MOM CONFESSIONALS

Mathematics illuminates patterns that abound in our lives, providing clarity and structure. Explore surprising aspects of math in the Math Midway, a fun-filled exhibition from the Museum of Mathematics. This traveling exhibition runs from now until January 22, 2010 and provides an interactive, hands-on tour of mathematical concepts, all in a colorful, carnival style.  Looking for things to do this upcoming holiday vacation? Take them to Liberty Science Center’s Math Midway.  It’s the perfect activity to engage the kids and keep their minds fresh!

Guests of all ages will delight in:

• Riding on a square-wheeled tricycle to discover why the ride is so smooth.
• Playing the Wheel of Chance – Pick three cards – which one is most likely to come up when you spin the wheel? Keep spinning until you’ve got a winner!
• Experimenting with the Ring of Fire, using a laser beam to find hidden shapes within shapes.
• Marveling at mind-bending mirrors.
• Creating a giant pattern or “tessellation,” of monkeys in a puzzle-like pattern.
• Getting into the swing of harmonics with the Mysterious Harmonograph, which creates beautiful swirling patterns on paper.
• And more!

Debuting at the 2009 World Science Festival Street Fair in New York City, the Math Midway has since delighted families and school groups throughout the country. It makes math fun for all ages!  From babies playing with the building blocks to adults riding the square wheeled tricycle.  The Math Midway is free with paid admission or membership to Liberty Science Center.

The Museum of Mathematics will have its grand opening in 2012 at 11 East 26th Street in Manhattan. Its mission is to enhance public understanding and perception of mathematics. Dynamic exhibits and programs will stimulate inquiry, spark curiosity and reveal the wonders of mathematics. Through these activities, a broad and diverse audience will understand the evolving, creative, human and aesthetic nature of mathematics. For more information about the ongoing development of America’s only Museum of Mathematics, or to join our effort, visit MoMath.org.The new Math Midway exhibit at Liberty Science Center explores surprising aspects of math, a fun-filled exhibition from the Museum of Mathematics.Experience Ride the Square-Wheeled Tricycle; Spin the Universal Wheel of Chance; Dare to challenge the Ring of Fire; Look at the Mind-bending Mirror!

GIVEAWAY: Liberty Science Center is giving away a Family 4-pack of tickets to one lucky Mom Confessionals family!  To ENTER, from now until November 15th 2011 you MUST subscribe to Mom Confessionals.  For additional entries – 1st Option – If you follow me on twitter @momconfessional and re-tweet this giveaway (I just entered @momconfessional’s @gotsci #LSCmath #Giveaway and you should too! http://wp.me/pLvfH-19z) – 2nd Option – If you “like” us on Facebook and share the giveaway with your friends. DON’T FORGET to visit this FORM and leave a separate entry for each action. Giveaway only open to those with U.S. addresses and must be 18 years or older. Giveaway ends on November 15th 2011 at 11:59 EST. A winner will be selected randomly by Random.org and notified by e-mail.

{ disclosure: photographs provided by Liberty Science Center }

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ONE Moms is a movement of moms everywhere using their extraordinary power to spread awareness for the fight against extreme poverty and something very near and dear to me, preventable diseases.  I am thrilled and honored to be ONE of these moms.  Ava and I recently sat down with some truly amazing moms doing their part and filmed this Call to Action and I hope you’ll join us!  These moms are leading a movement to promote education, engagement and activism on behalf of the world’s poorest.

It only takes ONE mom. That’s what we believe. ONE mom can make a difference; she can tell another mom’s story. She can help a child with homework; she can tweet, blog and use her voice for mothers in the world’s poorest places.  As I said in the video, “It only takes ONE mom to inspire hope.”  Won’t you be that ONE mom?  To learn more about ONE, please visit: http://www.one.org/us/actnow/moms/

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Rated E for Everyone, it really is for everyone!  As our very first Kinect game, I was thrilled it was something for everyone including the baby who is just shy of 2 years old and eager to join in the fun with his older sister (4.5 year old) and cousin (7.5 year old).  He really is a sad little monkey when they tell him he is just a baby and can only watch.  Oh and he LOVES Elmo!  Completely hands-free, there will be no knocking each other out with controllers as they get immersed in the game!

For one to two players, Kids (and adults too!) join their favorite Sesame Street characters Elmo, Cookie Monster, Oscar and Grover as they explore a long lost children’s book called Once Upon a Monster.  As we read (or be read to), everyone joins the story in a live 6-chapter storybook adventure.  Kids or parents can jump in and out of the game without interruption to the story.

While everyone is engaging in fun physical activities such as Monkey See, Monkey Do, playing instruments, flying and running obstacle courses, they are also learning social, emotional and other important life lessons guided by Sesame Workshop curriculum.  Hot off my Dance Central craze, darling daughter and I really got into the game.  We were laughing and working up a real sweat.  It made for a really fun Mommy and Me time!

Sesame Streets Once Upon a Monster is available exclusively for Xbox Kinect, the only way to play it! Bye, Bye Now!

{disclosure:  Mom Confessionals attended the launch party and received a copy of the game for review.  As always, all opinions expressed here are our very own!)

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My girl’s a total Barbie girl.  In fact last year, she was Rockstar Barbie!  We’re totally psyched about the Gilt Exclusive Grace Kelly “Rear Window” Barbie doll! Few things are more glamorous than Grace Kelly! The doll will launch globally in December but you can get it FIRST on Gilt Children! On October 25th at 12PM ET Gilt Children will kick off the Hollywood Royalty Barbie Sale. This sale features a range of dolls at a variety of prices so whether you are a mom looking for a collector item or want to gift your daughter it’s a sale you don’t want to miss! In addition to the Grace Kelly Rear Window Barbie doll, the sale will include other Grace Kelly Barbie dolls and a variety of Old Hollywood Barbie dolls like Elvis and Sinatra.  At only $34.95, the Grace Kelly Rear Window Barbie doll is a complete steal and will fast become a collector’s item!

“As the epitome of elegance and sophistication, the Grace Kelly Barbie Doll Collection celebrates her most iconic moments as a movie star, princess and icon. Collecting Barbie is a fun and fashionable way for modern moms to share a style story and inspire a special little girl in their life. Working exclusively with Gilt Children for the launch of the fourth Grace Kelly Barbie doll makes perfect sense as it is the style-centric shopping destination for savvy moms.” – Elizabeth Grampp, Director of Marketing, Barbie Collector

Don’t have a Gilt membership?  Get it here Barbie Girl!

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I wonder how parents do it.  Lately it seems that my little girl is growing leaps and bounds before my very eyes.  First it was her very first day of school and now her big move to her big girl bed!  From her adorable cute and small little toddler bed to a grown-up full-size bed.  I know!  A full-size bed!  I struggled with this too!  But remembering that day, months before she graced us with her appearance, standing at the furniture store, I assured my husband that a convertible bed was the best investment we could make.  Who knew he’d hold me to that!  Ever hear about the crazy pregnant lady?!

And now the day is here, having outgrown the toddler bed, she wanted a bigger bed.  Although I don’t think she realized how big her bed was going to be and her parents didn’t give enough thought to spacial arrangement.  Daddy abandoned the new full-size bed smack dab in the middle of the room and left me to figure it out.  Thank goodness, mom here (yea that’s me! tooting my own horn!) has some design sense and figured it all out.  I think I deserve a pat on the back for this creative design!

Welcome to Ava’s new room now including a reading nook! At first we were going to move the bookshelf against the wall along side her bureau drawer but I worried she might fall out of her bed which was now twice as high as her toddler bed.  Moving the bookshelf, back to bed, luckily a finished bookcase back, solved my dilemma and created a beautiful unintentional little reading nook.  She now also has a place bedside for her clock and a glass of water.

Here’s the irony — while Ava has upgraded to her big girl bed, Grandma decided she needed to downgrade to a twin-size bed.  Go figure!

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There is nothing I love more than when a brand partners with an organization to do good and create awareness.  This time it is baby staple, Maclaren!

Recently Maclaren was introduced to Tracy Seckler, founder of an organization called Charley’s Fund. Charley’s Fund directs money into the hands of researchers who have the best shot at developing a treatment or cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). The organization’s goal is to cure DMD in time to save Charley Seckler’s (the organizations namesake) life and the lives of thousands of boys like him. DMD is the most common fatal genetic disorder to affect children around the world.  Children with DMD cannot produce dystrophin, a protein necessary for muscle strength and function.  As a result, every skeletal muscle in the body deteriorates.  Although Duchenne is the most common fatal genetic disorder to affect children, sadly, there is no cure.

When Maclaren learned of this illness – which is commonly diagnosed when in boys only around the ages of 1 to 3 years – last year, their Chairman wanted to use the Maclaren name to help bring awareness of this disorder AND raise money to find a cure.  They created the Charley’s Fund “I Believe” Triumph buggy. The stroller will retail for $195 (and will include a special “I Believe” Universal Organizer and raincover).  While most companies donate a portion of their sales to a charity, Maclaren has gone above and beyond buy giving ALL proceeds from the sale directly to Charley’s Fund to support research to find a cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Many of us have family and friends who are either suffering from a terminal illness or disease or know of someone who does.  My family right now is dealing with my mother’s cancer diagnosis and in my job I am often meeting new families dealing with their own difficult diagnosis.  It’s through companies like Maclaren, taking the initiative, helping consumers make more thoughtful purchases, that there is hope.  If you’re in the market for a new umbrella stroller, won’t you consider a stroller that will help fund research for a now incurable, but soon to be curable disease?  With time and money, it is possible!

The stroller is available exclusively in Maclaren’s Online Store – http://www.shopmaclarenbaby.com/charleys-fund-i-believe-buggy/

To learn more about Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, please visit – http://bit.ly/r1rlLo or follow Charley’s Fund on Twitter (@charleysfund) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/charleysfund).

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Jennie Finch, USA Softball Player and Mom, is a Shout stain expert. Jennie has encountered her share stains between her years playing softball years and caring for her 4 ½ year old son, Ace and newborn baby boy, Diesel. Jennie has 27 Lessons for Life: On and Off The Field, offering lessons about life, laundry, play and stains each week on Shout’s Facebook page and Twitter handle.  I got a sneak preview of a few and here is one of my favorite tips to get you worrying less about stains and simply enjoying life:

So what’d you think?  Will you being carrying your camera every where?  I certainly do already!  If you know me, my camera is never far away and my kids know the lens real well.  They’re still young but I love going back and looking at all my photos of them since birth.  I love the ones that capture faces and moments only a mother could love.

GIVEAWAY: ONE (1) lucky reader will win a Shout caddy full of the entire Shout product line, Jennie’s brand new autographed book, and a Shout T-shirt!  To ENTER, from now until October 31st 2011 you MUST subscribe to Mom Confessionals.  For additional entries – 1st Option – If you follow me on twitter @momconfessional and re-tweet this giveaway (I just entered @momconfessional’s Shout #Giveaway and you should too! http://wp.me/pLvfH-18t) – 2nd Option – If you “like” us on Facebook and share the giveaway with your friends. DON’T FORGET to visit this FORM and leave a separate entry for each action. Giveaway only open to those with U.S. addresses and must be 18 years or older. Giveaway ends on October 31st 2011 at 11:59 EST. A winner will be selected randomly by Random.org and notified by e-mail.

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Designed around Sesame Workshop’s “Healthy Habits for Life” initiative which helps young children establish an early foundation of healthy habits, Sesame Street: Ready, Set, Grover! reinforces that message through game play. Kids will join their favorite Sesame Street characters like Elmo and Abby, playing through a serious of challenges laid out by Grover.  The game promotes physical activity, good nutrition, personal hygiene by exercising hand-eye coordination as well as their imaginations.  As I’m teaching my daughter how to brush her teeth properly and cover her mouth when sneezing, I appreciate the fun reinforcement from some of her favorite Sesame Street friends.  The game also teaches other critical skills such as counting, shape and color identification, classification, and listening comprehension which we can never get enough of.

Sesame Street: Ready, Set, Grover! for Nintendo DS comes with a FREE Grover jumbo-click stylus designed for smaller hands and a handy wrist strap.  Rated EC for Early Childhood and available nationwide, games like these help make embracing video games so much easier.  Ever since she’s gotten a DS it’s been a struggle to find games that aren’t just about play but learning too.  You can always count on Sesame Street to bring that component to the table.  On long road trips, I am perfectly okay with my daughter playing her Nintendo DS as long as she’s learning something.  Ready… Get Set… Get Ready, Set, Grover!

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Recently I was onhand as Christy Turlington Burns joined to celebrate the launch sale of Hatch by twobirds Collection on Gilt Children where a portion of proceeds will go to Christy’s charity, Every Mother Counts.

I have to admit that I was in attendance at the event because I am passionate about maternal and child health (as a mother-baby nurse by trade) and wholly support Christy’s charity and was excited to meet her in person but I was completely blown away by the Hatch by twobirds Collection, especially the dress that Christy wore that night.   Christy showed an excerpt from her debut documentary, No Woman No Cry followed by a Q&A. Christy’s documentary and discussion were extremely touching and women in the room were soon asking what they could do to help.  I picked up some simple ways to get involved and the first thing I did when I got home was look up how to donate my old cellphone to Hope Phones.  Every Mother Counts is an advocacy and mobilization campaign to increase support for maternal and child health. Gilt Children, Hatch and Gilt City are happy to help raise awareness and funds for this campaign.

Gilt Children is exclusively launching the Hatch Collection before it is available anywhere else. The sale kicked off yesterday at 12 PM ET and runs until September 30th. Gilt members will get 20% off and a portion of the proceeds will go to Christy’s charity, Every Mother Counts. You can visit the sale by going to: http://www.gilt.com/sale/children/hatch-maternity-appa . Gilt Children is passionate about offering the best products for moms, babies and kids and this beautiful, innovative collection gave Gilt amazing opportunity to do so while also raising awareness for a global cause. Check it out!

If you don’t have an account, click here for your invitation to join!

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Written by Dr. JJ Levenstein, M.D., FAAP, president and co-founder of MD Moms
With the school year under way, children’s health should be a top priority for every family. Whether your little one has just started pre-school or is back to high school after a long summer break, making sure your child is healthy is vital to academic success. The following tips will ensure the entire family stays happy and healthy in these first few weeks of school and throughout the rest of the year.

Maintain healthy eating habits all day long. To maximize your child’s learning, make sure to leave time for a healthy breakfast. Without food to fuel their brains, children may find concentrating and learning in class difficult. A healthy, complete breakfast should include complex carbohydrates (such as whole grains and fruit), as well as protein and plenty of water. Avoid beverages high in sugar in order to avoid a potential high/low sugar surge. At school, lunch and snack times give children the energy boost they need to maintain their momentum all day long. When preparing food for your child to take to school, make sure to include different food groups, such as protein, dairy, vegetables and fruit. Examples of healthy snacks that can help your child refuel and stay focused on schoolwork include low-fat cheese sticks, nuts, whole-wheat crackers and yogurt.

Don’t put too much stress on the back. Your child’s spinal health is important to keep in mind each school year. When a child’s backpack is too heavy or worn incorrectly,muscles can fatigue or become overused, leading to back pain and muscle imbalance. Make sure your child’s backpack is the right size for his or her body and frame. Also, pack the heaviest items closest to the back, with lighter items in the front. One of the most important things to remember about backpack safety is that a child’s backpack should not weigh anymore than 10 to 20 percent of his or her body weight.

Sun protection shouldn’t end with summer vacation. Although students are in the classroom most of the day, they are often outside during recess, lunch and after-school activities. These activities happen in the peak UV sun hours (10 a.m. – 4 p.m.). Frequently, children are sent out to play without the protection of sun block, hats or sunglasses. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends using at least an SPF 15 sunscreen that offers both UVA and UVB protection. As a general rule, use one ounce of sunscreen (the size of a shot glass, or a palm full) per application. A good practice is to apply sunscreen in the car, enroute to school. Encourage your child to re-apply at lunchtime and after school if anticipating afternoon outdoor activities. MD Moms’ Baby Silk Babysafe Sunscreen Towelettes, for example, contain SPF 30+ physical sunscreen and are easy to pack in your child’s book bag. Just be sure to check with your school before packing sunscreen, as some administrators require a doctor’s note prior to allowing a child to self-apply sun protection.

Don’t forget yearly checkups. Annual checkups with your child’s healthcare provider are pertinent to their learning success, and in fact many schools require them. At these checkups, children usually are screened for vision and hearing problems, allergies, anemia, sleep dysfunction and other issues that could hinder academic performance. Seeing your child’s doctor annually is a proactive way to avoid problems such as having trouble seeing the blackboard or hearing teachers speak.

Beware of germs. Sicknesses ranging from common colds to more serious maladies can spread easily between children during the school day. In order to curtail the spread of germs, make sure to teach your child the importance of washing his or her hands before meals and snacks, and encourage your child to NOT share food or beverages with other children, and practice “covering his cough”. Also, at your child’s annual checkup, make sure immunizations are up to date. Equipping your child with a small container of wipes or hand sanitizer makes remembering easy.

Extra points for staying active. By sitting behind a desk all day, children have less time for physical activity during the school year than they do in the summer. As a parent, you can find creative ways to maximize your time with your child by being active together. Turn on music and dance, have a pillow fight, race while walking home from school or clean the house together — anything to increase everyone’s heart rate and benefit cardiovascular health. Try to walk or bike to school, distance permitting.

Z’s lead to A’s. The more sleep a child gets, the better he or she is able to concentrate and excel in school. The school day can be exhausting and it is a parent’s job to make sure a child gets enough sleep to remain alert and refreshed throughout the school day. Generally, preschoolers need 12 hours (which can include naptime), kindergarteners need 11 hours, and children eight and older need an average of 10 hours. A healthy amount of sleep is important for both your child’s physical and emotional well-being.

GIVEAWAY: ONE (1) lucky reader will win a set of MD Moms Sunscreen Wipes!  To ENTER, from now until October 15th 2011 you MUST subscribe to Mom Confessionals.  For additional entries – 1st Option – If you follow me on twitter @momconfessional and re-tweet this giveaway (Staying safe with MD Moms and @momconfessional’s #Giveaway! http://wp.me/pLvfH-17r) – 2nd Option – If you “like” us on Facebook and share the giveaway with your friends. DON’T FORGET to visit this FORM and leave a separate entry for each action. Giveaway only open to those with U.S. addresses and must be 18 years or older. Giveaway ends on October 1st 2011 at 11:59 EST. A winner will be selected randomly by Random.org and notified by e-mail.

{ disclosure:  Mom Confessionals was not compensated in any way for this post, nor did we receive any samples.  We believe in these few simple tips that while obvious, is so important. }

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