Baby Care and Parenting Tips

The one tip I found invaluable while I was losing baby weight that helped my confidence and also helped me look much slimmer was… layering the clothes. This simple method, which does not require you to go and buy any new clothes, creates the perfect illusion for mums going through their post baby weight loss stages.

I found layering a close fitted top underneath a cardigan; vest or looser top gave me a much slimmer look. It’s simply amazing how layering can hide those little imperfections without having to opt for those big and baggy clothes – which in reality only make you look bigger than what you really are. I also found wearing darker colours absorbed more of the light which in turn gave the impression of a slimmer figure. And please, by no means do you only have to wear black. Try dark blue, grey, brown or even a deep green or red.

Remember having a curvaceous figure is very feminine and sexy. Don’t fall into that trap of trying to become stick thin or like the latest celebrity. Having curves doesn’t mean you’re fat. I lost my baby weight, but still have my lovely curves or as I like to call them… baby carrying hips! And regardless of your shape, always try to create a waist – even if you’re still carrying your baby pouch.

One other tip I found was to use accessories to help me divert attention from my worst bits like wearing a thin belt to accentuate my hips and create that slim waist look to wearing chunky necklaces and even V-neck tops to draw attention away from those areas.

So, if you’re not doing it already give layering a go, you’ll feel slimmer in an instant. And remember by feeling slimmer helps give your confidence a boost as you continue towards your goals of losing baby weight… it worked for me.

Jess Boanas, writer and mum on a mission at http://www.slimmums.com is helping other mums lose baby weight easily and safely. For more informative articles on Post Baby Weight Loss including real life case studies of mums who have succeeded with natural methods plus a Free guide to start you off visit http://www.slimmums.com now.

Kids games are all around us. The closer we get to the holidays, the more the begging begins. Sooner or later the inevitable will happen and we will hear, “This is the best game ever and if I don’t get this game I will simply die!”

So how to do you about finding the cool games for kids this year?

If you have a pre-teen, teen, or a tween then you are in luck. The Apple Store has reached down its loving hands and blessed us all with fairly inexpensive ways to entertain our children. Yes, they have decided to grant us the ability to give fun games to our children for cheap!

Consider the Alternatives to iPhones

1. Wii
First, let’s take the Wii. It is relatively cheap for a gaming system. I have one and I love it. It starts at $200 and comes with four games. That is simply WOW! Then they start hitting you with expensive games. From then on out you have to start spending $30 on up for those games. My heart sinks.2. Nintendo DS
This game system is $126 and comes with nothing. You can buy used games for it for $20 a pop but that is still expensive and you have to carry around game cartridges. Each time you switch games, you have to change out the cartridge. This means, I will lose something somewhere.

Compare to the iPhone or iTouch
I bought the iTouch for myself. It was $199 and that was an ouch for me. However, we plan on getting the iPhone for my husband for $199. This is what we should have done for me as well. I really do need all the features and we need phones.

Besides doing the games, which I will get back to later, the iPhone does:

• Calendar with alarm
• Camera that sends pics via Bluetooth, e-mail, and Internet
• GPS (that’s an app)
• Checkbook (app)
• Password Keeper
• Audio Book
• Book Reader

That is in addition to the games it plays. My husband has Pac-man on his. I like hangman. We both like brain age and Sudoku. The kids enjoy the maze, etch-a-sketch, and ABC Phonics.

iPhone app Game Problems
Since the games are so cheap and many of them are free, you find yourself downloading tons of games onto your computer and phone. Then you end up arguing over which ones to keep and which one to leave off.

Of course, you end up rotating the games but then more come up. See for yourself and download some fun games for your kids. (Or download them for yourself. I won’t tell.)

Want to increase your vocabulary and writing skills and have fun doing it? Start building the reading and writing skills today at Brain Counts Games. Find the latest apps and math games at http://www.braincounts.com.

Starting a step family is exciting. Hopes and expectations run high. Once again we are a two-parent household. At last I’ll have some help raising these kids! Everyone will be happy and new loving relationships will somehow be there.
Alas, stepping into step family hood isn’t quite that simple. Unrealistic expectations can lead to disappointment, frustration and self-doubt.

Let’s get real! A step family is not the same as a biological one. Here are seven steps toward making your stepfamily work:

1. Give relationships time to grow. Family feelings don’t happen overnight. They can take years to develop.
2. Expect to be compared with the absent parent. You will be tested and manipulated. With your spouse, decide what is best for the kids and stand by your decision unless you both decide to change it.
3. Don’t try to replace the lost parent. Instead, be an additional parent. Also, recognize that kids need to mourn their loss.
4. Don’t be an instant authority. To be an effective disciplinarian you will need support from natural parents on child rearing issues. This will take some time.
5. Make room for confusion. New roles and relationships may be accompanied by high anxiety, competition for attention and loyalty conflicts. Kids may suspect that they are being replaced in your affections by the new spouse. They need to understand that you love and need them and your new spouse, only in different ways.
6. Respect generational boundaries. The potential for inappropriate and harmful sexual relationships is higher in step families because of the lack of biological ties and shared history.
7. Don’t hesitate to ask for help. Get counseling or join a step family organization before problems get out of hand.

Hugh R. Leavell, Ph.D. is a Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice in northern Palm Beach County, FL. Check his website at http://DrHughLeavell