American Baby Offers Tips to Make Holiday Less Hectic

Kate Kelly, Managing Editor of American Baby Magazine, offers up some tips to CBS News listeners for making the holidays less hectic with babies and small children.

Having a new baby in the house can make this an especially difficult time of stress and anxiety.

• Prioritize, prioritize! Don’t try to do everything.  Decide on one or two things instead of all the usual holiday tasks.
• Evaluate what’s important to you and family members in your household! The holiday season is a great time to reflect on what is really most important to you and your family.  What holiday habits are you teaching your children by placing emphasis on every detail?
• Online shopping! You know this is much easier than dragging the children out to the mall in the cold weather.  Many internet sites offer free shipping, but you must order early to avoid last minute rush charges.  During our economic-trying times, it is important for every family to save wherever possible.  It is much easier to compare prices and find the best deal when you do your homework online.
• Limit holiday decorations. If you have a new baby, or even several toddlers underfoot, it’s probably not the time to win the prize for the most decorated yard in the neighborhood.
• Ask for help! Don’t be afraid to ask for help from family and friends for the tasks which are most important to you.
• Consider Christmas card alternatives. Face it, you probably don’t have time to spend hours hand addressing Christmas cards like the old days.  Consider creating a baby photo website, or even emailing baby photos.  If you insist on sending cards by mail, save that list of family and friends on your computer with updated addresses and create cute mailing labels.  That will be much quicker, and next year, you’ll be even faster with just a few updates.

Some great holiday ideas to get you started!  Share your holiday time-saving tips by commenting to this post!

Check out other holiday tips at Holiday Planner.

To watch Kate Kelly’s interview, CBS News

         

Welcome back! If you love Baby Chums, please subscribe to our RSS feed.
Thanks for dropping by and enjoy!

---

Safety Tips for Buying Baby Gate for Active Toddlers

The Nemours Foundation and HealthDay offer the following suggestions to help you make wise decisions when purchasing a baby gate.

Any toddler parent will tell you that a baby gate is essential equipment for maintaining your toddler’s safety — and your sanity — when a toddler is underfoot.

• Choose a gate that mounts to a door frame with hardware.  There must not be any gaps where tiny fingers could get stuck.
• Do not use a gate that mounts to the door frame with pressure.  A child could push it open and fall down a flights of stairs, for example.
• Never use a gate that swings out at the top of a staircase.
• Make sure there is a maximum gap of 2 inches between the bottom of the gate and the floor.
• Any non-flexible barriers should have a gap of no more than 2-3/8 inches between them.
• Make sure the gate does not have any sharp parts that could hurt a child.
• The gate should not have any areas that a child could stick a foot into and attempt to climb.
• When the gate reaches about three-quarters of the infant’s height (at about two years of age), stop using the gate.

Baby-proofing your house once your child reaches that crawling and toddler stage involves many decisions.  New gadgets and devices are constantly introduced on the market for new parents to consider.  Avoid impulse purchases of safety gear and do your homework.  Your child’s safety — and indeed, your child’s life — are in your hands.

         

“Snoreplasty” - A simple cure for your snoring partner, finally… and it’s cost? £3!

A throat specialist based in Southport near Liverpool, Hadi Al-Jassim, claims to have treated 400 patients with a cure for snoring, that is simple, cheap and effective called, “Snoreplasty.”

His team of consultants are offering an injection which they say is a genuine alternative to painful surgery.

Mr Al-Jassim said: ”As everyone knows, snoring can cause major problems for patients and in particular their partners,

”In most cases it’s the men who snore and their partners suffer sleep deprivation and at the end of the day you have to keep your partner happy - though women do snore as well.

”It causes all sorts of problems between partners and leads to marital, social and health problems.

”I am delighted with the treatment because, until this, there has been no effective treatment other than surgery.”

The procedure is done under local anaesthetic in which sodium tetradecyl is injected into the roof of the mouth and takes only two-minutes.

A sclerosing agent, the chemical is usually used in the treatment of varicose veins.

The injection combats snoring by stopping the soft tissue at the back of the mouth from vibrating, destroying the injected tissue. If too much chemical is used it will destroy surrounding tissue unnecessarily. If too little chemical is used the treatment will be unsuccessful.

Mr Al-Jassim, who is now giving lectures to other specialists across the country about Snoreplasty: ”Surgical treatment is very painful and takes weeks of recovery time so many patients decide not to do it because they can’t get the time off work or their health’s not strong enough for surgery.

”And in other cases surgery doesn’t work.

”After the jab, patients can go home straight away and eat about an hour later.

”It will help around 70 per cent of sufferers and has made life easier for many patients and their partners.

”Even with those people it hasn’t cured, they reported sleeping better and waking up feeling fresher.

”The jab can be given three times a year but some people find one injection lasts them a year.”

NHS advice says there are some simple things to try before turning to an injection or surgery:

• maintaining a healthy diet and weight,

• getting regular exercise to strengthen muscles all over your body,

• trying to sleep on your side rather than your back,

• avoiding alcohol before going to bed, and

• quitting or cutting down on smoking.

Army researchers from Walter Reed Army Medical Center in America introduced Snoreplasty at the 2000 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Foundation.

         

Halloween Pumpkin recipes for Babies, (6 months+)

Pumpkin baby food recipes, (6 months+)

Pumpkin’s strong orange colour is natures signal that it is rich in beta-carotene, an important anti-oxidant that the body converts to vitamin A. It’s also a good source of vitamin C, potassium and calcium.

When selecting a pumpkin to prepare for your babies food, avoid a soft pumpkin, or one that appears light for it’s size. Make sure that it is hard and heavy, this indicates that it’s of good quality.

Smaller sugar pumpkins are preferred for baby food. Generally have a much better flavor than the huge pumpkins that are typically carved out for Halloween Jack O Lanterns.

Pumpkin and Parsnip Puree (6 months+)

This parsnip and pumpkin puree recipe tastes absolutely delicious, yet it’s so simple to make!

1 parsnip
8oz (1 cup) fresh pumpkin
tiny pinch ground nutmeg
1 tsp chopped fresh chives

Peel and dice the parsnip and the pumpkin.
Steam, or simmer in a little water, until nice and tender.
Drain, then blend well in a food processor - or, if you prefer, mash well with a fork.
Stir in the nutmeg and chives.

Handy tip

Don’t let the seeds go to waste. Roasted pumpkin seeds make an excellent high energy snack for adults. Simply wash the seeds to remove the strings and blot dry. Then toss with a little vegetable oil and spread in a single layer on a shallow baking sheet. Bake at 250 deg F for 10-15 mins, stirring two or three times. Cool before storing.

Simple pumpkin and peach rice (6 months+)

This yummy recipe is ideal for older babies who are able to palette lumpier textures.

4 oz (1/2 cup) cooked brown rice
8 oz (1 cup) pumpkin, peeled and diced, with seeds removed
1/2 small, ripe peach, peeled and diced
water or homemade chicken stock

Place the diced pumpkin and peach into a saucepan and cover with the water or stock (we like to use stock as it gives a richer flavor).
Simmer for around 20 mins, then stir in the brown rice.
Continue to cook for 10 mins, adding more water/stock if the mixture becomes too dry.
Serve to your baby, either as a side dish or a complete meal. The sweetness of the peach makes this a really tasty dish.

Pumpkin stew with cinnamon (6 months+)

1 lb (2 cups) pumpkin, cut into 1 inch strips
5 fl oz (2/3 cup) water
1 tsp unsalted butter
1 tsp flour
5 fl oz (2/3 cup) milk (you can use formula/breastmilk if you wish)
pinch cinnamon
pinch freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Place the pumpkin strips in a saucepan with the water and butter and simmer until very tender.
Drain, reserving the cooking liquid, and place in a warm dish.
Mix the flour and milk together to form a smooth paste, then stir in the water you used to cook the pumpkin.
Pour mixture back into the saucepan and boil for a few minutes, stirring constantly.
Add the pepper and cinnamon, then pour the sauce over the pumpkin strips.
Mash lightly with a fork, or puree if necessary.

Pumpkin ‘n pasta (7 months+)

8 oz pasta shapes
4 oz (1/2 cup) cream cheese
2 oz (1/2 cup) grated Parmesan cheese
2 oz (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
2 fl oz (1/4 cup) milk (use breastmilk/formula if you prefer)
4oz (1/2 cup) cooked pumpkin, mashed
A pinch of nutmeg

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the pack.
Place the cream cheese, Parmesan, milk and butter in a saucepan and cook gently until the cream cheese has melted, stirring often.
Add the cooked pumpkin and nutmeg and continue to cook until heated throughout.
Toss with the pasta and serve, chopping the pasta shapes as necessary.

Happy Halloween!

         

Can you ensure your baby is a Millionaire by age 38?

UK Parents can make their child a millionaire while they are still in late 30s and cut their own inheritance tax burden.

Given the public profiles of trust fund babies like Paris Hilton, you may not want to, however we spell out some simple way to acheive wealth for your child and have funds locked in till age 55, (Avoiding the Paris Hilton scenario!) you can be sure your child won’t squander the fortune you have worked hard to ensure.

Three basic steps are listed here and with action on your part, your child should be a millionaire by their 38th birthday.

Millionaire Child Step 1: Child Trust Fund (CTF)

Your child is eligible for a CTF if he or she was born after 1 September 2002, and entitled to child benefit. The returns are tax free and the Government provides you with the initial voucher worth £250 (£500 for low-income families), shortly after the birth plus another £250 at the age of seven. The Conservative party has recently ruled out the government payment except for the poorest of families, should they come to power.

CTF accounts can be contributed towards up to a maximum of £1,200 every year and children cannot access their account until their 18th birthday. Parents, relatives or friends can top up a child’s fund.

Three types of CTF’s are available: Stocks and shares CTF’s, cash-only accounts and stakeholder CTFs, which also invest in the stockmarket but have charges capped at 1.5% per annum.

To help make your child a millionaire, you need to opt for an equity (stocks and shares) CTF. By putting away the maximum amount of £1,200 every year for 18 years, as well as the £250 voucher given at birth and the top up at age seven, assuming 6% average growth net of charges for the life of the fund this should generate a total sum of £40,025.57 when your child becomes age 18. Do your own calculations.

Millionaire Child Step 1 value: £40,025.57

Millionaire Child Step 2: Make cash gifts

Another way to boost your children’s wealth and reduce your IHT bill is to make cash gifts.

You have to survive for seven years for most gifts to escape the IHT net. Unlimited gifts up to £250 a person per tax year are exempt, as are payments up to £5,000 for wedding gifts.

But what is even better is that regular gifts, of any amount of money, once made from normal income can be exempt from IHT. You must however show that you have been giving regularly and that your standard of living has not deteriorated as a result.

Remember though that HM Revenue & Customs will demand details of these gifts when the giver dies.

The Revenue also allows you to ‘gift’ £3,000 every year to an individual. So to build up the millionaire fund you need to donate £3,000 to your child from birth and ensure the cash is invested in an equity unit trust. Assuming average compound growth of 6% per annum, this should be worth £409,267 by the time year child reaches age 38.

Adding in the £40,025 built up in the CTF when your child reached 18 would boost this pool of money to some £537,634.

Recommended equity unit trusts include Invesco Perpetual High Income, Gartmore Cautious Managed and Neptune Balanced. The latter two funds invest in a mix of equities, bonds and cash.

Millionaire Child Step 2 value: £537,634
(including CTF re-invested)

Millionaire Child Step 3: Pension planning

The major boost to the millionaire fund comes from setting up a pension for your child as soon as they are born. Often parents do not realise that they can do this.

But by setting up a simple stakeholder pension plan for your offspring you can start tackling your child’s pension from day one and help reduce your IHT bill, all with the Government’s help.

With effect from April 6, when the 2008/2009 tax year begins, the basic rate of tax will fall to 20% from 22%. A parental contribution to a child’s pension will need to be £2,880 (attracting tax relief of £720) to maintain the gross maximum annual investment level of £3,600.

If you put the maximum allowance into a stakeholder pension from the year your child is born, again assuming 6% compound growth, the pot will grow to a value of £491,120 by age 38.

Millionaire Child Step 3 value: £491,120

GRAND TOTAL: £1,028,754

Between the CTF, regular cash gifts made and invested, and the pension pot you will provide your child a combined fortune of more than £1m, and all before they reach 40 years of age. They will not, of course, be able to spend all that money because the pension element will be locked away until age 55.

         

Improving the sleep of your baby (and likely your own)

Learning about baby sleep patterns and how to aid them can be beneficial to the entire family.

It’s 2:00 a.m. Sleep has been difficult to come by for all members of the family because your baby is crying, and now so are you. What can you do for your baby and your sanity?

First, remember that you’re not alone. Studies show that approximately one in three babies still can not sleep peacefully after age one. While many babies will learn to go to sleep on their own as early as two months old, some have more difficulties with their sleep patterns well after the two-month point. In addition, it should be remembered that babies tend to sleep a much lighter sleep than adults do, and because of this, they are prone to waking up more often.

Just remember that there likely isn’t a magic fix to getting your baby to sleep better. Primarily you’re looking to help your baby fine tune its body clock so your baby is eating only during the day and falling asleep on its own. If you think about your baby’s previous situation in the womb (a source of food was constantly available and living space was constantly rocking and moving) then this should make more sense.

So if you’re busy pulling your hair out and wishing you had an answer to the problem, take a look at some of these possible solutions. Keep in mind that some of them are situational and may not work for you. Find the solutions that make the most sense to your situation and give them a try.

Routine, Routine, Routine

As stated previously, your baby is going from one routine in the womb to a completely different situation outside it. And now a new routine is being forced on them by mother, a routine that is quite different than what they had. Little wonder they sometimes get a bit fussy.

The first key is maintaining a routine, but doing so transitionally. Why is it important to do it transitionally? Think about a time when you, as an adult, were transplanted directly from one common situation to a completely different situation. Did you feel stressed? How do you think your baby feels?

For example, the baby is going from having a constant supply of food to a routine where they are being forced to eat only during the day. It’s best to offer a smooth transition in this scenario. If you’re baby is fussing during the day or when trying to go to sleep, consider putting meals at closer intervals. That tiny stomach may need smaller portions of food more often to stay content. As the baby grows, you can progressively work on expanding the food intervals.

Additionally, a baby’s sleep schedule works the same way. The baby slept when it wanted (or when it could) while in the womb, but now mother is asking baby to sleep at strange hours. Routine is here to save the day! If a parent keeps a routine of activities before putting baby in the crib, and the parent does so at or near the same hour every night, the baby will benefit. The routine could be as simple as every night at 10:00 p.m. washing your baby, changing the diaper and clothes, and placing the baby in the cradle with a favorite stuffed animal or other object.

Finally, you’ll want to create a routine for the morning, optimally waking up about the same time every day. In theory, this process will become more natural to your newborn as he or she ages.

Stimulation

The world outside the womb is crazy place. There are strange upright beings walking around, odd sounds coming from all sorts of places, and crazy things to see, smell and touch. One might be tempted to think that a newborn could suffer from overstimulation, but this is not the case. In fact, it’s advisable for parents to routinely provide sources of stimulation to their growing baby.

There is a plethora of interactive materials on the market today for parents to use and engage with their baby. In simpler times it may have been a toy apple with a bell in it that sounded when it was rolled. Now there are books, buses, animals, houses, and food that make a wide variety of sounds and are highly interactive, sure to draw the curiosity and attention of your baby. Adding a small stuffed animal into the mix isn’t a bad idea either, especially one that smells of mother.

Additionally, there are many programs available that provide social interaction for babies as young as five months old. Kindermusik comes to mind as one of those programs that is able to cultivate the imagination of your wee one through the sound of music and introduce social interaction at an early age.

By providing this stimulation during the day, you’re reinforcing a pattern of playing hard during the day and (hopefully) sleeping well during the night.

What about dad?

For many people who have grown up to become productive adults, it’s easy to look back on their mother and think of them as “Super Mom”. Mother always did one thing or another, and she acted like she could do it all forever. As attached as mothers sometimes get to their duties, it’s sometimes easy to forget about a father, waiting in the wings to lend a hand.

Don’t forget to work as a team with your spouse to aid the sleep patterns of your child. By doing so, you’ll help yourselves out with your own sleep patterns.

You might want to work out a rotation of the duties. If you do so, however, don’t forget to make it a routine! If dad is telling the nighttime story, and it seems to work well most of the time, then make it part of your routine. If dad is pulling baby from the crib in the morning and baby likes it, then make it part of your routine. Whatever you decide on, getting dad involved with the duties on a routine basis should do wonders for everyone’s sleep habits.

On a final note…

Of course, there are many more things that can be done to help your baby. One popular tool in the mother’s arsenal is the pacifier. It may take a little time to teach baby how to use it, but in the end, your baby may find it easier to fall asleep in the crib sucking on a pacifier rather than falling asleep at your breast.

Putting your baby to bed while awake is also recommendable. Those first few weeks, your newborn may fall asleep at your breast while feeding, and that’s ok. But after about two months of age, try putting your baby in the crib when they are awake but tired after a feeding. This will reinforce the idea that it’s ok to be awake and in the crib at the same time, and it will encourage sleep.

Whatever you decide to do, trying at least a few of these suggestions should help you and your baby sleep better.

         

Why Teach Your Baby To Read?

Why teach your baby to read when he will learn anyway, from qualified teachers at school, in a few years time? Are there any benefits to learning well before school age?

OH YES!!!

There are so many, we could be here all week discussing them! But one of these benefits stands head and shoulders above the rest and so really deserves our consideration and close attention.

It has been labelled the ‘Language Window.’ This sounds very official and academic, but it’s actually a concept we are all familiar with, although we aren’t even aware of it. Let me explain:

If we, as adults, were to start learning a foreign language, do you think native speakers of that language would be able to pick out that we weren’t speaking our mother tongue? Undoubtedly they would!

Our limited vocabulary, our struggling to find words to clumsily express our thoughts, our atrocious grammar, along with a pronounced accent and dodgy pronunciation, would all be massive give-aways!

And yet, not one of our children has that problem when they learn to speak! Every last one of them picks up the grammar exactly as it is spoken around them. Their pronunciation and accent are an exact reflection of their parents and locality. There are no cuckoos in the nest!

Why not???

Because of the Language Window. Up to the age of 3 or 4, this window is absolutely wide open. Simply put, it is the ability of tiny children to absorb any, and as many, languages as they are exposed to, naturally and fluently.

These include, not only spoken languages, but also sign language and reading, which is simply written language.

It is no coincidence that all babies learn language so perfectly. The secret? They are endowed with extra special gifts and abilities that make it as easy as breathing for them to do so. The ‘Language Window.’

However, like a special offer at the supermarket, this exrtraordinary gift lasts for a limited time only. And once it’s gone, it’s gone for good – as most of us can sadly testify when we attempt to grasp a foreign language, even as teenagers, never mind adults!

So it isn’t simply a matter of an infant being capable of learning to read before their third birthday – it’s actually easier for them to do so. We are doing them a great favour if we supply them the opportunity and guidance to use their own Language Window to the full while it’s wide open! They can’t do it on their own!

Once this unique time period is passed, it is gone forever. These special gifts disappear without trace - unless we have made wise use of them, in which case they will leave your child a wonderful lifelong legacy.

Don’t waste your child’s wide open ‘Language Window.’ These early magical ‘Wonder Years’ fly by so quickly, we have to consciously use them to the full. If we do, our child will reap the benefits throughout their whole life.

Although the ‘Language Window’ doesn’t slam shut but, rather, closes slowly and relentlessly, at different rates for different children – close it will! And once it’s shut, it’s shut. It can’t be forced open again. After this magical time, we all have to learn the harder way – by conscious mental effort.

So, help your child learn to read easily, while he can! You will also have a lot of fun along the way!

Linda Segal

Please visit our site to find out more:

www.TeachBabiesToRead.com

 

         

New mom, newborn and the joy of it all

Coming home with your newborn for the first time can seem like a daunting task, especially for your first child, but natural instincts begin to kick in even for the most anti-child mother.

The first time you see your child is a moment of pure joy, and is something you will never forget even while your child grows up and matures. This is a bonding moment for most mothers and symbolizes the drastic change in your life in which you become the sole nurturer for a small child.
Newborn life is full of exciting surprises and journeys through which you learn the little joys of motherhood. From the tiniest hiccup to the biggest yawn, nearly everything your newborn does appears to be the cutest, most precious thing you have ever before encountered. It is these little things of life that makes everything else worthwhile.

Perhaps you did not have the easiest pregnancy, but this end result is what begins to get you through your day, especially when your baby begins recognizing you as their mother. This moment in their cognitive development is one which melts your heart because of the lasting impression it makes onto them.
For many new mothers or mothers-to-be, other newborns can seem like such a chore to have around, but it is not until you have your own that you begin to relate to these other mothers who swarm supermarkets and other areas. It truly takes having your own baby to see the small joys infants can bring to your life. Never before did you realize how remarkable it is that every baby has the tiniest fingers and toes, and that even a small sneeze can seem breathtaking.

Caring for a newborn is an entirely different spectrum compared to anything that you have ever before experienced; even if you have babysat friends’ children, it is entirely different when it is your own baby especially when they are still so fragile.
A natural mother hen protective shield comes up within the first days after their birth and it is amazing how much that changes your perspective on life. Everything else that seemed important goes out the window and your sole duty now revolves around the tiny little entity cradled in your arms. Becoming a first-time mother is an experience unlike any other which can teach you patience and many other nurturing qualities which helps you develop your mothering skills.

This post was contributed by Kathleen Baker, who writes about ultrasound schools. She welcomes your feedback at KathleenBaker3212 at gmail.com or you can visit her website;

http://www.ultrasoundtechnicianschools.org/

         

Brad Pitt’s sweaty Pitt’s Revealed

The secret to sweaty armpits? Brad Pitt reveals it’s baby wipes, that’s right, all you guy’s need to stay fresh with busy lifestyles, according to Brad, are bottom wipes.

Thanks to Angelina Jolie and her ever-expanding brood, Brad Pitt has become an expert in cleanliness on-the-go, says “Inglourious Basterds” co-star Eli Roth. French showers won’t cut it, but baby wipes will.

On the set of their new Quentin Tarantino flick, Roth, 37, tells People magazine of Pitt telling his co-stars about his trick.

Eli Roth said, “He shared that when you’re sweating and don’t have time to take a shower, you just take a baby wipe and rub it under your armpits,”

The 45-year-old dad puts his kids first and, according to Roth, said, “I got six kids. All you’ve got to do is just take them, a couple quick wipes under the pits.”

         

Top 10 Tips for Traveling With Baby This Summer

Summer is here and just because you now have a baby doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a weekend away. Follow these ten tips for a successful trip.

1. Lather on the Sunblock. Yes, it’s nearly impossible to get complete sunblock coverage on a baby who just discovered how to crawl (or roll over, or walk), but it’s easier than consoling a sunburned baby. Trust me.
2. Limit Sun for Babies Under 6 Months. The best sun protection for babies under 6 months old is loose fitting cotton clothing and a wide brimmed hat. Try to limit sun exposure for very young babies by keeping them in the shade. You can do this by directing the stroller away from the sun or using a blanket to shield the direct rays.
3. Offer Lots to Drink. Offer extra breastmilk or formula to make sure baby stays well hydrated during hot summer days. For babies already on solid food, have a sippy cup of water on hand.
4. Keep the Metal Cool. Throw a blanket or burp cloth over the metal buckles of your car seat so when you return to the car baby doesn’t get burned.
5. Avoid Traffic. Summer traffic is unavoidable but you’ll be better off if you start your trip at night or very early in the morning when there are fewer cars on the road.
6. Stock the Car. If you aren’t traveling during baby’s nap or sleep time, make sure you stock the car with music, safe car toys (no choking hazards), and lots of snacks. I’ve reluctantly given up on keeping my car clean if it means less screaming kids during long drives.
7. Let the Schedule Slip a Little. It’s ok to let baby’s schedule slip a bit when you are on vacation. Even if your baby gets off schedule a little bit, it usually doesn’t take longer than a day or two to get back to his normal schedule.
8. Pack Appropriate Gear. The type of trip you are taking will determine which gear you’ll bring. Consider bringing your jogger stroller or bugaboo to the beach because you can push them over sand. Bring a backpack carrier to a lake house where there is hiking. Take just your umbrella stroller for a day at the zoo.
9. Don’t Forget the Baby Powder. Baby powder is a must have for the beach. It is the most effective way of cleaning sand out of baby’s hands, face, tush, legs, toes, and belly rolls. Pour a generous amount (more than you think you need) wherever you see sand and rub it in a little, and voila, no more sand.
10. Have Fun! This may be the most important tip of all. Traveling with a baby can be stressful at times, and most certainly requires more planning than traveling alone, but don’t get so worried about being away from your normal routine where it takes away from your fun.

This article was written by Adrienne Shulman. Adrienne takes frequent trips during the summer to the Jersey shore from her home in Westchester, NY with her 2 young daughters. She is the founder of TinyPlayground.com, a website devoted to helping new moms everywhere.

         

Next Page »