler gives the two of you quality time together. Making things fun and interactive will keep her interested in the written word. This interest will lay the foundation for a lifelong love of reading.

Millie Moo Book Review

New Mom Product Review
Millie Moo Book Review

Description: The Millie Moo book is a Search and Find book as well as a Touch and Feel book. Millie Moo is a cow that is searching for her farmyard friends.

Review: My son got this book for his second birthday and he loves it! He insists I read it to him at least twice during the day and before he goes to bed at night.

He loves the bright colors of both the pictures and the words. He also really enjoys the touch and feel aspect. The colors are attractive and the pictures and rhymes are incredibly funny. Through the holes in the pages you can feel what you think is going to be a "sheep's wooly coat", "donkey's brown fur coat", or "goose's feathers" and then you turn the page to find it's really a Monkey wearing a sweater, a Fish with fingers or Parachuting Penguins and many other crazy zany animals, each with its own little rhyme: "It is a well known fact that a penguin cannot fly. So a parachute comes in handy when he's falling from the sky." His favorite character is the Bug in Boots whose simple lesson is "Whatever bug you are, be you beetle, ant or mite, when putting on your boots, don't mix your left with right!"

I love that he's learning the different touch and feels and having so much fun at the same time.