Donate Baby items and Baby clothes plus Toddler clothes and toys: The crisis pregnancy centers and local woman’s shelter can use your good, clean clothes and baby items. Also, great for your maternity clothes . Of course there are many resale stores where you can receive credit for your clothes and find larger sizes for your little ones at the same time.

Donate Pet food, pet toys and dog and cat treats: You can donate these to your local pet rescue (find them with a simple online search or go to your pet store and ask), your local animal center or animal shelter or boarding and grooming business. They love to have old blankets and newspaper also!

Recycle Readable Magazines and Newspapers (and Books): Give them to a nursing home, senior centers, hospital or women’s shelter. Newspapers are sometimes welcome there as well, if not check the pet idea above.

Donate Craft supplies, art paper and art supplies: Again senior centers, nursing homes, hospitals or women’s shelters or try after school programs in your area.Ask your church if they need the supplies for craft time.

Donate Career and Business Clothing: Give someone assistance in improving themselves by providing clothing for their job interviews. Locate your local community assisting programs and donate those good business attire pieces (jewlery, shoes, purses as well as seperates).

Reuse Eyeglasses: Give to the Lions Club for Recycle for Sight program online or check with your eye care center.

Recycle Computers: The National Cristina Foundation places refurbished computers in educational and training organizations for people who have special needs or are economically disadvantaged. Information on how to donate and the many types of computer equipment they accept is on their web site.

Recycle Cell Phones: Put those cell phones to good use again by donating your old cell phone to Cell Phones for Soldiers. Make a difference for a soldier and their family by helping our soldiers serving overseas to call home. Check out the various options for donating a phone and assisting with this encouraging program.

I am sure you have many household items to recycle and donate, get creative and think of those in your community who could use the encouragement of your donation. It is always good to give!

What you need…
Mesh Bags (like the ones onions, apples, or oranges come in)
Dryer Lint
Bits of Thread and Yarn

How you do it…
Stuff the mesh bags with dryer lint and short pieces of thread and yarn (supervise younger children).  Hang the bags high in trees and shrubs where birds can find them.  They will use the lint, thread and yarn in their nest-making.

Even though the “traditional cold season” is supposed to end in late winter, its important for parents to remember that your family can still catch a cold at any time of the year. According to the CDC, last year’s influenza season officially peaked the week of February 4-10. And we all know that with the fluctuation of temperatures, the germs seem to grow regardless what season it is.

To help families keep homes healthy and tackle germs on their own terms, Dr. Kelly Reynolds – a public health researcher, professor from the University of Arizona and mother of three – has partnered with The Clorox Company to launch a Help Hotline (which is live now), 1-888-MIC-MOMY.

All of us need to be reminded at times, or we can call in with our questions for this microbiologist mom to answer.

Call today – 1-888-MIC-MOMY – to listen to the useful, common sense tips as to how to keep homes healthier year around.

As an adult it doesn’t look all that appealing to me, but putting the characters in their correct seats (of course they had to enter the rocket by stepping three times on the steps), closing the cover and having it make sounds is exciting each time for this 3 year old. I will admit the sounds are annoying to me while other adults don’t find them that way – hey, what child’s toy doesn’t make sound?

This would appeal to the child in the 2 – 4 year old range when repetition and putting little plastic “people” in their correct places is at it’s strongest.

Lil’ Duck was delighted on Christmas morning to find a toy where he could take it out and have some good ol’ fun and have the Whac-A-Mole Game light up and giggle back at him. I was pleased to discover that there are various levels of play with a flip of a switch and it does teach the child to listen for their tune rather than just randomly whacking away. Another bonus is the child can play solo or with up to 4 players so this would make a good multi-age game for families.

Bringing a newborn into the home is exciting, but it can also be a major upset for the family dog, especially if he’s used to free reign in the house. Fortunately, Canine behavior specialist Kelly Beasley of Camp Bow Wow can provide dog owners with easy tips and tutorials for getting Fido on his best baby-ready behavior:

• Bring your furry friend to the vet for a check up and vaccination update.
• Nip bad behavior in the bud. Visit an animal behavior specialist to make sure your pal knows how to mind his manners!
• Bring on the crying! Get Fido used to hearing baby noises months ahead by playing recordings and turning on baby gear like bouncers and swings.
• Get into a routine. Although junior may not arrive for another few weeks, get your furry sidekick used to baby activities to make the transition easier. A great tip is to carry around a toy doll and use the stroller on your afternoon walks.
• Make sure your furry pal does not get lost in the shuffle when you arrive home from the hospital. Greet him with a warm and calm welcome before introducing him to the newcomer.
• Lastly, don’t forget about your furry friend when creating your birthing plan. Make sure Fido has a place to stay, like Camp Bow Wow, which provides your pup with a friendly and warm home away from home. Camp Bow Wow also makes a great reprieve for overtired new parents.

For more information or to schedule interviews with an Animal Behavior expert from Camp Bow Wow please contact Kate Dowdle

Looking for good Christian music for your children? Tired of dumbed down lyrics and low quality music? You will enjoy the group, Go Fish. They have lyrics that teach with quality music that parents and children enjoy. We have enjoyed this trio for years and are delighted that they have children’s music for Lil’ Duck (he LOVES their songs) and we love listening to it! (I love it for workout music too.)

Being a musical family, vocal and instrumental quality with the good lyrics are so important and is amazing in the sounds they create with just their voices and percussion.

Using music to teach is a proven, enjoyable way to memorize, so you need to listen to the new spin on a classic Sunday school activity – memorizing the books of the Bible in the song titled “Bible Book Bop”. What fun!

Dads, here is a tip for a special Mother’s Day gift she will never forget – have the children learn “The Mom Song” which was inspired by the group’s participation at MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) conventions. And if you want tears, listen to the song, “You’re My Little Girl”. For a new baby, try “Welcome to the World”.

Visit Go Fish on Amazon to listen to sample sound clips and/or download this delightful songs.

What goes up the ladder? What goes down the trap door? All types of play cars of course! With a pre-schooler’s imagination, any toy can play in the Tree House…and you thought only little play people would want to play in on the different levels and climb the rope, how boring! The cars are the creatures of choice at the moment, they even lounge in the hammock…

Thankfully this Wooden Tree House is very durable (should be after all the pieces and connections Mommy and Daddy had to put together and already has many hours of play in the land of imagination for older toddlers and pre-schoolers. Well worth the investment and will be used far longer than many other toys.

Let us share some ideas we have used and please, share your suggestions as well – you are a most creative group!

Ways for Children to Say Thank You…

1. Draw a picture of the toy. Have the child draw a picture of the toy and let their imagination run with the idea. If they are too young, label the picture and any comments the child made while creating this unique thank you. Be sure this is immediately given in person or mailed – a thank you not given isn’t much good…

2. Have several people to thank for this one picture? Take a photo of the drawing (get as close as possible, fill the whole picture frame with the drawing and do not tilt the drawing – this will give you the best photo quality. If it is digital, you could email it, otherwise, print right away and send promptly.

3. Schedule a play date with the giver so the child and the giver can enjoy the gift together.

4. Photograph your child playing with the gift and send to the giver. Have several gifts to thank a giver for? Make sure several of the gifts are in the same photo, even if only in the background – maybe it seems staged, but it works for a busy mom!

5. A family tradition in my husband’s family when he was young, was to gather all his gifts after opening for Christmas or a birthday, and take a photo. Of course as a child, he complained, but now it is one of our favorite type of photos in his scrapbook – brings back many memories.

6. When you have a list of people to thank, the most efficient method might be to order one of our multi-photo thank you cards and you can share the joy with the photos taken at the gift opening.

7. If your child is chatty, have them call the giver. We always liked to have the children call when they had drawn or written the thank you since their enthusiasm was bubbling over and, hopefully, this is communicated.

Please remember to show your children there are various ways to express appreciation and most importantly, that appreciation needs to be expressed, otherwise what good is it?

Please share ways you have your children say “thank you” – I know you have creative ideas to share!