Diaper rash can be a real pain in the tush!  Not just for the sweet little baby but also for mom and dad.  Keeping your baby clean and as dry as possible is the best prevention.  In addition to that, taking care not to “scrub” with wipes will help a lot.  Don’t rule out the possibility of diapers being too small (causing friction) or the child being irritated by the chemicals in wipes.

If diaper rash still persists, it may be the result of yeast coming in contact with irritated skin and causing a yeast infection.  If this is the case, Vusion to the rescue!  Vusion is a new medication that can help diaper rash complicated by yeast.  Gentle enough to use on babies as young as 4 weeks old.  Please note it is available ONLY through prescription.

If you use this product please let me know your experience.  Get more great ideas from www.MomCentral.com

We survived Hurricane Fay!  We were at Disney World from August 15 -23 so we got the full treatment! 

Truth be told I didn’t mind the rain, the place was practically empty, for Disney, and we breezed through most of the rides partaking in back-to-back rides of Big Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, Space Mountain and more.  Splash Mountain was shut down for a few hours because a girl (looked to be teenage) “lost” a shoe.  The people on that ride were NOT happy campers as many got stuck in some part of the ride.

Of course no trip would be complete without a share of complaints!  There seemed to be a lot of “technical difficulties” during our stay.

These are rides that we wasted time walking to only to be told that they were down for “technical difficulties”.  We did make our way back to them eventually but a HUGE inconvenience to get the stroller situated, the kids ready, etc…

It’s a Small World

Space Mountain

Dumbo

Mount Everest

Splash Mountain (twice, once for the lost shoe)

There were more but I can’t think of them now.  Lots more Disney World coverage coming soon!!

Are you a paper pusher?  most people don’t think of themselves as such but the sad fact is, most of us, if not all of us, collect and sometimes even generate paper trails.

Many times paper trails are a necessity, we need to convey information in a manner that most people can receive.  When you’re on the receiving end it’s hard to figure out how you’re going to organize all of it.  Sure there are plenty of appropriate supplies at big chain office stores.  As a woman, and long ago teen, I can vouch that I’m less than enthusiastic to coat my office space with manila, grey or the worst - rubbery black.

That’s why I’m so excited about Carolina Pad & Paper teaming up with Jacqueline Savage McFee to create a fun-filled stationary line for women and teens!  This is a sassy and sweet line that is useful, best part yet is it’s available at Walmart so you can count on the price being reasonable!

As you can see from the pictures there are lots of dots, stripes and colorful colors.  I’ve been organizing my blog paperwork into an accordion file and jotting notes with the gorgeous paper cube and pens.  An organizer will come in handy in the New Year, perfect size to write in who’s where and what’s next.

The thing I love the most though are the magnets! I assume most people use magnets on their fridge but I use my magnets on my exterior doors.  These are perfect little squares, bring a little color to the door and most importantly hold important notes that have to leave the next day or little love notes to each other.

Ok, I just realized I have another favorite, the notebooks and folders, so cute and usefull. I love notebooks, empty they are a blank canvas waiting for words, filled they are treasured keepsakes.

In celebration of the launch, Carolina Pad is holding a contest!  Submit your best organizational tip and you could win a wonderful prize pack!

-    Complete EyeCandy or Simply Chic office system
-    $100 gift card
-    1000 Best Quick and Easy Organizing Secrets by Jamie Novak

I’ve submitted my entry ( a pretty good one I think) and don’t worry if I don’t win I’ll spill the beans right here!  I’m heading to Walmart to see if these are out yet!

woot! finished reading The Dangerous Days of Daniel X with boy2001 just now.  Let me start off by saying, I LOVE the idea and premise of this book!  Getting boys to read is not the easiest thing to do, stories are often too frilly or just “boring” to them, getting the right mix of substance and adventure is not an easy task.

Boy2001 had a strong reaction as soon as he saw the book, it looks grown up, no cartoony characters on the cover, it looks like a man-book which he loved.  I sent him in his room to start reading and planned to read it at night while he slept so we could discuss.  He wasn’t gone two minutes when he came back and told me he didn’t want to read it.  I was perplexed and asked him why and he explained that the parents are killed.

Keep in mind he’s never flat out refused to read something, so I told him to put it down and I’ll read it to him a little later.  He again had a strong reaction to the parents being killed (chapter 1) but as the pages turned he slowly became more interested.

The unbelievable aliens were a special interest to boy2001 and of course the made up words like “drangs” which means a friendship bond. He became engrossed in battling aliens and talk of mastodons and ticks.  On top of that, which boy doesn’t dream of having secret abilities?

From a mom’s point of view, it was a worthwhile read for boy2001.  I had initially planned on him reading this story alone but there are so many themes that require discussion and his reluctance to explore this big boy book on his own required me to read aloud.  I did like that this character was able to survive the death of his parents, although we never wish it, things do happen.  My son now knows that he can handle anything, even losing us! 

It’s a quick enough read but boy2001 wanted to stop and talk about things so it did take us a week of evenings to get through. I’m keeping it on his bookshelf in the closest for another read when he’s older.  Let me know your thoughts…

The Dangerous Days of Daniel X by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge available @ Amazon

Described as “Spider-Man meets Men in Black in this heart-stopping novel from James Patterson, author of the bestselling books Maximum Ride and When the Wind Blows.  Read an interview on Borders

www.eSwaddle.com™ Grand Opening! Where the World of Luxury Meets Convenience…

 A luxuriously soft blanket is the perfect gift for a new mom and baby.  Beautifully crafted, SwaddleDesign Receiving Blanket is the choice of moms who demand the best of quality and style.  When the babies are little it’s really nice to give them extra security and wrap them but many moms are unsure on how to do this.  When boy2001 was born I asked the nurse (several times) to help me swaddle him.  I practiced relentlessly until I got a good technique down.  For boy2001 he would only tolerate one hand being tucked in, he wanted his other little hand by his face… it was sooo cute!!

Even summer babies need to be swaddled but it is harder when it’s hot, that’s where the swaddle designs come in.  They offer the perfect weight and styles for swaddling in any season.  I love the little tag with the swaddling instructions!!

www.eSwaddle.com is the best source for sophisticated mothers and those who shop for them. With a simple click of a mouse, shoppers will discover that they could find everything they need in one shop! From SwaddleDesigns new Summer Swaddle™ to their award winning and signature product, the Ultimate Receiving Blanket® with coordinating Baby Burpies™ and Baby Lovie™, SwaddleDesigns is a beloved brand for style seeking moms and celebrities alike.

Summer of 2008 has been all about heat waves and thunderstorms, both extremes forcing me and the kids inside lots of days by noon. Thank goodness for Netflix, Pillsbury croissants and board games!

We received Briarpatch I Spy Memory Game to test and it’s been a lifesaver… all three kids enjoy the game in different ways. The first and easiest game is Memory. Everybody loves it, simple, easy to understand game that does not require reading.  I also love it because the images on the card are of real objects, not obnoxious characters! Girl2006 can name most of the cards so it’s nice to build vocabulary, of course she has little to no ability to remember where the matches are but she tries! Girl2004 and Boy2001 play with ease and it’s great for them to play amongst themselves.

Another game you can play with this set is the I Spy Fun with Riddles Game. This is recommended for children 6 and up. It’s quite fun to play, boy2001 and I play when the girls can’t focus on memory anymore. This is my personal favorite way to use this set… the perfect mix of memory and reasoning.

We’ve also tried the I SPY Riddle Memory Game which is much more challenging to follow for boy2001.  I’m working on encouraging boy2001 to try this more. My kids are really enjoying it, I would recommend to any parents to open up the game and seperate the cards before presenting to kids. It’s an easy process but you know how it is when kids want to “help”. I highly recommend I SPY Memory and Picture Riddle Game for fun with a purpose sessions.

Reading Required

Suggested for Ages 4+

What do you spy?

you really need the vacation!

I’ve been planning and worrying and thinking and re-thinking and hopefully crossing dotting all my I’s.

S-T-R-E-S-S

Forgive the irregular posting, when I get back things will get back to normal.