Clean While You Sleep!

Now that the Xmas and Hanukkah festivities are behind us, GET SOME REST! Here are a few time saving cleaning tips so that you can get in a few extra z's.
1. UGH! Those oven roasting pans have got to be particularly bad right now after all the holiday bird, roast, ham and tofurkeys. Rather then scrub endlessly, take those greasy pans and put them in a plastic bag with some ammonia. Seal it, put it outside overnight and let the fumes do the work. In the morning just wash with soap and water!
2. Treat your toilet to an overnight soaking of white vinegar. By morning it will be completely disinfected. Just flush clean!
3. Line your white bathroom sink with laundry bleach soaked paper towels. In the morning just toss the paper towels and voila- a clean fresh sink! A word of warning...don't use this on colored sinks as the bleach can fade the color....
Enjoy your extra sleep! I know I will!

-SBH

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all you mamas out there! May all your Christmas wishes come true!

My Wish: An uninterrupted night of sleep- ALONE in my bed. And a flat tummy would be nice....

How about you?

-SBH

Which Breast Pump?

If you're breastfeeding, you probably want your baby to benefit from your milk even when you're not available. Whether you're getting ready to go back to work or you just want someone else to feed your child while you get some rest or go out, a breast pump can be a big help. If you are like me, you feel like you want the best while not spending a boat load of money…
There are many styles and models of breast pumps, but they fall into two main categories: electric/battery-powered and manual (which you operate by hand). While some women use both — one for the bulk of their pumping, the other for taking on short trips — most moms strongly prefer one or the other. Here's a look at your options:

Hospital-grade electric breast pump
style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/2516/2238/400/105537/images-3.jpg" border="0" alt="" />If you're pumping constantly throughout the day — perhaps because you or your baby isn't able to breastfeed — you'll need the most efficient pump around: a heavy-duty hospital-grade model with a double collection kit. These pumps have a rapid suck-and-release cycle (referred to as the cycling time) that draws milk from your breasts at about the same rate as a nursing baby.
Using a double collection kit means you can pump both breasts at once, which can cut pumping time by more than half and drain both breasts more effectively.
Weight: as much as 18 pounds.
Price: Over $1000!!!
Upside: Quick and effective.
Many hospitals, lactation consultants, and medical supply stores rent top-of-the-line breast pumps for $1 to $3 per day. But at $3 a day, if you plan on giving your baby breastmilk for more then a year, you may just want to go ahead and buy one. If your baby was born prematurely or with a condition that makes nursing difficult, some insurance companies will cover the cost of a breast pump with a doctor's prescription.
Downside: Bulky and heavy. This is not the sort of pump one wants to carry around. Keep in mind if you're renting a pump, you'll still need to purchase a collection kit, which includes breast flanges (the piece of the pump that goes on the breast itself), tubing, and collection bottles, for $50 to $60.
To find rental locations in your area, call Medela at (800) 835-5968 or search the company's Web site or try Ameda at (800) 323-4060 or search its Web site

Top-end electric personal-use pumps
Combining the efficiency of hospital-grade pumps and the convenience of more portable models, top-end electric pumps are a popular choice for moms who return to work full-time. These pumps are fully automatic, with quick cycling times, adjustable suction levels (to help you avoid nipple discomfort), and double-pumping capability.
Weight: around 8 pounds or less.
Price: $200 to $350 and most pumps come with a one-year warranty.
Upside: These pumps can come in attractive carrying cases with accessories included — like storage bags, labels, clips, bottles, and nipple ointment
Downside: These pumps are not designed for multiple users. Though it may be tempting to share or borrow a friend's personal-use breast pump, or buy one used, the FDA and breastfeeding experts caution against it. Breast milk can carry bacteria and viruses — including hepatitis, HIV, and cytomegalovirus — that can contaminate these pumps and pass an infection to you and your baby. Because droplets of milk can get into the internal parts of these pumps, using your own collection kit doesn't necessarily make them safe to use.
Pumps designed for multiple users, like rental pumps and hospital pumps, don't have this problem. They're designed to prevent breast milk from getting inside the pump. So as long as you use them with your own personal collection kit, they're safe.
If it's designated as a "single-user" pump, it should be used by only one person.
Examples of top-end pumps include Medela's Pump In Style and Ameda's Purely Yours.
You can also rent lightweight portable pumps — for example, Medela's Lactina or Symphony, and Ameda's Elite.

Mid-range electric or battery-operated pumps
These pumps are best for short-term separations — for instance, moms who want to leave their baby with a sitter every now and then and don't want to supplement with formula.
Weight: around 2 pounds
Cost: $50-$150.00
Downside: They generally take a little longer and require a little more effort to use than the top-end electric pumps. If the pump is battery-operated, the batteries may need to be replaced frequently.
Most mid-range pumps allow you to pump only one breast at a time — and slowly at that. While there are some double electric pumps in this category, the motors may not last as long as those in the more expensive models.
Examples of these pumps include Evenflo's Comfort Select, Medela's Single Deluxe, Bailey's Nurture III, and The First Years' Easy Comfort single or double electric/battery breast pumps.

Nonelectric manual pumps
Manual pumps require you to pump a piston or squeeze a lever to create the suction to empty your breast. These pumps empty only one breast at a time and may require two hands to operate, although a few are designed for one-handed use.
Weight: Under 2 pounds
Price: $30 to $60
Upside: Simple and convenient. More affordable, smaller, lighter, and quieter than electric pumps. Many also say that some manual pumps feel more natural and more closely mimic a baby's sucking, and that they like being able to control the suction by hand.
And if you like to pump on one side while your baby is nursing on the other, he'll probably prefer the quiet of a manual to the noise of an electric.
Downside: While some moms get the knack of effective manual pumping, others find these pumps maddeningly slow. (It depends to some degree on how quickly you can squeeze the pump handle — and this can get tiring for your hands.) This mamasnap was able to pump about 6 ounces in about 10 minutes.
. Examples include Avent's Isis and Medela's Harmony.

My personal choice is the $50 Avent Isis handpump...I actually NEVER used an electric pump because this pump was so awesome. I was able to get about an ounce in under 2 minutes or about 6 ounces in about 10 minutes. Doing it manually makes you take a time out and just zone...Plus my hand got some exercise..haha. All in all it is a very effective little contraption and very easy to travel with.
The only downside of the pump is you have to be really careful not to lose the little white disc inside it...that is basically not replaceable. I used my pump for both kids...and have never regretted not spending the money on an electric one.

-SBH

Mama's Temper Tantrum

I was completely losing my cool today on the phone with a vendor because I needed some tapes and there was a mixup with the PAL conversion etc. etc. My toddler was a bit distraught when he heard me. So I said to him - 'I'm sorry honey, Mommy lost her temper.' And he looked at me perplexed, opened a drawer and starting searching - 'Well where is it Mommy?' he replied thinking that if he found my 'temper' all would be well...

How can you not laugh at that?
Upon further review, I should've told him to leave the temper IN THAT drawer!

- LT

Real or Fake Trees for the Kiddies?

I have to confess I'm a tree purist and have wonderful Christmas memories of going to select the tree and bringing it home and decorating. I still love to get up early and turn on the tree and just spend that one moment alone with twinkle lights before the madness of day begins - especially with kids now... And man does the house smell good with pine. Nonetheless, I bought us a fake tree last night, already rigged with lights - took 10 minutes (if that) to put the 3 pieces together, fluff it and plug it in. The husband and I fought every day last year over needles all over the living room every day and the Toddler mangled that tree somthing fierce.

So fake tree = less holiday hassle I guess. Sigh. My kids could care less by the way, they just think it's neat to have a tree in the house regardless. I'm on the hunt for a good pine candle I can light up...out of reach of small hands of course. What's your thought - real or fake?

- LT

Holiday surveys of interest...

Forget eating out...Grandma is a holiday purist.

I'm in the 23% here.

I'm in the 73% crowed here for sure. Very stressful.

Courtesy of USA Today.
- LT

Are my kids the only ones not sleeping?

I recently broke down and called up what they call a 'sleep specialist' in LA. You know, the things that the stars do because they have the money to do it and then you read about it in magazines and hear about it on Entertainment Tonight. But I just kept thinking - 'Am I just going to end up on Supernanny with a Toddler that won't stay in his bed?' and 'Surely I am an inept mother because I can't get my kid to sleep' etc. etc. All reservations aside I called up the gals at Sleepy Planet as I've heard they do wonders for tired parents.

Sleepy Planet

was started by two women of Childsleep LA. Jennifer Waldburger, started as a writer and editor in NYC and got her masters in psychology before joining Childsleep as co-owner. Jill Spivack has also been a practicing psychologist for kids in the LA area. It took about 4 days for Jennifer to call me back and after a 15 minute consult on the phone - we concluded together that my Toddler is just NOT ready for the big boy bed that I had been pushing (as I need the crib for the baby) and the plan of attack is to completely BACK OFF and just make the big boy bed look as atrractive as possible (stickers, new sheets etc.) so he'll WANT to sleep in it. What I didnt' realize is that 3 is a BIG, BIG milestone year with preschool, the potty, a new sister and a big boy bed. It's all been too much for my Toddler and he is sleeping through the night again in the crib (he needs this for comfort at the moment) and he's stopped stuttering (a problem that developed when we switched him to the big boy bed).

Now I'm a big fan of Sleepy Planet! Jennifer talked to me with the respect of a parent and she was really down to earth. I guess what I really needed is a point of view from someone who talks to parents about sleep all the time! It's a big issue in many households. Wow...what a relief. We agreed that we'd speak in a few weeks to see if anything develops or not... They offer in home consults for kids they feel need a little bit more than just phone conversation. Very cool stuff indeed. (The baby by the way is making it work in a pak n play at the moment - but still sleeping through the night for the most part...) We all need a little support right? Check it out even if you're not in the LA area and Jennifer and Jill are coming out with a book early next year available on Amazon.

Good Night!
- LT

Awesome Grinch Merchandise

Just in time for Christmas, here's some great

Grinch merchandise.

Site has some Grinchy merchandise and clips and trivia for all fans of the original. I sure wanted to be Cindy Loo Hoo when I was little.

Forget that Jim Carrey version - blech...

- LT

Go Elf Yourself Please

Oh I died over this one. Here is my baby as an elf.

Go Elf Yourself

is a great work diversion to send to your co-workers and relatives. Happy Holidays! - LT

Happy December

Only 22 shopping days left until Christmas. Enjoy your Friday!
- LT

World AIDS Day

According to UNAIDS estimates, there are now 39.5 million people living with HIV, including 2.3 million children, and during 2006 some 4.3 million people became newly infected with the virus. Around half of all people who become infected with HIV do so before they are 25 and are killed by AIDS before they are 35.

Around 95% of people with HIV/AIDS live in developing nations. But HIV today is a threat to men, women and children on all continents around the world.

Started in 1988, World AIDS Day is not just about raising money, but also about increasing awareness, fighting prejudice and improving education. World AIDS Day is important in reminding people that HIV has not gone away, and that there are many things still to be done.

Whats with the red ribbon?
The red ribbon is an international symbol of AIDS awareness that is worn by people all year round and particularly around World AIDS Day to demonstrate care and concern about HIV and AIDS, and to remind others of the need for their support and commitment.

The red ribbon started as a "grass roots" effort, and as a result there is no one official red ribbon manufacturer, and many people make their own. It's easily done - just use some ordinary red ribbon and a safety pin!

A little something you can do....
Bristol-Myers is donating $1 to AIDS research every time someone goes to
their website in December, moves the match to the candle and lights it.
(Warning - site is a bit slow, probably due to lots of traffic right now.)

www.lighttounite.org

-SBH