Save Those Pennies for the Baby!---Smart, Savvy Savings Tips for Your Maternity Clothes Shopping

    

     Congratulations!  You’ve just discovered that you are expecting, and the shopper in you can’t wait to hit the stores to look for all new clothes for your soon-to-be changing figure.  But, even the most enthusiastic shopper can fret at the thought of spending a fortune on clothes that are, let’s face it, worn only for a short amount of time.   Before you make your credit cards self-destruct on new maternity outfits, here are some simple tips that will help you to become a smart shopping momma-to-be!

Shop Smart in the Stores
      Nationwide retailers from Macy's to J.C. Penney regularly place merchandise into clearance in order to make room for new arrivals.  Trips to your clearance aisles are a wonderful way to start building up your maternity wardrobe.  Clothes and accessories in clearance are typically marked down anywhere from 20 to 85 percent off the regular price.  So, when you take your next trip to your local dress store, resist temptation and keep walking past the beautiful displays in the front of the store and head straight to the back where you will find the clearance section for the best sales.  Another good tip-- sign up for your favorite stores mailing or email list (or even become their fan on Facebook) to find out about weekly or monthly sales or to get coupons.

Consignment Shops

     Say you have an invitation to your cousin's wedding.  You're six month along, and although you know you will need to wear something special, you are hesitant about putting out so much money for a dress that you are only going to wear for a few hours.  Well-respected consignment shops may be a great place to find gently used maternity clothes at a fraction of the cost.  Consignment shopping provides you with several benefits, including:


●Shoppers find better prices than resale stores.

● The seller or consignor (you) typically gets a better price than if they sold their items to a resale shop.  For example, you might get 70% of your sales.

●The variety and quality of items can be a lot better than those purchased at a garage sale.

 

The World Wide Web of Bargains

     When I was pregnant with my first child, the very idea of waddling my way through crowds at my local mall was not my idea of a fun day out!  If fighting the crowds at the mall is not your thing either, you can comparison shop and find some fantastic savings online!  Carole Henderson, a mother of two from Long Island, New York, saved money by searching online for sales on maternity clothes.  "I would just wait until I would see that something that I wanted was on sale, and then I'd buy it online.  A lot of the websites that I shopped from home on often had free shopping or half off shipping specials, so that was a huge plus for my budget!"

     Have you had your eye on a pair of Lavish by Heidi Klum capri leggings, but you just can't bear to pay the full price?  Try eBay!  You can bid on new and used clothes and you may get lucky and find a great deal.  After your pregnancy, you could consider selling your gently used maternity clothes on the site to get a return investment! 

    

 

 

 

    

  

 

Pink Power Mom Program Looking for Nominating Submissions

In 2006, Kids II® , the developers of such leading infant product brands including Bright Starts, Taggies and Disney Baby Einstein created, The Pink Power Mom Program, to help join the fight against breast cancer through spotlighting and supporting eight women annually across the nation who have fought back against the disease and are now working to give back to others through charitable work in their local communities.  These Pink Power Moms are selected due to the inspiration that they give their families, friends and others battling breast cancer as well as for their resilient spirits and perseverance in the face of adversity.
      Each of the eight women selected as a Pink Power Mom receives $5,000 towards the breast cancer charity of her choice, as well as a weekend that will include an educational forum to bond and learn  how to enhance their community efforts.  Each winner also receives a legacy donation of $1,000 each year for the next four years.  Submissions are currently open and will be accepted through Sunday, June 30, 2013.  To nominate a deserving Pink Power Mom, please visit the following website:  www.pinkpowermom.com

Hello Sunshine! by Thinkfun

     From early infancy to the toddler stage, physical growth and motor development are occurring at their most rapid pace.  Between walking, running, climbing and jumping, the toddler years are a time of major development of gross motor skills.  While watching our children develop these vital skills is an exciting experience, it also provides us with an important signal that they are on the right track developmentally.  But, to master these movement skills, notes pediatrician Tanya Remer Altmann, author of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) book, The Wonder Years:  Helping Your Baby and Young Child Successfully Negotiate the Major Developmental Milestones (Bantam Dell, 2006), children require lots of practice.  Both Altmann and other pediatric experts agree that toddlers can be helped along the way with a variety of gross motor-specific activities and games.
     Thinkfun, the creators of the Roll & Play™ (please take a peek at my 2012 review of this lovely, first game for toddlers:  http://amodestmommasmusings.blogspot.com/2012/05/thinkfun-roll-play.html) have taken these developmental milestones to heart yet again, and have created a simple, yet amusingly fun game called Hello Sunshine™.  The game is ideally played with two or more players, and it contains a stuffed, soft plush sun-shaped toy called Sunshine; 18 double-sided cards with different hiding spots printed on each side (there are a total of 36 hiding spots) and a parents guide.

      To play Hello Sunshine!™, each person reads one of the cards, for example, one card may state, "On top of my head."  Player must then hide the sun on the top of their head, and then, they will have to ask, "Where is Sunshine?  Sunshine's on top of my head!", and so forth.  While playing this game with our neighbors children (ages two and four) during a recent play date, I discovered that the more focused the children are, the longer you can make this game last (which was most definitely the case with these children, as they are huge fans of similar games like, "Hide and Seek" and many of those made up, spur-of-the-moment types of scavenger hunts.  The early childhood educator in me appreciates the fact that just as with other Thinkfun products that I have had the pleasure and privilege of playing with my own child over the years, Hello Sunshine!™ playfully introduces little ones to those important positional words that help to promote movement. 
     The cards are well made, and extremely durable for little hands to grip and hold on to.  The little Velcro pouch located on the bottom of the sun provides you with a handy storage area to keep the cards all together.  This charming game will most assuredly have you and your little ones laughing and learning for a long time!
     Hello Sunshine!™ is suitable for children ages 18 months and up, and retails for $19.99.  For further information about Thinkfun's line of educational toy products, please visit their website at: www.thinkfun.com

American Academy of Pediatrics Announces Annual Art Contest for Children in Grades 3 through 12

 Calling all young artists everywhere!  Although school may be out for summer for many children across our nation, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is putting out a call for little ones to pick up their crayons, colored pencils and brushes to submit creations for their annual art contest.  The theme for this year's contest is, "A World Free from Tobacco and Secondhand Smoke" and children in grades 3 through 12 are invited to send in their original artwork for submission.  First-place winners in several age categories will receive a $500 cash prize and up to $1,000 in travel expenses for a trip to Orlando, Florida.  Entries must be postmarked by July 31, 2013.  For more information, please visit http://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/Pages/AAP-Launches-Childrens-Art-Contest.aspx

Thunderphobia---Tips on Helping Children Face Their Fears of the Weather

    Thunderphobia---or the fear of violent storms that are often accompanied by lightning, thunder, heavy rain, powerful winds and even tornado warnings (which, sadly, we've all seen so often across our country these days)--can be stressful for anyone, but severe weather can trigger much more anxiety among children.  Worries about the weather can lead to poor concentration in school; while for other children, they must routinely check the weather forecast on television prior to regularly leaving their home. 
     With anxiety disorders being one of the most commonly diagnosed mental health problems in children, experts led by Stephen Whiteside, PhD., affiliated with the Mayo Clinic Children's Center are helping to shine a spotlight on helping young children and teens to conquer their weather-related fears with some of the following tips:

*Tell children things like thunder won't hurt them.  Explain to them that storms are a normal, natural occurrence of nature. Some children may, at first, seem afraid of storms, but they are really interested in learning more about them.

*Help children face their fears of storms by reading about them, or watching videos of storms.

*Be calm and supportive.  This step is vital, as, according to Whiteside, "if you get anxious or seem frustrated, that's just going to make things worse.  Try to stay calm and help your child to gradually face their fears in a step-by-step fashion."

Immunity Against Pertussis Disappearing After Vaccine Dosage Completed?

   

      It's difficult to diagnose.  It's potentially lethal, and it's spreading.  An infectious disease that, until the introduction of the vaccine, was once the leading cause of childhood illness and death during the first half of the 20th century, is back---despite the high rates of children receiving the vaccine to prevent against the disease.
       Pertussis (more commonly referred to as Whooping Cough) is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis (or B. pertussis).  When an infected person coughs or sneezes, tiny germ-laden droplets are sprayed into the air and breathed into the lungs by anyone who happens to be nearby.  Once inside a person's airways, the bacteria multiply and produce toxins that interfere with the respiratory tract.  The bacteria causes inflammation that narrows the breathing tubes in the lungs, causing uncontrollable coughing.
      When a person becomes infected with pertussis, it takes an estimated three to 12 days for signs and symptoms of the disease to occur.  The symptoms are usually mild at first, and may resemble the symptoms of the common cold.  They can include:

*Runny nose
*Nasal congestion
*Red, watery eyes
*Mild fever
*Dry cough

     After a week or two, the signs and symptoms will become worse.  However, if pertussis is diagnosed early, it can be treated with antibiotics. 
     Before a vaccine was available, pertussis claimed the lives of between 5,000 and 10,000 people in the United States each year.  The first vaccine was developed in the 1930s and became widely used in the 1940s.  According to the March of Dimes, a new vaccine called Tdap was introduced in the early 1990s.  But, despite widespread vaccination, there seems to be an unfortunate incidence where immunity is waning.  A study published in the April 2013 edition of the medical journal Pediatrics  set out to determine how long immunity to pertussis lasts after children receive their fifth dosage of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTap) vaccine between the ages of four to six years-old.  Joint researchers with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the public health offices in Oregon and Minnesota tracked the immunization records of children in both states and compared them with pertussis data.  Their results were startling, as researchers unveiled an increase in the incidence of pertussis in children in the six years after receiving their fifth dose of DTaP, and the incidence of the disease in children aged 7 to 10 years old in Minnesota increased more than sixfold from 2007 to 2010. 
     This study reveals that when matched with similar recent studies, immunity  begins to disappear after vaccination, which according to the researchers, "helps to explain the growing incidence of pertussis in 7 to 10 year-olds who previously had a low risk of disease, presumably due to vaccination with whole-cell vaccines rather than the acellular pertussis vaccine now in use."
     The authors maintain that while new vaccines will be introduced in the future, it's, "important to maintain high immunization rates with existing vaccines to protect vulnerable populations as more disease is circulating in the community."
    

Too Much of a Good Thing Too Soon--- Alarming New Trend in Introducing Solid Food Before Baby May Be Ready

 

 

 

     As your little one grows, introducing a new, wide variety of healthy foods at the proper time is so important for your baby's growth and development.  Starting good eating habits at this early stage will help to set healthy eating habits in your baby for life.  Normally, pediatricians recommend the introduction of solid foods when your baby is between the ages of four to six months-old.  Typical signs to be on the lookout for that your baby may be ready to move onto solid foods can include some of the following:

* He/She can sit up with your support and can hold his/her neck up well.
*Her/His weight from birth has doubled.
*She/He can keep food in their mouth rather than letting it dribble out of his/her mouth.

      However, a new study published in the March 25th online edition of the medical journal Pediatrics, has revealed that many moms are introducing their babies to solid foods earlier than recommended.  Researchers examined data taken from an estimated 1, 300 mothers who decided to introduce solid food to their infants during the first year, as well as collected their reasoning's as to why they introduced solid food.  According to the study, 40.4 percent of moms started their babies on solid foods before they turned four months-old, with the highest percentage found among formula-fed infants (52.7 percent).  The lowest percentage was found in breast-fed infants (24.3) percent. 
     Additionally, while the study's researchers mentioned that they were many factors that influenced a mother's belief about infant feeding--mothers who introduced sold food earlier than recommended were found to be more likely to, "be younger, unmarried, have a lower level of education, or be participating in the WIC (Woman, Infants and Children) program." 
     Pediatricians across the country are noticeably concerned over this new trend, as the researchers note that, "babies bodies are not yet prepared for these foods, and early introduction may increase the risk of some chronic diseases.  It can also mean that the many benefits of breastfeeding are cut short."
      Modest Momma lies on the side of caution--- always follow the advice of your baby's pediatrician before you try to introduce solids to your little ones! :