To Santa or Not?

Read this thoughtful and thought-provoking article written by John Piper's wife, Noel, regarding the choice to not "play" Santa with their children. Here she shares the why behind them avoiding pretending to be Santa with their children, and what they did instead.

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to read "Thinking About Santa" click here

4 Perspectives on H1N1 - the Virus & the Vaccine

Click here to read 4 perspectives on the H1N1 virus and whether or not you (or your children) should get the vaccine. You can also read the highlights of the article here.

H1N1 Virus Information

There seems to be a panic that comes across one's face when the words "Swine Flu" or "H1N1" enter the conversation, especially in mom-circles. Here are some facts about the virus and what we can do as mothers of young children to protect our families:

FACTS

• H1N1 Influenza A Virus is termed "swine flu" because it is the flu virus that swine get late fall/winter just like humans do. It is NOT the same as the seasonal flu we see each year.
• The symptoms of "swine flu" are similar to that of the regular flu, but there may be a gastrointestinal upset (vomiting, diarrhea) associated with it. These symptoms can linger 4-5 days in most people, up to 10 days in children.
• Swine flu is less easily transmitted than the seasonal flu because it is not airborne. It is transmitted through droplets (sneezing, etc).
• If you or your child gets swine flu, you more than likely will not die. Most people who contract the virus do not die, contrary to how the media has played swine flu-related deaths.
• Typical season flu vaccines are targeted to the top 3-4 strains of seasonal flu that are most likely to affect the majority of the population. The H1N1 vaccine is targeted solely to the swine flu, so if you are a family who vaccinates regularly you will need two separate flu shots this year - one for seasonal flu, one for swine flu.
• There are two ways of administering the H1N1 vaccine - a mist through the nasal passages and a shot. The nasal mist is NOT recommended for certain groups, including pregnant women. The shot is safe for virtually anyone. The virus cells present in each of these two vaccines is slightly different, which is why certain people are encouraged to take the shot over the nasal mist.

HOW CAN WE PROTECT OURSELVES?

1. Wash your hands with soap and warm water. Avoid antibacterials as they are no more effective than regular soap. Most antibacterials also contain high amounts of Triclosan, a pesticide actually, and can create Super-Bacteria that are resistant to the antibacterial agents. Safer antibacterial cleansers include CleanWell, which can be found in Target stores.
2. Stay hydrated. Drinking water helps flush toxins and other impurities out of our systems.
3. Eat healthy. Make sure you are getting enough fruits and veggies, which are high in several vitamins and nutrients that help your body fight off illness. Avoid sugar, as this can compromise your immune system up to 40% over a 4-hour time period. Click here to get some other healthy options.
4. Sleep. Get enough rest. This is your body's time to recharge. Neglecting this part of your day can make you more susceptible to illness. The average adult needs 6-8 hours of sleep. Newborns need up to 18 hours of sleep per day, toddlers 12-13 hours, and preschoolers around 10 hours.
5. Stay home when you are sick. This is a no-brainer. This not only protect your weakened immune system from additional illnesses, but it protects others from what you have as well.
6. Watch where you sneeze - When you sneeze, sneeze into the crook of your arm as opposed to your hand. Our hands touch virtually everything we see, whereas not much comes in contact with your elbow-region.
7. Exercise - This helps strengthen the cells in your body that fight off illness.
8. Hands off! Avoid touching your face with your hands. If you do touch your face make sure you wash or sanitize your hands promptly.
9. Relax - stress can compromise your immune system. Make sure you find time to laugh and enjoy each day.

References

Swine Flu Newsletter

10 Tips for Flu Season

Downloadable Resources for Women

Check out this extensive database of resources for women. Topics include:

• abortion
• being a godly woman
• church
• devotions
• forgiveness
• christian living topics (topical)
• God
• gratitude
• holidays
• marriage
• mentoring
• modesty / sexual purity (single or married)
• parenting
• prayer
• priorities
• relationships
• revival
• suffering
• women in ministry
• women of the bible

to view details for each topic, or to download resources visit the Revive Our Hearts website

Creating Post-Vacation Peace For Your Children

found on Simplemom.net

"The summer months offer families a time to get away, enjoy a change in scenery, and breathe some fresh air. Whether the days away are filled with sightseeing, hiking, sailing, amusement parks, or lazy days at the beach, the relaxed and refreshed spirit that has been nurtured by a vacation can quickly be quenched by chaos once your key turns in the lock of your front door ... as a parent you will set the tone for transition from vacation to routine. {read more here}"

Spring Cleaning for People With Allergies or Asthma

Check out this short article about how to spring clean your home when someone in your house has allergies or asthma - from the seventh generation blog

No Housework Day

Today is National No Housework Day.

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So ladies, take the day off and enjoy the mess.

Snow Business

Let's face it. Winter is upon us, and with that comes snowy days. Are you or your kids in need of some fun ways to enjoy the snow besides building a snowman or sledding? Check out these fun ideas sure to excite anyone:

1. Feed nature - string items such as cranberries, popcorn, or dry cereal and adorn some trees/bushes in your yard to give passing wildlife a scrumptious snack.
2. Make "Snowcastles" - use cake pans or sand box toys to create some snow molds. Drizzle or spray food coloring when the molds are done for an added zing.
3. Hide-n-Seek - Pout water into ice tray slots. Add in each slot a small amount of food coloring. Freeze. Once frozen hide the ice cubes in the snow and see how many your child can find before they melt!
4. Target Practice - Using a spray bottle filled with colored water spray a target in the snow. Then take turns seeing who can launch a snowball and hit the target.
5. Build a Fort - Use sand castle toys to build the walls and colored water to decorate.
6. Resurrect Beach Toys - Pull out those summer floats and have fun sliding all over the yard in them.
7. Pin the ___ on the Snowman - Blindfold your kids and then have them try to pin the eyes, nose and/or mouth on the snowman. See who can be the most accurate or the most creative.
8. Move Those Hips- Have contests to see who can hula hoop the longest. It's not so easy when you are all bundled up!
9. Paint the Yard - Fill various spray bottles with water and a variety of different colors of food coloring. Let the yard be your canvas and "paint" away!
10. Examine Snow Close-up - Brink a dark cloth outside and let some flakes fall onto it (or sprinkle some already-fallen ones onto it). Use a magnifying glass to examine the differences in all the flakes.
11. Blow Bubbles - chill some bubble soap in the refrigerator. Then try to blow it away on a freezing cold day. You will be amazed at how long it takes the bubbles to pop.
12. Make an Ice Candle - Fill a large container with liquid. Float a tin can in the center, weighted with rocks, and set outside until liquid is frozen. Pour warm water into tin can to warm and loosen. Remove can and add candle into open hole. Light the candle and ooo and ahhh over the way the light shines through it.

For these and more ideas please visit parents.com. Ideas in this post come from the February 2005 issue of Parents magazine (article by Mary Mohler) and January 2007 issue of Parents magazine (article by Amanda Kingloff and Lauren DeBellis)

To Santa or Not To Santa

Sandy Joseph offers some thoughts concerning "playing Santa" with your kids or not playing Santa with your kids. Follow the link to her blog to read more.

Santa

Need Costume Ideas?

Below are just a few examples, but Parents magazine has a page on their website of tons of Halloween costume ideas - from store-bought to homemade! Click here or any of the images below to go to the site.