-
About Me
My name is Tami and I live in central Illinois with my husband, Larry and three children, Caleb (5), Camden (3) and Emma Grace (10 months). I hope you'll enjoy reading about my life as a wife/mother and about our family's adventures.
Hopstop - Your City Transit Guide
This is a great site for any travel you might take to a major city. They currently have 8 cities available:
- New York City
- Boston
- Washington, D.C.
- San Francisco
- Chicago
- New Jersey
- Long Island
- Metro North Area
There are additional cities coming soon, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Maryland.
The site is broken down into 4 categories:
- City Guide – search for places to eat, drink, sleep and see
- Maps – the closest subway and bus stops to an address – it lets you map out subway routes and bus routes
- Mobile – get the Hopstop.com service remotely on your cell phone or PDA, text or email us address(es) and you’ll receive a reply with subway directions or closest subway, great when you do not have access to our website, hopstop Mobile service is FREE
- Transit Ratings – this feature allows commuters to rate subway and bus lines
Sun Safety
With one in five Americans developing skin cancer, childhood education about sun safety is a vital step toward reducing risk and improving public health. Besides the immediate effect of sunburn, over time excess UV radiation can cause skin cancer, eye damage, immune system suppression, and premature aging. Children are highly susceptible to harmful UV radiation. Most children have between 50% and 80% of their lifetime sun exposure before age 18.
With the right precautions, kids can safely play in the sun. Here are some effective strategies:
- avoid the strongest rays of the day…between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
- use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher every day
- apply sunscreen to your entire body 30 minutes before going outside…reapply every two hours
- cover up with clothing, including a broad-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses
- keep newborns out of the sun
- avoid tanning and tanning salons
A sunburn can happen to your child, especially after a long day at the beach or park. If your child does get a sunburn, the following tips may help you make him or her more comfortable (from Kids Health):
- keep your child in the shade until the sunburn is healed
- have your child take a cool (not cold) bath, or gently apply cool, wet compresses to the skin to help alleviate pain and heat
- apply pure aloe vera gel to any sunburned areas…it’s excellent for relieving sunburn pain and helping skin heal quicker
- give your child a pain reliever like acetaminophen or ibuprofen and spray on over-the-counter “after-sun” pain relievers. Do not, however, give aspirin to children or teens.
- apply topical moisturizing cream to rehydrate the skin and help reduce swelling. Do not use petroleum-based products, because they prevent excess heat and sweat from escaping.
If the sunburn is severe and blisters develop, call your doctor.
Kids Health also says, “Being a good role model by wearing sunscreen and limiting your time in the sun not only reduces your risk of becoming sunburned, it reduces your child’s risk, too. By using a variety of sun protection measures, such as keeping your child indoors during peak hours and encouraging your child to wear hats, sunglasses, and long-sleeved shirts, as well as using sunscreen, you can decrease your child’s exposure to the damaging effects of the sun.”
Check out Kids Health for more information.
Tags: sun safety, children, summer
You’re a Mommy
I had this conversation with my 3 year old the other day about boys and girls.
Caleb: Are you a boy?
Mommy: No, I am a girl. Caleb is a boy, Camden is a boy, Daddy is a boy and the dog and cat are boys. Mommy is a girl.
Caleb: No, you’re not a girl…you’re a mommy.
The joys of motherhood and the simplicity of being a 3 year old.
Oral-B Stages Toothbrush Coupon
Check this out for a $2.00 off coupon on an Oral-B Stages toothbrush.
Tags: Oral-B, toothbrushes, coupon
Rookie Moms
Check out Rookie Moms. I just discovered this site the other day, they left a comment on one of my posts. It is now one of my favorite sites.
It is written by two women and their experience being first time moms. They say, “this web site is inspired by our need to have at least one activity per day. We challenged ourselves to come up with one suggestion for something that we liked doing for each day of the first year.”
They have lots of different activities to entertain and keep your little one busy.
Tags: parenting, activities, children
New Site for Moms - MommyBuzz
MommyBuzz is a new (free) site that offers a service similar to MySpace.
According to their site they offer:
- My Buzz: create a personal profile webpage to share interests and photos with friends and other users in the community
- Clubs: create and join mommy clubs with other moms sharing your interests. Clubs have message boards and live chat rooms for members to stay in touch.
- Blogs: keep a blog (i.e., weblog) about whatever…keep it private or share it with your friends and family; read other public blogs by moms and experts
- Classifieds: find and sell used mommy gear
- Forums: find and share information about your favorite topics
Looks like a great way to get involved in blogging and stay in touch with other moms.
Tags: mommybuzz, mom, parenting
Fluffy Flip Flops
These cute flip flops are from Family Fun magazine. They make a great craft idea for a girl’s slumber party or just as a summer project.
Tags: crafts, flip flops, children
Parenting is More Challenging & Rewarding than Feminist Thinks
Becoming a stay-at-home mom 3 years ago has been the most rewarding and challenging thing I have ever done. I have been able to share every moment of my childrens lives which is very rewarding. Although, there have been many challenges. The biggest challenge right now is dealing with a 3 year old who thinks he is ready to run his own life. But, I wouldn’t change a thing…afterall, I get free hugs and kisses all day.
This article (found via this article) by feminist Linda Hirshman is the most disturbing thing I have read in quite some time. She says that “she thinks staying at home with the children is an occupation not worthy of the full time and talents of intelligent and educated human beings”. Ann Coulter of the Huffington Post writes that “Hirshman and those who think like her, are expressing an intolerant world view that women who don’t work are losers”. Some of the women she interviewed confirmed her worst fears, they liked being mothers. Imagine, getting satisfaction from something that doesn’t require giving your life away to a corporation and leaving someone else to raise your children.
I am of the opinion that my current career is harder than anything that I did working outside the home. But, it is a choice that every woman needs to make for herself.
Tags: Linda Hirshman, parenting, stay at home mom
10 Fun Things To Do With Your Children
- pack a picnic – head to your local park with a blanket and lunch
- consider a class – there are many to choose from…Kindermusik, Stroller Strides, MOPS are a few
- paint a pot – go to a local pottery studio and paint a piece of pottery with your child’s footprint/handprint
- talk to the animals – go to your local zoo or pet store
- tune in, rock out – listen to your favorite music and expose your children to the music you like
- make a net flick – make mini-video’s on your camera and send them to family and friends…check out firstwordz.com for an audio recorder
- relive your wedding day – get our your wedding video and have fun reminiscing about your big day with your children (Caleb love this right now and asks to watch “the wedding”)
- say hola, bambino – check out language tapes from the library or buy them from a bookstore…research has shown that a baby’s exposure to another language can help improve him mastery of foreign languages down the road
- share a soak – with a baby, enjoy a relaxing bath…it’s a great bonding experience
- walk down the aisle of a fabric store – it’s a visual and tactile adventure for a baby…expose him to furry fabrics, yards of shimmery sequins and rolls of satiny ribbons
What fun things do you like to do with your children?
from Parents June 2006
Tags: children, family fun, parenting
Thomas the Train…All Aboard
Day Out with Thomas 2006 Come Ride the Rails Tour is worth checking out if you have a child who is really into Thomas the Train, as Caleb is. You can ride a train led by Thomas, enjoy storytelling, games and meet one of Thomas’s closest friends, Sir Topham Hatt.
Tags: Thomas the Train, family, children
-
Miscellaneous
-
Subscribe
