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Join Dr. Smith’s Diaper Rash Ointment and Macaroni Kid this Wednesday, February 22nd at 9pm EST for a Problem Solved Twitter Party!  We’ll be crowd sourcing solutions to common problems parents face.

“What better source of wisdom to solve common problems faced by moms than other moms,” said Joyce Shulman, Macaroni Kid’s Chief Macaroni Mom (@macaronikidHQ).  “We wondered what other great mom-generated solutions are out there, so we decided to bring moms together and ask.”

January 31, 2012 by Daddy Digest

We purchased a new car not in September of last year.  It is one of those that has a counter that tells you when it is time for you to drive down to your local dealership and get your whatever changed or your whatever rotated whenever it tells you to.  It usually starts out at 100% and counts down with normal use and mileage calculated in.  I don’t really like this setup though and here is why.

My car, which will be turning 13 very soon, does not have this digital feature.  I go and get my oil changed when I need and actually when my schedule permits.  Now on the newer vehicles it throws up every text warning, dings every chime, and flashes every light in the instrument panel.  If someone is riding with me in the car and it happens to be around that time I may get that look like “hey buddy….are you doing to do something about all of those lights and warnings and stuff?” and that can be embarrassing.

Another thing is WHY do they say you MUST bring your vehicle in for service at 15% remaining?   So does that mean that our vehicle only really gets 85% of the old life?  Then they feed you the lines like “you don’t want “neglect of service in a timely manner” to be in your vehicle report do you?” or “not getting it serviced when scheduled could forfeit your warranty buddy!”

I am a person who likes to get a friendly reminder when it is time for a service to be done or an appointment somewhere.  I do not like being bugged and shuffled in early to do it.  That would be like going to the Dr.’s office because he wanted you to come in when he thought it was time and then he said “I am going to give you all of these pills because I think in a couple of weeks you are going to get sick!”  NO!  Wait till I am hacking all up in your office and let me be at 0%-2% when I get my fluids harassed in my vehicle.  Biggest tip I could ever give….keep track of your own maintenance and read the policy of extended warranties and their guidelines.  Don’t be pressured into doing anything that you don’t have to until it is time to do so!

0% remaining in this blog post.

January 3rd, 2012 by Isabel North

I’m sure many of you have made New Years Resolutions as we begin 2012 and one of the most common ones include losing weight and being healthier. For most people, this involves fad diets and gym memberships; after all, these were always on my list and they always made their way to the backburner by the end of that year.

What I’ve learned over the past few years is that losing weight and being healthier have more to do with a lifestyle change than anything else. I’m happy to say that “being more healthy” isn’t on my resolutions list anymore because it’s something that I just do as part of my life now. Eating whole, organic foods is part of my weekly routine of grocery shopping and cooking and losing (or maintaining) weight is just a result of this regular routine of eating healthier. No fad diets, no spending hours on end at the gym (who has time for that?).

So in order to help you make your New Years resolution of being healthier stick around for life and better yet, on a budget, I thought I’d share a few tips:

Reduce processed foods – If it’s boxed, bagged, canned or jarred and has a list of ingredients on the label, it’s processed. Processed foods have been altered from their natural state for “safety” and convenience reasons. And scary as it seems, about 90 percent of the money that Americans spend on food is used to buy processed items.

Now I know it’s very difficult in our busy lives to totally eliminate processed foods, but if you can make your own beans rather than buying them from a can, you are already eating healthier. Most of the time, these processed foods come with a list of ingredients to preserve their shelf life and enhance their flavor and they are laden with sweeteners, salts, artificial flavors, factory-created fats, colorings, chemicals that alter texture, and preservatives.  These ingredients provide no health benefits and can be a hindrance to a healthier you and even losing weight.

Read ingredients – I know it might be difficult to eliminate ALL processed foods (after all, I’m going to be churning my own butter), but if you can reduce the amount of processed foods AND learn about the foods that you are buying in a box, can or jar then you can have a good combination of health and convenience My rule of thumb is if I can’t pronounce or if I’ve never heard of the ingredient, I don’t buy it.

I also try to stick with certified USDA Organic brands and read their ingredients. Usually the list is short and I know what is in it. I’m not saying that buying organic brands guarantees health; there are plenty of organic brands that are guilty of being just as unhealthy as their unorganic counterparts, but what I’ve learned is that organic brands help facilitate the process of elimination of brands much easier. I started learning how to read ingredients by buying a little pocket book on Amazon that had a whole list of them so while I was shopping, I would look them up and see what it was that I was looking to buy. After a few shopping trips, I no longer needed the pocket book and I knew which brands I could count on and stuck with them.

Eat more whole foods – When you eat more whole foods, you are starting the process of reducing the amount of processed foods and when you begin to eat more whole foods, you will quickly notice a healthier you (weight loss, skin glow, better mood and sleep, etc). So what do I mean by whole foods? To me, eating whole foods means eating foods that don’t have additives but are instead exactly as they come from the earth.

Examples of this include buying fresh fruit and vegetables instead of canned and eating more whole grains. I can’t even remember the last time I bought a can of corn or green beans. Instead I go to the produce section of the grocery store, buy them whole and either steam or roast them at home. The flavor is a huge difference and it’s much more nutritious than the canned variety.

Other examples include, fresh baked bread (either at home or from a bakery) rather than a bag of bread, using raw honey or maple syrup as a sweetener instead of sugar, make your own beans instead of buying them canned (it’s so easy!). I also try to avoid oils that didn’t come from a natural source. The culprits are usually vegetable and canola. Instead I cook with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Virgin Coconut Oil. If you like to cook with butter, stay away from margarine and try a grass-fed variety and use it in moderation.

Shop local – If you shop local, you can save money on eating organic, whole foods. There are a few ways to do this. One of the most common ways is your local farmer’s market, which can offer you many of the whole, organic fruits and vegetables you’d find at your natural food stores. For example, just this past weekend I bought 1 lb of sweet potatoes at the farmer’s market for $2, while that same pound cost me $2.50 at the grocery store. I can’t always buy everything at the farmer’s market because of where I live; the climate doesn’t allow our farmer’s to grow strawberries year-round. But I get as much as I can and just wait to eat strawberries again when they are in season.  Another way to buy local is to join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). CSA’s are a great way to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer. Here is the gist of how a CSA works: a farmer offers a certain number of “shares” to the public. Typically the share consists of a box of fruits and vegetables, but other farm products may be included. You purchase a share (aka a “membership” ) and in return receive a box of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season. It’s a great way to build very fresh, organically grown food and building relationship with a farmer where you get to visit the farm and actually SEE your food being grown and harvested.

Buy in bulk – No, I don’t mean buying at Costco or Sams.  I mean shopping in the bulk bins at your health food stores. You’d be amazed at how much you can save rather than buying in a package. You can buy everything from a huge variety grains and rice, salt and nuts. You can even get fresh ground nut butters, coffee, and honey.

Grow your own garden – This is the best and most cost effective way to eat healthy on a budget. What better way to go back to basics than growing your own food? Since you are growing the food yourself you know that you are safe from pesticides and other harmful chemicals that are often used on larger commercial farms. Depending on where you live, you can even consider raising your chickens. You can have fresh eggs from the laying hens and meat when the time is appropriate. Your organic chickens will provide you with a lot of nutrition and protein.

Hopefully, these tips give you some ways to start the New Year for a healthier new you… for life. Happy New Year and Cheers to good health and happiness in 2012!

November 23, 2011 by Daddy Digest

Growing up I was a frequent moviegoer.  My mom and I used to catch a bunch of movies together whenever something piqued my interest.  Some movies that come to mind during my time as a juvenile motion picture enthusiast are The Never ending Story, Dark Crystal, E.T., The Masters of the Universe (cartoon and live action), The Last Stafighter, The Flight of the Navigator, Ghostbusters, and Transformers the Movie.  These were some of the movies that stood out in my mind that made impressions of enjoyable films in my mind. What stands out the most though were not the films themselves but the time with my mom.

I wanted that feeling to be the same way with my kids.  I wanted to create not just a trip to the movies but an experience that they would always look back on and fondly of.

I started with telling myself that I would not take them to a movie until they were able to tell me verbally that they wanted to see a movie.  If for some reason they saw a commercial of a movie and yelled out “Me want to see that movie” then off to the theater we go.

Another thing that I felt that would be important for each child was to have their first movie watched with just daddy.  The other siblings stayed at home or did other things with mommy while the movie watcher of the day went with me and we checked out the show.  This whole occasion was really just an awesome way to create a special time between me and one of my kids.  My hope is that they see this time in front of a movie as spending time with them and that they are the focus of the day.

After the movie we usually head to a toy store to pick them up a small toy that is from the movie (if the movie has one).  I just think that that certain toy will always a connection to that movie and that special day.  Then we head on over to eat wherever they choose and usually the place have to do with golden arches.  Oh well, that’s the price you pay for great memories.

November 22, 2011 by Traci Shannon

It’s Thanksgiving! Is your heart singing as the holiday season begins? Are you dreaming of turkey and counting the moments until the family gathers around the table to say ‘thanks”? Or are you dreading the travel? Are you just waiting for the moment when the pressure becomes too much and one or all of your children has a complete meltdown in front of everyone?

If you are like me, the answer to all of the above is “yes!”

I love, Love, LOVE the holidays. I love the music, the food, and the decorations. But it doesn’t come without stress. A recipe of unrealistic expectations and distorted schedules with a dash of close quarters makes for an incredibly well-done meltdown. And that is just the adults! Double that recipe for kids!

Thus the time honored tradition of holiday tantrums!

So, what can we do to create a new tradition? Well to start, I try to check in with myself. If I’m feeling pressured and stressed, the kids will pick up on that and act out. This is heightened with the audience factor. Let’s be honest, if they know you don’t want them to act out in front of grandma, they are sure to act out in front of grandma.

Next, I can try to maintain a schedule. I did say, “Try”. Even though the loved ones may want to stay up later for some extra visiting, I try to get the kids to bed pretty close to bedtime. That’s as much for me as them. If they are tired (or if I am tired), the potential for a freak-out increases exponentially. Also, this is not the time to try to build up an appetite for the big meal. Better to let them have a healthy snack now and avoid the meltdown later; even when the older generation is tsk-tsking about spoiling the meal. Trust me, the meal will be spoiled a great deal more by a crying, tired, hungry child!

So do your best to keep the comfort level that is created by consistency. Do your best to keep your cool. But most of all remember this. The holidays are a pressure cooker. They have the ability to bring out the best and the worst in all of us. At some point, some steam will be released and history suggests that it will be when you least desire it. And don’t forget, most of those relatives surrounding you, some of them shaking their heads, have had their kids do the same thing. Just think of it as keeping a long family tradition.

October 28, 2011 by Traci Shannon

So Halloween is upon us. Or as it is known in my house — the second-most favorite holiday! As if this needs any explanation, my son would further, “because you get lots of candy, Mom!”

It is Trick-or-Treating, costumes, and of course, candy time! There is a lot of fun surrounding all of that but don’t forget, “Safety First”.

Now much of these are the same things your Mom yelled out the door or pure Common Sense, but I think that they bear repeating. To me, there are three parts of Halloween Safety – 1) Be Seen, 2) Walk Safe, and 3) Check it Out.

So, first rule in our house is “Be Seen!” Help your kids choose costumes that make them visible. “But, Traci, have you seen the costumes? Most of them are dark, black even!” I know. I know. My son is Iron Man and my daughter is a Vampire Princess. Both are dark red and black. So believe me, I understand. So assuming that you, like myself, cannot convince your children to wear an all white costume, there are other options.

Flashlights are great and if you can get your child to carry one consistently through the night, that’s awesome. But if that’s not happening; try these. We buy multiple glow sticks. Try placing the glow sticks in their buckets (cool effect, by the way), and if you have you have very young children, place them several places on the stroller. Hang them off your belt or purse. Remember, if they don’t see you, they probably won’t see your kiddos, so don’t forget yourself. There is also glow tape that can be stuck to hems of skirts, belts, and shoe laces. It can be cut to allow it to be minimally visible on the costume while still able to reflect light. To avoid push-back from your kiddo, be creative in the placement but don’t forget the back. That’s when you most need the kids to be visible as they obviously aren’t looking.

Now you can be distinguished from the night but, there’s much more you can do. Stay together in groups. If your children are older and no longer want to walk with you, make sure that they stay in a group of friends. Personally, I like to keep in eyeshot of my son’s group. At least early on, so I may observe how well the group stays together. If you find your child is consistently ahead or behind the group, consider finding them a distinct partner or encouraging him or her to walk with you. There is safety in numbers in more ways than one.

Which brings me to Rule Two, “Walk Safe”. No one needs to Trick-or-Treat alone and the more people you walk with, the more fun. And the more visible. But remind your kiddos that being in a group is not enough. They still need to follow all the rules of traffic and of stranger danger. With traffic, my mom gave me great advice. She taught me that cars are looking for people at the intersections but are less aware in the straightaways. So try greeting all the houses on one side of the street and then cross once and do the other side. Limit your mid-street crosses. Also, be aware of walking through parked cars. You never know when someone who is tired, has a screaming, cranky child in the back seat just wanting to get home is pulling out. As to strangers, keep an eye on the peripheries of your group. Note if anyone seems to be hanging about that is not part of your group. Again, it’s just about making sure the fun is never over-ridden by a tragedy.

Finally, “Check it Out!” You have survived the evening. Your kids rush in with their haul and they begin the dump. But I say, “whoa!’ We do examine the candy packages. Anything opened in anyway, disappears. We only keep handmade items from families that we know personally. We then allow two or three pieces to appease the sweet tooth. We then put the rest up to be distributed a few at a time over the days (or weeks) to come. For our family, we feel comfortable with this level of inspection. I know that there are those who swap out all the gained candy for candy that they have bought themselves.   You may know your neighbors well enough to feel safe without step three. Just do what feels right for your family.

I’m now adding Rule Four – enjoy yourself! Remember do it right, do it fun!

September 12, 2001 by Daddy Digest

Most people do the whole spring cleaning thing.  We participate in that ritual every spring  of opening up the windows and just going to town on cleaning stuff you may not clean that much the rest of the year.  At our homestead we partake in a fall cleaning s well.  This mainly includes going through the kids clothes and ringing in the new and throwing out the old.

We try to get everything ready around the time that school is about to start back.  I think that this is one of the best times to do this because the season is about to change so we are going to have to go from summer to winter anyways fairly soon.  We usually try to start in my daughters room who is 8 and in the 3^rd  grade.  We slowly integrate all of the new clothes that she has gotten for back to school (they have previously been put to the side  to deter from pre-school ruining) into the main clothes section in her closet.  She goes through and tries on questionable garments that may not fit anymore and then if kept they go into the closet and if not they get thrown into a pile to be burnt.  See, I really got you with that last sentence that I wrote.  You were thinking “why don’t you donate them”…well, we do.

The boy’s closet is a little bit more of an undertaking.  The boys, who are 3 and 5, share a closet together and we have to rotate their clothes in and out.  By this I mean that when a new season rolls around we have to get up in the attic and take out the old out grown clothes from the 5 year old and get them ready for the 3 year old.  Then we must pack up the recently outgrown clothes from the 5 year old and put them in the attic for future wear by the 3 year old.  Since we are no longer having any more children of our own we also take out the outgrown clothes from the 3 year old and get them all ready to hand down to someone else.  It might seem really  complicated to those people who have never done the “fall closet shuffle” but in my experience make sure you find a good method to all of the madness and your wife is always right.

August 30, 2011 by Mocha Dad

August 25, 2011 by Traci Shannon

It’s August what??? School starts in how many days???

Yes, the time of lunches, pencils, and homework has returned! But I’m not ready. What happened to all those afternoons reading and keeping up with our math facts? And remember how we weren’t going to go to bed too late? And we weren’t going to sleep in too much? Did you make those promises to yourself, too? Did you break them? Yeah, me too.

So, assuming you broke your promises like me, how do you get ready in these last crazy days of freedom?

I start with the excitement factor. Nothing gets my kiddos more on board than new backpacks and lunchboxes.  Whether it’s a Super-hero or a Princess, decking the kids out in their favorite makes a huge difference. And before you and your wallet wince, I got my kids their first choice super cheap – superhero cheap! Check out your local grocery and discount stores, as well as the big box stores to find the best deals! They are literally counting the days until they can use them!

I know what you’re saying. “Hey, Traci (because we’re on a first name basis, right?) Getting a bag and even some new clothes is the easy part. How the heck am I going to get these kids back into a routine?”

Now, I won’t even start with the not-letting-the-kids-get-out-of=the-routine routine because I have already admitted that I failed miserably on that front. So in the world of reality and failed summer goals, where do we go from here?

Don’t wait until the last minute! Start early on bedtimes. My pediatrician told me that you can’t control when they go to sleep, you can only control when they get up. So even though, you’re tired, too (You know you are – you’ve had the kids home all summer!), get up early. Get up and get them up! They may fight you (mine did!) and bedtime may be ugly (ours was!) but better to do it now rather than waiting until a school bell is ringing.

So, good luck! School will start and eventually they will be ready. And if it happens a day or two after that first bell rings, it’s not the end of the world. It’s just the beginning of a new school year.

August 9, 2011 by Traci Shannon

Remember when the word summer meant something? And by something, I mean “Nothing”. No work. No school. A true break. I can. But it looks a bit different than the summer my children are enjoying.

I was a child of the 1970’s. An innocent time of three networks (plus PBS) and if you were lucky and had cable, you basically increased your channels by about five or six and that included the Chicago station that played Bozo the Clown in the mornings. There was no Disney Channel or Cartoon Network. There were no VCRs, much less DVDs. We had one large console television in the family room and a small black and white (yes, I said black and white) TV in my parent’s room. The parental television was off-limits and if the larger TV was on, it was usually tuned to one of the many soap operas that dominated daytime television back then. In other words, if I wanted to watch TV (which I did), it centered on Erica and her evil machinations or why Luke & Lara should or shouldn’t get together.  Oh and lest I forget, the stations went off air around 1:00 am seriously dampering any late night viewing.

My kids have a seemingly endless world of available programming specific to children. It runs 24 hours a day so if they desired (they do) and if I allowed (I don’t ), they could wake up and do nothing but watch television until it put them back to sleep at night.

Computers were large, mysterious things at my dad’s work. He would bring me home stacks  of “computer paper” on which to draw. Blue and white on one side with about a hundred holes at the top, it was perfect for the large landscapes I would color with my pack of eight crayons. My kids still color on computer paper; it just comes in reams of perfect white. But the paper is not the only thing they understand. They get the computer itself. My son is constantly asking to play games or watch Netflix on it.

Now you might think that these differences in technology have made our summers fundamentally different but they really haven’t. In truth, the things that I loved most about summer are the same things they love. We have made the perfunctory road trip to see (and be spoiled by) the grandparents. My kids love to walk to the pool and swim until they look like prunes. We have made trips to the library and visited the zoo.  And in true ‘70s fashion, we have walked to the corner store to get Icees. We have stayed up late and slept in.

The truth is my best memories of summer are not from those long, hot days of the 1970s spent at the pool or reading Nancy Drew, they are those I’m making now watching my kids discover the dogkid days of summer.