New Blog Review From 'Sugar Pop Ribbons'

I love to shop for children's clothes at boutiques. I love checking out the new designs as well as looking through all of the styles the store has to offer……More

Tips on making New Year's resolutions

New Year's resolutions offer the promise of a thinner, nonsmoking, debt-free, more organized you. But when it comes to enacting change, our pledges are often as meaningful as Tiger Woods' wedding vows. That's because resolutions require action plans - without them, they're nothing more than wishes. There it is in a nutshell: Resolutions take work.

For a little motivation on your vow for a fresh start, this article offers suggestions from a few experts who make a living at helping others meet - or exceed - expectations.

Post-Holiday Cleanup: Best Hints

Do you, as many of us do, dread the thought of cleaning up once Christmas is over? These undecorating tips will help make the process faster and more pleasant. Ornaments, lights, decorations – they are all discussed!

Read the full article.

4 Post-Christmas Organizing Tips

As if the long cold winter ahead isn't punishment enough, you've got a major bummer of a job putting away all those decorations. To the rescue: our Mom Squad organizing expert Kathy Peel, author of The Busy Mom's Guide to a Happy, Organized Home, with tips on how to un-deck your halls and store your stuff so you can find it when you want it next year.

10 Lessons from a Veteran Mom

I'm a mother of three and far enough away from those infant years to look back with...well, I'm not sure I'd call it wisdom. More like 20/20 hindsight. I guess I can hope to put my lessons learned to good use in my next life. In the meantime, I'll do what so many of us veteran moms do: try to warn the women going through new parenthood right now about some of the mistakes I made.

This article presents ten things I wish someone had told me the first time around.

Kissy Kissy – Florette and Party Time Collections

New collection posted at Atterdag Kids!

Kissy Kissy Florette Collection 100% Pima Cotton Hat.  Made in Peru.
Florette

Part Time!

Jamie's Precious Peas Review

 

Atterdag Kids Clothing – Countdown to Christmas

Atterdag Kids has the capabilities and style to outfit your child from head to toe. They did exactly that to my girls. Myself and my children were nothing but impressed with the selection and quality from Atterdag. ….More…

 

Working Mother: Detox Your World

When we think air pollution, we think outdoors. But the chemicals in everything from beauty products to food to furniture mean the air inside can be worse than outside. In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ranks indoor air quality—in our homes, cars, workplaces and schools—as among the nation’s top five environmental risks to public health. So how do we clean it up? We make healthier choices for our family and the planet.

In this article, we clear the air by cutting through marketing lingo to help you make confident choices when buying the essentials.

Out-of-the-Box Gift Ideas for Preschoolers

It doesn’t take much to get pre-schoolers jump-up-and-down excited. (Think about the thrill they get from telling that same “knock-knock” joke over and over again).

The trick is keeping them excited. If you want holiday hits that will hold their attention long after the out-of-the-box newness wears off, you’ve come to the right place. This article presents 12 of the most awesome, keep-them-giddy gifts you’ll find anywhere.

How to Buy Safe Toys

This holiday season, don't grant your kids' wishes for the newest, coolest toys until you know they're safe. With new product recalls almost daily, trouble with lead-tainted toys from China and studies showing that certain chemicals may be harmful to children, choosing safe and healthy toys can be a daunting task.

So we're here to help you stay vigilant about toy safety. Before you buy, double check that the toy you're considering meets these safe shopping guidelines.

Baby Development Myths Every Parent Should Know

Grandparents, friends, and society flood parents with well-meaning advice, but how can Mom and Dad be sure they are receiving accurate information? With help from Dr. Andrew Adesman and his book "Baby Facts", this article separates baby myths from reality.

Boys vs. Girls: Who's Harder to Raise

I often say that I spend more time and energy on my one boy than on my three girls. Other mothers of boys are quick to say the same. Not so fast, say moms of girls, who point out that they have to contend with fussier fashion sense, more prickly social navigations, and a far greater capacity to hold a grudge.

Stereotyping, or large kernels of truth? Read the full article.

Great Expectations

There's nothing quite like the emotional juxtaposition of pregnancy. On one hand, you’re thrilled, elated and impatient; on the other hand, you may feel anxious about a million unknowns. As you balance these competing emotions, we have one word for you: Relax. The most important thing to keep in mind is this: Most pregnancies turn out absolutely fine. Women’s bodies are designed to carry children safely and effectively. That doesn’t mean everything will be smooth sailing on this journey, but it does mean that the odds are greatly in your favor. If you can learn how to maximize your chances that nature will run the course it’s supposed to, then you increase those odds even more.

Of all the things we want you to learn, two of the most important involve things that you may have never spent much time thinking about: epigenetics and the placenta.

Read the full article.

Maternity Jeans

Now that your regular jeans no longer fit, you are ready to buy maternity jeans. Maternity jeans come in several different styles with varying waste types. You will want to try on several different styles to find the best fit for you.

Learn more!

Toys that Last

We always want the best for our babies, but these days—more than ever—the best needs to fit the budget. That’s where Working Mother comes in: We’ve scoured the 2009 holiday season toy market for playthings that will give you the most bang for your buck. Priced from $15, all of these toys—from stacking cups to a 3-in-1 wagon—will keep your little one learning and playing for years.

Read the full article.

Baby's First Thanksgiving Recipes

Make Baby's first Thanksgiving one his taste buds will never forget. This article puts a baby-friendly spin on eight traditional holiday foods, many of which are probably already on your grocery list. Pick a few of your favorites for the big day or make them all and freeze the extras for later. Even babies love Thanksgiving leftovers!

Read the full article.

Is It Autism? First Signs & Important Treatments

In the beginning, Lance seemed like a typical baby. He smiled, sat up, and walked. "He could say about five or six words, like 'mama' and 'dada,'" says his mother, Stacy Strombeck-Goodrich. "He hit all of his milestones right on time."

So the Gilbert, Arizona, mom was perplexed when at about 18 months, Lance, now 3 1/2, started sliding backward. "He got really quiet. Not just no words, but no babbling, no sounds at all." Other skills evaporated too. "He wasn't pointing or waving bye-bye anymore," she says. When Lance stopped responding to his name, his mom had his hearing checked. It was fine. Strombeck-Goodrich was stumped -- until she saw a TV report that made her wonder if Lance was autistic. A specialist soon confirmed Lance's diagnosis. "To hear somebody actually say 'autism' was shocking," Strombeck-Goodrich says.

Lance is among the 1 in 150 U.S. kids who will be diagnosed with autism by age 8. What does being autistic mean? Is there a cure? Here, answers to tough questions.

7 Exercises to Prepare Your Body For Pregnancy

Working out is one of the best things a woman can do for a healthy pregnancy—it not only benefits the baby, but it also gives you strong core muscles that help prevent back and hip pain.

Starting to exercise before you conceive is ideal, since you’ll be able to continue throughout pregnancy (with your doctor’s okay, of course). But if you don’t have a regular exercise routine in place before getting pregnant, then you shouldn’t jump into one during your first trimester. Most healthcare practitioners generally advise women not to start a new exercise regime within the first 12 weeks of getting pregnant.

Try these seven moves to help create a stable pelvis well before getting pregnant. And by starting now you won’t need to worry about losing a whole trimester of core and hip strengthening.

FitPregnancy: 2009 Flu Season Tips

Flu refers to illness caused by a number of different influenza viruses. The flu can cause a range of symptoms including high fevers, headaches, sore throats, muscle aches, dry cough, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting. Public health experts continue to warn that the 2009 H1N1 virus (aka swine flu) has the potential to cause widespread, serious illness—even death.

Pregnant women are more susceptible to serious compli¬cations from infection with all types of influenza viruses, including the 2009 H1N1.

Read this guide to getting through the Flu season.

Interrupting: 6 Ways to Get Your Child to Stop

Kids interrupt for many not so good reasons. A child may interrupt because he likes being the center of attention or because of bad manners or impulsiveness. Youngsters interrupt because they are wired to believe the world centers around them. However, by seven years old, it's reasonable to expect your child to find a polite way to ask for your attention.

Read this article to learn 6 ways to get your child to stop interrupting.