Kiss and Hug to be Stress Free

How often do you kiss and hug your significant other?

Not something I really thought about that often, but I will now.

Yes you give or get the "hello" and "goodbye" kiss the "thank you" and the "your welcome" kiss. Maybe the "I'm sorry" kiss but what about kissing to help with stress.

How does kissing and hugging release stress?According to a survey done at the Berman Center in Chicago which included couples that frequently kissed - just to kiss and for no other reason these couples were found to have less stress. The results showed that these couples were eight times more likely to be stress and depression free when compared to couples who only kissed during sex or intimacy. These results may be because kissing releases oxytocin which has a calming effect.

And to further prove this theory another study done at University of North Carolina of 38 couples found that a 20 second hug increased blood levels of oxytocin as well and also reduced stress hormones in both men and women. Read More On Oxytocin...

Measles Outbreak in the United States!

Parents Be Aware:

There is a measles outbreak!!
It is affecting different parts of the United States.

A measles outbreak has been reported in the United States. This has been linked to an introduction from someone in Switzerland visiting Arizona. The first case was reported on February 12, 2008 when an adult visitor from Switzerland was hospitalized with the measles and pneumonia. Still ongoing there has been nine confirmed cases through March 31, 2008 in Arizona. And two other suspected cases in which one is a resident from Colorado. These nine cases that have been confirmed range from the ages of 10 months to 50 years old. All of these were infected in the healthcare setting except for one. And all these cases were individuals that were unvaccinated during the time of exposure. Read More About Measles Outbreak...

5 Reasons to Fake an Orgasm when You Are Too Tired for Sex

Alright Moms and Dads - I know we will not admit it, but kids are exhausting at times and sometimes we just are not in the mood. But we find it easier to just ~well~ you know fake it so these are reasons that we may just fake it. It doesn't mean we love you any less it just means we are too tired to do it and too tired not to.

Enchanted...Happily Ever After

Need a movie for a fun family night I suggest Enchanted. It is a great way to spend time with the kids...
A fairy tale that comes to life...a movie of a fairy tale Princess that only believes in a true love kiss and a happily ever after ending.

Enchanted is a movie about a cartoon Disney fairytale Princess who is sent to our modern world in New York City. She is vanquished from her world of Andalasia by an evil queen in hopes of never giving up her throne. Soon after her arrival into New York City, the Princess begins to change her views on life and love after meeting a handsome lawyer.

What a fascinating way to look at life and oh, how very true it is that we all seek that magical ending. Everyone is looking for that prince charming and when they do find him does it really mean forever and ever. According to this movie, there are such thing as magical endings with a happily ever after. Read More on Enchanted...

Parents Beware: Household Products Are the Drug of Choice for Adolescents

Isn't it enough that we have to worry about our children and what they are doing away from home? But recently I came across this list of the potential dangers of drug use in our very own homes.

Are you aware of what products or chemicals are found in your own household that kids can use to give an effect of an illicit drug? It is disturbing to know that the youth of today has the ingenuity to figure out which common household chemicals and products can give them a "high" without a parent figuring it out.

Recently, the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition released a report indicating that inhalants were being used more often than marijuana or prescription pain killers by kids on the brink of becoming teenagers. It was stated that among young drug user's common household chemicals were used to get high, and often this is done before moving on to other illicit drugs such as marijuana or pain pills. And adolescent girls were particularly more vulnerable to inhalant abuse. Please click and read full article to get a list of these household products

Spitzer's Sex Scandal Then Paterson's Extramarital Affair: Politics or Soap Opera

Isn't it a shame that we can no longer watch political event's with our children?
I am not one that will usually write about politics. Personally, it is a subject I tend to shy away from because of the controversies and the tendencies of bringing out the worse in what people have to say.

But come on already I am so tired of hearing all these scandals about our politicians. These people are suppose to be lawmakers, making this a better place for us. They are suppose to be the mere people that our children and their children are to be reading about in history books, yet it seems that every time the television is turned on there is a new scandal going on.

It is almost scary to let our children involved in the politics of today. When my daughter has a current events article due on the government I have to actually monitor what it is she is reading. I am afraid that she will be the one to discover all these dirty little secrets before I do. Then what, I have to explain to her what our politicians are doing. Then when she says why? How can I answer her? Please read more...

10 Ways to Deal with Road Rage

Alright parents we are all out there driving on a daily basis, right? Especially picking and dropping off our children to activities, school and carpooling. And I know we have all experienced road rage as well, so today I have an idea we put it all aside and read this 10 tips to deal with road rage to help cope with our stress. Good Luck!

Eat Healthy Snacks to Maintain a Diet

As parents and individuals I think we would all like to incorporate a healthy diet into our lifestyle, however again with so much to do and limited time I think the urge to over indulge on not so healthy food is a normal habit. If we were to look around at ourselves and our children's eating habits I am sure that we would see so much unhealthy snacking so today I would like to share with you on some quick ways to eat healthier and especially snack healthier. The big key is to select foods from the five food groups it is simple to do since they can be found so easily. Snacking is the toughest part to eating healthy and it is a good habit to introduce our children to at a young age.
Picking snacks to balance your meals or a particular diet is the key to all snacking. To do this is pretty simple, have well planned snacks ahead of time to help reach certain dietary goals. So, if you are aware ahead of time what you need and should have to snack then have them readily available and this will take the burden off of you. This will prevent you from quickly reaching for that unhealthy snack or that quick vending machine fix.
Stay healthy and eat well.

Crazy Month of June

I know that things can get really crazy with such busy work schedules and kids. But I often wonder do we do this to ourselves as well. Why as parents we decide to pick up extra tasks when in reality we can barely manage what we already have. I hear the same story from all the mom's and dad's how crazy their schedules are. I know personally I drive me self to a point of no return at times.
Back in June I remember how crazy it had become I was so wound up at work, and with all the kids' end of year activities I had been running around like a chicken without a head. With all of these things piling up I still manage to volunteer and help out with the class party (Why?). So now I had to make 23 goody bags and find a craft to keep a bunch of 9 year-olds from getting bored to death. Because naturally there is not enough for them to do in today's busy world. Naturally.
Three days later I was off to the races again. This time in search of a baseball glove because my daughter decided to try out for the all-star softball team and she was unable to locate her glove (did I expect anything different). Now I was in a mad dash looking for a certain brand of glove which I had written down on a piece of paper and threw in my purse. And of course I couldn't find the paper. I went to the counter and tried to describe the glove. I got this weird look from a middle-aged man whose name tag said Homer. I then turned to a clearance table and started the search in my purse. I empty it all out with no luck and as I started tossing everything back in, I grabbed a hand warmer that was on the table and it slipped into my bag. Then came Homer requesting that I search for that darn piece of paper that I had explained to him earlier was lost. I turned my purse over and not only did the paper fall out but so did the clearance item. I was mortified. Homer must of really thought that I was that desperate for a hand warmer in the middle of June. I apologized and quickly headed out the doors feeling like a real loser, and without the glove (how pathetic). One small story of June.
Have you had any crazy months to tell about or are they all CRAZY!

Easiest Birthday Party Favors Are Done Using Themes of the Season

Having four kids and constantly having birthday parties I had to come up with different ideas to celebrate their birthday so I started to incorporate the season of the year into the celebration.
And when you're always in a rush and living in today's hectic world coming up with great creative ideas for birthday party favors was always a challenge. And if you are like me time is always an issue. It seems that every idea out there has been invented and re-invented time and time again. However, it shouldn't be difficult or time consuming celebrating a birthday especially with every month landing in a certain season of the year.
So whether winter, summer, spring or fall a celebration should always be a ball!

Fondling Our Breast During Dinner is Not a Turn On!

Alright ladies I know we have all been there, we are tired and slightly aggravated by all the days' events either from being home all day trying to straighten up or caring for the little ones. Or we have just arrived home from work to start our second shift as mommy and wife, then our significant other walks in and as a form of affection we get a squeeze at the boob. Now what in the heck is that all about? Are we supposed to turn around and suddenly feel excited? Instead we just smile and walk away to avoid any conflicts, but what is really going on in our minds? Huh?
Fondling our breasts during dinner time is not very stimulating. This is not a turn on instead is more of a nuisance, but yet it seems to go on all the time. Please don't misconstrue this, I only write this because I hear the same story from a lot of women who say that this form of affection can be annoying only because of the timing. I'm sure we love sex and when appropiate can be very enjoyable but not during "family time."
Ahhh, what can we do? We complain if there is not enough affection and then we complain when there is too much. Oh well I guess we must just live with it, right?

A Dialogue with Cinderella...

Have you ever wondered what some of those stuffed animals or dolls laying around the house must think? I know it sounds insane, but when my days are so hectic getting the children ready and the dog out and once I settle down I stare around the room and I see these little figures all over and at times I just think to myself-What must these things think about me?
So one day I decided to have a conversation with a figurine on my window sill and that happened to be cinderella.
It was a great conversation and after talking to her I realized that she knew a lot more than I ever would have thought. I remember her telling me that everyone ultimately wants a happy ending. That is why I am here to always remind you and your family that we can get there. At times it will be tough, but if you try hard enough for anything it can and will be yours. Do you have a favorite doll or toy that you can converse with? If you have kids I'm sure you do.

"I'm Not Depressed I Have Lyme Disease"

One would think that being in the medical field things should not slip by, however as a medical provider I have noticed that as patients we tend to either ask too many questions or not enough. As a mother I think at times I also down play a lot of my children's symptoms as well. I have seen this type of behavior being on both ends of the spectrum. An example of that was when my daughter was having vague symptoms and it took three years to have her diagnosed with Lyme disease.
She was having vague symptoms of headaches, dizziness, and feeling tired all the time she was twelve at the time. I had taken her to the pediatrician whom in turn did some lab work, then told me all was normal. The pediatrician stated that sometimes with puberty these vague symptoms may occur, understandably I accepted this diagnosis. Then I was told that she may have the beginning of depression. So I went in a circle for several years until finally someone listened to her say "I'm not depressed, listen to me please."
Unknown to me that some of these symptoms could have been resolved if only the proper testing was done in a timely fashion.
My advice is to ask questions, many questions and if they are not answered ask more questions!

Rewarding Our Children in Moderation is Acceptable

Do you reward your children for certain behaviors? Are they doing what is expected of them without incentives? These are questions that I asked several people and most of the responses were "yes they get rewards" and "I am not sure if they expect incentives." Well, my point of view is that children today are being rewarded way too much for certain behaviors that should be the norm. What do you think?
Parenting is a difficult job, especially in today's world where most of the children are growing up in a household where both parents are working. As well as the parent that stays at home, it is becoming increasingly difficult to parent. The hype of the media and socialization along with extra curricular activities has taken a burden on us all. But is all this added stress causing extra rewarding in our children's behavior. Are we compensating for the lack of what we may feel is "quality" time?

Thinking About A Visit To Lake George, NY

Isn't it a shame when you move somewhere new and have no clues as to where to visit, you sense that you are at a loss. Thankfully, I moved to a very diverse area that had plenty of activities.
Ans as a newcomer to the North Country in Upstate New York, I was at a loss as to where I should or could take my children for indoor activities or to host a birthday party. However, after careful research, and as my children became more familiarized with the area and developed friendships, we soon learned all the cool spots to entertain and be entertained. These locations and hot spots serve as a great place to have birthday parties or to visit when vacationing in the magnificent Lake George region.
We have such a great time at these locations, that my frequent visits have now made me a frequent flyer and the workers know my children by their first names. Please if ever in the Northeast stop by these hot spots and I know you will not regret it.

The Word "Friend" Also Means "Acquaintance"

Does anybody ever wonder what the term friend actually means? According to the dictionary the word "friend" has many different meanings:
- a person whom one likes or trusts
- an acquaintance
- a person whom one is allied in a struggle or cause, a comrade
- one who supports sympathizes with, or patronizes a group
I find this to be a strange definition of the term "friend" since it can mean that anyone we come into contact with would be a friend. How many of us have friends that are true friends, then we have the soso friend that we may chit chat with at times. Then there is the friend that we have by association.
So who is the person that we disclose our inner thoughts too?
This was just a tempoarary act of thinking out loud and it actually came about after talking to my kids and trying to get their input on whom they consider a friend, since different ages having different meanings and the best that they came up with was bff (best friends forever). Any ideas on a new one word out there?

Cheerleading is a Sport...What are your thoughts?

What do you think of when you hear the word "cheerleader"?

This was a question that I raised to several of my friends, relatives, and co-workers. I was very surprised to the answers I had received. Most of the responses were all very similar in that they viewed it not as a sport, but just as an entertainment at sporting events. As one person put it, "I am not sure what a cheerleader is, but I know that they are a bunch of girls standing around in short skirts cheering and yelling 'rah,rah,rah.'
I feel terrible when my daughter who happens to be a cheerleader, is somtimes only viewed as a performer and not as an athlete. Her team and coaches work very hard to be able to compete. Some of these individuals have to invest extra time and money in other activities in order to excel and become the best in what they do.
So, I am hear to tell you that cheerleading is a sport. And according to Forbes magazine it is one of the most dangerous sports around. The next time you run into a cheerleader pat them on the back and tell them that they are a great "athlete." I am sure they will appreciate it.

How We Got Our Dog...

I was by no means a dog lover, yes I would pet them when I saw a neighbor or a friend with their companion. However, I just never felt a connection. I guess they were cool to look at, but when I thought of the time and commitment that would take into getting an animal it wasn't something I wanted to do.
And after years of battling with my four children as to why we could not have a dog, I finally caved in but not reluctantly. It took months of researching that people thought I was actually insane. I think it took more out of me choosing a pet then I did for my car. I knew there were things I definitely did not want and things I did want. After long hours of surfing and interviewing I can honestly now say that my choice of a golden retriever was my best bet. I wouldn't change a thing, he is everything I wanted and so much part of our family.

Weekends are supposed to be relaxing?

How can anyone even imagine relaxing with kids around, huh? Weekends, oh yeah those are the days that we play catch up with laundry, cleaning and how about the extra curricular activities. Sports, birthday parties, play dates don’t they seem to come around on the weekends as well.
I think there should be two weekends yearly dedicated to do NOTHING! That is when we can actually spend true quality time with family and friends. Sometimes I feel like everything is so rushed that there just isn’t enough time. Monday rolls around so quickly then it’s back to a different tune. Well, I hope you enjoyed your weekend!

Valentines Day!

How cool is it when your kids are more excited about Valentines Day then you are. My kids just know it as a day they get extra chocolate versus there normal chocolate. Oh yeah it's about love, sweethearts, and romance but when the kiddies around it's about heart shaped lip gloss, Valentine's Day parties at school, and of course the make believe mailbox to get all of the Valentine's.
It is fun to watch this and it's also an excuse when you forget, well sort of forget to get your significant other something. You can always make it up with sex or something later on right?

On Being a Mom...

Being a mother has to be one of the most challenging jobs in the world. I often wonder how many women think to themselves and say “Why did I do this?” But we all know that we love and care for the little darlings and I say little because when they are our children age is not a factor. As a mother of four there are times that I just cross the days off on the calendar and say “another day closer to another birthday” and then there are those days in which we wish time would just slow down so we can spend that extra day with them.
No right or wrong answer to mommyhood, but we all just do what we can and hope that those choices are the best. I think the hardest part of being a mom is trying to make time for yourself no matter what that may be.