Happy New Year!!!

Well, it’s not yet 2010 here in our part of the world but we want to greet everyone in advance a very HAPPY NEW YEAR! May it be a better year for all of us and let’s all welcome it with new HOPE, stronger FAITH, and more LOVE. And may God richly bless you throughout this new year and always!!!

From,
Cherry, James and Baby Jaden

8 Ways to Raise a Happy Baby

1. Learn to read the signs.
2. Make room for fun.
3. Help them develop their talents.
4. Healthy bodies, happy children.
5. Let them struggle with problems.
6. Allow them to be sad or mad.
7. Be a role model.
8. Teach them to do meaningful things.

Read more about it HERE.

Reminder

I rarely get SMS from my dad so I was really surprised when I found one message in my cellphone this morning. I thought there was an emergency back at home but it turns out he just wanted to remind me about his special request. He wants me to buy imported cigars and bring it with me when I go home next year. He also asked me to buy him a fancy cigar case so he can add it on his collection.

Clean Baby-Bottle Basics

For first time moms, here's a tip for you:

Sterilize new bottles in boiling water for five to ten minutes, says Ari Brown, MD. After that you can wash them with soap and water or in the dishwasher.

And I've read somewhere that there's no need to sterilize bottles over and over again just as long as you are sure that your water source is clean. The reason why moms had to sterilize bottles before every use in the "older times" is because their water come from deep wells or other sources that are not safe even for adult consumption.

Bug!

I just finished chatting with my friend. We had to end our conversation because her boss is already bugging her. LOL! She's was commissioned to work on a marketing job search website and they're planning to launch it at the start of the year. She said she's just doing some finishing touches and checking if all the registration forms are working. She even asked me to register and so far I didn't find any bugs. The only bug I found is her boss because he's interfering with our chitchat. LOL!

Maximize Your Child's Vision

4 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP YOUR BABY'S EYES:
1. Place her crib in the room's center away from the wall as possible. Kids benefit from an unobstructed 360-degree view.

2. Speak to baby from both up close and far away. This forces her to look around, helping her to develop vision and a sense of place.

3. Hide things. Once baby is a few months old, partially cover her toys with a blanket. This helps her navigate the world in 3D.

4. Make a mess. Crawling under and around obstacles helps vision. For toddlers, make a gym if pillows, furniture and toys.

SOURCE: American Baby Magazine.

5 Days Off!

This week, hubby is off from work for 5 days! He asked me where I wanted to go and I told him we can go to Las Vegas or Los Angeles to visit family and friends. But since it's a long drive, he's still thinking about it. He is not quite sure if Jaden can handle the trip because our lil boy just recently recovered from a seasonal flu. Well, he has a point so perhaps we will just stay here in SLC. We can go to Park City and stay there for a night or two. MIL and I will raid the outlet stores there and hubby can shop for Mopar parts. Or he can go skiing/sledding with our friend if he wants to. What's important is that we don't waste his 5-day vacation just lazing around the house. Hehe!

Breastfeeding to Fight Cancer

Turns out that breastfeeding is good for your and baby. New research shows that it cuts risk for breast cancer by 59% in those who have an immediate relative with the disease.

Source: Archives of Internal Medicine.

Grab Your Gift!

There are all the presents I prepared for Christmas this year. These are mostly clothes and toys for the kids. My first plan was to wrap each of the gifts using Christmas themed wrapping papers but I got tired after wrapping 3 big boxes so I decided to use ready-made gift bags instead. So much for thinking that I can do it the old-fashioned way. Hehe. It made my task real easy. I even had the time to review all the information I got from the email on this Blue Cross NC insurance quote that I requested online.

Please Read

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me without bias or influence from others. While this blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation, it does not publish in a way that is contrary to my personal integrity. The compensation received will never influence the content, topics or posts made in this blog. I am free to reject posts that I do not agree with or approve. My writing represents the truth and I do not write about items that I do not personally support. This blog does not contain any content that might present a conflict of interest but it does follow international ethical guidelines and best practices for the internet and online advertising.

New Year Family Event

A dear friend asked me to look for family events in Salt Lake City this New Year because she wanted to bring her whole family there. Her parents along with her sisters and brother flew all the way from the Canada just to be with her this holiday season. So I checked EventSetter.com to see if there are upcoming events for the New year and I did found one! It's the New Year Countdown at the heart of Downtown Salt Lake. It is actually a 3 days and 3 nights celebration which starts on the 29th and culminates on the 31st. It offers live music, arts performances, dance parties, and other entertainment galore.

Well, it sounds really fun so I might bring my family there as well. But that's after we attend the annual Salt Lake City fundraising event. This year, they are hosting a buffet dinner that will benefit the children in poor countries.

Bullseye!

You might have some big ideas about what you want to accomplish today, but your day takes a sudden unexpected turn due to someone else's erratic behavior. (and this someone else is my lil chimp. he was fussy the whole day due to his runny nose and cough. poor baby!)

When a friend or co-worker does something that catches you off-guard, you could have to rearrange your schedule and postpone non-essential tasks, such as domestic chores. (that I did!)

Your decision may not be popular with your family, but your consistent reassurance should convince them that you'll still come through in the next few days.

Thoughts to Ponder

"I don't know what the future holds but I know who holds the future."

Kangaroo Trivia

Did you know that when a young kangaroo is frightened, it jumps into the mother's pouch head first?

Well, just thinking about it makes me laugh. Hehe. Good thing human moms doesn't have pouches or else my lil boy will spend most of his time inside it. LOL! He's so sensitive and jumpy. A mere sneezing or laughing can scare him. I don't know if it has something to do with all the caffeine I drank when I was pregnant with him. That time, the only liquids I can tolerate is coke and iced tea. I'm not sure if it has any medical basis but I will do a little research to see if my hypothesis is true. Dang, I'm back to doing research work again! Hello dark eye circles! Haha!

Eleven Reasons Babies Cry

There's no getting around it: Babies cry. It's how they communicate hunger, pain, fear, a need for sleep, and more.

So how are parents supposed to know what their baby is trying to tell them? It can be tricky to interpret your child’s cries, especially at first.

Here are the most common reasons babies cry. If your little one is wailing and you don't know why, work your way down the list. Chances are you'll find something that helps.

1. Hunger
2. A dirty diaper
3. Needs sleep
4. Wants to be held
5. Tummy troubles (gas, colic, and more)
6. Needs to burp
7. Too cold or too hot
8. Something small
9. Teething
10. Feeling overwhelmed
11. Not feeling well

Read more about it HERE.

Weather Alert!

Yaiks! There's another weather alert! Got this from KSL.com, here goes...

Hazardous Weather Outlook: The storm that brought snow to much of Utah on Tuesday is quickly exiting the state. Behind the storm, temperatures will drop to the coldest of the year so far. Roadways and bridges will be vulnerable to icy conditions Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, so please be careful driving.

Tomorrow, the temperature is expected to drop down to ZERO. Brrr! Whoever invented the heater, thank you so much! You are such a lifesaver. People will surely freeze to death if it weren't for your brilliant idea. Again, thank you!

Anyways, enough thank you's, I better go check the latest deals on these outer banks vacation rentals because we might go there next summer! I'm excited! I hope I can find a good deal. :)

Mommy's Trouble with the Tooth Fairy

This link was twitted by a friend. Read on...

My daughter lost a tooth. She left a note for the tooth fairy (see inside) How should I respond?

My daughter's note: Dear Tooth Fairy, Why do you leave my friend a hundred dollars for each tooth, but you only leave me six dollars? Can you leave me a hundred dollars this time? Your friend, Taylor

Here's what I'm going with:

Dear Taylor,

Thank you for the nice note.

I give different children different gifts. Most get money, but some get toys and some get books. What each child gets depends on what the child needs.

You have a Mommy and Daddy who love you very much, a brother who adores you, two fine cats and more friends than most children could ever dream of having. You go to a wonderful school, have a fantastic teacher and your menagerie of stuffed animals is one of the finest I have ever seen. You live in a nice city, have plenty of food and are one of the luckiest and most fortunate little girls I visit.

Which of these things would you give up in exchange for ninety-four more dollars?

Instead of a hundred dollars I leave you six dollars to make you realize just how rich you already are!

Your friend,

Zelda (your Tooth Fairy)

P.S. I am leaving you an extra dollar in state quarters to thank you for the nice note!

P.P.S. Better luck with Santa!

Thoughts? Too sappy?

[SOURCE]

Disability Appeal

I just finished talking to my friend over the phone and she told me that her husband's disability appeal is now on the works. Their lawyer submitted the necessary documents last week and the waiting game begins. They are hoping SSA will reconsider her husband's case because he can no longer work due to his health condition. He was diagnosed of stomach cancer last last year and although he is now cancer-free, his chemotheraphy and other treatments took a toll on his health and suffered adverse side effects.

Natural Baby Teething Remedies

My 9-month old son has 2 teeth growing on his lower mouth (central incisors) and to help ease his pain and discomfort, I surfed for natural remedies and here's what I found:

Natural teething remedies have always been around and are now back in vogue. There is a plethora of natural remedies available. The following is a list, though by no means complete.

* Cool bottle of water - a simple but effective solution. The coldness numbs the gums and eases pain.

* Rub your finger against your child's gums - this mimics the chewing on a teething ring or teething biscuit. Make sure your hands are clean.

* A cool damp cloth - a sort of mixture of cold water bottle and mom's finger.

* Entertain your Child - Sometimes a simple distraction can help your baby forget his pain temporarily.

* Various herbal tinctures - there are now many herbal remedies available to help ease baby teething pains.

* Cold food - let your baby suck on cold pieces of fruit or vegetables. Cold banana is a favourite. It doesn't tend to break up but dissolves in your baby's mouth making it quite safe. Also, another old fashioned approach is to let baby suck on a cold carrot: if your baby has already got teeth be careful that she doesn't bite off a piece - as there is a potential risk of choking.

Giving a child something to chew on rather than using gels or other herbal remedies has the advantage of being free of all possible side effects.

[SOURCE]