thekiddieclique.com

 I Brake for Meltdowns: How to Handle the Most Exasperating Behavior of Your 2- to 5-Year-Old by Michelle Nicholasen and Barbara O’Neal. For all the parents of toddlers that have experienced their share of meltdowns, I Brake for Meltdowns offers an annotated listing of all the exasperating things little kids do and includes step-by-step advice on how to handle each situation.

More than just meltdowns (public and private), this book includes advice on what to do when your little one:

• Has difficulty sharing or taking turns

• Won’t eat what you made for dinner

• Won’t put his coat on

• Talks back to other adults

• Refuses to brush her teeth, clean her room, or get in her car seat

• Constantly engages in self-criticism

• Keeps getting out of bed when it’s time to go to sleep

To learn more about the book and its authors, please visit: ibrakeformeltdowns.com

to Pensacola Beach, Florida. If you havent been to a gulf coast beach, you honestly have no idea what you are missing. Unlike many of the Floriday beaches, the gulf coast is full of sugar white sands and crystal clear water, reminding you of being in another country, rather your own backyard. The trip was SO much fun, that we are already looking into planning next years. New York, San Diego, a cruise….all these thoughts have been tossed, but I am a sucker for the beach through and through. I dont think there is anything more fun or more relaxing then sipping a drink on the beach or lounging at the pool or shopping at local shops.

I just remembered that I had gotten some information on BEACHES resorts. I have done some research in the past on all inclusives and we did one about 5 years ago on our wedding anniversary and it was fun, but ill admit that the Dominican Republic is a tad bit scary. The resort wasnt Beaches, but I did enjoy the all inclusive. If I had an oppurtunity to do it again, I definatly think that Beaches would be my top choice in travel. I was on their website today and they are having a WONDERFALL celebration, which has packages upwards to 45% off for fall travel and last minute deals. Having just gotten out of the military this year, suffered a fire in January, and forced to live with my mother in law during all the transition, boy, could I use a vacation. LOL!

One of the things I really like about the BEACHES resort is that they offer real family destinations and activities. Right now, we have a 3.5 year old, and going on vacation can be a chore without offered activities to fill up the days. Themed resteraunts, ice cream, Xbox 360 gameroom, and more, I can see how kids of all ages would find this to be a fun place for them. And of course, in the evening, perfect nightlife for you and your husband (or wife) to do that whole beach, sipping pina colada on the beach.

Where are you planning your vacations this year? If you havent made plans, check out these all inclusive resorts..they really make a vacation, a true vacation….no meals, no driving, no planning. Just book and go. A parents dream!

trisha

My husbands birthday is on July 1st and every year he wants strawberry shortcake! ANd this year was no exception, but he wanted it with angel foodcake. I admit, there is something deeply satisfying about that fluffy white cake that just tears off into chunks that can then be doused in strawberries and sugar. Lucky for me, this year there is a HUGE crop of strawberries and putting the prices per container lower then $2 a bucket…which is good considering we tend to go through about 2 buckets a week. Last year we had a great time going to pick strawberries, which resulted in my then, 2 year old, eating just as many as she picked. I prefer to buy mine…less clothing to wash. LOL

 For a fun summer recipe including a strawberry treat, check this one out:

 Strawberry Shrimp Ceviche

¾ pound cooked peeled shrimp
1½ cups peeled seeded diced cucumber
¾ cup diced red onion
1½ tablespoons chopped, seeded jalapeno peppers
1½ cups (about ¼ pound) quartered, stemmed California strawberries
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Ceviche Dressing

¼ cup chopped, stemmed California strawberries
¼ cup chopped plum tomato
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons chopped, seeded jalapeno peppers
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions

To make Ceviche dressing: in blender or food processor, purée all ingredients until smooth. In large bowl, toss shrimp, cucumber, onion and peppers with Ceviche dressing. Refrigerate, covered, at least 30 minutes but no more than 4 hours. Just before serving, add strawberries and cilantro; mix gently but thoroughly. Makes 6 appetizer servings.

 This year, take some time to check out the California Strawberry Commissions website where you can learn important nutrition facts, surf strawberry recipes, and find tons of fun games for your kids to do at StrawberryVille.

With July 4th coming up, I really wanted to spread some tips on how to stay safe in the summer sun! If your like my family, they tend to be out from the hot afternoon sun blazing at 3pm all the way through the sundown, and dont be fooled by a cloudy day! We all know that protecting our skin is the best way to prevent skin cancer, keep us looking young, and keeping away dreaded sunburns. And dont forget about drinking water and staying hydrated  in the heat. I live in alabama, so the heat, in the low part of the season, is still enough to make you weak and tired. Just a few tips to make your July 4th week FUN in the sun and not FALL in the sun:

• Have a Sun Protection Strategy: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends sunscreen with a minimum Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15.  Look for products that provide “broad spectrum” coverage to protect against both UVA and UVB rays.  Use this sunscreen routine with your child–daily application 30 minutes before going outside and reapplication every 2 hours (or sooner if swimming, toweling off, or sweating).  Creating a routine will establish good habits for the future.  In addition, don’t forget a wide brim hat, sunglasses with 99-100% UVA/UVB protection, and sun protective clothing.
• Keep Pests off Your Little One: In the summer, many insects can bite or sting your child.  For pesky mosquitoes and ticks, consider a DEET containing insect repellant.  Apply sparingly to exposed skin (avoid backs of hands and around the eyes and mouth) and/or to clothing once a day. As the percentage of DEET goes up, the duration of action increases. To prevent unnecessary exposure, always use the lowest percentage that will last for the planned length of time spent outdoors. Never go above 30% or use on children under 2 months old.
• Keep the Pool Cool and Clean: Small yard pools provide a great way for kids to have fun and cool down when the temperature rises, but they can also harbor germs, such as bacteria.  To keep the pool free from unwanted “swimmers,” after each use disinfect it with bleach by cleaning with a solution of  ¾ cup regular bleach to one gallon of water, then rinse well and dry thoroughly.  Safety must: Always supervise children regardless of age when they are around any water; whether it’s a bucket, a small backyard plastic pool, or the local community pool.
• High Heat Means Hydrate: Excessive heat exposure may cause your child to experience a heat-related illness such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion, or even heat stroke. How to prevent this: take breaks in the shade, avoid playing outside during peak sun exposure hours, and drink, drink, drink!  Make sure your child is taking in plenty of fluids before he become thirsty.
• Rid Rashes and Relieve Itchies: Running through the yard in bare feet, taking a nature walk on a trail, and picnicing in the park are some of the joys of warmer weather.  But all of this outdoor activity can expose your child to a host of plants including those which cause poison ivy, poison oak or poison sumac.  If an allergic reaction occurs, ask the pediatrician about an oral antihistamine and/or a topical skin care product such as a steroid cream or calamine.  If the rash is extensive, looks infected, or is not getting better, call your doctor right away.

All safety tips can also be found on MommyDocs.com

Have fun this holiday, we are off to the beach!

In addition to my business, Beyond The Bomb, I have also started a new job from home.Now again, this is FROM HOME and it’s on the computer. I realize not all people are computer savy. I realize it can be difficult for those just not use to the computer BUT if you are going to be “working” from home with little to no support ON THE COMPUTER. Please for the love of God…know your shit!

I have been on the phone in a conference bridge for the past two hours learning how to get into certain programs we will need. This isn’t complicated. We’re given a list of user names and passwords and you type them in. Difficult right? Obvisouly it is for some. I swear we spent close to 30 minutes as a group trying to figure out why this one woman could not log in and kept getting errors. After a ridiculous amount aof time we asked if she had capitalized her password, which she hadn’t and which is why she couldn’t get it. YET..under our instructions it clearly says (and in bold) that all IDs and passwords are case sensitive.

Beating my head against a wall!

Ok, I tried to do the civility challenge that I presented last week. I didn’t realize just how hard that was going to be.  If you didn’t read, or have forgotten, last weeks challenge was:

19: Listen to more than one source of news. Try to get a balanced perspective on a topic before forming an opinion about it.

I often forgot and when I tried I realized that a lot of sites seem to quote the same source. I think I started this off to hard. I hope you tried no matter how successful you were.

Now, on to this weeks challenge. I think I’ll make this one easer. It’s simply:

#67: Read. 

Try and read a book for at least a few minutes a day. Report back on what you read!

Happy Civility Everyone!

There is a new site that I will be helping out on, along with Trisha and Kristin, it is called MomDot

MomDot is a brand new site to promote bloggers, boutiques, and parenting sites, all for FREE! We want to know YOU, and your blog, and why you chose to reach out to the world. Please feel free to contact us to be on our launch date as a FEATURE BLOGGER! *disclaimer-we may have tons of bloggers contact us so if you are not featured on our launch date please know we will feature you, it just may take time

MomDot is looking for bloggers who are shameless and love to be promoted LOL. We want to FEATURE and INTERVIEW (yes you read right we not only will feature your blog but interview you as well, after all we should get to know more about the person we are reading right!) bloggers of all areas.

As a fellow blogger I know it’s important to have readers it’s what makes us love blogging, knowing that someone out there enjoys what we have to say! What better way to gain readers than to submit your blog to a site that is all about promoting blogs.

Now not only will we promote blogs but also boutiques as well as other cool websites we love (ones we already know and ones we find)

MomDot is still in the design and set up phase but you can head over to check it out at anytime, look around at all the pages we will have available. This is something you surely will not want to miss being a part of. Oh and when we do feature you, you will get one of those cool little banners/buttons that says “I was featured on MomDot”. Now if nothing else got your attention I know that did, because we all love to brag when we are featured (don’t try to act all humble I know you all too well, I read your blogs remember LOL)

So if you are interested, please email me at tpatton5@gmail.com . Make the subject line “I would like to be featured” so I don’t think you are some annoying spammer telling me yet again I have won the lottery. And please don’t get discouraged if you are not the first or even the twentieth person featured, we will get to you it just depends on how many people as to when you will be featured. So happy blogging and get ready to answer some interview questions!

Oh and don’t forget to sign Mister Linkey while your there checking the site out (because you know you will click the link) you may as well and get a head start! And I mustn’t forget to mention there will be awesome giveaways during our launch, and who of us doesn’t love the chance to win something.

We all know how I feel about little girls wearing things that (imho) only look good on adults..so if you feel that way, go to http://momsformodesty.blogspot.com/ and sign the petition. Its not about the bikini wars, its about the inappropriatness of the type of clothing the industry puts out for our kids. Ick, yuck, and double yuck on shorts that say “Im cute” on 5 year olds.

Yep that was me tonight! Fun times! My youngest was going through a drawer and found nail polish and wanted me to put some on her fingers. So I did, and freshened up my toes and painted my 2 yr olds toes and fingers as well. When I was done I put it back in the drawer they found it in (dumb!) and preceeded to put my baby to bed and then went to use the restroom. When I came back into my living room there was my 2 year old. Covered! Picture finger painting with nail polish. Ugh.

She wanted to paint her own nails…my little miss independ. However, in the meantime she also painted pretty much her whole hand and feet, which then of course tracked nail polish all over my wood floors. I clean up the floors (thank goodness I had nail polish remover in the house because I usually don’t carry it!), and then told her to sit down so I could clean her hands, feet and face (yes face). When we both go to get up thinking that was it I notice a huge spot on my wood floor again…and it wasn’t there before! So I check her again and notice a huge spot on her pajama dress in the butt are! UGH! I take her dress off and notice it was soaked all through her night time diaper as well. This had me worried.  This meant there was a spot somewhere else in my house that she had sat on. So I go on a hunt for nail polish stains.

I land in her bedroom with eyes wider then when I had first seen her. “Oh no!” came out of me this time as I noticed a trail of bright pink nail polish on her bedroom carpet! I start doing a fast sweep of the room to see if there was any other damage….and there was. She decided her baby dolls needed pretty fingers as well, except it was more like arms and not fingers. Which she had done with them on her bed so her bed recieved a make-over as well. I cleaned up the toys and did as much as I could to the floor. I ran out of nail polish remover. Ggrr. So I will have to pick some up tomorrow along with a good stain remover and just hope the pink comes out.

The joys of having girls.

Can someone explain that to me?

I was in the mall yesterday when my 2 year old had an accident. I had back-up clothes in my car but didn’t really want to drag 4 kids out and back in and since she was in a dress all I needed was panties…so I decided to just buy a pair. I bought a pair on sale from Gap Kids for $2 BUT….the 6-pack was $24! That to me is insane! Who really buys brand name panties or underwear for their kids? All that is going to happen is they are going to get peed in, pooped in or streaks and stains and come on…who is seeing your kids underwear? They sure as hell don’t know the difference and only me and my hubby see what they wear under their clothes. So really…why? Why would I spend $24 on a 6-pack of name brand underwear when I can go to Wal-mart or Target  and get a 6-pack for $6?

Left scratching my head.