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parenting tips

10 Tips for Avoiding Spring Allergies

With Spring, we welcome warmer weather and more opportunities to play outdoors. Spring also is a time when many children and adults feel the effects of allergies. Allergens can be in the home too.
Most people don’t realize that their home is probably making them sick,  says Robin Wilson, founder and CEO of Robin Wilson Home in New York City and an ambassador to The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, but there are simple solutions to help eliminate the “wheezes and sneezes.”
Here are her tips for help contain some of the sources of allergy suffering:
1. For allergy and asthma sufferers, make sure and use hypoallergenic pillows and anti-allergen or hypoallergenic pillow cases and covers. Wash your pillow case once a week, your pillow protector at least once a month and wash your pillow at least twice a year. Replace pillows every three years
2.  Don’t use a vinyl shower curtain because it holds mold more easily and off gases. Use a nylon curtain instead. It’s also less expensive.
3. Use non-VOC paints which won’t off gas, leave an obnoxious paint odor and stir up asthma or allergies. It looks just as good on the wall as regular paint.
4. Avoid wall-to-wall carpeting. Tile and hardwood floors are a much better choice, but must be vacuumed or cleaned on a regular basis to eliminate dirt and dust. Shake out and vacuum area rugs on a regular basis as well. Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter.  
5. Watch for mold in the dishwasher and refrigerator pan which can build up quickly in the kitchen.
6. One of the biggest trends today is eco-friendly cabinetry because it has no formaldehyde adhesives and is made with low VOC stains.  Consider frameless cabinets which won’t collect as much dust.
7. Use slip covers on sofas and chairs which can be washed regularly to eliminate dirt and dust.
8. Keep pets out of the bedroom, and bathe them often to reduce the dander.
9. Freeze stuffed toys for 24 hours to kill dust mites and other bacteria that may have built up.
10. Keep windows closed at night so pollen from outdoors don’t get in and settle on surfaces. 
Following these tips should help minimize the sneeze attacks this Spring.

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Eco-Friday REVIEW: BlueAir ‘Sense’ air purifier for baby’s nursery

 

I am a big believer in minimalist home design and having as little furniture in the house as possible, partially because it limits the amount of surfaces that can accumulate in-home allergens.  Also, I live in a designated “Tree City” which means my town is full of very old historic trees that are great to look and live around but make for a horrible Fall and Spring allergy season when tree pollen becomes a problem.
I have used in-home air purifiers to also limit the irritants that trigger allergies.  Everyone in my home suffers from  allergies, unfortunately.
Given my family’s history with allergies, I was elated to be sent a unit and get an opportunity to test out BlueAir‘s innovative and award-winning air purifier “Sense.”  (retail: $450). Sense filters the air and has an ion particle-charging process that is said to remove 99.97% of harmful airborne pollutants from the room faster.  I tested it out in different sized rooms in my home.
Controls
I could control the level of filtration with a wave of my hand over the black motion-sensor control top. That was neat! With other systems, you may forget when it is time to change the filter, but this unit has a red alert that you can’t miss when passing by. To change, I will need to flip it on its side and remove the filter and change it every 6 months.

 

Eco-Friendly
It’s also eco-friendly and is built with 100% recyclable materials and the makers say it uses less energy than a light bulb to run. With a family of five, our energy bill can get up there so knowing this unit won’t add too much to that cost was great!
Design
It comes in an assortment of soft colors (white, brown, pink, blue, gray) to match any room or baby’s nursery design.  The feet is soft so it won’t damage the hardwood floors in my home. I also loved the fact that the system looked attractive and would not stand out in the room but was attractive and blended in perfectly. I’ve read on the manufacturer’s website that the wraparound grill design also helps create 90% open area to maximize airflow. Aaaah! Perfect.
Maneuverability of the Unit
 It was easy to carry from room to room because of the handles on the side. It wasn’t too heavy to lift either. My 10 and 12 year old could lift it and help me move it from room to room.
Does it work?
 
To me, each room the unit was in felt cleaner and even smelled cleaner. The kids noticed it too. You could breathe easier in the room and it was less stuffy. You could definitely tell the difference and that’s why after testing it out in different rooms in the house, we decided to leave it permanently in the children’s room.
I know it is hard to tell if a baby is suffering from a little cold or allergies, but one thing parents can do to limit allergens is to use little linen and reduce the amount of stuffed animals just sitting around. If you must use them, regularly clean them and put the stuffed animals in the freezer to kill bacteria and dust mites. The other thing they can do is have an air purifier unit like BlueAir‘s The Sense in their baby’s nursery.
The Price
The unit costs $450 which is lower than this brand’s older and previolusly models but is in the middle range of other units of this quality  that also claim to purify, clean and circulate air in a 150 sq ft room 5 times per hour. The replacement filters run about $100 and I wish that price would come down a bit because that can be a bit hefty twice a year cost. It’s a good investment if you have allergy sufferers in your home. You cannot put a price on their comfort.
You can also check out a product video here:

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Allergy Season: 8 Ways to Tell if your child has allergies

Do you ever wonder how you can tell the difference between if your child is just dealing with a cold or if they’re suffering from allergies?  If you do suspect that your child has allergies, then how do you determine if they are mild or serious?  
No one likes to run around with a runny nose all the time, so it might be beneficial to determine how serious your child’s allergies are and then seek treatment if necessary.  Allergies are commonly passed from parent to child so chances are if you are seriously allergic to something it’s important to watch your child for the same symptoms.  Check out 8 ways to tell your child may have serious allergies.
Swelling of a different body part: Many people are allergic to bee stings, especially yellow jackets.  A less severe allergic reaction would be if the area that was stung swells up shortly after the sting and then the swelling goes down over time.  A more serious allergic reaction to a bee sting would be if another part of the body swells up instead of or in addition to the area that was stung.  This typically includes, but certainly is not limited to, the throat. If this type of swelling occurs you should probably seek medical attention quickly.

  1. Breathing difficulties: Asthma-like breathing trouble can result from having severe allergies. Usually if your child has been running around and is then having breathing difficulties signs point to it being related to asthma and not an allergic reaction, though you should definitely check this out with your doctor before self-diagnosing. If a person is exposed to an allergen such as nuts, eggs, milk or soy and then starts having trouble breathing this may be a sign of a serious allergy, and you should immediately take the child to the emergency room. 
  2. Rash or hives: Suffering from rashes or hives can be an indication of either a minor allergy or a more serious one.  It is never a good idea to ignore hives or rashes.  Usually these are the result of an allergy to a certain medication, and stopping use of the medicine will often stop the reaction.  In the case of a quick reaction, or if the hives are accompanied by other symptoms, this could be signs of a serious allergy.  A rash can also result from coming into contact with an allergen.
  3. Throat swelling: A pretty obvious sign of a serious allergy is the throat swelling closed and the child having trouble breathing or swallowing.  A shot from an Epi pen may be the child’s only hope if the swelling is happening very quickly.  It’s very important to give the shot properly to avoid further complications from the epinephrine in the shot.  Throat swelling can result from insect stings, food allergies and medication allergies just to name a few, so it’s important to have your child tested for any major allergies.
  4. Sweating: Profuse sweating and breathing hard, experienced not as a result of exercise, could be a sign of a serious allergic reaction to something.  This allergy could be environmental so try to identify if the child was exposed to something unusual that could have caused a severe allergic reaction.
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PBSKids show ‘SciGirls’ encourages STEM interest among girls

Traditionally, boys are encouraged more by teachers and society to pursue science and math fields, and consequently they excel in them and today careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)  are overwhelmingly male. Girls are geared towards humanities, which usually pays less than STEM jobs, which contributes to the overall gender pay gap. It’s all cyclical if you think about it.
There has been a movement in recent years to reverse that trend and get more girls to explore STEM subjects and stick with them through middle school, high school and college when interests wanes.
Shows like SciGirls which airs on PBS Kids are helping to encourage more girls to retain interest in those subjects. The Emmy Award-winning series will launch its third season this April.  
 
The diverse middle-school- aged STEM adventurers that star in the show do things like track toads, count clouds and much more, all in the name of citizen science.  The activities captured during this season encourages kids to observe and record data about everything around them and where ever they go: from birds to beaches, monarch butterflies to maple trees. The data is then shared with scientists, who use it to generate new scientific knowledge. 
“Collaboration is the key to successful citizen science,” said SciGirls executive producer Richard Hudson. “Since SciGirls’ beginning, working together—making discoveries, mistakes and friends—is one of the important research-based methods we use to engage girls around STEM. 
“This new season underscores the importance of collaboration within the scientific research community and workforce. SciGirls is fortunate to have powerful partners advising us about citizen science, including the University of Cornell Department of Ornithology, NASA and FrogWatch USA.
Good stuff! My girl will be watching! 

(Check Local Listings for channel and showtimes) or Watch Online

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30 Blog posts to help Parents Organize the Home Routine

Having a family routine is essential to an orderly home. I know this yet struggle to get myself and my brood in shape. It is an ongoing struggle but I am determined to get myself together that’s why I am very happy to have discovered this wonderfully curated list of 30 blogs offering practical advice that National Nannies put together and asked I share with my blog readers:
Setting

a Sleep Schedule
Whether you’re dealing

with newborns, teenagers or your own adult body, setting a schedule that allows

everyone to get enough sleep is imperative. When kids fight bedtime with every

ounce of their being and there doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day for

you to get everything done as it is, establishing solid sleep routines can be

difficult. These five blogs are dedicated to setting sleep routines for every

member of your family, from the smallest to the largest.
·        

Sleep Schedules and Training
·        

Sleep and Routine
·        

Your Sleep Schedule
Starting

a Chore Routine
When kids are responsible

for making sure that specific household tasks are completed on schedule,

they’re actively learning about responsibilities and deadlines in a manner that

will follow them into adulthood. For you, setting a dedicated schedule for when

and how to best complete your own household chores can help you free up a bit

of much-needed spare time in your jam-packed day. That’s where these five blogs

come in handy, offering chore routine advice across the board for every member

of the family.
·        

Establishing a Rewarding Chore Routine…Printable Chart
·        

Customizing the Chore Routine
Managing

Schoolwork
Between the heavy loads

of homework that many schools give to even relatively young children to the

sheer number of hours that classes and extracurricular activities demand,

managing a school schedule and setting a routine for the completion of

school-related tasks can be one of the most important things you focus on. From

navigating back-to-school confusion to making sure that everything gets done

the right way and on time, these five bloggers are here to offer their advice.
·        

Make Homework Routine
Adhering

to New Routines
In order for your new

routine to be effective, you’ll have to make sure that your family sticks to

it. Adjusting to the demands and structure of a new schedule, however, can

require a bit of patience and dedication. These five blogs are centered on the

idea of adhering to new habits and not sacrificing your schedule out of

frustration, and are valuable sources of encouragement.
·        

Sticking to Routines
·        

Help Families See the Value in Routines and Rituals
Scheduled

Family Meals
The benefits of sharing

meals together as a family are numerous and well-publicized, and have been touted

as a method of curbing self-harming tendencies, reducing the risk of teenage

substance abuse, and boosting academic performance and resistance to peer

pressure. Finding a way to work sit-down dinners into your family’s jam-packed

schedule, however, can present quite a problem. These five blogs help you

figure out the best ways to work family meals into your collective schedule.
·        

The Family Dinner Routine
·        

Establishing a Dinner Routine
·        

The Simple Comfort of Rhythm, Ritual and Routine
Adapting

Your Family Routine to Suit Lifestyle Changes
Sticking to your routine

can help kids thrive, feeling more secure and understanding more about what to

expect from their daily lives. It’s still important, however, for parents to

understand the necessity of allowing flexibility. Rigid schedules that never

allow children to experience freedom or make spontaneous choices can actually

do more stifling harm than good. That’s where these five bloggers weigh in,

explaining the importance of flexibility in your family routine.

The Value of a Flexible Routine

Good luck whipping your home into shape!

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15 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day everyday (PHOTOS)

April 22 is Earth Day but April is Earth Month. 
I found this cute blog post I did in 2010 on my first “mom blog” The Mischiefmakers that essentially was a 15 images pictorial of my family showing 15 ways to celebrate Earth Day every day, 365 days a year.
Enjoy…
To Celebrate Earth Day Every Day….
1

mount a tall hay mountain…
2

dig in as deep as you can…
3

go for a hike and take the path less traveled…
4

enjoy man’s attempt to recreate the nature (a fountain in the middle of a lake?)…
5

find a hermit crab living along the shore line…
6

take a long walk on the grassy knoll…
7

enjoy the trees blossoming to their peak in spring…

8

go fly a kite…
9

…and see how high you can let it soar…
10

make sure you capture family holidays (like this Easter pic in the backyard)…
11

when you can, catch the sunset near the dock of a pier…
12

challenge yourself and join an athletic team…
13

climb a big rock…
14

let your family know you love them…go on and give them a hug and a call…
15

when you can, experience the REAL EARTH and enjoy it for what it’s worth…

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EASTER: The Science of the Perfect Dyed Egg

If you celebrate Easter, you’ll likely be embarking on the questionable quest to hide a bunch of hard-boiled eggs around your house and hope—oh, hope beyond hope—that all of them get found. Before the hunt, though, you’ll have to dye those eggs in a stinking bath of food dye, water, and vinegar. The vinegar part has always bugged me. Hard boiled eggs have a pungent enough aroma on their own; why do we need to add another acrid smell to the dying process?
It’s not just to keep the kids dunking instead of drinking, it turns out. Most food dyes are acid dyes, so called because they only work in acidic conditions. The vinegar—a solution of 5 percent acetic acid in water—is there to bring the pH low enough that the dye will actually bind. But is there an ideal pH for perfect egg-dying saturation? A normal box of food dye says to add 1 teaspoon of vinegar for every half-cup of water—but would tweaking that acidity by adding more or less vinegar get you better results? WIRED decided to find out.
First, some explanation: Why does acid make the dyes dye better? The colored molecules themselves are sodium salts of a phenolic acid. Once those dyes get thrown into water, the sodium ions fall off, leaving behind the negatively-charged part of the molecule. Add vinegar, and you’re adding lots of free protons—positively charged hydrogen ions—which fly in to take the place of those missing sodiums. The hydrogens, now associated with the dye molecules, are important because they allow hydrogen bonding. Their slightly positive charge acts like a magnet, attracting it (and the dye, in tow) to slightly negative atoms in the protein molecules and calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in the eggshell.
The color you see on the egg—red, yellow, blue, green–depends on how each particular dye molecule absorbs and reflects different wavelengths of light. But the saturation of that color depends on how strong a bond you can get between the egg’s calcium-filled surface and the dye molecules. So you gotta add vinegar. But how much?

Continue reading at WIRED

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Watch Jimmy Fallon & Michelle Obama Evolution of Mom Dancing 2 (VIDEO)

In honor and celebration of the 5th anniversary of the First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama‘s “Let’s Move” initiative dedicated to getting children and families more active and eating better, late night talk show host Jimmy Fallon and Mrs. O did a part 2 to their popular Mom Dancing skit on The Tonight Show last night.
Check out the Evolution of the Mom Dance 2:

In case you missed it, here is the original from two years ago too:





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Tonight: Light It Up Blue for Autism Awareness

Today is World Autism Awareness Day.
In 2007, the United Nations General Assembly declared April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) with the goal of bringing the world’s attention to autism, a pervasive disorder that affects tens of millions globally.
WAAD shines a bright light on autism as a growing global health concern.  WAAD activities help to increase and develop world knowledge of autism and impart information regarding the importance of early diagnosis and early intervention.
Light It Up Blue (LIUB) is a unique global initiative to help raise awareness about the growing public health concern that is autism.
Light it Up Blue was launched by Autism Speaks in 2010 in support of WAAD, which also takes place on April 2. 
Iconic landmarks around the world Light It Up Blue in celebration of WAAD to show their support!
Nearly 3000 structures in over 600 cities, 45 countries and on 6 continents illuminated in blue to shine a bright light on autism.
Support continues throughout the month of April in much of the world as it is also considered Autism Awareness Month.

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