Whenever I smell Ivory soap or Johnson’s baby soap, I’m immediately brought back to my childhood.  Those soaps went together with bath time as much as the bath water.  As much as a love those product scents, times have changed.  Bathtime in my household also includes a selection of organic baby bath products.  I’m a fan of Mustela and California Baby products. 

Mustela makes a complete line of hypoallergenic baby products, including shampoo that is safe for even the youngest skin.  What I like about Mustela is the manufacturer’s keen attention to quality and safety standards and cosmetic vigiliance monitoring.  With recent news of lead in cosmetics like lipstick, the last thing I want to worry about is exposing my children to potentially harmful chemicals or hazards in shampoo.       

California Baby offers a wonderful selection of baby shampoo and bath products, all of which are Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) or DEA free, pure, and guaranteed free of pesticides or synthetic additives.  Shampoo evens comes in scented (like yummy lavendar) or scent-free options.   

Moms today are starting to take a close look at the ingredients in baby products, preferring natural and organic ingredients over difficult to pronounce, harsh lab created chemicals.  That’s a huge change from the days of my own childhood.  Knowing that I’m doing everything I can to limit my children’s exposure to chemicals is incredibly important–after all, I’m hoping that my own children will live long enough to tell their great-grandchildren all about the shampoos they used in childhood!

Let’s make a project!  Without fail, that’s my preschooler’s predictable response to the question, ”so, what do you want to do today?”  Give her paper, scissors, glue, and crayons, and she’s one happy crafty camper.  She made the most adorable tissue art flower poster today, using green ric-rac for a flower stem, a button for the flower center, and scrunched up tissue paper for petals, thanks to ALEX art supplies.  If you aren’t familiar with ALEX products, you don’t know what you’re missing!  ALEX makes quality art supplies and kid pleasing games, like the cool and sturdy Jungle Bean Bag Toss.  I find it hard to resist buying ALEX.  I even gravitate to ALEX products when I need affordable, guaranteed to please gifts.

When it comes to art supplies for kids, safety is key, especially in this age of recalls.  Recently, I happened to stumble upon a blogger’s post about safe craft supplies for children.  Who knew that Wikki sticks are made in the U.S. and out of food grade wax?  Thanks for that tidbit Mamanista!

Knowing craft supplies are safe for my preschooler is important to me.  While I’m not so much worried about intentional consumption, like eating a crayon or licking glue, I am concerned about what she may touch and unintentionally ingest.  Remember the huge 2003 lead-laced sidewalk chalk recall, not to mention the wave of recent recalls? 

Children can ingest lead by coming into contact with products containing lead–i.e. touching the products.  The ingestion of lead is linked to behavioral problems, potentially dangerous blood levels, and learning disabilities, among other medical issues.  To learn more about product safety, check out the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s website.

Obviously, the use of safe art supplies is crucial for making project time safe.  Good hand washing as part of clean-up time is also part of the equation, if anything, as a just-in-case precaution–but, then again, if you want to rid those sticky hands of glue, you’re probably planning to hit the sink anyway!

Do you have a tip to share for making project time safer?  

When my preschooler came home from preschool and announced, “I don’t like boys.  They don’t listen to the teacher when she reads at circle time,” I instantly imagined a chaotic preschool classroom scene–envisioning a room overflowing with four year old boy energy.  After reading about preschoolers behaving badly in the classroom and the rising number of preschool expulsions, I couldn’t help but feel relieved knowing that the only apparent behavioral issue in my preschooler’s classroom involves boys who like to pretend they are dinosaurs rather than listen quietly to a book about ones long extinct.

Rude and dangerous behavior–tantrums, biting, kicking, yelling–among preschoolers is sweeping across the country.  A Yale Study has found that some preschools are resorting to student expulsion as a solution.  Apparently, behavioral problems are increasingly plaguing both public and private programs.

Have you had to deal with aggressive behavior in your child’s preschool?  What advice do you have for new parents considering a preschool program for their child? 

Think your home is safe for your child?  You may need to think again.  According to the U.S. Consumer Protection Safety Commission (”CPSC”), here are the top five hidden home dangers that often go unnoticed by consumers:

1.  Magnets.

2.  Recalled products.

3.  Tip-overs. 

4.  Windows & Coverings.

5.  Pools & Spa Drains.

To learn what you can do to protect your child from these hidden home dangers, go to the CPSC news release.

Pregnant or hoping to be soon?  If so, here’s some news you don’t want to miss.  A new study published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology cautions women that consuming more than 200 milligrams of caffeine a day may significantly up the risk of miscarriage.  According to researchers, the source of that caffeine makes no difference.  What this means is that drinking, coffee, tea or soda–even munching on chocolate–during pregnancy could be potentially dangerous.

Curious what products and how much add up to 200 milligrams?  According to CNN.com calculations, depending on brand and actual caffeine content, the following have roughly 200 milligrams of caffeine:

                           * 1-2 cups of coffee (12 oz. serving)

                           *2-3 cups of tea (12 oz. serving)

                           *5 cans of soda

What’s your reaction to this new study about caffeine during pregnancy?  Will you go 9 1/2 months without caffeine? 

Feeling blue today?  It’s predicted that today, January 21st, will be the most depressing day of the year for many of us.  Why?  Failed New Year’s resolutions are partly to blame.

If your resolution was to shed some extra pounds or simply get moving more (especially with the kids in tow), and you’re quickly losing hope on that goal, don’t despair.  Instead, like Nike says, “just do it.” 

Seize the moment.  Pick up the phone, call a friend and set up a stroller walk date.  Go find your sneakers and put them by the door, so you don’t have to dig around for them tomorrow.  Make tomorrow the day you walk your child to preschool or to the park, instead of taking the car. 

Grab a pen and paper, and take five minutes to write down the things that are holding you back from reaching your goal.  You might be surprised to discover that something small, and fairly easy to change, is standing in the way to achieving your goal.  For instance, maybe you’ve discovered that your stroller is too heavy to drag up and down the stairs, and the thought of carrying it deters you from getting out the door.  Perhaps you need a lightweight replacement.  Or, maybe you dread putting on that sports bra because it’s too tight.  Perhaps a new, properly fitting one could make a world of difference and get you moving.

If you feel like you’ve already “failed” at your resolution, keep in mind that each new day is a new beginning.  You can do it!

Are you keeping up with your New Year’s resolution?  If so, what’s your secret?   

Yet another important milestone has been reached in my household.  My toddler is now officially afraid of the dark.  Just because this fear is natural, doesn’t mean it’s an easy one to handle–for my toddler or me.  It’s distressing to see your little one afraid–and maybe even more so to know that all the reassurance you provide isn’t quite enough to forever quash the fear–that it will likely resurface again tomorrow night.  And once again, the bedtime routine will include combing the bedroom for monsters and “spooksie” things. 

At this age, being afraid of the dark is said to be completely normal.  The bittersweet part, though, is that this new fear signals that my toddler is growing up.  He’s coming to better understand the world around him.

Beyond listening to my toddler and acknowledging his fears, I find it useful to pull out two secret weapons:  a night light and a flashlight.  Ensuring a night light is plugged in is part of the bedtime drill now, as is giving my toddler a flashlight to bring along into the bed–apparently a flashlight makes hiding under the covers more fun.

What tricks do you have up your sleeve for helping children conquer their fear of the dark?

There is no doubt in my mind that having a child impacts friendships.  Some new moms discover that even the “best” friendships change once a child enters the picture.  Sometimes kids are the ultimate friendship breaker. 

Are kids really that powerful?  Absolutely.  A child usually changes our priorities and leaves us completely pinched for time.  Often friendships with childless friends are impacted hard.  As understanding as those friends may be, or want to be, you may both come to realize that you’re now operating in seemingly different, unfamiliar worlds.   

While some friendships will withstand the test of time, some friendships will inevitably crumble.  Friendships with friends who are understanding and flexible are probably more likely to hang around.   It’s sad to lose a friendship, especially one that was so important to us in our pre-baby years.  But there is a silver lining. 

With baby comes a new opportunity to expand your circle of friends–from “mommy and me” classes to PTA meetings, you’re bound to make a ton of friends over the years.  Keep in mind, too, children grow fast.  In time, you’ll have more time on your hands for greater scheduling flexibility to reconnect with your old buddies.

Don’t have time to catch up with your friend, let alone change your spit-up covered shirt?  Here are five quick ways you can let your friend know you’re thinking of her:

1.  Pick up a couple of postcards next time you’re out running errands.  Keep them next to your computer.  Next time you find yourself waiting for your computer to boot-up, grab a pen and fill one out!  Even if all you say is “Hi, I’m thinking of you,” you’re sure to make her day.

2.   Send an e-greeting card.  A number of companies offer free e-cards, including the big names like American Greetings and Hallmark. 

3.  Next time you have your cell phone in hand, snap a quick photo of yourself and send it to your friend, along with a quick “thinking of you” text message.

4.  Send her a small bouquet of her favorite flowers–doesn’t everyone appreciate a surprise visit from the florist?

5.  If your friend lives or works nearby, offer to meet her for a ”lunch walk”–bring along the stroller and keep your fingers crossed that junior will enjoy taking in the sights.     

What quick tips do you have for staying in touch with your pre-baby friends?

Autism disorders affect roughly 1 in 150 U.S. children.  A child is diagnosed with autism in the United States every 20 minutes.  Fresh news brings hope to those statistics. 

Researchers have “identified two separate genetic defects linked to autism, one that directly causes the disorder in about 1% of cases and a second that may play a role in a much larger percentage of patients by increasing their susceptibility to environmental or other genetic influences.”

Thanks to the Internet, parents have thousands of resources to look at for education about “autism spectrum disorders” and support, like blogs written by real parents journaling about their experiences parenting children with autism disorders. 

To learn more about autism or to get involved with autism awareness initiatives, go to Autism Speaks.

As far as I’m concerned, a mother can never have too many mom friends.  Frankly, I’m highly suspect when someone says they don’t need anymore friends.  Over the course of parenthood, friendships inevitably come and go. 

There’s simply no guarantee that the girlfriend you met at a “mommy and me” class is going to stick around for the long haul–and just because you share a friendship doesn’t mean your child will also want a friendship with the other child.  Parenting has a terrific, although slightly gut wrenching, article that drives this point home.

Since becoming a mother, I’ve begun to amass a steadily growing network of mom friends.  While I wouldn’t say that every friendship earns the earmark of ”BFA” status, each friendship is special and as unique as the friend herself.  For example, the bond and discussion I share with C* is completely different from that shared with S*.  C* loves to spend our play dates outside, talking exclusively about all things baby.  S* on the other hand, loves to shop and talk about…well, everything non-baby.

Mom friends are more than emergency babysitters.  Mom friends can help ease the lonely, frustrating, scared, or sad moments of parenthood, and share in the happy ones, too. 

When I first became a mom, I remember a time when I wondered, “gee, now that I’m a mom, how do I find ‘mom’ friends?”  Three babies later, I know that finding friends is actually easier than it seems–probably the most challenging part is getting to spend time with them once you become friends (and what mom doesn’t need “girl time” or a mom’s night out)!

New friendships can surface in the strangest places and when you least expect them.  The pediatrician’s waiting room.  The park.  The grocery store.  The library.  Starbucks.  Your child’s school.  Your health club.  Online.

I think the key to finding new friends is being receptive to the possibility of new friendships.  Smiling at a mom, offering to help a mom when it’s apparent she needs a hand, or starting a conversation with a mom are often simple keys to opening the new friendship door. 

Sure, it’s not always easy or comfortable to make new friends, but it gets easier the more you try, especially when you come to realize that underneath it all, there’s not a mom out there who doesn’t need a friend.

What’s the “strangest” place you’ve met a new mom friend?