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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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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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