New Frames for Holiday Season

Lately I feel that my vision is not as good as it used to be. I often need to squint in an effort to see printed or online reading material clearly. I also find it almost impossible to thread a needle nowadays. These were symptoms of Presbyopia, the clinical name for the condition where the eyes lose their ability to focus which begins in those forty and older. Objects appear blurred at close range, while distant objects remain in focus.

It could also be because I didn’t have enough sleep lately or I spent too much time looking at the computer screen. Anyway, I guess I need to check my eyes. If it turns out that I do need to wear eyeglasses, then I want to buy my first reading glasses from them.

ZenniOptical.com sells Stylish Prescription Glasses Online from $8. Now, you will find a huge selection of holiday frames. My favorite is frame with flower pattern printed on it. Check it out yourself if you want to buy several new Holiday frames to wear in this holiday season.

The Secret to their Low Prices is that they sell only their own manufactured frames direct to the customer, with no middlemen and virtually no advertising budget.

Peekaboo!

My eldest daughter loves to make her baby sister laughes by playing peekaboo. This game has never failed my youngest daughter to laugh and squel loudly. Why? Because it mimics what she is just coming to understand about the world: that objects and people still exist even when he can't see them (a jack-in-the-box is fun right now, too.). That's why she finds quick appearances and disappearances amusing.

Understanding this concept, also known as object permanence, is an important milestone, and signals that your baby is making leaps in cognitive development — both his memory and his ability to think abstractly are growing.

No Need To Print Your Photos Anymore

Ever since my first child was born, I took up the hobby of photography where my main concentration was taking photos of my children. I always select the best and clearest photos and have them printed. That is the beauty of taking digital photos as you can take as many photos as you want without having to spend a single cent to process them.

Recently, I also learned that I don’t even have to print them to put them in a frame, because of the invention of the digital photo frame.

CEIVA Digital Photo Frame includes dynamic new styling, advanced yet easy-to-use menus, new built-in memory card readers and active matrix screens that can be viewed from virtually any angle. The new revolutionary CEIVA Digital Photo Frames™ have new modern styling with sleek frames and high- resolution active matrix screens. All frames include a built-in card reader for instantly displaying photos from memory cards.

What makes CEIVA different from other digital photo frame is because with CEIVA's exclusive PicturePlan™ you can receive automatic photo updates from friends and family from around the world. You can Invite anyone you wish to share photos for free, from anywhere in the world. Safely store an unlimited number of photos to view on a CEIVA frame anytime. You can even edit and add messages to your photos in seconds.

What to Play for 7 to 9 Months Old Baby

At this age, a baby has already becoming an expert at sitting and may be crawling as well. Encourage these physical feats by celebrating each new milestone and don't forget to praise your baby everytime she manages to do something.

The ability to transfer objects from hand to hand and the fabled pincer grasp are part of your baby's increasing hand control (which means you'll be forced to carry a container of O-shaped cereal with you at all times for the next year).

Your baby also begins to understand that when an object disappears, it hasn't fallen off the edge of the earth. This discovery makes games like peek-a-boo a favorite.

Touch It, Hold It, Bang It
If your baby has one object, he'll bang it on the table. If he has two objects, he'll bang them together, hold them up to the light, squint at them, bang them separately on the table, hit the table with both at the same time, see if the object sounds different when hit using the left hand rather than the right hand, and on and on.

Help him out by handing over objects that make interesting sounds: hollow containers, metal spoons, bells.

Pay attention to tactile sensations as well: Your baby will be fascinated by a greeting card laced with glitter or the slickness of Mom's enameled jewelry box. A baby with strands of cooked spaghetti to play with wouldn't notice if a bomb went off.

I Can Control the World
Babies love cause and effect at this age, as in: I do this, the light comes on. I do that, the light goes off. Showing your baby how to work light switches, remote controls, cell phones, and more will thrill him — but can make life more difficult for you when he insists on being held up to work the lights yet again.

Instead, you may want to offer a toy phone or remote to satisfy his craving for control, or a jack-in-the-box to provide a thrillingly surprising result. Or, let him manage his environment by filling a low-lying cabinet or drawer with safe objects and letting your baby rummage around. Make sure there are no sharp edges or other dangers (dressers with drawers pulled out can turn over on a child) and then let your baby go to town.

Obstacle Course
If your baby's crawling, scooting, or walking, he may enjoy the challenge of having to move over things. (This is great for developing his motor skills, too.) Pillows, phone books, tired parents, and laundry make good obstacles. Sleeping cats do not make good obstacles.

So Many Variations on Peek-a-boo
The classic: Hold up a towel between your face and your baby's and ask, "Where's Sam? There's Sam!" over and over again. You can vary this game in a million ways. Hide behind a door and make your baby push it open to see you. Hide behind a chair and pop out first from above then from the sides. Go behind a corner with another person and alternate who jumps out and yells "Boo!"

Keep a selection of hats behind the couch and pop up wearing a different one each time. A surefire laugh-getter is to put a hat on your head, hiding your eyes, and let your baby take it off, saying "Oh!" in surprise each time he does it. (This will also guarantee that you'll never wear a hat in peace again.)

Roll Play
Babies are fascinated by balls and how they move. You'll get a big laugh by juggling or tossing balls up in the air and letting them hit the floor while you make a silly sound effect: "Whoops!" Roll a soft ball toward your baby and watch him grab and squeeze it. Eventually, with encouragement, he'll roll the ball back toward you. And someday he'll be able to kick and toss the ball or drop it into a big bowl or bucket. For now, bounce and roll.

Spend Wisely

My parents always told me not to spend more than you earn. Although this advice seems simple enough to understand, yet somehow this is easier to say than do. With the “help” of credit card, it’s very easy to overspend your money. It is very easy to buy things with credit card regardless whether we really can afford them or not. In the end of the month, when the bill arrived we realized that we don’t have enough money in the bank to cover all those bills.

I have only a couple of credit cards and I hardly used it. My husband, on the other hand, has several and his bills sometimes frighten me. Although we always try to pay off all the debt, but sometimes we didn’t have enough cash to pay and we have to rollover the balance to next month. How about if next month we still don’t have enough money to pay? Then then suddenly we found ourself out of job, with credit card debt and mortgage as high as our neck. Very scary isn’t it?

If you are having too much debt, and trying to avoid bankruptcy you could apply for IVA or Individual Voluntary Arrangement. If your ClearDebt IVA application is approved, up to 70% of all your debts could be written off. You would pay no interest and you could be debt free in 5 years or less.

Cook Your Vegetables ASAP

Nitrates are a chemical found in water and soil, and they're a concern when it comes to feeding your baby. Babies who ingest an unsafe level of nitrates can develop a type of anemia called methemoglobinemia.

Preparing formula with well water that's high in nitrates is the usual cause of the illness, but some vegetables can also contain nitrates. The most likely sources are beets, carrots, green beans, spinach, and squash.

To be on the safe side, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises parents not to feed babies these vegetables before 3 months of age. (Actually, the AAP doesn't recommend feeding babies any solid food until 4 to 6 months, but if you do decide to offer your infant vegetables before 3 months, you'll want to avoid these in particular.)

There are a few things you can do to make sure your baby isn't exposed to high levels of nitrates. If you have well water, have it tested. It should contain less than 10 ppm of nitrates.

Nitrates increase with storage time unless frozen. When using fresh vegetables for homemade baby food, prepare the food as soon as possible after purchase and freeze extra servings right away. You might consider using frozen vegetables instead of fresh for the foods highest in nitrates.

Nitrate fertilizers are not used on land where produce is grown organically, so the risk of nitrates is much lower with certified organic produce.Baby food companies test their products for nitrates. Store-bought baby food — including dishes containing beets, carrots, green beans, spinach, or squash — should be free of these chemicals.

I Love High Heel Shoes!

I love to wear high heel. I know that high heel is supposed to be bad for your feet, but I can not resist wearing shoes with high heel (probably not 5” high, but at least 3” high).
In fact, when I wear flats, I feel out of order and uncomfortable. I find heels make me walk faster, and with a sense of purpose or direction. Also, some outfits go better with heels and make the legs look longer.

High heel shoes hold your leg at a great angle that causes your butt to lift and your posture to straighten. I don't care what foot doctors say about the evils of high heels, I love them and I feel pretty and feminine when I'm wearing them!

Since I love to wear high heel, I guess it’s no wonder if I have many selection of high heel shoes, mostly black and brown colors. Even though I have plenty of shoes, I still like to browse online shoes stores. Today, I found another online store that attracts my attention. Daniblack.com is owned by husband-and-wife duo Daniel and Barbara Schwartz. Since daniblack’s launch in 2005, it has become a staple in the fashion community, gracing the pages of ELLE Accessories, People StyleWatch, Lucky and Marie Claire, just to name a few. Style, luxury and craftsmanship are the core of the daniblack shoes brand.

They carry wide selection of shoes, from evening shoes to sandals. Off course I directly click on pumps section and immediately found one that I like. It’s a sleek and sophisticated peep-toe slingback shoes made of genuine snake skin. Too bad that I just bought a pair of shoes recently, but I will bookmark this site for the future.

What to Play for 4 to 6 Months Old Baby

At this age, your baby will become a lot more physical, learning how to roll over and even sit up. She can now hold, handle, and mouth objects, and she'll spend a good part of her busy days doing so (meaning extra vigilance is needed). Games can get more physical now. Your baby might enjoy knee rides or tickle games. She's also more responsive to you, making noises and meeting your eyes.

Here are several games that you can play with your baby:

Smell the Spice Rack
Try to introduce her to the intoxicating scent of cinnamon. Rub some on your hand and put it up to your baby's nose. (Don't let it get in her eyes or mouth.)

If she likes it, try others: Vanilla, peppermint, cumin, cloves, nutmeg, and many other herbs and spices have intriguing fragrances that your baby might love. Other household goods are fragrant, too: Dad's shaving lotion, Mom's hand cream. Sniff out everything yummy — just be careful not to let your baby eat it!

Bubbles, Bubbles Everywhere
There's something magical about bubbles, and at this point your baby can see far enough away to focus on them. Blow bubbles when she's getting fussy waiting for the bus and watch the tears dry up. Blow bubbles in the park to attract older kids who'll caper nearby and entertain your baby in the process. Blow bubbles in the bathtub or out on the porch when it's late afternoon and your baby is cranky. Bubbles are unbelievably cheap, easily transportable, and endlessly fascinating for babies.

I'm Gonna Get You!
Your baby is old enough to have a sense of anticipation now. And no baby can resist your coming at her mock-menacingly with a threat of hugs, kisses, or tickles. Here's what you could say: "Hey, Andrea! I see you over there sitting up! Well, that just makes you closer to my lips and I'm going to come over there and kiss you! I'm going to steal a kiss, baby! I'm coming! I'm coming! I...gotcha!" Then cover your baby in smooches.

In our house we threaten to eat the baby and punctuate our advances with lip chomps on her fat little feet. A delicacy! When your baby's older you can modify this game to include a chase around the house — this works wonderfully as a way to get your child out the door when you're in a rush.

This Little Piggy
Touch your baby's toes in turn, starting with the big toe. Say, "This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed home, this little piggy had roast beef, this little piggy had none. And this little piggy went wee-wee-wee all the way home."

As you say that last part, run your fingers up your baby's belly. This game is useful for putting on socks and shoes or distracting your baby during diaper changes. You can also play this game in the bathtub with a squirt bottle targeting your baby's toes.

Tummy Time
By now, your doctor's probably nagging you to get your baby on her tummy, and your baby may be protesting vociferously.

Get down on the floor with your baby. Look her in the eye as you lie on your own belly. Lay your baby down on a towel and use it to gently roll her from side to side. Try saying, "Oops-a-daisy, Oops-a-daisy" as you roll her.

Fly, Baby, Fly!
Now that your baby can hold her head up, it's time to hoist her into the air. You can play that she's a rocket ship, flying her over you and making realistic rocket noises (dads are great at this). You can play that your baby is in an elevator, which advances up floor by floor before sinking quickly to the bottom (my husband likes to bump noses with our baby and say "Ding!" at this point). Or pretend that your baby's doing a helicopter traffic report.

Have Fun!

Got A Wish?

The other day my eldest daughter was watching me when I was playing around with “sitting on Santa’s lap” experiences. She was very excited to see it and asked me to download her photo as well. She was having so much fun that she asked me to do it many times.

If you want to have the experience of sitting on Santa’s lap then go to their site. Not only you will have fun, you will also know how CEIVA digital photo frame works. CEIVA Digital Photo frame is very different from the other digital photo frames. You can receive photo from your friends or family members from everywhere around the world. No PC or internet is required. You just have to plug and connect the digital frame to the phone line and you are ready to enjoy all the photos without have to print them.

CEIVA also has organized a sweeptakes. Rules as follows:
- must be 18 years of age to enter sweepstakes
- photo must be of the submitter
- photo must not contain inappropriate content, copyrighted image
- must be a resident of the United States and/or Washington D.C.

So, what are you waiting for? Click on the link, enter this "got a wish Sweeepstakes" and win $500, NOW!

7 Months: Her Milestones

My youngest daughter is 7 months now. Here are the lists of what she can do:

1. Pulls herself from sleeping postion to sitting position without help.
Drags object toward herself. She loved to grab paper, handphone, remote control, diaper, book. This are also the things that my older daughter loved to grab last time.

2. Lunges forward. She can move very fast when she saw things that attract her attention.

3. Jabbers or combines syllables. At one night after she was falling asleep, me and hubby still talking. Our conversation woke her up and she started to complaining and jaberring until we stopped talking and she went to sleep again.

4. Says "mama" and "papa" although I am not sure whether she actually understood the meaning of them.

5. Pulls self to standing (We only discovered this 3 days ago). It's kind of exciting to see her managed to stand.

Something That You Need to Know

I got a friend that was wrongly accused for doing criminal offence. She said that it was a terrifiying experience for her. She had never dreamt that she could be in that kind of situation. Luckily she got a good lawyer that defended her case.

When the stakes are high and you're facing criminal charges, you need Criminal Defense Lawyers with experience, who are available to take your case quickly and confidently, who will go the extra mile to thoroughly investigate your case, and who get the best possible result in or out of court.

Los Angeles Criminal and DUI Defense Attorneys at Kestenbaum Eisner & Gorin LLP understand that being arrested or charged with a crime is frightening experience. Their law firm’s mission is to aggressively and tenaciously defend their clients, even before the case reaches the courtroom. You need to know your rights under the law, and immediately act to protect them.

Kestenbaum Eisner & Gorin, LLP, has been selected year after year as a Top 5% U.S. "Preeminent" Criminal Defense Firm on the Martindale-Hubbell® Bar Register. They have a combined 50 years of legal experience and credentials that few defense firms can match. Their law firm’s reputation is recognized throughout Southern California. They handle serious criminal cases in the Counties of Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside Judicial Districts.

Perfect Jeans

I always have difficulty to find a perfect pair of jeans. I don’t want to wear “mommy jeans” but I also don’t like to wear “low rise” jean that is too low. You bend down so much with babies (i.e. in and out of car seats, swings, strollers, etc) and wearing “low rise” jeans isn’t exactly a good idea, if you know what I mean. I have a pair of jeans that is “low rise” but not too low, so I still can do a lot of bending and squatting without showing off my underwear or my crack. I found this jeans about 5 or 6 years ago on sale. It’s made in China and very cheap. I tried to find another one, but so far I have no luck.

Evolution Of Dance Starring YOU!

Have you watched “The Evolution of Dance”? If you haven’t then you should because this video is the internets most watched video of all time. In the video, Judson Laipply (Judson Laipply is an American motivational speaker and comedian from Bucyrus, Ohio) dances to a soundtrack that plays through various popular songs ranging from Elvis Presley to MC Hammer and Michael Jackson. During its initial rise in popularity, it amassed over 10 million views in under two weeks and was featured on CNN, MSN, E!, USA Today, Good Morning America, The Today Show, and AOL.

Star Judson Laipply has created the second installment of this internet phenomenon, which will launch in the early 2009. As a trailer to the sequel, Evolution of Dance 2, PeopleJam.com (the number one self-improvement resource on the web) partnering with Saveology.com (the number one home comparison shopping site on the web), have created an interactive application, allowing users to upload photos and dance with Judson, while getting a sneak peak of songs and dance moves in “The Evolution of Dance 2”.

So what are you waiting for? Upload your photos and dance with Judson in the trailer to the EOD2 release, Evolution Of Dance starring YOU!! Guarantee that you will have tons of fun.

Non-Stick Cookware

If you are looking for non-stick cookware in the market, there are definitely some features that you can look out for. Experts often rate a cookware set as the best one, by looking at the important features, but you should look also at what is best for you and your family and then choose the best cookware set for yourself.

For me, I always choose cookware with Dupont coating. In the market Dupont have several quality of coating. The lowest is Dupont Classic, follow by Dupont X-Tra, Dupont Select, Dupont Duranium and the highest is Dupont Platinum. I used them all and so far the one that I like the best is Dupont Select. Although Dupont Platinum claimed that you can use steel spatula but the reason I use non stick is because of the release (non stick) and although Platinum is tougher, but the release is not as good as Select.

Win $500 Sweepstakes

Are you a good boy or girl this year? If you are then probably you might want to sit on Santa’s lap and wishing something for this coming Christmas. I am not saying that you can sit on Santa’s lap physically, but you can sit on Santa’s lap virtually. If you want to have the experience of sitting on Santa’s lap or join the "got a wish Sweeepstakes" to win $500 cash then click on the link, you won’t regret it. It’s a fun experience, well, at least to me.

Actually, I didn’t sit on Santa’s lap physically. It’s my photo that got the previledge to sit on Santa’s lap. Thus, I had to upload my photo first. However, I found it so amazing to see my photo on Santa’s lap instantly complete with the frame. I guess that is how CEIVAshare works. I can send photos from my computer or my camera phone from anywhere in the world and to whomever that has a CEIVA digital photo frame. I am so amazed at how easy it is that I am actually thinking of buying one for my parents. With CEIVA they can receive photos of their grand children from all over the world.

Eat Solid Food

Two weeks ago, I started to give my youngest daughter solid food. She was already 6 months, her weight was already double her birth weight and she seems interested to see people eating. So, I guess she was ready to try.

I only gave her plain porridge (the liquid only) without anything to begin with. I just wanted her to familiar with the taste. However, somehow she did not seem to like it. The first few spoons she still wanted to swallow, but afterward she started to take the tongue out and shook her head. Does it mean that she is not ready?

I remember the time when my younger brother was a baby. He refused to eat solid until he was 2 years old. Everytime my mom feed him, he would “puke” it out again. Until all of the sudden, when he was 2 years old, he decided to eat.

Free Autism Help, Support and Answers

Today 1 in 150 children is diagnosed with autism, with a new case diagnosed every 20 minutes and is the fastest-growing developmental disability in the United States today. More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes & cancer combined. Autism is characterized by impaired social interaction, problems with verbal and nonverbal communication, and unusual, repetitive, or severely limited activities and interests. Other ASDs include Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (usually referred to as PDD-NOS). Males are four times more likely to have autism than females.

Parents frequently feel paralyzed and isolated when they discover their child has autism. Those adults who have autism themselves also frequently find it difficult to engage socially with others for support. If you are also one of these people, you don’t have to feel isolated anymore because Autism Support Network recently announced the launch of its free online support community available at www.AutismSupportNetwork.com. The online service – rapidly growing with already thousands of members around the world – connects families and individuals touched by autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with each other, provides support and insight, and acts as a resource guide for treatments, strategies and therapies.

Alligator

Yesterday, I got an interesting conversation with my eldest daughter.

Eldest daughter: Mama, where do you put my alligator?
Me: Ha? Since when do you have alligator?
Eldest daughter: Yes, I have it. It has number 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 0 on it.
Me: Oh! It’s not alligator, it is calculator.

Hahahahaha! Sometimes children really can make you laugh.

Family Movie

I have a friend that always goes overseas with her family during long holiday periods. I wish that I could do that too, but I don’t have the monetary means to do so. My normal entertainment during the holiday season is to watch movies with my family. My husband normally cooks dinner for us. Then after dinner, we will eat dessert while we watch movies together. When it comes to selecting what movies to watch, I normally choose movies that have a good message since I have 2 children that also the movie with us. I don’t go for high budget movies with lots of special effects instead I prefer a good movie with a good storyline and a good message.

I heard that the movie titled All Roads Lead Home The Movie is a good family movie with a good message, so I am eager to get it and watch it together with my family. “All Roads Lead Home” won best feature drama at the International Family Film Festival and is about a 10-year old girl (Belle) who loses her mother in an automobile accident and because of this tragedy, many problems arise around her. However, the arrival of a new puppy changes Belle's life and everyone else's around her. The DVD will be released on the 13th of January 2009, but you can pre-order it now from their website.

Is Your Baby Have Enough Sleep?

When I just became a new parent, I always wondering how many hours a day my baby need to sleep. I always had this question because it seemed that my baby could not sleep long. She slept very late and woke up early.

After did some searching, this is what I found:

Keep in mind that most children need lots of sleep. To see whether your child falls into that camp, ask yourself these questions:

Does your child fall asleep almost every time he's in a car?

Do you have to wake your child almost every morning?

Does your child seem cranky, irritable, or overtired during the day?

On some nights, does your child seem to crash much earlier than his usual bedtime?

If you answered "yes" to any of these, your child may be getting less sleep than he needs.

Good Deal on Eyeglasses

If you are a fashion conscious person, probably you want to make sure that every time you go out you wear something presentable. No loose button, no clash colors and no out of date clothes. Probably you also want to make sure that you wear matching bag and shoes every time you go out.

If you happen to wear a pair of prescription eyeglasses, you might want eyeglasses that match with what you wear. If you have casual frames, they may not suit your evening attire. The colors may also clash, which is a bad thing for those who crave style. However, glasses with stylish frames could be very expensive. What to do?

I found an online website at Optical4Less.com that sells eyeglasses as low as $15. With this kind of price you can have matching eyeglasses to every outfit you have. They has a wide selection of frames which come with various lenses such as bifocal lenses, progressive lenses, photochromic lenses, and tinted sunglass lenses. They even offer free shipping worldwide (if you order more than 1 pair). With these kinds of offers, matching the eyeglasses with every outfit you have is not a dream anymore. So ladies, what are you waiting for?

Falls Caused Most Unintentional Death

Do you know that motor vehicle crashes and falls caused most of the unintentional child and teen injuries and deaths in the US. From 2001 to 2006, about 55 million children and teens (9.2 million a year) were treated at emergency departments for unintentional injuries, say researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Falls caused the majority of non-fatal injuries (about 2.8 million a year), while most deaths were transportation-related -- about 8,000 deaths a year involved a motor vehicle occupant, pedestrian or cyclist. The report said falls were associated with more than half of nonfatal injuries involving children younger than 1, while transportation-related injuries and deaths were highest among teens aged 15 to 19.

This is very scary facts because actually these caused can be prevented. As parents we have to take active role to prevent it.

The following are tips that can be used to prevent children from sustaining injuries related to falls:

Play safely. Check to make sure playground equipment your child uses is properly designed and maintained and there’s a safe, soft landing surface below.

Make home safety improvements. Use home safety devices, such as guards on windows that are above ground level, stair gates, and guard rails. These devices can help keep a busy, active child from taking a dangerous tumble.

Keep sports safe. Make sure your child wears protective gear when playing active sports, such as wrist guards, knee and elbow pads, and a helmet when in-line skating.

Supervision is key. Supervise young children at all times around fall hazards, such as stairs and playground equipment, whether you’re at home or out to play.

Free Educational Site

Recently, I met with my high school friend. She has also 2 daughters like me, however both of her daughters are much older than mine. She told me that she is very busy nowadays since she has to drive both of her daughters to go to tuitions because she wants them to do well in school.
I guess we as parents always want our children to excell with their studies so they can have more opportunities later on. However, the question is that if attending tuitions is the only option available.

I know there are many educational sites out there. One that I like is Brightstorm. I like the way they explain on the subjects with high professionalism, clear presentation but not boring at all. They manage to explain such difficult subject like algebra and geometry with clarity that amazed me.

One subject that captures my interest is about writing. The presenter has a fun and quirky personality that explores the writing world from high to low and ways to infuse your writing with creativity. Go check this out yourself and signing up for a free account that gives you access to a free episode in every course. Here is the link to Sign up for a free brightstorm acocunt.

Sippy Cup

Yesterday, I saw my very cute sippy cup in the store. I was tempted to buy but both my daughter don’t use sippy cup. When my eldest daughter was about 8 months I tried to introduce sippy cup to her, but she didn’t like it. Probably I should introduce sippy cup to my youngest daughter.

A sippy cup is a training cup with a screw- or snap-on lid and a spout that lets your child drink without spilling. You can get models with or without handles and with a variety of spouts. Sippy cups can be a great way for your baby to transition from nursing or bottle-feeding to a regular cup. They can also help improve hand-to-mouth coordination. When your baby has the motor skills to handle a cup, but not the skills to keep the drink from spilling, a sippy cup can give him some independence while keeping cleanup to a minimum.

Some babies enjoy a sippy as early as 5 or 6 months, and others aren't interested until after their first birthdays. Most babies seem ready around 7 to 9 months, though.

I Need A Break

Lately I am not in the mood to work. I feel like that my whole energy is gone. I feel very tired and sleepy most of the time. Probably I am about to go get sick, or probably I need to take some time off and go for vacation. It’s been ages since I got my last vacation and I think I need another one. The problem is with this terrible economy situation we have to spend wisely. We really cannot afford to spend so much money on expensive vacation.

We always plan my vacation carefully and ahead of time, but I remember that a few times we just decided to go in last moment. Like when we decided to go to Disney World. One night we just talked about it and made a few phone inquiry phone calls and searched for best deal in the internet, and a few days later we went for the “no-plan” vacation. It was fun and we had a great time.

I have been dying to have a cruise vacation on Queen Elisabeth 2 to Carribean. I read about it in so many books but the price is too expensive for me.

Although I know that I don’t have extra money for a cruise vacation but it doesn’t mean that I can’t browse around in the internet looking for one. I found that at Vacations To Go, you can plan a last minute cruise at up to 75% off.

If you are interested to explore what kinds of deal you can get for your last minute cruise, you can go to Vacations To Go and use their 90-Day Ticker tool. So, what are you waiting for? Jump to Vacations To Go now!

Home Safety

Do you know that about 2.5 million children are injured or killed each year by dangers right in their own home (according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission). That's why it's so important to carefully childproof your home.

Parents worry endlessly about how to protect their children from stranger abduction and violence, but many overlook their own home safety. Experts say that children between the ages of 1 and 4 are more likely to be killed by fire, burns, drowning, choking, poisoning, or falls than by a stranger's violence.

Normally, I like to put my baby in her cot with her toys, but after 30 min she will cry to attract my attention. Putting her on my bed is not an option as she can crawl very fast nowadays and I am afraid she will fall from bed. Thus, the only option is to let her play on the floor while I am working in front of my laptop. I tried to get down on my hands and knees and see how things look from down there and get rid all of the stuffs that can be dangerous for her.

About Holodomor

Although I was not fond of my history lessons when I was in high school, surprisingly I like to read books with history as the story background. I read my novels with “holocaust” as a background so I am quite familiar with it. However, recently, I came across with “holodomor” word.

After further reseached, I found that Holodomor was an artificially created famine by Joseph Stalin during 1932-33, which starved to death millions of Ukrainians.
The name is derived from two Ukrainian words mor (plague)and holod (hunger) and literally means “plague of hunger” (Making Sense of Suffering by Johan Dietsch, 2006, pg. 205 cited in John-Paul Himka’s review in Kritika: Explorations in Russian and Eurasian History 8.3 (2007) 683-694).

I am not sure whether Holodomor is Genocide (deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group). Some Ukrainian politicians, including Viktor Yuschenko, have recently argued that the famine may have been designed as an attack on Ukraine, and therefore, should fall under the legal definition of genocide. However, the attempt by Ukrainian nationalists to manipulate the historical facts in order to make Europe recognise the 'Goldomor' as 'genocidal famine' did not find the support among the EU members. European scholars and politicians agreed that the famine of 1932-1933 in the Soviet Union was NOT an attept to destroy the Ukrainian nation, but an ineffective economic policy of the Communist governments of the Republics of the Soviet Union.

Concert

Last week, my eldest daughter had her first stage performance. Her kindy organized an end of year concert. My eldest daughter’s class had 2 performances, dancing and singing, so of course I and my husband were eager to watch her performances.

I brought my youngest daughter along to see the concert. The problem was, since I had to carry my youngest daughter with me, it’s very difficult for me to take the video properly. My hand could not hold the camera (it has video function) properly. Hubby was taking the DSLR camera since that camera was much bigger and heavier.

Anyway, my eldest daughter was enjoying her experience and the next day she even asked to go to concert again. Hahahahaha!

Place to Share Your Stuffs and More!!

Do you know that there is new place to show off your stuffs? It’s called acobay. In Acobay you can share the joy in getting you dreamed stuffs with the world. You can tell the community how much it is, why you like the stuff, or sometimes, why you don't like it. You can even upload photos for your new stuff. If you join acobay you don’t have to force your reluctant family member to listen to your non-stop chatter LOL!

Seriously, I found this site is very useful because not only you can show off your stuffs, but you also can find the best stuffs based on rating by thousands of real users or stuffs that are getting hot recently and also reviews and comments on the stuffs that you're interested in.

When you join Acobay and share your stuffs, it automatically connects you with other peoples that have the same stuffs like you. Just like having instant friends that share same taste with you. You can even start a discussion or a question about the thing that you don’t understand to your “instant” friends. I think it’s very exciting when you find someone who not only use the same phone, but also play the same game, drive the same car, read the same magazine, visit the same place, but not to share the same hubby I hope LOL!

Sitting By Herself

Three days ago, my youngest daughter suddenly was able to sit by herself from crawling position. She will be 7 months old next week, so she is right on schedule.

From what I read, by 7 months a baby is probably be able to sit unsupported (which will free his hands for exploring), and he/she'll learn how to pivot to reach a desired object while sitting. At this point he/she may even be able to get from his tummy into a sitting position by pushing up on his arms. By the time he's 8 months old, he'll likely be sitting well without support.

Genetic Portraits of Marijuana

If you are looking for high art to decorate your home, room, or your wardrobe, you can visit to Mary Jane Goods site because MaryJaneGoods.com has launched the much-anticipated online retail site. At this moment they have limited selection of high-end quality products featuring the DNA genetic fingerprint of Cannabis Sativa plant a.k.a marijuana.

Yup! You read it right. M a r i j u a n a. In fact they also sell T-shirt that lists the 652 legal names of Marijuana recognized by law enforcement in a very fine print. So, don’t get surprise if you find everyone will want to read the fine print. You are sure to get more attention if you wear this T-shirt.

Mary Jane Goods creates original and intelligent pieces of art that are unique. In fact they are the first company to create custom genetic portraits of marijuana. Combining DNA genetic fingerprinting with an icon of pop culture created the foundation for the MJG brand.

WHO Issued Safety Limits for Levels of Melamine in Foods

Do you still remember about the melamine problem in formula milk for baby? Melamine has been blamed for sickening nearly 300,000 children in China and may have caused six deaths. Melamine can cause kidney stones if consumed in excessive levels; in severe cases, it can cause kidney failure. The chemical has been routinely mixed into Chinese milk and dairy products to boost protein content.

Responding to mounting global concerns, the World Health Organization on Friday issued safety limits for levels of melamine in foods. The industrial chemical should not be present in baby formula, but trace levels are unavoidable in some foods, especially those consumed by adults, according to published reports.

Jorgen Schlundt, the WHO director for food safety, said the Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) threshold states that a 50 kilogram (110-pound) person could tolerate 10 milligrams of melamine a day. This is not a "safe" level, but rather the amount a human being can consume without higher health risks, Schlundt said, according to the Associated Press.

The melamine scandal has prompted many countries around the world, including the 27-nation European Union, to ban Chinese milk imports. The United States has put in place an import alert that requires importers to prove that Chinese milk products are melamine-free. The FDA had originally said that no levels of the chemical were acceptable. However, last month they announced an allowable threshold of 1 part per million of melamine in baby formula.

Matching Eyeglasses With Outfit

Do you know that your chances’ of being successful in business depends a lot on how you dress? First impression is very critical for success in business. Not only do you have to look presentable but how you conduct yourself and how you dress is also very important. Remember, when you are in a business you are marketing a product – yourself – to your customer, employer, or your business partner.

Dressing up for success not only means wearing the suitable attire, as suitable accessories are also part and parcel of a complete dress code which includes eye glasses if you wear one.

You could argue that it will be very expensive to have matching eyeglasses to every outfit you have, but the reality is that nowadays you can buy prescribed eyeglasses as low as USD 15 at Optical4Less.com. They has a wide selection of frames which come with various lenses such as bifocal lenses, progressive lenses, photochromic lenses, and tinted sunglass lenses. They even offer free shipping worldwide (if you order more than 1 pair).

With these kinds of offers, matching the eyeglasses with every outfit you have is not a dream anymore. So ladies, what are you waiting for?

Cinderella

Nowadays my older daughter loves to act as a Cinderella. Everyday she wants to wear her party dress puts on her slippers. Then she will pretend to run and lost one of her slipper. My part is to become the minister who has to try on the slipper on her feet. Hahahaha.

Sometimes I am wondering why almost all little girl like to watch Cinderalla? Is it because of the pretty dress and the pretty look? Why are Cinderella, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty must have good looks. In fact all the main actrees and actor in the movie (not only cartoon) tend to have good looks and great body. No wonder nowadays people so obsessed with their looks.

Inmate Locator

Do you know that you can conduct a Prison Inmate Search online? On www.prisoninmatelocator.org you can access inmate records as well as inmate license records and all other pertinent vital records. Their archive includes an array of prison inmate records recovered in America. Any record you need, you'll find it very quickly and easily. Texas inmate records? Florida inmate records? Whichever state you require inmate records you will get the documentation you require. Discover why thousands already have used and applauded their inmate records archive. It's just a click away!

Changing Diaper

It’s getting more challenging these days to change my youngest daughter diaper. I have to change it very fast, because otherwise she will try to rollover. Sometimes, before I got the opportunity to open the diaper, she would try to rollover already. The only way I could get the job done was to give her something to play with. At one time, I forgot to grab some toys before I change her, and as usual she started to rollover. Since I didn’t have any toys with me, I just gave her the diaper. Believe it or not, she loved to play with it and I could get the job done.

Pants with Pockets

If you still looking Chrstmas gift for your husband or your brother, you probably might consider to buy 5.11 Tactical Pants. My husband likes to wear this kind of pants. It's very practical since it has many pockets. My husband loves to go deep sea fishing. Normally he and his friend will rent a boat to go deep sea fishing. Whenever he goes fishing, besides bringing all of his fishing rods and fishing gadgets, he always makes sure that he wears suitable clothes. His favorite is to wear 5.11 tactical pants, because he says that it is lightweight, but surprisingly durable and comfortable. The strategic design of cargo pockets in the pants, allow him to store all kinds of fishing gadgets.

Update About Listerine to Prevent Mosquito Bites

Remember my post about Listerine to prevent mosquito bites?
Well, I don't use it anymore, because somehow after 1 month didn't get mosquito bites, my eldest daughter started getting mosquito bites again.

Actually I found this tip from the internet, and I used it to my older daugher because she always go mosquito bites. Nobody in the house got it, only her. The funny thing is, even the mosquito haven't bite her, she got the red mark already.

The tip said to use the brown Listerine mouthwash and apply directly to skin. It only works for about 1 month, but after that she started to get mosquito bites again.

I Showed It to My Parents

Remember my previous post about the experience of sitting on santa’s lap? Well, I decided to send the video of “sitting on Santa’s Lap” to my parents. After watching the video, they were quite impressed with the “CEIVA digital photo frame’s” capability and they were so happy to hear that I was planning to give it to them.

As I mentioned before, with the “CEIVA PicturePlan”, I can send photos from my computer or my camera phone from anywhere in the world to whomever that has a CEIVA digital photo frame. I was so amazed at how easy it was to use and I am sure that my parents will also be able to learn to use it with ease .

If you haven’t gone to their site, then I would encourage you to go there now by clicking on the link. Even if you don’t want to buy the “CEIVA digital photo frame”, I guarantee that you will have fun trying the “Sitting on Santa’s Lap” experience. Plus, you can also try your luck at winning $500 in cash.

Here are the rules:
- must be 18 years of age to enter sweepstakes
- photo must be of the submitter
- photo must not contain inappropriate content, copyrighted image
- must be a resident of the United States and/or Washington D.C.

So, to click on the link to enter the "got a wish" sweepstakes and win $500.

She is So Cute!

My youngest daughter is very cute. Whenever she woke up in the morning she was always very cheerful. She smiled and talked to herself. She didn't mind playing by herself while I was working in front of my laptop. However after about 1 hour or so playing by herself she would start complaining. At this moment if I responsed to her she would be cheerful again and smiled at me. The funny thing was that if I leaved her alone at this point, she would cry so loud complete with tears. It made my heart just melt.

Sitting on Santa's Lap Experience

When was the last time you sat on Santa’s lap? 10 years ago? 20 years ago? I sat on Santa’s lap about 10 minutes ago. Yup, you heard me right. It’s was only 10 minutes ago. If you want to have the experience of sitting on Santa’s lap or join the "Got a Wish Sweeepstakes" to win $500 cash then click on the link, you won’t regret it. It’s a fun experience, well, at least to me.

Actually, I didn’t sit on Santa’s lap physically. It’s my photo that got the previledge to sit on Santa’s lap. Thus, I had to upload my photo first. However, I found it so amazing to see my photo on Santa’s lap instantly complete with the frame.

I guess that is how CEIVAshare works. I can send photos from my computer or my camera phone from anywhere in the world and to whomever that has a CEIVA digital photo frame. I am so amazed at how easy it is that I am actually thinking of buying one for my parents.

If you follow this blog, you know by now that my parents live far away from me. Once in a while I send them my children’s photos by email. They could see the photos but they have to print them if they want to frame them and show it off to their friends and relatives. With CEIVA, they don’t have to do anything extra. I think this is the perfect Christmas gift for them.

What is your reason blogging?

Actually my original reason blogging was because I want to update my parents about my children’s developments and also because I got the thrill to see my own writing was published for the whole world to see. Originally I didn’t expect anybody else beside my parents and family to find my blog, so imagine my excitement when I saw totally stranger leaves comment on my blog.

Along the way, I found new friends and one of them even become one of my best friends even I have never met her in person. Later on I found that I can make money by blogging. The money is not much, but it really helps me to pay the bills. Besides, I learn so many things from all the various topics that I have to write. Plus, because one of the rule is for you to post your own post in between paid posts, I have the motivation to keep updating this blog.

So what is your reason blogging?

Harley Davidson

One of my customers likes to ride a motorcycle. He has several motorcycle, but his favorite one was Harley Davidson. He said that he chooses harley because it represents the freedom that Americans enjoy. With Harley, he can live out his fantasies, as well as experience camaraderie with fellow bikers.

Vegetables or Fruits?

Which one from the above that you want to introduce to your baby first? There are no hard and fast rules about which to introduce first, and it makes no difference to your baby in terms of ease of digestion. Some experts recommend starting with fruit first, because it's sweet, like breast milk. Others say that because humans have an innate preference for sweets, it makes sense to introduce vegetables before fruits, so that your baby will be more likely to accept them.

With my eldest daughter I introduced both at the same time. I blended the vegetables together with the porridge. When she finished it, I followed with blended fruit. She is four year old now, and she likes both vegetables and fruits.