WIN a free Rock ‘N Learn Phonics DVD set! October 4, 2010

Attention moms and dads (and TEACHERS!) of children aged 6 and older! I’m giving away a FREE set of Rock ‘N Learn Phonics DVDs, volumes One and Two.

Rock ‘N Learn, Inc. began as an idea that would help children learn by putting educational material to music with a current sound-the kind of music that kids enjoy and find motivating.

Busy parents and teachers love the way Rock ‘N Learn Phonics captures kids’ attention. Cool songs and humorous characters take the struggle out of learning to read. Students control the pace, advancing as they master each new skill, so they can practice on their own and feel proud of their accomplishments; it’s fun with this highly-entertaining phonics DVD.

Children learn phonics rules through fun songs and word families. Next, they practice their skills by reading simple phrases using words that rhyme. When ready, they apply the skills they have learned to read complete sentences and stories. The read-along stories on this DVD are presented at a slow pace for beginning readers. As children practice, they also work on fluency by singing along with songs about the stories. A bonus section presents the stories at a normal pace to help kids learn to read fluently.

Rock ‘N Learn Phonics Volume 2 DVD is a perfect follow-up once  they’ve mastered the material on Volume 1. With Phonics Volume 2, young children discover other ways besides “silent e” to make long vowels, such as: ai, ay, ee, and ie. They practice long vowel patterns and apply phonics rules by reading sentences with words that feature long vowel sounds.

Viewers also practice reading words and sentences with r-controlled vowels, diphthongs, the schwa sound, syllables, ending sounds, and more. Eventually, students read stories that proceed from simple to complex. By also singing along with songs about the stories, children build reading fluency and have lots of fun.

Rock ‘N Learn Phonics is perfect for learning at home, regular education, special education, remedial classes, ESL, and even adult basic education. By covering a variety of skills at different levels, these phonics DVDs provide an effective tool for differentiated instruction in the classroom and at home. 

Rock ‘N Learn DVDs work great with any DVD player, computers with DVD players, projection screens, and interactive white boards.

Rock ‘N Learn has won numerous prestigious awards including such as Dr. Toy, Parents’ Choice, iParenting, National Parenting Publications, Learning Magazine Teachers’ Choice, Early Childhood News, National Parenting Center, and Parent’s Guide to Children’s Media.

Win this free set!

Simply tell us about you in the comment box! Are you a parent? A caregiver?A teacher? Are you hoping to help your little one get a headstart on reading, or do your children  or students have special needs or need help with speaking and reading English? I’d love to learn more about you! One random winner will be selected on Monday, November 1, 2010. (approx. value $39.99)

Learn more about Rock ‘N Learn here.

Send some love to a Senior Mom through MealsforMoms.org! May 6, 2010

This Mother’s Day, many lucky moms like me will be eating breakfast in bed, receiving hugs and homemade cards, or perhaps just taking a day of rest from the every duties of managing a household full of busy kids.

Meals on Wheels Association of America (MOWAA)will be working very hard this weekend to ensure a happier holiday for senior moms and grandmothers who will be alone and facing the threat of hunger.

“Right now 1 in 9 seniors in our very own country face the real threat of hunger. These seniors are our mothers and grandmothers and aunts. Many mothers who worked so selflessly to raise their children are now elderly and alone without enough food to eat,” said MOWAA President and CEO Enid Borden. “I hope everyone will join us in our Meals for Moms campaign so that the hidden, hungry, and homebound senior moms are not forgotten this Mother’s Day.”

Did you know that it costs only $7.00 to feed a hungry mom or grandmother? In order to bring a little sunshine to these ladies—and to help make giving a donation easier—MOWAA launched the easy-to-use website MealsforMoms.org which allows users to make secure donations and also  send a virtual flower bouquet to a special mom for this Mother’s Day, or even a homebound senior.

If you have just one minute, please visit the site and create a quick e-card for one of the housebound moms. The volunteers will print your message into a card and include it with a much-needed meal this weekend.

Don’t know what to write? Picture yourself in your senior years: Your children have grown, they may have children of their own, and for whatever reason, you find yourself alone and homebound. A message of love would mean so much, especially when it comes with a delicious meal delivered by a volunteer who has dedicated his or her time and compassion.

Donations raised from this campaign will go into MOWAA’s Meals for Moms Fund to help Meals On Wheels programs across the country feed homebound moms.

To locate a Meals On Wheels program near you, click here.

Good news! On June 7, 2010, Meals for Moms, the Meals On Wheels Association of America’s (MOWAA) reported that the  first annual Mother’s Day Campaign raised over $40,000 for MOWAA’s Mother’s Day Fund and sent over 7,000 messages of hope to hungry and homebound mothers around the country!

The Mother’s Day Fund will be distributed as grants to Meals On Wheels programs around the country to help feed their hungry moms. Our goal is to grow the Mother’s Day Fund to a substantial size that will ultimately allow us to distribute annual grants to Meals On Wheels programs around the country to help feed their hungry moms.

Baby’s language development starts in the womb December 5, 2009

Surprisingly, the sound of a newborn’s cry varies from hospital to birthing center around the world. Two babies born at the same moment in two different countries will cry a melodic rendition of their parents’ mother tongue, according to  a new study published by Current Biology. The findings suggest that infants begin picking up elements of what will be their first language in the womb, and certainly long before their first babble or coo.

“The dramatic finding of this study is that not only are human neonates capable of producing different cry melodies, but they prefer to produce those melody patterns that are typical for the ambient language they have heard during their fetal life, within the last trimester of gestation,” said Kathleen Wermke of the University of Würzburg in Germany. “Contrary to orthodox interpretations, these data support the importance of human infants’ crying for seeding language development.”

In many ways, this news shouldn’t come as any surprise. Early studies have already shown us:

• Human fetuses are able to memorize sounds from the external world by the last trimester of pregnancy, with a particular sensitivity to melody contour in both music and language. (Anyone who has played a particular song or music while pregnant is delighted when baby shows recognition and preference for it!)
• Newborns prefer their mother’s voice over other voices and perceive the emotional content of messages conveyed via intonation contours in maternal speech (a.k.a. “motherese”).
• Earlier studies of vocal imitation had shown that infants can match vowel sounds presented to them by adult speakers, but only from 12 weeks on. That skill depends on vocal control that just isn’t physically possible much earlier, the researchers explain.

Although prenatal exposure to native language was known to influence newborns’ perception, scientists had thought that the surrounding language affected sound production much later, the researchers said. It now appears that isn’t so.

Wermke’s team recorded and analyzed the cries of 60 healthy newborns, 30 born into French-speaking families and 30 born into German-speaking families, when they were three to five days old. That analysis revealed clear differences in the shape of the newborns’ cry melodies, based on their mother tongue.

Specifically, French newborns tend to cry with a rising melody contour, whereas German newborns seem to prefer a falling melody contour in their crying. Those patterns are consistent with characteristic differences between the two languages, Wermke said.

“Imitation of melody contour, in contrast, is merely predicated upon well-coordinated respiratory-laryngeal mechanisms and is not constrained by articulatory immaturity,” the researchers write. “Newborns are probably highly motivated to imitate their mother’s behavior in order to attract her and hence to foster bonding. Because melody contour may be the only aspect of their mother’s speech that newborns are able to imitate, this might explain why we found melody contour imitation at that early age.”

1. Mampe et al. Newborns’ Cry Melody Is Shaped by Their Native Language. Current Biology, November 5, 2009; DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2009.09.064

Tips for Reducing Your Child’s Holiday Stress November 24, 2009

We all want to enjoy the holidays–to take some much-needed downtime to reconnect with our favorite people, eat good food, and have a laugh while remembering old times. Even if we are master stress-busters, 100% committed to a lifestyle of nutrition, adequate sleep and physical exercise, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, if our over-booked, over-fed, over-stimulated child has a meltdown, we are likely to be led down our own rocky path to Meltdownville.  

Dr. Charlotte Reznick is a child educational psychologist, an associate clinical professor of psychology at UCLA, and author of a new book, The Power of Your Child’s Imagination: How to Transform Stress and Anxiety into Joy and Success (say that three times fast!). Here are her tips for helping every member of your family, both large and small, to have a relaxing, joyful, happy holiday.

Visualize a heart-filled holiday.
You can do this one at the dinner table. Have everyone in the family close their eyes, focus on their heart, and imagine what kind of holiday will bring joy into their heart. Then share your ideas around the table. This helps kids feel listened to, cared for, and included.
 
Spread the joy around.
The time-honored tradition of helping others can shift priorities. If kids or teens are moping around or showing signs of stress, take them to the local soup kitchen to serve meals. Visit a nursing home with hand-made cards. Helping others gives kids a feeling of more control and a sense of being both useful and appreciated.
 
Blow out negativity, light up hope.
Create a family ritual of hope. Have two candles for each family member: one lit, one not. Have each imagine what they’d like to let go of — what no longer serves them — and say, “I’m going to toss this out (anger, worry, meanness to my sister) when I blow this candle out.”  Then light a new candle and share, “I hope to bring in (kindness, faith, cleaning my room) as I light anew.” Let go of the old and bring in the new.
 
Give distress a voice.
If this is your child’s the first holiday without a loved one–grandpa passed away, or big sister is in Afghanistan–younger family members may feel a deep sense of loss. Or maybe your child is feeling the stress of a recent divorce. Give her paper and markers, and ask her to draw whatever is making her sad or mad. Then ask her what the picture wants to say out loud. Often, putting a face on an emotion and letting it “speak” makes the child feel better–and gives the parent a way to understand what’s going on.
 
Sweat is sweet.
Kids (and adults) can get all pent up during holiday time. Surprise little ones by clearing the furniture out of the center of the room, turning on some fun music, and dancing vigorously for 10 minutes. Or bundle up the family and take a wintry walk while playing “I Spy.” Exercise releases feel-good chemicals and is one of the fastest ways to chase away holiday blahs and instill a sense of togetherness.

Get 20% off organic Amenity Home baby gear! November 4, 2009

Soft, natural, eco-friendly fibers are a must-have for baby’s soft skin. Beautiful, timeless design often comes with a steeper pricetag, so a discount is certainly welcome.

Eco-friendly Amenity Home  offers lovely and for well-designed products for modern living. These beautiful products are whimsical but not at all babyish, and are sure to be cherished while ”growing” with your child. For the first time ever, the company is offering 20% off site-wide (Muir Collection excluded).  Just use the discount code – “fall20″ – at checkout.   

While Amenity is available in many cities, the best place to see the all the collections is online.  Among all of the modern organic products, the Amenity Nursery Collection offers an adorable, contemporary take on nature and woodland creatures, and would be perfect for both genders. So sweet! My sons are ages 2 and 4, but they would just love lounging on the animal floor pillows!

If you’re looking for a thoughtful and luxurious shower or baby gift, the organic baby basics are useful and versatile.  Softer than you can even imagine, the organic baby blankets would make a welcome keepsake item.

Dr. Lauren Feder to offer 3 LA-area Safe Vaccination Lectures October 27, 2009

There is a growing movement among parents to question the safety of such standards as vaccines and antibiotics. 

Dr. Lauren Feder, author of The Parents’ Concise Guide to Childhood Vaccinations, presents three Los Angeles-area workshops for parents who are seeking optimum health for their children. Dr. Federer will present an overview of health, disease and each vaccination, including pros, cons, risk, benefits and prevention of vaccine side effects. Syllabus included.

Patients of all ages often ask Dr. Robert and Carri Tanaka of Natural Life Chiropractic this question: ”what do you think about vaccinations?” The Tanakas encourage all families to “get education from multiple resources on this important topic. One person we look to and trust is Dr. Lauren Feder. Dr. Feder is a Los Angeles-based doctor and, in our opinion, her lecture is a must for any parent to be, or person concerned about their families health.”

Dr. Feder’s lectures sell out quickly, so early registration is highly recommended.
Cost: $25 per person, $45 per PARENT couple.

See below for details on locations and times. NOTE: Dr. Feder will have books on hand as well as homeopathic flu remedies for sale. Please bring cash for these items. The Swine Flu will also be addressed.

For more info on this topic, for vaccine exemption forms and more, visit www.nvic.org.

Location: Belly Sprout
Saturday, November 7, 2009
10:30am – 12:30pm
426 W. Commonwealth Ave.
Fullerton, Ca. 92832

Location: Golden Bridge Yoga
Sunday, November 8, 2009
1:30pm – 4:30pm
6322 De Longpre Ave.
Los Angeles, Ca. 90028

Location: Yo Mama Yoga
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
6:30pm – 8:30pm
1404 3rd Street Promenade, Suite 204
Santa Monica, Ca. 90401

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Dustin Maher wants to know your goals and dreams. They’re different, when you stop to think. October 22, 2009

I don’t remember how I came to know of Dustin Maher, but what struck me right away about this ambitious, success-oriented personal trainer was his radically different approach to exercise–and the fact that his niche is singularly focused on moms, and our desire to get back into shape after pregnancy and stay in shape throughout our busy lives. As with male gynecologists, I understand how they might “know a lot” about the subject matter, but how can they really know? (And does it matter?)

I took a chance and signed up for his e-newsletter, and was surprised that the very first one was a video of his appearance on a news program. He was explaining to an anchor/new mom how to deeply contract her stomach muscles, instead of doing crunches. I love this concept for a few reasons; 1. Crunches are one of the worst exercises for the post-partum woman. Unless you are holding your abs rock-tight toward your spine, you may very well be crunching them into a muffin shape! 2. Holding in your abs tightly can be accomplished while doing pretty much anything: driving in the car, brushing your teeth, holding and feeding your baby, standing, sitting, you name it. And they’re easier to remember to do than Kegels–you’re reminded about your tummy every time you do up your pants! and, 3. Holding your tummy tight makes both your stomach and your lower back stronger (what new mom couldn’t use a little help with her lower back?) When you have a strong core, you stand up straighter and taller–you look better, and you feel better when the body is in alignment.

Speaking of being in alignment, it seemed to me that Maher and I were. Then, just after a meaningful Sunday at church, where we were pointedly asked to consider our visions for our lives, to explore our dreams and what goals we might set to achieve them, Maher posted an article about just this idea.

“I had a mini epiphany this weekend,” he shared after reading an article written by Greg Justice of AYC Personal Training, “about the difference between goals and dreams.”

“You hear me talk a lot on this blog about setting goals. I believe so much in goal setting as one of the most powerful tools to helping you go from where you are now, to where you want to be in the future.  But this article I was reading talked about how we set goals in order to achieve our dreams. It is our dreams that should really get us excited and keep us motivated!” Maher said.

He challenged readers to offer three goals and resulting dreams, first allowing readers to hear his.

Goal: To eliminate my knee issues/pain.

Dream: To be able to play recreational basketball, football, and any other sport for many more decades.  To be able to hike some of the highest mountains in the world, to be able to play with my teenage kids and be able to beat them!

Goal: Achieve 4% body fat

Dream: To place in the top 5 at the world fitness modeling championships in Vegas (unfortunately with my elbow this will have to wait a year)!

Goal: To help transform the lives of 1,000,000 moms.

Dream: The overwhelming satisfaction of knowing that I not only empowered them to be the best they could be, but also played a role in helping the kids of the moms live a much healthier and fitter life. 

Now it is your turn!  Also please consider the following question: If all your goals were achieved and became reality overnight, when you wake up tomorrow morning what would your life look like?

Goal: To finally lose those last 8 pounds that have held on since my last pregnancy (How can I be so close to my goal weight yet see no change when I’m constantly working on it?)
Dream: To feel honestly beautiful within my own body. To love and accept myself, and reflect that self-acceptance in my relationships with others.
Goal: To teach my children proper eating habits and a love of nutrition
Dream: To have them enjoy cooking with me, and exploring new recipes, tastes and culinary experiences as a family.
Goal: To write a book from the heart. To work fearlessly and joyfully–with gratitude.
Dream: To know success and enjoy success as a result of my decision to work diligently and share what I’m learning and care about most.

How about yours?

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month October 8, 2009

As many as one in eight American women will develop breast cancer at some point in her lifetime. While we can’t change our genetics, we can do a great deal to reduce the risk of breast cancer with lifestyle changes. There are no foods, beverages or magic pills proven to prevent breast cancer, says Dr. Margaret Lewin, Medical Director of Cinergy Health, but we can reduce the risk. 

Data from multiple American and international studies show that simple lifestyle changes can make a significant impact on our health. Here are some important steps women can take:

• Get our weight down and keep it down to a Body Mass Index (BMI) less than 25. For example, a woman 5’2” tall should weigh less than 136 pounds, 5’7” less than 159. Obese women have higher body fat stores, a magnet for estrogen.
• Cut fats out of our diets, specifically Trans, saturated and omega-6 (sunflower, safflower, corn, cottonseed) fats. Aim for a diet with fewer than 30% fat calories. Graphs of breast cancer incidence in countries around the world are nearly identical to the fat intake in those countries: the higher the fat intake, the higher the incidence of breast cancer.
• Reduce dietary “white” carbs (potatoes, sugar, flour, rice) – which can induce hormone changes increasing cellular growth in breast tissue. Replace them with whole grains, beans and legumes. (Click here for delicious, elegant, gluten-free recipes.)
• Load up on fruits and vegetables, especially dark, leafy greens; cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage); berries, cherries and citrus fruits.
• Eliminate alcohol – or keep it down to one small drink daily (not the same as abstinence during the week and seven drinks over the weekend!).
• Exercise regularly – at least 30 minutes a day of moderate aerobics, such as brisk walking. The higher our body’s muscle mass, the lower the fat stores. (Read Get seriously fit–Outdoor bootcamp routine.)

 

Finally, should we be destined to develop breast cancer, finding and treating it early can be life-saving. Many authorities recommend routine yearly mammograms starting at age 40, adding an ultrasound for those women with ‘dense’ breasts, and even an MRI for women at super-high risk. Since cancers can develop before your next scheduled exam, use your fingertips to examine your breasts every time you shower or bathe. Don’t make this a scary exercise: trust that your fingers are very smart at recognizing changes. See your doctor as soon as possible should you note such changes, even though more than 80% of breast lumps are totally benign. We can’t prevent breast cancer, but we can markedly reduce our risks with lifestyle changes; and early detection and treatment can be life-saving.

Check your Body Mass Index.

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Trust Birth Conference in March 2010 – Excellent line-up, plan now! September 28, 2009

Moms-to-be, natural birth practitioners, doulas, midwives, OB/GYNs, chiropractors and authors are joining together for the Trust Birth Conference, March 12-14, 2010, in Redondo Beach.

This is a special opportunity for pregnant women, mothers, and those interested in natural birth methods, as conferences of this nature are typically restricted only to industry health professionals.

Keynote speaker Dr. Sarah Buckley is a family physician with qualifications in GP-obstetrics and family planning; a writer and lecturer on pregnancy, birth and parenting; and currently full-time mother to her four children, all born at home. Sarah’s book, Gentle Birth Gentle Mothering: A Doctors Guide to Natural Childbirth and Gentle Early Parenting Choices is published in the US and worldwide by Celestial Arts. Sarah brings a unique and powerful blend of solid scientific, anthropological and psychological perspectives, along with a deep trust in the natural processes.

Each day of the conference offers numerous seminars facilitated by some of the world’s leading natural birth advocates:

• Heather Cushman-Dowdee is the creator of the webcomics Hathor the Cowgoddess and Mama is… Over the past 7 years she has created 500+ comics about attachment parenting, she has published 4 books, and has had her work reproduced in countless books and periodicals.
• Pamela Hines-Powell, CPM, is a homebirth midwife in Salem, Oregon. Her evolution towards gentle, unhindered birth has been a winding path of unlearning and re-learning, resulting in continued personal empowerment. Learn more at her blog.
• Gloria Lemay is an author, teacher and birth attendant. She has worked in the childbirth field for the past 30 years. For 17 years she practiced as a midwife. She also co-wrote the first Genital Integrity legislation to pass into law. She lives in Vancouver, B.C. and travels all over N. America and to Australia in her role as a teacher and speaker.
• Jody McLaughlin grew up on a farm in central North Dakota where she learned most of what she knows about healthful pregnancy, spontaneous birth and successful lactation. Jody has published The Compleat Mother Magazine of Pregnancy, Birth and Breastfeeding since 1989.
• Debby Takikawa is the producer and director of What Babies Want, an award winning documentary film about babies. A chiropractor by formal training, Debby Takikawa founded the nonprofit organization, Beginnings, Inc. in 2001 as a way of supporting a nonprofit clinic and teaching facility. She is also co-author with Carrie Contey PhD, of the What Babies Want parenting book series, the first of which has been recently published: CALMS, A Guide to Soothing Your Baby.
• Carla Hartley is the founder and director of both Ancient Art Midwifery Institute and The Trust Birth Initiative. She has written extensively about midwifery and birth for thirty years and is the author of Helping Hands, The Apprentice Workbook.

For more info: Check out the impressive list of conference faculty. See the listings for all sessions.
See detailed info on conference pricing. www.trustbirthconference.com 

 

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FDA says toxic lead makes lipstick dangerous, especially for pregnant women September 25, 2009

Did you know that top selling lipstick brands contain more than 10 times higher than U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)‘s standard for lead in candy? Health experts say lead in lipstick is a health concern in any amount.

While the FDA noted that three manufacturers had the highest levels of lead, they did not reveal the names of  those brands. In 2007, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics reported consistently higher lead levels in lipsticks manufactured by L’Oreal, Maybelline and Cover Girl.

“Since recent science suggests that there is truly no safe lead exposure for children and pregnant women, it is disturbing that manufacturers are allowed to continue to sell lead-containing lipsticks,” said Sean Palfrey, M.D., a professor of pediatrics and public health at Boston University and the medical director of Boston’s Lead Poisoning Prevention Program.

According to Dr. Palfrey:

• Lead is a proven neurotoxin that can cause learning, language and behavioral problems such as lowered IQ, reduced school performance and increased aggression.
• Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to lead exposure, because lead easily crosses the placenta and enters the fetal brain where it can interfere with normal development.

Dr. Mark Mitchell, president of the Connecticut Coalition for Environmental Justice, agrees; “Lead builds up in the body over time and lead-containing lipstick applied several times a day, every day, can add up to significant exposure levels.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plainly advises avoiding all sources of lead exposure, stating, “No safe blood lead level has been identified.”

Yet FDA has no standard for lead in lipstick. Lisa Archer, national coordinator for the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics at the Breast Cancer Fund reports, “Pregnant women using lipstick are unknowingly exposing their fetuses to unknown and unregulated levels of lead. FDA should immediately set standards to require manufacturers to make lipstick as safe as possible.”

For more info: Women should be encouraged to shop for natural, organic cosmetics. Visit the EWG’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Database for a list of the world’s safest beauty products.

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