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Real Solutions for Real Parents by Autumn Rose Reo

Talking Divorce and Remarriage With Your Kids

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Sharing Sundays – Books and info worth sharing
A few pages into this book, I was already crying. Not because I’m a child of divorce, but because as a mother now, I was instantly touched about how a child would feel reading this book and as a parent IF I had to discuss such a difficult issue with my child. While it is sad that divorce is so prevalent in our culture, it is fact that children will be affected when 50 percent of marriages do result in divorce.

Thankfully there is a book on a 3 – 8 year-old level that kids relate to and can help parents communicate and share their feelings about divorce in an easy-to-read format.

A child of a successful “bonus mom” relationship, author Tami Butcher penned My Bonus Mom! Take the Step out of Step Mom to plant a seed in children’s minds that having a stepmother/stepfather can be a bonus with their hearts and minds accept the new relationship in a positive way. Through colorful graphics and rhyme, she’s developed a must-have book for any family affected by divorce and remarriage. 

My Bonus Mom! Take the Step out of Step Mom
By Tami Butcher
Five Star Publications, Inc.
ISBN: 978-1-58985-081-1
Buy It


DISCLAIMER:
I received one or more of the mentioned products for the sole purpose of this review. No other compensating was given and all opinions expressed are 100 percent my own. (Accordance with FTC’s 16 CFR Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”)

SOS: Save Our Skin with New Rubdown on Sunscreen

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Disclaimer: I was provided Banana Boat Sunscreen products for purposes of this review. However, all views expressed are all my own.

In Texas when you expect to reach 100-degree temps for most of the summer, you should know the importance of sunscreen. Now that I’m not as young as I used to be (and as dumb either when I baked in the sun using Crisco oil as sunscreen), I really appreciate the concept that “be nice to your skin and it will be nice to you.” Worst of all with the new ranking of #9 Worst City for Skin in the U.S. by Daily Glow online and two kids with almost translucent skin, sunscreen is a must.

 
However, while buying my new sunscreen supply for this year, I started hearing new standards for sunscreen …and there were several new guidelines to understand.
 
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Thankfully trusty MyFoxDFW reporter “Save Me Steve” Noviello channeled my questions and put together a great segment that helped me try to breakdown what I should and not be looking for on my sunscreen.
 
WHAT I FOUND
Now a little more educated on what to look for in my sunscreen, I came across two new products from Banana Boat that caught my eye – one for being natural and the other for not making me feel gross as soon as I put it on.
Banana Boat® Natural Reflect™ sunscreen lotion– An all-natural sun protection line that deflects UVA and UVB rays without the use of harsh chemical sunscreens, new Banana Boat® Natural Reflect™ products are water resistant, oxybenzone- and paraben-free and are 100 % naturally-sourced mineral sunscreen with zinc oxide. Banana Boat® Natural Reflect™ sunscreen lotions are available for adults in SPF 50+, and in Tear-Free, Sting-Free SPF 50+ lotions for kids and babies.
 
Banana Boat® Sport Performance® Cool Zone™ Continuous Spray Sunscreen – Available in SPF 30 and 50+, Banana Boat® Sport Performance® Cool Zone™ Continuous Spray Sunscreen provides active UVA and UVB protection that instantly cools skin on contact, for a clean, refreshing feeling. The line also includes the Banana Boat® Cool Zone™ After Sun Aloe Gel to provide cooling burn relief to refresh skin after a day in the sun.
 
WHAT TO DO
Every morning along with breakfast, dressing and teeth brushing, I have to coat my kiddo in sunscreen for the day. While he needs several coats of sunscreen before the end of the day, this is all I can do since the school cannot apply sunscreen. 
 
Really???
 
Since the FDA classified sunscreen as at an over-the-counter medicine, most schools don’t allow them – including my son’s school.
 
So I was SUPER excited when I discovered my favorite sunscreen multitasking serum from Supergoop! has initiated a campaign called Project Backpack to help get kids protected from the sun. Project Backpack™ serves as a vehicle to influence change in local and state policies, allowing the use of sunscreen on school campuses, while simultaneously providing sunscreen to schools across the United States.
 
Bet you haven’t ever thought about your sunscreen that much?!? Just make sure now with all this info, read the labels, throw out the old stuff, know what you’re getting and how often to reapply!
 

Happy Summer Adventures in the Sun!


SOS: Save our socks with ToeBlooms!

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>As a mom of a two kids, I’ve been through A LOT of socks. I mean a lot. It seems every time I purchased a box of diapers, I was also replenishing a supply of new socks. Thankfully, with a boy a pair of plain ole white socks wasn’t a huge concern, just an inconvenience. However, with a little princess now of eight months, white crews don’t cut it. I buy socks to match each outfit (yes, you know if you have a girl you also buy hair accessories and sometimes even blankets, too.) Unfortunately, after about six months trying to keep up with those cute socks was getting to be a real pain. Really. My son, who saw my frustration, told me that he was going to “get the sock monster” for eating all of Taylor’s socks!

Now with the spring approaching, socks seem to be less a real need to keep her toes warm, but more of an accessory with her cute outfits. However, even though I have several pairs of adorable shoes given to her as gifts, shoes aren’t as practical or advised until around the age of one. So what’s a mom to do?

TOE BLOOMS, I found, was my answer.

Photo courtesy of www.toeblooms.com
Photo courtesy of www.toeblooms.com 
Let me start – they aren’t the cheapest little things at around $23, but neither are all those bows and headbands I’ve been buying either. However, they are the cutest little “sock wraps” with bright colors and designs featuring big, beautiful flowers. And when your daughter’s name is rose, you can imagine that many of her outfits, accessories (and even her room) are all decked out with roses, so I was hooked instantly.

Toe Blooms are a must-have for moms tired of coming home with just one of baby’s shoes! This adorable line of stylish baby footwear stays on by wrapping securely around baby’s sweet feet and can be worn with or without socks (so she’s got her summer shoe wear too!) To get your pair, you can get them online on their cute website, www.toeblooms.com. (Be careful though, they have handbands to match!)

Photo courtesy of www.toeblooms.com 

****DISCLAIMER: I was provided a sample of ToeBlooms to try for myself. However, the claims made here and my review is all my own. *** 

Find a Baby Camera That Goes and Grows With You

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With two kids, I have had experience with all types of baby products that work (and don’t work) for my family. I remember with my first born I was set on having a nice, wooden high-chair that could become a furniture piece that could grow old with our family. I spent a lot of money on it and while it does look pretty, it’s the $25 plastic high chair that was our saving grace.

One good purchase that lasted for both kids though has been my trusty camera monitor. Being a mom you know that there are times you just need to see your baby to feel like it’s okay to go back to sleep. Unfortunately, a monitor next to my bed isn’t the only place I want a camera but in other places like in the kitchen when I am cooking or the laundry room. Even more so I could even be able to peek on her when I am not home and other people are watching her…So I was back to the drawing board to find something that did what my camera did and more.

Then coincidently, I found exactly what I was looking for. A local company called ourbabycamera.com seemed to have merged my need for a baby camera monitor with my handy, dandy most-loved IPhone. How awesome is that…and even better my family could utilize it anytime they signed on.


My interest was piqued, so installation, here we come!

While the product had a reasonably sized instruction manual, it wasn’t necessary since it was pretty easy to hook up. I went online to the website and went through the process using their quick run through. After an hour or so, I had made the connection and downloaded one of four different apps to use on my IPhone (this is an additional cost from $2.99 – 19.99) and then I was up and going. Better yet, I wasn’t just up and going, I was able to have a secure look at my child and also allow only those I wanted to “check in” on my baby girl!



I figured out this camera wasn’t just a baby camera, but was the camera that grows with your kids. While I still have a few years to worry about curfews, the app even allows you to set up a function to email you when your kid walks through the door! (Basically, there’s no need to wait up because it will email you with a time when they come through the door. And if I had a babysitter I wanted to check in on, I had that too. GENIUS!
Now there’s one more way to stay connected with your smartphone, tablet and (even) your old school PC or Mac!

If you are interested in learning more about this camera ourbabycamera.com will be at the Dallas Kids Expo, March 24 at Dallas Market Hall. Word is ourbabycamera.com will be offering a special on the camera with installation if you want to pick up yours immediately! While you are there, also make plans to bring the kids for Bob the Builder, bounce houses and other fun entertainment. Mom and dad can also learn about other local DFW resources including other baby products like this. Tickets are $12 at the door and kids 12 and under get in free with a jar of peanut butter for the North Texas Food Bank. For more information about the Dallas Kids Expo, check out their website at www.dallaskidsexpo.com.

***Ourbabycamera.com supplied the camera and mounting equipment for this review. The purchase of the app for my IPhone as well as my reviews are all my own.

Video Games Could be a Good Thing

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Are you one of those people who loves to play Farmville on their Facebook? Do you have Angry Birds on your Ipad? Is your idea of exercise pulling out the Wii Fit? Well, folks, that’s not me. Actually, while I am a competitive person and LOVE my techno toys, games (and especially a gaming system), don’t interest me. My husband enjoys them and has many on his phone and computer and my son has a Leapster he received as a gift, but admittedly we don’t have a Wii, a PS, a DS or any other one of those things. However, just like everything with being a parent, sometimes you find yourself reconsidering your thinking. This was especially the case for me after attending a special event at the W Hotel in Dallas called the Games for Girls Summit, which has me wondering now: Can games be a good thing?

 
Hosted by an esteemed panel of women including Nicole Armstrong of Activision, Suzanne Kantra of Techilicious, and local hostess with the mostess, Holly Homer of She is Dallas/June Cleaver Nirvana, the Games for Girls Summit was held at the W Hotel in Dallas on November 15. The two-hour event included moms and their kiddos listening to information about games while experiencing the newest kid-centric games on the market. I really enjoyed being able to see the games in action by kids of all ages and since we are a group of moms talking about mom stuff – it was nice to have my kids experience it with me.


Although the environment was amazing, it was the facts from a few recent studies by BYU, NCBI and NPD I heard that really made me think.


Check these out:
 
• 42% of kids less than 8 years old have a TV in their room.
My kiddo has always had a TV in his room.
 
• Today, 91 percent of kids (approximately 64 million) ages 2-17 are gaming in the U.S.
My kiddo has a Leapster and has eight game apps on my Iphone.


• 11% of 0-8 years olds have used a smartphone.
He can operate my phone better than I do.


• People who play video games are more creative. Gamers process info faster and by playing a game together, create a social bond sooner with others.
Well, I have to wonder about this one since “creative” is a relative term, but it can’t hurt to add a little creativity to his learning, not to mention the ability to process info quickly. And while social interaction skills are so important at this age, I had always thought that games would make it that much harder, but it seems the opposite is true.

• Gamers spend 80% of their time failing.
This was the one that really seemed to make me reconsider that by playing games like a Wii can really make my kid build perseverance: the age-old lesson, “When you fail, try, try again.”



Those stats game me really reeling. Then they brought out the goodies – all the newest and coolest games imaginable including Moshi Monsters: Moshling Zoo, Lalaloopsy, Zoobles, ZhuZhu Babies, Squinkies 2: Adventure Mall Surprize and one of the coolest games I have ever seen – Wappy Dog. The Wappy Dog interacts with the Nintendo DS and vice versa. I have to admit this toy was so cute and I’m really thinking about getting one for my three-year old.

All in all, I thought the summit was eye-opening and a real life-changing experience, honestly. So the next day when I went to Best Buy, I sauntered over to the game section to look at what was out there. I will admit it was a little overwhelming, but at least I made my first step into gaming…and in perfect timing for the holidays (at least for my kids!)
Got any suggestions for a non-gaming mom? What’s your favorite system for the kiddos?


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