Advent: 50 Acts of Kindness Kids Can Do Before Christmas

Posted on December 16, 2016

Bellyitch Rewind

We are in the third week of Advent, the period of time counting down to Christmas. During Advent, those preparing to celebrate the birth of Christ are expected to do acts of kindness, to show gratitude and give back to their family, friends, and community. The season is about giving and traditionally, Christians are asked to give back and do charitable works.

Children too can participate in Advent. If you are looking for activities or things your child can do during Advent, we’ve put together a list of 50 things in a Printable you can download and paste up on your refrigerator or pin on a bulletin board in your kitchen, office or school.

Enjoy!

Download these printables HERE and HERE!

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This Holiday House Cleaning Guide is Right on Time (INFOGRAPHIC)

Posted on December 13, 2016

In many homes across the globe, the holiday season is a time for intense cleaning and straightening up of the home in preparation for visitors and decorating the home. The folks at Butler Home Products hooked us up with a complimentary complete kit of cleaning products including a Mr. Clean Breeze Mop , Mr. Clean Bliss Gloves, Dawn Scrubtastic Sponge, and Dawn Dishwashing brushes that will be just perfect and right on time for this weekend’s thorough house clean down.

We are also packing for a short winter vacation so, I’ll be taking advantage of the Evercare Belle Vie Lint Rollers and the Evercare Sweater Cleaning Stone I also received in the kit to make sure the older clothes look pristine and closer to new. I’m a staunch believer in not wearing too-worn out looking clothing.

Also, I cannot wait to put these tools to use and utilize this below handy infographic from Butler’s offering some great guidance on getting the job done before family arrive this Christmas.

Check out the unvoxig:

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4 Tips for Parenting A Curious Child

Posted on December 13, 2016

A high level of inquisitiveness is one of the more common signs that your child is gifted, which is a blessing for most parents. Still, the never-ending flow of questions from a curious child’s mouth can be a challenge at times. Learning how to deal with the special needs of an inquisitive child without squelching her natural curiosity isn’t always easy, but it is possible with a bit of dedicated attention.

1. Encourage Her Natural Curiosity

It can be tempting to lay ground rules regarding how many questions your child can ask, and it’s easy to even become so frustrated with the constant requests for information that you shut down completely. It’s important to keep in mind that if the special needs of your child aren’t met, she could begin to shut down altogether and fail to realize her full potential. Nurturing the thirst for knowledge will increase your workload as a parent, but it’s also one of the best ways to ensure that she stays engaged and eager to learn. Rather than discouraging your child from asking so many questions, look for ways that you can nurture her inquisitive nature.

2. Talk About Privacy and Respecting Boundaries

Curious kids just want to know more about the world around them, and they’re not always burdened by the knowledge of social mores. As a result, it’s not uncommon to find yourself making apologies for hurtful or rude questions that your inquisitive child asks without realizing that she’s violating the social contract. Making sure that you take time to discuss the importance of respecting others’ right to privacy and maintaining some boundaries can help cut down on these embarrassing situations. Letting your child know that it’s okay to ask touchy questions when it’s just the two of you will satisfy her urge to discover new things without subjecting unwitting friends and loved ones to a barrage of delicate questions.

3. Find Toys and Games that Fuel Her Inquisitive Nature

The technological advances in the toy industry aren’t restricted to shoot-’em-up video games. There’s a wide selection of toys and games designed to foster learning and knowledge in kids that can help encourage a habit of independent learning. When your child is able to find some of the answers to her questions or access new information on her own she’ll be able to take pride in her accomplishments while you escape at least a few of her questions about the world.

4. Make a Habit of Looking Up Answers Together

It’s embarrassing to admit that you don’t know the answer to a child’s question, especially if it happens on a regular basis. Rather than becoming frustrated as a result of your humiliation or offering an incorrect answer as a means of buying some silence, why not make a habit of finding the answers to her questions together? You’ll be able to make sure that the information your child finds is accurate, she’ll begin to learn the basics of independent research and you’ll be able to learn a few things in the process.

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Tips

5 Simple Yet Brilliant Family Cold & Flu Management Tips

Posted on December 8, 2016

I am a big believer in holistic medicine and limiting the use of medicine and active chemical solutions to health problems, especially for babies. I’ve been looking for some cold and flu tips for newborns to pass along to a friend who just had a baby . It was thus superb to get in my inbox these awesome and timely tips from the renowned Little Remedies pediatrician Dr. Sue Hubbard. These suggestions are perfect for helping moms (and dads) protect their kids and family from the cold and flu this year. A few of her tips include:

Opt for a Flu Shot: All children over the age of 6 months should receive a flu vaccine. During the first flu season a baby is vaccinated, they need to receive two flu vaccines which must be separated by at least 4 weeks. Your baby is not fully protected until they have received both vaccines.
Go Back to Basics:Old-fashioned hand washing with soap is still preferable to hand sanitizers whenever possible. Have your child sing “Happy Birthday” to make it effective and fun!
Spot the Signs:The flu looks different in newborns than in older kids. In newborns, look for a fever, a cough, respiratory stress, dehydration and sometimes vomiting.
Don’t Panic:You can’t shield your baby – nor should you. Your baby’s immune system is robust and does a great job fighting off germs. Every time babies get sick, it boosts their immunity and makes them stronger.
Be Prepared:Babies are going to get sick, and it’s important to keep them comfortable when they do. To relieve stuffy noses in newborns and older, I recommend Little Remedies® Saline Spray/Drops, and for coughs in children above the age of 1 year, Little Remedies® Honey Cough Syrup is a great solution.

Little Remedies provides families with safe and reliable formulas, using only the necessary ingredients to support the health and well-being of infants and children. Very nice! We have several Little Remedies products in our bathroom cabinet as well!

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Tips

Things to Know about Infant Ear Piercing

Posted on December 6, 2016

Do you know that infant ear piercing is a medical procedure?

Of course, nowadays it is so common that you can get your baby’s ears pierced at the local mom.

There is much debate among parents as to when is an appropriate age for piercing a child’s ears. Some opt for getting it done as early as infancy, while others prefer either not at all or at a much later date. Doctors don’t cite any medical reason not to pierce, although they do caution that there are some risks involved in doing so. The choice really comes down to when the parent thinks their little girl is ready to take the plunge. Here then are ten tips for deciding what age is best for your baby:

Tugging – Since it is best that the ears not be tampered with, a child should have outgrown any tendency she might display for tugging at her ears. This will avoid the risk of the earring being torn off or getting infected.

Pain – A child with a low pain threshold probably won’t appreciate the added pain in her life that an ear piercing would bring. Painkillers are not typically used since their injection is usually more painful than the piercing itself.

Allergies – You should wait until you’re certain that your child doesn’t exhibit any allergic reactions to metal. In any case, it’s recommended that only 24 k. gold or surgical steel be used.

Work – Caring for a baby is a lot of work under the simplest of circumstances. You may not care to add another layer of car on top of your other parental duties by having to clean and look after ear piercings as well. Decide whether you’re up to the added work and are willing to submit the baby to unnecessary risk of infection.

Fidgeting – Younger children can be more unpredictable and may not be able to sit still long enough for an ear piercing. Determine whether, or when, your child will be able to resist fidgeting while the work is being done.

Consuming – One of the risks involved with ear piercings at a very early age is the possibility that an earring can be pulled off and ingested. Infants or toddlers who are prone to tugging at their ears would not make good candidates for early piercings.

Expectations – Ask the parents of children who have had their ears pierced to share their experiences and recommendations. Find out what to expect before getting the piercings done.

Activities – Ask yourself if your child’s typical activities are compatible with ear piercings. That is, is it something that can become a hazard during playtime? Does your daughter show any interest in ear piercing or other feminine trappings?

Doctor – Ask your family doctor/pediatrician what s/he recommends as far as an appropriate age. Also, your doctor may also be able to recommend where to have the piercings done, and many will do ear piercings themselves.

Grow up – There’s always this suggestion to alleviate all doubts and concerns: Let your child grow up and decide for herself whether she even wants her ears pierced, and when she’d like to have them pierced. – You should wait until you’re certain that your child doesn’t exhibit any allergic reactions to metal. In any case, it’s recommended that only 24 k. gold or surgical steel be used.

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Ditch Your 9-5 with an Online Biz in 2017, I’ll Show You How (SIGN UP)

Posted on December 6, 2016

Hey guys!

I’m using this platform to invite my blog readers to a free online webinar I (along with my online learning platform, the Digital Publishing Academy), is hosting tomorrow for career professionals, new stay-at-home moms, and small business owners.

In a 1.5 hour session tomorrow (Wednesday) evening from 7:30pm to 9:00pm, I will be doing a little brain dump of my 2 decades of experience in the content creation, blogging and digital publishing.

I’m dishing on everything you need to know to become a social media influencer or blogger or online biz owner.

It’s for those who have a boss that may not appreciate them. They’re underpaid and much too talented and skilled to keep working for others and helping someone else build their business.

The thing is…the daily grind of work and family life leaves most people exhausted at the end of the day.

And these days, social media distracts a lot of people from their goals.

People have great intentions of doing some research for branching on their own but before they know it, someone shares some interesting article on Facebook, next thing they’re clicking it, skimming it, heading to the comment section and eventually wasting hours going toe-to-toe with some annoying person online.

And then nothing happens. They go nowhere and don’t advance, end up feeling guilty and get getting frustrated about being stuck in a dead end job.

This may be you reading this.

If you are tired of the grind and making too little money, given all your talent, connects and influence…

…and you know you can do better…

you will want to take enroll in this free course that you can watch when you get home (if you live on the East Coast).

I will show you how to pivot and start over in a new career online.

The webinar will help you skip the line – the trial and error, missteps and errors that I went through over the course of 20 years I took growing and developing an award-winning, highly trafficked website that has gotten over 10 million visitors and made over 6 figures.

I will give you all the tools you need so by the time you complete all courses you will be able to:

Set it up so it is profitable from launch;
Know all the behind-the-scenes things that you MUST do from day one to grow your influence, following and your business;
Learn all the legal, business, finance and technical set up so you can launch this year and be in a different field by early next year;
Figure out how to automate your social media, schedule your life around your new project; and pull off a part time blog while working full time, going to school or running your business.

This class is for you if you:

Are the type of person who needs to know all is involved in anything before jumping in feet first and don’t want to waste time exploring a new endeavor;

Have explored the idea of establishing an online media personality to supplement a business or to expand a personal brand, but have wasted enough time thinking about it and are ready to take the next steps;

Have already launched a blog or have an online social media following at your current job or business but haven’t really put in the time, resources or attention to figure out what you really need to do be successful.

Are you excited?!

I am!

I love teaching and sharing my wisdom with others. I’m a firm believer in awareness and being in the know.

I’ve taught at University of Maryland‘s College of Journalism as an adjunct professor, a clinical instructor at Georgetown University Law Center and guest spoke at Yale Law and Penn State‘s College of Telecommunmications. I also have lots of mentees and spend lots of time giving advice to friends and my consultant clients.

So you’re in great hands with me! Join me! Hope to see you on Wednesday!!

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These 10 Tricks Will Help You Get Your Child to Try New Foods

Posted on December 5, 2016

Kids simply can’t get the nutrition they need by existing on a diet that consists solely of macaroni and cheese or chicken tenders, nor can they acquire healthy eating habits, but it can sometimes seem impossible to convince them to give unfamiliar foods a try. Because working healthier fare into your child’s diet is so important to his health and the formation of dietary habits he’ll carry with him for the rest of his life, the time you spend helping your child try and appreciate new foods is sure to be an investment that pays off in spades.

Start Early – When children are routinely introduced to new foods from the time that they first begin eating solid fare, they’re less likely to regard unfamiliar items with suspicion. Attempting to change your child’s diet becomes more of a challenge as she gets older, so it’s best to start as early as possible.
Introduce New Items When Kids Are Hungry – Just as adults are more likely to spend more money at the grocery store when they’re hungry, kids will find new foods more appealing when their tummies are rumbling. Limiting snacks before mealtimes to encourage a good appetite will make the process of introducing new foods much easier.
Don’t Force the Issue – Resorting to threats of reduced privileges or punishment when a stubborn child refuses to try a new food will only make him more resistant to unfamiliar dishes, so it’s best not to force the issue. Sometimes foods will need to be introduced several times before kids will accept them, so try to convince your child to simply taste a new food, rather than insisting that he eat every bite unwillingly.
Offer One New Food at a Time – When new foods are served alongside familiar favorites, kids won’t feel as if they have no palatable options on their plate. Keep the number of new dishes to a minimum, and allow your child to branch out into uncharted territory with a safety net of sorts in place.
Be Persistent – Rather than giving up on a new food the first time that your youngster refuses to try it, make an effort to persistently introduce a new food until it becomes more familiar. When they realize that everyone else at the table is enjoying a particular item on a somewhat regular basis, curiosity may win out over stubbornness and suspicion.
Model Adventurous Eating Habits – It’s hard to convince your child to try new foods when you’re stuck in a dietary rut yourself. Remember that kids’ behavior and habits are often the result of mimicry, and make a point of modeling adventurous eating. Being openly excited about the prospect of a new dish can help to foster the same excitement in a child.
Let Little Ones Choose New Foods – Allowing your child to choose his own new vegetable from the produce section will make him more eager to try that item than he might be if it were simply presented to him. Consider taking your child to the grocery store or produce market with you periodically, encouraging him to choose a healthy food item for inclusion in that night’s meal.
Get Kids Involved With Meal Prep – Helping to prepare a meal gives kids a sense of pride and ownership, making them eager to test the fruits of their labor. Giving your child an age-appropriate task related to the preparation of the new food item you plan to introduce is an effective and exciting way of fostering a sense of culinary adventure, and perhaps a love of cooking as well.
Think Twice About “Sneaking” – When you’re desperate to get some healthier, fresh fare into your child’s diet, the prospect of hiding vegetables in familiar foods can be tempting. While this practice does effectively provide the nutritional value of fresh vegetables, it does nothing to help your child learn healthier habits or gain a more adventurous attitude.
Presentation is Key – Kids are attracted to fun shapes, bright colors and appealing presentation. Where a mound of steamed carrots might be boring and unappetizing, steamed carrots that were first cut into interesting shapes might be a treat. Experimenting with new ways of preparing and presenting foods can help your child feel more interested in them than he would be with a traditional appearance.

Unless you’re blessed with particularly adventurous eaters, introducing new and unfamiliar foods to your child will require a certain amount of patience and acceptance. He may not touch his parsnips the first five times you serve them, but they will become less threatening to him when they’re a regular dinnertime guest. Keeping your frustrations in check and encouraging your child to try new things without threats or coercion is almost always the most effective approach to expanding his palate.

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The 10 Things People Give as Holiday Hostess Gifts

Posted on December 3, 2016

The holiday season calls for entertaining and being entertained, in other people’s homes at cocktail parties, open houses, family and friends’ gatherings.

It is common etiquette to take the host a hostess gift, a small token of gratitude for opening their home and planning a gathering.

Here are the top 10 common things people bring to hosts:

1. A bottle of wine. This can be any variety and presented in a festive gift bag. Buy them in bulk so there is no last minute stops by the liquor store on your way to events. You can get free shipping on any purchase of $49 or more with the code SHIP49 when you order from Wine.com through 12/4.

2. A box of chocolates. Everyone loves chocolates and the season is about decadent excessive eating after all.

3. Note cards. Nice note cards are the type of things people don’t buy for themselves ordinarily so that’s a great gift.

4. A nice plotted plant or flowers. These can last he season of taken care of well. Great gift.

5. Scented candles. Fragrances to mask the smell of cooking and make the home aromatic are wonderful. I love aromatherapy candles as well for their therapeutic effects.

6. Gift sets. Whether it’s candy, scented soaps or lotions, anything tied in a nice bow would work

7. Olive Oil. Many kitchen stores and gourmet gifts stores sell olive oil in nice decorative decanters.

8. Tree Ornaments. Why

not give the host a new ornament to decorate the tree with this year or next?

9. Wine Tags. Stores sell these tags that guests use to identify their glass of wine or decorate a wine bottle. They’re inexpensive but classy

10. Picture Frame. Buy a frame with a nice saying or that is a conversation piece on its own.

Good luck shopping and don’t forget to pick up your hostess gifts while you’re out.

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This is Your Source for Teacher Holiday Gift Ideas

Posted on December 2, 2016

your-kids-teacher-deserves-aholiday-gift

The end of the year is coming and so it winter break! If your child or his/her class are thinking about gifting their teachers (or teachers) something as a small token of gratitude and holiday gift, you might be scrambling. Besides checking out my video and blog post that I put out each year with gift ideas, here is a list of 24 blogs posts others have made with some very very creative, awesome and easy to put together ideas in them!

Tag the parents you know in this post and see if any want to go in on a gift to save time and money. Also, you room mothers out there looking for ideas, you’re bound to find something useful in this list! check it out and hurry! We’ve only got a few weeks left! EEEEK!!!

Handmade

If you have a ton of teachers to buy for then spending $10 to $20 per teacher on gifts may not be feasible. Here are five bloggers that have come up with some handmade gifts that any teacher will be happy to receive.

Store-bought

Don’t have time to make a handmade gift this year? Check out these five blog posts for ideas on things that can be store-bought for the teachers you love this year.

Class Gifts

Going in together as a class can be a much easier solution when it comes time to purchase a gift for a teacher, and will allow you to purchase a bigger gift. Include the students in making something that she’ll always be able to remember her students by.

Child Made

Teachers love to receive notes and the like from their students, but if you would like to take it one step further, here are some gift ideas that the kids can make. Check them out on these five blog entries.

Personalized

It’s not unusual for teachers to receive generic gifts from their students. Instead of getting your child’s teacher a basic, off-the-rack gift, why not get something that is personalized for her this year to show her how special she is to your child? These five blogs will give you some ideas on what to get or what to make.

Last Minute

Running out of time to buy a gift for your child’s teacher? Here are some ideas for quick gifts to give to your kids’ teachers on the following five blog posts.

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Here’s What the Average Family Spends on Help During the Holiday

Posted on December 1, 2016

The holiday season also involves things like tipping and spending extra money on childcare during holiday parties and times mom and dad are away from home. The household assistant site care.com conducted a survey of families to determine what the average expenditures are, what people are tipping their nannies, babysitters and other home helpers and to generally gauge the temperature of the average American family’s spending habits during the holidays.

The 2016 Care.com holiday care cost survey determined that the average family spends $14.40 per hour on a babysitter; $17.45 on a dog sitter; $17.34 per hour on a cat sitter; $17.48 per hour on event or party help; $16.33 per hour on a personal shopper; $18.88 per hour on a house sitter and $14.98 per hour on a housekeeper.

The outcome of the survey, as compared to last year’s, reveals some other illuminating insights:

Holiday Budgeting

Nearly 1 in 3 people (32%) don’t budget for holiday expenses, and 48% of those who do say they go over budget. 80% of people who go over budget say they spend an extra $100 or more. Although 80% say they would use budget tactics to save money during the holidays, only 49% do so.

Holiday Gifting & Tipping

81% spend money on holiday tipping, compared to 69% in 2015, and approximately half (49%) spend $500 or more on holiday gifts. While 60% plan on spending the same amount on holiday tips in 2016, 24% plan to spend less or not tip at all and 17% plan on spending more this year. Of those who plan on spending more on holiday tips, 42% expect to spend $100 or more extra compared to last year.

Holiday Help

More than half of people (54%) wish they could hire help during the holiday season to make it easier, and 59% would be willing to do so if it meant they’d have less stress and more time. The top 3 types of help that people feel would make the holidays easier for a family are a housekeeper, babysitter, and errand runner/task master. To help save on costs, the top 3 budget tactics people would use to save money when hiring holiday help are cohosting a party to save money on entertaining, splitting the costs for a babysitter to watch the children, and splitting the costs for a housekeeper to clean up post-event.

Here are some suggestions the site offers families for managing holiday help:

When to Hire a Holiday Babysitter? The weekend two weeks before Christmas is the most common weekend of the year for parents to hire a babysitter in order to attend a party. That means Saturday, December 10 will be the night where babysitters will be most in-demand this holiday season. Holiday babysitting jobs are posted an average of 5 days in advance – two days longer than typical babysitting jobs – which means parents looking to attend festivities should start searching for a babysitter by December 4 at the latest.

How Much Are Families Paying for a Holiday Babysitter? Here’s where families can save a little money for gifts and entertaining. The cost of a holiday babysitter is actually less than the rest of the year. The national average hourly rate for a babysitter in December is $14.40 compared to $15.05 for other weekends. Parents living in San Jose, CA, New York, NY, and Portland, OR aren’t quite as lucky as they’re the top three most expensive cities to find a babysitter for a holiday party.

When to Book a New Year’s Eve Babysitter & How Much to Pay? “Our data shows that New Year’s Eve is the second most popular babysitting night after Valentine’s Day. With half of New Year’s Eve babysitting jobs posted within four days before the holiday, we recommend booking child care sooner than later to avoid scrambling for last-minute quality care,” said Katie Bugbee, senior managing editor of Care.com.

In 2015, the average hourly rate of a New Year’s Eve babysitter was $14.34, a 10% increase from 2014. Topping the most expensive metro for New Year’s Eve babysitters is Portland, OR, while 3 out of the top 10 metros were located in California (San Jose, San Francisco, and Los Angeles).

Pet Care

When to Hire a Pet Sitter? During November and December, pet sitting jobs make up a larger share of pet care jobs than at any other time of the year. Throughout the year, the most popular day for pet sitting jobs to begin is the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, which will be November 23, 2016. 43% of Thanksgiving pet sitting jobs were posted more than three weeks before Thanksgiving and 13% were posted the week of Thanksgiving.

How Much Are Families Paying for Holiday Pet Care? From taking care of toilet-trained cats to brushing an Australian Shephard before bedtime, families are willing to pay top dollar for pet care. Thanksgiving pet sitting jobs for dogs and cats had the highest hourly rates at $17.45 and $17.34. Beyond dogs and cats, families looking for people to take care of their fish pay an average of $17.09 per hour, and the rate for taking care of birds was $16.54. Although pet sitting jobs are temporary, lasting an average of 4 days, they pay 10% more than dog walking jobs ($18.10 compared to $16.43). During the holidays, Thanksgiving pet sitting jobs last an average of 4 days, while in December, pet sitting jobs last an average of 6 days.

Do Dogs Have New Year’s Resolutions? Either pet parents are extending their health resolutions to their four-legged family members or they’re avoiding the outdoors in January. In 2015, the most popular day for dog walking jobs to start was the first Monday of the New Year. January is the top month for pet care jobs that involve walking, play and exercise, with 56% asking for play and exercise, compared to 51% for the rest of the year. In addition, Care.com found that for every 4 degrees further north in latitude, dog owners can expect to get 3 fewer applicants on average.

About the Care.com 2016 Holiday Data

Care.com data, such as hourly rates and advance booking averages, are based on 2015 member behavior on the site. The Care.com 2016 Cost of Holidays Survey captured responses, which were recruited from Care.com, from nearly 1,200 people in the United States during the months of September and October 2016.

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