Eat Your Name For Brekky!

Give plain old breakfast pancakes a whole new spin with these cool Alphabet Pikelets.

These yummy pikelets are super easy to make. Enjoy a fun filled Sunday morning cooking experience with the kids as you help them to stir in the ingredients and fry up everyone's name. Its a breakfast the whole family can enjoy!

View recipe here.

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Posted in: Cooking For Kids

Getting Rid of Your Post-Baby Bulge

Weight loss after pregnancy is tough and can appear impractical. Hang in there! Remember that for nine months your body has had quite a tough time, especially during delivery. Therefore, the precedence at the moment is to give your body sufficient time and means to get it's self back to normal. Dieting at this time should be done rather more sensibly then if you where dieting at any other time of your life. So be sensible other wise you may be making a health blunder if you attempt to diet too hard. Several weight loss specialists cite the law "Nine months on, nine months off," implying that whichever diet you select, you must not be too concerned if you don't come back to your usual weight until about nine months after delivery. Nine months might appear to be long time to wait before you shed that post-baby bulge however post-pregnancy weight loss is different than trying to lose weight because of conventional overeating or general bad eating habits. Therefore it is really vital that you don't diet too hard - and defiantly no extreme or fad diets like the"Cabbage Soup Diet" or a "500 calorie diet".

Minerals, vitamins and various nutritional supplements can assist to expedite your recovery period. But keep in mind: it is imperative to seek expert medical advice prior to taking any dietary supplements after a pregnancy. Just to ensure that (a) they won't harmfully affect the health you're new born via your breast milk and (b) they can't trigger any unfavourable reactions while you're recuperating from child birth.

"Patience" is the key word when dieting after child birth and so you should only plan to lose about 1.5-2 lb per week. If you are breast-feeding, keep in mind that your breast sizes will differ quite a bit, -- don't estimate any weight-loss achievements by their size and appearance! Insread you would be better to watch your buttock, thighs, hips or your face - especially your cheeks.

Regular light exercise can be very helpful for toning-up your muscles which in turn will help your body burn-up more calories. However with your new arrival your daily schedule has probably gone "hay wire" and finding time to exercise may be a bit difficult until things settle down and life returns back to normal. But,some light stretching wom't take-up a great deal of your time. Yoga or Pilates are perfect exercise routines for weight-lose after pregnancy. When life starts to get back to normal again,you can try adding swimming,cycling,walking,skipping or even jogging - but be carful don't over do it! How about taking your baby with you to the pool - they usual love it! Or take them out cycling with you in one of those weatherproof trailers. Many babies love mom's exercise time!

Apply the same caution to any exercise routine as you would to dieting: don't overdo it, be tolerant and stay relaxed about it. Focus on good health -- as a mom you require to be in good form for your hectic life!

Good luck!

Article by Tiggy Max.
I have investigated, and write about many weight- lose solutions including tips and advice concerning dietary supplements such as the Acai berry, Yi-Wu tea, Maqui berries,Hoodia Gordonii to assist people to answer questions like how to "get rid of man breasts" and how to do a "500 calorie diet".

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Posted in: Fitness After Baby

Monkey Tail Sandwiches (Chicken & Avo)

Trying to get kids to eat healthy in a world teaming with fast food and sugary snacks is tough but it needn't be a fight. Simply make it fun!

We found these fabulous Monkey Tail Sandwiches that are sure to please both kiddies and Mums alike. Made with fresh ingredients, they are super easy to assemble and make.

Serve freshly made for a great healthy lunch or as an afternoon snack for your next play date. View recipe here.

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Posted in: Cooking For Kids

How to Make Handmade Baby Dress and Shoes For Your Baby

Need inspiration, click here.

Want to give something really special for your little one? The best thing you can do is to come up with something you made like a handmade dress for your baby and its matching handmade baby shoes. Not only does this make you appreciate parenting even more, you get to know your child in a more intimate way.

-The first thing to do is get the measurements of your little one. Get a measuring tape and jot down the figures. Jotting down makes you determine how much fabric you will use when making for the handmade baby dress and handmade baby shoes. To make shoes for the little one, get the size of the feet.

- Once you are done with measurements, it's time to come up with a design. There are many ways to get inspiration; you can get ideas from the web and from many pattern or baby magazines. Just make sure that what you see will help you come up with a design that is completely yours. As soon as you are ready, shop for the fabrics. Make sure that the fabric that you plan to use is made from natural fibers. You need to consider the type of fabric that is suited for your child's sensitive skin. This makes the fabric durable and breathable.

- Now that you are done with the shopping, it is time to make the pattern of your handmade bay dress and handmade baby shoes. Some designs come up with a ready pattern; on the other hand, you can use these patterns to make your own. Use pins to attach the patterns and then trace it on the fabric using a tailor's chalk. Once you are done, you can cut the patterns. Use basting stitch to give you a clearer picture on how to assemble the clothing.

- Use a sewing machine to sew the handmade baby dress together. If you are patient enough, then you can do it by hand. Once you are done sewing, you can put any embellishments like pockets, zippers, collar, among others.

- When making the handmade baby shoes, you can easily use the shape of the feet as the basis of the pattern. Sew the baby shoes at the wrong side until you are able to sew all the seams. Fit the handmade baby shoes on the child to see if it really fits. The same thing will apply on the dress. Although some would advice to wash the baby dress first, if the fabric is clean, then just slip it on to your child.

- Now that you are done with the handmade baby dress and baby shoes, you can come up with other items that go well with your newly made handmade baby dress and handmade baby shoes. Items could be bags, hats, and vests. You will have to prepare a pattern for every clothes you make.

Article by Joseph Paul Caparas
(c) Article Copyright - MadeItMyself.com.

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Posted in: Sewing

Q&A: Child Behavior For A Three Year Old

Parenting Question

"I'm spiraling out of control with my three-year-old daughter. She won't listen to me and I know that the 'naughty bench' isn't working. I'm at a total loss and feel like such a failure. I don't want to hit her or use the kind of strong verbal yelling that my parents did. What do I do? I want her to understand that I'm the boss and when I ask her to do something or obey something, she should do it. My father was giving me parenting advice today and I feel so out of control. Is this normal child behaviour for a three-year-old?"
~ Out-of-Control Mom>

Positive Parenting Tip for Child Behaviour for a Three Year Old

Dear Out-of-Control Mom:

Firstly, you are NOT a failure--just a mom who needs some new tools.

My guess is that you haven't had many courses on how to deal with three-year-old behaviour, so be gentle with yourself.

Many parents ask me what's "normal" when it comes to child behaviour for a three-year-old. No matter what your child's age, what it comes down to is this: how is your child's behaviour working for you, and how is it working for them. From your question, I sense it just ain't working--period!

So let's first look at what is going on for your daughter. Children at the pre-school stage are developing a whole host of new skills, including: wanting  more independence (for example, "No, I want to do it by myself!"); asserting their wants ("I want that!"); and learning about friendship ("Give that back!"). One of the best things you can do when parenting a three-year-old is to support your child in attaining these new skills without allowing them to become demanding or spoiled. To ensure you don't fall into unhealthy habits that promote power struggles, choose to use a firm--but kind--approach and look for ways that your child can learn from each situation.

The more you can allow your three-year-old to do things on her own (and they won't be perfect), the less likely she will be to fight you on everything. Look for household tasks that she can do at her age and find ways that she can help you out. Have her fill the dog bowl, hold the door open for you when you are bringing groceries into the house, set the table, etc. The busier you can keep her doing positive behaviors, the less chance she will move towards negative ones.

Be warned: even if you take this approach, your daughter is still going to test you. Below are six simple steps for dealing with three-year-olds when they just won't listen:

1. Let Go of Timeouts - Timeouts can work for some children (but there are far better techniques). Ultimately, the only person we can control is ourselves. If time-outs are not working (that is, your child refuses to go to the "naughty bench", stay on the "naughty bench", or tells you they make their own rules and have moved the "naughty bench"), look for other ways to inspire them to want to be well-behaved (as suggested in the following five steps).

2. Fire Yourself as Boss of the Household! - Many parents buy into the belief that mom should be the boss of the household and be in control. Yet, we must remember that we are modelling for our children how to act every single minute of the day. Our kids learn more from what we do than from what we say. If they see us pulling rank as "boss", they will attempt to be "boss" too. Unfortunately, when this happens, they may outrank us and the real power struggles will begin!

3. Provide Flexibility with Boundaries - Instead of boss, see yourself as your child's coach or guide, responsible for providing them with experiences to learn from and allowing them to experience the consequences of their actions. Give clear guidelines, but also give them flexibility too. For example, "Your toys need to be cleaned up before we go to Grandma's. Do you want to clean them up now, or in 5 minutes from now?" If they still don't clean up, then you might not go to Grandma's that day. Children need to know what the rules are and, more importantly, they need to know you will follow-through with the rules. Once you become consistent with your behaviour, your children will learn to trust what you say and will improve their behaviour accordingly.

4. Stay Firm (but Kind) - If they fight, you follow-through. Do this without yelling, scolding or punishing. Don't buy into their tears, and definitely don't get into a debate. Stay firm, but stay kind. Tell them that when they want a hug, to come find you. I know keeping your cool is easier said than done. For more on this, check out the "Mom's Time-Out" section (page 111-114) of When You're About To Go Off The Deep End, Don't Take Your Kids With You.

5. Use Consequences That Relate to Their Behaviour - Punishment teaches our kids to feel bad, but rarely teaches them how to "do good". If you are encountering the same misbehaviours over and over again, your child is clearly not learning from their mistakes. To facilitate learning, make certain any consequences used are directly related to the misbehaviour. For example, when your child is rough with the computer, computer time is over when your child is splashing water out of the tub, bath time is over; or when your child is goofing off with their food, dinner is over. Again, do these quickly, but kindly.

6. Thank and Appreciate Your Child for What They Do - Children want to please and they want to know that their contributions make a difference. Remember to tell them so--and often.

Learning how to motivate our children to want to be well-behaved takes time and practice. Yet, taking the time now to learn these tools can save you years of heartache and frustration. Keep reading, keep practising, and keep empowering that three-year-old of yours: then watch their behaviour change for the better!

Kelly Nault, MA author of When You’'re About To Go Off The Deep End, Don’t Take Your Kids With You inspires moms to put themselves first— for the sake of their children. She shares time-tested tools that motivate children to want to be well behaved, responsible and happy! Sign up for her free online parenting course here.

© 2005 UltimateParent.com - All rights reserved.

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Posted in: Positive Parenting,Toddler Taming

Fit For A Little Princess: Sparkling Ring Cookies

I don't know about the rest of you Mums, but if I were under 10, these scrumptious fairy tale biscuits would a must for my birthday party. I can just see the royal princess theme building off this image alone!

The recipe is super simple enough to make and might even be a fun activity for your little princess partiers to make themselves!


If you do decide to make these clever cookies, we'd love to see your creations. Click here for the recipe and visit TheBubCafe on Facebook to share your pictures.

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Posted in: Cooking For Kids,Party Planning

We Love To Read!

Download Print Gorgeous Book Plates

One of the most important skills your child can learn is reading. Besides counting, it is probably the first intellectual skill addressed in the school systems. However, it's beneficial for your children to give them a head start so that they are already beginning to read upon entering school.

What advantages do kids have when they begin reading prior to entering school, and just how far should you go in teaching your child to read?



A Head Start for Children - Educational Benefits of Reading to Kids

While it is certainly not expected that a five-year-old in kindergarten could pick up a Stephen King novel and read it, it's a great idea to put your child in a position to be ahead of the average child in his or her reading ability. Progressing beyond The Cat in the Hat is certainly not frowned on, though your child may then be bored by kindergarten reading assignments. A good teacher for this age group recognizes that kids are at different levels and adjusts for each child's needs.

By teaching your own child to read, you are assuring that he or she gets one-on-one attention and a customized curriculum, if you will, so that progression can occur at the desired pace. You can also make sure that your child finds reading fun, which is important. If it's not fun, they won't want to do it! Plenty of educational benefits are gleaned from material that is also wildly entertaining!

By learning to read early, children are set up to pay more attention to other aspects of school, including learning social skills, teamwork, and other such necessary traits to succeed in daily life. Getting a head start allows a child to progress further as well, so that later in life, the individual's vocabulary is extensive and far exceeds the average individual in both reading and speaking ability.

Well-read individuals, especially those who can credit their success to the diligence of parents who were willing to take time and teach them as children, are known to progress farther in school, in college, and in the workplace. Often, because their knowledge is broadened by the range of topics on which they've read, they are also more socially involved, with the ability to engage in conversation with others on a wide variety of topics in an intelligent, informed manner.

Starting your child off with the ability to read early is one way to set him or her on the right foot to begin the journey through school and through life. The more you teach them, the less likely they are to struggle in the future, and the more self-confidence they'll have in themselves and their abilities.

Article by Lorraine Grula
Lorraine Grula, also known as Mamma G, is an avid children's books enthusiast. Books helped her grow up and later helped raise her daughter. Mamma G thinks reading to kids is the single best thing you can do for them. She promotes children's books at [http://www.Read2Child.com] Source

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Posted in: Entertaining Baby

Sushi for Kids...But Will They Eat It?

I dont know about you, but we just love sushi. Most times when my husband and I dine on Japanese fare our 3yr old son opts for the plain rice rolls, 'snowballs' as he calls them. I'd like to expand his culinatry horizons and perhaps if he is involved in the creation of these scrumptious healthy rolls, he might just eat one!

I found the recipe on Taste.com and it looks easy enough. I am trying to limit the family's sugar intake so I am going to be brave and bold and substitute the vinegar/sugar mix used on the sushi rice and instead use a great medium grain rice that I found and use all the time. It tastes great and has the same consistency as sushi rice, so here's hoping the little guy wont notice.

Try the Sushi for Kids recipe here. If you do, post your creations on our Facebook page.

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Posted in: Cooking For Kids

Baby Food Chef

Making your own baby food can not only be fun, and less expensive, but can also be much healthier for your child than store bought food. Baby food is not only easy to make, but is fresher and more loved by babies than the stuff out of the jar. Giving your child the best chance by starting out their lives with a better diet is the duty of every parent. So to start out your career as a gourmet baby food chef, here are a few recipes to try your chops on:


Cooked Leafy Greens
For the ultimate healthy lunch or dinner, try this leafy green recipe. Everyone needs the vitamins in vegetables, but especially babies. You will need a pound of fresh greens, especially kale and collards. You can really pick whatever you want and vary it each time you make it. You need a tablespoon of water, and the tablespoons of fruit juice (again, your choice). First steam your vegetables until they are soft and well-cooked. Put everything then into a blender and puree. This makes a lot, so make sure to refrigerate the leftovers for meals in the future.

Pops for Tots 
Popsicles are the favorite of kids around the world. Here is a great, healthy recipe to get your baby hooked on fruit. You will need a cup of plain yogurt, two teaspoons of orange juice, a half cup of strawberries, a fourth cup of mashed bananas, four teaspoons of lemonade, and a popsicle mold. Mash and puree all the fruit and then add the liquid ingredients. Mix well. Then place the mixture into Popsicle molds and into the freezer they go for about thirty minutes. Put in popsicles and then let them completely freeze overnight.

Apple Nut Bake for Babies
 For this hearty meal you will need four announces of apples, two teaspoons of orange juice, an egg yolk, and a tablespoon of almonds. First you need to cook the apples in the orange juice until very soft and shapeable. Then mash this in with the egg yolk, and smashed almonds. You need to bake this in a muffin fin for about fifteen minuets.

Article by  Joseph Devine

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Posted in: Baby Care,Cooking For Kids