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#ShopSmall: Get our FREE ‘Love’ Pendant While Supplies Last

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It’s Small Business Saturday!

Bellyitch Blog’s Mom Charm Store certainly qualifies and has been selling elegant pendants and charms to moms who like to share their passions and affinity loves with the world.  We hand select the pieces that are imported from around the world and hand finished in places like Texas and Maryland, right here in the good ole US of A!

We’ve sold T-shirts, mugs and other items through third party merchants and helped promote products being sold by partners and affiliates but this is our very first foray into a fully functioning and managed warehoused eCommerce shop!

When the shop launched last month, we had a sponsor offer to gift 1,000 Tiffany-style toggle charms to new customers as a gift and incentive for them to check out the shop. Those pendants sold out quickly! That was very exciting, to say the least.

This round, we have no sponsor but in honor of Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday coming up, we’re gifting one of our newest items, the imported gold plated love pendant to th

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e first 50 visitors to the shop each day until midnight on Cyber Monday.

When the Saturday allotment sells out, the stock will refresh on Sunday and again on Monday! We’re sharing the news on our sister blogs and social media sites and will be running promos via Facebook!

So before the masses find out about the deal, hop on it today! Get your FREE gift (NO PURCHASE NECESSARY) Today! (oh yeah you pay only shipping and handling!)

Hop on it! Like I said before, these free offers sell out super fast!!

 

Support this small business! Here are the other items we’re selling, including some new pieces that just came in:

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So Funny, Reflecting on My Immigrant Thanksgiving Experience

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A friend of mine just posted a photo of a perfectly can-shaped portion of cranberry sauce and reminded me of my immigrant Thanksgiving experience growing up in America as an expat.

Because I was born in another country and immigrated to the United States with my family at the tender age of 4, the concept of an annual feast with family one time of year to give thanks for blessings and all we have was completely foreign.

Fortunately, we were always invited to the home of one of my parent’s friends or distant fellow immigrant relatives that live in our city and therefore our job was usually to bring a dish or drink and arrive. That was the ritual until our family grew to a hefty size of 6 after my two younger sisters and younger brother were born.

All of a sudden, the invitations trickled down and eventually came to a complete halt. Who wanted to add 6 additional servings and place settings to accommodate such a massive brood? So…the Jallohs we were on their own to figure this American tradition out for ourselves.

Well, they don’t have Turkeys in our native Sierra Leone, West Africa and my mom was not sure how long such a ginormous bird needed to cook. There was no Internet back then to look it up and my mom would just peel off the plastic wrapper that the turkey came packaged in and would ball up the simple instructions with cooking time printed on it too.

Instead, every Thanksgiving on our own, she’d rise around 5 am and stick the Turkey in the oven to cook…for the entire day. slow blink She was not interested in eating uncooked meat so to be safe, we were forced to eat the driest turkey in all of Washington, DC I’m certain. Like, every year.

It’s not until I got older and upon coming back home from college one year, did I find a recipe online to follow. The cooking instructions only required our bird to stay in the oven for a few hours given its weight and not until that year, sometime in the 1990s did anyone in my family feast upon a juicy turkey. Before then, we all assumed that’s just how all turkeys tasted; like a piece of seasoned rubber. ha!

Sides were usually what we saw folks eating on TV shows and when it came to cranberry sauce, it was Ocean Spray’s jellied sauce in a can. It was an obligatory accessory and we honestly thought you had to have it on the table even though a lot of us were suspicious about eating something so sweet with a savory meal.

We don’t mix sugar with dinner at all back home. Heck, there is no such a thing as desserts. When you’re done eating, that’s it.  You get up from the table and go about your business. There’s no coffee, after dinner cocktails and apple pie. Aaaah America and it’s excess. Supersize me, for sure.

But each year, somebody would open the can, plop it on a plate and set in on the banquet table to be passed up by dinner guests and eventually placed in a Tupperwear bowl where it would live for a bout a week or two before finding its final resting place in the sink garbage disposal.

Over time, some of us began to appreciate the tartness and would add a forkful or two to the second or third plate– never the first. But for the most part, it usually met an untimely demise. Such a waste of good processed jelly.

As I got older,  I would eventually learn about how real, non canned and jellied, cranberry sauce was supposed to look and taste. I even saw a recipe once!

But… upon peeping all the steps to make it and the idea of soaking the berries overnight, I realized that was just too many steps for this woman. They don’t call me “Queen of Fast Cook” for nothing. And by “they”, I mean my mother-in-law and husband.

I’m still not sure I like the moniker cause its a bit of a shady diss but I’m growing to accept the title.

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Anyooo…so over time, exchanging Thanksgiving family meal stories casually with friends who also grew up in immigrant families, I began to appreciate the fact that eating a traditional all-American Thanksgiving meal was  a common thing. We immigrants just fell in line. Call it, assimilation lite maybe. Ha!

This truth manifested itself this week even! A friend and mom at my daughter’s school said her husband’s foreign mom also made “traditional” American items for Thanksgiving. She said her mom-in-law didn’t even bother make their cultural dishes from their native country.

Her attitude was like ours, “this is an American thing and this is what they eat, so this is what we’ll eat.” How funny is that?

And coming back full circle, seeing a friend’s plate of cranberry sauce as her Facebook profile triggered all sorts of memories. Another friend replied back to my declaration that the canned cranberry sauce is an immigrant favorite by sharing it’s an American favorite too!

Who knew!?! Hilarious! It’s never too late to learn something new about Thanksgiving.

This year, I’m thankful for having a very wide, varied and diverse group of circles of friends from different stages and experiences of my life who can constantly enrich my life with new perspectives on life, cultural traditions, points of views on all different things in our big wide world.

I’m wishing everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

 

Don’t Forget Mom and Dad: Parents Under $50 Gift Guide

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We’re a few weeks away from Christmas, Hanukkah and are already deep into the gift buying holiday season. I know a few people that are done with their shopping but most of us are still checking off our list.

One demographic of family that sometimes we forget to shop for until last minute is our parents! Eeek!

Sadly, too many of us take our parents for granted. A lot of times, mom may not want you breaking your budget to get her a gift and may not want an expensive item. Get mom and dad or some other parental figure in your life a lovely gift they may not get for themselves like scented candles or nice note cards.

Here are ideas for gift items for your parents:

 

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SYDNEY LOVE OVERNIGHT BAG  Mom and dad will adore an overnight bag for quick trips out of town or when coming to visit their grandkids across town or across the country. This bag is half off right now, down from $98 to $50 and shipping is free for the holidays. It is spacious with two side pockets and a back pocket externally for easy access. I love that this bag can be wiped clean.

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LAURA MERCIER LITTLE INDULGENCES HAND BODY CRÈME SET You can never go wrong with a rich emolient gift box and Laura Mercier is a great brand. For mom, she’ll love this hand & body cream set that includes 4 1 oz travel tubes with the following scents: Ambre Vanillé, Almond Coconut Milk, Crème Brûlée, Tarte au Citron. It ships free from Macy’s for $32.00.

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PHILIP B – LAVENDER HAND CRÈME, 350ML For dad, Philip B’s vitamin-rich ‘Lavender Hand Crème’ hydrates and heals rough, dry skin. Formulated with African Shea Butter and Safflower Oleosomes, this moisturizing lotion has an stress-relieving aroma-therapeutic scent derived from Pure Provencal Lavender and Flower Oils. It absorbs quickly for a non-greasy, lightweight feel. It’s $35 at Net-A-Porter.com

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ROCHESTER REVERSIBLE QUARTER-ZIP PULLOVER CASUAL MALE XL BIG & TALL You can never go wrong with a pull over. This Casual Male reversible sweater is warm, roomy and perfect for dad. It’s under $50 for about $34 by a reseller on EBay.

 
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ISOTONER UNLINED DRIVING GLOVES Isotoner driving gloves are well known for their  superior fit, flexibility and a non-slip leather palm to improve grip for secure handling of devices. These imported nylon and Lycra spandex gloves are hand washable.  They’re on sale for $22.80, down from $32 at JCPenny.com

 

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NATURAL LIFE ‘HOME IS WHERE YOUR MOM IS’ WOODEN WALL ART Nordstrom sells this gorgeous piece of wall art for just $18. It is wooden and 6″ x 6″ x 1 1/2″. I love motivational messages.

You can Raise a Smart Child & These Free Online Resources Can Help

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I am a big believer in nourishing a child’s natural curiosity and I love the fact that my family and friends do as well. Occasionally, they send me some great resources and articles out there that fit within that interest and goal.

Of course, I do not hold on to any information for myself.  I usually want to share it with my audience of moms, parents, caregivers and others who are interested in educating, instructing and growing conscientious, alert, and bright children!

A friend found a sponsored post on Cool Mom Picks where the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (or CTY) had curate a great list of resourceful free educational online tools and resources that help support a child’s natural curiosity.

The content is great for parents who are interested in supplementing their child’s education, educators or homeschoolers. My friend’s daughter is one of the genius kids hand selected to be a part of the CTY so I am a big believer in this program, its goals and the outcome.

Check out the awesome post here!

How Successful Couples Do Date Night

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With children in the house, romance is often one of the last things on a parent’s mind. From running errands, picking up the kids at school or daycare and balancing everything else on your agenda, there’s not much time left at the end of the day for your significant other. Date night’s aren’t always an option, so instead, consider these three ideas to rekindle the romance.

Sleepover at Grandma’s House

Is there ever a time where you get to relax at home without the kids anymore? Not likely. The home used to be a place where you could have solace, peace and quiet — but that idea went out the window when you had kids. Next time you’re thinking about date night, instead of dining out or catching a movie, stay in. Give the babysitter the night off and send the kids over to grandma’s for a sleepover. Just think about how nice it will be to have the home to yourself with your spouse. No tucking the kids in for bedtime, no nighttime routines and certainly no early morning wakeup calls from the kiddos. Just wine, Netflix and if you’re lucky, breakfast in bed. Quality time is key to some people’s Love Language. It’s all about giving the other person your undivided attention.

Consider doing this every few months as a way to maintain romance with your spouse, talk about something other than the kids and relax. Scheduling time away from the kids is especially important for new parents. Once you’re comfortable leaving your kids with a trusted caretaker, consider giving yourself more time away from your children, like a weekend getaway or staycation.

Meet for Lunch

Parents with full-time jobs know that time away from work is sparse and time away from the kids is more so. For parents who work outside of the home and either drop off the kids at daycare or school each day, meeting for lunch is a great way to reconnect and catch up without the little ones tugging at your clothes or getting fussy because dinner isn’t ready yet. An hour is just the right amount of time to have a little dose of quality time.

Make time each week around your lunch hours to meet at your favorite lunch spot for a picnic or plan to get together at a new restaurant. Choose locations that are close to your job sites and be sure to switch up the locations each week so that the commute to lunch doesn’t fall on the same person each week. This doesn’t have to have a “date” feel. Whether you’re grabbing lunch for $5 or $50, it’s the time spent together that matters. Check out Groupon for new lunch places.

Give Something Special

There are a variety of different Love Languages, including the aforementioned “quality time.” All are valid. For some, receiving gifts is what makes them feel most loved. If you know that this is true of your spouse or significant other, be sure to treat them to something special once in a awhile.

When giving, your gifts don’t have to be expensive. Small, thoughtful items are just as meaningful when given from the heart. A simple bouquet of beautiful roses can communicate your love. Show your spouse that you are thinking about them with a sexy note or thoughtful card to go along with your gift.

Grow a Lifetime Reader, Give them An Unlimited Library

Studies show that kids who choose their own books are far more likely to finish them, and that can lead to a love of reading that lasts a lifetime. I am a big believer in the power of books and encouraging learning and reading in children from early childhood on.

My children developed a passion and interest in reading and a comfortable familiarity with written prose, stories, and reading for fun and enjoyment. It wasn’t by accident. I equipped them with toys that babbled in foreign languages, exposed them to to things like Baby Einstein videos, My Baby Can Read and ABC Mouse.

I took my children to library story hour as infants and when our eldest started to wain in interest in books, we kicked it into overdrive and explored lots of options until we got our son back on track and back into reading chapter series for fun.

As a result of all that passion,  our children consistently score in the upper 90% in national standardized tests for reading and they get A’s on their report cards in reading and great feedback from their teachers who tell me that my children do excellent in composition.

I recognize it isn’t easy for all parents especially those who have to compete with all these digital screens that are competing for children’s attention.

My kids too spend more of their time on YouTube videos, watching TV and gaming on tablets, smartphones, on their computers and game consoles.  However, fortunately for us, innovative companies have cropped up and providing new  ways to allow parents to combine their children’s obsession with digital devices and use that obsession to expose them to more books electronically.

I learned of the monthly subscription program called Epic! and love it!

Each month, kids get access to an unlimited amount of digital titles. Parents of multiple children can set up accounts for up to 4 kids for just $4.99 per month.

The app is packed with thousands of books that kids can stream in seconds without waiting for them to download. There are plenty of options for beginning readers to advanced ones.

Another plus for the app is that it is absolutely FREE for educators. It has features like “read to me” and users can easily search through categories. The kids can set up reading logs, and get rewards for reading. Teachers can take advantage of a  letter for parents, so educators can encourage parents to help supplement what is being taught in school.

There are NO in app purchase so you don’t have to worry about getting a surprise big bill. Anyway! Try it for one month FREE! Sign up TODAY!

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For even more Thanksgiving book recommendations, click here.

These 6 Tips will Help Your Newborn Sleep Through the Night

Bellyitch Rewind

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Every baby is different, so it’s only natural for some to have a more difficult time with nighttime sleep than others. Some babies take to it very well and at a very young age are able to sleep through the night with only the occasional wakeup. Others, however, require a lot of patience and guidance in order to get to point where they can sleep all night. But in every case, there are things parents can do to make things easier for the baby as well as for themselves.

If your baby has trouble sleeping through the night and you are ready to move to the next stage, here are a few tips that may help.

  1. Have a routine: To ease your little one into sleep, establish a nighttime routine that you follow without exception. This might include a bath, reading time, and the last feeding of the day. Do whatever works best for your family. Just make it consistent, and make sure it differs from other routines you have through the day.
  2. Discourage nighttime feeding: Very early on, it is perfectly natural for an infant to require several feedings during the night, and this can continue for many months if it is not too much trouble for the parents. But if are ready for better nighttime sleep and your child is old enough, you can begin phasing out these feedings. Keep track of how much your baby eats and how much she requires, and make sure she gets enough during the daytime hours while gradually lessening the nighttime feedings.
  3. Position the baby well: To minimize the risk of SIDS, most medical authorities recommend placing the baby on her back at bedtime for the first nine months of life (some recommend longer), and this advice is worth heeding. But when the baby gets old enough to move around at will, there is little you can do to control her position. The good news is that she will naturally find the position in which she is most comfortable and in which she will sleep best. So when your baby is old enough, give her the freedom to find her preferred positions.
  4. Try different outfits: If your baby seems to wake up a lot, this could be a sign of discomfort resulting from his sleep outfit. Try different things, and make sure you experiment with each item enough nights to draw a conclusion about whether your baby likes it or not.
  5. Control room conditions: Also try different conditions in the room where your baby sleeps. Perhaps he does well with a little bit of noise, in which case you can use a fan or a radio to make some gentle white noise. Also make sure you try different temperatures. Childcare experts generally recommend dressing babies a little more warmly than you would dress yourself, but this is not a blanket rule, and some babies tend to get hot in normal room-temperature conditions.
  6. Learn baby’s back-to-sleep habits: Watch your baby for several nights to see how she typically reacts when waking up in the middle of the night. If she wakes, fusses for a moment, and then goes back to sleep, make sure you allow her to do this instead of interrupting her natural process. On the other hand, if you can learn to recognize when she is unlikely to get herself back to sleep, you can get to her early and minimize the amount of time she is awake.

Good luck, new parents! We hope you get some rest…and baby too!

Get These Tech Gadgets for Parents of Multiples

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It may be hard to believe, but those two (or more) heartbeats you saw on the ultrasound are now bouncing babies who are getting used to life outside of the womb. After an exciting pregnancy and birth, you are now back home with your darling infants and trying to settle into your new routine.

As you probably already know quite well, being the parent of multiples is both rewarding and challenging. From hoping they nap at the same time to trying to safely juggle two crying tots at once, this new lifestyle is definitely going to take some getting used to.

Fortunately, there are plenty of gadgets that can help make parenting two or more infants at once a bit easier. In those precious quiet moments when you can do some shopping online, you may want to check out the following devices.

Portable Home Monitor

New parents are often understandably extra concerned about keeping their homes and children as safe as possible. Thanks to the Nest Cam, you can solve both of these issues at once. The Nest Cam is easy to use and offers excellent video footage streamed right to your device. Just download the Nest app on your mobile device, like the Apple iPhone 7 smartphone, and plug in the camera in the room you want to monitor. Station it in your babies’ room and use it to remotely check on them during naps or bedtime. And when you head to the store with your tots to purchase more diapers and baby wipes, move the camera into a main part of the house to use as a home security camera. The camera will detect both audio and video footage in its range and send you notifications through the app of any movements or sounds it detects.

High-Tech Mobile

If you have older kiddos in addition to your newborns, you might remember the hand-cranked mobiles that you hung over the baby’s crib. While they played music for a few minutes as they wound down, the old school mobiles didn’t do much in the way of calming a fussy baby, or helping him to stay in dreamland. Thanks to the Dream Station by B Kids, your babies will be lulled into the land of nod with the device’s soft music and lights. As a major bonus, the built-in sensor can actually detect when your babies are moving less, and will react by phasing out the music and lights. When your infants wake up during the night, the Dream Station will respond by switching on soft lighting, which may help calm your babies enough to allow them to fall asleep again on their own. At the very least, the light will allow you to safely make it to their cribs without tripping over something on the nursery floor.

Vibrating Mattress Pad

There is nothing like a car ride to get even the fussiest baby to sleep. As the parents of two or more tots, you may find that you are spending more time than ever cruising around the neighborhood, gripping the wheel and hoping your babies will just nap already. To save you time, gas, sanity and increase the chances that your infants will learn to sleep in their own beds rather in their car seats, check out the Lulla-Vibe vibrating mattress pad from Munchkin. The battery operated small pad slips under each baby’s mattress and will cause it to gently vibrate for about 30 minutes, which should be enough time to convince your babes to drift off to sleep.

Hope these are helpful!

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