Archive for January, 2012
Jan
25
Posted by
Lorain County Moms
MARY CLARE JALONICK, Associated Press
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The first major nutritional overhaul of school meals in more than 15 years means most offerings, including popular pizza, will come with less sodium and more whole grains, with a wider selection of fruits and vegetables on the side, first lady Michelle Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced during a visit Wednesday with elementary students.
Pizza won’t disappear from lunch lines, but will be made with healthier ingredients.
Mrs. Obama, also joined by celebrity chef Rachael Ray, said youngsters will learn better if they don’t have growling stomachs at school.
“We have a right to expect the food (our kids) get at school is the same kind of food we want to serve...
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Jan
25
Posted by
Lorain County Moms
By Cathy Kelly, Santa Cruz Sentinel
LIVE OAK, CALIF. — At the Santa Cruz Toddler Center, even the chairs for adults are small, as everything is geared to 1- and 2-year-olds.
And the tots have some carefully orchestrated freedom, so that they can learn to make their own age-appropriate choices.
They nap when they get tired, and their caregivers help them to recognize the signs of being tired, so that they soon begin announcing nap time on their own. They are not forced to share toys.
On a recent morning, several tots sat down to lunch in a remarkably organized way, certain of the expectations and the routine. The menu was a nutritional powerhouse, featuring organic, whole wheat pasta, kale chips, pistachios, chard and nutritional yeast, some grown...
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Jan
24
Posted by
Lorain County Moms
HILLEL ITALIE, AP National Writer
NEW YORK — This year’s winners of the top prizes in children’s literature were honored for stories of resilience over the most everyday troubles: a boy grounded by his parents, a dog that loses its favorite toy.
Jack Gantos’ “Dead End in Norvelt” won the John Newbery Medal for the best children’s book of 2011, and Chris Raschka’s “A Ball for Daisy” won the Randolph Caldecott award for best illustration. The prizes were announced Monday by the American Library Association during its midwinter meeting in Dallas.
No cash prizes are given, but the awards are watched closely by booksellers and librarians and often lead to increased sales and a lasting place on a school or...
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Jan
24
Posted by
Lorain County Moms
The Associated Press
TREMONTON, Utah — A 14-year-old Utah boy is dead after police say he accidentally shot himself with a miniature toy cannon.
Authorities say the boy was playing with the toy at about 7:30 a.m. Monday in his living room in Tremonton, about 75 miles north of Salt Lake City. Tremonton Police Chief David Nance says the boy was struck in the face after the cannon somehow went off.
The boy’s older brother was in the room at the time, and the boy’s father also was in the house. The boy, who hasn’t been identified, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators are still trying to determine how a propellant got into the cannon, which is described as an 18th century replica with a six-inch metal barrel and a wooden...
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Jan
23
Posted by
Lorain County Moms
By June Naylor, McClatchy Newspapers
It’s never too soon to teach kids how to make comforting dishes like those found in Italian cuisine. And even picky eaters will enjoy many of the creations found in the new book “Top 100 Pasta Dishes: Easy Everyday Recipes That Children Will Love,” by Annabel Karmel (Atria Books, $18). Here’s one that will quickly become a favorite in your house.
Chicken cannelloni
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 small garlic clove, crushed
- 1 cup chopped cremini mushrooms
- 1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs (such as Italian)
- 8 ounces ground chicken
- 8-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1-1/2 teaspoons ketchup
- Cheese...
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Jan
23
Posted by
Lorain County Moms
By Zach Mack, McClatchy-Tribune
Preparing for the birth of a child is one of the most exciting things that can happen to a couple. Even if it’s just testing paint swatches in the nursery, lots of time and energy is spent getting everything ready for the big day. And while the preparations themselves may seem hectic, they pale in comparison to the duties that come along with caring for a newborn infant.
This is why the trend of “babymooning” began to catch on in the mid-2000s. A quick, romantic trip is a great way for couples spend an intimate weekend together before the arrival of their child. Mothers and fathers-to-be treat themselves to pampering spa treatments, cozy rooms, and relaxation in a last hurrah before parenthood begins. Being the hotel...
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Jan
22
Posted by
Lorain County Moms
By Erika Katz, Hybrid Mom
The brown sugar scrub is wonderful to use all over the body. I especially like it when I give my daughter an at-home pedicure or she can scrub her whole body with the mixture in the shower.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons of almond oil or olive oil
- 5 drops of honey
- 3 to 5 drops of your favorite essential oil (optional)
Directions:
Mix ingredients thoroughly in a glass bowl. Use the scrub all over the body and rinse well with warm water.
The passion at www.hybridmom.com is to create an authentic, inspiring, and reliable resource for the multiple roles today’s mom plays — loving parent, unique individual and... Read more
Jan
21
Posted by
Lorain County Moms
By Catherine Newman, Disney FamilyFun magazine
Your preschooler can say, “I’m sew glad we’re friends!” with a card that doubles as a sweet lacing toy for your child’s valentine.
Have your child use tempera paint to decorate a piece of paper. Let the paint dry, then glue the paper to a piece of thin cardboard (we used a recycled cereal box). Cut out a heart shape (ours is about 6 by 7 inches), adding more glue to seal the edge, if needed. Help your tot use a hole punch to make openings around the heart as shown. Write a message on the back, tape on a shoelace (you can knot one end and start the lacing so that the recipient gets the idea) and prepare to win hearts....
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Jan
20
Posted by
Lorain County Moms
The Associated Press
ATLANTA — A new U.S. government study suggests a lot of teenage girls are clueless about their chances of getting pregnant.
In a survey of thousands of teenage mothers who had unintended pregnancies, about a third said they didn’t use birth control because they didn’t believe they could pregnant.
Other studies have asked teens about their contraception use and beliefs about pregnancy. But the new report is the first to focus on teens who didn’t intend to get pregnant but did.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the study on Thursday....
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Jan
20
Posted by
Lorain County Moms
By Robert Nickell, McClatchy-Tribune
As a father to six children I have experienced many variations in the learning curve of what helps babies get to sleep and what doesn’t. I currently have two children under the age of two and four children in their 20s. Together, all of my kids have helped in teaching me the all-important sleep patterns of babies.
Here are a few helpful tips for getting your baby to sleep:
0-3 months: A baby in the “fourth trimester” can often fall asleep in any appropriate place; i.e.: your arms, a bassinet, the floor, an infant carrier. If your baby has a difficult time falling asleep, take a look at their environment. Are they too warm or cool? Is the light too bright? Are there loud noises? Babies often like to be rocked...
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