hot baby finds dot com

my discoveries while raising the second of two kids

Ruby Tuesday coupon

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I feel bad for all the restaurants. I still can’t believe Brew Moon and Compadres closed their doors! Seems business is slow because people aren’t eating out as much. But I bet the grocery stores are booming!

I know in our family we’ve been eating out a lot less...and Dave used to eat out like 2 out of 3 meals a day! Now we go grocery shopping once a week, cook/eat at home, and make Jamba-like smoothies ourselves. It’s not that we’ve felt the effects of the economic recession on our business yet, but that we are cognisant that things could get really bad in the future.

But if everyone acted in fear, stayed home and didn’t spend any money, our economy would really be in trouble. We need to pour our hard earned $ back into the machine to keep it going for the common good. So...

BOGO, baby!

Vitamin Therapy

A fellow mom, Casey, told me about B vitamins as a natural remedy for anxiety, stress and depression. Any mom who is or has experienced postpardum depression ought to look into these. ANY mom (or dad) with toddlers ought also to look into it.

Vitamin B
The B vitamins - especially B6 and B12 - help regulate the body's response to stress and maintain a healthy nervous system. They have been found to stabilize the body's lactate levels, which are responsible for anxiety attacks. When your body is going through stress it depletes stores of B and C vitamins rapidly. The B vitamins are necessary to help maintain the proper functioning of the nervous system. Deficiencies in Vitamin B can lead to anxiety, irritability, restlessness, fatigue, etc. There is more than one kind of Vitamin B. (B2, B6, B5, B12, etc.) It is best to take all eleven of the B vitamins together in a B-complex supplement since they tend to work together synergistically. Best: Look for B12 in the form of hydroxocobalamin or methylcobalamin. They are better absorbed than the more commonly available cyanocobalamin.

  • Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is particularly important. It is a known energizer that also exerts a calming effect.
  • Vitamin B-1 (thiamine) helps reduce anxiety and has a calming effect on the nerves.
  • Niacinamide (a form of Vitamin B-3, not the same as Niacin) is important in the production of certain brain chemicals. In large doses, it has a calming effect. (100 mg 3 times daily)

So what and how much to take?
B-Complex: 50 mg of all eleven B vitamins once a day (twice a day under high stress). You cannot overdose on B Vitamins as they are water soluble. The one exception to this is Vitamin B6. DO NOT exceed 100 mg per day if you are taking it on a long term basis. Because these vitamins work best in combination with other nutrients, also take a multivitamin-mineral supplement twice a day.


Vitamin C
Vitamin C enhances the immune system and promotes health from infection, disease, and injury as well as helps the adrenal glands. Your adrenal glands (when properly functioning) help you cope with stress. In large doses, it can have a powerful tranquilizing effect and is known to decrease anxiety.  Take the variety with bioflavonoids. It is very important for dealing with stress.

So what and how much to take?
Vitamin C: 1000 mg in a time release form, twice a day (double this dose under high stress)
Make sure you take them with meals so they can be broken down properly otherwise its useless.
Repeated daily doses in excess of 8000 mg per day of Vitamin C have been associated with stomach complaints and kidney stones.


Valerian
This is a natural sedative - the most popular one used in Europe. It contains ingredients similar to those found in Vallium. It is useful for relieving anxiety because it helps you sleep. It isn't addictive, nor does it make you feel groggy the next morning as sleeping pills can.

So what and how much to take?
One 150mg capsule twice a day. Even this low dose can make you drowsy. If you would prefer to take it just for sleep, take one 300mg capsule one hour before bedtime. It may take several weeks before you notice an improvement in sleep.


Others

  • Calcium and magnesium are important to prevent nervous tension. They relax a tense and overwrought nervous system. Calcium is a natural tranquilizer. Magnesium helps relieve anxiety, tension, nervousness, muscular spasms, and ties. Take magnesium in combination with calcium. Take them before bed to improve sleep. Alcohol robs the body of magnesium, causing nervousness and irritability. (Ca 2,000 mg daily / Mg - 500-1,000 mg daily)
  • Potassium is essential for proper functioning of the adrenal glands. (99 mg daily)
  • Low levels of selenium have been found in people with anxiety disorder. It is a powerful antioxidant that protects the heart. (Se 100-200 mcg daily. Caution: If you are pregnant, do not exceed 40 mcg daily.)
  • S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe) is an important physiological agent involved in over 40 biochemical reactions in the body. Is a natural anti-depressant and has a calming effect. (400 mg twice daily)
  • GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) - This amino acid reportedly helps in anxiety. (750 mg three times a day after meals)
  • Vitamin E helps transport oxygen to brain cells and protect them from free radical damage. (400 IU or as directed in the label. Use d-alpha-tocopherol form)
  • Zinc has a calming effect on the central nervous system. (50-80 mg daily. Do not exceed a total of 100 mg daily from all supplements.)

from:
http://www.holisticonline.com/Remedies/Anxiety/anx_vitamin_therapy.htm
http://www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/article832.html
http://anxiousnomore.blogspot.com/2007/08/vitamin-b-and-c-for-anxiety.html

7 Rules of Good Nutrition

The 7 Rules of Good Nutrition
Simple, time-tested, no nonsense habits for life

1. Eat every 2-3 hours, no matter what. You should eat between 5-8 meals per day.

2. Eat complete (containing all the essential amino acids), lean protein with each meal.

3. Eat fruits and/or vegetables with each food meal.

4. Ensure that your carbohydrate intake comes from fruits and vegetables. Exception: workout and post-workout drinks and meals.

5. Ensure that 25-35% of your energy intake comes from fat, with your fat intake split equally between saturates (e.g. animal fat), monounsaturates (e.g., olive oil), and polyunsaturates (e.g. flax oil, salmon oil).

6. Drink only non-calorie containing beverages, the best choices being water and green tea.

7. Eat mostly whole foods (except workout and post-workout drinks).

From http://johnberardi.com/articles/nutrition/7habits.htm

Dwell for Less

My friend Karen just tipped me off to a hot baby find: Dwell Studio / Dwell Baby at Target! http://www.target.com/b/ref=in_br_display-ladders/176-7566110-0097538?ie=UTF8&node=393200011

This is the most chic, modern, tasteful line of bedding, table linens, clothing, décor, even toys. My brother can’t say enough about their baby towels—it’s the only one they use for their baby because it’s so plush and big. But you used to have to pay for the nose for it (which is why I don’t have one): $48 for a baby towel!  

But Dwell has recently teamed up with Target so when you previously couldn’t get a Dwell crib set for under $350, now you can get it for as low as $63.99! Holy cow! I’m all over that if I have a girl next. (Another boy and he’ll have to make do with the one Cole’s using now. It’s not like he’ll care anyway.) I cannot believe how good these deals are. Check it out now if you’re expecting or thinking of redoing your nursery. Tempting, isn’t it?

       
Click here to download:
Dwell_for_Less.zip (123 KB)

Punahou Carnival this weekend!

The Punahou Carnival is having a record year with blue skies and no chance of rain! It’s Friday and Saturday, 11 am-11 pm. We went yesterday at around 3. The traffic was bad in the surrounding neighborhood and people were parked as far as my mom’s house (end of Makiki Street) so we just parked there and walked. The carnival is pretty stroller friendly except for the steps that go up to Kiddieland (but you can go around) and the White Elephant tent (no strollers allowed).

Kiddieland is GREAT for all ages—super easy games like “reach your hand in and pick a prize,” fishing, scoop up a duck, and they had a lot of new ones like bowling, catch the flying balls and throw the tennis balls into the holes. It’s such a racket though--$1 for 2 bowls. And when Evan tried to get a third ball, the man actually took it out of his hand! Most of the other games were 75 cents—not bad, but still they are making bank since most of these games cost nothing to make or run.

And the volunteers they have working in the facepainting booth—geez! They should have some sort of selection criteria like you have to know how to draw...or at least be able copy a simple sketch.  

Of course the food was awesome—I always go for a gyro, Dave gets a hamburger and smoothie. My other favorite is the White Elephant tent. I find all sorts of cool things—toys, board games, housewares, clothes, books, etc. This year I found a new split shirt and quicksilver shorts for Dave, polo shorts for Cole, and some cool warmup capris for me. I was so tempted to get a bike helmet and the board game LIFE, but I didn’t want to have to carry it back. One year I found a popcorn popper and a home depot weedwacker toy for Evan! My junior year at Punahou I was the White Elephant division head, so I really appreciate what they do every year and I never miss it.

You have until 11 pm Saturday to go score some great deals, play games, ride rides, stand in long lines for malasadas and portuguese bean soup, get mauled by the crowds and give away your hard  earned $ to the richest school in Hawaii. :) But it’s a good cause because these are the Barry Obamas, Steve Cases and Steve Jobs of tomorrow! By the way, if you go in the last hour to the White Elephant tent, you can fill up an entire bag for $5! But take your chances because by then it’s pretty slim pickins. But that makes the hunt even more interesting!

         
Click here to download:
Punahou_Carnival_this_weekend.zip (362 KB)

10 Most Dangerous Foods

This was a great read. I was surprised to find that apples, peaches and peppers are among the most dangerous!

http://www.sprig.com/10_Most_Dangerous_Foods

     
Click here to download:
10_Most_Dangerous_Foods.zip (26 KB)

Toilet Learning

And this is the book I recommend for potty training: “Toilet Learning.” I liked it because it’s educational for parents and kids. The first half of the book is a guide for parents that basically discourages you from starting to potty train too early. The second half is a picture book for your child. It tells your child everything he needs to know about going to the potty in a very straightforward way.

The other unique advice the author gives is to let the only reward for going in the potty be staying nice and dry. There’s no candy, bribery, praise, etc. The feeling of being nice and dry should be the only prize.

 The book’s illustrations are just simple line drawings, no rhymes or anything like that—but it says it in a way children can understand. And till this day Evan still asks me to read him that book and gets so excited about it. Cracks me up. “You don’t like to be wet and sticky, you like to be nice and dryyyyy.”

Taking Charge of Your Fertility

There is one book I recommend to any woman trying to get pregnant or trying not to get pregnant. It’s called “Taking Charge of Your Fertility,” and it teaches you how to read 3 bodily signs to know when you’re fertile: your temperature, your cervical fluid and the position of your cervix. It also breaks down your cycle into days and explains what’s going on on what days so you know exactly when you’re most likely to conceive and when you’re not.

It is NOT the rhythm method. It’s called the Fertility Awareness Method and it’s much more informed and reliable. You can either use this information in the book for birth control or baby-making. I used it for both.

In our first year of marriage, I got so sick of the pill—I felt like I was having PMS all month instead of just the week before my period. I was fighting with Dave constantly and I just wanted to get off it. So I picked up this book, started charting (they provide you with detailed charts to track your bodily signs and a lot of other things) and got off the pill. It was a great decision.

I think because I was charting for 4 years for birth control before we started trying, I was already in tune with my body’s cycle. We just had to switch the timing of things. Instead of NOT having sex on the days I was fertile, we HAD to have sex on the days I was fertile. We ended up getting pregnant in 3 months. The first 2 months we were too stressed an ended up fighting instead of lovemaking on our fertile days, which is a very real and frustrating factor in “trying.”

So if you’re in either category, trying or not trying to conceive, you really should read this book. To me it was like lightbulbs turning on on every page—I thought to myself why on earth didn’t they teach us this in 5th, 6th and 9th grade sex ed? Maybe I wasn’t paying attention...or maybe it wasn’t as relevant to me back then.    

Sleep Rules - Sleep Training part 2

When Evan moved to a toddler bed and didn't have his crib rails to confine him, I thought it was over and my sleep training efforts had been in vain. I would spend like 1-1/2 hours trying to get him to put his head down and stay in bed. He run to the door, open it and come running out screaming every time I left his room!

I literally got down on my knees and prayed that God would show me what to do. He did. I had to do 3 things: 1) install a child-safety lock, 2) together we made a colorful "Evan's Sleep Rules" sign that he decorated and posted above his bed, which we had to go over and over the sleep rules until he committed it to memory, and 3) make a rewards chart for staying in bed and having a good "happy nappy." The goal was to earn enough stickers for a harmonica, then the Shrek movie, then a Spiderman mask. It worked. Evan was right back to being a great sleeper after that.

My advice is not to switch to a toddler bed too early, and especially when you have a critical deadline to make (like the birth of a sibling who needs the crib) -- it’s too much pressure for everyone.

Our Sleep Rules are, 1) Stay in bed, 2) Put your heady down, 3) Close your eyes, and 5) Shhhh...be quiet. I used to always tell him, "Remember your sleep rules..." Now he just knows them. In fact, he is the one telling me, “Mommy, you have to go to sleep, too—just close your eyes and put your heady down.” And now we also leave the door open and the hallway light on. He never fails to ask that when we’re on our way home, “Daddy, can you leave the door open and the light on?” It’s his verbal ritual. “Yes, Evan.” “Oh thank you, Daddy!”

   
Click here to download:
Sleep_Rules_-_Sleep_Training_p.zip (132 KB)

Stimulating Textures

I learned a new term the other day: Infant Stimulation. My uncle and aunty’s son was born premature and she got really into infant stimulation to help speed up his development. Today he is a musical genius and we just attended his wedding (he married another musical genius). It got me thinking about how what you do with your baby, how you play with him/her, can really alter the course of his/her life.

What is infant stimulation?
For babies, playing stimulates their senses, and helps them learn and develop. Playing with your baby — or infant stimulation — includes activities that arouse or stimulate your baby’s sense of sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell.

Infant stimulation can improve your baby’s curiosity, attention span, memory, and nervous system development. Babies who are stimulated reach developmental milestones faster, have better muscle coordination, and a more secure self image.


Infant Stimulation Activities
Sometimes it’s hard to know how to play with your infant when they are not yet that responsive. Even as they become more responsive, the creativity is often lacking when you’re sleep deprived. Here are some ideas for things you can do and “toys” you can make from household items. (You don’t need to break the bank on often OVER-stimulating toys.) I’m going to try some of these out on Cole soon.

MOVING IMAGES - Hold a mirror to one side of your baby's face. When he can focus on it, move it slowly across his field of vision. Shine a torch on the wall and move it slowly so he can follow the light.

RATTLES - Put some dried beans into a plastic container and fasten the lid on securely with tape. Shake it gently to one side of your baby's head and wait for him to locate the sound. You can try different sounds as well such as rice, buttons and macaroni.

CARDBOARD BOXES - Babies love playing with empty soap or toothpaste boxes. You can even fill these with buttons or dried beans. Remember to seal the box properly.

WOOLLY BALL - Make pompoms using colorful wool. These can be of different sizes and colors. Tie these to the mobile or let the baby play with them.

SCRUNCH BAG - Fill a bag with colored cellophane paper, metallic gift-wrap or any other paper that makes noise. Fasten the bag firmly, then let your baby discover the noise it makes when he kicks at it or scrunches it in his fists.

PLAY MAT - Sew pieces of material with different textures-wool, corduroy, satin, terry toweling, fur fabric, etc, on to a piece of blanket or thick cotton for your baby to play on. As the baby explores the mat he will encounter different textures.

COTTON-REEL PRAM TOY - Collect some scraps of fabric with different textures-terry toweling, velvet or satin, for example. Sew or glue them firmly around empty cotton reels. Thread them on to a length of thick cord, making a knot at either side of each cotton reel so that it has room to move. Tie across the pram or cot.

BUBBLES - Make a bubble mixture by mixing one teaspoon of vegetable oil, three teaspoons of washing -up liquid and half a cup of water. Bend a piece of wire into a ring for blowing the bubble mixture through. Your baby will love to look at these elusive bubbles.

HANDKERCHIEF TRAIL -Tie several hankies or thin scarves together by the corners. Push them into an empty tissue box by the corners -the end of one just sticking out of the opening. Watch your baby's delight as he pulls out one handkerchief and then finds another…and them yet another!

PEEK-A-BOO GAMES - Hide your face behind a cushion and pop our, saying, 'Boo' Or drop a hanky gently on the your baby's face and them let him pull it off.



Coming home from the hospital
Things you can do right away with baby...

Sight
Babies begin to tell the difference between light and dark before their born. At birth, an infant can clearly see an object 10–13 inches from her face. For the first three months, babies enjoy contrasting colors and patterns, especially black and white. Older infants like bright, bold colors — red, blue, green, and yellow. In the hospital, you can:
  • Give your baby toys with contrasting patterns and colors, or hang them in the crib.
  • Use mobiles, crib mirrors or crib gyms.
  • Place your face 10–13 inches from your baby.
  • Always hold and look at your baby while feeding him.
  • Play peek-a-boo.
  • Place objects so your baby can see and reach for them.
  • Show your baby pictures from a storybook as you read.
  • Hang pictures of family members on the crib.

Touch
Touching is one of the best ways to stimulate your baby. It provides contact, reassurance, relaxation, and comfort. Babies like firm and gentle stroking. Touching a variety of textures will fascinate your baby.
  • Stroke your baby from head to toe with a different fabrics or household items (cotton ball, tooth brush, sponge, etc.).
  • Gently massage your baby.
  • Trickle water over your baby during bath time.
  • Play pat-a-cake.
  • Gently exercise your baby’s arms and legs, moving them smoothly and slowly.
  • Rock your baby — it imitates life in the womb.

Taste and Smell
Babies notice different tastes and smells. You can:
  • Let your baby taste and smell different things — one at a time in case of allergies.
  • Check with your doctor to see if you can feed your baby new kinds of foods.
  • Use a blanket with a little bit of your perfume on it.

Hearing
A newborn’s most highly developed sense is hearing — babies can hear and remember familiar sounds months before they’re born. One of the easiest ways to calm a newborn is to hold him next to his mother’s chest so he can hear her heart. Infants seem to prefer soft and high-pitched sounds, especially a female’s voice. You can:
  • Talk to your baby.
  • Play musical toys or radios.
  • Shake a rattle or ring a bell from different areas of the crib.
  • Attach bells to your baby’s booties.
  • Sing to your baby.
  • Expose your baby to different sounds.
  • Read a story to your baby.
  • Don’t make loud noises or put earphones on your baby — they can easily damage his hearing.
  • Make a CD of noises (a car horn, a door slamming, children laughing, your voice) for your baby to listen to.

Things to remember about infant stimulation
  • Infants feel more secure when they can feel boundaries around them — like blankets rolled up and placed close to their sides and feet.
  • Let your baby sit up on your lap so she can look around.
  • Change toys so your baby doesn’t get bored.
  • It’s best to touch the non-threatening parts of your infant’s body first (arms and legs).
  • Stimulation will work best when an infant is alert, active and paying attention.
  • Keep your baby warm.
  • If your baby is being stimulated properly, he/she will smile, coo, babble, make eye contact, have alert facial expression and will interact with people or toys.
  • If your baby gets tired or loses interest, it may mean she’s had enough stimulation and is tired. Let her rest.

Here’s Cole being exposed to different textures: grass and sand. This was his first time on sand!

       
Click here to download:
Stimulating_Textures.zip (319 KB)