Top 5 Tips for New Dads: Mom is #1!

As a first time dad, your toughest challenge is ahead but, at the same time, so is the absolute best time of your life. Being a parent is a gift that is not guaranteed so, regardless of the trials that come with it, enjoy it, be grateful for it and, most importantly, prepare for it. In order to do that, you'll have to know how to handle being a first time dad AND a husband to a first time mom! Mood swings will come and go so be ready for a roller coaster. I promise it'll all be worth it!

1. Although you'd think the baby is your first priority, in reality it's your wife
She's going to need you by her side for at least the first week or two. You should be there to comfort her and help her in any way you can. She may have mom, sister and best friend there but nothing compares to sharing the first few weeks (at least) of your lifetime as parents together. Post-partum depression is all too common and being there to share in the ups and downs of the first few weeks at home will help show your wife that parenthood is a team effort!

2. Always be preparedAs a mom in law enforcement, I have a small emergency bag in my patrol car. It carries all of the necessities I'll need in a true life gun battle. As parents in real life, my husband and I carry the same type of bag for our parent emergencies. It is a smaller version of our diaper bag with a diaper, wipes, rash cream, tissues, an extra pacifier, an extra outfit and some baby food or rice cereal. This ensures that, regardless of where I am, I'll be prepared. We have all run out of the house to make a quick grocery store or gas station trip. This won't change when you're a parent, other than you'll have a baby in the back seat that may decide now's the time to relieve him or herself. That's where having an emergency baby bag in your car (along with an actual emergency kit of course) will come in very handy!

3. Babies WILL cry....a lotThis is the only way they know how to communicate. All you can do is comfort them and give them what you think they need. Your instinct will kick in and you will know what to do once baby is here. Sometimes they'll need to be rocked to sleep, other times they'll just want the comfort of dad's arms. Regardless of what it is, don't freak out every time the baby cries. You'll know when it's something serious and, when in doubt, reach out to your closest veteran parent friends. My husband and I called the hospital one too many times in the first month for reasons we now can't stop laughing about.

4. Help your wife with the usual baby duties......this includes diaper changes, bottle making and even breast feeding. Breastfeeding is one of the toughest things to master for new moms and they'll need your help. Stay beside her and get her anything she may need, including lots of water since breastfeeding requires a lot of hydration. She may need help positioning the baby, checking for a correct latch from your vantage point or just a break while she uses the potty. A lot of moms want to try and do everything themselves. Don't be afraid to take on the 50/50 challenge of taking care of the baby!

5. Don't be afraid to leave the houseSure, the doctor recommends you stay indoors for a certain amount of time after delivery. Once you get the go ahead, get out and show your baby the world. Many couples think babies are too young to notice the animals at the zoo, the people at the mall or the kids at the playground. They actually notice A LOT more than you think and the expressions they'll make will be priceless. Traveling with baby is not the nightmare you've been told. Just be prepared and always leave the house with a stocked diaper bag, a stroller and a baby carrier when the stroller is not ideal.

For additional articles on parenting, pregnancy, health, nutrition and education, visit Ellie's contributor page at Playground Dad!

Lights, Camera, Party! A New Family Game on Playstation!

Games that feature a variety of mini games incorporated into it seem to be the ideal choice for families. Compilation games such as Lights, Camera, Party! From Frima Studio is the latest of these games released on the PlayStation Network using the PS Move. Mini-games such as this tend offer something for everyone. The family can all play together and, most of the time, there’s little, if any, violence. There are also a variety of animated avatars to choose from, spiking interest in even your youngest family members. Now, getting beyond the type of game it is, let’s get into the real review. Is it something you should buy for your family?

Lights, Camera, Party! is geared towards families to play as a group, laugh and have fun. It cannot be played individually unless it’s play in challenge mode. The purpose of the game is to be played in groups of up to 5 to encourage competition and laughter frantically passing the one controller back and forth to each other. As with many games, you have to play a lot in order to unlock more games. There's not a lot of games unlocked when you first get the game but, once you unlock the rest (a total of 50 all together), you’ll have plenty of variety to entertain a good crowd. There are 5 avatars but, in party mode, up to 8 can play and there will be avatars repeated. Not a big deal but it’d be nice if there were at least enough avatars for the number of players that are play together.

The main characters (avatars) in Lights, Camera, Party! are the Funzini family. The games is based around their story and the day their life changed. They were hanging out in their yard when a tv satellite falls into their yard and crashed into their home. The tv studio owner tries to make amends with the family by inviting them to participate in a game show on his network. The game show features lots of wacky games that you as the player get to play! The prize for the Funzinis if they win is a dream house!

In the game, players compete against one another in a variety of mini games. The games are played with one shared Move controller. The game is divided into rounds and, whoever wins the round wins the chance to design a portion of the house with their selected character in mind. For example, Billy Funzini is a fan of cowboys so his room would be western themed.

There are 5 characters to choose from. When you chose a character, that character’s face will be on your profile in story mode and will be used to style the sections of the house that you choose. There are different modes to play in as well. In story mode, up to four players can play together. If you have a larger group, choose party mode where up to 8 players can play.

Each of the mini-games is played as most motion initiated games are played. Players move the control up and down, they rotate it, they swing it and they do whatever they need to in order to win that round. The game is similar to most PS Move, Xbox Kinect or Wii game involving motion controls and, honestly, this game doesn’t have anything unique about it that hasn’t been done before. Having had the Wii for several years before trying this game out, however, I was impressed by the response in the motion controls. They respond very well and as accurately as you could expect.

In addition to the usual shaking all around as with most motion games, with Lights, Camera, Party! players also have to perform some tasks that include motor skills including placing blocks into corresponding holes of the same shape and matching shapes and other somewhat educational attributes to it.

The game itself is fairly simple to play. Each game and mode is thoroughly described prior to the game starting. The games are all directed by an announcer that will guide you through and continue to “cheer you on” throughout. The game encourages competition between the crowd, cheering you on as you play. The ability to beat high scores on each of the events played keeps the intensity up and the boredom away, at least until each player masters the game.

Overall, my family and I found the game to be quite entertaining. The graphics are great, the story is funny and the competition is definitely there. It’s a fast paced set of games offering variety to keep players from getting bored. The whole game takes approximately 30 minutes to play and the mini-games are short. The more games you unlock, the less repetition there will be. Once all 50 games are unlocked, Lights, Camera, Party! seems like a game my family (and our guests) can enjoy for quite a long time.

5 Ways to Spend Better Time with Your Kid

As a parent, we always wish we had 48 hours in the day instead of 24! More quality time with our kids would be a treat for any family! I know for me, between work, housekeeping, homework, dance, swim, karate and soccer, I hardly have time to think…and I only have one 3 year old! I honestly don’t know how some parents with 2 or more kids do it, especially working full time! This thought is what has sparked some creativity in me! I’ve had to come up with creative ways to get things done while also incorporating my kids into the activities to allow for quality family time! I wanted to “spend better time” with my kids! Below are some issues many of my mom & dad friends complain they “don’t have time for”. Try them out and see how your day CAN include your entire to do list and your kiddos too!

1. I can’t exercise, I don’t have time! Your kids LOVE to be outside (usually) so, take them out on their bikes, roller blades or skateboards and keep up with them with a slow jog. Your kids are too young to ride a bike, put them in a jogging stroller and get to pushin’! Not only will you get a good workout jogging but the pushing will tone your arms! Too hot or too cold to go outside, pop in a workout video or go online to some of the many sites that offer free, short daily workouts! Do them while your little ones are napping or early in the morning when your family is still catchin’ zzzs!

2. I don’t have time to cook It’s true, when you get home at 6pm, there’s hardly time to shower, not to mention busting out the cookbook and apron and sweating it out in the kitchen. After all, dinner is supposed to be at 6-7pm not 6-7am! So, why not take an hour or two out of your weekend and make dinners for the week! Freeze them up in different containers, label them Monday – Friday and pop them in the freezer. When you get home from work, soccer practice, parent conference or just come home early in tired, pop it in and your home cooked meal is ready in 2-5 minutes!

3. I don’t have time for myself Many parents, mostly moms but some dads too, complain they never have time for themselves. They don’t have time to get nails done, get their hair cut or just treat themselves with a well deserved massage. Well, many spas and salons offer packages for mommy & me and daddy & me! Take your kids and turn it into a bonding activity! It will make your little ones feel extra special, especially if there are siblings involved and they can each have their own day.

4. I need alone time with my spouse but don’t have anyone to watch my kids Well, that’s a problem many of us have. Recently some friends and I have gotten together and developed a calendar. Two to four times a month we have one of the parents watch all of the kids for 3-4 hours. The rest of the parents go out for a parents’ night out! We take turns so we all get our night out and our kids get the fun with friends they love! Local indoor gyms and studios like My Gym also offer Parents Nights Out. You pay a fee, usually between $25-35 per child (with siblings at a discount rate) and they’ll watch your kids for 3-4 hours, feed them dinner and show them a good time!

5. I don’t even have time to clean the house Ok, so, few kids like to clean but, it’s all part of growing up. We all have to learn to take care of our possessions and take pride in our home. Starting early and teaching kids to help out is not a crime nor will it hurt your child’s upbringing. If you have toddlers, teach them where their toys go and to put them away (with help from you in the beginning). If you constantly clean up after them, that’s all they’ll know and you’ll end up doing the cleaning for many years to come. Elementary age kids can be given an incentive to help out. They can earn an allowance like a salary that we earn at work. Their room should be clean without compensation since it’s their own space (like our house is ours and we have to maintain it). If they help out maintaining the rest of the home by dusting, vacuuming or cleaning some windows, reward them in some way. Activities are usually a good option to money, like a day at the park or a trip to your local museum! You can also check out www.myjobchart.com. It’s an excellent online chore chart that teaches your kids to earn, save & spend and best of all it’s FREE!

So, you didn’t think it was doable but it is! You just have to make do with what you have and get creative to spend better time!

The Parent Center also writes for Playground Dad! Check out his blog & our article there!

5 Ways to Spend Better Time with Your Kids

Things a Husband & Wife MUST Agree On

Marriage is by no means one of the easiest things in life. In fact, since approximately 50% end in divorce, it seems to be one of the toughest! Being married 10 years this December, my husband and I have surely been through our trials and tribulations but we've made it nonetheless. Marriage counseling helps even if you're not necessarily going through turmoil and it also provides a couple with tools on keeping their marriage in tact. While searching for parenting tips online, I cam across Mark Merrill's site and the 11 Things a Husband and Wife Must Agree On. Most of these should be agreed upon before becoming husband and wife! Print them out and see how much of many of these you and your spouse agree on. Sitting down to talk about these could be the answer to some of your troubles!

BabyWise: The Cliff Note Version

As a new mom, a good friend and great mom recommended the book BabyWise to me. Having seen how well her two boys turned out, I never doubted the book and began reading it immediately. I wanted my husband and care takers to follow the BabyWise

routine as well, however, I knew they wouldn't read the book. So, I decided to type up an abridged version for them from the notes I took while reading the book! I will post it on the blog in several segments, the first one being below. Enjoy and, buy the book if you can. It's an excellent parent tool for both parents and kids!

PART 1
Table of Contents
(1) The Babywise Routine
-Guidelines for Feeding Time
-Guidelines for WakeTime
-Guidelines for Nap Time
(2) Sleep Patterns
(3) 3 Rules for Baby to Wake Up Happy

BABYWISE ROUTINE:
3 components:
(1) Feeding & Diaper Change Time
-At least 15 - 30 minutes of continuous eating (not snacking) followed by adiaper change every 21/2 to 3 hrs up to 8 weeks of age & ending up every3-4 hours between 2 months to 1 year.
(2) Wake Time
-Immediately after eating, keep baby awake as long as possible (30-90 min)
(3) Sleep Time
-Put her down for a nap until the next feeding is due

Guidelines for Feeding:
-Weeks 1 to 8
Feed baby every 3-4 hours from the beginning of each feeding except atnight. Average 7 to 8 feedings (not snacks) every 24 hour period. Ifshe sleeps longer than 5 hours though, wake her up to prevent her from missinga feeding in the day.

-Weeks 8 to 15
Feed baby every 3-4 hours for 7 to 8 feedings a day & drop the late nightfeeding. This may mean feeding every 2 hrs or less starting at 6pm to get enough feedings throughoutthe day. By week 12 to 15, most babies can go 3-4 hours between feedings,so, by week 15 you may be at 5 to 7feedings per day.

-Week 16 to 24
Baby maintains 4 to 6 liquid feedings per day with 3 of them (breakfast, lunch& dinner) also supplemented with baby food.
-By Baby's 16 to 24th week, you will introduce solids & continue with 4-6liquid feedings per day. If you're breastfeeding, you may need to add more tomaintain milk supply.
-By Baby's 24th week, her main mealtimes should be lined up with the rest ofthe family. Liquid (2-4) feedings should be spread throughout the day &given just before solid food meals
-As you begin introducing solids, you're not adding feeding periods, justadditional foods. Breastmilk or formula should be given or offered before eachsolid meal. Breastfeeding moms must maintain a minimum of 4 - 6 feeding periodsa day to maintain milk supply.

-Week 25 to 1 year
Baby should be at 3 meals a day with the rest of the family. If still breastfeeding,add 1 - 3 more liquid feedings a day before or in between meals.
-By Baby's 25th week up to 1 year, she should continue to eat throughout theday with 4 to 5 nursing periods before each meal throughout the day.

Guidelines for Wake Time:
-Wake time should be 30 - 90 minutes, depending on the baby & earlier naptimes or duration of feeding.
-Wake time can be you with the baby or when the baby remains awake but alone.Examples of wake time with the baby are singing or reading to her, bathing,walking, or playing with her. Examples of wake time for her on her own areputting her in the crib to follow the mobile, in her swing to play & watchthe toys dangle, laying her on her floor gym face up to reach for the toysabove her (helps w/ hand-eye coordination), in a bouncer or playpen or inher infant seat to look around & follow mom & dad's movement around thehouse.
-An important part of wake time is "Tummy Time". Babies need tummytime to strengthen their neck muscles since their heads grow so quickly in thefirst months. Put your baby down on a playmat for tummy time several times aday for a few minutes at a time. She should get a total of about 30 minutes oftummy a day. Make sure she's near or next to you at all times during tummy timeto prevent choking or suffocating.
-Avoid watching tv while holding the baby or turn her away from it. Althoughshemay seem facinated, it will put her brain into overload. The rapid changinglight patterns from scene to scene & the change in volume will heighten hertension. She's not able to neurologically handle such rapid light and soundchanges.

Guidelines for Sleep/Nap Time:
-Nap time should be 1 to 2 1/2 hours when she eats every 3-4 hours a day. Ifbaby isn't napping well, cut back on wake time because they may be overstimulated. Fatigued or over stimulated babies become hyper alert, fighting offsleep through crying.
-Some crying is normal when putting her down for a nap or sleep time. It willeventually dissipate. Crying for 15-20 minutes at first is normal & willnot emotionally or psychologically harm her.The American Academy ofPediatricsrecognizes several periods of crying as a natural part of ababy's day.

Sleep Patterns:
-Newborns: If feedings are kept routine & constant, nap times willtoo. When there are too many changes in her daily routine, this will affect hernap/sleep time as well. Naps should be 1 to 2 1/2 hours long. Nighttimesleep should be no longer than 5 hours to give her adequate nutrition &calories to grow. This will also help mom sustain adequate milk production bynot going to long without nursing.
-Babies 2 months: By this time, she should be dropping her night timefeeding & sleep 7 to 8 hours a night.
-Babies 3 to 5 months: By this time, there will only be 4 to 6 feedings a day & she should besleeping 10 to 12 hours a night. By 5 months, the 3rd nap time may be dropped.This means Wake times & other nap times will last longer.
-Babies 6 to 16 months: By 6 months, she should drop her late afternoon/eveningnap, leaving only 2 nap times during the day. One in the morning and one atnight lasting 1 1/2 to 2 hours long.
-Babies 16 months and up: By this time, she should be sleeping 10 to 12 hours anight & taking only one nap in the afternoon for 2 to 3 hours.

3 Rules for Baby to Wake up Happy:
-You highly influence your baby's wake up disposition:
(1) Mom, not baby, decides when nap starts
(2) Mom, not baby, decides when nap ends
(3) If she wakes up cranky or crying, its because she hasn't had sufficientsleep, has a dirty diaper, loud noises, getting sick or is uncomfortable insleeping position.
-When babies fall asleep they transition from active sleep to relaxed sleep in30-45 minutes. During active sleep they may stir, fuss, cry or make noises. Donot pick her up or attempt to console her unless she cries for an extendedperiod of time (longer than 30 minutes). Babies need to become accustomed toyour schedule for them in order for them to eventually adhere to it.

Parenting Ages & Stages App

If you're a parent and also an iPhone and iTouch user, you will LOVE this app! It will solve all of your parenting dilemmas on the go. The brand new Parenting Ages & Stages app is now available and best of all, it's free! All you need to do is go to your iPhone or iTunes App Store and download the app directly to your iPhone or iTouch. Get all the best of Parenting.com in the palm of your hand, with info on everything from stretch marks to breastfeeding, potty training, disciplining, feeding, weight loss and nutrition and more. You can also customize the app to match the stage in your pregnancy or the age of your child or children too! What more could you want in an app and especially when it's free! It's like having a parenting encyclopedia with you everywhere you go.

Budgeting is Free Online & On Your Mobile Phone

According to researchers at the National Marriage Project, marriages dissolving over money issues have risen dramatically in the last year or so. Read the statistics and it's clear. Couples who argue about finances one a week are 50% more likely to divorce than those who do so only once a month. Newlyweds who run up their credit cards spend less time together, fight more and are unhappier overall than those who manage their plastic spending. Couples with $10,000 in financial assets, such as savings, investments and a home, are 70% less likely to divorce than those who do not have assets. This could be because they've learned to manage money in order to acquire these assets and it's difficult to split up and figure out how to divide assets acquired during marriage.

While it's no secret that we're in the middle of a deep recession, there still doesn't seem to be an end in sight. Because of that, it's now become even more important for couples to communicate about money issues and try to resolve them before it leads to the dissolution of their relationship. One way I found to stay on top of my finances is with new online and mobile budgeting applications. They are free and require little work on your end. Mint and Money Strands are two secure applications that provide secure SSL encryption on their site to protect your financial information. Money Strands even has 24/7 CCTV surveillance at their data center to protect you from any information intrusion.

Money Strands is an application that lets you track expenses with the push of a button on your smart phone! It was developed to help you take control of your finances, save money and all while not having to spend a dime on financial software. Money strands pulls together data from your checking, savings, credit cards and loan accounts to provide an accurate, up to date picture of your financial life broken down by category. They provide a mobile widget that gives you immediate access to all of your financial data anywhere, anytime. Check balances & receive text alerts on the go. They make money by working with third parties to bring deals, coupon offers, financial products and more to its users. Money Strands can be used online or on your mobile phone and you can cancel with them at any time if you wish to do so. When you do, all of your information will be deleted.


Mint is similar to Money Strands and provides budgeting software online to help you set and stick to realistic budgeting goals. Mint will show your financial portfolio alongside your checking, savings and loan accounts so you can see a complete picture of your account. After adding your accounts, Mint immediately pulls balances, purchases, stock trades, etc to give you a complete picture of where you stand financially. It connects securely to nearly every US banking financial institution that has internet banking capability, saving you hours of tedious data entry into expensive budgeting software. It also updates all of your account information automatically even while you're not logged in. You always have access to the most current information available to you for all of your accounts on one site.. Mint uses SSL encription and 24/7 security at their data centers. They are a read only service and no transfers within are possible so your money is secure. They don't ask for your name or any personally identifiable information that would put your accounts at risk. In addition, they notify you of possible fraudulent transactions on your inputed accounts.

Before these websites and applications came along, you were required to pay upwards of $100 for budgeting software. Even after spending that, it was up to you to regularly update the information and keep your balances up to date in order to maintain an accurate, current picture of your finances. With Mint and Money Smart, the work is done for you and it's all for free. You and your spouse can log on to both of these budgeting sites and see exactly where you stand any day, any time. It's worth a try and it very well could save your marriage!

For more information on these websites, links to their websites and reviews on their products, see the links below:

• www.mint.com
• http://www.doughroller.net/money-management/a-review-of-mint-com-online-budget-tool/
• http://personalfinancesoftwarereviews.com/mint/
• money.strands.com
• http://financialsoft.about.com/od/onlinesoftware/gr/moneystrands_review.htm
• http://iphone-apps.toptenreviews.com/finance/moneystrands-p47535-video-1.html

Some Blogs for Mom & Dad

The internet is one of the best resources for anything & everything parenting. There are tons and tons of blogs out there for parents and by parents so how do you find some that have the information you're looking for? Well, start by searching for keywords that appeal to you. For example, if you're a first time mom of an infant, look for a blog written by the same type of parent. If you're the parent of three teenagers and need help deciphering what the heck it is they're telling you and why they may be acting a certain way, search for parents of teens that blog about issues that pertain to you. In addition to parenting advice, you may also want to find blogs that focus on general family topics such as the ever important saving money topic. Moms and dads can be some of the most innovative and creative individuals when it comes to saving money, especially in this economy, so search for blogs that focus on money saving tips. Many times, you can find new blogs by reading comments on blogs you are already subscribed to. Bloggers build their following by commenting on other blogs and will usually have a link to their blog along with the comment. So, enjoy the blogs below and start your search for others. There's many out there with lots of useful information. The two below are unique in their own ways, one by a mom and another by a dad, each appealing to a different audience.

Frugal Dad: He once answered phones at a financial service call center and now offers step by step practical posts that touch on everyday problems. Topics include such as grocery shopping mistakes and more complex problems such as investing in electronic fund transfers. His topics include Become a Millionaire, Best Online Banks, How to Get Out of Debt, Kids & Money and Money Saving Tips. What more could a family in this economy ask for?

Mom Advice: This site offer advice on home cooking, crafting, product reviews, free giveaways, printable family tools, Goodwill hunting and other dollar saving moves. She also offers lots of photographs and a regular list of freebies and deals. She has three running blogs on her website, along with pages for articles forums and resources for parents.

Work Out Anywhere for F.R.E.E. or...almost Free

Most people want to work out and get in shape but use not having the money for a gym membership or a trainer as an excuse. Well, you can save money and shed pounds at the same time with some money (and weight) saving tips below!

1. Get Outside & Play: Play with your kids, play sports in a league, play with a group of friends from work or play with your neighbors. No matter what you decide to do, getting outside gives some of the best exercise! Many employers encourage bonding and what better way to bond than with a friendly game of basketball. If you're a stay at home mom or work from home, get outside and play tag with your kids, kick around a soccer ball or practice your dribbling skills. You'll burn 100 - 300 calories per hour depending on the intensity!
2. Hit the Stairs: Go to your local high school or college stadium and start climbing. Stairs is some of the best exercise out there, burning upwards of 100 calories in only 10 minutes. It works every muscle in your leg while giving you an excellent cardio workout.
3. Get Apps: There are thousands of fitness apps available for virtually any smart phone on the market. Most don't cost more than $1.99 and give you tons of useful information. Download some apps today and you'll have workout ideas, nutrition advice, exercise tips and supplement advice at your finger tips 24 hours a day!
4. Hit the Classifieds: Craigs List, the Recycler, your local paper and many online classified websites have tons of barely used gym equipment for sale. People buy it and sometimes never even use it when they finally decide to sell it. Keep an eye out for garage sales in your area too. Equipment is sold at ridiculously low prices at garage sales because people just need to get rid of their items! You can get great deals on gym equipment that way.
5. Pay a Visit: Go check out your local gym and see if you can get some passes so you can check it out. Most gyms will give you free passes for one week up to a month and give you free access to the facility and all amenities. With the pass, you can go any time of day and see which times work best with your schedule. Maybe you want to avoid the after work rush so you may want to get up and go first thing in the morning.
6. Buddy Up: Most gyms give their members free buddy passes. They can give it to friends or family members and they usually give you a one week to one month free pass. Not only do you get to work out for free, but you get to do it with a friend or relative!
7. Got Cable: Get the cable channel and get FitTV. It offers workout, nutrition, health and fitness programming 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Go to fittv.discovery.com for more information or to watch free videos online.
8. Play Video Games: You wouldn't think that playing video games would be a way to get a workout but it is. With systems like the Wii, you can play video games and get a workout at the same time. Not only that, it will also monitor your weight loss (or gain) and help keep you accountable. If you don't use it for a few days, it'll remind you by telling you how long you've been away! You'll be getting a great entertainment video game console for your home and your family, a fitness program and a DVD player all in one.
9. Fitness Classes: Community park and recreations programs offer classes at very low cost. They offer them mornings and evenings so that moms and dads can attend before or after work. Clothing stores such as Lucy apparel and Lululemon offer free introductory classes in store. They include yoga, pilates, strength training and more.
10. Surf the Internet: Log onto websites such as meetup.com and fit-2gether.com to find friends to work out with no matter where you live. Most of these sites are free to search and they get people with common interests together for workouts, healthy cooking nights and team sports.
11. Bid Away: Go Ebay and search for videos, resistance bands, medicine balls, workout gear and more at below retail prices. Just as in classifieds, on Ebay you can items and build your own home gym for under $100.
12. Partner Up: If your gym allows, split a training session with your best friend. Ask a trainer if he'll train both of you together for the price of one. Not only will you get the encouragement from your trainer but from your friend as well.
13. Use Your Weight: You don't need gym equipment to exercise. Use your own body weight. If you cant do push ups, pull up a chair and do push ups off the chair. Can't do squats yet, put a ball between your lower back and the wall and guide yourself down the wall with it. Not ready for lunges yet, do them next to a couch or a table, helping you support some of your body weight on furniture.
14. Download: Download free workout videos from You Tube and podcast websites onto your iPod for workouts anywhere and everywhere you go. Most are only $1 on itTunes.
15. Cut Coupons: Fitness magazines, newspapers and websites often have coupons to local gyms in your area. Cut the coupons and get to it.

Lose 1-3 lbs a Week With These Minor Changes!

Do you want to lose weight but just don't have the time or effort to make the necessary changes? Have you tried many diets in the past and failed? Do you refuse to cut out certain foods? If so, try making small, sometimes inconspicuous changes, to your daily lifestyle. It can help you burn hundreds of extra calories per day without doing much at all. Make all of the changes below and you could lose 1-3 lbs a week!

1) Eat breakfast every day! Get your body burning calories immediately and keep yourself from snacking on processed foods all morning until lunch! Try to eat at least 200 - 300 calories of a balanced breakfast with plenty of fiber & protein. Avoid bagels, donuts, croissants or fast food breakfasts. Try cottage cheese, oatmeal, low sugar yogurt, fruit, nuts and eggs. All of these foods are easy to pack and take to work. They will also provide the nutrients and energy you'll need to make it to lunch time!

2) Add lemon to your water! It has been said by many that the acid in lemons will help burn a few extra calories as you drink your water! Even if it doesn't burn many, it will make your water taste better so you drink more of it!
Truth? Nice in theory, short in practice. Nobody is losing fat with ice cold water. If it sounds too good to be true - you know the rest of the story.

3) Eat 2 whole eggs per day. Whole eggs are a much more viable source of protein because, when the yolk and whites are eaten together, they are more easily digested and absorbed by the body. The egg yolk is also the part of the egg that contains all of the nutrients, 90% them to be exact. The yolk contains a wide array of vitamins and minerals including Vitamin A, D, E, K, B6, B12, zinc, thiaminecalcium, iron and phosphorus. Eating eggs as a part of your breakfast will give your body the vitamins and minerals it needs, along with protein to keep you full through lunch. This should help prevent snacking and help you save a few hundred calories along the way!

4) Eat cottage cheese daily to get your daily dose of casein. Low fat cottage cheese has lots of healthy milk protein, including casein. Casein helps the body absorb sugar and other proteins at a slower rate, preventing a large, rapid insulin surge. This, in turn, helps prevent excess weight gain and makes cottage cheese one of the best fat burning foods around. In addition, the yolk also contains lutein. It's an antioxidant also found in leafy greens such as spinach. It's responsible for slowing the thickening of the arteries that often leads to heart disease.

5) Drink at least 64 ounces of water, if not more! Drinking water not only hydrates your body but it also helps it digest food much more efficiently.. Try to drink at least a cup of water before a meal and continue drinking through your meal, every few bites of food. You'll get full much faster and, if you opt for water instead of soda, alcohol or juice, you'll save hundreds of calories! 6) Take the stairs instead of the elevator wherever you go! The average American woman burns approximately 7 calories per minute climbing stairs. Not only will you be burning calories, you'll also be working your leg muscles and help keep them toned and firm!

6) Go for a walk after dinner each night. Getting moving after you eat, as opposed to sitting on the couch for some television time, will help your body digest food much more efficiently. It'll help prevent heartburn, acid reflux and burn a few extra calories at the same time!

7) Buy in bulk to save money and calories! Those 100 calorie packs can get expensive. Not only that, they are usually high in sugar and carbohydrates, although they are only 10 calories. Instead, purchase bulk items and healthier options of foods. You can choose from raisins, pretzels, almonds and many more snacks that will be much more nutritious than a 100 calorie pack of Chips Ahoy! When you buy in bulk, instead of eating out of the large package, separate snacks into serving sizes to avoid overeating. Buy snack or sandwich bags and measure out your servings so that you are aware of how much your eating. When you're done, you can refill the bags.

(8) Park far away from wherever you go. A little extra walking never hurt anyone. Walking burns calories, even in small

increments. Wear a pedometer if it'll encourage you to walk more each day. Even those steps from your car to the mall entrance count towards your 30 minutes of recommended daily activity so why not make the most of it!

(9) Sit in a stability ball instead of a desk chair. Not only will this improve your posture and help prevent slouching, but it will also help strengthen your core. By sitting on the ball, your body must continuously make adjustments in muscles throughout the core to remain upright and balanced.. The abdominals, gluteals and leg muscles will all be working as you sit at your desk to keep you upright. It's like getting a work out while you're at work at your desk! Many report noticing dramatic improvements in balance and stability soon after making the change from office chair to stability ball. If you suffer from lower back problems and/or your office doesn't allow the use of stability balls as chairs for liability reason, try using a Fit Disk on your chair. It works in the same way as a stability ball, however, it fits on the seat of your chair and you sit on top of that.

(10) My favorite calorie burning activity is playing with my kids! Running around the house playing tag, riding bikes, tossing a baseball, swimming and more burns tons of calories, sometimes more than going to the gym! Not only will you be getting your exercise in and burning calories, but you'll also be spending quality time with your kids. Getting the kids up and moving will also help them get their exercise in. It'll keep them from doing what most kids do....spend time playing video games or surfing the internet.

More resources

• http://www.howtoburnfat.com/burn-fat/fat-burning-foods.html
• http://www.getyourtruthaboutabsbonus.com/fat-burning-foods/list/
• http://walking.about.com/cs/fitnesswalking/a/ballchair.html

Gymboree Child Education Classes

This article is from about a year ago but not much has changed! My daughter still LOVES Gymboree and has learned a lot during the past 6 months we've been going there. It has taught her to share with other kids, say please, thank you and sorry when it's called for, sit for listening time with the teacher and so much more! I highly recommend it for your little ones.

Well, I'm not exaggerating when I say that it's been AT LEAST a year since I've been meaning to take Shae to a Gymboree class!! Since she was about 7 months old, I've wanted to take her but just couldn't find enough time in the day. Between work, cleaning, cooking, making lunches, doing laundry....and getting up for work before 4 am during the week, I was just too tired and didn't have the energy to do it. I was also under the impression that classes were only in the mornings.... more suitable for the stay at home mom schedule. Well, this week, after getting my 20th coupon in the mail for a free introductory class, I finally logged onto the website from my cell phone (or smart phone as some would call it) and signed Shae up for her first class.

The class was scheduled for Wednesday at 7:10 pm. So, my daughter, husband and I had dinner, changed and got ready to go. Although we only live 1.2 miles away, we left 25 minutes prior to the time the class would start......I guess we were just a little bit anxious. We got there within a few minutes, of course, and got out of the car. We peeked in the window, saw that another class was still in session, and decided to take a walk around the block while we killed time before our class was to begin.

When it was finally 7pm, we walked in the door and were greeted by teacher Heather. She happily welcomed us and invited Shae to start exploring. She first reminded us, however, that shoes are not allowed in the gym and we were to wear socks. If we forgot ours, which we did, we could wear some of the clean, washed socks they provide. I was thrilled at this, by the way! We take our shoes off at home, and so does everyone that comes over. The disgusting things on the bottoms of shoes DOES NOT belong anywhere near my hands, mouth, face...or anywhere else besides the bottoms of shoes. Having parents and kids remove shoes ensure that none of the disgusting things on the bottoms of shoes will end up where it shouldn't

Now, back to the Gymboree class...Shae was encouraged to go barefoot to prevent slipping and sliding and our little newby didn't even hesitate!! She immediately started climbing the ladders. going through the tunnels, down the slides and on the bouncy balls! As parent newbies, we just stared for a bit and analyzed the crowd. After a few seconds, we got more comfortable, took our shoes off, put the "clean socks" on and followed Shae around. She immediately loved it and climbed all over. She went up the ladders, rolled the balls, climbed on the teeter toter and had a blast. When the class started, teacher Heather, a spunky, sweet, very animated 25 year old, began banging a tamborine and called the kids to the mat.

Most, if not all, immediately came and were immediately drawn to Gymbo! A clown, and the Gymboree mascot, for lack of better words. She had a BIG Gymbo and LITTLE Gymbo and, therefore, the lesson of the day was Big and Little. She walked around and showed the kids the big slide and the little slide, big ball and little ball, big ladder and small ladder and so on. She then encouraged us to follow our children around and continue the lesson on our own.

We did that and had a blast interacting with Shae, the other parents and the other kids. Throughout the class, teacher Heather called the kids back to the mat, added more to the lesson with big and small rings, bubbles and more. We culminated by playing parachute and Shae then continued to play.

Signing up for the class weekly was a no brainer. It was obvious it would benefit her socially, physically and mentally. It would help get her in the classroom mentality, needing to stay in a group for periods at a time and it would get her around other kids, something we don't do unless we go to the mall germ pits (aka indoor playgrounds at malls).

In addition to the weekly Play and Learn class, we also get free access to their Open Gym Time that's scheduled various times and days throughout the week. That alone makes it worth it because it gives Shae other opportunities to come play with other kids without the structure of the class.

Overall, my only regret is not signing up for the class sooner! I know for a fact that Shae would have benefited greatly had she been attending from an early age. If and when I have another baby, I'll be coming as soon as possible and, since classes start for the 0 - 3 month age group, that means it'll be almost immediately!

Hope you have all enjoyed my review and I welcome you to attend, at least, the free introductory class. You have absolutely nothing to lose and much to gain! Visit Gymboree 's website for locations near you !

Never EVER Close Your Car Door Without Keys In Hand!

For a while now, I've wanted to start a category to document the little things that happen to us moms each day....the memorable moments such as the first words, the first steps, first tooth...but also the crazy and unexpected moments that seem to arise daily for busy moms like me. Well, an incident that took place last summer sparked my first entry! I had the scare of my life and one I'm sure will not be my last! It was 103 degrees in Los Angeles and I accidentally locked the keys in my truck... with my daughter inside!!!!!!!!! Let me back track and explain how it all went down before you brand me the worst parent of the year.......


First, I have to start by adding that, the week it happened week, my husband and I traded cars. Mine needed an oil change and some work done so he took it a few days this week in order to work on it on days he gets off of work early. So, I drove his truck to work. We're the type of couple that rarely, if ever, switch cars. Mine is mine and his is his. So, needless to say, I'm not so used to his and all of the bells and whistles that come with it. I got off work and went to m y mom's to pick up my little one. As we were leaving, I put her in her car seat, buckled her in and closed her door. I then noticed she was wiggling around and realized that she didn't have her pacifier....we cannot leave anywhere without the paci because it's her "I'm tired and sleepy" security blanket. A day at grandma's makes her very tired and sleepy! So, I told my mom, who was standing next to me to please run in and get the paci while I wait outside with her. I didn't want her sitting in the car in the heat so I turned the car on, turned the air on and closed the door. I then walked around to the driver's side and was going to get in the driver's seat as I waited for my mom to bring the paci from inside the house.


Well, low and behold the driver's door is locked. In my head I thought, "Oh it's just the driver door. All of the doors in the truck must not have unlocked when I hit the alarm. The passenger door (from which I turned the air on) or the back door next to the baby's seat will still be open." When I went around, instant panic set in. ALL DOORS LOCKED!!!!!! OMG, what do I do now?? Baby's in the car, it's 103 degrees outside and my husband (who's in a meeting 20 miles away at rush hour) has the spare! For a minute, I ran around like a crazy woman just holding my head saying, "What do I do, what do I do?" My mom started to freak out too telling me, "Call the police, call the police." Well, considering I am the police (I work in law enforcement), I hesitated.... I can't do that. They'll think I'm the worst parent ever. How embarrassing. I'm supposed to know better. I thought, I could smash the window in but, it's a truck, the windows are all virtually surrounding the baby and I'd risk the chance of glass falling on her. She could grab a piece, eat it, cut herself with it, damage her eyes....that wasn't an option...at least not yet.... After a few seconds, I ran inside (while my mom stayed by the car), dialed 411 and called AAA! Thank goodness I have AAA. Just the other day I was wondering why I'm still paying the dumb $45 a year fee when I never lock myself out anymore and "don't really need it because my car's reliable." Well, this is why!!


The AAA customer service representative on the phone was incredible. She heard the panic in my voice and immediately calmed me down. She assured me that baby in the car calls are top priority and never take longer than 10 minutes for help to arrive. In my head I thought, "Yeah right, I've waited for AAA in the past lady, and 10 minutes really means at least an hour." She assured me that it wouldn't be any longer than that and even agreed to stay on the phone with me until the tow truck arrived. Well, after a few minutes, I calmed down and thought, "The AC is on and she's sitting in there as she would if we were driving somewhere. She's going to be fine. Ten minutes in the car with the AC on is not a problem." THANK goodness I turned the AC on!! So my mom and I were both outside, next to the car window, waving, talking to her and basically doing whatever we could to keep her entertained so she wouldn't freak out. Luckily, she was exhausted from the day at grandpa's (and playing on her new swing set) that she just sat there and looked at us as if we were complete and total fools! Within 7 minutes, AAA arrived. The driver ran out of the car and immediately began to work on the car. He unlocked it within a few minutes and the saga was finally over.... I felt like I owed him my life. What a savior. AAA came through and boy did they do it quickly.


Now, to rant about why this happened!! My husband's car, a Dodge Ram, locks immediately once the ignition is turned on. My car, a Chevy Yukon, only locks once the car is put into drive (which makes much more sense). So, lesson of the day, know the car you're driving and it's locking functions.....especially if you're the type that likes to turned the car and AC on when there are hot summer days to make it comfortable for you and your kids. If not, you could make it not only uncomfortable, but down right dangerous for them if they get locked in. This was a lesson that I will never forget and I hope at least one other parent out there reads this and learns something from it too... Now let's see what my next installment of "Another day in mommyhood" entails!

How To Fit Exercise Into Any Daily Schedule!

As a mother in law enforcement, I always have to be sure to keep myself in top physical shape, regardless of how busy my life may be. At times, fitting a good workout into my already demanding schedule is nearly impossible.. On those days, I incorporate exercise into my daily routine and monitor my activity using a pedometer and calorie tracker. I take the stairs whenever I can, park my car farther away, walk my dogs an extra block, climb on the playground with my daughter and walk if I have any close errands to run. At the end of the day, I've usually burned off at least 200-300 extra calories that I normally would not have burned had I not been able to see it on my pedometer. While this isn't a permanent solution and not something I can do every day, it's perfect for those days that I don't have a chance to make it into the gym.

Pedometers and calorie trackers aid in keeping me accountable and give me feedback as to how much activity I'm really doing and how it's affecting my diet. Some pedometers and calorie trackers are excellent for, not only tracking your workout, but also helping to monitor your food intake and sleep patterns as well. This can give you a whole picture about your overall health. It can help you figure out where you need to make adjustments in order to help you stay in shape and within a health weight range.

One pedometer that is widely used by fitness professionals is the FitBit. The FitBit is only $99 and helps track your total miles traveled, your hour by hour calorie burn breakdown and even how much and how well you slept.. It actually tracks how long you slept and how many times you woke up. Weight gain is correlated with lack of sleep so this very well may help many figure out why they've been fighting the battle of the bulge for so long with no resolution in sight. You can wear the FitBit Tracker loosely in your pocket or clipped to your pants, shirt or bra. While you're sleeping you can wear it on your wrist like a watch. The FitBit can also be synced online and the data will be automatically uploaded to the Fitbit website. When you login to the FitBit website, y you'll be able to see detailed data and also participate in collaborative fitness goals with friends, family and co-workers that have the product. All you need to do is walk within 15 ft of the provided base station. Norma, one of the trainers at the 24 Hour Fitness in my area, swears by this tool and says it's helped every client she's recommended it to. For only $99, it's one of the better fitness tools on the market. Wearing it will give you insight on your diet, exercise and sleep that you were most likely not aware of in the past. Go to FitBit for more information.

The Philips Direct Life Activity Monitor is another gadget that, for only $99, helps track your movements and calorie burn all day. All you do is put the tiny square (no bigger than a stamp) in your pocket and it tracks your movements through the day. When you get home, simply plug it in your computer and log on to a personalized website for an hour by hour breakdown of your activity level and calorie burn. In addition to the monitor, you also get an 8 day initial assessment and 4 months of personalized coaching. Visit Direct Life for more information.

For only $99, both of these pedometers/calorie trackers can be an invaluable tool to your diet and exercise regimen. Sometimes people don't even realize how much they're eating until they see it. This will, not only help you see how much you're eating, but also give you insight as to how much activity you're doing and how much more you may need to do to reach your weight loss goals.

Check the Ratings for Your MDs Online

hild that they can trust and ask questions to. If you're a new parent, a parent that is new to the area and doesn't know other parents nearby, how do you find a doctor for you and your family? Look up the doctor's rating on various doctor review websites available at no cost online.

There are several websites that provide a complete profile of all, if not most, pediatricians in your general vicinity. These websites offer you a profile for all doctors in general, including family practice doctors and those that deal with specialties such as gynecologists, cardiologists, podiatrists, etc. You can use the following websites to find a doctor for anyone in your family and see what other patients' opinions of him or her are. The websites I found most useful were RateMDs.com, Vitals.com, DrScore.com and FindaDoc.com.

At RateMds.com, a parent will find basic information on a doctor, however, the information is not always complete. Information such as location, gender, specialty, webpage, hospital affiliation, phone number and whether they are accepting new patients is available on the site. As previously mentioned, the demographical information is not always complete, however, this website provides detailed and honest patient reviews. Many of the doctors on the site have several reviews from patients with great detail. The reviews are rated on punctuality, helpfulness, knowledge & overall quality of the doctor.

This is the most user friendly of the websites and gives you the most descriptive patient information. It doesn't offer as much information on the doctor's education, hospital background or certification though. If you're looking for honest and thorough patient opinions, however, this is the website you'd want to go to. Most of the time, the patient rating is what's most important in finding a doctor. They may not work at the most prestigious hospitals or have the degree from the most prestigious university but they treat their patients well and give them the time and attention they deserve.

The website Vitals.com is another useful website that provides detailed information and reviews on family practice doctors, surgeons and specialists. Vitals.com provides doctor's website information if they have one, address, phone number, gender, specialty, hospital affiliation, education, board certification, average patient wait time, direction to the office and patient ratings. The patient ratings are categorized by ease of appointment, promptness, courteous staff, accurate diagnosis, bedside manner, how much time is spent with the patient and follow up information. This is, by far, one of the most detailed of the four websites, however, it doesn't always have as many patient ratings or as many patient comments based on the ratings. It seems like a fairly new website with few reviews submitted, if any, on some of the doctors I searched for. If you're looking for a good overall profile of the doctor, search this website first and see if the doctor you're inquiring about has been reviewed.

At DrScore.com, a patient can find a doctor's address, phone number, practice, gender, hospital affiliation, education and residency. There are some patient ratings on this website, however, much fewer than the other doctor rating websites reviewed. The ratings are also not categorized. Overall this website provides basic information on the doctor. The doctors I looked up had yet to be rated so I could not find any patient opinions them. If all that you are looking for is simple information such as address, phone number, hospital information, etc, this is the easiest website to find it at.

Findadoc.com is another doctor rating website. This is the only website that you have to register your information with and log in prior to being able to search for information on a doctor. While registering is something that many people do not like to do since it usually leads to receiving spam emails, it may be worth it in order to access information on this website. You have to provide your email address, name, address and year of birth. Having said that, it is one of the most thorough websites available with the most amount of information. It may be worth it to register. It also has an option to search for dentists. Findadoc.com provides a doctor or dentist's address & phone number, specialty, hospital affiliation, education, residency, doctor endorsements, years of experience, languages spoken, board certification and whether they are accepting new patients. As with other websites, Findadoc.com also provides reviews. Their patient reviews are categorized by office staff ratings, office setting, wait time, medical knowledge, bedside manner, patient confidence and patient satisfaction

Overall, the four websites listed above all provide different but useful information when researching doctors to care for yourself and your family. If you are looking for a new doctor, do your research and visit the websites above. These sites are not only useful if you're looking for a new doctor but to find out what other patients think of your current doctor. It's always good to know more about the people you trust to care for your family. You may be surprised by what you find I certainly was!

More resources

• www.ratemds.com
• www.vitals.com
• www.drscore.com

Picking a Pediatrician for Your Family

One of The Most Important Decisions You'll Ever Have to Make

When I was pregnant, I thought I'd never be able to decide on a doctor that would essentially be responsible for my child's health and well-being. Of course, as a parent, it's my responsibility to make sure my baby is healthy and developing accordingly. The pediatrician, however, is the one that helps guide me as a parent in raising my daughter in the best way I can. In general, all pediatricians are expected to diagnose an ear infection, suggest vaccines & tell parents if their baby is within the percentile range for their age. What sets apart a good pediatrician from an average one, however, is one that offers emotional support, helpful advice and is a sounding board for all of your natural paternal concerns.

Even while still pregnant and months away from delivery, I wondered what I would feed my baby, how often, what signs to look for that she's not feeling well, how long she should sleep, etc, etc..... I needed a pediatrician that could answer all of those questions for me and more. For this reason, I needed to find a pediatrician for my daughter that would be a good fit for me as well my daughter and my husband. While it may seem easy, since there are hundreds of pediatricians available in most insurance plan, finding a doctor that meshes well with your family BEFORE baby is born is the tricky part! Without meeting them and seeing how they interact with your baby makes, it difficult to see first hand what type of doctor they are. So, you'll have to do your homework and find a doctor with a personality that works well with yours. You'll have to speak with him, either in person or by phone, and ensure that he or she is dedicated to spend the time necessary with you, regardless of the number of questions you may have. As a new mom or dad, you'll have many many questions and you'll want someone that answers each one throughly enough and explains further if you still need clarification. Of course, the best way to do this is in person, however, some offices only allow phone interviews for expecting moms. Whether it's in person or by phone, be sure to ask the right questions so you make an informed decision on the doctor that will be treating your kids.

Questions to Ask a Prospective Pediatrician:

• Do you have children?
• Are you certified by the American Board of Pediatricians?
• How long have you been practicing?
• What is your specialty, if any?
• What insurance plans do you accept?
• What is your schedule? Hours? Night calls?
• How easy/difficult is it to make appointments with you? Wait time?
• What is your stance on vaccinations?
• Where do you stand on breastfeeding, medications, circumcision, etc?
• What are well visits like? How long is the appointment? What does the visit consist of? How often?
• Do you accept/respond to phone calls if an appointment is not possible?