We’re having a record snowfall in Virginia.  At present, we have 22 inches of snow accumulation in our backyard…and counting!

Here’s our street, 12 hours after the snowfall began last night.  Obviously, the plows haven’t made it to our street.

Steve and our neighbor drove around in the 4-wheel drive truck to help folks who were stranded, and to transport hospital personnel who were stuck at home.  They also dropped a woman off to a local nursing home to care for her mother since the nurses weren’t able to make it in.

When Steve came back with our neighbor Tim, I had a huge pot of warm butternut squash soup waiting for them.

Calvin was eager to check out the snow.  So, I bundled him up in 5 layers of clothing, and let him tromp around in snow as high as his chest.You think this is a lot of snow?  First notice Calvin’s height…his boot hits just below his Daddy’s coat line.

Yep, it’s a lot!

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Guess what?  Today’s my birthday!  The woman who gave birth to me actually forgot, and she thought it was yesterday. I’m not THAT old…

There were 3 birthday celebrations that were especially memorable to me.

1. I was about to turn 6, and my grandparents drove me from Dallas, Texas to Disneyland in Anaheim, California.  I had an incredible one-day adventure with them.  We continued driving through a tree in the Redwood National Forest in northern California, and we ended up in their home in eastern Washington.  On my actual birthday, I decorated the tree and helped my grandmother bake and decorate Christmas cookies.  That evening, I wore a brand new birthday dress, and I celebrated with my family.  It wasn’t just an incredible birthDAY, it was a memorable birthday MONTH!

2. My first year in college at the University of Texas at Austin, my friends Christa, Kenan, Stephanie, and Christina from Air Force ROTC threw me a surprise party complete with a german chocolate cake.  The party was a welcome break from studying for final exams.  They were “family” away from home–incredibly sweet and thoughtful.  I’ll never forget them and how they lifted my spirits!

3.   In 2006, my last birthday before I became Calvin’s mama, we spent a week visiting a friend in Nashville.  On the night of my birthday, we enjoyed a homemade meal of chicken cacciatore and a tiramisu cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory.  When Steve brought the candlelit cheesecake to the table, I was serenaded by 7 guys…half of whom were professional recording artists.  Ladies, it doesn’t get any better than that!

This year, it’s gonna be low key, and I wouldn’t want anything else.  After a hectic-crazy-pull-my-hair-out couple of weeks at the office, I want nothing more than to do…NOTHING.

I’m planning to bake homemade meatballs served on a bed of spinach leaves and sprinkled with asiago cheese.  I’ll enjoy dinner at home with my two guys.  Once Calvin is tucked in bed for the evening, Steve and I will curl up on the couch and watch a movie via Netflix.  Perfect evening.  Perfect birthday.

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I’m finishing up gifts for my nieces and nephews…many of these are homemade.  I haven’t embroidered anything since I was 11 years-old, but some how I got an urge to whip up some fabric creations from scratch.

I think I was inspired by all the beautiful creativity available on Etsy or cute shops like JasperHeartsWren who made my all-time favorite hoodie worn by Calvin.

I asked friends and family to use their fabric scraps.  I used embroidery floss, scraps of felt, unused spare buttons…and then, I let my imagination run wild.

Here’s what I made for one of my nieces (she’s only 8 months-old, so even though I posted this, I think she’ll still be surprised).

I also made a shirt for her brother with cowboy boot shapes I cut out of red “bandanna” fabric.

When I showed the two shirts to Calvin, I asked him what he thought.

Me: Do you like this shirt for your cousin? [when referring to the royal blue t-shirt with red bandanna cowboy boots].

Calvin: Nooo!

Me: Okay, how about this one? [referring to the flower shirt in the photo above]

Calvin: On, please [while he tried to pull it on].

It was a two-year-old’s feedback, but it WAS feedback.  So, I added a little more to the cowboy boot shirt…some extra embroidery to look like red and white swirls dancing forth from the boots with buttons on the top of the boots.

I’d show you a photo, but I mailed the darn thing to my nephew before I remembered to snap a photo.

End result, Calvin thought it was MUCH better, and he wanted to wear that one, too.

So, I have another plain blue shirt…and I want to make something sweet for Calvin, but I’m fresh out of creative ideas.  Although a turtle-shaped cookie cutter could definitely come in handy as a stencil!

YOUR TURN: Are you making homemade gifts for Christmas?  What’s your favorite homemade gift project?

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You may have heard about the University of Virginia medical student, John Jones, who recently died in a spelunking accident in Utah over Thanksgiving.

John Jones passed away at the tender age of 26, leaving behind his young widow Emily who’s now the sole parent for their 14-month-old daughter Elizabeth.  Emily is also expecting her second baby in June.

Friends to this family are rallying together for a memorial fundraiser to help this family continue.  Visit www.johnjonesmemorial.com for information on how you can donate to help this family.

If you live in Charlottesville, join the Pancake Fundraiser this Saturday, December 19th at the Applebees on 29 North to eat your fill of breakfast and donate to the memorial fund.  During this Christmas season, let’s shower this family with love and support from the people in their community.

Breakfast Pancake Fundraiser for the John Jones Memorial

When: Saturday, December 19th, 2009 from 7:30 AM – 9:30 AM

Where: Applebees on 29 North (next to Toys R Us); 571 Branchlands Boulevard, Charlottesville, Virginia 22901

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I’m not really into giving small kids impractical gifts for Christmas.  In fact, I’ve almost always made a point to give my nieces and nephews great books or something else that’s practical and useful and perhaps educational.

My fondest Christmas memory from childhood was the first year I made Christmas cookies with my grandmother.  On my 6th birthday, we made petit coat tails (a shortbread cookie with delicate icing flours), Russian tea cakes, sugar cookies, and Esses (“S”-shaped).

I felt so grown-up wearing an apron and using the icing bag on the delicate cookies.

Child to Cherish, a company that is excellent at creating innovative memory-making keepsakes, created a new “Little Baker” suitcase collection designed by Patricia Lowe. There’s 6 suitcases available: 3 that are perfect gifts from parents or aunts and uncles (boy, girl, Christmas), and 3 that are specifically designed as gifts from grandmas (boy, girl, Christmas).

We got to try their adorable red Christmas-themed suitcase with tree, gingerbread man, and star cookie cutter shapes, a toddler-sized wooden rolling pin, and a toddler-sized wooden spoon.  The suitcase also includes a red apron with the sweet embroidery “Little Baker,” and 4 cookie recipes for Christmastime.

The day before we baked cookies, I let Calvin use flour and water to make dough with the Little Baker set.

The wooden spoon and rolling pin were the perfect size for a toddler’s small hands.  My son loved measuring, pouring, and stirring dry ingredients.

We made whole-wheat flour chocolate chip cookies with sukenot over the weekend.  Calvin Mommy insisted that he wore his red apron while he baked, because it is just too adorable.

Calvin enjoyed tasting the result of his labor.  I let him have one very small cookie, and he washed it down with raw milk.

I’m looking forward to trying some tasty gluten-free cookie recipes with the tools in the Little Baker Suitcase later this month, and every year around Christmas.

This is a wonderful gift to enrich lasting memories around the holidays with your child.  The Child to Cherish Little Baker Suitcase retails for $42.99.

Child to Cherish not only creates wonderful gifts to capture memories, but they have gift options to help make the earth a little greener: Plant a Christmas Tree for Me.  Their mini greenhouse is complete with a Christmas tree pellet and instructions.  All you need to add is water and sunlight.  Simple, right?

At 3 and 1/4inches tall with a red-ribbon topper, it’s perfect to hang on the tree the night before Christmas.  The Plant a Christmas Tree for Me retails for $6.99.

WIN IT!

One winner  will receive a Plant a Tree for Me, (retail value $6.99).  Stay in the know and win a Nest Egg by becoming a Child to Cherish fan on Facebook.

To enter, leave a comment relevant to this post prior to December 21st at 11:59 p.m.  Please follow the contest rules and avoid any generalized comments, or you will be disqualified.

FOR A SECOND ENTRY: complete a quick 10-question reader demographic survey. Then, leave a second comment telling me that you did.

FOR A THIRD ENTRY: Blog or Tweet about the Holiday Gift Guide (or about this giveaway), then leave a second comment telling me that you tweeted or blogged with a link to your tweet/post.

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A Little Baker Suitcase and a Plant a Christmas Tree for Me were provided for the purpose of this review.  Read Traveling with Baby’s complete disclosure policy.

What’s the number one cause of death among teenagers?

Car crashes.

According  to a recent study by Virginia Tech, drivers are 23 times more likely to be involved in a collision if texting.  

Think about how long it took for you to become a fairly competent driver.  It wasn’t two weeks after you finished driver’s ed…but several years of practice on the roads.

Studies have shown that teens are particularly susceptible to dangerous distractions while driving, especially from the use of their cell phones.

There’s numerous studies on this topic from as early as 1997 to as recently as last month…just google “driving while on the phone” to start reading about the articles and studies.  There was even a story on an ABC station called “Driving while on the phone risks lives” with a strong emphasis on greater risk while texting.

According to The Allstate Foundation, “two thirds of teens admit to texting and instant messaging while behind the wheel! Yet nearly 81% of teens rate parents as their number one driving influencers.”

Discussing safe driving behavior with a teen can help prevent a car crash and potentially death.

I know this is a blog geared toward parents with small children, but many of you have adolescent children, nieces, nephews, or friends and neighbors.

Let’s work together to make this the safest holiday by joining in solidarity behind a cause where we can take a pledge for safe driving by avoiding phone texting.

Let’s set a great example for the teen drivers in our lives.

Allstate’s “X the TXT: Thumbs Up to the Safest Holiday Ever” campaign challenges teens and parents alike to make the pledge not to text and drive. By joining the cause on Facebook, you’re pledging to put your cell phone down behind the wheel.

For each person who takes the pledge, Allstate will donate $1 to the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS) – a collaborative network of national organizations and federal agencies that serve youth and focus on youth safety and health – for safe teen driving programs.

So…what are you waiting for?  It’s free to join, and you’re supporting a cause to encourage safe driving in your community.  Win-win!

Have a safe and happy holiday season!

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I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of The Allstate Foundation. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

*1st photo by indyplanets via Flickr.

**2nd photo by Ford via Flickr.

Fevers are a bad thing…right?

The media hype on fevers can make even the most calm parent nervous when a baby feels unusually warm.  However, the fever is the body’s way of fighting disease…and, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

According to an article written by Dr. Peter N. Fysh, DC in Dynamic Chiropractic, May 7, 1993:

Fever is a symptom and not a disease. It is the body’s normal response to infections, a response which stimulates the immune system by releasing and activating white blood cells and interferon.

According to the article (great read, by the way) by Linda B. White and Sunny Mavor in Fever in Children: A Blessing in Disguise:

It may help parents to remember that fever is only one part of the picture of an illness. In fact, for children under eight years of age, and especially for infants, the severity of a fever is an unreliable indicator of the severity of the child’s illness. For example, infants and toddlers can be very sick with a low or even subnormal temperature. Conversely, children three to eight years old can be running about quite cheerfully with a fairly impressive fever. The important thing is how your child is acting, not the thermometer reading.

When should I be concerned about a high temperature?

First and foremost to take a temperature, you need a thermometer.  According to the textbook Chiropractic Care for Pediatric Patients by Peter N. Fysh, D.C., F.I.C.C.P. published by the International Chiropractors Association Council on Chiropractic Pediatrics,

Temperature should be checked and recorded in infants who present with upper respiratory infections, earache symptoms or other signs of infection.

What is a fever?

In most adults, an oral temperature above 100°F (37.78°C) or a rectal or ear temperature above 101°F (38.3°C) is considered a fever. A child has a fever when his or her rectal temperature is 100.4°F (38°C) or higher.

NOTE: “In the first two months of life, any baby with a fever of 101°F (38.3°C) or higher should be immediately evaluated by an appropriate physician because the immune system has not yet had time to become competent to defend against invading pathogens.”1

• A rectal or ear (tympanic membrane) temperature reading is 0.5 to 1°F (0.3 to 0.6°C) higher than an oral temperature reading.
• A temperature taken in the armpit is 0.5 to 1°F (0.3 to 0.6°C) lower than an oral temperature reading.

Home Remedies for Children & Babies with Fever

In many cases, there are things you can do at home to help your child become more comfortable with a fever…and you can even reduce a high-grade fever to a low-grade level where it can still burn off an infection without making your child miserable.  Consider the following:

• Spend as much time with your child as possible, and help get his mind off of discomfort by reading books and snuggling with him
• Provide diluted juices or breastfeed more frequently to help your child remain hydrated.  Coconut water or carrot juice are beneficial for feverish children.  Breastmilk will help your baby or toddler increase immunity against the infection.
  
• Give your child a sponge bath or sitz bath in tepid water–especially if it’s a high grade fever, or your child is hot and sweaty.  Alternate between warm and cool (tepid) water–cycling every 30 seconds to flush out the fever.  Add tea tree oil or lavender essential oil to the water for external use only.
  
• Your child may lose his appetite due to the fever, and only desire to ingest fluids for a couple of days.  Consider the fruit or vegetable juices noted above.  Once your child is over the fever, he’ll need to regain his energy with nutrition-dense foods, void of sugar and processed dairy.  Add grass-fed beef, chicken, eggs, wild-caught fish, hearty vegetables, clear soups, yams, and antioxidant-rich berries to his post-fever meals.
  
• Remove extra clothing and bedding to help your child with temperature regulation.  A single layer of a cotton shirt and pants and a thin cotton sheet will help your child regulate and cool down.

When to call your Doctor

• If your child’s temperature exceeds 104°F (40°C) AND/OR
• If your child is limp, lifeless, unresponsive, and doesn’t make eye contact AND/OR
• If your child is irritable–cries non-stop for hours in a monotonous tone, and is inconsolable AND/OR
• If your child is expressing symptoms of meningitis (such as a high fever, a stiff neck, neck pain, vomiting, convulsions, rash, sensitivity to bright lights.  In a newborn, a bulging cranial suture).

Temperature Reading Options

The most accurate readings on a newborn are rectal readings.  Until a child is at least age 5, you can’t get them to safely an accurately hold a thermometer under the tongue for an accurate oral temperature reading.  Axillary or armpit temperature readings may work secondarily, but they’re not as accurate as oral (for children over 5 years of age) and rectal (from birth to age 5).

Tympanic (inner ear) readings are the least accurate, and they require a new covering for each reading. Oral temperature readings are affected greatly if a very hot or cold drink was ingested just prior to the temperature reading.

A new study in peer-reviewed American Journal of Critical Care found temporal artery thermometers superior since they are comparable to rectal readings…and they can take a reading in less than 2 seconds!

I keep my Exergen Temporal Scanner in my doctor’s bag when I make house calls to check babies and adults…this is a thermometer that travels well that I can use on all age ranges.  It’s simple to use and results are FAST!

Swipe it across the forehead; and in two seconds, you’re done!  The digital read out tells you the accurate temperature reading.

TheExergen thermometer retails from $30 to $50, and it’s available at Toys “R” Us, Walmart, and Amazon.com.

WIN IT!

One winner will receive an Exergen temporal thermometer.

To enter, leave a topic-related comment on this post before December 21st at 11:59 p.m. (Don’t forget to follow the contest rules–all generic comments are ineligible.).  U.S. mailing address must be provided, please.

I want to know…what Nancy’s appetizer do you love or want to try?

EXTRA CREDIT:

1. Blog about this contest and Exergen, with a link back to this post.  Leave a comment with a link to your post.

2. Subscribe to Traveling with Baby.

3. Follow me on Twitter and tweet this contest, and leave a link to your tweet.

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Note 1. Fysh PN. Chiropractic Care for the Pediatric Patient. International Chiropractors Association Council on Chiropractic Pediatrics. Arlington, VA; 2002. p. 63.

Er…napping.

When Calvin awoke a little early from his Sunday afternoon nap, he needed extra snuggle time with his Daddy.

As in, an extra hour of nap time and snuggle time on the couch.

It kinda reminded me of this photo of the two of them when Calvin was only 5 weeks old.

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I’ll admit it…

I’m over 30, and I still can’t quite do laundry well.

By that I mean, I’m not that great at getting stains out of clothes.  I know you’re supposed to pre-treat stains as soon as they occur, and there’s some magical combination of soak time and certain cleaning agents that can do the trick for almost anything from food stains to tar.  But, I must have missed out on that class in Home Ec.

My grandmother has a knack for getting old dingy whites particularly bright and cheery.  I don’t know how she does it, but she can get almost any article of laundry clean…and her formula almost always involves bleach.

As much as I love bright and clean whites, I also don’t like having toxic chemicals in my home.  Ya know, stuff that can cause blindness, like bleach.

I’m a huge proponent of green cleaning products in the home not just because they’re good for our local environment, but because they’re safer for babies and children.

Yet, many “green” laundry products just don’t make the cut when it comes to getting the laundry clean. 

I was eager to try Green Works’ new laundry detergent and stain remover to see if they pass the test for that delicate combination between being safe and green as well as effective on cleaning laundry.  Here’s how those products fared in my home:

The Clean Test

I treated two white laundry articles with the green works stain remover and let them sit for a couple of minutes before starting a load of whites.  I added the green works liquid laundry detergent to a medium load with the pre-treated articles.

Toddler’s white crew socks (BEFORE)

Toddler’s white crew socks (AFTER)

My great-grandmother’s embroidered flour sack dish cloth stained with mango salsa (BEFORE)

My great-grandmother’s embroidered flour sack dish cloth stained with mango salsa (AFTER)

GLAD:

The detergent works…laundry gets clean.  The directions for both products are simple, and they’re both easy to use.  The liquid detergent is good for over 30 loads of laundry.

SAD:

Fragrance with essential oils is used to created scents.  Why not just essential oils?  The effect is a rather potent scent that may be an irritant to newborns or people with sensitive skin.  Dyes are added to the liquid detergent, and it would be a far greater product sans dyes that are also a potential irritant and additional chemicals.  On a brighter note, Green Works created two other detergent options available, lavender scent and free & clear (that doesn’t have dyes or fragrance!)

SUMMARY:

Overall, I LOVE that the maker’s of Clorox are on the green bandwagon.  More companies should take note and follow suit.  In the future, I’d love to see them create a laundry product that is truly 100% natural, instead of 99%.  However, this is truly a huge stride in the right direction.  I think I’d like to try the Green Works Free & Clear–that may be a wonderful combination of green cleaning product without the extras that would be perfect for my family.

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I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Green Works and received a bottle of natural laundry detergent and a bottle of stain remover to facilitate my review.  Read my full disclosure statement.

December is a busy month. You could go to a different holiday party or festive event almost every day of the month.

Personally, I get a little apprehension about bringing appetizers or party food to events.  I think it’s much simpler to prepare a main course or a side dish than a cute and pretty appetizer.

As much as I’m an advocate for healthy and nutritious food, I will admit, I do get a smidge lax when it comes to parties and holidays.

In the event that I need to bring a dish to the next soirée, I think I’ll opt for Nancy’s Appetizers.  Mini quiches, crab cakes, cheese soufflés, and chocolate dessert tarts are available in adorable tartlets in the frozen section of your grocery store.  Just pop ‘em in the oven for 20 minutes, and they’re ready to be served!

I loved the Petite Quiche Lorraine with bacon, eggs, onions, and chives.  The pastry shell is delicious…too bad it’s made from refined white flour.  Again, for a party, a small indulgence is permissible.

They’re available in 12, 36, or even 72 count at some wholesale clubs.  Find Nancy’s Appetizers at a grocer near you.

WIN IT!

One winner will receive a Nancy’s Appetizer’s coupon for a free 12-count appetizer of choice.

To enter, leave a comment stating how you plan to use your Nancy’s Appetizer’s on this post before December 17th at 11:59 p.m. (Don’t forget to follow the contest rules–all generic comments are ineligible.).

I want to know…what Nancy’s appetizer do you love or want to try?

EXTRA CREDIT:

1. Blog about this contest and Nancy’s, with a link back to this post.  Leave a comment with a link to your post.

2. Subscribe to Traveling with Baby.

3. Follow me on Twitter and tweet this contest, and leave a link to your tweet.

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I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Nancy’s Appetizers and received 2 coupons to facilitate my review and a $20 thank-you gift certificate.  Read my full disclosure statement.