This holiday season Wet Ones is teaming up with Mama’s Little Helper to share helpful tips about staying healthy during a sometimes stressful time of year.  With many holiday parties, travel on packed airlines and trains, and more time spent in crowded malls and stores, exposure to cold germs is increased.  Catching a cold at this time of year can be debilitating to moms who have to play Santa, coordinate menus, host extra play dates when school is on break and enjoy this time of year.  Wet Ones has enlisted a Holiday Health Team to help share tips for surviving cold and flu season.

Mom Guru StacyDeBroff Advises:

Go into laundry overdrive. When a cold assault runs througha family, wash your kids’ pillowcases and sheets in very hot water – even daily, if you can.   And, if your child constantly clutches a blanket or stuffed animal, toss those in, too.

Focus on Health. Keep kids’ immune systems kicking during cough and cold season by preparing healthy meals with lots of fruits and vegetables.  By adding a chewable multivitamin each day, Moms also can help ensure children get needed vitamins.

Pay attention to pals.  Colds typically run through classrooms, so keep an eye on your child’s friends and change plans, if needed. Reschedule play dates or sleepovers so your kids reduce their exposure to coughing, sneezing friends. Head off disappointment byhelping kids understand how germs spread and reminding them of the importance of staying healthy so they can play in next week’s band concert or indoor soccer tournament.

Sleep Rules. Kids will always lobby for a later bedtime or one last story, but don’t give in during cough and cold season. Stick to nap schedules for younger kids and keep bedtimes consistent for older ones. If sleeping proves tough due to nasal congestion, prop kids up with an extra pillow or two at bedtime to sleep in a more upright position.

On the Road. Moms often find it even more challenging to keep children healthy during holiday or vacation travel times. Taking along Wet Ones® Antibacterial Hand Wipes offers Moms the opportunity to clean kids’ hands frequently, as well as wipe down a restaurant counter, airplane armrest, or tray table before using.

Wipe out germs – and messes. Clean hands help prevent the spread of cough and cold germs, but kids’ daily activities often take them far away from soap and water. Wet Ones®Antibacterial Hand Wipes provide a quick, easy way to get rid of grime and kill 99.99% of the germs that cause coughs and colds. Toss them in back packs, lunch bags, the backseat of your car, school lockers– and give a stash to your child’s teacher – to keep messy, germy hands clean.

Dr. Benjamin Tanner, a microbiologist, suggests:

Practice Good Hygiene for at Least a Week After a Cold.  Cold and cold germs can be found in nasal secretions of children for two to three weeks after the onset of symptoms. That’s a long time for an unwanted guest to stick around!

Don’t touch your face. Most cold viruses are spread by contact with surfaces through “self-inoculation” when hands pick up cold viruses, and then touch the nose or eyes to start an infection. In fact, a study of kids showed that a program to discourage touching the face reducedcolds by nearly half.

Keep Your Immune System Healthy.  Studies show that maintaining a healthy body weight with proper nutrition reduces risks of infection, and also may prevent inflammation (potentially damaging immune system hyperactivity).

Keep Up on Cold and Flu Germs.  Colds are most infectious during the first two to four days people are infected.  And you can’t outrun their germs: droplets from sneezes can travel at a velocity of 45 miles per hour and cover a distance of 10 feet. Wash your hands and face regularly; when soap and water is not available use Wet Ones to kill germs onyour hands and face.

Cold Season has already hit this Mama’s household!

For the past two weeks or so my family has been passing around a nasty cold, one that has been the worst I’ve had in years!  Not being prepared for an early cold season, we were really caught off guard.  Thankfully my little guy didn’t develop asthma/breathing difficulties, as this bug stayed in his nose.  It didn’t help that he still can’t blow his nose at age four!  I was really sick and just plain wiped out from a cough that kept me up all night.  We did a lot of hand washing and running the dishwasher on santi-rinse in our attempts to get healthy.  It never even occurred to me to wash our sheets more frequently.  After reading Stacy DeBroff’s tips I immediately stripped all the beds and put on new sheets!  As I’ve written here before, I’ve been a big fan of Wet Ones for a while.  I love how portable they are, especially for road trips or even visits to the park.  I always keep a canister of Wet Ones in my car and a travel pack in my bag so that I have a wipe handy.  We will be using Wet Ones frequently, when hand washing isn’t possible, this winter season with hopes of preventing future colds in our household!

Win a Wet Ones Holiday Survival Kit!

Want a chance to win a Wet Ones Holiday Survival Kit?  Enter by leaving a comment on this blog post and share your best cold care tip, if you like.  In your Holiday Survival Kit you’ll find:

• One Wet Ones Hand Wipes Fresh Scent 40 count canister
• One Wet Ones Hand Wipes Fresh Scent 24 count singles pack
• One Wet Ones Hand Wipes Fresh Scent 15 count travel pack

RULES: There will be one winner selected from all the comments using Random.org on or about November 29, 2011 at 10:00pm EST.  The winner will be contacted via email and have 48 hours to respond to an email from Mama’s Little Helper or forfeit the prize.  Energizer Personal Care is providing the prize(s) for this promotion at no cost to me. This promotion is not being administered or sponsored in any way by Energizer Personal Care or its affiliates, but solely by Mama’s Little Helper. Any questions or comments regarding this promotion must be sent to me at Mama’s Little Helper (Diane@mamaslittlehelper.org) and not to Energizer Personal Care.  Mama’s Little Helper and EPC reserve the right to modify, suspend or terminate this contest if the Promotion is removed by the web server or is otherwise compormised by illegal acts, electronic bots, etc.

Disclosure: Mama was provided with a Holiday Survival Kit for the purposes to composing this post.  No monetary compensation was received and all opinions expressed here are my own.

This week’s featured Mama of the week is Erica from the blog Mommy’s Fabulous.  Erica is the busy mom to a toddler and an infant.  She feels blessed to have a girl and a boy and remarked that they are done!  Eric is works at home full time currently.  She said, “Before last summer, I worked outside of the home full time. I am a writer/marketer/social media manager. I wear a lot of hats, but I primarily work in health care. Before I had my own company, I used to think, “Wow, my job would be so awesome if I could just hang out and talk to my friends all day.” And, with all the social media work I do, I feel like I am doing my dream job. I am really passionate about health care communications, social media and blogging. I love it all.”

Erica’s business is called Fabulous Communications. She was blogging at Mommy’s Fabulous prior to starting her business and wanted to tie in her business to her blog. On her website, www.fabulouscommunications.com, you’ll find information about her marketing and writing consultations that specializes in digital and print media marketing, social media management and content strategy for businesses and health care.

In discussing social media, Erica explained the following:

Way back in the day before “social media” there was this thing called “word of mouth.” It’s how you learned about businesses, brands, products and services. Today, we post questions on our walls, search resumes on LinkedIn and interact with brands on Twitter. It’s different, but it’s the same. Social media has helped small businesses find their voices, and has allowed customers and potential customers to explore a brand before they try – or maintain a relationship once they are connected. For me, social media has let me do what I do best- interact and promote with other people via conversations. That’s what I enjoy the most. My husband and I met online in 2004 – before the explosion of social media, but I would surmise we would have connected on Facebook if we met today.

Parenting presents many joys and challenges.  Erica enjoys teaching her children new things, and watching them interact with one another. She mentioned that her “absolute favorite thing about being a parent is never being able to go to the bathroom alone. Who knew I spent 32 years not knowing the joy of having company while I go to the bathroom?”  This is something that many moms seem to discover!  A challenge for Erica is having patience with her children.  She wants to encourage her daughter to do things for herself, but at times it is hard to not do them for her.  Her advice to new parents is to encourage them to develop patience, as each stage of parenting presents different tests of patience.  Whether it’s dealing with an infant that cannot communicate with you besides crying or a toddler who takes forever to complete minor tasks or a teen who needs to learn from their own mistakes, patience is a characteristic of parenting that repeats throughout the ages of development.

The best advice about parenting Erica was given was about sleep schedules.  She said, “I had no idea how important sleep was, and while sleep training was difficult in the beginning, the payoff is SO worth the trouble. “

Erica enjoys taking her kids out on the weekends.  As a family they visit Sesame Place, the Please Touch Museum, and the Philadelphia Zoo.  They also really enjoy visiting the boardwalk.  Erica and her daughter are also fans of crafts and Play Doh!  Erica said, “my toddler loves driving us crazy, playing with dog food, and running away from us in parking lots. Oh yes, this is a fun stage My 4-month-old currently enjoys sleeping through the night, smiling and batting at toys on his playmat. Obviously, he is the easier of the two.”

Erica mentioned that she “hates cooking but it is a necessary evil… or is it? Here is my favorite recipe.”  Erica has a great sense of humor!  To relax Erica enjoys editing home movies, as she is a video editor by trade.  “I haven’t had time to do it in a while, but I love editing them to music, and creating non-traditional “home movies” that we all like to watch. I also love to exercise – and to just zone with music and sweat in a Spinning class or running in the park.”

You can catch up with Erica on her website, on her Facebook page, or on Twitter!

Thanks so much Erica for being a featured mama of the week!

This is the season for children’s consignment sales. Seasonal consignment sales offer a unique venue for families to sell items their children no longer use and others a chance to purchase the same items at a fraction of regular retail prices. Sales set up shop for a weekend or a few days in the spring and fall. Some sales also offer a holiday sale around December that specializes in toys and holiday clothes. Here are some tips for successfully shopping one of these events. Mark your calendars for the Kidzsignments Fall/Holiday event (November 17-19 at 76 Reaville Avenue (next to McDonalds) in Flemington). Check out our website at www.NJKidSale.com for more information and complete sale schedule.

Find a Sale

Pick a sale that best fits you. Consider how far you’re willing to travel, sale hours, how popular the sale (the more popular usually means the more crowded), what they sell (not all sell car seats or maternity clothing), what payments they will accept etc. A large sale is usually worth the drive, but don’t rule out smaller less popular sales that may not have a large quantity, but will likely still have quality items for sale. Google your area using keywords ‘children’s consignment sale’ to find one in your area.  If you find a sale you enjoy, join their email list to stay informed.

Make a List

Like grocery shopping, it’s never a good idea to walk into a consignment sale without a list – your plan. Take a few minutes prior to the sale to write out what you’re looking to buy. This goes for clothing, sports equipment, books etc. Don’t forget to specify sizes too.

Set a Budget

Walking into a consignment sale for the first time can be overwhelming. There are thousands of GREAT things to buy and the prices are always great. If you don’t set a limit, you will likely over spend. Consider shopping with cash to avoid the urge to buy more with a credit card. Please note that not all sales will accept credit cards for payment.

Leave the Kids at Home

Some sales restrict if or when children may attend. It’s never a great idea to bring your children even if a sale allows. It’s usually stressful to shop anywhere with a child but a consignment sale can be even tougher because of the crowds and lines.  It’ll be more fun for everyone if you can leave the little ones at home.

Shop Early

Most sales allow sellers and volunteers to shop before the public. This can be the difference it makes to ensure you get the ‘best’ deal, and not just the ‘good’ deals. You don’t have be a consignor to shop early. Check sale websites for opportunities to volunteer a few hours to earn a preview shopping pass. Some sales offer First-time moms an opportunity to register for an early shopping pass (rules will vary per sale). Visit the sale website for specifics on early shopping opportunities. If you plan on shopping the first public day, be sure to arrive early, up to an hour, to get in line.

Grab Your Tools

Having the right tools will make your shopping much easier. Use string to measure your child’s waist and length to use when shopping for pants/skirts. You can use cardboard to trace an outline of their feet to help with shoe or snow boot sizes. You can also keep a list of clothing and shoe sizes when shopping. If the sale allows, bring a wagon, basket or rubber bin to hold you items while you shop. It is also a good idea to come in a vehicle large enough to hold your purchases (especially if you are shopping for train tables, infant gear or furniture).

Shop Strategically

When you first arrive make a beeline for the items you want most. Ask about ‘HOLD’ areas or marking items ‘SOLD’ to avoid carrying (or dragging) heavy loads. When shopping for clothing hold an item if it is a “maybe”, instead of returning only to find it gone. Don’t forget that the last day of a sale is usually a discount day. And don’t make the assumption that nothing good would remain on the final day of a sale. Many overpriced items can be snatched up on half price day when the price is right.

Think Outside the Box

Most people think of consignment sales as a less expensive way to buy clothing, toys and baby gear for their family. But consider buying birthday, holiday and other gifts at a consignment sale. Many consignors are selling brand new items – similar to what you may find at WalMart or Target. Some larger sales offer brand new products lines like Melissa & Doug for sale at a discount.  You may also find vendors at some sales selling homemade items or hard to find items.

Know Your Prices/Brands

Consignors are usually responsible for setting their own prices. Don’t assume every price is a ‘good price’. Know the higher end brands (i.e. Baby Gap, Gymboree, Janie & Jack) which will be priced higher AND the lower end (i.e Jumping Beans, Circo, Kid Connection, Faded Glory) which should be priced lower. Take advantage of your SmartPhone to check Ebay or retail store websites (i.e. Target.com) to compare pricing.  Remember, consignment stores will not negotiate pricing or take items back if you find them cheaper somewhere else.

Inspect Your Items

Be sure to double check your finds before paying for them.  Check the sizes on the garment label. Be careful when buying clothing sets to ensure all pieces are the same size. Most sales inspect items during drop off, but it’s always a good idea to look for stains, holes or make sure toys work and have all the pieces. Double check your movies to make sure the correct DVD is inside and check books for tears and writing. Remember, most sales don’t accept returns.

Laurie Owens lives in Flemington, NJ and is the mother of 3 children and owner of Kidzsignments Childrens Consignment Sale. She organizes semi-annual events in Edison and Flemington (Nov 17-19). If you’d like to learn more about her consignment sale, visit her website at www.NJKidSale.com.

Every mom of little kids I know has a snack in her bag for her little ones.  I know I usually carry several!  When my son was little it was always cheerios or goldfish, as I frequently found them in the bottom of my diaper bag or on the floor of the car/in the car seat! I’ve had my share of snack cups and have some I like, some that just didn’t work, despite best intentions.  Recently I had the chance to try out the Platex Twist ‘n Click Snacker and the Platex Twist ‘n Click bowl set to see if they could stand up to my kiddo.

The Platex Twist ‘n Click Snacker is a 9 ounce clear colored plastic cup with a contrasting colored solid plastic lid that clicks shut on the top.  Remove the lid by sliding it off and flipping it and snapping it to the bottom of the cup and find a soft plastic star shaped opening that lets little hands reach in while keeping snacks inside and spill resistant.  This snack cup is fairly sturdy: I threw it across the room twice (empty) to see how it held up.  The lid stayed attached to the handle and the top of the snack cup did not open.  My son tested it out and said that the soft opening was easy to use and did not hurt his hand.  I love that the plastic cup is dishwasher safe and BPA free.  It is recommended for ages 12 months plus.

Platex Twist 'n Click Snacker

The Platex Twist ‘n Click Bowl also holds 9 ounces and is made of the same BPA free plastic.  The colored clear bowl has a solid colored lid that is leak proof and easily locked on.  After lining up the small arrows on the rim of the lid and bowl, twist the lid shut and hear the click to know that the contents of the bowl are secure and the seal is tight.  This container is dishwasher and microwave safe, and it stacks easily for storage.  What I like about this bowl and lid is that it is the perfect size for storing leftovers.  I can toss this in my bag for when we go out to eat in restaurants and bring the leftovers of my son’s meal home with us without wasting one of those Styrofoam take-out containers.  This Twist ‘n Click bowl fits into our attempts at being more environmentally green by being less wasteful.  To test this bowl to be sure it was leak proof, I partially filled one bowl with some water, sealed the lid and tossed it around the kitchen.  It did not leak!  It did take me a bit of time to figure out how to properly seal the lid, as there were no instructions on the package about lining up the arrows.  I also have some difficulty with my hands’ strength, as I have carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands, one fixed with surgery.  After some practice, I was able to manipulate the lids on the bowls and get them to properly seal.  I suggest trying out the lids before filling the bowls, just to be sure and prevent possible leaks if the lid isn’t sealed correctly.

Platex Twist 'n Click Bowls

Both the Twist ‘n Click bowl and snacker come in different colors.  I sort of have a pet peeve with storage containers being sexed by color (pink for girls, blue for boys) but that certainly does not affect the effectiveness of the product!  I guess the good thing about having colored storage containers makes it easy to tell in the refrigerator which containers are for the kids versus the adults.  A cool feature of both the bowls and the snacker cup is that there is a space on the bottom of each to write a child’s name in marker.  This is a great feature when you have several kids and the same colored container or for sending to day care or school.

I’ve used Platex sippy cups for several years and know that the company makes a good product.  Adding these storage solutions to their line of products is helpful to parents!  Both of these products are available from Babies R Us.

Giveaway!

Want a chance to try out both of these storage and snacking solutions for yourself and your child?  Enter our giveaway here to win both the Twist ‘n Click Snacker and Bowl products from Platex.  Leave a comment on this blog post and  share your kids’ favorite snack if you’d like.  For a second entry, tweet about this giveaway and comment leaving your twitter handle.  An example tweet could be I entered to #win a set of Platex Twist ‘n Click bowls and snack cup from @MamasLtlHelper! http://ht.ly/77AzG #giveaway #kids

Important! One winner will be selected from all of the comments using Random.org.  The winner will have 48 hours to respond to an email from Mama’s Little Helper or the prize will be forfeited.  This giveaway ends on Tuesday November 8. 2011 at 10:00 pm EST.  Good luck and happy snacking!

Disclosure:  I received one set of bowls and a snack cup for the purpose of this review and giveaway.  The opinions expressed are mine.  No financial compensation was received.  Platex is providing and distributing the prize.

This week’s Featured Mama of the Week is Jean Marie Keenan-Johnston, a mom to two little girls; one is almost four years old and the other is two. Jean Marie was employed as an eighth grade teacher at a charter school until she became disabled and was later diagnosed with fibromyalgia.  This past spring, she was also diagnosed with breast cancer.  She blogs about her life experiences with her disability and illness at We Vow for Worse or for Worse, sharing what life is like living with disabilities.  Jean Marie was gracious enough to share her story with Mama’s Little Helper despite being a few weeks post double mastectomy surgery and just days post hernia repair surgery!  She is an amazing woman and mother, and this is her story, mostly in her own words.

Jean Marie Keenan-Johnston and her daughters

Jean Marie and her husband went from being newlyweds to expectant parents in a matter of days and were very happy about it!  Starting a family was very exciting for them.  They now have two beautiful little girls who both enjoy singing, dancing and music, playing dress up and being crafty with mom.  Sharing hobbies and interests with the girls is something that Jean Marie really enjoys about being a parent.  While she would encourage them to do whatever activity they found interesting, she loves that they both enjoy craft activities, even if the youngest isn’t quite ready developmentally to participate all the time.  Being a teacher and a mom helps Jean Marie in providing educationally appropriate activities for both girls.

Being a stay at home mom due to health reasons has also been a blessing.  Jean Marie is grateful to have time at home with her girls while they are young.  She said, “it may create lots of limitations for my family when it comes to income, but I prefer to look at it as a blessing since it gives me the opportunity to watch my children enjoy their childhood and reach each and every special milestone, something I would have missed out on if I was teaching other people’s children instead.”

Regarding handling challenges as a parent, Jean Marie shared the following:

Until recently, my greatest challenge was my disability, fibromyalgia.  I was diagnosed when my daughter was eight months old, over a year after my symptoms started during my first pregnancy.  Fibromyalgia took away a lot of my independence, endurance and stamina as well as qualities that made me the kind of teacher I was proud to be, such as excellent reading comprehension, grammar and spelling, a good memory, strong organizational and problem-solving skills, and the abilities to multi-task and quickly change my course of action when the need presented itself.  As a mom, I had to find ways to do things differently.  For example, diaper changes were done only in the living room to reduce the amount of lifting that needed to be done. When my oldest was 10 months old, I was no longer able to take her (and later her sister) out without help as I was unable to get her in and out of car seats, high chairs, or strollers without difficulty. I found I was only able to drive short distances from my home. My ability to do housework was greatly affected too, and many days cooking dinner was impossible.  So my husband and I had to find ways to work around my difficulties.  Unfortunately since my husband doesn’t know how to cook very much, we relied heavily on takeout or easy-to-prepare meals on the nights I couldn’t cook, but I did my best to be sure we had lots of healthy foods in the house to balance it out.  Routines were created to work around my limitations, and we had to rely on family, friends and other helpers to help get the girls and me out of the house for fun.  It was only recently that I was able to take my oldest out with me for easy errands because she’s now old enough to help get herself in and out of the car.

Once the cognitive dysfunction set in, I realized I couldn’t keep this condition to myself.  I was starting to upset newly found friends by misspeaking, and my memory problems were affecting my relationships as well.  I didn’t want to upset others by canceling plans with little explanation.  So I made a very difficult decision to share my condition with others so they knew all the personal faults that come with it and can understand why I need to say no so often as well as why I’m the sore, tired self I become after a very busy day with them.  Some activities put me out of commission for several days, so I had to figure out what I could do and what I needed to say no to in order to be able to care for my children afterwards.

This past spring, after dealing with fibromyalgia for about 3 1/2 years, I was diagnosed with Stage 3A breast cancer.  I’ve been hospitalized three times, had three surgeries and two transfusions, and completed six cycles of chemotherapy.  I still have two surgeries ahead of me as well as six weeks of radiation that will require daily trips to the hospital.  While my chemo is finished, I still need Herceptin treatments every three weeks that will be completed next May.  I’m also starting Tamoxifen in the coming months.  Cancer has been a huge hurdle for me as a parent.  I’m lucky enough to have a great support system.  My husband is a teacher, so he was able to be available the entire summer to accompany me on my treatment appointments.  When he wasn’t available, my father took me.  This was extremely important to me because chemotherapy caused my fibromyalgia to flare badly, affecting my ability to drive even more than usual.  My mother lived at our house for days on end to care for my children and help me get through the tougher days of side effects.  Friends and family took my children for full days of play date fun or they dropped off dinners for my culinary-challenged husband.  My Facebook page has been covered with supportive comments and prayers for my recovery as well as wishes of strength for my family to get through this!  I haven’t had one day that I felt alone during this journey! However no matter how many friends and loved ones tell me I need to put myself first in this fight, as a mother it’s been probably the toughest part of this fight!  I have a very strong caregiver personality which explains my desire to go into teaching as young as fifth grade.  This whole time I have been very concerned about how my children are getting through all of this.  Their very limited social life (due to my disability) seems even more reduced.  I’ve seen evidence of their difficulty dealing with my many “disappearances” due to treatments, surgeries and doctors’ appointments in their behavior.  My oldest is still having problems completing her potty training, and my youngest has had problems at different times with separation anxiety when I leave.  But we’re all just dealing with everything the best we can, one day at a time.  Cancer can impose stress on pretty much every aspect of life…financial stresses as we deal with greater medical expenses and the need for even more help than usual; fear of the unknown as I start each new step in the treatment process; physical and emotional stresses as we all deal with the side effects of treatment, whether it be me suffering the side effects, my husband acting as my caregiver while trying to work full-time and care for our children, or my children trying to figure out as a toddler and preschooler what’s going on with Mommy and why is she still too sick to spend time with us.  Those who care about me tell me everyone else is doing just fine and I should worry about me getting better, but I don’t know how to stop worrying about those I love.  I’ve fought for over four years to attain a balance with fibromyalgia, and I’ve been unsuccessful.  Having cancer isn’t going to just magically make “balance” appear.

My fight against both cancer and fibromyalgia is far from over, but I know I’m not in this alone!!!  I am forever grateful to my husband, my parents and other family, and my friends for all the endless love and support they’ve shown me!  They’ve done everything within their power to take away added stress so I can focus on winning the fight of my life.  And they’ve been working hard to give my girls the childhood they deserve despite the obstacles Mommy’s health has imposed.  I’m very blessed, and for that I’m thankful!

Jean Marie Keenan-Johnston

Through everything medically Jean Marie is dealing with, she is still parenting her daughters to grow into healthy, strong, and kind people.  She wants her daughters to understand the importance of standing strong for oneself.  Through everything she has experienced in the past four years she said she has “learned who my real friends are, I’ve learned how to be my own advocate when it comes to finding answers, and I’ve learned I have an inner strength I never knew I had.  I knew I was strong, but I don’t think I’ve ever known the true strength and optimism I was capable of until I really had to open my eyes wide enough to see it!  I want my daughters to see how hard I fought to be well so they can know how to do the same if their lives ever call for it.  And I want my daughters to also understand why I have shared my story with others, in the hopes of showing others they’re not alone in their fight!  Just as important, I want them to see how love helps pull you through tough times and how when you love someone you do your best to stand by their side and help them find the strength they need to overcome.  While I did have a huge support system while battling cancer, there were some who I never expected to completely disappear from my life.  I want my daughters to learn that’s not acceptable…you don’t do that for people you love who depend on you.  No matter how busy you are or how tough it may seem to remain strong for them, you stand strong by the side of your friends and family when they need you.”

Thank you Jean Marie, for sharing so much insight into parenting while dealing with disabilities and medical issues.  Mama’s Little Helper wishes you and your family well during your healing journey!

Jean Marie Keenan-Johnston and her family

“BARNUM” PRESENTED BY RITZ THEATRE COMPANY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PSCA

Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, children of all ages… step right up to for a first rate glance at the jugglers, clowns, trapeze artists and original ring leader of them all… Mr. P.T. Barnum!  The Ritz Theatre, in partnership with Philadelphia School of Circus Arts, presents “Barnum,” between Thursday, October 20, 2011 through Saturday, November 19, 2011, at Ritz Theatre Company.  Performances take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30pm, Sundays at 2:00pm, and Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm. Written by Mark Bramble, with music by Cy Coleman and lyrics by Michael Stewart, Ritz Theatre Company gives a fresh, exciting new look to this classic American Musical. Based on the life of showman P.T. Barnum, this spectacle takes you to a world like you’ve never seen before! Here lies a rare gem that offers everything from traditional musical theatre to the tantalizing stir of excitement that one can only find waiting underneath the big top!  “Barnum” proudly features the aerial talents of PSCA performer and instructor Jackie Zalewski.  Performances take place at  Ritz Theatre Company, 915 White Horse Pike, Arts District, Haddon Township, NJ 08107. For ticket information, direction and additional details, please visit www.ritztheatreco.org.

At Ritz Theatre Company, 915 White Horse Pike, Arts District, Haddon Twp, NJ 08107

Thursday, October 20, 2011 – Saturday, November 19, 2011

Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30pm, Sundays at 2:00pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm

Cost: $20.00 – $35.00

Barnum

About Philadelphia School of Circus Arts

PSCA is the region’s center of contemporary circus arts.  PSCA presents professional and student productions during the year.  Seasoned faculty lead a curriculum featuring aerials (static trapeze, corde lisse, aerial silks and lyra), juggling, unicycling, tightwire, tumbling, acrobatics, Chinese pole, and physical conditioning.  In addition to ongoing classes, PSCA also offers introductory workshops, birthday parties, rental space, summer camp and special guest performances.  For information, visit www.phillycircus.com.

You can also find more information about the Philadelphia Circus by checking them out on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube!

Website: www.phillycircus.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/phillycircus
Twitter: twitter.com/PhillyCircus
Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/phillycircus

Enter to win tickets to see “Barnum!”

Want to win a family four pack of tickets for Sunday, October 23 at the 2:00 pm performance?   Leave a comment on this post about your favorite thing about the circus to enter for a chance to win tickets.  One winner will be chosen using Random.org and contacted via email and will have 24 hours to reply to the email with details required to receive tickets.  Tickets will be held at the will-call window.  Contest ends Wednesday, October 19th  at 10:00 pm EST.  Good Luck!!

Halloween is just a few weeks away!  Have your kids picked out costumes yet or come up with any clever ideas?  Do you buy costumes or make them?  My son has changed his mind at least a half dozen times about what he wants to be.  He is four this year and is finally understanding more about getting dressed up, although he keeps asking if he can wear the same costume he wore last year, a mail carrier.  Then he wants to be a fire fighter, or an Imagination Mover!  We have an assortment of costumes at this point, so he will be able to choose what he wants to wear from what is available when Halloween finally arrives.  A tip I learned was to buy Melissa and Doug brand dress up clothing for costumes, because then the costumes can be used all year long as dress up and they come with all the accessories needed.  Using a coupon at A.C. Moore made the fire fighter costume I bought a great deal!

There are several costume swaps going on this month, so check with your schools, churches and moms clubs to see if they are hosting one.  A costume swap is a great way to get new to your kids costumes without spending a dime.  Usually you are able to bring in as many gently used costumes as you want and bring home the same number of “new” costumes from the event.  (There was a Philadelphia Costume Swap held last weekend, did you go??)  Another great way to go is to swap costumes with a bunch of your mom friends to see if there is another way to recycle last years costume.  Local consignment shops and Goodwill/Thrift stores often have great choices at low costs too.

So what are your favorite kids’ Halloween costume ideas?

Introducing an Alternative to the Brazilian Blowout that is Chemical free!

Kenkōna Luxury Beautifying Treatment, a subsidiary of Tyent USA, announces the launch of their new salon hair and scalp treatment that makes unruly hair finally behave beautifully, and without the use of chemicals. Women who are candidates for the Brazilian Blowout but have tried the new Kenkōna Luxury Beautifying Treatment are ecstatic! Why? Because the new Kenkōna treatment is simple, all natural and works…and in just 10 minutes!

For the launch, Kenkōna has partnered with D’Nicole Salon in Sewell, NJ where the launch will be held on October 19th, 2011 from 9am to 2pm. Prizes will be given and vendors will be there to entertain the women who will have their hair transformed by the luxurious treatment.  D’Nicole Salon is located at 309 Fries Mill Rd # 2, Sewell, NJ 08080-9283, (856) 582-2211.

Giveaways include:

40- FREE Kenkōna Luxury Hair Treatments (first come, first serve)
200-FREE $20 salon gift certificates (first come, first serve)
A chance on becoming a Guest Star in the Kenkōna Video!

While Kenkōna is not a permanent treatment, it allows women to achieve similar results to the Brazilian Blowout without the use of the dangerous chemicals that the FDA claims to produce cancer causing vapors from the drying and heating of the product’s ingredient methylene glycol, the liquid form of formaldehyde.
Women with very curly or unruly hair have said that the Kenkōna Treatment has cut their styling time to less than half, while easily eliminating frizz without the use of anti-humectants, silicones or waxy substances found in their normal styling product arsenal. Jackie Gurk of Philadelphia who has damaged, unruly hair exclaims, “I was amazed by the results! My hair has never been so soft and silky! I couldn’t stop touching it. It felt 110 percent restored in just one session!”

Benefits of the Kenkōna Strengthening Setting

-Strengthens & conditions
-Soothes scalp irritation and itch after a hair color process
-Helps prevent color fade
-Adds shine, body & fullness
-Makes hair softer & more manageable
-Detangles
-Locks in moisture
-Will not weigh hair down

One Treatment…All Hair Types

Kenkōna is great for all hair types. For thicker, coarser hair, Kenkōna locks down the cuticle making coarse hair smoother, shinier and more manageable. Since light reflects off of smooth surfaces, the shine found after the cuticle is smoothed down with Kenkōna is luminous.

Dina Talvachio, who has coarse, curly hairs says, “I can’t believe it’s real…normally, to straighten my hair it takes over an hour and a half, plus a load of products, and after just one Kenkōna treatment, my hair is dry and straight in 15 minutes without any smoothing products. This Kenkōna treatment is going to change my life.”
The Kenkōna treatment uses advanced ionic technology to deeply strengthen and condition the hair. Antioxidants penetrate deeply into the hair cuticle. Kenkōna is gentle, yet effective and never strips the beneficial natural lipids of the hair and scalp the way chemical- based products do.

Kenkōna Luxury Beautifying Treatment…Feel the Difference, Witness the Beauty!

References:

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/health&id=8345262
http://www.stylelist.com/2011/09/09/brazilian-blowout-fda-dangerous_n_956155.html?just_reloaded=1

Kenkona is a subsidiary of Tyent USA Water Ionizers. Over 30 years of research have been conducted in Japan & Korea on the benefits of ionized alkaline water, where water ionizers exist in 1 in 5 households and are prevalent in hospitals as medical devices. Tyent USA, after 7 years in the US, has made a significant impact on the industry. Tyent ionizers are used by countless doctors, medical professionals, athletes (including Olympic medalists) and celebrities who are turning to ionized water as an alternative treatment for wellness and beauty.

Disclosure: Mama’s Little Helper is not associated in any way with this opportunity.  This is just an informational post for our readers.  If you are interested in more information regarding this event or the product, please contact Edan Cohen at 267-968-8743, edan@tyentusa.com
www.kenkona.com
www.tyentusa.com

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