New Year's With Preschoolers

You can celebrate New Year's Eve with your preschooler, you just need to adjust the clock! Change your clock back a few hours, whatever time frame you decide (it should at least be dark). Plan a celebration, with sprakling juice or cider (add club soda to some juice to make a perfect celebration drink!), some fancy foods, and some fire works or sparklers. As your "clock" approaches midnight, have a count down, and scream and yell with it strikes 12! Then, you preschooler can go to bed and you can stay up to watch the real ball drop. Your preschooler will enjoy the celebration of the new year without the crankiness in the morning!
One other option is to celebrate the first New Year's on our planet in the Christmas Islands near Australia. Their New Year will be at 1:00 pm EST. You can see all of the New Year's Count Downs at Countdown to New Year 2008. Choose a county and countdown to their celebration. This could be an all day event! With a world map handy, it can be an introduction to a geography lesson too!
You may also choose to follow Greenwich, UK. This is where time is set. As of this posting, it is a 5 hour difference from the Eastern Time Zone. That would put our celebration at 7:00 pm! Perfect for preschoolers!

Happy 2008!

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Playing With Christmas Toys

If your preschooler is like mine, the layers of paper and gift bags have spread throughout the house and the children really don't remember everything they have opened. My children got three gifts from Santa, three gifts from Mommy & Daddy, miscellaneous gifts from aunts, uncles, and cousins, and TONS of gifts from Papa and Mimi! They hardly remember what they opened yesterday. I have an aunt who used to make her daughter write a thank you not before she got to play with anything (following Christmas day). That was encouragement to get those notes out! I have a lot of things in a box and we are taking them out slowly. Help your preschooler appreciate the gifts and not be overwhelmed with the abundance of gifts. Help them appreciate the person that gave the gift by reminding them who took the time to remember them this year. And the thank you notes would be nice too!
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Great Online Game List

I came across a site with online games listed by age for young children. Talking Child offers a list of online games for children aged 1 through 6 years. There are not lots to choose from, but there are some suggestions. Online games can be great to help your child develop those "mouse" related skills and learn cause and effect. Many of the baby games only require a child to tap the keyboard. My children have both loved finding new things to do on Mommy's computer.

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Family Finance Solutions

I found a great resource for families for finance information and tips called Finance Genius. You can learn to manage your finances, calculate mortgage payments, learn your debt to income ratio, and find out more about getting Used Car Warranty. This user friendly site helps family find financial options for family spending and helps to provide knowledge and understanding to help families make solid financial decisions. There is even a college saving calculator!

Most families lack knowledge of how to manage finances, budget, and when to purchase warranties like for a used car. Finance Genius gives you plenty of information to understand when and why you should invest in this type of coverage. Overall, the site had lots of great information. I am going to spend some time learning to become a Financial Genius!

Jars and Lids

Allowing your child to play with jars and lids is great for fine motor skill coordination and spatial skills. Give your child a variety of screw on or push on lids with a variety of containers. Allow your child to experiment and find which jar goes with which lid. Make sure that you use safe containers, like plastic, instead of glass. Water bottles, soap bottles, ketchup and mayo containers, and other recyclable materials can be used. This can provide hours of entertainment for your little ones.

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Let Them Do it Themselves!

This morning my son wanted to make a play doh creation that was a little difficult. We did not want to take the time to do it on this busy Saturday morning, so we opened it and told him to do it himself. It is for over 4 years, but with some fine motor trouble, it is a little difficult for my son to make smaller things. He set it out on the table, got frustrated trying to make the penguin shown, and began screaming. I told him to stop and think of what he could do to make it work. He screamed back that he was not going to think! After a few pointers from his dad, he finished it on his own. He was so proud that he completed it. It comes with this little display case and he is proudly displaying it. If you give them the opportunity to do things on their own, they will rise to the challenge.

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Travel ENewsletter for Top Cities

Moms are always looking for the best deals when traveling. If you are planning a vacation within the next few months, you will want to sign up for Trust Tours and Attractions travel enewsletter. They offer information on the best sight seeing locations in some of the best cities. If you sign up for the Trusted Travels newsletter, from Trusted Tours and Attractions, and you’re automatically entered to win an iPod Nano. That is a great incentive to learn more about the travel opportunities.
Trusted Travel eNewsletter lists Tampa as one cities it offers tours too. Tampa is a great trip for families. Within the Tampa Bay area, there are theme parks like Busch Gardens, the Florida Aquarium, and many performing arts areas. My family loves going to the aquarium. It is a perfect trip for toddlers through adults. The Aquarium has a wide variety of exhibits and a seasonal outdoor playground. With local performing outs theaters, you can follow up the visit with a show age appropriate for any group. One of the tours offered will take your family to the Aquarium, the Zoo, and Museum of Science and Industry. What a great tour for a family! Not to mention, our warm winters- currently it is 80 degrees in the Tampa area.
Sign up for the newsletter and start planning your trip to Tampa. You will enjoy it!

Great Gift Idea- Books!

Books are the perfect gift for preschoolers. Beautiful illustrations along with a wonderful story help children grow creatively. Reading to your children helps to increase their reading ability too! If you have a child in your life, consider a book for a Christmas gift this year from Barefoot Books. For great gift ideas, you can browse their recommended books or even get a gift card. Barefoot Books are some of the most beautiful books I have seen. Most of the children on my shopping list are getting a book this year. It is perfect because one size can fit all, with some selections along the way. Enjoy shopping!

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Make A Gift for Christmas

This year, my children are going to make gifts for their teachers at school and church. They are going to use sticker foamies on a tin can and we will make cookies to fill them. There are so many great simple things to make for Christmas gifts. There is no reason to go out and buy gifts for some special people in your life that will enjoy a gift especially made for them.
One other simple idea I found was to make ornaments for gifts. Using vellum, print a picture of your child. Cut, roll gently, and slip into a glass ornament that is made for opening. The paper should unroll (I have not made this yet so I cannot guaruntee it!).
Be creative! Search for preschool crafts on the internet or visit my newest site with the Smart Moms- Family Fun Time Christmas!
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Life Without The Internet

For the past few weeks, I have had a time getting on the internet to do my online hobby/job. I have either been too busy with my husband away for the week or I have thought I did not have internet. Thought, because I forgot to plug in the phone line for three days! Now, one computer needs repair and I have been too tired to stay up and use a slow laptop. So I am trying to get this in from work (shhhh) so it does not seem like I am ignoring my blog!
Life without the internet means that we have more time in the evenings, we have the ability to go to bed early, and we have time to actually do a load of wash. Pretend your internet is down for a few days (just have someone unplug the phone line) and take some time away. There will be plenty of time to surf later!

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Choosing A Preschool

Because of different situations, we are changing my sons preschool this coming week. It was a decision we were considering, but have now thought it would be best for him for a few different reasons. We loved his teacher at the school he attended, a church based school, but did not like that he was having to lay down every day for over 2 hours. He does not nap (maybe once a month) and so my husband and I felt he was wasting time- not to mention causing problems because he did not want to lay still for so long. We arranged for my sister to start picking him up each day with her 4 year old so they could play together. Then my husband started reading about the Montessori method. He felt that our son would definitely thrive in that type of environment, but in our rural area, there are only so many choices, only one in our town being Montessori. Because of a series of events this week, my niece is changing to that school and now my son will go with her. It was hard to move away from my church school with a Christian education, but I think the benefit of Montessori along with afternoons without lying still for 2 hours will help my son. Not to mention, our state offers a free preschool program at this school, so I will not be paying for the school time at all. That will be a large savings, but that was not the main piece of the decision process.

Choosing a preschool is a hard decision. The different type of environments, teaching styles, and teaching methods make it difficult to understand the implications of sending a child to one or the other. I am praying that this is the right choice and my son will do well in his new location.

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Let Your Child Paint!

Painting scares parents. It is messy for the child, the parent, and the table. But with the amazing washable paints, you can let your child paint. Painting is a great tool for children to express themselves. As they develop fine motor skills using the paint brush, they are also developing creativity and self expression. You can give your child a task to paint ("Let's paint a rainbow.") and see what they create or give them the brush and let them go. Don't forget finger paints too- messier, but more fun for the child. Not to mention, some children have to be taught it is okay to be messy! Water colors are safe alternatives, but do require a brush, which is a different type of experience than finger painting. Whatever you choose, don't direct and instruct. Children will produce what they are capable developmentally. And if you stifle that self expression now by wanting perfect paintings, you may stifle it forever!

Two homemade alternatives to purchasing paint:
For finger paint, mix chocolate pudding with only 1/2 the amount of milk to make a finger paint type consistency. Add milk to get it to the right texture. Use finger paint paper to glide easier. This is safe for them to eat too!
Make ice paints with ice cube trays, food coloring, and water. Fill ice cube tray with water, add 3-5 drops of food coloring to each section. It has to be dark to transfer well. Mix two colors together for different colors. Allow to freeze half way and add in a tooth pick. Freeze until solid. Using on any type of paper or the sidewalk or bath (may stain the grout, so test it first).

Have fun!

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Preschoolers Can Decorate a Christmas Tree

My family is beginning to decorate for Christmas. Before we had children, I had a reasonably pretty tree with lots of breakable ornaments. Now, we have a reasonably pretty tree with everything made from fabric, ribbon, and pipe cleaners! Things change with children. But preschoolers can help decorate the tree if you have the right decorations.
Try some of these simple Christmas crafts or handmade clay ornaments. The more user friendly your tree is, the less stressed you and your children will be. Make wonderful memories decorating your tree and celebrating this holiday season!

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Black Friday Online Shopping Coupons

Check on my mom blog for Black Friday Online Shopping Coupons! Happy Thanksgiving!

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Warning! Sesame Street Old School

I read an article today from the New York Times on how Sesame Street is not suitable for the 2007 toddlers! It suggested that the original ideas presented would not be accepted by today's families.

First of all, Sesame Street is not for toddlers anyway. It is really geared towards the true preschooler, ages 4-5, that are learning to read and count. That in itself could hamper the preschoolers of today. Today, they are expected to be reading by this age, not beginning to read!

Second, the types of characters, the food that they eat, and the situations that occur (immaginary Snuffleupagus and friendly men with children) are not appropriate for today's society and may frighten or unnerve kids.

Cookie Monster does not have a good diet.
Oscar is really grouchy. (I guess the Grouchy Ladybug is out too!)
Bert and Ernie are probably gay.

All of these situations are implied in those first old school series, according to the author of the article.

All I can say it that it may be too much analyzing and too far into political correctness to not see these are entertainment for the young ones.

As with all Jim Henson material (ie. The Muppet Show), a lot of material was meant for the adult humor. It still happens today in every animated movie, even those by Disney.

So do not be shocked to read that Sesame Street is bad, but make your own judgment. We all turned out okay--- for the most part!

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Thanksgiving Day Crafts

The Smart Moms family fun site is coming along great. It is still a work in progress, but we are progressing.

We have some great crafts for thanksgiving, including crafts for toddlers, preschoolers, school aged children, and just for moms.

Crafts are a great idea to keep the little ones busy during the long wait for dinner. I am going to make grocery bag Indian costumes with my preschool son and niece and nephew. Not so politically correct, I know, but it is what Thanksgiving is about. My son was a pilgrim at school, so now we have to have the other side.

To make the vest, cut down one long side of the bag to make the opening and a circle on the bottom fold for the head. Cut out arm holes and decorate. Simple, quick, and disposable.

You can also make great pasta necklaces. Using rubbing alcohol and food coloring- die the pasta, let dry, and string it up. Ziti works great. Pour enough alcohol into a glass bowl to cover the pasta, add a few drops of food coloring, and let it site until it gets to be the color you want. Easy and simple.

Have a great Thanksgiving with your preschoolers!
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Math & Geography Skills in Reading

Books offer so many opportunities for cross-curricular learning. That means that books can teach reading, but also other subjects. Catch That Goat is a book that offers more information on Nigeria and counting backwards. That includes geography skills of learning about Nigeria and the math skill of counting backwards.

"Ayoka has been left in charge of the family goat, but within minutes it has vanished! As Ayoka searches the streets of town, she sees how much trouble a runaway goat can cause among the market stalls. One thing after another disappears, and when Ayoka finally catches up with the goat, she finds more than she had bargained for."

This book also contains 7 additional pages of cultural information and maps, making it easy to discuss the differences in culture and the location of the country.

Incorporating different cultures into your reading time helps preschoolers understand that people live differently. This is important in teaching children to accept the differences in others, whether it is skin color, a disability, or the way people dress. Try to incorporate cross-curricular ideas in your reading and cross cultural ideas too!

For more information on Catch That Goat, visit my Barefoot Books website.




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A Memory Game with Photos

I loved this memory game idea from Crafty Moms blog using the Kodak Photo Gallery. Memory is a popular game with preschoolers. You can buy them in stores, but the cards are usually small and cartoon related. One of the best ways to improve memory with children is to use objects that are real to them. By making a memory game with pictures of things in their life, they will probably be ultra successful at this game. Short term memory building is so important to learning!

All you do to create this lovely game is to print doubles of pictures from around your home or your family. You can either print them dark or patterned card stock (that way they cannot see through the paper) or glue them to card stock. You can even laminate them for extra durability or cover them with clear contact paper. Determine the amount you want- most preschoolers can start with 7 different pictures, and build up to more if desired (especially is you have older children). That is it! What a cute idea! It would also be a great gift idea for any child in your life- or for grandparents to play with their grandchildren at their home.

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Dental Emergencies Solved!

I was very amazed to find out about a new product that can help with dental emergencies within 60 minutes of the emergency happening! One time, I lost a filling, I think mostly due to dentist error. It happened just a few weeks after the filling was done. Over the weekend, it feel out! When I called that dentist on Monday, they could not fit me in until the following day. I was almost positive that this was his fault and on top of that, he would not even take me to repair the filling. If you have ever lost a filling, you know the pain it can cause, especially if something gets near the tooth. Drinking became a major ordeal for those three days.

Now, there is a product that could have made my life much more pleasant by providing a temporary dental repair. Dentemp OS is a dental repair material that is available at drug stores nation wide. It is FDA Approved as an Over-the-Counter Dental Cement. It is a first aid product for fillings and loose caps. It comes in a multi-use resealable vial that can provide up to 6 applications. And you will not believe the price!

These are some of the benefits of using Dentemp OS:

• Provides fast, temporary relief of pain and discomfort.
• Just remove it from its plastic vial and it's ready to use. No Mess! No Mixing! Several applications in each vial.
• Replaces lost fillings and may be used to temporarily cement loose crowns.
• You can eat on it within 30 minutes of setting.
• All products have been tested and fully comply with FDA Regulations for Oral Care.

Next time, I will know- don't suffer through the pain and discomfort- go to your local drugstore and buy Dentemp OS. What a great discovery!

Cooking With Your Kids This Thanksgiving

Cooking With Your Kids This Thanksgiving
by Peg Baron

Thanksgiving can be a little stressful when you have company coming and you have to cook the whole meal. Sure the company is bringing a pie and will help with the dishes and clean up, but you've got a whole lot of work ahead of you when you wake up on that special Thursday morning. Don't despair and stress - rally the troops!

If you're reading this, you've probably got one or two or more children running around that house don't you? Put them to work and give them all jobs. Just don't mention the words "work" or "job". Kids like to be helpful, especially when they see how much you appreciate it. Let them help!

First off, you need to have a plan. Take some time before Thursday morning to plot everything out. Of course you know what you want to prepare and serve - you do the same thing every year, don't you? So that's the easy part. Really look at each recipe and see what's involved. You could probably do it in your sleep, but your kids can't. Assign a recipe to each child, depending on their skill level. You may even want to find an easier version of the recipe. Go over the steps with your child and explain how it's all going to work. Do kind of a foodless dress rehearsal with them.

If the child is too young to do a whole recipe, just give them certain tasks in a recipe and have them help you. Little ones can melt butter in the microwave, mash the potatoes, wash the vegetables, toss the salad, and put the marshmallows on the sweet potato casserole.

This is one meal where everything seems to happen at the same time. To help prevent this, the kids can mash the potatoes ahead and keep them warm in the crockpot, ditto with the sweet potato casserole and veggies. If you don't have a way to keep them warm, time them to come out before the mad rush, put a lid on them and wrap them in several towels. They can stay quite warm that way. The salad can definitely be made earlier in the day or even the night before.

Try to schedule the prep time so there aren't too many people walking around the kitchen with sharp knives at once.

What about the pies? Kids love to make the pies! Go with the pre-made pie crusts if their pastry skills aren't quite up to snuff. Maybe they could pick the pies they want this year and shake tradition up a bit. I'm sure a Chocolate Dream pie is a tradition in someone's home even if it isn't (yet) in yours.

Keep one step ahead of total chaos by having someone wash the dirty dishes that are accumulating. Perhaps those who are watching football on TV could lend a hand! Not only will there be fewer dishes to do at the end, but it leaves lots more room for the cooks to prepare the grand feast.

If you give it some thought and plan ahead of time, this Thanksgiving could be a lot easier on you and a heck of a lot more fun for the whole family. Have a good attitude and lots of patience and just enjoy yourself. Your kitchen will be filled with those you love, and that's something to be thankful for.


Peggy is the editor of the popular Cookin' Kids Newsletter. Interesting themes, fun facts, silly clip art, easy recipes, kid jokes, cooking terms, and safety tips make this newsletter a hit with kids! Learn more about it at http://cookinkids.com/Newsletter

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Give the Gift of Highlights Magazine

When I was a child, I loved going to the doctor's office and look at the Highlights Magazine. I loved those "same and different" games, the hidden pictures (my favorite!), the cute comics, and the articles about all things children love. Highlights is still available and is a great gift choice for all the children in your life. They are offering some great specials for the holidays, so you may want to consider it. You can also save up to $20 using the coupon code SAVE.

With your purchase, you can get a FREE Hidden Pictures Calendar with your Highlights Magazine Subscription!

Save up to $20 on your next order at Highlights. Offer ends November 23rd.



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Book Review 1: Using Alphabet Books For Preschoolers

I have recently launched my website as a Stallholder for Barefoot Books. I joined Barefoot Books because of the wonderful collection of books, CD's, puzzles, and other related items. The illustrations are beautiful! The content is superb! I know you will love these books as much as I have.

My first book review is Alligator Alphabet. It is available as a board book or as a hardcover. I love alphabet books because they are a natural way for children to understand first letter sounds. The reason this book is so wonderful is that is not only has the uppercase letters, as most alphabet books have, but it also has the lowercase letters. It also has a story that goes along with it, not just a letter by letter book with pictures.

This book will be a wonderful addition to your child's library. A child can never have too many books! Beginning young with age appropriate titles and materials will encourage your child to love reading and to enjoy books. If you are interested in purchasing this book or any of the collection, check out my Barefoot Books website.


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Developing a Sense of Self

Allowing your child to be what they want to be is important when they a young. We want our children to be free to express themselves, appropriately, and to discover and explore. This helps them develop their own idea of who they are. By allowing them to be silly, laugh, dress up, get dirty, and have fun, they can feel safe to be their own person. We do not want to make little clones that are the "perfect child." We want them to learn to respect, to obey, and to use their brains, but we also want them to develop the sense that they have choices- good and bad, have some say in what they do, and have consequences if they make a wrong choice. We want them to be able to think through a problem without someone saving them. We want them to eventually be independent!

Think about this when you are guiding or directing your child. Maybe, ask them for their opinion!

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A Hamilton Beach Mixer for Holiday Baking

The Hamilton Beach® Eclectrics® Mixer is the perfect addition for all your holiday baking. Baking is such a wonderful part of the fall and winter holidays. Whether you are making cookies, fresh bread or pie crusts, baking with a stand up mixer makes life so much more simpler!

One of my favorite holiday recipes is a favorite from my grandmother. Refrigerator Rolls were a standard each Thanksgiving in my grandmother's home. They are a simple bread to make and possible to do correctly even if you have never made bread before. You can use the whole batch or store them in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, using only what you need.

To add these to your holiday meal, follow these directions:

4 cups milk
1/2 c shortening melted
1/2 c sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 pkg yeast, dissolved in 1/4 c lukewarm water
flour (1 4 pound bag)

Scald milk, melt shortening. Mix together with sugar and let cool (very important). After it cools, make yeast mix. Add to cooled mixture. Gradually add 3-4 pounds of flour to form batter. Mix thoroughly with a mixer after each addition of flour. Put into greased bowl and let rise double. Punch down. Store in large covered bowl in refrigerator. Pull off desired amount. Form into rolls and let rise double (about 1 hour) on a greased pan. Bake for approximately 10 min. at 350.

The best part about using the Hamilton Beach® Stand Mixer for this recipe is the 400 watts of power. That means that this blender can stand up to tough jobs like bread dough- powerful enough for 4 1 pound loaves of bread. Using the mixer after each addition of flour helps to ensure the flour is distributed evening and that you do not use too much flour. Using a hand held mixer is very labor intensive and using the mixer will overheat before you finish. Using your hands to mix is a messy option. A stand up mixer is the perfect option since you can easily raise and lower the beater bars and adjust the speed as needed for flour (never start too high!).

The great part about the Hamilton Beach® Mixer is the great colors that are available- apple, pineapple, sugar, ultra marine, sterling, and licorice.

Using a Blog to Make Some Money From Home

You may notice that some of my blogs are not just about preschool activities. Occasionally I will do some adverting for a variety of companies or organizations. I am paid for these posts and make a little money each month from them. Since my Smart Mom Team is always trying to help other moms make money from home, I wanted to explain the reasoning for these posts. If you are interested in making some money from your blog, you can start by or click on the Pay Per Post badge on the sidebar of my blog.

I hope you will still continue to read the great activities and maybe find out about a great new website or product that is available.

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Mother Goose Rocks

If you have not listened to any of the Mother Goose Rocks, you are missing some great kids music! You and your kids will love them if you are into pop rock! I happen to catch a song on XM Kids on day and went to look them up on iTunes. They use a twist on names from real bands, like Stung or Dave Math Shoes, and have a song in that artists' style. TOO CUTE! Some samples are available through the website MotherGooseRocks.com (the whole album has samples on Volume 3) or listen in and buy just a few songs on iTunes. They are fun, upbeat songs that will get your whole family jamming! Plus, your little musician will learn the most common children's songs with a bit of a twist!

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Shop the Alzheimer's Foundation eStore

I just discovered the the Alzheimer's Foundation of America has a store with beautiful jewelry and training videos for caregivers of those with Alzheimer's. I am always on the look out for gifts that are different and a gift that can do more. What a great place to buy a holiday gift for someone special. The products are meant to raise awareness and enhance knowledge of Alzheimer’s disease and related illnesses. Proceeds from the sale of these products support the programs and services of the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America and its member organizations. Not only will you find a unique gift, you will also be supporting a worthy cause. The unique and beautiful Heart of Care necklace and bracelet are great gift ideas, even for those that are not caregivers. But if you know a caregiver in your life, this would be the perfect gift for the upcoming holiday season.

It is so important for the Alzheimer's Foundation to help fund the search for the cure for this terrible disease, but also to provide care for those that suffer with the disease. By purchasing a gift from the Alzheimer's store or by making a gift donation, you can do your part to help those that live each day with the disease.

The Alzheimer's Foundation website is a great resource for anyone that needs more information about the disease, services, care or clinical trials. There is also information on an upcoming screening day to help find those that may have this disease. The Foundation's store helps to support all of these services.

Supporting a worthy cause during the holidays helps you gift do double duty... you give a wonderful, unique, and thoughtful gift as well as give support to those that are in need of help and a cure. That is the gift to yourself- giving to others with a purpose!

My Picky Lunch Eater

I have a picky eater. He does not prefer eating most of the time; he would rather drink chocolate milk (made with Olvatine or Instant Breakfast to get something in him!). Making his lunch to go to preschool this year has been a challenge. He eats strange things, but not always a "main dish." The best thing for us to do is to ask him each morning from the selection we have to provide. The key is to get a well insulated lunch box with some frozen packs to keep cool things cold. We also include milk for lunch too- kept cold- so he can get his fix in the middle of the day.

The biggest change in going to school is having to eat when you are told to eat- morning snack, lunch, and afternoon snack. Also, drinking when you are allowed to drink. My kids like to drink, so when I was home with them, they did drink. They also ate, but not at scheduled times!

We now just ask before we pack. Some options are yogurt (well insulated), rice, beans and rice, small pizza slices, frozen chicken (the school does heat food up), pudding made with whole milk, and peanut butter sandwiches- with sprinkles (it is the only way he will eat it- or with chocolate chips or marshmallows- the protein is the important part!). Some snacks are strawberries, a favorite fruit, baked Cheetos, a tortilla, or corn chips.

Sometimes the lunch box comes back almost completely full- except for the milk and usually a snack or two.

And we do not worry about it.

He will not starve.

Mostly, he always has milk!

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