How to Prepare Your Pet for Baby On the Way

Posted on January 5, 2018

by Tracy Vicory-Rosenquest, Rover.com community member. Rover is the nation’s largest network of 5-star pet sitters and dog walkers.

With a baby on the way, there’s a lot to prepare including how to get your pup ready for a new family member. It’s easy to be distracted, and your fur baby may feel displaced. Rover.com has a few suggestions for how to include your dog during this exciting time with your family.

Snuggle time. Your pup will know something is happening with the changes in your body, behavior, and mood. You may find him becoming more protective or more cuddly. This is an important time to snuggle in close and enjoy a quiet morning with your pup in bed or take the time to relax on the couch together.

Long walks. Taking a walk during your pregnancy is not only good for your body, it’s the perfect time to enjoy the company of your dog. As you get closer to your due date, walking is an important part of preparing your body, and now your dog has a vital role in helping you get ready. After the baby has arrived and you’ve recovered, get out the stroller for a walk with the baby and take the dog along too!

Dog Sitter. As you make plans for the first 6-8 weeks with your newborn, include who will help take care of the dog. If you have a dog sitter already, this is the time to discuss how often you’ll utilize them. Plan for regular support feeding and walking the dog. If you don’t have a dog sitter, now is the time to find one who will support the family as you adjust to your new schedule.

Early labor. If you’re staying home in the early stages of labor or if you’re having a homebirth, your pets may want to be involved in soothing you before and after contractions. As you’re writing out your birth plan, determine if you’ll want your pets involved in any part of the labor or if you’ll want someone to care for your pup during this time.

Introductions. Before you bring the baby home, plan out the first encounter with your fur family members. First, have someone bring home the baby’s first blanket or hat so the dog can smell the baby’s scent. The day you bring the baby home, have someone take the dog for a long walk or playtime at the park. If you have an energetic dog, make sure she’s tired before she comes home to meet the baby. When your dog enters the house, hold the baby up high and begin training your dog with the commands you’ll use around the baby. Slowly bring the dog closer and allow him to smell the baby from a distance.

Be sure to organize regular time to spend with your pup without the baby so your dog doesn’t feel disconnected from you. Your pup may be excited or worried about the new addition. You don’t want an unhappy dog during this big transition, so take the time learn what he needs to be included.

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2018 Declutter: 7 Ways to Make Money Off Of Your Stuff

Posted on January 4, 2018

As you clean your home, know that you can convert some of the stuff you don’t want to use and even the space in your attic and garage into cash that you can stash into your rainy day fund or to supplement your household income. Also, time! If you work from home, part time or have a business, there are ways to use your time and vehicle to make money.

We discovered 7 apps that can be used to help you earn money off of your stuff!

Urbansitter is the perfect money-making app for the parent with kids who’ve outgrown their playroom. Sign up and you’ll be put in tough with thousands of potetnial babysitting and nannying jobs

Studypool lets you pull in teaching money from teh comfort of your own home computer. The site lets you connect with students all over the world looking for tutors.

Bookscouter will turn that bookshelf full of unread books into a potential treasure trove! Just scan your books’ barcodes with your smartphone and Bookscouter will give you a list of buyback companies that will pay for your pages.

Airbnb will let you give traveling tourists a place to rest their heads and help you make a little money in the process. AirBnB allows you to rent out any spare guest room just like a hotel.

Uber/Lyft Turn your ar into a taxi service

Pawn Guru– This app will connect you to local pawn shops in your area

Just Park -connects you with drivers in your area looking for a place to put their car. Rent your driveway or yard out to them like a parking garage.

Rover – get paid to be among one of this app’s top premiere dog walkers or sitters. Or if you need the services, here is $25 to use towards your first booking!

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Start Off the New Year By Applying These 35 Feng Shui Principles To The Baby’s Nursery

Posted on January 4, 2018

I hate clutter. I am also a minimalist. My motto is to keep everything in its place. I’ve followed some Feng Shui techniques in the past, but to

keep it simple, I just try my hardest to keep the children’s toys in their rooms or their basement playroom.

I keep all books, papers and office materials in my home office; all clothes in closets, hampers or laundry room etc. And if an item finds its way out of place, I put it back where it belongs, promptly. I am a firm believer that clutter creates disorder and chaos and an settled mind.

Ohdeedoh did a great post years about Feng shuing your baby’s nursery that seemed helpful to me. Essentially, they took all the most sensible, practical advice

and enumerated into a simple checklist I loved!

Check out these awesome tips which I know to non-believers in the ancient Chinese principles and techniques may seem a bit looney, but those who have some some basic rudimentary studying of it will get it. I recommend starting with Feng Shui: Reference to Go: 50 Ways to Create a Healthy and Harmonious Home

I also recommend you get some storage boxes, units and the like. Start with my partners at Tidy Living which has its entire store marked up to 75% OFF! Save an extra 10% SITEWIDE with promo code WINTERSALE at check out! Get your 2018 started right and have your organization materials delivered to your door!

Common-sense things you’re probably already doing:

:: Use natural materials whenever possible for bedding, curtains, flooring, rugs, furniture, and toys.

:: Keep drawers and closets organized and pruned of too-small and out-of-season clothing.

:: Have different sources of light in the nursery, some for daytime and others for evening and nighttime.

:: Limit the electrical appliances near the crib. This includes various monitors, air filters, vaporizers, fans, etc.

:: Open windows daily for good ventilation.

Some interesting tips you might also want to try:

:: Choose a soft shade of green, blue, pink, orange or beige for the walls.

:: No reds, yellows, grays, or blacks.

:: Bed sheets should be soothing colors.

:: Bright red is a no-no.

:: Soft blue is recommended.

:: Place the crib at the furthest point from the door.

:: You don’t want it under a window or in the middle of the room. You also don’t want it against a wall that has plumbing on the other side of it.

:: Orient the crib so that it points north, which represents stillness. Southwest and northeast are acceptable second choices.

:: Keep the space under the crib empty. Resist the urge to use this space for storage.

:: Limit the number of toys and books in the room.

:: Curtains are preferable to blinds, and white curtains are best.

:: Try gentle essential oils, such as chamomile, rose, vanilla and lavender.

:: Make sure there are no hard corners from dressers or changing tables pointed at the baby’s head or body. If there is an immovable point, try to cover it with a silk vine or red ribbon.

:: Reconsider the patterns and images in the room, especially if it is a themed room.

:: According to feng shui guide Tabitha Miller, Avoid garish cartoon characters and action figures. How can boys “stop moving” when they are sleeping on planes, trains and automobiles? That theme would better for a playroom.

:: Nature designs are excellent and promote growth.

:: Animal designs should also be chosen carefully.

:: Ferocious or aggressive animals, even when they are made for a baby’s room, should not be chosen. Some of these are found in jungle motif

designs and include lions, tigers, bears, and reptiles.

:: Make sure that designs do not have harsh points, such as arrows, crosses, diamonds, or triangles.

:: Motifs with fish are fine as long as the watery theme is not overly dominant. Otherwise, respiratory, lung, nasal, or kidney problems could develop.”

If you’re truly desperate for a good night’s sleep, you’ve got nothing to lose by trying these ideas:

:: Start from scratch. Move the baby to a new room.

:: According to one expert, “Ideally, a child’s room should be in the middle, or the ‘bosom’ of the house,

to induce feelings of security in the child.

:: A new baby should have a bedroom that is not over a garage or has an empty space below.

:: Thebedroom also shouldn’t be located where there is excessive noise that might keep the baby from sleeping, such as close to a living room where

the TV is on or close to a noisy street or neighbor.”

:: Do a thorough cleaning of the entire room — including walls, baseboards, windows and floors — with natural cleaners.

:: Repair wall holes, cracks, squeaky windows, peeling paint.

:: Follow the principles above in designing and arranging the space.

:: Declutter your own room of baby-related paraphernalia.

:: While you’re at it, organize the baby stuff in the rest of your home, too.

photo: courtesy ToBeNatural

Get your home in order for the New Year! Tidy Living which has its entire store marked up to 75% OFF! Save an extra 10% SITEWIDE with promo code WINTERSALE at check out! Get your 2018 started right and have your organization materials delivered to your door!

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The 2 Basic Things To Do Before Telling Your Boss You’re Expecting

Posted on January 3, 2018

LaShonda Brown

For many women, especially those who work in high pressure, productivity-related jobs, telling their boss and department heads they are pregnant can be stressful. It doesn’t have to be if you prepare. American Pregnancy put up a great post sharing excellent tips on how to prepare to do just that.

Of the tips that stood out, as an attorney, I highly endorse the following two:

Read your company’s maternity leave policy in their handbook and do some online research as well to get to know your state’s laws concerning pregnancy, maternity leave, and pay for when you’re on leave.
Put a plan into place that you can present to your boss. Think of who can cover on short notice if nausea sets in unexpectedly or you need to schedule a doctor’s visit during lunch.

Also, as the post notes, you don’t have to wait until you are 12 weeks to make your announcement, but since your chances of miscarrying reduce by 80% by then, it would be a good time to wait until you are at least that far along.

Certainly, you are free to wait longer but you may start to show at 20 weeks and you want to make sure you give your job adequate time to plan for your maternity leave and departure.

I know that some women elect to put it off as long as possible because they fear they will lose out on plum projects and opportunities if their office realizes they will be away from the job in the coming months. It’s a fragile thing, but planning is the best remedy to alleviate some of that anxiety.

Once an employer realizes you know your rights, they may be less likely to do something stupid like try to fire you or take away key responsibilities that you can handle perfectly fine until you deliver!

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15 Things to Remember When You Bring Baby Home

Posted on January 2, 2018

When you bring your newborn home there are a lots of things in the environment that can easily get him or her sick. But there are things you can do to minimize the risk of your new baby getting ill.

Here are 15 simple tips you can try to follow compliments of Newborn care:

Be Firm With Friends and Relatives – It’s natural to want to show your newborn off to your nearest and dearest, but they can present a health risk for her. It’s important to keep in mind that not only is it okay to be firm in regard to your child’s health, it’s imperative. Don’t let a cousin with a case of the sniffles handle your new baby or allow loved ones to pick her up before washing their hands.
Insist on Good Hand Washing Habits – One of the most effective ways of protecting your newborn’s health is to insist that everyone who touches her wash their hands thoroughly before doing so. Hands come into contact with so many germ-laden surfaces and objects throughout the day that it’s just not a good idea to skip a thorough scrubbing before cuddling.
Keep the Kisses Away from Baby’s Face – Newborns are so cute and cuddly, they seem to be just begging for affection. No matter how much you want to cover her little face with kisses, it’s smart to keep in mind just how many germs are carried by your saliva.
Don’t Skip the Vaccinations – There’s a battle raging amongst parents about the efficacy of vaccinations versus their perceived risks, but vaccinations do prevent many illnesses. Not only should your infant be immunized according to doctors’ recommendations, but so should older siblings and adults that will be caring for her.
Remember that Breast is Best – Breastfeeding isn’t always an option, but it’s one that should be carefully considered if there’s any feasibility at all. In cases of adoption, low milk production or a mother’s need to be on medications that can be excreted through breast milk, formula is a perfectly adequate nutritional substance. It doesn’t, however, contain the antibodies that boost a baby’s new immune system.
Avoid Crowded Places – Shopping malls, restaurants or even dinner parties can be crowded areas with high concentrations of people who are carrying communicable illnesses. In the interest of keeping your baby healthy, it’s wise to save his big debut for a time when his immune system is a bit more developed.
Pay Special Attention to Older Siblings – Older siblings who attend preschool, daycare or elementary school are exposed to illness-spreading germs all day long, and they may have developed a resistance that allows them to still carry those germs without exhibiting symptoms of illness themselves. Make sure that your older children understand the importance of good hygiene, especially when it comes to spending time with a new baby.
Keep Your Doctor’s Appointments – Time is a commodity that new parents seldom have an adequate supply of, but it’s important to remember that appointments with your pediatrician should be kept if at all possible.
Hire an Experienced Caregiver – The rookie nanny you’re considering might be enthusiastic, but she may also lack the experience or training that will allow her to confidently care for a newborn without spreading illnesses. While it’s perfectly acceptable to hire a nanny with little to no practical work experience, you should make sure that she’s well-versed in the care of newborns and minimizing the spread of germs.
Keep the Nursery Clean – When you’re sleep deprived and living on the quick snacks you can fit in during Baby’s naps, the idea of house cleaning probably isn’t an appealing one. Making sure that your newborn’s nursery is clean, however, is one of the best ways to prevent her from becoming sick.
Practice Good Crib Safety Habits – Guarding your newborn’s health doesn’t just mean keeping her clear of illness-causing germs; it also requires you to be focused on her safety. Fluffy pillows, snuggly blankets and soft crib bumpers may seem like great tools for keeping her comfortable, but they can actually increase her risk of SIDS. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants’ cribs contain no pillows, plush toys or thick blankets.
Minimize Play Dates – If your older children are accustomed to hosting play dates, it may be a smart move to consider putting them on hold for a few months or working with other parents in your playgroup to find alternate hosting solutions until your newborn is a bit older.
Keep Pets Clear of the Nursery – Fido might be man’s best friend, but he doesn’t need to be licking your newborn’s face or spreading dander throughout her nursery. Making the baby’s room a pet-free zone for a while can reduce the number of germs and contaminants that she’s exposed to during the earliest days of her life.
Sterilize Bottles and Nipples – It simply isn’t possible to keep every germ away from your newborn, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t make an effort to protect her from them when you’re able. Sterilizing the bottles and nipples that she puts into her mouth during feeding time is one of the measures that you shouldn’t neglect.
Take Care of Yourself! – An exhausted, overworked parent’s immune system might not be the most effective, so it’s important that you make every effort to take care of yourself, too. When you’re sick, it’s difficult to avoid passing those illnesses on to your baby. Guarding your own health and well-being isn’t self-indulgent; it’s a necessary step of preventing the spread of illnesses to your child.

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Kick Off Your New Year With These Two Post-Pregnancy At-Home Workouts

Posted on January 2, 2018

Healthy mother and baby making gymnastics

Getting back into shape after having a baby can be a challenge but it doesn’t have to be. I think the hardest thing is starting. With new parenting responsibilities and fatigue from lack of sleep, many new moms struggle to find time to even work out and to go to the gym. Having an in-home routine you can do when you first wake up or perhaps after dinner or an hour before bedtime, perhaps while watching TV may do the trick.

But everything takes time.

“I believe that embracing your current shape while working towards a more toned one is the best approach, especially if you want to stay motivated and engaged with an exercise and eating plan.” says Samantha Clayton Senior Director of Fitness Education at Herbalife.

Clayton, who is also a mom herself, offers two basic workouts will help you to kick start working towards having a more toned, strong and healthier physique all around.

Setting a realistic goal and time frame will help you avoid feelings of failure and allow you to actually enjoy the body changing process, Clayton advises.

FULL CORE ROUTINE – Follow these 5 moves to strengthen your entire core

Time: 20 Minutes

Equipment: Exercise Mat or Comfortable area on the floor

Start the workout with 15-20 perfect form CRUNCHES. Begin by lying face up on the floor with your knees bent. Contract your abs to curl your shoulders towards the pelvis, keeping your hands behind or beside the neck or crossed over your chest. Be conscience to use your abs and not your head to lift your shoulders off the floor, hold for a second then return to starting position.

Next, 30 seconds of BICYCLE AB CRUNCHES. Remaining on the floor, stretch your legs out straight and place your hands behind your head. Raise your legs one at a time so that your thighs are perpendicular to the ground, and your calves are parallel to the ground, but keeping your feet together. Contract your abdominal muscles alternate bending your right leg and straightening your left similar to the motion you’d make while pedaling a bicycle. Use your abdominal muscles to crunch your body forward so that your elbow can reach your knee.

Moving on to a 45-60 second SIDE PLANK. Place your hand on the floor under you and straighten your supporting arm, raising the top half of your body off the ground. You can raise the other arm straight over you or let it rest on your side to help with balance. Keep your legs straight, letting the lower half of your body rest on the side of your bottom foot. Repeat on the other side for another 45-60 seconds.

The LAYING DOWN LEG RAISE works the deepest of the core muscles. Begin lying on your back on a mat. Place your hands under your butt to stabilize your pelvis, then without letting your lower back lift, pull your knees toward your chest, and then straighten your legs back to the starting position. To increase the difficulty, do leg raises on an incline bench. Do 10 raises 3 times.

The VACUUM can be done almost anywhere: sitting up, laying down, in bed, at the office or even while driving your car. All you have to do is suck your belly in as far as you can, and hold. Make sure you are pulling your abs in as if they are meeting your back. When you hold your tummy in hold it in for 10 to 15 seconds then release. Try to continue breathing and don’t hold your breath. Gaining muscular control is the key of this move.

ULTIMATE BODY WEIGHT ROUTINE – To burn calories, build muscle and effectively improve your cardiovascular fitness level, training in a circuit style is the way to go.

Time: 30-40 minutes. 3 sets, repeated 2-3 times.

Equipment: Just your body weight

SET #1 = “Simple 20’s” Perform 20 of each exercise, do a modification if necessary, no rest in between each move but you can rest for 2 minutes after the set.

20 squats

20 modified push-ups.

20 lunges alternating legs

20 Burpees without jumping

20 bicycle- abs.

SET #2 = “Tough 10’s” This second set is a more advanced version of each exercise but for less reps, try to push yourself to do 10 of each move with no rest. Rest for 3-5 minutes after the set.

10 holding squats (hold at the bottom for a count of 5)

10 Full push- ups

10 walking lunges

10 burpees with a jump

10 straight leg toe touch abs.

SET #3 = “Holding 15’s” For the third set hold each move for 15 seconds, remember to breathe while holding.

Wall squats

Plank holds

Hold lunge position

Bridge pose holds

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4 Ways to Make Your New Year’s Resolutions Stick!

Posted on December 31, 2017

It’s traditional to mark the beginning of the year with commitments to change, and goals to be accomplished in the next twelve months.

However, it doesn’t take long to discover at the end of the year that we came no closer to achieving those resolutions than when we made them.

Here are four useful suggestions to increase the probability that your New Year’s resolutions will stick this year.

1. Be specific. A resolution such as, “I want to lose weight this year” will probably fail. It is too vague. Be specific: your ideal weight, minus what you weigh now, is your weight-loss goal. Your resolution would then be, “I want to lose 30 pounds.”

2. Make them time specific. Don’t make resolutions that fit the “someday/maybe” category. “As soon as possible” generally means never. A deadline is a commitment. It’s easy to put off getting started, without a deadline as a self-imposed pressure point. Deadlines are also useful for breaking the resolution down into smaller steps. If your goal is to lose 30 pounds by the end of June, that works out to 5 pounds per month, or 1.25 pound per week. Setting a deadline and breaking it down to its smaller requirements makes the resolution more attainable.

3. Take small steps. Change is uncomfortable to start with. The more behaviors we try to change, the more likely we will fail. Pick a couple of things that are most important to you and focus on them. When you reach one or both goals, start a new one. Don’t overwhelm yourself with too much change all at once.

4. Be realistic. We get motivated to change at the start of the year and we think we are ready for anything and everything. Be realistic: there is only so much you can accomplish within a period of time. If the doctor tells you to lose 100 pounds, don’t expect to accomplish that in six months. If you set the bar too high, you are most likely to fail and find it discouraging to get started again.

source

Good luck !

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6 New Year’s Resolutions Your Child Can Make and Keep in 2018!

Posted on December 31, 2017

It’s New Year’s Resolutions season.

Adults everywhere are reflecting on the past year and looking ahead to the next, finding places where they can improve their lives. Parents often make big plans to change habits and behaviors with this fresh start, and these plans often include their children.

Here are a few New Year’s Resolutions you could work with your child to make.

1.Keep my belongings organized – The first thing that parents need to recognize about this resolution is that it very likely means something very different to your child. Children typically have unique ways of keeping things organized. This frequently stirs friction between child and parent because mom and dad might believe “organized” means that everything is folded, put away neatly and out of sight, while their child might consider things organized if he can find his underwear in the morning. This is a great opportunity for parents to connect with their child. Sitting down and discussing the differences between your view of organization and theirs can actually help a child if it is done though positive conversation. Giving him freedom in this area can go a long way in helping him discover what his organization style is. If there are rules in common areas, parents should be clear about those, but should also allow their child to control how he organizes his own space. This will help him learn to keep it all together.

2.Drink water with every meal. Most people do not drink enough water; this is true for adults and children. Telling a child she cannot have soft drinks or juices anymore will cause aggravation in the child and will only work to make her sneak them elsewhere. By setting the rule that everyone drinks water with each meal, this healthy liquid is introduced without the ban on other drinks altogether.

3. Practice the sport, art or activity of their choice for 30 min every day. Everyone has hobbies or skills they want to improve. Children often beg parents for lessons to learn to play piano or be in basketball, but after the first few weeks of lessons, the excitement fades when they learn they have to practice. Parents can help their children set the goal to practice by finding their own new skill to work on. This way parents and children can work in unison to improve themselves in at least one way.

4. will talk to one new person every week at school. This is a great resolution for the child that has a hard time making friends and connections. It can seem like a leap of faith for a timid child to make new friends, which is why it is so important to start with just one conversation. Maybe only one in every five conversations end in some kind of friendship, but then in a little over a months’ time your child will have a new friend and be confident enough to make more.

5. I will try one new food a week. Children tend to eat the same foods every week. This is due in part to the fact that these foods are easy to make and because parents are tired of fighting with their children to eat new and more healthy foods. This approach addresses the problem in steps. It does not require the child eat entire meals that he hates, just one new food a week. Make the new food three or four times during the week so that he gets a chance to try just one bite a few times. Parents should try to make the experience fun and set a good example by eating the food alongside him.

6. I will help one person every day without being asked. Generosity is a character trait most people believe is absent in children these days. Parents can inspire the development of this habit by encouraging their children to find one person to help or to do one helpful activity each day without being asked to do it. Keep a chart of these activities and praise the big-heartedness that it brings. Try to avoid “rewarding” these activities with material positions because part of generosity is not expecting anything in return. Instead give rewards with kind words and gratitude.

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How to Cover Up Your Tattoos For New Year’s Eve or A Maternity Photo Shoot (Video Tutorials)

Posted on December 30, 2017

Some women love their tattoos but when they have to attend an upscale event they may not want to expose them and have them distract from the dress.

Same for those wanting to capture their pregnant belly for a maternity portrait but want to conceal a stretched out tattoo on the belly. Finally, there are some who want to wear midriff-bearing tops but want to conceal stretchmarks from pregnancy.

Fortunately, there are lots of beauty product manufacturers that produce quality and top notch body make up and cover up. Here is a great tutorial for light skin and another

HERE for darker skin.

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The One Pregnancy Hack to Get Your Baby to Calm Down AFTER its Born

Posted on December 30, 2017

If you are expecting, you may know by now that there is no way to tell what type of temperament your baby will have when born. Ideally, you’d want a calm baby, with a warm temperament, who is easy-going and doesn’t suffer from colic or shows anxiety when held by anyone other than mom. Of course, there is no guarantee and you roll the dice and get what you get, and hopefully, you will have equipped yourself with skills and tools to soothe and calm your baby down when she or he is irritable and inconsolable.

But did you know there is a trick that you can try while pregnant to get your baby to calm down after she or he is born?

I did it with my first kid, sort of by accident, and it worked! Here is how it went down:

When I was expecting, I played one song and one song only while driving about, running errands, as I read. For me, it was the “Dance of the Sugar Plum Faeries” from the Nutcracker Ballet. (That may not be everyone’s cup of tea so for you, pick one song that is palatable to you and whomever you are living with as they too must be able to stand listening to that one song on repeat.)

When my son was born, whenever he would wail uncontrollably because, perhaps, he was in the back seat away from any familiar face and strapped in because we were traveling somewhere, I would put that song on in the car and he would immediately calm down, turn his cheek toward the music and stop crying. It worked every.single. time and I continue to use that song until he could communicate better and got used to those uncomfortable situations and didn’t cry anymore when in them.

It may not work on every baby but it’s worth the try! It could save you stress, anxiety and calm your nerves too when the baby is out! Good luck!

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