5 Apps Moms Can’t Live Without

Busy moms know better than anyone else how hectic life can be. Smart busy moms take help in any form that it comes in! If you’ve got a smartphone, help is only a tap away. From tracking your gas mileage to entertaining toddlers, there are tons of great apps out there geared towards moms who can do with a bit of assistance. 



If this sounds like you, here are five apps that you can’t live without:

1. Grocery IQ

Do you think that you spend more time in the grocery store than you really need to? An extended grocery shopping trip with a toddler in tow can be a hassle. This app will cut down on your shopping time drastically. Sit home, make your list, get in the store and get out of the store; it’s that simple! You can add things to your app by scanning barcodes, manually entering the barcode or typing in the name of the items you need to purchase. The app is so customizable that it borders on insane! Be sure to check out the coupons tab to print coupons out for the items you will be buying before you leave the house.

2. Moo, Baa, La La La!

Do you frequently find yourself needing to keep your toddler entertained? Long waits in the doctor’s office and too long car rides can quickly bore your children to the point of misbehavior. This app, like the popular board book of the same name, allows your children to read the book with narration or without. Your children can also hear specific words read out loud simply by tapping on them. The app is a great one if you need to keep your toddler entertained so you can get something accomplished.

3. Pat the Bunny

Very similar to the well-known, tactile children’s book, this app will read to your child or allow them to read on their own. You can even record yourself reading the story! As your children read the story, or have it read to them, they can paint the page that they are on. By simply swiping their finger across the screen, the illustrations will come to life with color.

4. Every Day First Aid HD Lite

It’s the rare mom who doesn’t have to deal with a scraped knee or a bruised elbow. Do you know what to do if your kids suffer injuries that are a bit more serious? With this application on your mobile device, you’ll be prepared for virtually any emergency. The information is very well organized and concise. The app is perfect for the busy mom on the go.

5. Car Care   

As a mom, you may find yourself driving for the better part of the day. Whether you’re dropping the kids off at the sitters, picking them up from school or making sure they get to their lessons on time, you can feel like you spend more time in your car than you do in your home.

Car Care is a fantastic app that lets you track fuel economy, sends you service reminders and allows you to transfer data back and forth from your iPhone to your computer. No matter what type of fuel you use, you can calculate your fuel’s performance with this handy app and, as a bonus; you can rest assured that you’ll never miss another oil change thanks to the handy reminder feature.

If you spend more time doing for others than you do for yourself, you can count yourself among one of the millions of busy moms in America. Downloading these five apps onto your mobile device will not only save you time, but could save your sanity as well!


Jenny Wilkes is a full time mom and part time freelance blogger for TheTruckersReport.com as well as a regular poster on TheTruckersReport.com Forum. They helped her move their family into the new house with ease!

 

The Best Gadgets for Moms On-the-Go

Thanks to advancements in modern technology, we’ve become a society that just loves to play with high tech toys and gadgets. Today many of these gadgets can save either a husband or wife a lot of time doing menial tasks around their home such as cleaning or mopping a floor. 

In today’s hectic world, a woman’s schedule can get out of hand. Between the commitments of a full time career, and sharing the responsibilities of running a household, a mom’s life can get pretty hectic.

And this is why it’s great to have a cool gadget or two around the house that not only make things easier on the busy couple, but also saves time in when doing the usual household chores.

For instance, in order to clean the expensive hardwood flooring installed throughout the house, simply turning on a small automatic vacuum cleaner to clean those expensive floors is a cool way to save time and eliminate a chore no one really wants to do.

There are lots of cool gadgets that are great moms on-the-go like the full line of I-Robot robotic cleaning units including the Roomba dirt cleaner and its companion the Scooba that washes floors.

Let’s take a look at a few gadgets that a busy mom will not only think are cool, but will also help her save time in innovative and fun ways.

 

The Smart Shopper

The Smart Shopper is a very cool gadget for the busy person who doesn’t have time to make out a grocery list. This gadget attaches to the refrigerator and just voice-records items that you’ve used between meals.

And when it’s time to take that trip to the grocery store, all you have to do is just hit print, and you and your shopping list are ready to go. The Smart Shopper is web friendly also. If you use a service such as Shop Rite from Home, just log in using Smart Shopper and place your order, get it delivered, and never leave the house.

 

Amazon’s Kindle

 

This is a great gadget for the busy mom on the go. Amazon’s Kindle is still the number one portable handheld reading device worldwide, and with the new Kindle Fire, reading a book or browsing the web has never been cooler.

There’s a Kindle for any taste. From the Kindle Fire with its color touch screen to its cloud storage and the availability of some of the most popular apps today including Hulu Plus, Pandora and Netflix, to the Kindle DX with its 9.7 in display and free 3G wireless capability.

 

         The Clocky Alarm on Wheels

For the busy mom who doesn’t have the time to get the kids out of bed because they keep hitting the snooze on the alarm clock, there’s the Clocky alarm clock. The Clocky could be the distant cousin to a certain Star Wars droid, with its persistent voice.

The Clocky alarm clock has the usual settings you’d expect from an alarm clock, but the wow factor comes from it actually jumping off a night stand and rolling around on the floor sounding it’s alarm until it’s turned off by someone, presumably the sleeper.

 

The Neat Organizer

 

Here’s a great gadget for the work-at-home mom. Organizing a home office can be a daunting task sometimes, especially if that office is cluttered with business cards and other business documents lying all over that small space taking up valuable real estate in the process.

The Neat Organizer is offered in two different device styles. There is a Neat desk and a more portable Neat digital scanner. There are versions for Mac and PC users and either OS system will do the job of helping you quickly organize your important documents and business cards into searchable files that you can easily find for quick reference on your desktop or laptop, simply by typing in keywords to help find the documents you’re searching for.

These are just a few of the types of tech toys and gadgets that are designed to either entertain or help a busy couple do things around the home that’s usually very time consuming, and not a lot of fun to do into something that can be done quickly and easily by a cool electronic device.

Author J. J. Shimp is an expert in installing engineered hardwood floors, though he also enjoys a gadget or two when spending time at home with his two friendly cats, wife, and long list of home improvement projects.

Strike the Delicate Balance Between College and Children

For college students, school and parenting matter equally, and each is a full-time job. Striking the balance and splitting the difference take time and practice. No matter how old your children are, two cardinal principles of balance always apply—“the principle of the airplane oxygen mask” and the simple mandate, “Get help!”

During their pre-flight safety advisory, flight attendants explain, “In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, your oxygen masks will drop from the ceiling,” and they stress, “If you are traveling with small children, secure your own mask first, and then help them put-on their masks.”

Developmental psychologists suggest the same principle applies in all parenting: address your own needs and tend to your own well-being, so that you are adequately prepared to care for your children. Imperiling your own health does no one any good. Therefore, regardless of school and family pressures, get the sleep you need, nourish yourself well, and take time for exercise. Most of all, carve-out some “me-time”; take a few precious moments for solitude and reflection. If you have trouble balancing everything, strengthen your support network. Trade time and favors with family and friends. Most of all, make certain both parents share the load equally, because children need love from both their mothers and their fathers.

Four fundamentals

Successful college-student parents and developmental psychologists agree on four fundamentals that assure both your children and your schoolwork will get the attention they deserve:

• Mix and match your schedules. Try to arrange your class schedule to match your child’s daycare, pre-school, or school schedule, so that the whole family goes to school together. If your child is old enough to have homework, then arrange time to study together, too; work on your easiest subjects while you help your child with his or her work. When children see their parents reading, they more eagerly read. Even as you devote quality time to your child, save your best hours for yourself. Determine which are your most alert and productive hours, and dedicate them to sustained, serious study, the time when you complete assignments for your most difficult classes.

• Do not try to multi-task! Many parents try to squeeze the most from every precious minute by doing a million things at once. Don’t. When your child needs attention and care, let go of everything else and devote yourself to being a parent. Then, when your study requires your undivided attention, arrange for child-care and take care of business. If you do not keep your two obligations separate and equal, both of them will suffer. Your child deserves all of you, and your study deserves the best of your time and talent. You absolutely cannot simultaneously cook supper, compose an essay, listen to your child’s latest adventure, take care of the laundry, walk the dog, rotate the mini-van’s tires, share fish recipes, and read ahead for your next class. Well, okay, actually you can do all those things all at once, but you shouldn’t.

• Make the most of precious moments. When life’s regular routine yields a few moments of quiet quality time with your child, seize them. Many mothers, especially mothers of ‘tweens and teens, capitalize on commuting time to discuss delicate issues with their children. Calling them her “shotgun dialogues,” one mother, a law student at the University of San Diego, explains, “When we’re driving to school or softball, we’re in a perfectly private and wonderfully quiet place, and I have my daughter captive. I know she won’t jump out of the mini-van while we’re on the freeway. Therefore, I take advantage of those moments to ask the most difficult questions about boys, friends, school, the family, and the future.” Smiling, she adds, “Both of us have come to cherish those moments.”

• Dinner and bedtime are sacred. Strategic moms recognize both the value and the efficiency of sharing early evening hours with their children, building the kids’ sense of safety and security around a predictable routine. One mom, who squeezes online college in-between a full-time career and her family responsibilities, breaks it down: “The whole family benefits from taking a breather between school and homework. We prepare dinner together, share our days’ events over dinner, and take time to restore of sense of direction.” She similarly emphasizes, “My children could read their bedtime stories to one another, but I still need that precious time with them. Those few magic moments before bedtime remind me why it’s worth it to keep working and striving.”

Even if she does not completely understand “college,” your child recognizes the importance of what you’re doing, because she reads and feels your excitement and determination in your affects and gestures, and she hears them in your voice. She naturally respects your schoolwork as much as you do, and she will share your joy and satisfaction when you collect your diploma and begin your career. Most of all, you must have faith that you are setting an excellent example for your child, showing the value of education and achievement. Children of college graduates attend college themselves.

Peter Harrington is a career counselor and content contributor for Top Colleges Online, a great source of information on expanding your education -- from obtaining a pharmacy degree to how to become a veterinarian.

Best Memory Tips For Moms

The best memory tips involve taking care of your brain in the same way you do your body. We moms especially need to nourish our brains as we’re multi-tasking in ways that rival the best memory experts.

Exercise your mind, give it the right nutrients and take care of it every day and you will get the best memory improvement results. 

Your brain is nearly limitless in its capacity to create new neurons. The very fact that it is not static makes it easy to learn the best memory tips.
 
Best Memory Tips for Moms

1.       Use Puzzles and Crosswords.

As it turns out, playing games is one of the best memory tips.

Since your brain is not stagnant and you can add more connections, learning a new game like bridge, crossword puzzles, and playing brain games will yield the fastest results.

Why? You are actually exercising your brain just as you would exercise your body.
Try math puzzles, Sudoku, crossword puzzles, vocabulary screen savers and brain teasers and mix them up as the best memory tips for moms.

2.       Cross Your Midline.

In order to exercise your brain more, researchers say it helps to cross the midline of your body in order to activate both hemispheres and relax you at the same time.
Dancing, throwing and catching a ball, crossing one hand over the midline of your body, drawing figure 8’s in the air with your hands, and cross over jumping jacks are some of the best memory tips for moms.

3. Feed Your Brain The Nutrients It Needs.

There are many supplements on the market to assist your brain in all its functions.
The NIH (National Institutes of Health) has listed thousands of benefits for supplements like omega 3’s.

They improve not only your cardiovascular system, your joints, reduce inflammation but also help your brain and memory.

Many multi-vitamins have specifically added brain nutrients as one of the best memory tips for moms.

Just make sure to ask your doctor before taking any kind of memory supplements to ensure they are right for you and that they don’t interfere with any other supplements or medications you might be taking.

3.       Play Group Games. 

Group games make some of the best memory tips too.

Gather your friends together and have one of them go into the other room and change into other clothes.

Then, have them enter the room for about 30 seconds and leave quickly.

Each person in the group needs to recall everything possible about that person –height, weight, items of clothing, hair color, shoes, etc.

Write everything down and declare a winner.  Do this kind of exercise every few weeks until each person has won so that everyone in the group benefits from strengthening their memory.

5. Take A Memory Improvement Course

There are all sorts of courses online to improve your memory and come in CD’s if you are an auditory learner, videos if you are more visual learner, and more physical games if you are kinesthetic or tactile learner.

You can take the free Learning Styles Quiz on HowToLearn.com to see how you learn best and match activities to your learning style.

Search out the ones that are best for your learning style and these provide the best memory tips for you.

Games that time you on puzzles and matching games are very self-motivating to improve your score and these give you some of the best memory tips for moms available.


Pat Wyman is America’s Most Trusted Learning Expert and Founder of HowToLearn.com (http://www.HowToLearn.com) 

Her memory and study skills programs such as Instant Learning for Amazing Grades http://www.howtolearn.com/products/amazing-grades  help children and adults raise their grades to A’s and B’s in as little as 14 days.

10 iPhone Apps to Balance Your Busy Life

Moms are hardworking individuals. They have the most difficult job of all in caring for their children and families, even if they have employment outside of the home. They are usually the glue holding everything together in their homes. But you are more than just glue; you have a lifestyle of your own. With all this in mind, there are tons of great iPhone apps that can balance a mom's life. These are definitely worth looking into downloading for any busy mom.

 

1) Parenting Ages & Stages

Parenting Ages & Stages is a great free app new moms who may have questions about their children. It is a highly informative magazine that you can use right at your fingertips on your iPhone that discusses various situations you should expect to deal with as a parent. It can be customized by a mom so that she can add details of her own child or children and gives advice and tips based on age and development.

2) Baby Activity Logger

Baby Activity Logger is an essential app for any new mom who wants to efficiently keep track of caring for her new baby. You can create schedules on the app as to when you should feed, whether you are breast- or bottle-feeding, when to burp and change the baby, schedule naps and track how much time passes between one activity and the next. It is a fantastic app to use when you are sleep deprived and need a quick reminder of what needs to be done for your baby. The app costs $4.99.

3) Mom’s Daily Planner

Mom’s Daily Planner is a nifty app that busy mothers can download for $2.99. It is great for getting and staying organized for your daily activities. You can track important appointments related to your kids and other activities that can be set up on an integrated calendar, create grocery lists for your shopping trips and create reminders of other things you have to do.

4) Family Meals

Family Meals is a great free app that moms will find handy because it includes helpful information about great foods you can prepare and serve to your family. It includes grocery lists as well, which can help you to more efficiently get your shopping done when you go to the supermarket. There are also fine tips on great and delicious meals that your family will love.

5) Allergy-Free For Me Cookbook

Allergy-Free For Me Cookbook is an essential app for any moms who have kids with allergies. It costs $1.99 and gives you wonderful options of recipes for meals that do not contain any of the top eight food allergens, including eggs, peanuts, shellfish and others. There are even a number of great vegetarian and vegan recipes available within the app.

6) Coupon Sherpa

Coupon Sherpa is a great free app that moms will no doubt find very useful. While shopping, you can check coupons for a store of your choice in your area and use them simply by having the cashier scan them directly from your iPhone! It can help you save both money and paper.

7) WebMD Mobile

The WebMD Mobile app is free and is a good tool for any mom who is worried about your child’s symptoms when they get sick. You can look them up in the Symptom Checker feature of the app and check for remedies on how to make your child feel better, whether with medication, vitamins or a natural method.

8) Kids Play Parks

Kids Play Parks is a nifty app that gives you a full directory of parks, playgrounds, zoos and other great recreational facilities that are ideal for kids and families. It tracks your immediate location and finds you the best of these fun places for $1.99.

9) Moms on the Run

Moms on the Run is a free app that is great for any mom who wants to take up running as a training program. It is a great way for new moms to drop their baby weight and get back into great shape. You can track your weight as well as your runs, which is a great way to see your progress.

10) Angry Birds

Angry Birds is the app that is one of the most popular games at the App Store. It is 99 cents and is great for busy moms who just want to have fun at the end of a long, busy day or when they have a break. Those looking to use simple games and smiles to connect with their kid of any age will find this app a success. Escaping the stress of everyday life is no small matter for a mom and can be especially rewarding when the escape is a fun time with a son or daughter.

These apps range from efficient to time-spending and organized to just plain fun, but they all have you and your busy day in mind. More importantly, these apps can be part of your lifestyle and help you connect with the people you love.


Author Bio: Sandy M. is a blogger and technology enthusiast who loves to simplify what matters most in the information age. She stays busy with her two young sons and keeping up on the latest gadgets. She has also written car insurance tips that gives people help on their car insurance comparison.

 

Pamper Yourself with an At-Home Pedicure

Does day-to-day life have you running yourself ragged? If so it’s time to take a breather (if only for an hour) and treat those worn out feet to a little relaxation and rejuvenation. Follow these tips for an easy, enjoyable and inexpensive at-home pedicure and put a much-needed pep in your step.

Warm, Aromatherapy Soak

Start by filling the tub or water basin with warm (not hot) water to soak your feet in. Add your favorite aromatherapy oils or bath salts for added revelation. You can also create your own mixture using kitchen basics such as peppermint oil and milk. Or if you’re short on time, you can skip the soaking, a plan your pedicure for immediately following a bath or shower. The key is to soften your skin so that it’s easier to exfoliate.





Out with the Old

While the water is filling up, remove any old nail polish from your toes. Alcohol- and acetone-free removers are often less drying to your skin and nails but any old nail polish remover will do.
Next up, take ten minutes to allow your feet to soak. Grab a good book and a tasty beverage, put on your favorite album and take this time to relax.

Exfoliate

After a good soak it’s time to exfoliate. Start by massaging a quarter-sized amount of foot scrub into your feet, starting at the heels and working up to the toes and ankles. Next take a wet pumice stone and lightly scrape the bottoms of your feel in a back-and-forth motion. Be gentle. The point is to remove dead skin and smooth down any callouses, not to scrape the feet until they’re raw.

Trim, Moisturize and Start the Base Coat

Now that your feet are feeling fresh it’s time to turn to the nails. Trim your toe nails straight across, smooth the edges with an emery board and gently push back your cuticles with an orange wood stick.
Before you paint your toes, take a quarter-sized dollop of moisturizer and work it into your feet in a circular motion. Grab a base coat, top coat, and vibrant, fun nail polish color and use toe separators to prepare your canvas.

Tip: weaving a rolled up paper-towel between your toes is a great inexpensive alternative to purchasing foam toe separators.

Choose Your Color and Top It Off

Once your base coat has been applied and dried, start applying the colored polish at the center of each nail out towards the tip followed by an additional stroke on either side until each nail is covered. Allow about five minutes for the first coat to dry before apply an additional coat if necessary. Help prevent chipping by finishing off with a top coat. Use an orange wood stick dipped in nail polish remover to fix any mistakes and remove any excess polish.

Allow the polish to dry & voila – happy feet!

Bio: Beth Smedinghoff is a content writer for Socks4Life where she blogs about the latest fashion and beauty trends. Her favorite winter trend is pairing women’s knee socks and boots but secretly can’t wait to show off her new pedicure. When she’s not blogging, she’s always trying out new DIY fashion and beauty tips.

Write a Book and Be a Mom…at the Same Time

Believe it or not you can be a good mom, get things done, spend time with the family, and write a book all in the same week. It can be done, it’s just hard. Of course who ever said that being a mom was easy? Being a mom is hard no matter what the situation; you are the cleaner, the dish washer, the laundry folder, the lunch and dinner maker, the chauffeur, the party planner, the play time planner, the packer, and the human coat rack. You are a lot of things for your family, but you can also be a writer. It can be done.

As mentioned already, writing your own book will probably a challenging job because you are busy and you have a lot of other things you need to get done. The tips that come with writing a book are not like the futures trading secrets course, it doesn’t take much time to figure out which tips will and which tips will not work for you, your family and your schedule.

Here are some tips on how you can get started on your book while still having time for family:

• Outline. Outline your whole book. Honestly not many people can sit down and just have creative juices flow from brain to pen to paper. Because it doesn’t work that way you need to find a time to just sit down and outline your book. If you take the long amount of time it usually takes to sincerely get the outline accomplished, then you will not have to take extra time later to think of the details you could have put in the outline.

• Don’t stop. Many writers will start writing for a few days then stop for months at a time. Don’t stop. It becomes much harder to start and keep going again after you have stopped writing for a while. Also, don’t stop to edit. Editing is something you can save for when you are done writing. Writing is the hard part so just keep plugging away.

• Schedule. Plan out each week and as you are doing so plan out a time when you can work on your book each day. Even if it is just for a few minutes plan it out and make sure it happens. If you are writing, at least a little bit, every day you will think about the story more often and how you can improve what you work on.




Madison Hewerdine is an author who writes about the futures trading secrets course and has a passion for Latin dancing.

Parenting Tips for the New Mom: Organizing the Chaos

by guest blogger Diane Johnson

Let’s face it, amid all the love and awe of a new baby comes another state of being – chaos. When parenting, it’s as reliable as a dirty diaper. Try as you might to get as completely organized when a new baby is on the way, when that baby gets here, it's just chaos. A good chaos, but it is chaos. The best thing to do is to organize what you can and roll with the rest.

We’ve collected five parenting tips to help you organize the chaos of a growing family and get back to what you should be doing – enjoying time with your new baby.

1. In/Out log. What is an in/out log? It’s keeping up with how much food goes into the baby and how often waste comes out. Some people say keeping a log is overkill. Some people keep one for months straight. We fall somewhere in the middle. After all, you’ll want to have a general idea of how many dirty diapers you have a day for the first few weeks. You will be put on the spot and asked by the pediatrician, so best to have your diapers in a row.

2. Calendar. If you’re not a calendar-type person, you need to become one. Between pediatrician appointments, follow-up gynecological appointments, newborn picture appointments and more, you’ll always have some place to be, so you might as well develop a system for keeping up with the parenting game.

3. Supplies. If this is your first child, your nursery was probably fully stocked and ready to go. The diaper changing area was cleaned up and all supplies laid out for first use. Except now that the baby is here, you realize you may not always need to change a diaper in the nursery. If you mainly stay in one part of the house during the day, keep a supply of diaper changing necessities tucked in a corner, a change of clothes is great too (especially if you have a multi-level house). This will keep you from having to dart upstairs to grab a diaper or wag the baby up and down the stairs for each and ever change.

4. Feeding supplies. If you bottle-feed, have enough bottles on hand to rotate a day’s feeding supplies in and out of the dishwasher. This ensures you have plenty on hand for that day and let’s face it, getting though this day, then that one is what matters most.

5. Eats. While everyone is probably most concerned with the new baby’s feeding schedule, don’t forget that you and everyone else in your family needs to eat, too. Plan out a schedule for meals ahead of time and stick to it. Build up your supply of made-ahead frozen meals and have them ready to pull out every day for the first few weeks. Nothing is more stressful on a new mom than worrying about what everyone will have for supper at 6 p.m.

Parenting a new baby is exhausting and stressful. Everyone who has been through it knows that you really can’t understand until you do it yourself. Even in the chaotic environment of a newborn, you can instill a little organization to help things run more smoothly and help you get back to the thing you love most – being a mom. Have a great parenting organization tip? Tell us about it!

Diane Johnson writes about a number of her interests including shopping, online schooling, and traveling.

Thank you, Diane, for your contribution to Mommy Rantings!

TV is Bad, Bad, Bad for Your Kids - Not!

I was in the middle of my daytime routine...and a thought hit me! I had to write a blog post - a real blog post - for the first time in a long time!

We've all been slapped on the hand, scolded and felt guilty for allowing our children to watch tv. Parenting experts, magazines and online articles will tell you over and over again that too much television will turn your child into an overweight couch potato with no ambition. But, with all of the choices that we have to present to our children for television viewing, it leaves me to wonder if the "experts" might be slightly wrong.

Morning Routine

I have a morning routine that I have fallen into lately - and it's working pretty darn good for me, as a busy mom of 6. I get up and hustle the four oldest children out the door to the school bus, "Did you brush your hair? Your teeth?" Bla, bla, bla...and then, when the mad rush is over, there are still two (demanding) children to tend to.

Right on time, at 8:00 A.M., Mickey Mouse Clubhouse comes on Disney Junior. (By the way, I LOVE that channel, for the kids, of course!). During the beginning of the show, I will make my strawberry flavored Carnation Instant Breakfast (a great way to get those much-needed vitamins!) and start brewing my must-have coffee. As the show progresses, I encourage my little ones to count and sing along and dance and interact with the questions that are posed.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

If you haven't seen Mickey Mouse Clubhhouse lately and you have pre-school aged children and toddlers, you really should check it out. There are quite a few similarities to Dora the Explorer: it is a colorful cartoon, they ask questions to get the children thinking and interacting, and they present and solve problems (with the help of their viewing audience).

When the music plays, Dakoda will dance around and laugh, quite often joined by Dylan. When they ask questions, Dylan is quick to guess the answer and is quite proud of how "smart" he is when he gets the right answer (which is 99.9% of the time, little Smarty Pants). Couch potatoes, they are not. And, thanks to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, I can get my morning started with my vitamins and coffee without interruption - and I know that my children are getting a little bit of exercise, both physically and mentally.

Dora the Explorer (and Go, Diego, Go!)

I mentioned Dora the Explorer earlier, and will let you know that both Dora and Diego are also favorites in our house. I like these shows because they are also interactive and ask questions to get the children thinking and problem solving. They also teach a little Spanish to the children. I can proudly say that my children know quite a few words in Spanish, thanks to Dora, Diego and Handy Manny.


Handy Manny

Teamwork, cooperation and community are the focus points of Handy Manny. Handy Manny is joined by his animated tools who are always willing to help him solve problems. This show gets my little people thinking and solving problems and there is a little Spanish incorporated, too. You can find Handy Manny on the Disney Channel.

Little Einsteins

The classical music that is raved about for the enhancement of your children's brains can be found here! Along with music, you will find artwork and problem solving. For many years, right after they outgrew the Baby Einstein series, my children moved onto Little Einsteins. Another Disney Channel series, I don't see it on as often as I used to, but I still think it's a great show for pre-school aged children.

A Big No-No Show

Spongebob Squarepants

I hate this show. There is absolutely no educational value in it, and although my children will sit and turn into zombies while Spongebob Squarepants is on, I can't stand it. My children know it, too. I have made my opinion of the show very clear. I do admit that I will allow my children to watch it once and a while, but they can forget about the Spongebob Squarepants marathons in my house!



I could list every kid's show on television and my opinion, but I don't have the time to do it, and I'm sure that you don't have the time to read a blog post that long...but, my point is: there is television programming for children that is educational if you encourage your children to participate, think and dance along with the music.

I'm not advocating all-day entertainment with the television, but for those mothers who need a moment (or two) to get acclimated to the morning or cook lunch or even take a quick shower, these shows can definitely teach your child a thing or two while you are busy. They can also help out on rainy days (or these long winter days) when all of the crafts and activities start to get boring.

I, personally, don't limit television viewing hours for my little ones (the older children, yes), but I do monitor the show choices and direct them to the shows that I think have educational value for them.

What is your opinion? Do you think that television is completely bad for your kids? Do you set time limits on the tv? What are your kid's favorite shows?

Busiest Times of Day For Women & Women's Most Time Consuming Activities

I received an email that I found quite interesting and wanted to share it with you (I also found the images - The one below reminds me of....me!):

voguemom.blogspot.com

 

New Survey Reveals Busiest Times of Day for Women, Most Time-Consuming Activities

HealthyWomen Provides 12 Time-StretchingTips for Women

Red Bank, N.J., November 4, 2010 – With Daylight Savings around the corner,(My own words): with a new year here, many women will find that extra hour of sunshine in the morning comes at their most hectic time of the day they might want to instill new ways to add more time to their day. According to research released today by HealthyWomen (HW), women’s busiest hours are closely connected to the work day–but the number one activity that takes time away from women is domestic chores. These findings affirm that despite women taking on greater roles outside the home, they are still very much constrained by household activities. Fortunately, they are also finding novel strategies to cope.

The survey of more than 1000 women, conducted by Harris interactive, shows that the largest percentage of women (38%) feel most pressed for time in the early morning hours of their day, from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and one-fifth of those surveyed (20%) report the biggest time pressures during early evening, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., when many families are preparing for and eating dinner, as well as finishing up tasks from the day.

“What makes these findings so interesting is that they are connected to a typical work day,” said Elizabeth Battaglino Cahill, RN, executive director of HealthyWomen. “The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that women will represent a majority of the workforce for the first time in history within the next year and despite women working outside the home more, we see from this survey that their time is still very much consumed by domestic duties.”

How women actually spend their time vs. how they would like to spend it

When asked which activities kept them from doing the things they wanted to do, almost half of the women surveyed cited domestic chores (49%). A similar number (47%) cited paying bills or running errands. And almost a quarter of women (23%) included activities such as making phone calls, texting and emailing as significant time sinks.

If they had more time, the majority of women (65%) would use it for entertainment, such as reading, watching TV and using the internet. Many women would also choose to spend time with friends or family (54%) and on physical activities such as working out or running (46%).

Other findings from the survey include notable differences among older and younger women. 

· Digital overload for younger women. Younger women (ages 18-34) were more likely than those over 35 to cite communicating with others through phone calls, texts and email as an activity that keeps them from doing what they want.
· Health and hygiene more time-consuming for younger women. Younger women also are much more likely to say that personal hygiene takes up too much time and dealing with their menstrual cycle/period keeps them from doing the things they want to do.
· Younger women would like more “me time.” If given more time, younger women were more likely to say that they would spend time ‘doing nothing’ or sleeping.

Simple, time-saving solutions

“Whatever their obligations, women are coming up with creative ways to conserve their time and cut down stress,” explained Battaglino Cahill. “We asked the HealthyWomen community to give us their tips on saving time, and selected the best tips to share so we can all try to find more time for the things that are most important to us.”

From hundreds of submissions, HealthyWomen selected the top 12 easiest and most practical ways to save time throughout the day–and to take advantage of that extra hour of morning sunshine that comes with Daylight Savings.

HealthyWomen’s Top 12 Time Saving Tips

Domestic Duties

1. Make Fridays left over night – you will clean out the fridge and save time and money. Rose T., Washington

2. We know you want to be watching TV, but how about making that personal time a bit more productive? Use commercial breaks to squeeze in some of the end-of-day chores – sort laundry, start the washer, vacuum a room, unload the dishwasher, organize the kitchen counter. Isabel H., South Carolina

3. Sign up for free automatic bill-paying services for all recurring bills such as utility bills, etc. Then set up an online bank account for free, one-click payment of all other bills - saves time, postage, and gas! Dorothea S.,
Washington

Running Errands

4. Combine as many errands as you can into one outing – grouping them by location and reducing travel time. Julia W., Washington, D.C.

5. Ask for help! Keep a list of your errands and an ear open in case your spouse, relative or friend is headed to the same place. Anonymous

6. Ride your bike, walk or run to run local errands – eliminating the need to take time to exercise later. Rachel L, Georgia

Communicating with Others

7. Set a schedule and establish boundaries throughout the day. For example, at the beginning of each conversation, tell others how much time you have available. It’s as easy as saying, “I’m glad you called, but I’ve only got about 10 minutes to chat…” Shannon S., Texas

8. Make email more efficient – spending the time to unsubscribe for all the junk emails will give you an inbox with just the information you want, and less time deleting the stuff you don’t. Marsha S., New Jersey

9. Take public transportation to work, and use that time to read, update your to-do list, or answer personal emails. Anonymous

Health and Beauty

10. Reconsider your definition of clean and don't shampoo every day - your hair will be healthier and shinier and your shower will be shorter. Ute V., Florida

11. Keep your period light – at least packing for it. You can safely wear a menstrual cup all day, which saves time changing and packing your feminine protection. Anonymous

12. Tried and true – set your clothes out the night before. Women who don’t can waste time trying on different outfits or having to iron at the busiest time of the day. Deolinda J., New York

This survey was supported by an educational grant from Instead Softcup (www.softcup.com).

About the Survey

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of HealthyWomen from October 13-15, 2010 among 1,015 women ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Tara May at tara.may@ogilvypr.com.

About HealthyWomen

HealthyWomen (HW) is the nation's leading independent health information source for women. For more than 20 years, women have been coming to the HW for answers to their most pressing and personal health care questions. HW provides health information through a wide array of online content and print publications that are original, objective and reviewed and approved by medical experts. Its website, www.HealthyWomen.org®, was recognized by ForbesWoman as one of the "Top 100 Websites for Women" and was named the top women’s health website by Dr. Mehmet Oz in O, The Oprah Magazine and by Good Housekeeping magazine. To learn more, visit www.HealthyWomen.org.

About Instead Softcup

The Instead Softcup is a body-friendly, convenient alternative to tampons and pads. Designed by a woman, Softcup is a flexible menstrual cup worn internally, around the cervix, which collects rather than absorbs menstrual fluid. Women can wear Softcups for up to 12 hours, making it perfect for moms, runners/athletes, college students, women with irregular periods, peri-menopausal women, or any busy woman. It can be worn confidently during any type of activity, including sleeping, swimming, and sports, and even during intercourse for mess-free sex. Unlike tampons, the Softcup doesn't change the body's natural pH balance, contain dioxins, and it’s made of a non-irritating, non-absorbent plastic material that isn't linked to toxic shock syndrome (TSS). To find store locations, visit www.softcup.com.

About Harris Interactive

Harris Interactive is one of the world's leading custom market research firms, leveraging research, technology, and business acumen to transform relevant insight into actionable foresight. Known widely for the Harris Poll and for pioneering innovative research methodologies, Harris offers expertise in a wide range of industries including healthcare, technology, public affairs, energy, telecommunications, financial services, insurance, media, retail, restaurant, and consumer package goods. Serving clients in over 215 countries and territories through our North American, European, and Asian offices and a network of independent market research firms, Harris specializes in delivering research solutions that help us – and our clients – stay ahead of what’s next. For more information, please visit www.harrisinteractive.com.

I was given permission to reprint this information on my blog. Thanks for the research and useful tips, Softcup!