Tonight's Table Talk
rate the Dinner Table, use a special table cloth, dishes, decorations etc.
Smart Trike “Deluxe”, is a “Right Start Best Toy” Award” winner. The unique 3 in 1 multi-featured tricycle is designed for quality and functionality for a baby 10 months and up. The Smart Trike Deluxe is equipped with an adjustable telescopic 5-position steering handle that allows the parent to take control of the trike while the child is learning to ride. It also includes a bottle holder and play phone for the child's amusement. The built-in clutch gives the option of ride control to the parent or to the child. The product includes a washable, quality seat cover available in a range of colors together with a useful functional bag.1. Become a 24/7 MOMS Subscriber Enter your email address below then leave a comment that you subscribed along with your email address.
Tonight's Table Talk
Have you ever heard of a Wonderball? A Wonderball is a Victorian gifting tradition of trinkets and charms. For this project, I tweaked it a bit and made it a "Surprise Ball of Yarn" to go with my surprise party theme for my daughter. Basically the idea is to hide small charms in the yarn and as the child unwinds the yarn, the charms fall out.
I decided that I wanted the charms/trinkets to be useful, so I created a bookmark for each guest. I took a piece of ribbon and added a ribbon clamp to each end. Then I created each charm separately.
After I had all my pieces of the bookmark, I started the yarn ball by wrapping it around the ribbon which I had folded up tightly. I continued to wrap the yarn until it was hidden and then placed another charm on the ball, and wrapped... another charm.. wrap. As the quest unwinds the yarn, the charms will fall out. Once they have all the pieces they can clip all the charms onto the ribbon to create the bookmark.
I just love this! I did add directions with the ball, and also other uses for all the yarn they are going to have left over.
Kidsbigday is a new website offering unique birthday items for kids theme parties. They feature a range of popular themes such as princesses, fairies, pirates, mermaids, western cowboy and cowgirl, dinosaurs, robots and a galactic superhero. Some themes have multiple ethnic versions. New themes and products are constantly added. The products range from a wonderful 5-part invitation (self mailing invitation, RSVP card, RSVP envelope and stickers for the guest) to thank you note cards, fun party favors, games and activities and decorations. These products are not the vanilla "plates and napkins" variety but rather items that will engage the kids in fun and enjoyable activities at the party.What differentiates kidsbigday from other party stores is that most of their products are personalized with the names of the birthday boy or girl and individual guests. Each guest at the party receives a number of items featuring his or her name incorporated into the theme artwork. All these items are take home party favors and provide a wonderful long-term memento of the big event.
Kidsbigday products range from the inexpensive to more costly items such as personalized jigsaw puzzles. The pricing allows for parties within all budgets, from small to large. The site provides a convenient way for the busy mom to stage a fun and exciting kids party: with so many of the products being party activities no further planning is required - order this birthday-party-in-a-box, add pizza and soda pop or juice, and watch the kids have a great time."
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Tonight's Table Talk
Write It Down: Write Things Down. Keep a small notepad in convenient places so that when you think of something you need to do, errands you need to run, calls you need to make or items you need to purchase you can jot them down to remind you. This will save you time and help you to recall the many things you need to do as a mom.
BuckleyBoo is a growing collection of stuffed toys co-created by a child psychologist and grandma!
BuckleyBoos encourage cognitive development through multi-stage learning. What this means is that from the ages of 15 months to 4 years your child will embark on a developmental journey where each mastered task serves as a springboard for the next level of learning.
Stage 1: Matching
Children first learn to visually scan and match the brightly patterned ribbons- polka dot to polka dot, stripe to stripe.
Stage 2: Buckling
At eighteen months, children are ready to buckle, but they cannot yet unbuckle, which makes BuckleyBoo, for a time, a toy to be shared between parent and child. At this stage, the child will likely leave all the other buckles in their environment alone; now they have their own buckles with which to play.
Stage 3: Unbuckling
At three years, children have both the physical strength and the problem solving skills to buckle and unbuckle and they will happily do for hours on end. Children will also begin to integrate their lovable pal into their world of imaginative play.
These days, my niece, age three, likes to play mommy as she buckles and unbuckles: "You have to put on your coat, BuckleyCat. Let me buckle you! Hold still, you silly. There! Now you're warm and cozy!"
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Tonight's Table Talk
What do balloons, cupcakes, party hats and gifts mean? 
I should own stock in Ziploc bags I think every mom needs a case of each size at all times in her home.
Ziploc® Brand Sandwich Bags
Tonight's Table Talk
Aerial, a young, orb weaver spider, is the "runt" of Spinnerellas's spiderlings. He suffers rejection and ridicule from the residents of Spiderville because of his size and inability to do the sorts of things the other spiders do instinctively. When he runs away, Aerial learns how to rise above his limitations in a most unlikely place.
Two new characters, Springer, a jumping spider, and Trap, a trapdoor spider, join Aerial on an adventurous expedition into the wooded realm behind Spiderville. The three best friends enjoy an emotional roller coaster of new experiences, foolhardy fun, perilous risk, and the indisputable solidarity of friendship. Aerial, Trap, and Springer survive their action-packed trek into the woods rife with toads, snakes, and ants and are grateful to be alive to share their stories over and over again from the safety of their homes upon their return to Spiderville.
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Tonight's Table Talk
For all the scrapes and bruises -- not to mention fevers and stuffy noses -- that your child will get, it's a good idea to keep your medicine cabinet well stocked. Here's what you need to know -- from how to store stuff to using your medications and supplies correctly.
Not the bathroom. Storing over-the-counter and prescription medicine near sources of moisture or heat, such as in the bathroom or kitchen, can cause pills and liquid medicines to lose potency or, in rare cases, become toxic. The best spot: A high shelf in a linen or bedroom closet -- it's a more stable environment that's out of the reach of children.
A tube of antibiotic ointment for cuts and scrapes. If the tube touches an infected cut (especially one that's full of pus), toss it and buy a new one.
A box of alcohol wipes. They're much safer to have around than a bottle of rubbing alcohol, which is poisonous if swallowed. Use them to clean thermometers and the skin around wounds (stick to soap and water on open cuts, since alcohol hurts).
An anti-itch topical cortisone cream for rashes. Don't get it near the eyes (it's best to avoid the face entirely). And never apply to a baby -- he might lick it off.
A digital thermometer. Babies especially need a rectal reading, which is the most accurate. Once your child is around 4, it's fine to switch to oral. (Oral thermometers can often also be used under the arm for kids over 3 months who won't sit still for a rectal reading, but aren't ready to hold a thermometer in the mouth.)
Petroleum jelly or K-Y Jelly to lubricate a rectal thermometer.
Acetaminophen. Make sure it's infant-strength for babies under 35 pounds. And be careful to avoid giving more than is recommended (especially with infant drops, which are more concentrated), as even a small overdose may damage the liver.
Ibuprofen for children over 6 months only. Make sure it's infant-strength for babies under 35 pounds.
Saline nose drops (non-medicated), which are helpful for clearing a baby's nose.
A nasal aspirator (or bulb syringe), in case nose drops don't work. But don't overdo it, since the inside of a baby's nose is particularly sensitive.
Cough and cold medicine. It's best to keep separate medications for each symptom so you don't inadvertently double-dose your child on any active ingredients. But always talk to your pediatrician before giving your child cough or cold medication, especially for children under 3 years.
Seasonal allergy medication, if needed.
An oral rehydration solution, like Pedialyte. You'll have less waste with the single-serve size.
Teething gel. Be sure to stick to the recommended dosage.
Simethicone drops for gas.
Sterile cotton balls to clean your baby's eyes.
Cotton swabs.
Tweezers for removing splinters and ticks.
Adhesive bandages in assorted sizes. Keep a close eye on your child, as the small bandages can be a choking hazard.
Syrup of ipecac. The American Academy of Pediatrics no longer recommends it for poisonings. See "In case of poisoning," below.
Baby or children's aspirin, which are now known to cause Reye's syndrome, a serious disease. The same is true of products containing aspirin, such as Pepto-Bismol (or generic equivalents), topical ointments like Bengay, and certain wart removers.
A mercury thermometer. It's an environmental and health hazard if it breaks, so give it to your doctor to toss. Check Grandma's house, too.
An ear thermometer. They seem easy to use, but they're not accurate.
By law, an over-the-counter medication must have an expiration date based on when it may have only 90 percent of its original potency. Check your medicine cabinet periodically, and discard pills in the toilet (not the bathroom trash can); pour liquids down the drain.What to throw out:
* Any expired prescription drug (especially antibiotics -- some may be ineffective or even unsafe)
* Expired asthma medication
* Any medicine that has changed color or developed a "funny" smell
Other products that may simply not work as well after their expiration dates:
* Painkillers, decongestants, cough suppressants, and other OTC medicines won't be dangerous, but they may be slightly less potent.
* Sunscreen should not be kept longer than three years (it can lose its effectiveness even earlier if regularly exposed to extreme heat).
* Antibacterial bandages may no longer fight bacteria (but they'll still protect a cut).
If your child swallows medication accidentally:
* Stay calm.
* Don't administer anything or try to induce vomiting.
* Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately if your child is unconscious, has stopped breathing, or is having a seizure.
* Call Poison Control if your child is not in distress: 800-222-1222, day or night. You'll automatically be connected to your local center.
* Tell the center what's happened. Give your child's age and weight, any preexisting medical conditions, the time the incident occurred, exactly what your child took, and any unusual symptoms.
* Be sure you understand exactly what you are being told to do.
Having the right medicines and supplies on hand for scrapes or fevers is an important health measure. But you also need to make sure you regularly check any drugs and supplies you use to make sure they're still safe to use -- so you can help your child feel better fast.
Have you cleaned out your medicine cabinet recently? You just may find a few bottles or boxes of expired medication and wonder what is the best way to dispose of them.Here is a great article full of information on this topic from the FDA's website.
How to Dispose of Unused Medicines
Is your medicine cabinet filled with expired drugs or medications you no longer use? How should you dispose of them?
Most drugs can be thrown in the household trash, but consumers should take certain precautions before tossing them out, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A few drugs should be flushed down the toilet. And a growing number of community-based "take-back" programs offer another safe disposal alternative.
FDA worked with the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to develop the first consumer guidance for proper disposal of prescription drugs. Issued by ONDCP in February 2007, the federal guidelines are summarized here:
FDA's Director of Pharmacy Affairs, Ilisa Bernstein, Pharm.D., J.D., offers some additional tips:
Bernstein says the same disposal methods for prescription drugs could apply to over-the-counter drugs as well.
Disposal instructions on the label are part of FDA's "risk mitigation" strategy, says Capt. Jim Hunter, R.Ph., M.P.H., Senior Program Manager on FDA's Controlled Substance Staff. When a drug contains instructions to flush it down the toilet, he says, it's because FDA, working with the manufacturer, has determined this method to be the most appropriate route of disposal that presents the least risk to safety.
About a dozen drugs, such as powerful narcotic pain relievers and other controlled substances, carry instructions for flushing to reduce the danger of unintentional use or overdose and illegal abuse.
For example, the fentanyl patch, an adhesive patch that delivers a potent pain medicine through the skin, comes with instructions to flush used or leftover patches. Too much fentanyl can cause severe breathing problems and lead to death in babies, children, pets, and even adults, especially those who have not been prescribed the drug. "Even after a patch is used, a lot of the drug remains in the patch," says Hunter, "so you wouldn't want to throw something in the trash that contains a powerful and potentially dangerous narcotic that could harm others."
Despite the safety reasons for flushing drugs, some people are questioning the practice because of concerns about trace levels of drug residues found in surface water, such as rivers and lakes, and in some community drinking water supplies. However, the main way drug residues enter water systems is by people taking medications and then naturally passing them through their bodies, says Raanan Bloom, Ph.D., an Environmental Assessment Expert in FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. "Most drugs are not completely absorbed or metabolized by the body, and enter the environment after passing through waste water treatment plants."
A company that wants FDA to approve its drug must submit an application package to the agency. FDA requires, as part of the application package, an assessment of how the drug's use would affect the environment. Some drug applications are excluded from the assessment requirement, says Bloom, based on previous agency actions.
"For those drugs for which environmental assessments have been required, there has been no indication of environmental effects due to flushing," says Bloom. In addition, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, scientists to date have found no evidence of adverse human health effects from pharmaceutical residues in the environment.
Nonetheless, FDA does not want to add drug residues into water systems unnecessarily, says Hunter. The agency reviewed its drug labels to identify products with disposal directions recommending flushing or disposal down the sink. This continuously revised listing can be found at FDA's Web page on Disposal by Flushing of Certain Unused Medicines3.
Another environmental concern lies with inhalers used by people who have asthma or other breathing problems, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Traditionally, many inhalers have contained chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's), a propellant that damages the protective ozone layer. The CFC inhalers are being phased out and replaced with more environmentally friendly inhalers.
Depending on the type of product and where you live, inhalers and aerosol products may be thrown into household trash or recyclables, or may be considered hazardous waste and require special handling. Read the handling instructions on the label, as some inhalers should not be punctured or thrown into a fire or incinerator. To ensure safe disposal, contact your local trash and recycling facility.
This article appears on FDA's Consumer Updates page4, which features the latest on all FDA-regulated products.
Updated October 14, 2009
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