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10 iPhone Apps to help Parents Discipline their Kids

Posted on May 13, 2014

When it comes to Apple’s powerful and popular iPhone, it seems that there’s very little the mobile device isn’t able to streamline and simplify. Thanks to the App Store and the developers that make it great, there are even offerings to help busy parents track and manage parenting and disciplinary tactics. These 10 apps are among the most popular and useful for keeping up with kids’ behavior, as well as the rewards and consequences of their behavioral choices.

1. Positive Parenting Practices – This $3.99 app is geared towards parents who espouse a more lenient, gentle approach to discipline. Positive Parenting Practices is more than an app detailing disciplinary methods, offering valuable insights into the motivation behind kids’ problem behavior and real-life solutions.

2. KidChart – Charts are great tools for tracking kids’ accomplishments, chores and behavior. Unfortunately, they’re also rather difficult to carry in your pocket. That’s where this $0.99 app comes in, putting the power of a full-sized paper chart at your fingertips. KidChart is also an effective way to monitor kids’ daily behavior for later discussion, when cooler heads allow for constructive conversation.

3. hAPPy Family – Encouraging positive behavior on the go is easy with this powerful app, which rewards kids with collectible marbles, ocean animals, treasures, insects or candy when they make the right choices.

4. iGrounded – Teenagers are notorious for pushing boundaries a bit too far in a bid to assert their burgeoning independence. A game of consequences that you’re able to edit and modify to suit your teen’s individual needs, iGrounded is available in the app store for $0.99.

5. iReward – The customizable motivational charts provided by this $4.99 app are designed for use by parents, caregivers and educators to reward good behavior. Traditional rewards, like gold stars, are among the options offered by this simple but powerful application.

6. Timeout – Ultimate Discipline Tool – Tracking the length of a timeout to provide kids a visual representation of how long they are sentenced to this punishment is a snap with this application. The app isn’t loaded with extra features, but it does deliver exactly what it promises.

7. Tymoot – Designed by a parent for parents, Tymoot is a $0.99 app that helps you create and set timeout timers. However, there’s a bit more to this one than meets the eye due to the Wheel of Discipline feature that allows your children to spin the virtual wheel in order to be “sentenced” to one of eight customizable punishments.

8. Caught Being Good – The free CAUGHT BEING GOOD app takes the spinning wheel of chance approach to rewarding kids for undirected good behavior. You can change, add or remove any reward, and also set the probability of a particular one appearing. Surprising your child with an unsought reward for good behavior that you have not requested or directed is an effective method of encouraging her to continue on the right path, even when she doesn’t think you’re there to see her.

9. Positive Discipline – Rather than a traditional punishment and rewards systems, the Positive Discipline approach relies upon a motivational system that helps kids to develop strong moral fiber, character and a sense of self-reliance. Encourage a sense of connection with the respectful, encouraging tone that motivates kids to make the right decisions in their daily lives, autonomously.

10. Rich Kids – Behavior & Reward Contracts for Child Discipline – This $2.99 app combines positive reinforcement parenting tactics with a method of teaching the fundamentals of financial responsibility that helps kids grow into the well-rounded, well-adjusted adults they were meant to become. Suggested for kids between the ages of three and 15, Rich Kids is an effective tracking and incentive tool.

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Throwback Blogging: First Day Back to Work after Maternity Leave

Posted on May 12, 2014

On this Monday, after Mother’s Day, I am reminded of how blessed I am to be able to work for myself from home, blogging, being a writer, columnist, attorney and Jill of all trades, including the head of my own media company. But I am also reminded of what life was like when I was in the 9-5 employment working world in this throwback post from my first mommy blog, “The Mishciefmakers” which I launched in 2007.

In it, I reflect on my first day back to my job at the international law firm I worked at as a law associate after having my third child in 2007. I rarely blog about my role as a mommy on this blog since it has taken off as a hub for celebrity news and gossip, parenting advice and giveaways. Today is a good day to reflect.

ENJOY!

1. This work thing may not work out. I was BORED out of MY MIND!! It’s always tough the first day you know having a bunch of stuff to read to get caught up to speed and me having a short attention span and all. PURE AND UTTER TORTURE!

2. I had a lunchtime workout. No, not going to the gym in the building, but instead eavesdropping on a couple’s conversation where they were going on about canoing this past weekend, planning a Mt. Everest climb trip for the summer and white water rafting this coming weekend. I was exhausted by the time I polished off my plate of black beans, rice and collard greens from the local Barbecue spot. Whew!

3. This vegan diet I am on will not last in the working world. By the time I walked the four blocks back to my office I was HUNGRY again….AND GASSY! damn. And you say I gotta 20 minute commute home on a crowded train? Double damn!

4. I forgot how noxious the subway system smelled or maybe it was just that 5 ‘o clock end of workday FUNK when everybody’s collective deodorant also QUIT for the day. P.U.!!!

5. Didn’t know a sister could run that fast in 3 inch pumps, but my butt had an anxious nanny waiting to go home and two kids to pick up by 6pm or face daycare late fines! I was this close to pushing a couple of slow walkers out of my way just as my train was about to pull off the platform. It those doors closed, I don’t who I was going to fuss at first.

Now, I have conference call at 8pm and a couple of FCC filings and other deliverables to do for my off site clients, right after I breastfeed this baby and print out the agenda.

yeah, i don’t know how long this will last…

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How to not become “That Mom” who talks incessantly in adult social settings about her kid

Posted on May 8, 2014

Today, a friend who is single (but dating) and who has no kids sent me a text thanking me for not being “that mom.” She said she went to an event when all the women talked about their children for two hours. “I wanted to stab my hand with a fork, ” she wrote in her text! I was flattered and in fact, she was the fourth friend of mine to tell me essentially the same thing but years ago.

What’s The secret?

It all reminded me of a blog post from 2012 about this very topic and I thought I’d re-share the nexus of it again tonight. Enjoy!

When you are a first time mom, you love your kid and want to share every new discovery, milestone and new curl on your kid’s head with anyone within earshot who would listen, but when you do that all the time and can’t seem to discuss anything else but your kid, you quickly become “that mom.”

Some don’t mind being “that mom” and others simply cannot help it. Over time, friends who don’t have kids will not want to hang with you because they may get frustrated with you gushing about your kid non stop all the time. Talking about your kid(s) is cool occasionally or briefly, but not incessantly.

I didn’t consciously avoid being that mom; I just knew when I was away in an adult setting, I wanted to hear about what’s going on in my friends’ lives too and to share what else besides my kid was new with me. I also quickly realized that not everyone is that interested in my kid as much as I am. You know when people stop listening to you. They get that glazed blank stare look and nod subconsciously while they let you blab on and on and on until they are able to make an excuse to get away from you.

And when you lose your single friends, a scary scary thing will happen. You will start hanging around friends with kids who will spend their time comparing their children to yours, boasting about their kids’ accomplishments and making you feel bad about not being mom enough. Remember Amy Tan’s “The Joy Luck Club” and movie and the scenes when the moms were constantly comparing their kids? Yup, scary huh?

There’s no need to feel guilty, but in fact that is the trap that many women fall in after having children — putting their children and everyone else first ahead of their own needs, even the very important need of being childless and carefree even for one evening. They feel bad for leaving the kid in the first place and then perhaps fill that void by yapping about them all evening.

You have your entire life to worry about your kid.

One thing certainly does happen when you become a parent and I have told this to many friends: you will never ever be able to live your life care-freely without worrying about your children — EVER -that is if you have natural parental instincts (not all parents do). I mean even when your kids are adults and married and living on their own, you will always be concerned for their safety and well being and have some part of your mind on them. It comes with the parenting territory.

But thinking about your kids doesn’t require you sharing your thoughts about them to others who are around you and just trying to unwind and have a good time in an adult setting with no kids.

Just a word to the wise for moms-to-be as they prepare to embark on this wonderful journey that is called motherhood!

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20 websites to help you prepare and celebrate Kindergarten graduation

Posted on May 7, 2014

It’s that time again for many families with young children: Kindergarten Graduation!!! In preparation, please check out this lit of 20 blogs becomingananny’s compiled to inspire you and your friends with different ways that you can make your children’s kindergarten graduation an exceptional experience. These blog entries cover the ceremony, how to make the cap, recipes for some tasty graduation treats and of course some gift ideas.

The Ceremony

If you are wondering what kind of ceremony to have for your kindergartener and his classmates, these five blog posts will help you come up with some ideas. The kids are young, so their attention span isn’t incredibly long. This makes it’s important to keep the ceremony short and to the point. Many times the ceremony can be held during the school day so as to not add any additional budgetary concerns by having the event at night and requiring additional staff.

Kindergarten Graduation Ideas
Ideas for your Kindergarten or Preschool Graduation Ceremony
Cute Kindergarten Graduation Ideas
Kindergarten Graduation Songs, Poems, Speech, and Ideas
Kindergarten Graduation Songs

The Cap

One of the cutest things you can make for your child to wear on their graduation day is a cap and gown. Some schools choose to rent the gowns and some own them. Many schools skip the gowns altogether, but stick with the cap and tassel. These five blog articles will give you some ideas on how to create caps for the kids to wear that aren’t very expensive. You can get a group of parents together and make them for every student.

The Treats

It wouldn’t be a celebration without treats. For food, think of different yummy kid friendly snacks, such as finger foods. While you are considering what snacks to make, try to come up with some that look like a diploma or graduation cap so that the snacks can tie into the event. The next five blog posts will give you some tasty ideas to make for your little graduates. Remember, these treats don’t have to be difficult or expensive to feed the guests at your kindergarten graduation.

The Gift

The graduation gift can be anything from favor bags for all of the graduates to something special from mom and dad to commemorate the day. These bloggers have ideas for both options. Whatever the present, make sure you take plenty of pictures of the big day so that you can create a mini brag book or some scrapbook pages to remember this milestone event. The next five blog entries can help you figure out what gift you want to give the graduate in your life.

One of the best gifts you can give your child is your time. These blog entries have given you lots of ideas on how to celebrate this milestone in your child’s life, but even if your school doesn’t opt to do a big ceremony you can make the day special for your graduate just by being there. Remember, before you know it you will be celebrating your child’s high school graduation, so make sure not to miss a minute of this ride of a lifetime.

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Kids with Food Allergies: 10 snack alternatives to try

Posted on May 7, 2014

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of children with food allergies increased 18% between 1997 and 2007; while there are a plethora of theories about why food sensitivities are on the rise, there’s no definitive data to back up any one claim. Parents are left to manage their kids’ allergies to the best of their abilities, cautiously introducing new foods and scrupulously checking labels before letting their little ones eat anything. Because some foods are more likely to cause an allergic reaction in kids than others, here are 10 simple snacks that score low on the allergen likelihood list.

Sunbutter with Gluten-Free Crackers – Sunbutter is an alternative to peanut butter that contains no tree nuts, gluten, dairy or eggs. It is processed in a facility that shares roasting equipment with soy, but implements a cleanout process between batches to reduce the risk of contamination. Because of this, it is very unlikely to cause any sort of allergic reaction in kids. Served with gluten-free crackers to prevent any reactions associated with grain, this low-risk snack is sure to be a hit.
Dried Fruit – While springing for a food dehydrator and drying your own fruit is the ultimate way of knowing the exact contents of a dried fruit mix, there are several commercially-available options that boast a low allergen risk and exclusive processing equipment. This naturally sweet and healthy snack is great for kids with or without food allergies; just be sure to double-check the label.
Fruit Kabobs – It doesn’t get much simpler than skewered fruit, but there’s something about these bite-sized morsels of delectable seasonal produce that makes them a sure-fire, no-fail hit with kids of all ages.
Frozen Bananas – Depending on how it’s processed and what sort of additives it contains, chocolate can be a risky proposition for kids with food allergies. Chocolate-covered frozen bananas are a summertime classic, but omitting the chocolate altogether still makes for a tasty warm-weather treat.
No-Creamsicles – Kids that are tolerant of citrus are sure to flip for this dairy-free take on a summertime classic. Mix equal parts soy or rice milk with orange juice in Popsicle molds and freeze for a cool treat on a hot day.
Trail Mix – Commercially-prepared trail mix can be a bit iffy for kids with allergies; if you’re less than absolutely certain that a specific brand is safe for your little one, making a batch of allergen-free trail mix at home is a quick and simple fix. Toss sunflower seeds, dried fruit, raisins and other tolerated items together and pour into baggies for a safe on-the-go snack.
Veggie Sticks and Sesame-Free Hummus – Eliminating the tahini from hummus renders it sesame-free; served with carrot and bell pepper sticks, cucumber slices and other vegetables, it’s a safe and healthy snack for most children.
Gluten-Free Muffins – Gluten-free cake, cookie and muffin mixes are making their way to grocer’s shelves, making them easier than ever to find. One boxed mix will make dozens of cute mini-muffins, which are perfect bite-sized snacks for kids.
Fruit Leather – The all-natural brethren of processed fruit snacks in sheet form, fruit leather can be purchased in specialty stores or made fairly easily at home. Also, making homemade fruit leather allows you to have ultimate control over the ingredients.
Peanut-Free Ants on a Log – Kids that don’t have trouble with soy can enjoy this time-tested kid favorite with soy-nut butter; if your little one is intolerant of soy, however, Sunbutter is another great alternative to the traditional peanut butter.

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Study: Baby Gates not as safe as parents think

Posted on May 6, 2014

Baby gates are not as safe as many parents think. A new study from the journal Academic Pediatrics found that the number of injuries from gates have more than tripled in the past 20 years.

Most of the injuries, which climbed to 13 per 100,000 children in 2010 compared to 4 per 100,000 children in 1990, were not serious. Experts recommend parents use bolted gates on the top of steps not pressure mounted ones which are more likely to fail if not properly closed. They also suggest parents avoid accordion style gates which have since become outdated in the baby market anyway.

The data was gathered from children up to 6 years old at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

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Cinco de Mayo: 5 Non-Alcoholic Drinks for the Kids & Preginistas

Posted on May 5, 2014

Bellyitch Rewind

Taste of Home

Just because you are pregnant doesn’t mean you have to miss out on all the fun this Cinco de Mayo. You too can celebrate the Mexicans successfully beating and kicking the French out of their land with these 6 yummy and refreshing non-alcoholic drinks. Whip up a batch for yourself and the kids this Cinco de Mayo holiday! Enjoy!

Lemon-Berry Margarita (in above photo)

4 lime wedges

2 tablespoons coarse sugar

2/3 cup thawed lemonade concentrate

1 cup frozen unsweetened raspberries

2 cups ice cubes

2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen sweetened sliced strawberries, thawed

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup tequila, optional

Directions

Using lime wedges, moisten the rims of four margarita or cocktail glasses. Set aside limes for garnish. Sprinkle coarse sugar on a plate; hold each glass upside down and dip rim into sugar. Set aside. Discard remaining sugar on plate.

In a blender, combine the lemonade concentrate and raspberries; cover and process until blended. Press mixture through a fine sieve; discard seeds. Return raspberry mixture to blender; add the ice, strawberries, blueberries, sugar and tequila if desired. Cover and process until smooth.

Pour into prepared glasses. Garnish with reserved limes. Yield: 4 servings.

Lemon-Lime Drink

Lemon-Lime Drink

1 can (12 ounces) frozen limeade concentrate, thawed

2/3 cup thawed lemonade concentrate

1 teaspoon orange extract

1-1/2 cups water

6 cups chilled diet lemon-lime soda

1 medium lemon, sliced

1 medium lime, sliced

Directions

In a large container, combine the limeade and lemonade concentrates and orange extract. Stir in water.

Just before serving, stir in lemon-lime soda. Serve over ice. Garnish with lemon and lime slices. Yield: 3 quarts (12 servings, 1 cup per serving).

Mock Margarita

Mock-Margarita

Lime wedge (optional)see savings

Coarse salt or coarse sugar (optional)

1 6-ounce canfrozen limeade concentrate

3/4 cuporange juicesee savings

2/3 cupunsweetened grapefruit juicesee savings

25 to 30 smallice cubes (about 4 cups)

Green food coloring (optional)

Lemon or lime slices (optional)see savings

add ingredients to list

1. If desired, rub rims of margarita glasses with lime wedge; dip rims into a shallow dish of coarse salt or sugar and shake off excess. Set aside.

2. In a blender, combine limeade concentrate, orange juice, and grapefruit juice. Cover and blend until smooth. With the blender running, gradually add ice cubes through the hole in the lid, blending until slushy. If desired, tint with a few drops of green food coloring. Pour into margarita glasses. If desired, garnish with citrus slices. Makes 8 (4-ounce) servings.

Mock Sangria

Mock Sangria

2 cupsorange juice, chilledsee savings

1 cupunsweetened white grape juice, chilledsee savings

1 cupreduced-calorie cranberry juicesee savings

1 1-liter bottlediet lemon-lime carbonated beverage, chilledsee savings

Ice cubes

2 cupsassorted fresh fruit (such as oranges, cut into wedges; thinly sliced and halved lemons and/or limes; pineapple wedges; seedless red or green grapes; sliced, peeled and pitted peaches; and halved strawberries)

Fresh mint sprigs

add ingredients to list

1. In a large bowl or pitcher, stir together chilled orange juice, white grape juice, and cranberry juice.

2. Add the lemon-lime beverage; stir gently. Fill each of 10 glasses about two-thirds full with ice. Divide fruit among glasses. Pour juice mixture into glasses. Garnish with fresh mint sprigs. Makes 10 (about 6-ounce) servings.

Tastebook

Limeade punch

1 (12 fluid ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate

1 (12 fluid ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

4 egg whites

6 cups crushed ice

1 liter carbonated water

1 lime, sliced

coarse salt

In a 4 quart container, combine lemonade concentrate, limeade concentrate, powdered sugar, egg whites, and crushed ice; mix well. Cover and freeze at least 30 minutes before serving.

Spoon 2 cups slush mixture into blender. Add 1 cup of carbonated water. Blend until frothy. To serve rub rim of glass with lime slice, dip in salt, and fill glass. garnish with lime slices.

Todd Quackenbush

Puncha de Frutas (Fruit Punch)

3 oranges, juiced

3 lemons, juiced

1/2 pound seedless green grapes, halved

1/2 pound plums, pitted and chopped into small bite-size pieces

1 fresh pineapple – peeled, cored and chopped into small bite-size pieces

1 cup white sugar

4 cups strong brewed black tea, chilled

In a large punch bowl, combine orange juice, lemon juice, grapes, plums and pineapple. Stir in sugar. Pour in tea and crushed ice.

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Easy ways to use crafting with your kids as bonding time

Posted on May 3, 2014

Guest Post

There is something about sitting around the table doing crafts with your children that is so great for bonding. Just having mom and dad sit down to play with them makes the children feel loved and special. Some adults like to do crafts too so it is no big deal, but there are many adults who are not fans and would rather avoid it. Even if you are not a fan, I believe you will find it enjoyable. It is important for them to explore their creativity when they are small and it really helps their imaginations and gives them encouragement to consider other areas of study.

There are many neat and easy arts and crafts projects you can do with your kids. The craft stores and dollar stores are full of craft supplies so it does not have to cost a fortune.

1. Craft Sticks – You can buy a large package of craft sticks for basically pennies and make many neat projects from that one package. All you need is some glue, some magic markers or crayons, and imagination. You can create houses, cars, chairs, tables, jewelry boxes, etc, the possibilities are endless. You can decorate with beads, buttons, or jewels to design something to give as a gift or to keep. Craft sticks make nice picture frames for school pictures from your child to grandparents or even Christmas decorations for the tree. You can even create a bird feeder or bird house for the birds that come to visit your yard.

2. Nature – Some other items that are great to use for crafts are items from nature. Take a walk with your kids and pick up beautiful leaves, interesting sticks, or soft green moss. Then use those things to make a collage or use your craft sticks and make a fireplace with a crackling fire and moss on the mantle. Another great thing to do with leaves is to put them under your paper and use a crayon to cover them with color and bring out the imprint of the leaf. Most children love watching the imprint of the leaf appear right before their eyes like magic!

3. Paper Plates– Paper plates can be used to make cute vases for wild flowers or to draw faces on and cut out the eyes for masks. There are all kinds of things to be made out of inexpensive paper plates. You can make bunnies for Easter, banjos, turkeys for Thanksgiving, hats, or even birds. How about making teepees out of the plates and log cabins out of craft sticks and creating an entire village? Using construction paper or colored tissue paper you can add wings to your birds, make flowers for your hats, or grass around the teepees, the possibilities are practically endless.

4. Bead, Buttons and Bags– Beads and buttons are a lot of fun to make crafts out of. Your kids can string the beads or buttons on plain string or elastic for jewelry. Another great craft item that is mere pennies is small paper bags. They are perfect to use for making hand puppets. The faces can be made with markers or use the buttons for the eyes and the nose and beads for the mouth. You can add hair with yarn or strips of construction paper and even ears if you would like.

5. Baking Fun – Kids also love baking cookies, cupcakes, or cakes and this can be a wonderful family activity. Sugar cookies are a lot of fun because you can roll them out and use cookies cutters just like with play dough. And then the decoration ideas are endless. You can use M&M’s, raisins, nuts, sprinkles, plain sugar, colored sugar, cinnamon candies, or even leave them plain and then ice them. The icing is just powdered sugar and food coloring with a little milk to get to the right consistency. And the best part of making cookies is that you get to eat them when they are done! Rice Krispie Treats are easy and fun to make as well and you can mold them in to different shapes if you would like.

There are many ways to enjoy time with your children doing crafts or baking together. It is a wonderful way to spend a rainy day or to keep your children sitting down and happy instead of running around and bored. They will feel loved when you take the time to sit down and spend time being creative with them.

Ken Myers is a father, husband, and entrepreneur. He has combined his passion for helping families find in-home care with his experience to build a business. Learn more about him by visiting @KenneyMyers on Twitter.

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Allergy Season: These Suprising Facts about Allergies are a MUST READ

Posted on May 2, 2014

Approximately 55 percent of Americans suffer from allergies.

Most Americans are allergic to something: pollen, dander, dairy products, gluten, and mold are just a few of the most common allergens. In fact, if you don’t suffer from allergies to these or other compounds, you are actually in the minority!

What’s even more important, says, Dr. Susanne Bennett, author of “The 7-Day Allergy Makeover“ is that countless people think that their low energy, problems with digestion, or headaches are “normal” when in fact, they may be the signs of undiagnosed allergic reactions.

People who suffer from one allergy tend to suffer from many, because allergies are a sign of a deeper dysfunction in your system. Only by getting to the root cause of these allergies can you hope to eliminate them for good.

Here are some of the most important things Dr. Bennett says people need to know about allergies:

Allergies don’t always show visible signs. Allergens don’t always affect the system you might think. Another common misconception is that respiratory allergies only affect the respiratory system and that food allergies only affect digestion. This is not the case. In fact, allergic sensitivities to food, such as sugar, can cause joint pain due to inflammation. Gluten sensitivity can produce lethargy and brain fog. Likewise, inhaling mold doesn’t simply affect our breathing. It can also cause headaches and itchy skin. Finally, many chemicals, such as MSG or artificial sweeteners can even affect our emotional well-being, producing nervousness and anxiety.

The environment is loaded with allergens. Allergens are carried in our furniture, our cars, and even the very air we breathe and water we drink. Toxic chemicals and fungi are two very common types of allergens that may be hidden in our every-day environments.

Drugs and creams don’t actually treat allergies. Americans spend over $4 billion to fight their allergies each year. The majority of that money is spent on doctor visits and medications. But drugs and creams don’t actually treat allergies. Every doctor will admit that such medications merely mask the symptoms without addressing the root causes.

While antihistamines and other drugs may provide temporary relief, their use is often accompanied by uncomfortable side effects. What’s worse, by loading the body with even more difficult-to-process chemicals, people who use such medications may actually be making their allergies worse. Your skin is overloaded with allergens.

If you’re using beauty products and soaps with chemicals in them (sodium lauryl sulfate, parabens, and phthalates, just to name a few) you are wearing your body down with chemical allergens. Your pores are permeable; you will absorb whatever you apply on your skin!

Are you using dairy alternatives? Be careful! You ever wonder why you feel bloated and gassy after that vegetarian meal or cup of dairy-free ice cream? One of the most common allergies is to soy. While avoiding dairy is essential for healing your allergies, replacing it with soy can give you terrible digestion and leave you tired. Try almond or coconut options instead.

There are seven types of foods that cause the majority of food allergies. These include: dairy products, gluten products (wheat, barley and rye), sugar, alcohol, peanuts, eggs, and mold-containing foods (such as many dried fruits, moldy cheeses, and mushrooms). By eliminating or even reducing your intake of these foods you can help reset your body’s load of allergens and eliminate your allergy symptoms.

Runny noses and itchy eyes can be due to more than pollen. Pollen is often thought of as the only airborne allergen. However, pollen allergies are seasonal and usually disappear once pollen-producing plants stop releasing it into the air. If you have typical hay fever symptoms (runny nose, watery eyes, swelling, and itchiness) that last year-round, you may actually have mold allergies.

Mold is common in any damp area in the home, such as bathrooms and basements. While black mold is visible to the eye, many other forms of mold are not as easy to spot and will build up in humid areas. Mold can also be ingested when we eat certain foods, such as peanuts, dried fruits, green salads and moldy cheese (Roquefort blue cheese, brie cheese). These should be avoided for mold-sensitive individuals.

We can be allergic to chemicals in our tap water. Tap water in America won’t produce acute allergic symptoms. However, it is filled with numerous chemicals to which people have allergic sensitivities. The buildup of such chemicals in our bodies over time can wear it down and lead to even more allergic symptoms. Many people experience itchiness and discomfort after swimming in a chlorinated pool, yet they drink it almost daily in their tap water. Likewise, small amounts of other chemicals, such as arsenic, mercury, fluoride, and even uranium are allowed in our tap water. For this reason, having a carbon-filtered reverse osmosis water purifier is essential to help deal with allergens in our water.

Bad gut bacteria can make you allergic to many foods. There are over three trillion bacteria in your gut and they help process and digest foods and extract nutrients that your body could not do on its own. However, through improper care of our fruits and vegetables, untidy kitchens, and exposure in our urban environment, we may ingest bad bacteria that hurt our digestive systems.

Bad bacteria in our gut make it more difficult to process what are known as fermentable carbohydrates, the short-chain sugars that are found in countless foods such as beans, broccoli, cabbage, and pitted fruits such as peaches, plums and cherries. Humans have difficult time digesting these fermentable sugars because we lack the enzymes to break them down. The end result is intolerance to fermentable carbs that can produce terrible bloating, gas, cramping, and constipation. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is often the direct result of allergic sensitivities produced by bad gut bacteria.

Our furniture and cars can trigger chemical allergies. Increasingly, much industrial production depends upon what are known as volatile organic compounds or VOCs. These compounds, such as formaldehyde, are found in many glues, vinyl products, paints, fuels, carpet and plastics that we are surrounded by every day.

For instance, furniture made of particleboard will often use formaldehyde in its glue, while the “new car smell” is actually that of volatile organic compounds in the paint, leather, carpet and glue. VOCs can produce a host of allergic symptoms, such as itchy throat, headaches, brain fog, and confusion. At higher concentrations it is especially harmful to human health.

Allergic sensitivities can make you feel hung-over—without drinking a drop of alcohol. If you’ve ever woken up irritable, with poor concentration, and with low energy, you might be having a “sugar hangover.” If you eat too much fruit and sugar, the yeast and mold that are common in the gut will begin to ferment it. This fermentation produces an autointoxication that is similar to what happens when you drink too much alcohol. Your body has a “brewery” churning in the gut. As a result, you may feel exactly like you Do when hung-over, without the fun of getting tipsy the night before!

Allergies can be healed all-naturally. The good news is that allergies can be healed all-naturally, without drugs, creams, or medication. By improving the quality of seven key areas in our lives, we can rid ourselves of the buildup of allergens and toxins in the body. You will restore vibrant health from the inside out!

Dr. Bennett believes that if you’re dealing with chronic symptoms every day, then you have hidden allergies that are preventing you from feeling good and achieving your optimal state of health. Her new book The 7-Day Allergy Makeover offers clear, easy to understand, and effective strategies for people suffering from allergy symptoms – the obvious ones and the not-so-obvious ones.

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Survey: Moms don’t want flowers and cards on Mother’s Day

Posted on April 30, 2014

A recent MyTime.com survey found that moms want different gifts than what they get.

While 52% of men give flowers or cards on Mother’s Day, only 16% want those gifts. Most prefer something creative involving family photos (23%), a gift certificate for a massage or facial (21%) or a gift certificate for a salon gift (17%).

MyTime, which sells instant gift certificates for those most-wanted items on mom’s list, discovered through its survey that most (73%) of the moms among the 1,000 survey participants expected to go out to eat and do something other than what they normally do on any other day.

This special something can include a trip out of town (23%), getting pampered at a spa (20%), a day off from chores (15%) or a visit to a salon (13%).

It’s not too late to get one of these preferred items if you haven’t picked up a gift for mom yet. The survey also showed that 42% of men will make plans either a few days before Mother’s Day or will wait until the day itself. Meanwhile, 6% of men admit that in the past they have forgotten Mother’s Day altogether. doh!

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