Today's Headlines

This week I interviewed Samantha, a stay at home mom of a sweet little boy from Mama Notes.

HM: Where are you from?
Samantha: I'm from the rainy state- Oregon!

HM: When did you start blogging?
Samantha: I started blogging on my personal blog a couple years ago, but just recently started my "mom" blog- mamanotes.com in January towards the end of my pregnancy.

HM: Why do you blog?
Samantha:I blog simply because I love to write. I love to share my views and beliefs with people and in the process I get a ton of great advice, meet a lot of wonderful people, and learn new things! I also blog so that I can continue learning. After I graduated I missed learning new things about health topics, so I research and share what I learn on my blog.

HM: What is your blog about?
Samantha: My blog is about my personal experiences in motherhood, along with current research on parenting/health/children issues.

HM: What are your ultimate goals for your blog?
Samantha: My ultimate goal is to inspire people, and have a fun and informative blog where women can come to laugh and learn. Ultimately, down the road, I would like to make a little income from it, but that is something for the future.

HM: What do you want your readers to get out of your blog?
Samantha: Learn new things, see different perspectives.

HM: What do you do to get your readers to keep coming back?
Samantha: I write about what is on my heart and things that I learn, and I hope that people would like what I'm writing about to come back for more!

HM: Do you have any favorite blogs or any blogs that you read regularly?
Samantha: Oh, tons! My Charming Kids, Bring the Rain, Kelly's Korner, Big Mama; I do a LOT of blog reading! :)

HM: Do you have any advice for other bloggers?
Samantha: Be yourself. Really, that's the most important thing.

HM: What is one thing that I did not cover in these set of questions?
Samantha: How often do you blog?! :)

You can visit Samantha at Mama Notes.

I invite all Mommy and Health bloggers to be in the spotlight. Click here for more information on how your blog can be in the spotlight on Healthy Moms.

I would love to win this for the Mother's Day Giveaway at Five Minutes For Mom. They are giving away a ton of prizes but this HP mini PC would be perfect for me. As most of you already know we have two computers a desk top which sits in my family room and an old lap top. My husband, oldest daughter and I are constantly fighting over the computer but right now we just can't afford to get another one. I do most of my blogging on the PC in our living room but it is hard to work without distractions. If we had one more lap top I could use it strictly for blogging and avoid all the fights over our computer. This would also give me more privacy because I could take it anywhere. Check out all the giveaways at Five Minutes For Mom.

I don't know if any of you remember this but a while back Conan was eating corn with a big serving spoon (Wordless Wednesday - The Big Spoon) so I posted some photos of him for Wordless Wednesday. Well he was at it again last night. This time it was chicken nuggets with the big serving fork from the salad bowl.

Gary Null PhD, one of America's most popular health and fitness writers, along with medical publishing expert Amy McDonald put together this fantastic health reference that every woman needs to include in her library. Null known for his bestseller Get Healthy Now!, once again has presented great health tips using his famous holistic approach with the new book, Be a Healthy Woman.

He covers every major women's health issue from pregnancy, headaches, depression, and menopause. Each chapter is very descriptive, quotes experts in the specific health topic and includes vitamins and herbs that can help the condition.

In his pregnancy chapter Null explains natural childbirth and why women in the US prefer the birthing experience in a hospital as apposed to a home birth.

"One reason for the greater American preference for hospital births as compared to the rest of the world is that Americans have been led to believe you are risking the baby and the mother if you choose not to have a hospital birth...One aspect of women's fear of birth is that they think it will be unendurabley painful. So in many cases, they fill themselves with painkillers before the process even begins."

Null believes that painkillers during the delivery process actually prevent the baby from doing the work that he or she should be doing.

Along with his references to natural healing Null also provides nutrition information including tasty vegetarian recipes. He outlines what he calls "wellness protocols" and the amount of vitamin and mineral supplements that women should have. Be a Healthy Woman is brilliant.

If you are looking for a reference with a natural approach to taking control of your health you must add Be a Healthy Woman to your library. This is a fantastic health resource that every woman should read and would also make an excellent Mother's Day gift.

Grab the Potty Time Tuesdays Code

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Potty Training Conan is going rather slowly so for this week I thought I would scour the web and the blogosphere to find some potty training tips from other people's perspective to share with you. When I searched Google I decided I would try to find those hidden tips. You know the websites that are maybe 3 or 4 pages back. These are the forgotten websites, the ones that don't get as much traffic as they deserve. So sit back and enjoy these little snippets on potty training from across the web.


Your little baby is growing up. It’s potty training time – and we have some great potty training tips, advice and products to tell you about...
Potty Training Tips:
HEREDITY
Did you know that readiness to toilet train may be hereditary? If you or your spouse were trained at a late age, it is likely that one or more of your children will also be trained later. So, try to remember back to when you were potty trained and you may find interesting answers. Potty Training Stuff.com



Potty Training Rewards gain seal of approval from Preschoolrock.com

(Press Release) January 3, 2007 -- Scranton Creations announced today the website Preschoolrock.com has given its seal of approval for Training Rewards after its product review of Potty Training Rewards. The review stated, Potty Training Rewards is a great way to encourage your preschooler while potty training. You can read the entire review at www.preschoolrock.com. Free Press Release.com

Greenest Diaper Option: Better Than Cloth OR Disposable

Diaper companies don’t want you to know it, but there’s a greener option than the typical contenders in the cloth versus disposable diaper debate. Early potty training. That said, cloth can facilitate early potty training, so combining the two can be significantly better for the environment than either cloth or disposables alone; you just use fewer diapers.

Elimination Communication (”EC”), Infant Potty Training, Natural Infant Hygiene, Potty Whispering… Care 2 Make a Difference

Potty Training Tip: Throw a Potty Party

How do I toilet train my toddler? It's one of the most asked questions on CafeMom. There isn't one answer for every toddler, so each week I'll shout out a new success story or quick tips from real moms.

Tip #1: Throw a Potty Party

How better to encourage children than a party! It can be big or small, such as with a playgroup with kids all around the same age or just you and your child. Cafe Mom

Potty training tips that guarantee success within a week

1. Be a slacker parent.*

2. Do not even bother thinking about potty training until you realize that every other kid in the class is out of diapers.

3. Beat yourself up just a little... Mom 101

How to Potty Train Your Child

I bet when you were excited to have a baby, you never thought much about how to potty train your child. And now that your little one has grown up to toilet training age, it can be a daunting prospect to figure out just what to do.

Here are some tips to get you through it….

First off, take heart that countless other parents have been through this seeming ordeal before you... Advice 4 Parenting.com

Guide to Potty Training an Autistic Child

Someone emailed BeAGoodMom the other day asking for advice on potty training someone with autism. Both of us have written quite a few posts on the potty training our son with autism on our blogs and I decided to write a post linking to all our information about potty training a child with autism.

A couple notes that aren’t really covered in these posts below.

Don’t rush it. Don’t make it a battle. If I could do it all over again, I would have started much later and stayed much, much, much calmer. Some of the moments that I am most ...Be a Good Dad.com

If you are joining us don't forget to leave your link!

The Swine Flu is all over the news and the World Health Organization has called it a "public health emergency of international concern." So what exactly is this potentially deadly disease? Today we will explain the basics of Swine Flu and what you can do to protect yourself and your family from contracting it.

Swine influenza is a contagious respiratory disease that is found in pigs caused by a type -A influenza virus. Pigs can contract this disease all year round. People do not usually get the swine flu, although there have been small outbreaks among humans in the past. But no more than three people at a time have come down with the swine flu until today.

The symptoms of the swine flu are similar to the common flu which includes, lake of appetite, fever, lethargy, coughing, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. The swine flu spreads the same way the common cold and regular flu virus gets spread. When someone coughs or sneezes around someone else that other person is at risk of contracting the virus.



As of April 27, 2009 there have been 40 confirmed cases of the Swine flu in the United States. Outbreaks have occurred in California, Kansas, New York City, Ohio and Texas.

Just like any other contagious virus the best way to protect yourself from the swine flu is to wash your hands frequently and teach your children to do the same.

For more information and articles on the swine flu visit these great resources.


World Health Organization Chief: Swine Flu Outbreak Could Become 'Pandemic'
Swine Flu from Wikipedia
Swine flu death toll exceeds 100 as pandemic fears grow
Swine Flu FAQ — Sciencebase Science Blog

Are you or your children suffering from spring allergies? Due to the state of the economy and high cost of prescription medications allergy sufferers are going to have a difficult time controlling their symptoms this year.

The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology stated that from 2000 to 2005, the cost of treating allergic rhinitis almost doubled from $6.1 billion to $11.2 billion. How would you like to cut your cost for allergy medications down?

There is an inexpensive and effective alternative to prescription medications. Washing with a saline solution, or nasal irrigation has been practiced for hundreds of years and is proven to control nasal allergy symptoms. This is a personal hygiene practice that involves flooding the nasal cavity with warm saline solution. This soothing action removes excess mucus and moisturizes the nasal cavity. Diane G. Heatley, M.D created the SinuCleanse line, a saline irrigation system helps allergy sufferers.

Traditionally nasal irrigation has been conducted with a neti pot. This works great for adults, but can be very difficult for children. Last year Dr. Heatley, a pediatric otolaryngologist from Madison, Wisconsin developed SinuCleanse Kids Mist. If used regularly (at least once a day) this product is effective in controlling children's nasal allergies, runny noses, and sinus congestion.

SinuCleanse Kids Mist is made with 100% natural ingrediants, is pre-measured and safe for newborns to children 12 years old. I tried the kids mist with my two little ones. My three year old suffers from nasal allergies and this has helped to clear her nose and control her symptoms.

Now you can enter to win your own SinuCleanse Kids Mist. Healthy Moms and SinuCleanse are giving away a bottle of the Kids Mist to one lucky reader. All you need to do is comment on this article to enter. Entries must be received by midnight (PST) May 4, 2009. Entries without a valid e mail address, blog or website will be disqualified.

For extra entries:

Follow Me on Twitter

Subscribe to Healthy Moms

Follow This blog with Google Friend Connect

Digg This Contest

Tweet This Contest

Stumble the Contest

E mail the link to our site or this contest to a friend (make sure you BCC talbertcascia @ yahoo dot com so I have proof of the e mail)

For every entry including extra entries please leave a separate comment. Winners will be chosen randomly from the comments and e mails that I receive. Contest ends on May 4, 2009 at Midnight PST.

With its historic reputation for healing burns and promoting relaxation, Young Living Lavender has always been a part of my first aid kit. I discovered the truly amazing power of sweet and simple, yet potent, therapeutic grade lavandula angustifolia when I was pregnant with my son. Early on we became aware of a few potentially serious complications including placenta previa because of a large fibroid tumor that was growing on the outside of my uterus. I had been using lavender for years to soothe monthly cramps with great success, so when I went into premature labor with contractions and bleeding at 16 weeks I put this little oil to the test.

I put 4 or 5 drops of lavender directly on my abdomen and rubbed it in well with some pure jojoba oil. After 2 of these applications, the dilating, bleeding and contractions stopped within 24 hours. I continued using lavender on my belly every night after that because the doctors were still very concerned about a premature birth.With lots of prayer and partial bed rest for five weeks(I was told I could be on FULL bedrest for 5 months!), these symptoms did not occur again for the duration of the pregnancy.

Our healthy son safely arrived by C section because my water broke at 36 weeks and he was full breech. He is a content and happy little guy who loves his crib, sleeping 11 or 12 hours through the night since he was 3 months old. Is it a genetic disposition or was it the relaxing effect of all that lavender he got secondhand from mama? :)The added bonus to slathering myself daily with this skin nourishing oil is that I don't have a single stretch mark anywhere!

To learn more or purchase Young Living's premium medicinal/therapeutic grade essential oils, visit my Vibrant Scents website.

Prayer Chain Button Code
<br/><a href="http://www.thehealthymoms.net/search/label/prayer%20chain"><img alt="”Healthy" src="http://s296.photobucket.com/albums/mm172/healthymoms/th_button9.jpg" width="125" border="0" height="125" /></a><br/>

I again would like to thank everyone for participating in the prayer chain. If you are new to this you shall find what you can do to help spread the prayer chain and how you can add your prayers. I update the list every Sunday. Please help spread the prayer chain because I should be getting hundreds of new prayers every week. If you know anyone who is in need of prayers be sure to add them to the list.

If you want to pass this prayer chain along on your blog all you need to do is add the prayer chain button and blog about this once a week. Ask your readers to post their prayer intentions as comments. Then you can either e mail those intentions to me at talbertcascia at yahoo dot com or post them as a comment on my prayer chain post. You can also direct your readers to this post so they can post their prayer intentions directly to my site. If you intend to list prayers on your site please add your link so we can find those prayers.

I should have hundreds of comments from people that need prayers. I know they are out there. When you say your prayers at night, in the morning, or whenever you pray visit our chain and read the intentions. God is listening.

Here's the latest list.

The mother with the child with Asperger's and Asthma and her son.
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For my health, the health of my unborn baby and all pregnant women and their unborn babies throughout the world.
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Please pray for Baby Stellan. You can visit the link for current updates on how he and his mom are doing.

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Comments from readers
"My grandson is on his way back from Iraq and I'm praying for him to return safely. He is due back in the states on January 6th and I'll breathe relief when he's back.

This was his second seven month tour in Iraq as a marine.."

Dorothy from grammology
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1>Gracie Martin-age 95,still at home with her family but she has gotten very ill and alzheimers is bad.pray for her family as well.

2.>Pray for my friend linda s.,she is 45 and has lung cancer.She is still trying to work and spend as much time with her 3 grandkids as she can...

3.>Dorothy carter-hurt her back at work and they found what they thought may be tumors on her back during xrays-she is 43 and just had her first grandbaby

4.>Rita b.-strength to be a single mom of 3 and a way to come so that they can get a vehicle for the family.

5.>johnny n.-health problems

6.betty r~simply southern-to get rid of this awful congestion in my chest.been fighting it 2 weeks..little summer also has this,it is rough on her at times.she is only 6 mos old.thank you"

Betty from Simply Southern
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"I have one to list..

The family of Barbara C. She just lost her battle with cancer."

Felicia from Go Graham Go!
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"i'd also like to add my prayer...

please pray for the soul of Al my neighbor (15 yrs old) who passed away last saturday. (January 10) he had bone marrow cancer."

Liza from hMoms... Check Nyo
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"What a great thing you are doing here.

My aunt has a best friend who just got a bad cancer report."

Thanks,
Toni
It Is Nap Time

Update from Toni
Just wanted to say that my aunts friend has found a study that will take her so that is some good news.

I would like to add my moms cousin who has cancer and is not doing well at all. Her name is Mandy. She has a 2 year old and I am sure she would appreciate all prayers for her and her family.
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"You are a person with a warm heart!

I want pray for all people who still live in the disaster area of China WenChuan earthquake, Hope they all have warm place to live and warm food to eat!

It's the first Chinese new spring festival after earthquake, I hope they have a happy new year!"

IWalk
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"Hi Cascia. I'm the one who won the labor looks gown from your contest. Our baby was born on January 7th, and he is doing really well. But my labor and delivery did not go as planned or as we'd hoped, and I ended up with a partial 4th degree tear from an emergency forceps delivery, other wounds from 4 hours of intense pushing more than 36 hours after my water broke, and an infected abcess/hematoma in the same spot along the tear site. More than 3 weeks after my son's birth, several heavy-duty medications and 3 surgical procedures later, I am just now "out of the woods". But recovery is going to be very slow, and the emotional struggle is starting to get intense now that the physical struggles have lessened. In a week, my mom will be heading home, and I'll be on my own while my husband works. Normally, that would be okay, but with the unique issues from my complications, it is going to be hard. (I can't even sit or walk properly. And certain muscles in that area will need physiotherapy to get back to normal functioning.) Basically, I need healing of body and mind, as well as the ability to fully care for my son and somehow do household things that my husband cannot do with his schedule. (He does a ton and is the best, but his energy and time don't allow for taking care of my entire load.)

My other struggle right now is being able to see and feel all the zillions of positive and good things happening around me right now, and I seem stuck on the negative. I do see God's handprints all over this situation, especially in the way my maternity doctor has cared for me both physically and spiritually, going above and beyond the normal role of medical physician. So there are many "Ebenezers" I see and cherish. But this journey is still hard, and sometimes finding Jesus beside me in all of this is not easy.

Thank you for praying."

Inkling's Public Blog
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Comments from message box

"Hi Cascia, my 60-year-old 2nd-brother has been in ICU since 30Dec08. Chances are 50/50. Let's pray that he will make it thru. Jus me, Wenny of Inside My Bubble Today."
Please pray for Wenny's family. Her brother passed away on January 7.
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Hi,I am a mother of 2 boys, Sometimes I'm just overwhelmed with motherhood and most of the time I'd be stressed. Please pray for me.Thank you.
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Anonymous (guest): I feel selfish asking for prayers for myself! I am a single Mom with 2 young children with disabilities. I lost my job last year and now my home is going into foreclosure. I am overwhelmed and could use your support and prayers to get me through this! Thank you!
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If you have prayers you want to add to the prayer chain please leave a comment or message me in the prayer chain box.If you want to promote the prayer chain on your blog all you need to do is blog about it along with our list of prayers and a link back here. You can use the button code to link back to the prayer chain. I made a new button so if you have the old one on your site you might want to grab the new code. When you are saying your prayers at night or whenever you pray don't forget to add the intentions on the Healthy Moms prayer chain.


Visit these blogs to read more prayers across the blogosphere.

Of Course I Could Be Wrong Prayer List
Palm Sunday Catholics and Anglicans Share Prayer
Catholic Fire Prayer Needed for Esther
Sunday Prayer
A Prayer for Palm Sunday
Pray for Christian Jason M.
Pray for Haiti
Pray for Charity


Pray for Summa Mamas
Pray for Farmers
Pray for Ryan
Pray for Becca's Husband
Pray for this girl suffering from depression
Please pray for 7-year old Yair Tuvia ben Michal
Please pray for Jack Cooper's Mother, Mrs. Heinz
Pray for Jerry Kelso's Family
Please Pray for Carter


Please Pray for Emily and Baby Abigail!
Pray for Erin
Pray for KAMERYN HEMBREE You can also visit her Facebook page for more information. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=70157358667&ref=ts
Please pray for a mother and her unborn child. She is struggling with preterm labor. You can also visit her Blog for more information.
Pray for this young man who was injured in a motorcycle accident.
Pray for JoAnna and Ron You can also visit JoAnna's blog for more information.
Please pray for a woman's grandchildren. Their family is really suffering during these tough economic times.
Please pray for Aiden. Aiden is a little boy who almost drowned in February, 2008. His recovery has been long and hard on his family.
Pray for Baby Ethan.


Please pray for Jesse. Visit her blog for more information.

Pray for Kayleigh and her family.





If you are planning on listing prayers on your site please add your link so we can find them.



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Are you potty training your child? Join us every Tuesday for Potty Time Tuesdays a carnival of potty training parents sponsored by Healthy Moms.

Shop our collection of great pregnancy gifts, from pajamas and skin care to books. Or, find the perfect maternity dress for Mother's Day.

Celebrate Mothers-to-be Day at Motherhood Maternity!

Grab the Faith Filled Sundays Button Code

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Today is my wedding Anniversary. I have been married to a wonderful man for six years now.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states,

THE SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY

1601 "The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament."⁸⁴

I. MARRIAGE IN GOD'S PLAN

1602 Sacred Scripture begins with the creation of man and woman in the image and likeness of God and concludes with a vision of "the wedding-feast of the Lamb."⁸⁵ Scripture speaks throughout of marriage and its "mystery," its institution and the meaning God has given it, its origin and its end, its various realizations throughout the history of salvation, the difficulties arising from sin and its renewal "in the Lord" in the New Covenant of Christ and the Church.⁸⁶

Marriage in the order of creation

1603 "The intimate community of life and love which constitutes the married state has been established by the Creator and endowed by him with its own proper laws. . . . God himself is the author of marriage."⁸⁷ The vocation to marriage is written in the very nature of man and woman as they came from the hand of the Creator. Marriage is not a purely human institution despite the many variations it may have undergone through the centuries in different cultures, social structures, and spiritual attitudes. These differences should not cause us to forget its common and permanent characteristics. Although the dignity of this institution is not transparent everywhere with the same clarity,⁸⁸ some sense of the greatness of the matrimonial union exists in all cultures. "The well-being of the individual person and of both human and Christian society is closely bound up with the healthy state of conjugal and family life."⁸⁹

1604 God who created man out of love also calls him to love the fundamental and innate vocation of every human being. For man is created in the image and likeness of God who is himself love.⁹⁰ Since God created him man and woman, their mutual love becomes an image of the absolute and unfailing love with which God loves man. It is good, very good, in the Creator's eyes. And this love which God blesses is intended to be fruitful and to be realized in the common work of watching over creation: "And God blessed them, and God said to them: 'Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it.'"⁹¹

1605 Holy Scripture affirms that man and woman were created for one another: "It is not good that the man should be alone."⁹² The woman, "flesh of his flesh," his equal, his nearest in all things, is given to him by God as a "helpmate"; she thus represents God from whom comes our help.⁹³ "Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh."⁹⁴ The Lord himself shows that this signifies an unbreakable union of their two lives by recalling what the plan of the Creator had been "in the beginning": "So they are no longer two, but one flesh."⁹⁵

I Corinthians 13
Love is patient; love is kind. Love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way: it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrong doing, but rejoices in truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. And now faith, hope, and love abide, and the greatest of these is love.

Go ahead and give your spouse a kiss today and say, "I love you."






Do you want to share your faith with your readers? Write a blog post about your faith, link to Faith Filled Sundays or grab the button code. Then add the link to your blog post to Mr. Linky's.