Halloween Party For Your Children

So the saying goes, “trick or treat, penny or a sweet, give me something nice to eat”. Sound familiar? Halloween is on its way and you want your children and their friends to have a safe yet memorable day.

 If you’re feeling the pressure of hosting the party, fear not your survival guide is here!

Costume

Party masks are a great way for children to have some control over who they want to be for the night. It will also reduce conflict of who has spent the most money on their costume. Paper plates, felt tips and elastic bands should be enough for a DIY Halloween costume. 

Decorating

Make ghosts out of tissue paper and draw on eyes with black felt tip. Wrap string around the ghost’s head and hang it up on the curtain poles or wherever seems appropriate. 

Party Bags

• Children love treats and let’s face it so do adults so there’s only one thing for it, party bags.
• Depending on how many people have been invited you can decorate normal plastic bags.
• Cut out pieces of black card and shape them as bats if you want to save money on party bags. 
  
  

Tricks

• Avoid that sugar rush and make healthy snacks – for example you can use vegetables to make a skeleton.
• Rearrange the vegetables so that the head is a round plastic container filled with a dip (of your choice) then place lettuce leaves around it.  Put in two sliced olives for eyes and use celery and cucumbers as the body, baby carrots as arms and so on.
• Strawberries can make great monsters and all you have to do is decorate them with icing.
• Slice apples in half and put two together so they are shaped as mouths.
• Then with a knife cut the remaining parts of the apple into small pieces so they look like teeth.
• Oranges can be cut into mini pumpkins or if you want just draw on the orange peel.
• Cut out chunks of carrot and add cream cheese on the top, then for the final touch place half a black olive on top.

Treats

• Red and orange jelly.
• Place them in clear plastic disposable containers which will save you on washing up and the risk of broken plates.
• Decorate cupcakes using black and orange icing, the easiest design to decorate them with would be spiders.   
  
  

Games

Children can be difficult to keep entertained, as much as we would love for them to sit quietly reading a book and educating themselves. So what can you provide for them at a Halloween party? 

Monster Moves

Play some Michael Jackson thriller or whatever music you think will get the children moving and make them freeze with their favourite monster move. The scariest monster wins, it’s simple. 

Hide and Seek

It’s free, it fits and everyone knows how to play. Just make sure you store your most prized possessions somewhere safe and out of the way.  If there are enough children, how about putting them into groups so they can learn team building skills. 

Bursting Balloons

Depending on the colour scheme you choose, you could put treats into balloons and stick them on the wall. A great idea would be to have a number of orange balloons stuck to your wall.  Arrange the balloons so they are shaped as a pumpkin, and let the games begin!

GoodNites Helps Educate Parents About Bedwetting Plus Prize Package Giveaway

The school year is now in full swing and the kids are on the go pretty much all day! We are back on our bedtime routine and the kids are doing very well with it! We've found how important sleep However, when I was younger, I was not as lucky. I had issues with bedwetting and sometimes I inevitably ended up having the "peeing in the toilet" dream where I could have sworn I was using the potty. Bedwetting is an important issue many children go through and is often overlooked when children are getting back into their new routines for school. It is estimated that 5-7 million children in the U.S. wet the bed. This is why GoodNites wants to educate parents about the importance of identifying bedwetting versus night time potty training. They want parents to make the correct decisions to find solutions instead of heading in the wrong direction.

GoodNites has a new infographic released that is based on the results of a new survey. The graphic helps dispel the bedwetting misconceptions that many others have made in the past. Did you know 43% of parents believed they could train their children not to wet the bed? This is not true. Bedwetting can cause interrupted sleep, which makes it difficult for kids to get up and be prepared for the next day of school. This definitely makes staying on a schedule nearly impossible and much harder. This is why it is time to use the correct solutions for having a drier, healthier night of sleep!


About GoodNites Underwear
GoodNites® Underwear are 40% more absorbent than the leading training pants and are specially designed to protect while lying down, to help protect pajamas and bedding, helping kids get a better sleep and wake up feeling ready for school. 

GoodNites are for older children, so no babyish designs that will be embarrassing for them. 

My kids love these designs and my oldest said he would wear them! In fact, he asked to one night! He said they don't feel like a diaper and they are very comfortable, too.

As a parent, I feel it is our responsibility to learn what we can about bed wetting in order to help our children if and when the situation arises. Liam is in the process of being potty trained, so we will soon see if he has bed wetting issues once trained. At that point, I will do what I can to help him and find a solution. We love GoodNites, so that would be my first purchase, that's for sure!

Click Here to save $1.50 off a package of GoodNites at Target!

To celebrate back to school, GoodNites is offering Children Teaching Mama Readers An Awesome Giveaway Package!!

Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva La Fiesta Review & Giveaway @DisneyPictures

My kids love dog movies, so when Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva La Fiesta when it was released as a combo with a DVD, Blu-Ray and HD digital copy, we couldn't wait to watch!

About the Movie
Disney released the Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital Download DVD of Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3: Viva La Fiesta on September 18th! Featuring your favorite chihuahuas, Papi (George Lopez) and Chloe (Odette Annable), as well as their adorable little pups. It's chaos, as usual, when Papi's family moves into the Langham Hotel! This upscale hotel comes complete with a luxurious doggy spa, which seems like paradis. However, trouble finds its way to the hotel, too, when Rosa, the smallest member of the pack, feels less special than the others. Poor baby! Valuable lessons are taught as Papi helps Rosa find her inner strength. Both humans and canines are reminded of the importance of family, friends and teamwork.

Our Thoughts
The boys sat down with their popcorn for this hilarious hit and had a blast, laughing as the story went along. Nothing entertains children more than talking dogs, at least in our house! You will laugh, there is no doubt about it, but you may cry, too, during the emotional scenes. The kids didn't, but I sure was close.

The boys got a kick out of the movie because the puppies are home schooled just like them, but, unlike the dogs, the puppies are preparing for doggie school. Papi, their father, is always teaching and guiding the kids and is just like their own Papa! I love movies that actually teach something to kids and Bevery Hills Chihuahua 3 definitely fits the bill.
Find out how to party like Papi, whip up his famous guacamole, get Chloe's fashion tips along with fun activity sheets! Just click the picture below. 
“Like” Beverly Hills Chihuhua on Facebook and  Follow on Twitter @DisneyPictures

Are you ready for an awesome giveaway? 

Thanks to Disney Pictures, One Lucky Children Teaching Mama Reader Will Win the Beverly Hills Chihuahua DVD, Blu-Ray & HD Digital Download Combo Set! A $44.95 Value!

Treating Preschoolers for Head Lice -- What You Should Know

What parent doesn't live in fear of the day his or her child comes home with a warning that head lice has appeared in the classroom--or worse, the day the school nurse calls to say it's his or her own child with lice this time? The fact is, head lice has become more common in recent years, and anyone can get it--even children as young as preschool-age.

So what do you do if head lice makes an appearance on your child? Well, the first rule of thumb is not to panic, and not to become too distressed. Lice are not dangerous, are not an indication of poor hygiene or bad parenting and are not an emergency. However, you will typically need to keep your child home from preschool until he or she has at least gone through one lice treatment, depending on school policy.

Once you've calmed down and reminded yourself that lots of kids get lice and it is a treatable situation, here are some steps you can take to remedy the situation:

1) First, if your child's school or daycare doesn't already know, inform them immediately of the situation. Schools typically keep the details confidential, and inform other parents only that a case of lice has been identified in the class--not who exactly has it. While lice isn't something anyone should be ashamed of, this may make you feel better about reporting it.

2) Wash--in hot water--your child's bedding, towels, hats, hooded jackets or sweatshirts and anything else you can think of that has been in contact with his or her head. For items liked pillows and stuffed animals that you may not want to immerse in water, you can either throw them in the dryer on high heat or bag them up in well-sealed garbage bags and place them in the garage for a day or two. Lice can't live long without human contact for food.

3) Obtain a treatment system; call your pediatrician if you want advice on the best one to buy. The drugstore sells various lice treatments, generally special shampoos and sometimes conditioners that are liberally applied to the hair, plus a uniquely-designed comb designed especially for removing the nits, or lice eggs, that cluster near the hair roots and are sticky and difficult to remove otherwise. 

4) Settle in for a time-consuming task. Typical lice treatments are tedious and time-consuming--but usually effective if used correctly. You will need to meticulously examine every hair on your child's head, using the special comb to separate the hairs, find the nits and remove them. If even a couple of nits are left in the hair, the lice will appear again soon. Try setting your preschooler up in front of an age-appropriate, entertaining DVD or television show, arm yourself with your lice removal tools, and go to work. Most lice treatment systems recommend a second treatment 24 hours after the first for complete eradication.

5) Lastly, keep in mind that there are now professional services that conduct lice removal for a fee.

About the Author: Brianna Kelly has over 7 years experience writing and publishing articles about childcare education and parenting. She writes on a regular basis for a Dublin based childcare provider called Giraffe Childcare.

Five Ways To Keep the Kids Busy During Summer Holidays

The summer holidays from school, across December and January, can often represent a tricky business for parents – particularly if they are committed to working full time. Factor in the added fact that those months can be stiflingly hot and humid and you have a period where finding activities to fill up children’s time can be quite problematic. We don’t want them just sitting around inside watching television and playing computer games do we?

The best way to look at it for parents is that the holidays represent a unique opportunity. An opportunity to expose your kids to new things of interest, as well as spend a lot of quality time with them yourself. There is also the option to do the obvious thing during the holidays: take a holiday!

But anyway, here are five great ways to keep the kids busy and entertained during the summer holidays.

Cooking

It can never be too early to introduce children to the joys of cooking and food. This cheerful, inexpensive and inclusive activity offers the opportunity for adults to impart knowledge to their children, both strengthening that bond and teaching an important life skill. Children can’t help but be delighted either, what with the opportunity to get their hands dirty, lick spoons and see the satisfying results of the cooking process – as well as, of course, the eating bit.

Culture and art

Particularly if you in the city or in a large town, it is likely that museums, galleries and other major cultural organisations will put on events specifically catering to children in the holidays. That means a multitude of concerts, theatre events, workshops and exhibitions, with a bent towards participation and children. These are invaluable during the holidays, and you never know, might unearth a talent you never knew your child possessed.

Socialising and play-dates

Siblings are great and everything, but it is important to keep your children in contact with their social set  - and of course, give them the opportunity to make new friends during the holiday. So, an idea is to organise play-dates and perhaps even parties to allow your kids to see their mates. Other options include communal excursions and outings to the events mentioned above, or perhaps picnics or trips to the swimming pool or beach.

Toys

Circumstances might dictate that children are forced to stay at home on some days – you may be working, ill, or whatever. And rather than rely on television and computers and such, why not allow your children to take advantage of toys? Toys can be educational as well as fun, and are appropriate for all ages. They can be utilised both indoors and outdoors and are a brilliant tool for shared entertainment and multiple participants. If you are keen on buying toys online this year, you might want to try OO’s Toys page, as they seem to have the best prices at the moment!

Christmas decorations

It just so happens that here in the southern hemisphere the summer holidays are also the Christmas holidays. That offers ample opportunity to get your kids involved with festive activities. Decking the house with Christmas lights and Christmas decorations can be great fun for both children and parents. You can also allow kids to make their own decorations, channelling their creative spirit at this celebratory time of year.

Would a Family Enjoy an RV Vacation?

Families are always looking for fun activities to do that are outside the norm.  One thing that comes to mind is renting an RV for a family getaway to various destinations, including camping, the beach, and more.  But would a family enjoy an RV vacation together?

Would Dad Enjoy It?

Dad would probably enjoy an RV vacation, because even though he would be the primary driver, it would be less work than, say, camping.  Taking an RV vacation is great logistically, because everything you need is right on the vehicle.  Plus, renting an RV is pretty cheap, even once you get simple caravan insurance and everything else you need. 

Would Mom Enjoy It?

Mom would definitely enjoy taking an RV out with the entire family, and the biggest reason is togetherness.  By being in the RV, you’re all together!  Plus, mom would have all of the things she normally uses around the house – a full kitchen, plenty of storage, and more.  Having all of the amenities of home is a huge time saver for mom, especially if you’re going camping.  Instead of having to prep everything on a camp stove, you have everything you need in the kitchen.  

Also, there is the nice bedroom with bed in the RV.  If you’re like most mom’s, having a nice bed is much better than roughing it in a tent.  I’m sure mom will appreciate having a nice bed and bathroom to sleep and get ready in each day.

Would the Kids Enjoy It?

Finally, the kids would love to take an RV trip!  Especially if you have younger children, they would enjoy going places like camping in the forest or going to the beach.  Kids love just being able to run around outdoors and exploring new places.  Plus, you can travel with fun activities, such as board games or other entertainment, to keep them occupied while you’re driving.  Some RVs even have television and entertainment centers, which are great for families with kids.   Renting an RV is a great way to travel as a whole family. 

Mommy's Bliss Gripe Water Review & Giveaway 2 Winners

How often do you hear the words “my tummy hurts” as a mother? Plenty! And the trouble often starts long before they can say their first words. Two of my six children have had milk protein allergy (which they thankfully outgrew) and were so sensitive as babies that when I ate dairy and then nursed them, it resulted in gas, fussiness and spitting up. While I tried to be vigilant about my diet, there was the occasional slip-up or oversight and at those times I was so thankful to have Mommy's Bliss GripeWater on hand.

Gripe Water is a safe and all-natural herbal formulation containing ginger, fennel and sodium bicarbonate to help ease gas and tummy discomfort caused by colic, hiccups and even teething. It looks just like water and contains no dyes, sugars, gluten, starches or alcohol. And believe me, it's not just for babies. I continue to keep Gripe Water in my house because even older children and adults can benefit from it for simple cases of indigestion, mild nausea and stomach upset.

None of my children have ever objected to the taste, and it generally gives relief within minutes. The dosage can be repeated up to 6 times in a 24-hour period, if needed. It is such a blessing to see a suffering baby or child calm down and smile again! I've even tried other “gripe waters” on the market, but none of them have the levels of concentration that Mommy's Bliss has, and some of them even have to be refrigerated. Not Mommy's Bliss; it definitely holds its own against competitors.

We received Mommy's Bliss Gripe Water to review and reminded exactly why I love it so much! As mother of six, I have learned to always keep Mommy's Bliss Gripe Water always on hand and recommend you do the same. You never know when you will need it for your baby and it's a great remedy. Click here for a $1 off coupon!

It's Open-Enrollment Time & Aflac Is Here To Help!

When I was working at the UGA library before getting married, I didn't fill out my insurance forms when I got hired. For that reason, I had to go an entire year before open-enrollment time occurred! I went an entire year without any insurance and was terrified of getting sick. Luckily, I only had to see a doctor once, but without that insurance, I paid almost $350! I definitely learned my lesson!

Now that we have children, insurance is even more important, especially with Liam's condition. We took advantage of our open-enrollment policy last year and studied up on all the benefits of each plan my husband's employer offered. This has been a lifesaver (and money saver) this year with Liam's hospital bills, MRIs an upcoming chemotherapy treatments. The MRIs alone would have cost us over $10,000 each without the correct insurance plan! We definitely did our homework, but this is unfortunately not the case for many other Americans. According to a recent study released by Aflac, 1 in 4 survey respondents said they chose the wrong level of insurance coverage to meet their needs and over 56% of employees estimate they waste up to $750 because they make mistakes when choosing insurance plans.

This, to me, is a complete wake-up call for all Americans! We need to do our homework, study up on each of the plans and even meet with an consultant about what you should do. Unfortunately, you cannot rely on your employer to refer you to the right plan as 52% of survey responses said their employer did not communicate with them about open enrollment at all.

Just imagine how much money could be saved just by picking the right plan for your family! $750 would pay our rent for a month. I am almost certain that until recently, we probably chose the wrong plan and spent more than we should have, which ended up causing my husband to work more hours in order to pay. All that time an money was wasted as we never even met our deductible. This is another problem addressed by the survey, so I am sure many of you can relate as well. Take a look at this infographic for more information on the survey and how to choose the right benefits.

I, personally, am a fan of Aflac insurance. Okay, part of it is because every time I write or say Aflac it is in the voice of the infamous duck , but also because they have some great plans an their customer service is amazing. I've never had other consultants take the time to go over the plans with me in detail like Aflac and that is something very important to me. I'm also supportive of Aflac because they help fund my the Aflac Cancer Center, which is where my son goes for all of his treatments. They have contributed over $60 million to the center so far (and they also gave my son a stuffed Aflac duck that says "Aflac" when you squeeze his belly)! How could I not support a wonderful business such as Aflac?

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Aflac and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Celebrate Halloween With Chasing Fireflies Costumes & $100 GC Giveaway

 I absolutely love Halloween and am always looking for cute outfits to celebrate the month of October. Around this time last year I stumble upon Chasing Fireflies and fell in love with their selection of clothing for babies and children. They even have clothes for adults, too!This Halloween season Chasing Fireflies has you covered with their Wishcraft catalog filled with hundreds of unique costume ideas!

About Chasing Fireflies (from website)

We created chasing fireflies to yes, celebrate childhood but also to celebrate parenthood. Do you remember the first time you ever rode a bike? Swam across the pool? Chased fireflies? It’s even more special the second time around when you share your child’s firsts. We’ve taken great care in selecting magical children’s products that, we hope, will charm, surprise and delight. We love each and every one and sincerely hope you will, too.

My Thoughts
I am very picky about the costumes I pick out for the kids. I want something fun, unique and comfortable for them each year, which is why I love the costumes at Chasing Fireflies! particularly love the personalized outfits from Chasing Fireflies and have actually purchased some for the kids last holiday season. For Halloween, they have some adorable personalized costumes, too! Liam especially loves the Personalize Jr. Doctor Scrubs costume since he loves his doctors so much. Josiah, on the other hand, is a fan of the Colossal T. Rex costume since he loves everything about dinosaurs.

Besides the great costumes for my boys, Chasing Fireflies offers pages and pages of costumes for babies and girls, too. The list of adorable costumes is really endless and I love going through them. My niece loves the Witchie Poo Costume (remember H.R. Pufnstuf?) and all the accessories that go with it. I have to admit, I love this costume, too, along with the hat and black magic boots. Everything you need to complete the costume is at Chasing Fireflies!

As for the baby costumes, when I saw the What a Hoot costume, I wished immediately that Liam was small enough to fit into it. Alas, my babies are growing up much too quickly. Otherwise, he would definitely be an owl this Halloween!

We are so excited to be working with Chasing Fireflies this Halloween season to bring you an awesome giveaway!

One Lucky Reader Will Win a $100 Gift Card To Use At Chasing Fireflies! 

Liam's Fight With Neurofibromatosis Has Officially Begun

Last week we got news that no parent should ever receive. We found out that Liam, my little loving three year-old boy will start chemotherapy next week. He has something called Neurofibromatosis (NF), something I planned to write about on my blog 2 weeks ago, and I did, but couldn't bring myself to post. Liam has gone through MRIs for 2 years now, every 6 months to track tumor growth. See, NF causes tumors to grow and although they can grow anywhere on the body, they are known to
grow in the brain. Liam currently has 3 tumors and until last week, they were not growing and no intervention was necessary. Everything has changed and this journey has just begun.

Two weeks ago, when I wrote the other post, Liam was getting his 6 month scheduled MRI and I felt it, the mother's intuition, that something was different this time. I just knew it and decided not to post because I didn't want to jinx anything. The truth is, he has been through so much already and has beaten the odds every single time. We knew this would eventually happen, but it wasn't a reality until last week... an it is still sinking in.

We are waiting for the call now an every time the phone rings, I think it is the oncologist calling to schedule putting in his central line. That is, after all, the first step to this process. Then, the week after the central line is put in, the chemo treatments will begin. We will travel to Atlanta once a week for 13 weeks and I am terrified of the unknown. I can barely stand to see my son get put to sleep for MRIs every 6 months, much less, suffering daily from chemo. I want to run away with my little boy and never let this happen to him. He's such a happy little boy and I don't want his love of life to change... ever, but this will change us all.  He truly has a smile that makes everyone around him smile an I never want him to lose that.

This is the beginning and I will try to document everything that happens as we go down this long road. After 13 weeks of chemo, we will get a short break before going back for another 9 weeks. It;s going to be tough- physically, emotionally and financially for our family. For this reason, I started a fundraiser for Liam. I want to do something amazing for him, especially after the first 13 weeks come to an end. He deserves something wonderful and I would love for you to make it happen! I don't know what we will do yet; it really depends on the amount of money we raise, but we are thankful for any donations, which will be used only to benefit him in some way- be it gas for our travels, medicine or other little miracles that will bring a smile to his face. Click the Donation Button below to donate any money for Liam.

I will write more about NF and Liam's journey as we go along. Thoughts and prayers are always welcomed as are encouraging words. We hope you join us along the way as we beat NF and fight for a cure like so many other brave boys and girls out there.