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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 (13 months). I hope you'll enjoy reading about my life as a wife/mother and about our family's adventures.
Lush Goodness
I won my first Bloggy Giveaway from Not Trying for a Boy. I won a bottle of Lush “B” Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful body wash. It smells heavenly. Now along with my every other night Lush baths, I can also use the body wash every morning.
Just another product to add to the list of things to buy from Lush.
Tags: Bloggy Giveaway, Lush, body wash
Handwashing Has Its Rewards
Here are some handwashing tips for the cold and flu season from Say Boo To The Flu.
- teach your kids to wash their hands frequently – before meals, after school, after they use the bathroom, after they sneeze
- help them wash their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds, the time it takes to sing the Happy Birthday song twice
- encourage your kids to tell their friends about the benefits of handwashing
Here is a great activity for cinnamon magic to show kids the importance of hand washing.
Rub a little vegetable oil on your child’s hands, then sprinkle with cinnamon “germs”, while explaining that real germs are too small to see. Have your child wash hands without soap. The “germs” won’t come off. Add soap and watch those “germs” disappear.
Check out these other activities – spooky soap, yummy bug cakes
Did you know:
- 72 – number of hours viruses can survive on common surfaces
- 80 – percent of germs are spread by touch
- 300 – number of surfaces a child can touch in just 30 minutes
Tags: handwashing, children, cold and flu season
Trick or Treating Safety Tips
Since Halloween is tomorrow and the children will be trick-or-treating, here are some safety tips to remember.
- have a grown-up inspect your treats before eating
- choose a safe costume – if your child’s costume is dark, decorate it and her trick-or-treat bag with reflective tape, keep costumes short to avoid tripping accidents
- don’t use masks – they can block your child’s vision, especially at night, so it’s best to apply nontoxic makeup instead
- arm your trick-or-treater with a flashlight – instead of a wand or toy sword, it will help him see and be seen by drivers after dark, if your child does carry a prop, it should be made of cardboard or flexible plastic to prevent injuries
- look out for cars backing out of driveways – your child could get hit even if he’s on the sidewalk
- be street smart – always walk on sidewalks and look both ways before crossing the street, never cross the street between parked cars
from Parents October 2006
Tags: Halloween, Halloween safety
What Is Real Beauty?
September is Baby Safety Month
Sponsored by Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association every year in September, Baby Safety Month, is an effort to increase consumer awareness of safety issues surrounding the safe selection and use of baby products. Check it out for great safety tips.
Tags: baby safety month, children
Give the Gift of Life
Today, I went to a local blood drive to give blood. This isn’t one of my favorite things to do, but I know that is very important. It is especially important in the summer months, as donations go down, since people are on vacations and don’t tend to give then. Here are some statistics courtesy of the Red Cross:
- every 2 seconds, someone in the United States needs blood
- 25% of blood products are used to treat cancer patients
- a single shock-trauma victim can use 100 units of blood components in just a few hours
- approximately 4 million patients receive a blood transfusion each year
- each blood donation has the power to help save as many as three lives
- you can donate blood every 56 days
- 97% of the population will receive a blood transfusion by the age of 75
- The four main blood types are: A, B, AB and O, positive or negative
- one pint of blood can be separated into three components: red cells, platelets and plasma
- blood is perishable; red blood cells must be used within 42 days and platelets must be used within 5 days
- the average adult body contains approximately 10-12 pints of blood
If you are interested in giving blood, check this out to find a local blood drive.
Tags: American Red Cross, blood drive, health
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
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
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