2015 cutest babies kids & siblings winners tab

8/9/2019 2015 Cutest Babies Kids & Siblings Winners Tab

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By Randall StokesDailyParent.com

Baby showers offer the perfect opportunity forfriends and family to celebrate the impending arrivalof a new life. Baby shower games should be uncompli-cated and appropriate for guests of all ages. Providea mix of games and/or activities to keep all guestsand the mommy-to-be entertained and happy. Trythese 10 games.

1. Diaper raffle.On each shower invitation, specifythat bringing one package of diapers equals one raffleentry for a special prize. If the expecting mom is notusing disposable diapers, have the raffle entry fee bea new onesie. Use numbered 35 cards as the raffletickets. Draw a winning number after the expecting

mom opens her gifts.2. Baby no-no.When guests arrive, give each a

clothespin to attach to their clothing. Tell the gueststhroughout the baby shower the word baby is pro-hibited. If baby is said, another guest can take theclothespin. The guest with the most clothespins at theend of the shower wins a prize.

3. Blankie signing. This activity is another that canbegin as soon as everyone arrives. Purchase a receivingblanket in a solid color and fabric markers in primarycolors. Lay the blanket out on a table, ask each guest to

sign his or her name and, if they choose to, include a wishor special thought for the expecting parents and baby.This is a great way to create a keepsake for new parents.

4. Journal advice.Another way to provide a unique

keepsake for expecting parents is to pass a blank jour-nal around during the shower, having each guestcontribute a thought or special wish. The shower hostcan add several parenting quotes from famous peoplethroughout the journal. Include parenting quotes fromDr. Spock, Robert Frost and Rose Kennedy. Considerhumor from writer Erma Bombeck, who quipped,When my kids become wild and unruly, I use a nice,safe playpen. When theyre finished, I climb out.

5. Word scramble. Before the shower, create a listof baby item words such as blanket, diaper, pacifier,stroller and more. Make a list of 15 words, scrambling

the letters of each. For example, blanket can becomenklabet. Have an answer key ready for the day of theshower. Give the guests five minutes to unscramblethe words. The one with the most correct wins a prize.

6. Mommy songs. Challenge the shower guests andmommy-to-be to come up with as many song titles thatfeature the word mom or a derivative thereof. Put fiveminutes on the clock and then compare lists after thetime expires. The one with the longest list wins a prize.

At DigitalDreamDoor.com, you can find a list of 100songs with mom in the title.

7. Celebrity baby match-up. Celebritys babynames often make the news. Create a list of celebritiesand their babys names for example, Katie Holmesand Suri. Make a two-column list. In the first, list the

parents name. In the second, list the childs name, butdont put the correct baby name next to the matchingparents name. Mix it up. Present a prize for most cor-rect matches.

8. What IS it? This is a game for the expecting mom.Wrap several baby items in tissue paper creatively toobscure the shape and/or sound. Include a bottle, rattleand more. Have the mom-of-honor guess what eachmystery gift is by shaking and feeling the package. Atthe end of the game, she keeps each of the items.

9. Diaper bag game.Purchase a diaper bag, filling itwith baby essentials. Pass it around the circle of guests.

After everyone has had a peek, take it away. Pass outpaper and pencil, and set a timer for five minutes, chal-lenging everyone to write down as many items as theycan remember from the bag. The guest who remembersthe most correctly wins a prize, and the mommy-to-begets to keep the diaper bag full of goodies.

10. Safety pin guess.Fill a clear jar with a specificnumber of safety pins. Write that number down so

you dont forget how many are in the jar. Pass the jararound to the guests, asking them to guess how manythey think are in the jar. The closest guess wins a prize.

10 baby shower games

Whats in a name? Baby name trends over the decadesBy Randall StokesDailyParent.com

Chances are if you went tohigh school in the 1980s, Lisaand Michael dated each other.

As the decade ended, Michaelprobably dumped Lisa andhooked up with Jennifer or

Amy. As the century ended anda new one began, Michael mayhave stuck it out with Jennifer,

but there s a good chance hedated Jessica instead. The tworemained together for a decade,

but it looks like Michaels daysmay be numbered because itsobvious Jacob will be hooking

up with Emily and Madison,although Michael will remainin the picture.

Before you accuse Michael ofbeing a philandering dirtbag,keep in mind that the Michaelshave changed. According to the

Social Security Administration,Michael happens to be the mostpopular name given from 1960to 2000. It checked in at secondplace during the first decade ofthe 21st century. Thats a lot ofMichaels.

Trends in boy names over thepast 50 years. Boys names overthe past 50 years have remainedrelatively stable with names

such as Michael, James, Jason,John, David, Christopher andMatthew being near the topof the names list. That doesntmean, however, there havent

been some variations . In the1990s, for example, Tyler, Dillon

and Shaquille made a popularityappearance. In the 1980s, it

was Jamaal, Kiel, Demario andCordero, and the 1970s saw anupsurge in boys named Damon,Shawn, Heath and Toby.What does the future hold? It

looks like youll be seeing a bevyof Bentleys, Channings, Ikersand Kyrons.

Trends in girl names over

the past 50 years. Girl names,although less static than the

bo ys , ha ve al so re ma in edrelatively stable over the past 50

years with Jessica, Amy, Susan,Karen and Jennifer makingmultiple appearances in the

top 10.The 1970s saw Tonya, Misty,

Carrie and Tricia gain a decadeof popularity. In the 1980s,Tiffany, Crystal and Latoyahad a turn near the top. In the1990s, it was Kelsey, Shelby,Brittany and Chelsea. Girlnames youre likely to see inthe future include Tenley, Alaya,Jemma and Kyndall.

The most common originof baby names comes fromancestors. This explains

why certain names remainconsistently popular.

Biblical influence also plays amajor role in naming children

Michael, Jacob, Noah and John,for example. As Americansbecome more culturally diverse,so do its names. Parents alsoname their children afterfamous people. Chances are

you know somebody born inthe 80s or 90s named Jordan,

whic h happen ed to be theprime playing years of NBA starMichael Jordan.


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b F n:Colton

b b:10/09/2014

P() F n(): Landon & Ashlyn

First Place:Babies (0 - 23 months)

b F n:Gunner

b b:06/10/2014

P() F n():Melissa & AJ

Second Place:Babies (0 - 23 months)

thank you to everyone who submitted and voted!


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b F n:Hudson

b b:09/28/2012

P() F n(): Jeff & Ashley

First Place:Kids (2 - 12 years)

b F n:Mason

b b:05/21/2012

P() F n():Jon & Michele

Second Place:Kids (2 - 12 years)

siblig Firt name:Kara Gene, Adelyn, & Mason

P() F n():Jon & Michele

First Place:Siblings (any age)

slg F n:Keanu & Demi

P() F n():Ben & Lacey

Second Place:Siblings (any age)


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6|2015CutestBa

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ByMartinKuritz

AmericanProfile

Leavingyourchildrenwithabab

ysitterwhileyouenjoyanevening

outcanbeworry-freeif

youkeepcrucialinformationaty

oursittersfingertips.

Keepinmindthatagoodbabysitt

erisnotnecessarilyonewhoknow

swhattodoin

theultimateemergencysituation,

butonewhoknowswhattodoin

mostsituations.You

canhelpthesitterhandlemostcir

cumstancesbycreatingaguideth

atclearlyconveys

informationneededforpropercar

e.

Purchaseathree-ringnotebook,a

setoftabbeddividers,three-hole

punchedlinedpaper

andahighlighter.Labelthetabsa

ndincludethefollowinginformat

ion:

Nowinformation

Whereandhowyoucanbereach

ed.Also,createatelephonedirectorylistingemergency,

childrensfriendsandotheruseful

telephonenumbers.

Nameandphonenumberofwh

omtocallifyoucantbereached.

Otherup-to-the-minuteinform

ationandinstructions.

Ourchildren

Acurrentheadshot,fullname,n

ickname,birthdateandadetailed

physicaldescription.

Asignedoriginalmedicalconsen

tauthorization,doctorsphonenum

berandthefastest

routetothenearesthospital.

Detailedmedicalhistorythatin

cludeseachchildsbloodtype,alle

rgies(reactionsand

remedies),medications,personalit

ytraits,fearsandhabits.(Dontfo

rgetto

highlightwhatwillcomfortyourchildifheorshebecom

esfrightened.)

Favoritebedtimestory,meals,sn

acksandtoys.

Ourhome

Inlogicalorder,listthelocation

ofhouseholditems,suchastoiletp

aper,sunburnremedies,

extrabatteriesandfirst-aidkit.

Listandhighlightsafetyandsecu

rityinformation,includingwhere

andhowtousethefire

extinguishers,wheretheflashlight

sandcircuitbreakerboxareloca

tedincaseofan

electricalfailure,andwhereyouk

eepthesparesetofkeys.

Householdrulesandroutines

Listeverything,fromwhichfrie

ndsareallowedinthehousetow

hichtelevisionprograms

areofflimits.IncluderulespertainingtotheInter

netandvideogames.

Mealsandmealtimes(listwhat

thekidswillandwonteat).

Rulesyourbabysittermustfollo

w:visitors,smoking,useofthete

lephoneandotherdos

anddonts.

Thebabysitterchecklist

By DailyParent.com

From picking out baby namesto decorating the nursery,expecting parents spend monthspreparing for the arrival of their

bundle of joy. With all the excite-ment, new parents may overlookthe vital step of babyproofingtheir home. Babies are curiouscreatures who will try with alltheir might to get into placesand things that may cause themharm. Trying to keep them awayfrom these items every second

of the day is a difficult task.Thankfully, you can protect yourprecious baby from the dangersfound in your home by baby-proofing your dwelling.

Gates

Baby gates help to eitherkeep your little ones in a des-ignated area or out of certainlocations. Areas such as the topand bottom of staircases are theideal location for these usefulitems. Baby gates are available

in various sizes, materials andcolors, and are either portableor installed. Some baby gates areadjustable which allows them tofit into various openings.

Outlet covers and doorknob covers

These inexpensive plas-tic covers are easily installeddirectly into outlets to preventbabies from electrocu tion. Alloutlets in the home should becovered even in areas where thebaby wont have excess to them.

Doorknob covers are anotheruseful babyproofing tool thatcovers the entire doorknob andprevents children from openingthe door. They work well on frontand back doors to keep the babyfrom finding his way outside.

They can also be used on interior

doors to prevent the baby fromaccessing dangerous areas suchas basements or garages.

Toilet lock

Children are naturally drawnto toilets, where they can playin the water and throw toys andother small items in. However,toilets pose a drowning risk toyoung children trying to accessthe water. Toilet locks preventchildren from opening the lidand can be easily installed onany existing commode in amatter of minutes.

Drawer and cabinet locks

Drawers and cabinets containmany items that you would neverwant your little one to get a holdof. These handy locks are installedon drawers and cabinets to keeplittle hands out. Drawer and cab-inets locks are ideal for kitchendrawers containing silverware,knives and glass cookware but

are also useful to keep childrenout of drawers or cabinets filledwith important documents oritems that children could destroy.

Bath thermometer and bathtub

spout covers

Trying to determine the propertemperature for the babys bath-

water can be a bit difficult. Whatfeels fine to mom may be too hotfor childrens sensitive skin. Abath thermome ter allows youto know the exact temperature

of the water and helps preventscolding. Bathtub spouts canalso cause injury if babies orchildren bump or scrape theirdelicate heads. These covers arepadded and soft, and can slip onand off the spout easily.

Babyproofing tips for

first-time parents


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Losing it |Small changes help new mom lose bigBy Katie D. NealSpryLiving.com

Mary Kay MK Valenti had bat-tled her weight all her life. But thebreaking point came after the birthof her first child, Rosario, in 2005.

I had this newborn son toshow off, but I didnt want tobe seen because I was so heavy,

she says. And Im an extrovert,so that wasnt like me at all.

MK had tried to shed poundsbefore, and the habits had neverstuck. Determined to make it workthis time, she decided the changesshe made had to be gradual.

Rather that adopt a strictdiet plan overnight, MK firstfocused on eating the foods sheliked more slowly. She set rules:I would eat one slice of pizza,and then Id tell myself that if Iwanted another, I ha d to wait15-20 minutes. Usually by that

time, I was too full to have it.After two weeks of that routine,

she started incrementally improv-ing those food choices, swappingher sausage pizza for veggie, her 2percent milk for skim, and a largehot fudge sundae for McDonalds300-calorie version.

And rather than throw herselfinto a punishing gym routine,she added exercise to her daya little at a time. An avid TVwatcher, shed lie on the floor and

do leg lifts and sit-ups while shecaught up on her favorite shows.

One thing was key to this smallchanges plan: MK promised thatshed give herself as much timeas she needed to lose the weight.There was no deadline, and noexpectation that shed lose at a cer-tain pace. That mentality especiallyhelped in the beginning, when she

felt like she was working hard butnot seeing immediate progress.This is more of a mental chal-

lenge than anything, she says.Three months is a really longtime to not feel or see results. ButI had to just believe in myself that this was going to be the timeI was going to do this for good.

After losing 40 pounds, MKdecided to step up her workoutsand joined a gym. But when shehad one of the trainers do a bodyfat assessment, what she learnedalmost derailed her journey. Even

after losing what I did, I was stillconsidered obese, she says. Thatwas really hard to hear.

Instead of giving up, MK threwherself into weight training andbegan to enjoy pu shing her selfto lift more and more. As herbody transformed over the nextyear, the trainer whod done herassessment asked if shed everconsidered entering a figurecompetition, a sector of femalebodybuilding that judges solely

on physique. MK first laughedat the idea, but after attending acompetition, she was intrigued.

It was really about facing thething I feared most: Walking outon stage in a bikini in front of anauditorium of people and judges,and asking Am I good enough?she says. The idea that I could dothat motivated and inspired me.

Nineteen months after her sonsbirth, and down 100 pounds, MKstrutted across that stage withconfidence. It was amazing andfun and I loved every minute of it but I placed dead last, she sayswith a laugh. But I was a winnerbefore I even went out there. Justputting myself out there was mygoal. I didnt need a trophy.

MK has competed in a hand-ful of figure competitions since,and works as a fitness model.But her dream is to inspire otherwomen who are strug gling to

lose weight. She is pursuing acareer as a motivational speaker,and she has a growing followingon Facebook and Twitter.

And though shes come a longway from the new mom who gotwinded walkin g up the stairs ,MK still celebrates the smallvictories like the fact that shescontinued working out despitesevering a tendon in her hand amonth ago (and that her doctorpraised her perfect bloodwork).

By Beth Stein

American Profile

Cradling her 4-month-old baby in the crook

of one arm, the young mother turns the pages

of a brightly colored book and pronounceseach word of the simple rhyme with great

flourish and excitement.

The casual observer might think this a bit

silly. After all, an infant cant possibly under-

stand what shes saying.

But the act of reading, even to an infant,

nourishes the child on so many levels that com-

prehension is beside the point. Whats going

on here is language development, learning to

focus, bonding between reader and listener,

relaxation and fostering a love of books.

Part of what we know now is that even before

babies are born, they start to pay attention and

be responsive to language, says Dr. Dale Farran,

a developmental psychologist with 30 years of

experience on issues of early childhood educa-

tion and a professor at Vanderbilt University.Do they understand words? No. But they

get the rhythm and cadence of the language,

Farran says. It makes them understand lan-

guage is important and gets them in the good

habit of paying attention.

As marketing director for The Childrens

Book Council in New York and mother of

Sophie, 1, JoAnn Sabatino-Falkenstein un-

derstands the value of reading to little ones.

It really doesnt matter what you read

because babies so l ove that closeness, she

says. They love the sound of peoples voices.

These experts offer these tips for engaging

baby in reading:

Tactile books are good choices for little

babies. Anything that offers them new sen-

sations, such as the classic Pat the Bunny,or cloth books with buttons and other objects

to touch will best hold their attention. Bright

color and bold illustrations help, too.

Simple books with a repeating structure,

rhythm, or rhyme (such as poetry) best keep

little ones interest.

Read with exaggerated expression. If the book

has dialogue, change your voice for different char-

acters. Babies delight in drama and silliness.

Dont feel like you have to read every

word, control the story, or even finish it. If

baby wants to turn the page or turn the book

upside down, let her. Its more important to

let her have that experience, Sabatino-Falken-

stein says.

Introducing baby to a book that was a

favorite of yours as a child is a wonderful wayto connect the generations. For grandparents

or anyone who doesnt see a little one often,

bringing along that book provides a bond.

Never force reading time. Sometimes baby

will be in the mood, sometimes he wont.

Babies have a short attention span. If you get

15 minutes of reading time with a 1-year-old,

consider yourself lucky.

Giving children access to books from the

time they are small is the best way to raise a

happy reader, Sabatino-Falkenstein says.

How to raise a book-loving baby


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Due to popular demand, the

deadline has been extended to

Monday, February 16!

Call (816) 350-6341 for information.

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