Tips for helping to keep your family cold and flu free...

Fall is most definitely blowing it's way through our hometown. This means it is the time of year when our children and families are most susceptible to coming down with the flu or a cold. I can not tell you how important it is to teach our children (and sometimes our hubby's) to follow a few simple steps to keep ourselves germ free so that we can enjoy the season!

Here are a few of my personal tips and tricks:

1. Make sure you teach your children to cover their coughs and sneezes. While covering your mouth and nose with your hands will suffice, it is best to teach them to use the inside of their elbows. This way they won't be temped to use their hands afterwards, spreading more germs!

2. Wash wash wash! I really drill my kids about the importance of hand washing! They are encouraged to wash before and after every meal at home and at school. As well as after playing on the playground at recess. 

They have a step stool in their bathroom giving them the freedom to wash on their own!

3. Put a small package of tissue in your child's backpack. Last year I dropped into my sons classroom to only see they had run out of tissue. Their only option was paper towels. Most kids chose their hands and shirts instead, ewwww!

4. Ask your child's teacher if it is acceptable to send a small bottle of hand sanitizer to school. You can even donate a HUGE bottle, ensuring the children all have the chance to use it. I like to keep it in my purse, the car, and next to the sink!

5. If you are comfortable with the idea, you can have your family receive the flu shot. 

6. Teach your children that while it is always nice to share with your friends, germs are something we want to keep to ourselves. This means no sharing drinks, chapstick, etc. 

7. Give your child a multi-vitamin everyday. 

8. As a Mommy, I also take precautions around the house! I constantly wipe down the counters, tables, and toys. Light switch's and door knobs are also places germs love to hang out. Take the time to wipe them off, or give them a daily spray with Lysol (one of my favorite products)!

There really isn't anything I wouldn't do in order to keep my kids cold and flu free. My son suffers from asthma, and something that starts as simple a small cough can really escalate to him being very sick, very fast! I hope you have found my tips and tricks helpful. Of course I would love for you to leave me a comment with anything else you can think of. 

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Lysol blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here

Protecting your Family Nest!

Did you know that half of Americans claim to be under insured? To me that is an astonishing number, I can't even begin to imagine where my family would be without the right insurance. For my family being insured is an absolute must! I am a stay-at-home mommy, which means that my husband is our primary bread winner! Not to mention his line of work puts him at a greater risk for injury, which down right scares the you know what out of me! I know that in this economy most people think that they or their partner won't need the insurance, that it is just an added cost each month that they can't really afford. But it is actually more affordable than you may think, it can be as low as $20 a month in some cases. Looking at the BIG picture it isn't very unreasonable at all. Ask yourself, where would you be without life insurance? I know I would be at a complete loss of funds to cover any medical expenses, funeral costs, not to mention pay my mortgage! Here are a few tips to help you protect what means the most to us:

*Insure yourself and you spouse! As horrible as the thought of losing a loved one is, it is a reality and it is better to be financially prepared. Life insurance is a must for me!

*Start a saving account! My hubby and I always put money away each month. Even if it is only $20. Every little bit helps. You never know when or why you will need it.

*Make sure you have a good retirement plan! These days most people are extremely lucky have a stable job, so set your self up for the future! It is a shame to work so hard now and not reap the benefits once you retire, right?

*Start a college fund for the kids! By starting when they are very young you can put a little away each month, or even once a year around tax time! Education is so important, and I want to make sure that I give my kids the best opportunity possible.

*Open a saving account for the kids! Both of my children have had savings accounts since the time they were born. Every holiday and each birthday they both receive a few checks here and there. We just deposit them and let it collect the interest. We have decided that we will give them the option to use it towards a car when the time comes or just continue to save it for a rainy day!

*Have a family plan! Make sure everyone knows what to do, and where to go during an emergency! I know that most of us have very young children, so making sure they know what to do in any emergency is key! Being a stay-at-home mommy I always worry about something happening to me and my kids not knowing how to get the help we need. Take the time to teach them! Accidents do happen!

I hope that I was able to give you some ideas to keep your Family Nest safe and sound! I would love for you to leave me a comment with any other ideas you may have! We can never be to safe!

Disclosure:“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Allstate blogging program, for a gift card worth $50. For more information on how you can participate, click here.” 

#saveheresplurgethere Ticket Edition

I'm sure everyone if very aware of the high price of tickets to many amusement parks. My #1 tip to savings is to wait until you can purchase your tickets when the amusement park you wan to go to has a big promotion! I know that here in Sunny Southern Ca. many places will offer tickets at a discounted price for local residents. Make sure you check their website for any promos, or call them and ask. A lot of the time you can find great deals for other things such as lower entry pricing for military, fire, police, and teachers. Sometimes you just need to ask.

We were very lucky when it came time to purchasing our tickets to Legoland. It just so happened that they were having an awesome promotion for "Buy 1 day get 5 consecutive days free" AMAZING! So for just over $300 we were able to get 2 adult tickets and 2 child's tickets, that are good for 5 fun filled days of park hopping. That's right, the tickets are good for Legoland, Sea Life Aquarium, and the Waterpark! Even though we are only going to use our tickets for 4 days, it is still a great deal! Thank you Legoland!

By saving money on our admission tickets we will be able to splurge on souvenir's for Little Dude & Little Diva.

#saveheresplurgethere

Diaper Adventures With Huggies...

When my kiddos were younger I had my hands full! I was literally up to my neck in diapers each and every day. We even had nicknames for the kiddos, we called them Wiggle Worm and Diaper Diva! There was a period of time when I had BOTH of them in diapers at the same time, thankfully that only lasted for a few months before Little Dude aka Wiggle Worm was potty trained! It turned into a very sticky and very tricky situation at times. Now that they are older and thankfully potty trained, I would love to share a few of the tricks I used to change those little wiggle worms...

*1. My first tip is do not be afraid...they will not break!

*2. If you have a little boy you will need to work quickly...keep an extra blankie around. When they get cold they get squirmy & squirty!

*3. I used to keep a little toy with me for diaper changes when we were away from home. I would let them hold the toy to try and keep them as still as possible.

*4. With my daughter I always tried to use warm wipes. Anytime we were away from home and I had to use the dreaded cold wipes to clean her up during a diaper change it only made matters worse. She would cry and wiggle more than ever. If you have a little princess like I did who likes to keep her fanny warm I totally suggest a wipe warmer. It will cut down on the amount of wiggle time and make those diaper changes a lot faster for you both.

*5. If all else fails and you find yourself changing the diaper of a baby who is determined to wiggle away from you...take a deep breath and sing the silliest song you can think of. Make a crazy face! If it doesn't grab your little ones attention at least you will get a good laugh out of it later!

I can't count how many times I have been in a public place with a screaming baby who wants nothing more than to roll away from me. I would have given my right arm to have anything at all to make the situation better for myself and my little love bug. Well, guess what? Huggies has done just that! They have come out with Huggies Little Movers Slip-On Diapers! These are going to be so helpful for all you mommies on the go! If you are lucky enough to have a baby or little one right now I would suggest giving these a try! Who doesn't want to make diaper changing easier?

Have you heard of these before? Have you tried them? If you have I would love to know what you think! If you haven't would they be something you could use? I wish I had the chance to give them a try! Leave me a comment and let me know what you think...

Disclosure: “I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Huggies blogging program, for a gift card worth $35. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

One Little Mom's "Top 10 healthy tips to get your kids ready for back-to-school."

It is the time of year that most kids do not look forward to, yes I am talking about Back-To-School! After being away from school for such a long amount of time most kiddos need a little help getting back into the swing of things. Here are One Little Mom's Top 10 Healthy Tips To Get Your Kids Ready For Back-To-School...

*1. Help them to re-establish an earlier bedtime. During the summer most kids are allowed to stay up past their normal bedtime. This usually tends to throw them off schedule. Starting a few weeks before they return to school try and have them start their bedtime routine 30 minutes earlier.

*2. If it is your child's first year in school it is a good idea to take them on a tour of the school before hand. Just to get them familiar with their surroundings. Even walking around the outside of the school and pointing out different parts of the school will help them feel more secure when they arrive. This will help with any anxiety they have. My son suffered from anxiety entering his kindergarten year. Poor guy had horrible stomach aches from it. Anxiety often does have a physical effect even on the little ones.

*3. Make sure you go see your child's primary doctor for a check up. Most schools require a check up and most of the time some type of vaccination before starting school.

*4. Take your child to get their eyes examined. My son was suffering from headaches last year during school. I felt horrible not having known for so long. We took him to get checked and he was having some issues with his eyesight. Nothing that required glasses (thank goodness) but it is better to be safe than sorry.

*5. Get together with friends or old classmates for a play date before the school year starts. This will help your child make a few close friends before he/she starts school. It will help them have a sense of security knowing they have a friend they can turn to. It is always great to keep the kids active during summer so they have enough energy to take on their new schedules.

*6. Talk to your child about healthy eating options. Lots of schools have vending machines that offer things like soda that I would personally not want my kids choosing while at school.

*7. Tell your child the importance of not sharing "everything" with their friends. I make sure my kids know they should never share a drink, chapstick, hats, or tissues. Sharing with your friends is nice...just don't let them share germs!

*8. Start waking your child up earlier. This is a hard one for me because during the summer my kids want to sleep in until 8 or 9 and I really want to let them (I could use the extra sleep myself ) but a couple of weeks before going back to school they should get used to waking up at an earlier time. This will also help them to fall asleep sooner. Set an alarm clock for them if you need to.

*9. Wash wash wash. Make sure your child is washing their hand before and after eating, and after being on the playground. Have them practice at home as well so it really sticks with them.

*10. Make sure your child eats breakfast. My son is not the biggest fan of breakfast but I make sure he at least has a piece of fruit before school. It is after all the most important meal of the day!

I can't wait to see what the new school year brings for my son. I am looking forward to watching him grow and being there for him along the way! Do you have any healthy tips for helping your child get ready for back-to-school? I would love for you to leave a comment and share them with me.

Wising you and your children a happy and healthy back-to-school experience...

Disclosure: “I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Transitions Lenses blogging program, for a gift card worth $50. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”