National Lucky Penny Day

“Find a Penny pick it up, all day long you’ll have good Luck”


Lucky Penny Day is May 23rd a day to celebrate the good luck of a penny. So on May 23rd take time to look at the ground everywhere you go and find your lucky penny.

“Remember a penny saved is a penny earned” and in today’s economy it can add up. I have a jar on my kitchen counter and when I find change on the street I place it in my pocket and then drop it in my jar. When the jar fills up I treat myself to a coffee or a candy bar thanks to other lack of love for the penny.


I hope you find your lucky penny and who knows, use it to scratch a lotto ticket and makes some real bucks :O)

Homemade Play Dough Fun

Ingredients:


2 Cups of baking soda

1 ¼ Cup of water

1 Cup starch

Food Coloring

Directions:

Cook and stir until consistency of mashed potatoes. Cool and place in plastic bags. To color: add a few drops of food coloring and knead into dough until you get desired color.

Note: Dough is not eatable and children should be watched while in use.

International No Diet Day!

Did you know today is International No Diet Day! A day to celebrate our bodies and accept our body shapes. The day is also dedicated to bringing awareness to the dangers of restricted dieting and its symbol is the blue ribbon.


International No Diet Day was started by Mary Evans Young a woman from Britain in 1992. She led a campaign to fight against the diet industry hoping to help women realize the dangers of extreme dieting. Her awareness has helped bring light to anorexia and other eating disorders caused by the need to be thin.

Although, started in Britain the INDD has spread to other countries around the globe including the USA. Today, think about your eating habits and consider avoiding fad diets, quick fixes and start a healthy lifestyle change instead.

Tips for a healthy lifestyle:

Drink lots of water

Eat a well balanced diet

Avoid sugars, fats and other high calorie foods

Eat several small meals and portion control

Exercise 30 minutes a day

Moderation is the key

Enjoy your day! Put down your calorie counters! Free yourself from Crazy harmful Fad dieting today!

Potty Training Made Easy

Is your child showing signs of readiness for potty training? Here are a few things you will need to make this milestone enjoyable for you and your toddler.

1. Potty Seats- There are several different types of potty seats on the market. Some parents like the one piece model where your child has their own potty and they remove the plastic catcher to discard the waste. Others prefer the potty seat that attaches to the toilet seat providing a secure feeling while using the 'Big Potty". When choosing your potty seat consider the following: Cost, cleanliness, easy Care and Storage.

2. Step Stool- This is important for little ones who will need to access the toilet by themselves. Also, while children are training they like to rest their feet on the stool and it gives them a sense of security. When purchasing a stool make sure it is sturdy and has a no skid bottom.

3. Training Pants- They come in disposable and cloth depending on which one you prefer. Make sure your toddler can pull them up and down easily so they can go to the potty on their own. Training pants leave your child feeling wet and this discomfort encourages your child touse the potty, just be sure to have them change them if theyhave an accident so not to get a rash.

4. Mattress Protection- At first when potty training your child may do well during the day but during sleep it may be hard to wake up to go to the potty. Mattress pads help protect the mattress from becoming soiled.. Make sure it is waterproof and fleece topped this helps with the plastic sound.

5. Training Targets- Are a great for little boys; they come in all kids of styles from circle targets to fish which encourages them to hit the bull's-eye!

6. Books and Videos- There are several different books for both parents and children to encourage a positive potty training experience. Here are a few Video and books I recommend for your child:

• Its Potty Time a duck family series on DVD- Great for kids with catchy songs, worked for us!


• Everyone Poops, written by Taro Gomi- This book is well done and shows how all kinds of animals poop and why.


• The potty Book for Boys, written by Alyssa Satin Capucilli- This book has great illustrations and really encourages little boys to graduate from diapers and start using the potty.

7. Incentives- Consider giving incentives which encourage and provide positive reinforcement. Get a plastic storage bin and fill it with party favor items; toy cars, sunglasses, tattoo's, bouncy balls and other items your child likes. Each time your child has success allow them to pick from the incentive box. As your child improves encourage longer times between incentives and when your incentives run out Graduation!

Remember your child and you will know when the right time to potty train is. Have patience and provide encouragement, success will happen. Good Luck!

Helping boy's with Responsibility

Boys are different than girls and as mother’s we play a key role in developing boys into men. I used to think it was my husband’s role to teach my son everything he needed to know. Why not? He’s a boy; he should have all the answers, Right? Wrong, my husband’s role is extremely important for my son’s development and yes, he will answer questions my son would rather ask him than his mom but our role as mothers is just as important.

So, we want to raise well rounded boys, let’s get started….

Encourage your son to follow directions and finish what he has started. Boys have a tendency to develop these skills slower than girls. Encouraging responsibility at an early age teaches them to be accountable for their actions. As mothers we sometimes baby our boys in hopes of teaching them to be sensitive, stop. Sensitivity has nothing to do with responsibility. As boys grow they become harder to handle and it is important to teach them control over their actions.

Ways to encourage responsibility:

· Start early; toddlers can help put their toys away, get something for mom or help in
the kitchen.
· Give age appropriate chores and don’t expect perfection.
· If your son does something wrong remain calm and look at it as a lesson not something to
fix right away to prevent embarrassment. Try using this method, stop, and think, before
you react.

Example: Your son hits a child on the play ground.

Stop: Stop the action (have him apologize)

Think: Ask your son why he hit the child and encourage him to express his feelings while
engaging him in being responsible for his actions.. Help him discover a better
way to handle the situations, provide examples(walk away, talk to an adult)

Before you React: Provide your son with an action plan on how to handle the situation in the future. Review the plan each time your son may be faced with that situation (playgrounds, playgroups, school).

These steps help encourage your son to think on his own and provide him with the beginning tools needed to take responsibility for his own actions. I have used this with my own son and now in his teens he is responsible and uses the stop, think before you react when faced with teen issues. It is second nature to him and he really doesn’t realize he is processing on this level.

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