The rest of the holiday bits and bobs (the ceramic Gingerbread houses, the nativity set from Mexico etc) are slowly but surely finding their places, and hopefully I’ll get to decorating the staircase garland when I finish this post. If you haven’t started your Christmas decorating, check out these great tips I found below, which will should help get your family’s holiday season off to a good start!

Decorating the Tree – From always putting the lights first, to how you should stock up on cheaper ornament “fillers” and where you should place things for optimum effect – here are some very sensible tips to remember every year.

Get The Lights Right - Lights can make a huge difference in the overall look of your tree. Being safe is also essential. Learn how to do both right.

Making Your Own Decorations - This is a wonderful way to make the holidays even more special, especially if this is an activity you do as a family. Making ornaments is the easiest way to start, and if you have access to natural materials, you could be braver and make the bigger-ticket items like garlands and swags.

And lastly, make some house rules before you start. As kids get older every year, things change, so its good to lay down some method and rules beforehand to minimize the tears and arguments. For example, everyone takes turns to pick their 3 favorite ornaments first…and so on. My kids love Christmas so much that they get overly-excited, which, more often than not leads to emotions running high.

“Who’s Jack?” my 7-year-old daughter asked when she saw me writing this post. Of course I was referring to the “spooky” carved pumpkin perched on our front gate, who I’m afraid is starting to get mouldy. So what to do with poor old Jack, now that Halloween has come and gone?

1. Take him to a Pumpkin Party! - My kids will definitely love this option the best, only thing is that we don’t live anywhere near the Pumpkin Party Mecca, Sorauren Park in Toronto. Here, the pumpkins get a second lease on life and join a fantastic parade. Check out the rather wonderful photo above.

3. Have A Smashing Party! – Remember the 90’s grunge band? I do, so why not throw a Smashing Pumpkins party which is also nice for grown-ups who have a little stress to release. I wouldn’t go for the grunge, but rather, Martha Stewart, who has some fab ideas for a party like this (that is, if you still have energy after the Halloween revelry!).

3. Compost Jack – For eco-friendly Moms, this is a great option, and good way to get your kids outside and dirty! Here’s how. Be warned- there’s a bit of prep work involved.

4. Bury Jack – Last but not least, if your weary-from-packing-away-the-decorations-and-candy body can’t manage the composting plan, you could simply dig Jack in the garden. It beats the trash and I’ve been told he enriches the soil.

Next year, I think I’ll try some of the tricks these guys at My Science Project did. They did an experiment to see what would help pumpkins last the longest. The winner? Make a guess!

The new school year is upon us, and it’s every parent’s mealtime (and lunchbox) crusade – getting your kids to eat healthier. Well, its mine at least. Easy(ish) when they’re young and they pretty much eat anything you put in front of them. Not so easy when school starts and they discover a whole new world – like their classmate’s lunch boxes filled with no-no’s like soda and Doritos.

When my 3 kids were babies I started them all of with what I think is the Bible of healthy-baby-eating, The Super Baby Food Book. Well, I admit that it got to a lesser degree with #2, but with #3 came the the advent of commercial organic baby food, which made things a lot easier. Whether you are a DIY Mom like Ruth of the Super Baby Book (who also makes her own Play Dough, mind you), or prefer to buy from the organic aisle at the supermarket, know that giving your kids a healthy diet now means setting up their foundations for a healthy life. Now isn’t that a worthwhile mission?

Here are my tips on how to help you get started (and hopefully keep going!):

1. Teach Them About Health
My Mom did this for my sister and I (she was and still is what you would call a “health nut”), and I have to say that it stuck. Explain to your kids WHY certain foods are good or bad for you and you’ll be surprised how well they’ll respond. I try and use language they understand like: “…healthy food like fruit and vegetables helps you get bigger and stronger, but also makes your “soldiers” strong to fight bad germs so you don’t get sick“. There are a few kids shows now which touch on this, as well as books. Read/watch and talk about it with them and be prepared to answer their questions.

2. Vegetarian Meals= Budget meals
Yes, its true! Add a vegetarian meal or two to your weekly menu and see how much you can save. It’s a known fact that fresh produce is significantly cheaper than meats (which are some of the costliest food items in stores), so by serving say, a vegetarian lasagna rather than the “al forno” with beef, you not only give your kids a veggie-filled nutritious meal, you also save on the weekly budget (yipee!), plus it’s good for the planet. Why? read about vegatarianism and the environment here.

3. Make it Fun!
My kids and I like to play quick games like guessing which food is “healthy or not”. For example, what’s better? french fries or apple slices with cinnamon? (Okay, so my husband doesn’t join in and prefers to roll his eyes- but WE enjoy it!). The winner gets a small prize like stickers. You can also make healthy food attractive and fun by using a cookie cutter to make shapes and adding “faces” (raisins and sliced red pepper make easy instant characters). Brit Mom turned kid-food guru, Anabel Karmel is a total wiz at this and I love her cookbooks.

4. Go Organic
Finding organic food is really easy these days, and the health benefits are huge. Would you prefer to feed your kids things without harmful chemicals and pesticides? With more nutrients and vitamins? I would. It’s a really simple choice, and really worth the extra effort.

5. Plan Ahead and Cook More, Mom!
I really believe that planning ahead, being organized and cooking yourself is the key to healthier eating. Look online for new healthy recipes to try (you can get the kids to help choose here), add more fruit and veg to your meals, and take a few minutes every Sunday to plan healthy weekly menus- this really helps keep me in budget too!

Continuing from my last post, here’s the second installment, packing for preschoolers and grade schoolers. Traveling with this age group is actually a lot easier than with the younger ones. For one thing, they can carry their own bags (yay!) and they don’t need the cumbersome items like the bottles, formula, diapers, jars and so on. Phew!

If your kids are above age 3, then all you need are a few things for your carry-on. The rest, your kids can carry themselves. If you do have a baby or toddler, then see the previous post.

Your Carry-on
Aside from my stuff (toiletries, cosmetics, extra shirt, book) here’s what I usually take for the kids:

- 1 change of clothes for each child, including underwear (plus one extra top for preschoolers)
- 1 diaper for the preschooler (only for evening or longhaul flights)
- Ziplock bag of snacks
- Small plastic cutlery for each child (no knives in the plane)
- Baby wipes, tissues, small hair brush
- Small pack of crayons, markers and 2 pens – extras in case the kids lose/fight/need extra.
- small pad of paper
- 1 book
- Bottle of water (if flying, get this after the security check)

Kids Carry-on
- 2 small toys (boys tend to go for cars/trains, girls a “Polly Pocket” type of small doll)

- 1 “lovie” like a favorite doll, stuffed toy, mini-pillow or blanket
- 2 snacks – like a small box of raisins, biscuits
- 1 book
- 1 jacket or cardigan
- Small notebook/pad/ coloring book
- crayons / pen, pencil and eraser (neatly in a case)
- Video game (like a Gameboy or DS) – Useful for long airport waits, but keep it handy for airport security.

The Kids Suitcases

- 2 outfits for each day
- 1 “smart” outfit for a party or dinner out
- 1 pair of underwear for each day
- 1 pair or shoes, smart or closed
- Sandals or slippers depending on season
- Swimsuit, goggles, water wings (if needed)
- Winter essentials if needed, like gloves, thermal undies, boots etc.
- Hat or cap
- Cardigan or sweater (depending on season) – 1 every 3 days of trip
- 2 books
- 2 extra toys per child – puzzles, small action figure or car sets, barbie etc.
- Toiletries – 2-in 1 shampoo, 1 bar dove soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, hair brush

And Don’t Forget In Your Luggage!

- Small bars or pack of laundry detergent and rubber gloves
- Medical Kit – digital thermometer, first-aid supplies, medicine for both kids and adults, moisturizer, rash cream, mosquito repellent (if needed).
-More snacks, food if necessary (I take a few boxes of organic macaroni cheese if we’re going to a place with cooking facilities. Easy to just add veg for a healthy and quick meal)

I hate to admit it, but I have never been one of those Moms who were adept at budgeting. I have 3 kids, a husband who works from home (and eats all meals at home too), 4 dogs, 3 cats and 2 turtles to feed, plus I host twice weekly playgroups (picture 5 or more hungry kids!), so you can understand that a huge chunk of our monthly expenditures goes on groceries. Don’t get me wrong. I’m a pretty conscientious shopper. I read labels, check prices and compare for the best value, but yes, I do buy some weekly treats for us all – like special organic snacks for the kids, fancy European soda for hubby and that new body lotion for me, but I do keep it to a minimum.

Well, when I saw this article on “The Challenge: Feed a Family on $100 a Week”, I was intrigued, and slightly nauseated that she actually pulled it off while I spend at least three times that (hey, she only had two kids- one of which was a 5-month old, who we know wont be saying “I’m hungry, Mom!!” all the time).

With the state of the world these days, I thought it was time I did try a little (okay, a lot) harder to cut down my hefty grocery bill and hopefully save some money. That, coupled with the fact that I have recently become a huge fan of Suze Orman and am now reading her book, Women and Money, which I find amazingly liberating (but that’s for a another post).

While I’m no budgeting guru, I’ve found a few, like frugal Mom Michelle Jones, who has been doing it successfully for 20 years, “with or without coupons”. I’m more inclined, though, to start off with some of these solid, basic tips from The Consumerist:

1. Make a list and stick to it. Lists focus your shopping and are the single best way to save money.

2. Compare unit pricing, not box size. As with good things, good prices sometimes come in small packages.

3. If you only need a handful of items, use a basket, not a cart. Empty space cries to be filled.

4. If it’s not on your list, don’t pick it up. According to Paco Underhill in Why We Buy: “Virtually all unplanned purchases…come as a result of the shopper seeing, touching, smelling, or tasting something that promises pleasure, if not total fulfillment.”

5. Shop at the edge of the store. That’s where the healthier, cheaper items hide.

6. Disavow brand loyalty and swear allegiance to the lowest price.

7. Consider generics. You usually get the same quality, without the unnecessary branding.

8. Learn to love coupons. With practice, you can buy almost $150 worth of stuff for $5.

9. Make one big shop, rather than several small ones. You’ll save on gas while inoculating against wasteful spending.

10. Buy from bulk bins. Why pay for packaging and marketing when you can reach right in and scoop out exactly what you need?

11. Check your receipt. Don’t let an errant scan ruin your hard work.

12. Shop alone. Science shows that we spend more when we’re with company.

13. Track your spending so you can see what’s eating your money. Committed receipt hawks can spot price cycles to help guide their shopping.

14. Eat a meal before shopping. Shopping on a full stomach tamps down impulse spending and keeps you focused on your list.

15. Shop without a car. Nothing limits spending like knowing you’ll have to carry your goods home.

At least one or twice a week, my husband and I hear little footsteps in the dead of night, traversing from across the hall and into our bedroom, with “Mommy, I had a bad dream”. Usually, we are both too exhausted to take them back, so we end up with one (sometimes two) little bodies squeezed in between us. And putting them to bed is even more of an issue, with claims of “Mommy I’m scared”, “Mom I don’t want to be alone” (even if they aren’t alone, “Mommy I have bad dreams” etc etc., making the bedtime ritual stretch out even longer until bone tired Mom is about to pass out on the bunk with them.

So when I saw this product on My Daily Om, I thought, What a clever idea, I wish I thought of it!….followed by… I have to get one!. Formulated by a Mom, this fabulous spray gets rid of those bedtime monsters both physically and psychologically. Physically, because it uses essential oils and works it’s magic through aromatherapy, and psychologically, well, you know. We Moms are all amateur doctors, right?

The website of the Mom who invented the “Monster Go Away Spray” (pat on her back!) also has some sensible advice for bedtime battles like mine. Things like “Reassure your child“, “Empower your child”, “Create a coping mechanism” and of course, use the spray!. There are success stories posted on the site, as well as a few raves on the great level of sales service they give.

Here’s what they said:

“Our spray has helped many families banish their respective monsters and facilitated the creation of fun evening rituals. From improvisational song and dance to the construction of monster binoculars with recycled toilet paper rolls, we have heard and almost done it all! We would love to hear your stories of triumph and creative techniques you may have employed or heard about.”

Having experienced medical emergencies as a volunteer which developed my abilities to recognize life-threatening and trivial injuries, just hope more people would recognize this as a vital skill to have for it helps you lower your insurance premiums. Do some research on the web for health tips that can add to your knowledge of which emergencies to treat seriously and which are mere casual. Information and knowledge is the key, the more trips you take to the ER, the more a risk you are for the insurance firm so they have the option to ask more for insurance.

Whether it’s on the days leading up to Christmas or on Christmas day itself, after the presents have been open and everyone is stuffed full, happy and needing a good laze on the sofa, one tradition my family loves to do is to watch a Christmas film.

Here are our favourites:

1. Its a Wonderful Life – No need for introductions here, who doesn’t know the Jimmy Stewart classic that makes me and my husband cry, no fail, every Christmas. Our kids have so far been a little young for this, but this year we’ll be trying it out on Nat (who’s 7 in February).

2. Miracle on 34th Street – This was one of my favourites growing up, and while I think the new version (with the fellow from the Practice) isn’t bad at all, the classic film with Natalie Wood is still the best.

3. The Grinch – My kids like the Jim Carey film and actually watch it all year round, but I prefer the old cartoon – obviously because it’s what I grew up with, and also because the cartoon Grinch is much more charmingly evil than Jim Carey with all that weird makeup.

4. Scrooge – We love musicals, and so this rendition of “A Christmas Carol” is something the kids enjoy too. Lovely old-fashioned songs, the classic Dickens tale, a film we can’t miss watching every year.

5. The Santa Clause (1, 2,3) – Tim Allen makes us all laugh in this household, and the festive effects in all 3 films are pretty wonderful. The modern twist is also fun to watch – and makes my kids wish it would happen to their Dad!

6. A Christmas Story – I love coming-of-age films, and this one is a firm favorite – just the thought of the “leg” lamp in the “fragile” package makes me laugh out loud! Letting the kids see the “olden”, simpler days of the 50’s is also good.

7. A Charlie Brown Christmas – Ok, so my husband who’s not so big on cartoons won’t join us for this one (also because he’s English, so Charlie Brown isn’t really something he grew up with), but I love watching this with the kids for its quiet, jazzy music, old-style humour (you blockhead!) and nostalgic feel. Perfect!

From my family to yours, Merry Christmas!!

As any Mom (or Grandma, or Aunt) will tell you, babies love jewelry, especially if its hanging from your neck, as they can grab, pull and chomp on it. NOT good if we’re talking about precious gold, bejewelled, fatally-chokeable stuff. GREAT if its bling which the kid can actually chew, tug and and not only will it not break, but it’ll look good on Mom too!

And that’s exactly what the very clever people at Smart Mom made – lovely pendants and bangles which Moms can wear precisely for their babies to chew on. And as a proud owner of an orange pendant and bangle, I can honestly say that baby Wills, LOVES it too. I love love love the idea, especially because of what it’s made of:

“…We use only the highest-quality, phthalate-free, federally approved silicone in our Teething Bling™ line. The material is non-toxic, latex-free, food–safe, even dishwasher-friendly! It is the same silicone used in many other popular teething products and SGS test reports are available upon request. Although we stress that this is adult jewelry not intended for children to wear, all of our pendants come with a breakaway clasp as an added safety feature.”

And best of all, the Moms who made this great product are also giving a part of their proceeds to charity, like Cure Search and Dress for Success.

So if you haven’t thought of a Christmas present for another Mom in your life, or as a treat for yourself, Teething Bling is a fantastic idea.