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• While You Were Out TLC  When my eldest daughter was little, she had the worst diaper rash I had ever seen. I tried a multitude of products and nothing seemed to help. I hadn't even heard of Boudreaux's Butt Paste back then.  I did buy some for my BFF's baby shower, I stuck it in the diaper cake. I have to admit, I mainly bought it because the name made me giggle. Now that her sweet little baby is here, my BFF says she loves the way the paste gives a nice even cover over her baby's bum bum. I wish I would have found this for my daughter, oh well, at least now I know if I have another.I know I have a lot of readers with little ones or little ones on the way.You can even try this great product for FREE HERE 

How to Help Your Child Conquer Shyness

I completely understand the effects of shyness on people in general and children specifically. I was very shy as a child and my timidity lasted well into my adulthood. I remember as a child wanting to participate in various activities, but did not because of fear. Although timidity is quite common place, it is imperative that it is kept in check, in order to ensure it is not hindering your child's social development. As a timid child, I often wish someone would recognize the issue and help me. Here are some tips to aid in assisting your Child in Conquering Shyness.

1. Compliment them: Reinforce the Positive

Most kids are shy as a result of negative thinking. They are thinking they are not good enough. They feel as everyone will laugh if they make a mistake. It is necessary to reinforce their positive attributes. Give them compliments as much as possible and be sincere.

2. Teach them: Communication is Key

Let them know it is okay to say "hello" to others. To ask "How are you doing?" Give practical advice such as showing sincerity and listening attentively. Even allow them to see you communicate with someone you do not know well. Let them know it is okay to inquire of other's interests.

3. Help them: Locate their interests

It is important to find out a timid child's interests. In some cases, some may need assistance in discovering their interests. Look for various activities in school and the community. Encourage your child to be a participant in them.

4. Notice them

Shy children have a tendency to endure unmet needs. Everyone wants to feel as if they are special, loved and that they belong. Set aside time each day to talk with your child. Discuss the day's events and their reactions/feelings toward them. It is extremely important that you make them feel valid and loved.

Timidity is very prevalent in our society. However, it is necessary to overcome in order to live a fulfilling life. It is even better if the issue of timidity is conquered at a young age.

Monique Willis invites parents to help their timid children become bold and active. Read "How to Help Your Child Overcome Shyness" and a wealth of other resources to aid in your child's social and academic development at http://www.tutorfi.com.
 Source

Guest post from Author R.C. Ryan

I had five children in nine years. When my husband and I married young, we both wanted a big family. Once the babies started coming, we had to grow up quickly. I learned, after the birth of my first baby, that I'd had no idea how much work I would do until I quit work to stay home and raise a family.

Let's talk multi-tasking. Mothers are experts at doing laundry, folding towels while listening to a child's faltering words as he learns to read, watching the clock while dinner cooks and helping a cranky child figure out homework in those first semesters of algebra; drive a son to basketball practice, drop off another at Scouting, and a third child at dance class, while trying to figure out the decorations for a five-year old's birthday party the following weekend.

When I started writing, I began with an hour a day. That was all the time I could afford in my crazy schedule. When I finally sold my first book and had a contract for another, I started setting my alarm for 4:00 am, so that I could have two hours of uninterrupted work before starting my 'real day'. That gradually grew to another 2 hours at night after helping the kids with their homework, cleaning up the kitchen, packing lunches for the next school day, and tucking them all into bed.

My kids are grown now, and my days are somewhat easier. I can work in my home office 9 to 5, and still have energy left over to be a wife. But I'm thankful for the lessons I was forced to learn by being an overworked mother of five. These were grand life-lessons that will stay with me forever. We women rock. We rule. And we're the queens of organization.

R. C. Ryan

Visit her Blog Tour & 5 Book Giveaway on Mommy Reads too Much

A Hidden Cause of Obesity

By Judith J. Wurtman, PhD,
Co-Author of The Serotonin Power Diet: Eat Carbs -- Nature's Own Appetite Suppressant -- to Stop Emotional Overeating and Halt Antidepressant-Associated Weight Gain
I know it does no good to shout at a TV screen but I do it anyway. Watching advertisements for upcoming specials on "obesity in America" or "best diet tips" or "the best way to fight weight gain" provokes my on-going one-sided argument.

When I see doctors such as Dr. Oz or Dr. Gupta talk about weight-loss interventions and offer their support to individuals on their long journey to weight loss, I keep hoping they will at least occasionally focus on those individuals who gained weight from their medications. They never do. That is a real problem. For the 25% of the population whose use of antidepressants is causing them to gain weight, the doctors' wise and supportive words are irrelevant. Even the Queen of Weight-Loss Discussions, Oprah, has not addressed this serious issue and the silence from other media such as women's magazines is overwhelming. Yet it has been years since the SSRI's have been identified with weight gain and at least 40 years since drugs like lithium and the early group of antidepressants were known to be associated with obesity.

Discussions about antidepressants and weight gain are all over the Internet, from scholarly articles listing the many drugs that cause weight gain to blogs by those who are experiencing obesity from their use. Typical is one I came across on the website All Experts asking about the use of an amphetamine-like drug, phentermine, for weight loss. The female writer said she took phentermine and lost weight but stopped the drug because she needed to go on an antidepressant. She took Lexapro and gained 35 pounds, stopped that, started Prozac and gained another l0 pounds. Her desperation at gaining so much weight caused her to quit the antidepressants to go back on the amphetamine-like drug. She said her family is begging her to go back on her antidepressants and she wants to know if she can take phentermine along with her serotonin reuptake blocker, Prozac. According to the pharmacist-expert, she can't. The FDA prohibits combining an amphetamine-like drug such as phentermine with an SSRI because it might lead to serious illness or even death. The writer is clearly upset by the answer and it is possible she will still take the phentermine because losing weight is more critical than a possible lethal side effect. Her problem, which is so typical of many on similar drugs, is greeted by silence from media experts on obesity.

What is equally upsetting about our national discussions on obesity is the finger pointing at someone who is 100 or more pounds heavier than he or she should because of treatment with mood stabilizers or atypical antipsychotics. We see someone morbidly obese and immediately assume that the individual is obese because of bad food choices, eating too much and lack of exercise. We don't understand that the individual may have been thin before going on the medication, and may have always eaten healthily and exercised. Unless we are on similar medications ourselves, we would not know how it feels to have an antidepressant or mood stabilizer take away our control over eating and leave us so tired we cannot bring ourselves to exercise. Medication-generated weight gain is almost never acknowledged in the seemingly endless national discussions about the obesity epidemic, in the monthly magazine diets or the seasonal focus on weight-loss by television's medical experts.

The lack of attention paid to this problem in the media has led some, like the overweight blogger, to seek out solutions such as taking drugs that are potentially dangerous. Others may despair at following the diet advice given on television and in magazines because much of it doesn't work for people on antidepressants. And some, of course, will give up their medications because the emotional pain of being obese is worse than the emotional pain of depression.

Yet the solution to losing weight while on antidepressants is easy and simple. It simply requires knowing that brain serotonin does more than regulate mood. It also regulates appetite.

When enough serotonin is made, eating stops. Drugs such as the SSRI's may promote the activity of mood-enhancing serotonin but for reasons we do not understand the same drugs may prevent the activity of the class of serotonin that enhances satiety. Giving more drugs to shut off the appetite is not possible because there are no drugs right now that are safe and effective.

Decades ago, MIT researchers showed that consuming carbohydrates without protein triggers the production of serotonin. When this happens food intake slows down or stops. The solution to losing weight on antidepressants is to eat snacks or meals based on non-fruit carbohydrate like pasta, rice, potatoes, bread, cereal, and cornmeal. These foods, by eliciting normal insulin secretion, increase the amount of tryptophan in the brain. Tryptophan is an amino acid that goes into the production of serotonin. Once made, serotonin increases satiety and turns off the urge to eat anymore. We utilized this approach in a hospital-based weight-loss center whose patients had gained weight on antidepressants, mood stabilizers and atypical antipsychotic medication. (This is described in our book, The Serotonin Power Diet.) Unlike phentermine or other drugs that may cause serious side effects, the only side effect from using carbohydrate as an appetite suppressant is weight loss.

© 2010 Judith J. Wurtman, PhD, co-author of The Serotonin Power Diet: Eat Carbs -- Nature's Own Appetite Suppressant -- to Stop Emotional Overeating and Halt Antidepressant-Associated Weight Gain
Author Bio
Judith J. Wurtman, PhD, co-author of The Serotonin Power Diet: Eat Carbs -- Nature's Own Appetite Suppressant -- to Stop Emotional Overeating and Halt Antidepressant-Associated Weight Gain, has discovered the connection between carbohydrate craving, serotonin, and emotional well-being in her MIT clinical studies. She received her PhD from George Washington University, is the founder of a Harvard University hospital weight-loss facility and counsels private weight management clients. She has written five books, including The Serotonin Solution, and more than 40 peer-reviewed articles for professional publications. She lives in Miami Beach, Florida.

For more information, please visit www.SerotoninPowerDiet.com.

Remove Pesticides from Fruits and Vegetables

To remove pesticides, bacteria, and dirt form the surface of smooth skinned vegetables and fruits, mix one part lemon juice or white or distilled vinegar to three parts tap water. Apply with a spray bottle and let sit for one minute. Rinse with cool water and dry completely before storing.
Learn more tips like this from 101 Things I learned in Culinary School
3 Book Giveaway on Mommy Reads too Much.

“My Mini Moment” contest, what's yours?

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Dove Ice Cream. All opinions are 100% mine.

When I saw this contest I instantly thought This is what Taking Time for Mommy is all about. How moms need to take and cherish those little moments, our little moments, every chance we get! How do you take yours? I celebrate with a good book, chocolate, a glass of wine, playing in my garden... How about you?
DOVE® Ice Cream Miniatures has launched the “My Mini Moment” contest. DOVE® Ice Cream is asking women to share their favorite mini moment of escape and one lucky winner could win one of 3 sensational mini-grand prizes: a mini-getaway to Napa Valley, Spa services for a year or a mini-home makeover. Women need to submit a photo and short essay at DoveIceCream.com/myminimoment by June 7, 2010 (include attached photo of contest microsite)
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“Me-time” is important to the Dove consumers, so DOVE® Ice Cream Miniatures conducted a survey of over 400 mothers and an astonishing 70 percent of these ultimate multi-taskers are taking time for themselves each day. I for one, think that's how we keep our sanity! The "My Mini Moment" contest celebrates these cherished moments.
Everyone has their own idea of what their favorite min-escape would be. That’s why DOVE® Ice Cream Miniatures has given you three luxuriously indulgent choices. (I'd be happy with any of these choices!!) 

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Tips For Giving Meds to Kids

Sometimes a child needs to be administered some medicine, but often kids are unwilling to take it. The following is a list of tips for giving meds to kids:

Tip one: Don't tell them it is candy. If you do, you run the risk of your child overdosing on the medication, or wanting it when they are not feeling ill. Lying to your child is not a good idea, so make sure that you give them medication under no false pretenses. It is best to let them know that they are sick, and that it will help them to feel better.

Tip two: Make it easy to get in. One of the problems with medication is that it can be difficult for the child to take; a child is not easily able to swallow a pill. So, choosing chewable tablets, or liquid medication can really help. For infants younger than six months, a syringe or calibrated eyedropper does well. For older, choose a method that will work for them.

Tip three: Choose medicine that appeals to them. If your child does not like cherry flavoring, don't try and give them cherry medication. Most medicines come in a variety of flavors, from bubblegum to grape, and more.

Tip four: Give your child some control and choices. Most children do not like to be forced to do anything, especially not when it is something like taking medicine. If you give them a bit of a choice, there is a much better chance that they will take their medication. For example, you can say, "When do you want to take it? Now? Or, after lunch?" You can say things like, "Which color of medicine would you like?" This will give them a small choice to make, and help them feel more in control, and thus more willing to comply with what you want.

Tip five: Show them how to take medicine by example. Often a child fears taking medicine because it is unknown to them, so a better option is to let them see you taking medicine. You can simply take a multi-vitamin, or calcium chew; it does not have to be actual prescription or medicine, it just has to be something that your child can see you take so that they feel comfortable taking their medication as well.

When giving a child medicine it is important to make sure that they eat it, but to also follow the dosing and instructions. Make sure they take it with food if they need to. Make sure you do not open pills and mix it with food unless it says you can. Never try and trick your child into taking medication or they will think that it is something they don't want to do and that is why you have to trick them. Help them understand it, and make it as tasty and appealing as possible.

Beverly Frank is mom to two young kids and a writer. Visit http://www.surfnetparents.com for more parenting advice and ideas.
Source

Chocolate, Depression and PMS

By Judith J. Wurtman, PhD,
Co-author of The Serotonin Power Diet: Eat Carbs -- Nature's Own Appetite Suppressant -- to Stop Emotional Overeating and Halt Antidepressant-Associated Weight Gain
A research team from San Diego reported recently that people who are depressed eat more chocolate than non-depressed individuals. Although this news might surprise men, any woman who has experienced premenstrual syndrome takes this for granted. PMS and chocolate cravings go together like peanut butter and jelly or fireworks and the 4th of July. An editor of a woman's magazine told me years ago that she always knew when she was premenstrual because she was unable to walk by a gourmet chocolate shop next to her office without going in and buying a large chocolate bar. "The crankiness, fatigue, confusion and depression come later on," she told me. "The craving for chocolate is always there first. I remember once longing for a chocolate ice cream while sitting through a formal three-course dinner and after-dinner speaker. The food served at the meal did not tempt me at all but as soon as I could leave, I headed for the nearest ice cream shop. Sure enough, I was premenstrual."

The association between chocolate craving and premenstrual syndrome has been known for decades and theories promoted to explain this relationship tended toward the fanciful or bizarre: hysterical personality, malfunction of the reproductive organs or water on the brain. Moreover, because doctors noted that the women eating the chocolate were bad-tempered, depressed or confused, they concluded that the chocolate was making them that way. As recently as 10 to 15 years ago, chocolate-craving premenstrual women were told that eating chocolate, and indeed any sweet food, would make their moods worse and to eat only fruits, vegetables and lean protein. This advice can still be found in some women's health and fitness magazines. Not only is it wrong but any premenstrual women who follows it will gnash her teeth over being denied her chocolate.

There is a good reason why women with PMS go out in a blizzard to get chocolate or eat a dinner of melted chocolate on a chocolate brownie sitting on chocolate ice cream. The chocolate was making them feel better, not worse.

The improvement in mood is due to chocolate's substantial sugar content and, to a small extent, the caffeine-like ingredient is also contains. Because chocolate has a creamy texture, we are unaware of how much sugar it contains. But anybody who has accidentally mistaken baking chocolate for the eating kind knows the difference; baking chocolate is incredibly bitter. Sugar is a simple carbohydrate and when sugar of any carbohydrate, except that found in fruit, is eaten without protein, the body responds by making new serotonin in the brain. To be sure the flavor and mouth-feel of chocolate starts the eater on the road to a good mood. But the immediate sensations on the taste buds quickly disappear, whereas the relief from irritation, agitation and fatigue may last for a couple of hours.

Several years ago at the MIT clinical research center, we carried out some extremely complicated studies with premenstrual women to show scientifically that eating a brownie or even a bowl of starchy carbohydrate like cornflakes relieves that mood and eating disturbances of PMS. To begin with, we found that normal weight women may increase their calorie intake by more than 1100 calories a day when they are premenstrual compared to when they are in the first half of their menstrual cycle. And to no one's surprise, these calories came from sweet and starchy snacks and starchy meal food, and not from chicken, fish or cottage cheese. We also found the anger, confusion, depression, anxiety and cravings of PMS became more tolerable after women consumed a beverage containing a mixture of carbohydrates. When they drank a beverage containing protein, there was no improvement in how they felt. They did not know what they were drinking and the two beverages tasted exactly the same.

For reasons we still don't understand, hormonal changes associated with the menstrual cycle affect serotonin activity. This also may be true for women who are pre-menopausal. When our premenstrual volunteers ate carbohydrates, their brain cells made more serotonin and this chemical messenger brought the women back to feeling normal. An extra bonus was that they lost their intense cravings for carbohydrate so those who were trying to lose weight felt their appetite was under control.

Just to be sure that serotonin was the main actor in all this, we also carried out more studies with one of the antidepressant drugs that activated serotonin. We found that a short bout of treatment with the drug improved the moods of women who had severe PMS and this actually led to drug companies using some antidepressants for the extreme form of this disorder.

Obviously someone on a diet, or even not on a diet, cannot live on a meal plan consisting of chocolate Cheerios for breakfast, a chocolate bar between two slices of bread for dinner (they do eat this in Switzerland) and a bowl of hot fudge sauce for dinner when she has PMS.

But as long as portion control is monitored, fat is decreased as much as possible (for example, fat-free fudge sauce) and a vitamin pill is taken, no real nutritional harm will come from a once-a-month indulgence in this wonderful mood food. However, all carbohydrates except fructose (fruit sugar) will produce the same beneficial effect on premenstrual mood. If you find that your mood is bearable in the early part of the day but intolerable by afternoon eat your protein, vegetables and dairy products for breakfast and lunch and switch to carbohydrates from 3 pm on. This way your nutritional and emotional needs will be met. Rather than dreading PMS, think about chocolate and look forward to it.

© 2010 Judith J. Wurtman, PhD, co-author of The Serotonin Power Diet: Eat Carbs -- Nature's Own Appetite Suppressant -- to Stop Emotional Overeating and Halt Antidepressant-Associated Weight Gain
Author Bio
Judith J. Wurtman, PhD, co-author of The Serotonin Power Diet: Eat Carbs -- Nature's Own Appetite Suppressant -- to Stop Emotional Overeating and Halt Antidepressant-Associated Weight Gain, has discovered the connection between carbohydrate craving, serotonin, and emotional well-being in her MIT clinical studies. She received her PhD from George Washington University, is the founder of a Harvard University hospital weight-loss facility and counsels private weight management clients. She has written five books, including The Serotonin Solution, and more than 40 peer-reviewed articles for professional publications. She lives in Miami Beach, Florida.

For more information, please visit www.SerotoninPowerDiet.com.

Vote for our Writer Tawdra!

Vote for our very own Tawdra Kandle in this Fabulous over Forty Contest from More Magazine!Here!

Guest Post from Author Robin Wells

It’s only fitting that my book, Still the One, is coming out in May, because May is Mother’s Day Month. The book is about Katie Charmaine, a small-town hairdresser who wants, more than anything, to be a mother. She’d given up a baby for adoption as a teenager, and although she was sure she’d made the right decision for the child, her heart had always felt the loss. As the book opens, it’s two years since her husband died in Iraq. She thinks that along with the love her life, she’s lost her chance at motherhood.

Imagine her shock when her first love, Zack Ferguson, shows up in town. Zack left town abruptly after sharing a single night of passion with Katie when they were both teenagers. Zack is not alone; he’s accompanied by Gracie, the daughter Katie last saw in the delivery room seventeen years ago. Gracie’s adoptive parents have died in a car crash. She’s got a smart mouth, a bad attitude---and a baby on the way.

I usually write romantic comedy, and although there are lots of humorous moments in this book, this novel touches on some deep issues. The romance between Zack and Katie deals with teen pregnancy, grief, loneliness and loss, and the secondary romance between Katie’s mother-in-law and father-in-law deals with divorce, infidelity, alcoholism and aging.

It’s not a dark book by any means, but it explores the complexity of relationships -- and there’s no relationship more complex than that of mothers and daughters! I wanted to write about how there are two sides to every story, and how everyone’s perceptions are colored by their own personal histories. I also wanted to write about the need to forgive not only others but ourselves, about the redeeming power of love, and about the importance of finding humor in even the worst situations.

I hope you’ll pick up a copy and read it for yourself--then I hope you’ll my website, robinwells.com, and share you thoughts about it. If you belong to a book club, you’ll find some discussion questions on my website.

Happy Mother’s Day, and happy reading!  Read Mandie's Review on Mommy Reads too Much 

Kombucha Tea

Is it just me, or does it sound as though I’m swearing in a foreign tongue when I say that word? Kombucha!

When I first heard someone mention kombucha months ago, I had no idea what they were talking about. Then a few friends brought along their kombucha tea to a meeting, and I tried some. It wasn’t bad. It was different, but it wasn’t bad.

More recently, as I poured over Sally Fallon’s excellent book Nourishing Traditions, I read more about this beverage. It is in fact tea-based. Kombucha tea is a fermented beverage that first was consumed in east Asia before it was introduced to Germany in the early part of the twentieth century.

The benefits associated with kombucha all come from anecdotal experience. People who love the tea claim that it boosts immunity, aids digestion and prevents both hair loss and grayness. For me, it was the digestion aid and probiotics that caught my attention. Now that I’d mastered the whole kefir routine, how hard could it be to brew some tea, right?

HA! I soon learned. I casually mentioned to whole foods guru Lee that I might want to give kombucha a try, and she quickly offered to allow me to “mother sit” her kombucha mushroom while she was in Europe. Sounded okay, although I wasn’t quite certain what “mother sitting” would involve.

A few days before her departure, Lee arrived at my house with a cooler and her arms full of stuff. She handed me a box of tea, a box of organic sugar and a large glass canister. Within the cooler was a glass bowl that contained the mother.

I don’t know that I could do justice to the description of a kombucha mother mushroom, or SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast) as it is called more accurately, so I’ve included a picture here. Suffice it to say that I was a bit taken aback. While it’s called a mushroom, it’s actually a gelatinous mass of bacteria and yeast. Fun!

Lee gave me my instructions, and there I was, ready to brew and mother sit. A few days later, I began the process.

First, it’s extremely important to keep everything associated with the tea and brewing as sterile as possible. We’re dealing with bacteria here, and you don’t want the wrong bacteria crashing your kombucha party. The first thing I did was boil water, about a gallon of it. I used the black tea bags to brew the tea, and I added a cup of organic sugar to the pot. Once it had cooled, I poured just under a gallon of the sweet tea into the glass canister. I removed the kombucha mother from the fridge and carefully slid her into the top of the tea-filled canister.

Now it was all up to her. I covered the canister loosely with a cotton dishtowel and hid it in a dark corner of my kitchen counter.
Four days later, with no small amount of trepidation, I uncovered the canister. I gingerly slid the mother, still floating serenely on the surface of the tea, back into her small glass bowl along with about half cup of the tea.

I poured about a ½ cup of fruit juice—I used cranberry—into six quart jars. Then I ladled the tea—now kombucha—into each jar, leaving a small amount of breathing room on the top. I put lids on the jars and moved them to the same hiding place the mother had just vacated. Two days later, the jars were ready to move to the fridge for chilling.

Now was the crucial moment—tasting. I was pretty nervous; after all, it kind of looked as though this stuff had gone bad. There was a film on top of the jar I opened. Bravely I skimmed it off, poured the kombucha into a cup. . .and took a sip.

Hmmm. It wasn’t bad. In fact, it was good. Really good. Encouraged, I called my oldest daughter over and had her take a sip. To her credit, she didn’t hesitate, and with a surprised expression, she agreed that it was good.

“But just don’t sniff it first,” she advised everyone else. “Just drink it.”

The real test was my husband. He is very particular about what he drinks, but he drank a little and told me he liked it. I could tell he was pretty surprised, too!

So the kombucha brewing was a success. Well. . .mostly. When Lee came home, she separated a layer from the SCOBY so that I could have my own “mother”. (Yes, the mother has babies, and you can share and pass on your babies. True story.) My second batch was also good. I’m drinking at least one glass of the kombucha a day. My oldest daughter has had a little now and then. The rest of the kids are steering clear for the moment, and my husband, while he enjoyed it, isn’t exactly seeking it out in place of his Arnold Palmers.

And here are the disclaimers. Kombucha brewing isn’t that complicated really, but it does take a time commitment. We had company come into town and it put a crimp in my kombucha schedule. And it should be understood that some medical professionals doubt the validity of the health claims surrounding the tea and have advised caution, as over use might lead to some difficulties (check out the NY Times article at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/25/fashion/25Tea.html ). It’s important to be scrupulous about cleanliness when brewing your own.

I would rate the kombucha experiment as a partial success. I’m enjoying it, and I don’t mind the little bit of work that goes into making it, but in my family, it hasn’t caught on the way kefir has.

Give it time though. Give it time.

(For more information on kombucha and how to start your own, the best website is:
http://www.foodrenegade.com/how-to-brew-kombucha-double-fermentation-method/ )

Tawdra Kandle is stay-at-home, homeschooling mom of four children who range in age from 9 years to almost 21 years. She and her husband of over 22 years live in central Florida, where he is in seminary. Tawdra spends most of her precious free time writing and reading, and she loves to travel. She is also a resident writer for Taking Time for Mommy. View more of her Articles HERE. You can also follow Tawdra on twitter and her blog, Publishing Quest

How to Achieve a Heaven on Earth on Mother's Day

By John E. Wade II,
Editor of How to Achieve Heaven on Earth: 101 insightful essays from the world's greatest thinkers, leaders and writers

A perfect gift for Mother's Day could be the exciting, optimistic and ambitious book, How to Achieve a Heaven on Earth. It contains essays of hope and promise, something that mothers embody as they introduce new life into our world.

Women today, especially in the United States, are accomplishing more and more in field after field of human endeavor. They can be the leaders in recognizing the ambitious and awesome possibilities in such a gift.

I believe ten elements will be included in a heaven on earth: peace, security, freedom, democracies, prosperity, spiritual harmony, racial harmony, ecological harmony and health as well as moral purpose and meaning. Each of these categories in the book is supported by essays as well as one more category, Individual Paths to Heaven on Earth. Women will be an integral part of this hopeful process with a book that outlines the goals, obstacles, means and faith to attain that ultimate destiny.

Contributors to the book include Presidents Obama and Bush, Vice President Al Gore, Tony Blair and a host of notables and ordinary people who have extraordinary things to say.

Let me give you some specifics from two of the 101 essays from the world's greatest thinkers, leaders and writers that will show you how mothers will be thrilled to read and devour this book.

A heart-rending essay is "Many Mothers" by Maida Rogerson, a wonderful person whom I have met who wrote about a Santa Fe charity. It starts with this: "Imagine. You've just had your first baby. Your husband is in a new job and doesn't have a lot of time for you. You've moved away from your extended family. Suddenly, there you are, you and your beautiful baby, home, alone. Your baby starts to cry, and you're dead tired and all you want to do is cry yourself, and you have no one to turn to."

That's where Many Mothers comes in with " . . . volunteers of grandmothers, aunts, businesswomen and often other mothers." . . . "Knowing that bonding and attachment in infancy are necessary to create healthy adults," the charity acts by nurturing the mother. The chores are broad -- cleaning and other mundane tasks may be part of the volunteer's normal duties. The joy of helping mothers goes in all directions just as you would expect in a heaven on earth.

In "Women Who Never Give Up," Sharon L. Davie visits a women's cooperative in Kenya. She explains that such groups " . . . come together with serious purpose . . . and number in the tens of thousands, with millions of individual women involved." This is not a new phenomenon, but has existed throughout Kenya's history in one form or another.

In their society " . . . most women cannot inherit or buy land, so they bought their house as a collective." Gradually they bought " . . . a cow -- which led to shared milk, calves, then chickens and eggs, and finally a mill to grind their maize and millet."

When asked if men could have such a cooperative, "The whole group [women in the cooperative] laughed uproariously. They thought that was a ridiculous idea. 'They would drink up all the money!' they said."

Asked about violence, " . . . they told of the woman in the next village who was being brutally beaten by her husband, over and over. She ran away -- not something that women do, they said. Men can beat women and they must stay." Eventually, the group helped the woman and even assisted her in building a house.

Women will no doubt assume greater and greater roles throughout the world as their unique talents go beyond the survival stage such as some in Kenya, on the striving stage which is being demonstrated day by day, to the thriving stage, which will be part of the path toward a heaven on earth.

Happy Mother's Day

Copyright © 2010 John E. Wade II, editor of How to Achieve Heaven on Earth: 101 insightful essays from the world's greatest thinkers, leaders and writers

Author Bio
John E. Wade II, editor of How to Achieve Heaven on Earth: 101 insightful essays from the world's greatest thinkers, leaders and writers, is an author, investor, philanthropist, and founder of the nonprofit organization Soldiers of Love. An active member of his church and civic organizations in his area, Wade holds an M.A. from the University of Georgia and has worked in a range of fields. His extensive travels, including visits to China, India, Egypt, Israel, Syria, Jordan, and Brazil, inspired him to collect the essays in this work. Wade lives in New Orleans, Louisiana.
For more information, please visit www.HeavenOnEarth.org.

Gourmet Roasted Tomato Chili Chicken Wrap

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hormel Foods. All opinions are 100% mine.


 Hormel has been around forever! In the 30s, characters Jiggs and Maggie from “Bringing Up Father” were used in Dinty Moore® advertisements. Later, a lumber jack character was introduced, proclaiming “First name’s Dinty, last name’s Moore,” who placed his signature thumbprint on every can. Utilizing celebrities proved to be a popular route in promoting Hormel® chili. Ray Milland, star of “Copper Canyon,” appeared in print ads. In the 80s, pro football player Fran Tarkenton was tapped to promote Hormel® chili.
 From the classic Hormel® chili con carne to new, premium Hormel® Chili Master™ varieties such as white chicken chili and roasted tomato, and from Dinty Moore® cans to new Dinty Moore® HeartyMeals™ varieties such as chicken pot pie and noodles and beef, the brands continue to expand their product offerings while remaining family favorites in cabinets across the country.
Dinty Moore(R) and Hormel(R) chili celebrate their 75th Anniversary. Check out these cool commercials!I love Vintage! The brand has changed so much over the years.What's your favorite Hormel Dinty Moore Ad? I love the Dinty Moore BeefStew Comic Ads.

 Here is a recipe I created using the new Hormel Roasted Tomato Chili Master.
Gourmet Roasted Tomato Chili Chicken Wrap
What you need-Sliced ChickenSauteed MushroomsMozzarella CheeseHormel's New Roasted Tomato Chili MasterSpinach - Sauteed with Garlic or Raw Whole Wheat or Spinach Wrap
Take the Roasted Tomato Sauce and Spoon it onto your wrap layer remaining ingredients and pop into oven, toaster, or grill.As long as it's melted it's all Good!EnjoyThis is my favorite way to eat Hormel Chili, what's yours?Check out recipes http://www.hormelrecipes.com

hormel

My $60 Electric Bill

I opened my electric bill the other day and it was $60. It has even gotten as low as $47. Sometimes I get calls from companies who want to show me how to save money on my electric bill but when I tell them what I pay they laugh and tell me they couldn't help me.
How is my electric bill so low? Well, it's a combination of things.
My home is on the smaller side so naturally, that helps BUT to counter that, it is older and the homes now are a lot more efficient. So if you are in a newer home, you can save more. I live in Florida. The Winters are usually mild so we don't use the heat or a/c.This winter however was a lot colder and we used the heat. Our bill was around $120, we only used the heat at night and just put more clothes on. We also use thermal curtains to keep the heat in. During the Spring and Fall I keep the windows open. Sure I have to dusk a lot more but the breeze feels so nice.Summer, well I am in Florida so that a/c comes on when I'm not at the beach.
During the day we don't use lights. We open our curtains for natural light.In the evening we don't use many lights. When we are finished in a room, the light goes off.After the children go to bed we use our light on a dimmer or pendant lights while watching t.v.
I wash everything in cold. They even make special detergents for that. You are suppose to save $10 a load by washing in cold. Sounds good for me!
During the summer I hang my clothes outside. I wait until they are almost dry then bring them back in and toss them in the dryer with a fabric sheet for a little bit. They don't get that nasty tought feel clothes usually getbeing hung out on the line.
I LOVE to cook but we don't bake too much, only occassionally.We grill a lot outside too so that helps with our electric bill. 
I don't use a microwave and when my coffee (decaf for me :) or hot water is finished brewingI transfer it to a large thermas to keep it hot and turn the coffee maker off. The coffee maker staying on keeping your coffee warm is just wasting energy and do that day after day it really adds up.
These are just simple things you can do. You can even take it further and get an energy efficient water heater or put a timer on yours. I do neither although I should.  Hope I helped and hope you see your bill coming down soon.

E-Book: WannaBe™-When I Grow Up I Want to be a Firefighter Review

TOS Magazine Store offers several e-books in the WannaBe series. They have everything from Chef, Doctor, to Veterinarian. I was sent Firefighter to review with my girls. Wow. This was packed with so much information! Math, science, fire safety from Wilshire the fire dog,history, anything and everything you would ever want to know about being a fire fighter. My guidance counselor had NOTHING on this program. I suggest this for anyone thinking of this for a career.
They say this program is for ages 4 - 10 but even I found it so interesting and educational. My 5yr old informed me she does NOT want to be a firefighter and through much of it she frankly couldn't care less. She did however enjoy the cross word puzzles, the sign language, and the physical fitness games. I can't wait for her to try one she is actually wants to learn about.My 3 yr old was much more interested, she hung on every word. She especially loved the robots and the coloring pages. Just goes to show you how different two children are.
I thought it was really neat how they have instructions on having a fire fighter themed party.I know a lot of mommies who would be interested in that! This program is jam packed and only costs $8.95. Yep, that's it. It was hard for me to believe too!
This month they are having a HUGE special. You can buy all of them for $35.80 instead of their regular price of $89.50.My 5yr old has already informed me she wants to try the Farmer, Artist, and Veterinarian programs next :)

Celebrating Mom This Mother's Day! (Recipes too!)

By Lidia Matticchio Bastianich,
Author of Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipes

In my family, favorite dishes are always being altered according to what is available in the market and what is the best in quality -- especially when I'm cooking. Family meals together are near and dear to my heart, and I am always looking for a reason to cook a big meal to share with my grandchildren, children and with Mother's Day just around the corner, my mother Erminia, who we all fondly call "Grandma."

Growing up, my brother and I loved our mother's Chicken & Potatoes, fried together in a big skillet so they're crisp and moist at the same time -- this was my mother's, or "Grandma's" specialty, and it was our favorite! This simple and delicious dish has now been passed down through the family, and my grandchildren are always asking me to make it. When I am at the stove -- and though I follow my mother's basic procedures -- I can't resist playing around with the recipe and adding my own flair to it. However, here I'm sharing her Classic Chicken & Potatoes recipe. Maybe you can make it for your mother this Mother's Day. And for something sweet, I have the perfect recipe that "Grandma" absolutely loves -- my Sweet Ricotta Dumplings with Strawberry Sauce. These delicate and creamy morsels sit beautifully in a crimson pool of fresh strawberry sauce.

So this Mother's Day, why not get into the kitchen with mom? Cooking, eating and laughing together is a wonderful way to celebrate your mom this Mother's Day and all year round.

MY MOTHER'S CHICKEN AND POTATOES (WITH MY SPECIAL TOUCHES)
From Lidia's Family Table
Serves 4 or more

For the Basic Chicken and Potatoes:

* 2- ½ pounds chicken legs or assorted pieces (bone-in)
* ½ cup canola oil
* ½ teaspoon salt, or more to taste
* 1 pound red bliss potatoes, preferably no bigger than 2 inches across
* 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
* 2 medium-small onions, peeled and quartered lengthwise
* 2 short branches fresh rosemary with plenty of needles

For My Special Touches -- Try Either or Both:

* 4 to 6 ounces sliced bacon (5 or 6 slices)
* 1 or 2 pickled cherry peppers, sweet or hot, or none -- or more! -- cut in half and seeded

Prepping and Browning the Chicken (and Bacon) and Potatoes:

Rinse the chicken pieces and pat dry with paper towels. Trim off the excess skin and all visible fat. Cut the drumsticks from the thighs. If using breast halves, cut into two small pieces.

Make the bacon roll-ups: Cut the bacon slices in half crosswise and roll each strip into a neat, tight cylinder. Stick a toothpick through the roll to secure it; cut or break the toothpick so only a tiny bit sticks out (allowing the bacon to roll around and cook evenly.)

Pour the canola oil into the skillet and set it over high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with ¼ teaspoon salt on all sides. When the oil is very hot, lay the pieces in it, skin side down, and an inch or so apart -- watch out for oil spatters. Don't crowd the chicken: if necessary, fry it in batches, with similar pieces (like drumsticks) together.

Drop the bacon rolls into the oil around the chicken, turning and shifting them often. Let the chicken pieces fry in place for several minutes to brown on the underside, then turn and continue frying until they're golden brown on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes or more. Fry breast pieces only for 5 minutes or so, taking them out of the oil as soon as they are golden. Let the bacon rolls cook and get slightly crisp, but not dark. Adjust the heat to maintain steady sizzling and coloring; remove the crisped chicken pieces with tongs to a bowl.

Meanwhile, rinse and dry the potatoes; slice each one through the middle on the axis that gives the largest cut surface, then toss them with the olive oil and ¼ teaspoon salt.

When all the chicken and bacon is cooked and out of the skillet, pour off the frying oil. Return the skillet to medium heat and put in all the potatoes, cut side down in a single layer, into the hot pan. With a spatula, scrape all the olive oil out of the mixing bowl into the skillet; drizzle over it a bit more oil if the pan seems dry. Fry and crisp the potatoes for about 4 minutes to form a crust, then move them around the pan, still cut side down, until they're all brown and crisp, 7 minutes or more. Turn them over, and fry another 2 minutes to cook and crisp on their rounded skin sides.

Cooking Everything Together:

Still over medium heat, toss the onion wedges and rosemary branches around the pan, in with the potatoes. If using cherry peppers, either hot or sweet, cut the seeded halves into ½-inch wide pieces and scatter them in the pan too.

Return the chicken pieces -- except breast pieces -- to the pan, along with the bacon rolls; pour in any chicken juices that have accumulated. Raise the heat slightly, and carefully turn and tumble the chicken, potatoes, and onion (and bacon and/or pepper juices), so they're heating and getting coated with pan juices -- but take care not to break the potato pieces. Spread everything out in the pan -- potatoes on the bottom as much as possible, to keep crisping up -- and cover.

Return the heat to medium, and cook for about 7 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, then uncover and tumble the pieces and potatoes (and bacon rolls) again. Cover, and cook another 7 minutes or so, adding the breast pieces at this point. Give everything another tumble. Now cook covered for 10 minutes more.

Remove the cover, turn the pieces again, and cook in the open skillet for about 10 minutes to evaporate the moisture and caramelize everything. Taste a bit of potato (or chicken) for salt, and sprinkle on more as needed. Turn the pieces now and then; when they are all glistening and golden, and the potatoes are cooked through, remove the skillet from the stove and -- as I do at home -- bring it right to the table. Serve portions of chicken and potatoes, or let people help themselves.

SWEET RICOTTA DUMPLINGS WITH STRAWBERRY SAUCE
From Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy
Makes about 18 canederli, serving 6

* 3 pints fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered (about 6 cups)
* ½ cup sugar
* ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice for the canederli
* 1 tablespoon plus ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
* 6 tablespoons butter
* 1 pound fresh ricotta, drained
* 2 large eggs
* 1 cup all-purpose flour

Put the cut strawberries in the saucepan (or cut them right into it), pour the sugar and lemon juice over, and toss together. Set the pan over medium-low heat; stir occasionally as the berries release juice and it gradually starts to bubble. Adjust the heat to keep the juice simmering, and cook for about 8 minutes, until the berries are soft and the juice is slightly syrupy. Turn off the heat, and cover the pot to keep the sauce warm.

Meanwhile, fill the big pot with about 6 quarts water, add 1 tablespoon salt, and heat it to a boil. Put the butter in the big skillet and melt it over very low heat; turn off the flame, but leave the skillet on the warm burner.

For the dough: Dump the ricotta into a large bowl, and stir to loosen it and break up lumps, then blend in the eggs and ¼ teaspoon salt. Sprinkle all the flour on top, and fold it in gently, just until it is all incorporated, with no small clumps of dry flour. The dough will be stiff and somewhat sticky.

Adjust the heat so the cooking water is bubbling gently. Fill a glass or jar with cold water to moisten the scoop, so the dough doesn't stick. Dip the ice-cream scoop into the water glass, scoop up a round of dough, level it off (scraping excess back in the bowl), and dispense the dumpling into the cooking pot. Scoop up all the dough in the same way, and get the dumplings cooked as quickly as possible. If you don't have an ice-cream scoop, use a ¼-cup measure. Empty each portion into your hand (both hands must be lightly floured!), and quickly roll it into a ball, then drop the dumpling into the pot.

As you form the canederli, keep the scoop moistened (or your hands floured) and the water at a gentle simmer: don't let it boil vigorously, which can break apart the canederli.

After all are in the pot, let the dumplings cook, without stirring, until all have risen to the surface of the water. Simmer them another 5 minutes, and then scoop one out and test it for doneness. First, press it gently: it should feel solid and spring back to the touch. If it feels soft at the center, return it to the pot and cook the batch a minute or two longer. Scoop out another dumpling, and cut into it to check that the center is not wet and oozing and that the dough looks uniformly cooked through.

Meanwhile, have the big skillet with melted butter warming over very low heat. Lift out the cooked dumplings with a spider, let them drain over the pot for a few seconds, then gently drop them in the skillet. Roll the dumplings gently so they're coated all over with butter, then turn off the heat and leave them in the warm pan for a few minutes to firm up.

Serve the canederli on warm dessert plates, spooning a pool of strawberry sauce in the center of each plate and setting two or three canederli on top. For family-style serving, arrange the canederli in a large, rimmed platter and drizzle some of the strawberry sauce around them in a colorful border. Pass the remaining sauce at the table.

© 2010 Lidia Matticchio Bastianich, author of Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipes
Author Bio
Lidia Matticchio Bastianich, coauthor of Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy: A Feast of 175 Regional Recipe, is the author of five previous books, four of them accompanied by nationally syndicated public television series. She is the owner of the New York City restaurant Felidia (among others), and she lectures on and demonstrates Italian cooking throughout the country. She lives on Long Island, and can be reached at her Web site, www.LidiasItaly.com.

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Expedition Australia Home schooling Curriculum Review

I've been homeschooling my girls in one form or another since my oldest was 2. They are now 5 & 3.  I spend hours every week coming up with lesson plans, coordinating books and videos so my girls get a well rounded lesson. We utilize the computer and our local library as much as possible to keep the price down. I do this because while homeschooling is the best choice for my family, it can get very expensive.
I was excited when we received Expedition Australia, a Download and Go Unit Study By Amanda Bennett and The Old Schoolhouse to review. I wouldn't have to search and put together lessons this week whoo hoo! This program is for children from k - 4th grade. It's a weeks worth of lessons that are very hands on.  I admit, I was a little worried that it wouldn't hold my 5yr old's attention for too long because of her age but that was hardly the case.  She kept asking for more! This program was really amazing. It had videos, she has learned her continents, and she's even running around the house "speaking" Austrailian to everyone with the vocabulary words she learned. It was very interactive! You can make a lapbook to go along with it. (We haven't done that yet but intend on it - Here is a site about lapbooks )  She looked up the time here and a city in Australia which she thought was the neatest thing. A little of it was above her head but that was alright, it just means we can use it again and again. It is up to 4th grade. She will get a lot of use out of it. My 3 yr old was even sticking her nose in and asking questions which made this mommy very happy.  What did I love the most about it? I didn't have to spend all that time putting together a lesson plan of course. There was so much packed into this study that I wouldn't have been able to come up with something so cool any way. The best part was the price. $7.95 You can buy several of them together with their bundle option and Save. So extra time for this mommy and affordable, yep.I give this an A+!! My daughter has even picked out which one she wants to study next :)

4 Tips for Gradual Weaning

Your baby has grown so fast that before you know it, you’re thinking about weaning. Now what? Here are a few tips to help make the transition easier for you and your little one.

#1: Be Flexible

Weaning is best when done gradually. Child-led weaning is great because you nurse until your child is developmentally and emotionally ready to stop. But child-led is not strictly initiated by the child-moms (and dads) still play a major role in guiding their child through the weaning process.

With child-led weaning, you guide your child to seek out other means of comfort and nutrition besides breastfeeding, all the while taking your child’s pace and feelings in consideration. Drop one nursing session at a time. If your child is overly distraught and is pleading to nurse, let her.

Look for signs that weaning is going to fast for your child. Signs may include clinginess, increased night waking, separation anxiety, refusal to eat, new thumb sucking or use of a pacifier, sudden biting or withdrawal. If you notice any of these signs, slow down and offer the breast.

#2 – Cut Out One Nursing at a Time

Cut out the least important nursing session of the day. You can either forgo it completely and offer your baby a distraction (reading a book, playing, a bottle of water, snack etc.) or work on shortening that session down to nothing. Aim to eliminate one feeding every 3 to 7 days for your comfort. If your child is happy and not too bothered by the decrease in breastfeeding, you know you’ve found your weaning cadence. If your baby is miserable, he might not be ready to wean, or at least not at the pace you’re aiming for.

#3: “Don’t Offer, Don’t Refuse”

Weaning can be hard on a child. Nursing is much more than nutrition-it’s about comfort and relaxation. It feels good for all involved. Therefore, your child may have a hard time with weaning.

“Don’t offer, don’t refuse” is a method of weaning that is based on your child’s needs. This method can take awhile, but your child still gets the benefits of nursing on demand. You don’t offer your breast but you don’t tell your child “no” when she wants to nurse. Many moms naturally follow this method as their children grow older.

#4: Replace One Comfort with Another

If you want to move past the “don’t offer, don’t refuse” stage, try substituting a fun activity for nursing. Some babies want to nurse out of boredom. Give them something else to do. Read a book, give your child a cup or some solid food, go outside, provide some non-nursing cuddle time, play with a favorite toy or go on an outing.

Don’t wait until your child is pleading to nurse before you offer distractions. Try to anticipate it and engage him in an activity before he can tap your chest to nurse. Choose an unimportant breastfeeding session, not one at night or first thing in the morning. Eventually your child will lose interest in nursing (believe it or not).

For more practical advice from breastfeeding moms including product reviews, visit http://www.sexynursingbra.com/blog