Every new mom receives tons of advice with the birth of your baby, be careful who you listen to. The parenting methods that may have been in style 35 years ago are not appropriate anymore. 35 years ago some pregnant moms smoke, drank, and ate whatever they wanted. Would any responsible pregnant woman risk damage to her fetus by smoking and drinking? No, because research has proven that it is not healthy! You should not use archaic methods of parenting either.

Research continually changes the recommendations and the best practices for the healthiest and best ways to care for your babies. Listening to someone who had a baby five years ago can already be outdated, imagine if you are taking advice from someone who has not had a baby in 30 years how outdated that advice is! There are some things that I had people recommend to me that are not only outdated but outright dangerous and maybe even be considered child endangerment or neglect by today’s standards.

There are things that people say in passing like put a little whiskey on their gums when they are teething or give them a little Benadryl to sleep on a plane. These things could be are horribly dangerous for a baby. I can’t imagine how many sleep deprived, uneducated parents just give it a try. Always ask your pediatrician before giving your newborn any medications, over the counter remedies and NEVER give your child alcohol!

Baby sleep position has changed completely from 30 years ago when parents were told to put babies to sleep on their stomachs, 15 years ago it was put your baby to sleep on their side and use a sleep positioner, now we are supposed to put our babies to sleep in a completely empty crib, with no bumpers, no pillows, no positioners while they are wearing a sleep sack. Research has proven sleeping on their back is now the safest method to prevent SIDS.

Car seat safety has dramatically changed, even 5 years ago it was OK to switch your car seat front facing at 1 year and 20 pounds, now it is recommended to keep your seat rear facing until 40 pounds or as long as your car seat will allow it. When I see people using outdated car seats or standard infant seats for a 2 year old with their legs dangling over the edge it makes me want to scream! Don’t use a lap bar or shield booster, they are all recalled or expired and could decapitate your child in an accident. Don’t accept a car seat as a hand me down! Don’t use a car seat that has been in a car accident or was manufactured more than 5 years ago. Car seats are made so much better today than they were 5 years ago, they are easier to use, they are safer. Your child is worth it.

It really gets me is when I hear people say, you don’t want to spoil your baby! Don’t hold it too much! Lay down your baby! It has been proven that you can not spoil a newborn, that instead it promotes a healthy self esteem for children to be held. In countries where babies are never put down but are carried constantly, those babies never cry and acid reflux does not exist.

Why are there are so many products that are aimed at newborns and under 20 pounds like bassinets, co-sleepers, cradles? It is because developmentally newborns don’t sleep for 8 hours at a time. These products help encourage nursing success because nursing babies digest breast milk faster than formula, and need to be fed every 2-3 hours when they are newborns. Even if you are not breastfeeding, your baby needs you more than you need your sleep at least until they are about 4 months old. Babies poop constantly even at night. You can’t leave a newborn baby laying in their waste all night long. Could you sleep while your feces burns a horrible diaper rash on your sensitive skin? You should not be trying to let a newborn Cry It Out. Leaving your baby to scream and cry for 1 hour until they fall asleep in exhaustion could be considered child neglect, so be careful. Do some research or ask your pediatrician before believing someone who tells you that it is OK to ignore a newborn and let them Cry it Out.

After nine months of pregnancy if it leaves you wanting to escape as soon as the baby is born is not healthy. Mothers who do not want to be around their babies may have postpartum depression. You are not supposed to be able to leave your newborn, it is maternal instinct and that instinct was developed through thousands of years to protect children from being abandoned by their parents to die. Don’t believe someone who tells you to go out and have fun and leave your kid right after your baby is born. You need that time to bond with your baby to establish a connection and your milk supply if you are nursing. Don’t believe someone who tells you it is OK to want to leave right after your baby is born, talk to your doctor instead to rule out postpartum depression.

Your life has changed, you are the Mom now! You need do the research and find out if you are doing the safest, best things for your baby based upon research. You should not believe someone who gives you advice based upon the way they parented their own children 5 to 50 years ago. When it comes to raising your infant do the research, read parenting books, articles and magazines and talk to your pediatrician.

One day my old Dirt Devil vacuum cleaner stopped sucking, the brushes would spin but would no longer suck up anything. I cleaned it and I replaced the filter. I was covered with the nasty dirt and dust that had accumulated in the canister from 2 years of use. Yep that was it, just 2 years and it died. That was the same with my vacuum prior to that, only 2 years then it died too.

My husband tossed it out to the trash and said he was going to pick out the vacuum this time because he knew that if I went to the store I would just go get another reasonably priced vacuum like for the previous two. I had no clue what he was going to get, he spent an hour at Best Buy and he came home with the Dyson DC25 Ball All-Floors Upright Vacuum Cleaner. I was shocked because I would not have spent that kind of money and bought a Dyson Ball!

He set it up and I was truly excited to try it. My old vacuums with the wheels had to have the settings changed every time I changed vacuuming surfaces from the hard kitchen floor and kitchen rugs to the living room carpet to the frieze in the bedrooms, four times I would have to adjust the vacuum just to clean my upper level. With the Ball there is no changing of heights to go from one surface to the next, If you want to vacuum the kitchen floor and get the rug next it is seem-less and no stopping to change levels. The wheels verses ball is no contest, it is unbelievable how easy it is to vacuum with, my 2 year old can easily vacuum the floor and he loves to do it. You can whiz into every corner and narrow area with no effort at all. My living room carpet had a lie, and one direction was harder to push a vacuum than going against the lie. When using my old vacuum it was an arm workout trying to go towards against the lie, with the Dyson it was no effort at all.

When people come over I offer them the chance to try the vacuum. My sister vacuumed with it and she said it is so easy she wondered if it was even working? I said yep check out what you are picking up! She is used to her heavy normal vacuum that truly is a workout that pushing around the Dyson Ball is like night and day.

It has a 5 year warranty against breakage. 5 whole years! Maybe I will have a vacuum that will last more than the typical 2 years of my previous two models. I hope I don’t need it, but I appreciate it because I am certainly not easy on vacuums.

Instead of buying new filters you simply cleaning the filter with water and let it dry every 2 months. I used to hate having to make a special trip to the store to find a filter, remember the letter and hope it fits in the vacuum like I used to do with my old vacuums. No bags, no filters to buy. Awesome, that saves you money right there.

The easy to clean canister! I love the canister, with my last vacuum I used to have to unclog it by sticking my hand up to my elbow to clean out the clogged hair and dust stuck in the top of the canister. I never understood what the benefit was to having no bag when I was constantly touching the dirt I picked up. With this one, It is a wide open canister, you push the button to release the bottom and the dirt falls out, no unclogging required! No dirty hands and elbows!!!

The hose attachment is strange and does not bend much but it gets the job done, when doing stairs I prefer to use the hose and the ball is nice and light so I am not breaking my back lifting it up stairs, it also stops spinning all together when you pull out the hose so you are not wearing a hole in your carpet to vacuum corners and stairs. I am not a big attachment girl in my eyes it is just more to loose and fall off when I am moving the vacuum up and down stairs so the attachments that came with it are perfect for me. There is a pointed nozzle a soft bristle attachment for that and a flat head for lint removal.

I have only one complaint about the design, I wish the cord was longer.

I realized when I encouraged my little brother and his wife to buy one the other day that I needed to write a review. I have had my Dyson Ball for over a year now and still love it! The Dyson Ball makes vacuuming fun and does a fantastic job of cleaning my floors. The Dyson Ball really is that awesome, in my opinion it is worth every penny.

I have purchased and own 8 car seats, yep 8. We have 2 cars and 2 kids so we like to have car seats in both cars so we can get up and go at any time without having to transfer seats. We have a two infant seats, 3 belt positioning booster car seats, and 3 convertible car seats. Of all of these 8 car seats I have one favorite, it is the Safety 1st Alpha Omega Elite Convertible Car Seat
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It is an extended use convertible car seat that can be used from infant way past 40 pounds as most convertible seats end, all the way to belt positioning booster seat so it could truly be the last car seat you will need. I believe there is value in having an infant car seat for newborns and infants but after your child is too big for the infant seat this is the model you should look at.

With a nice wide seat, the padding makes it comfortable and it is well made and sturdy. When your child grows you slide the 4 position padded headrest and harness up without needing to un-thread and re-thread the straps, if you have ever had to do that you will know how awesome it is to have a seat smart enough to not need to be re-threaded. I noticed my son had grown and I was able to move the headrest up while it was still securely strapped in my car!

I occasionally have to remove and install this seat in a grandparents car and it is made to be easy to install with the latch system. The belts have a locking button that you need to push the button to release the latch belt slide to make them easy to install and remove when you need to. Once it is tightly installed it does not loosen up at all even on my leather seats, that thing is absolutely immobile. Even with it being taken in and out of my car countless times for cleaning my car or moving it into another car it is still as sturdy and tight as it was when it was brand new.

When my son is not in the car my daughter wants to ride in his seat because it is more comfortable than her seat. It is easily adjustable with a front adjustment to accommodate my older daughter while still being latched into my car. It has nice long shoulder belts so you can comfortably strap your children in with snowsuits and puffy jackets. My daughter is about 40 pounds and with her winter coat there is still plenty of slack in the shoulder straps to accommodate even larger children to be strapped into the 5 point harness.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations and keep your child rear facing for as long as is possible for the car seat and this seat allows you to have your child to stay rear facing up to 35 pounds. This seat has plenty of room and can comfortably stay in reverse to keep your children safe.

In comparison to more expensive safe seats that can be kept in rear facing for up to 35 pounds this seat is really reasonably priced.

I love this seat! It looks cool in my car, (I bought it in Proton) it wipes clean easily with the material. It will grow with my child, it is large and comfortable and has features that older kids want like the articulating arm rests and the removable cup holder. I am excited that it will still be latched into my car and can be used as a belt positioning booster when my children outgrow the 5 point harness. I wish I would have bought two when I got it, one for each kid.

No matter how much I wish I was the energizer bunny of moms that never needs a break, I know it simply is not true. There are days where I need to take an extra few minutes in the bathroom to get some space and regroup. I treasure nap times when I get them, and also love the hour or two that I spend up after the kids go to bed. As a stay at home mom I don’t get the adult interaction every day, don’t get the 8 hours each day away from my kids so that I am excited to see them when I pick them up in the evening. No matter how much I enjoy being a stay at home mom, every once in a while I need a break away from my home and children. I think as mothers we need realize that we may be better moms when we take some time to ourselves to remember what we enjoy to do besides just spend time with our children. It not only can teach our children the importance of friendships and having your own interests, it also gives you something to talk about with your spouse, and gives you the opportunity to look forward to seeing your children after a short separation.

I have a supportive husband and a wonderful family who happily offer to take my kids so I can get a break when I need it. The other weekend I did not just recharge and relax I also had fun with my friends. I woke up, fed my kids breakfast, drank my morning coffee, kissed the kids goodbye, packed up the car and took off a few miles down the road for a solid twenty four hours of uninterrupted time. We had a scrap booking day and overnight planned at a local hotel with my friends and fellow scrap bookers. I am not a super scrap booker, but I think it is fun to work with my hands and create projects with like minded creative women. I enjoy devoting endless hours creating something without my kids “helping” wanting to do it too, or wanting to steal my scissors and hide it somewhere around the house. I made some fun scrapbook pages and used the time to get my kids baby books up to date.

We laughed, listened to music, snacked on appetizers and deserts, drank some cocktails and enjoyed each others company. After we all had a full 12 hours of scrap booking we packed it up, and spent some time laughing and telling stories and stayed up much too late. We slept in surprisingly comfortable beds in the hotel rooms and woke up, ate continental breakfast then went swimming in the hotel pool and the hot tub. I was home by 10 AM and I was so excited to see my kids after being away for twenty four hours! I was able to appreciate the time away from my children, away from my husband, spent with my friends, doing something creative. I call that a successful recharge of the mom batteries.

My husband bought a used Toyota Camry to put miles on driving back and forth across town for his work car. He drove it for three years and it served its purpose for us, he was able to save 30,000 miles from being put on our newer cars. The Camry was in great physical condition but we did not know anyone who wanted to buy the car and since we were not buying a new car, trading it in was not an option.

When you try to sell a used car you deal with a ton of headache. You have to clean and detail your car, take pictures of it and try to make it look its best. You have to pay to post your car online or in the paper. You need a phone number just for people to call to ask questions about the vehicle so you don’t need to give out your home phone number. Once people ask you a million questions about the car then they want to come look at it, now you have to give strangers your home address. Now you have to arrange a time and make sure you are home to have strangers come over look at the car and then hope they actually show up and that you did not stay home for no reason. If they do show up they kick the tires, ask a million other questions and search every square inch of the car engine to trunk. Then if they like the car, then you need to let strangers drive your car. Now with your insurance, you have to trust that a stranger is not going to crash your car, steal your car by driving away and never coming back, you have to worry that they are going to beat on it to see how it runs, and then ruin the engine so now you are stuck with a car that is broken. If they really are interested and they don’t break your car, they might ask to show it to a mechanic, so you have to make time to bring the car to their mechanic, and even if it gets a clean bill of health, there is no guarantee they buy it. Then if they are really interested then it is time to haggle over price, they will point out every ding and scratch on your used car and try to get you to agree to a lower price.

Now if you finally agree to a price there is the method of payment, you can’t accept personal checks, you need a cashiers check or cash, but you have to worry that it is counterfeit cash or a fake cashiers check. Now if they actually pay you legitimately you sign over the title to them and need to create a sold “as is” contract so they don’t come back to sue you if the car breaks down in a month or just stops running. Then there is the matter of the title. You have to hope that they actually transfer the title over into their own name and address so that if they use it as a getaway car or hit and run someone, that is not still listed under your name the police don’t come knocking at your door. I know people that have dealt with every one of these things when selling a used car.

We wanted to avoid all of that drama associated with selling our car and even considered selling it to a junkyard so that we did not have to deal with strangers and we would then get $200-$300 for it. I called around that is what the junkyards offered me.

Then I came up with the idea that we could donate it! Then I had to research to find a legitimate local charity that I could donate it to.

We grew up owning a cabin right next to Camp Courage for the Courage Center so I was familiar with the great work Courage Center does for handicapped children and adults that is why I chose Courage Center. I researched online to find out the steps I needed to take to donate the car. I needed to contact the Courage Center to make sure they would take it, Then I filled out the online form that was printable off their website, I pulled the title out of the file cabinet, had my husband sign it over, then I brought the completed donation form along with the original signed over title to the post office and mailed it priority mail return receipt requested. I did that to ensure my car title was actually received and not lost in the mail. Within two days of receiving my title the courage center sent a tow truck to pick up the Camry. The Camry was sent to auction and the proceeds from the sale of the car all went to Courage Center. The Courage Center recieved a couple thousand dollars for our car and we received a personal thank you call and the tax deductible paperwork in the mail within 6 weeks. It worked slick!

I think vehicle donation was a fantastic alternative to selling our car or selling our car to a junkyard. The sale of our car benefited a local charity in my state, and hopefully helped send a handicapped child to camp. Consider donating your car!

If you live in Minnesota and want to donate your vehicle to the Courage Center here is a link.
www.couragecenter.org