Archive for the ‘Safety’ Category

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Creating A Healing Basket

Monday, June 14th, 2010

A few weeks ago I came across this blog post about creating a healing basket.   You pick the storage container of your choice (basket, box, what have you) and fill it with comforting ointments and concoctions, books, herbs, medicine, boo boo related tools (think thermometer, etc.) and maybe even a special blanket just for sick days.  When someone gets a boo boo, big or small, you bring it out and work some magic to make it all better.  Along with what’s in the basket, there’s a certain comfort in the  ritual of bringing out your boo boo fighting kit as part of healing.

My home has been in need of a healing basket the last few weeks.  First, our 13 month old spent an entire weekend waking up in the middle of the night crying at the top of her lungs.  Then there were the two days of tummy aches due to constipation for my 3 year old.  Did I mention we’re teething?  With bug bites and scraped knees destined to be in our very near future, I’m slowly putting together our very own healing basket.  Here’s what I’m gathering:

  • Earth Mama Angel Baby Bottom Balm and Natural Nipple Butter – not just for bums and boobs
  • The Baby Book from the Dr. Sears Library
  • Band Aids
  • Thermometer
  • A tiny piece of paper with a prayer on it my mother always whispered to me when I was sick
  • Arnica Ointment
  • Hylands Cough Syrup with Honey (thanks, Kelly, for the great tip!)
  • Fun Stuff -  a special stuffed animal, a get well blanket, some candy/chocolates, a book or two, stickers – distract and entertain!
  • Amber teething necklace (we’re desperate need of this one!)

I’m always interested in what people use when they’re kids get boo boos.  What would you put in your healing basket?

~Carla~

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Juggling Act

Monday, May 24th, 2010

If you’ve ever walked into the store and seen a lovely lady fashionably clad in great jewelry and with a killer smile, then you’ve had the pleasure of meeting Kelly – co-owner/founder, mom of three, Martha Stewart, breastfeeding advocate, empowered childbirth champion, do-it-all.  She always wears a smile despite how hectic her days become.  Here, Kelly has documented a day in her very fashionable and crazy life.

Wake up at 5:30 am to try and keep the number of awake children under two, because if one more wakes up it is really going to be a long day.

Shower, dress and feed several people.

Prepare lunches and then get in car (warning: you should love your car, lots of time will be spent there)

Enter carpool line, drop-off  your eight year old.

Park and go inside to pick up paperwork for PTA.  Chat with outgoing PTA president who no doubt wants you to volunteer for one or nine things.  (note: Yes I could have skipped one step by avoiding the carpool line but I can’t bring the child into the school because he is too cool for that and needs to be dropped off.)

Next stop: pediatrician for a well-visit.  You hear about statistics and development; and then console a weeping six year old because she wanted to be told that her eyes needed glasses.  Two out of the twelve children in her class have needed to get spectacles this last month, and she wants them, too.

Back to the car.  Drop off six year old.

Head into work with The Baby.  Work for a few hours, deal with questions, and products, phone calls and woes, and then…

Back to the car.

Pick up two children here, and then one there, and then off to one more stop for the day.

Come home.  Laundry, dishes, homework, cook.

Back to the car (do you see why you should like your car?).  Get the kids, the gear, the coats, the umbrellas, the seats, the drinks, snacks, money and keys all into the car in the rain.

Head to baseball diamond, cheer on your child and other people’s children with more intensity than you have ever summed up for a professional being paid 4.1 million dollars a year.  You watch your child be so incredibly proud of himself, and his body, for what it can do.  You see that amazing joy a team has when they have been modeled a life of sportsmanship and respect.

Back to the car, and when you get home, covered in dirt and rain, with frizzy hair, your little one, The Baby, sits down on the potty and <gasp> goes potty! You will cheer so loudly it will make her jump. After you tuck them all in that night you will sit down and write this blog post, because you hope, you pray that you will never forget this day and all of the amazement of it.

Thank you, Kelly, for doing all of the above and still being able to put a smile on each day for the wonderful customers of Bellani!

PS. When do you sleep?

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Posted in General Knowledge, Mom stuff, Safety | 1 Comment »

Cold weather and car seats….

Thursday, November 5th, 2009

Recently, Bellani held a Car Seat Safety Inspection, seeing several dozen child safety seats and helping to make sure that installation was safe and appropriate for a child’s health a well being. Some parents where A-OK with the installation and wanted the peace of mind that comes with having a certified safety check, others were shocked to find out that things were not altogether correct with their installation. Shannon and Kelly and the gang from SafeKids USA were able to help correct issues and send families safely on their way.

However, just because your seat is installed correctly doesn’t mean your child is safe. As the temperatures turn colder and we begin to wrap our children up like Ralphie in the Christmas Story we are also placing them in danger of a car seat mishap. I think everyone knows about the covers for infant seats (I really loved the pink JJ Cole one I had when Zoe was an infant…it was one of my first pink purchases when I found out I was having a girl!) but I also realized now that she is out of the infant seat that I place her in a winter coat before she gets in a car. Using a heavy coat poses a serious safety risk for your child as it creates too much space between the straps and the child.

Don’t believe me?

Check out the following on my wonderful and adorable test model below….

Exhibit A….winter coat, straps secure

zb-coat

Now I removed Zoe from the seat without loosing the straps, removed the coat and place her back in

zb-seat_nocoat

Look at the amount of space between her shoulders and the harness!!! We you say no biggie, I always tighten loosen the straps dependent on what the child is wearing. However, that is exactly what creates the issue….a winter coats creates the illusion that the child is secure when really the coat is secure and in a serious crash the child is at increased risk for being ejected from the car seat.

Of course this poses a dilemma…I mean we live in the land of “No school Foster/Gloucester” so how do we keep our children safe and warm??

For infants:

Consider purchasing a car seat cover. I like these because they are easy to use because of the zipper and ok a little fashionable too. Car seat covers are a got to shower gift item for me, even if they parents don’t register for it because well they will love me later for it (Aden and Anais receiving blankets and Robeez are my other two favorites!)

Another idea is to dress a child as you normally would, add a hat. Place the infant in the infant seat and cover with a blanket (tucked in on the sides only). After the seat is in the car place another blanket over the infant seat for an added layer of warmth.

For older children:

Ok really I never would have thought of this without reading the idea on the web…dress your toddler as normal, than strap him or her in their car seat and then put their coat on backwards. Really brilliant! Yeah you might to fool with their collar a tad (although think of it as a scarf) and they might get crafty and toss it on the floor but by then the car should be heated up.

A few other things to remember, not all winter coats are unsafe to be used in conjunction with a seat. Keep in mind the thickness of the coat and the gap it may create. Fleece is warm and thin, and is a great option. Save the backwards coat for the really cold days.

Finally Shannon and Kelly are more than willing to do a car seat check for you. Please call the store ahead of time to make arrangements. I was out of town last weekend so plan on having them do mine soon.

Stacey

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Posted in Gear, Safety | No Comments »

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