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It's a tough call sometimes, stay in bed until 7ish when the youngest wakes in the morning or get up hours before anyone else to begin my work day.

Ouch! Some mornings it hurts, especially after being at a birth late the night before or after people in my house have been awake multiple times at night to use the bathroom and need my assistance (this includes the dog, the only difference is she goes outside and no matter how late I put her out before I head to bed, she comes to ME at night, nobody else!).

This morning I had that familiar pull coming from deep within my pillow, my toes snug into their cozy wool socks, my body wrapped around the down comforter and the thought that I could eek out just a few more minutes.

Here's the thing, though. For me that is so counterproductive. I become crabby and not a fun morning mama if I try to "stay in bed" while others are attempting to rouse me for the day. If I try to "lay there" for one more minute or hour, it results in everyone falling apart. However, if I just get up when I am needed, there is less squabbling, a happier husband, and, if I include myself in the category of being needed, I will get up early, for me.

Waking early insures that I will get most of my work done for the day in less than 3 hours. So what if we eat breakfast at 9? I lay out trail mix for my girls in the morning so I don't feel guilty about their likely blood sugar crash happening an hour after they wake. Who cares if I workout in my pajamas downstairs and don't get dressed until after I shower around 10 a.m. Believe me, most of this schedule is counter intuitive to who I am.

On one hand, it truly is the benefit of homeschooling. It doesn't matter when we have breakfast as long as we have an established rhythm we move to. It doesn't matter if we keep our pajamas on until mid morning when we're ready for our school work.

What does matter is that when I calendar my work to happen between the hours of 6-9 a.m., almost everything gets done. I am more calm throughout the day, I am more present for my girls and I don't keep checking my email only to allow messages to fall through the cracks because though I am checking them I don't always get to return them at the same time.

The opposite is what happens if I don't do my work in the morning. I am cranky and irritable, stressing about when and how I'm going to fit MY work in to the day around feeding and schooling people in our home, not to mention the tasks of caring for our people and home.
So I have scheduled myself to work Monday through Friday from 6-9 a.m. where I am totally focused (minus the four year old coming in and out of her room). Weekends I typically get an extra hour of sleep.

One thing I have learned about myself since having children is that I don't need as much sleep as most people, UNLESS I am seriously deprived after missing a full night due to a birth or someone is sick and I'm up all night caring for them, or I've had a deadline I've allowed to run my world and it's gone late into the night too often. 90% of the time I am good with around 6.5 hours per night. If I go more than that, I actually feel more tired and slow. The thing that has struck me is that it's more about the quality of sleep I get versus how much.

Maybe someday I can go back to waking up to get my workout done right away in the morning, but for now that comes around 10 a.m. and in my pj's and everyone's happier for it...it's just that some days I would rather be sleeping.


Nichi Hirsch Kuechle supports moms during pregnancy, birth, postpartum and beyond as a Parent Coach, Craniosacral Therapist and Birth/Postpartum Doula in Minneapolis. She publishes a weekly e-zine called Natural Family, which offers tips, ideas and resources for growing healthy babies. She also teaches a variety of live and virtual workshops. You can get Nichi's New Parent Tool Kit, for free, by going to: http://www.MyHealthyBeginning.com.

If you are burdened with excessive credit card debt then you have probably experienced feelings of frustration due to balances that never seem to go down. Take heart, reaching debt freedom is possible although it will not happen overnight. It will take time and self-discipline. The first step is to devise an effective strategy for paying off your balances.

Create A Realistic Budget

The first step that needs to be undertaken when beginning a debt reduction strategy requires a thorough review of your budget. You will need to gather up all of your financial information to evaluate where your money is going. Then you will need to decide where you can cut back on spending. This may mean cutting down on dining out or other entertainment expenses or trips to the mall so be prepared for some changes in your lifestyle. After all, this is probably how you ended up with your credit card balances where they are in the first place!

Setting Your Goals

To help you on your journey to debt freedom it is best to set a goal detailing the date you expect to get there. This will help you to stay focused on your strategy and to resist the urge to use your credit cards. You should also reward yourself along the way. When you reach a certain percentage of debt paid off, reward yourself with a small treat. This will highlight the progress you are making.

Realign Your Payments

Once you have determined where spending cuts can be made, you will need to reallocate those funds toward paying down your credit card balances. It is advisable to pay the most to the cards with the highest interest rates, not necessarily the largest balance and if possible try to double or triple your payments to them. This will save you a considerable amount in interest charges and will give you the satisfaction of seeing the balances decrease much faster.

If you are unable to double your payments, pay as much as possible over the minimum payment. As an example, by making only the minimum payment, with an interest rate of 18% or higher it can take 20 years or more to pay off a balance of $10,000 and you will end paying much more than the original amount you spent. You are basically paying only the interest with a very small amount going toward the actual balance.

Consolidate Balances

Another option you might want to consider is consolidating all of your credit card balances onto the account with the lowest interest rate. This will reduce the number of credit card payments you make to just one per month and lower your interest rate in the bargain. Call their customer service department and ask them what type of rates they are willing to offer you on a balance transfer and let them know that you want to consolidate all of your balances. This way they may also be willing to increase your credit line if necessary to cover the total.

Typically you should not carry a balance of more than 30% of your credit line on any of your accounts although in this case it might be worth the hit on your credit score while you are paying off the balance. Keep in mind that before proceeding you will want to confirm that the interest rate will remain lower than what you are currently paying for the duration of time that it takes you to pay the balance in full, provided that you have no late payments. Be sure that you get the terms in writing!

Although you may come up with some variations of the above strategies the important thing is to set your goals and stick to them! It may seem like you will never see light at the end of the tunnel but with self discipline and keeping your eye on your goal you will achieve debt freedom.

Merry Christmas from all of us here at The Healthy Moms Magazine.

The Birth of Jesus
1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Luke 2:1-20

Christmas means only one thing for many people, it is the time for long vacation and get together with family and friends. Most people worldwide celebrate the holiday in their homes or someone else but no matter where one spent their Christmas the place is definitely swarming with colorful and bright decors to keep the spirit of the season alive. If you want to make the atmosphere even more festive, download the Christmas wallpapers.

Wallpapers can always create the festive mood of Christmas and so no matter where you are there is no reason to miss the atmosphere that you grow up with as long as you have wallpapers that suits holiday season. In other words, creating ambiance is easier anywhere with Christmas wallpapers.

What Is Christmas Wallpapers?

Wallpapers are wonderful decor for your computer screen. It makes your screen refreshing to look at and since it is Christmas, downloading wallpaper with the holiday theme is ideal. Christmas themes are the perfect desktop display for your screen since they embodies the spirit of the holiday.

Where To Get Wallpapers?

It is not hard to find Christmas wallpapers as you can easily download one from the Internet. You just have to browse for the best wallpaper portal and select from the many wallpapers with the holiday season as theme. Your choices would probably include Santa Claus, snowflakes, ornaments, bells and other Christmas decorations. For downloading the wallpaper image, right click and go to the option menu where the "download" button is located, so you can change the display on your desktop screen.

Are Wallpapers Just For Desktop Computers?

No, you can download wallpaper to your laptops and mobile phones as well, should you wish to make the screen colorful and festive. In fact, many people these days are downloading a Santa to their desktop and other electronic devices as screen saver display. So, there is no reason not to download one as well, because it will surely bring Christmas closer every day.

Making Holiday Perfect with Christmas Wallpapers

The Christmas is a season to be jolly according to a popular Christmas song, which is why making sure every nook and cranny of the house filled with decorations to heighten the holiday atmosphere. But you know what, downloading a wallpaper with the holiday theme can even make the ambiance more jolly as you are always reminded that Christmas is just around the corner.

Are you looking for a cool Christmas wallpaper to download because if you do then you will surely find wonderful Christmas wallpapers online.

Below are a few Christmas quotes to help you celebrate the joy of the season.


"Remembrance, like a candle, burns brightest at Christmastime."
- Charles Dickens

"One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly." -Andy Rooney

"And the angel said unto them, "Fear not! For, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, Which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." - Luke 2:10-12

"Good news from heaven the angels bring. Glad tidings to the earth they sing. To us this day a child is given, to crown us with the joy of heaven." - Martin Luther

"To the American People: Christmas is not a time or a season but a state of mind. To cherish peace and good will, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. If we think on these things, there will be born in us a Savior and over us will shine a star sending its gleam of hope to the world."
- Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933), American president. Presidential message (December 25, 1927).

"Anyone who believes that men are the equal of women has never seen a man trying to wrap a Christmas present."
- Author Unknown

"There is a remarkable breakdown of taste and intelligence at Christmastime. Mature, responsible grown men wear neckties made of holly leaves and drink alcoholic beverages with raw egg yolks and cottage cheese in them."
- P.J. O'Rourke

"Oh look, yet another Christmas TV special! How touching to have the meaning of Christmas brought to us by cola, fast food, and beer. Who'd have ever guessed that product consumption, popular entertainment, and spirituality would mix so harmoniously?" - Bill Watterson in Calvin and Hobbes

"Christmas is a time when people of all religions come together to worship Jesus Christ." - Bart Simpson in The Simpsons

"Once again we find ourselves enmeshed in the Holiday Season, that very special time of year when we join with our loved ones in sharing centuries-old traditions such as trying to find a parking space at the mall. We traditionally do this in my family by driving around the parking lot until we see a shopper emerge from the mall, then we follow her, in very much the same spirit as the Three Wise Men, who 2,000 years ago followed a star, week after week, until it led them to a parking space." - Dave Barry


"Out upon merry Christmas! What's Christmas time to you but a time for paying bills without money; a time for finding yourself a year older, but not an hour richer...? If I could work my will," said Scrooge indignantly, "every idiot who goes about with 'Merry Christmas' upon his lips should be boiled with his won pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart. He should!" - Charles Dickens

Wishing you and your family a Blessed and very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! From all of us at The Healthy Moms Magazine.

My kids love to color and when it is cold outside this can be a fun indoor activity for young children. Below is The Healthy Moms Magazine's top picks for free Christmas coloring pages for kids. We wish you and your family a blessed and Merry Christmas!

Christmas Coloring Page at Coloring-Page.net

Coloring-Page.net has a wide variety of free coloring print ables for every occasion. Kids can print and color Santa, angels, reindeer a Christmas tree and stockings.

Free Christmas Coloring pages at Coloring.ws

Coloring.ws has hundreds of coloring pages for kids. They even have printing tips for parents. Coloring.ws also has links to free games and puzzles for kids.

Christmas-coloring.com

Here you can also find a wide selection of free Christmas coloring pages from Santa, to Biblical, snowmen and stockings. I love the eye catching design of the site and the organized links on the sidebar.

Christmas coloring pages at Crayola.com

Crayola.com also has a variety of Christmas themed coloring pages for kids.

If you are looking for Christian nativity coloring pages for your kids visit Coloring Book Fun.com. They also have free printables for your kids to color based on a variety of other themes from education, to nature, food, people and animals.

I hope your kids enjoy this quit Christmas activity. Have a blessed holiday and Happy New Year!


Cascia Talbert is a busy blogger, publisher, freelance writer, online merchant and mother of five children, living in The Pacific Northwest. With a B.A. in history and law and a passion for writing and staying healthy, she started The Healthy Moms Magazine in 2007. The Healthy Moms Magazine is currently ranked the top health blog for moms and features several health expert writers and mom bloggers. Ms. Talbert believes that if mothers are well educated on health issues and how to stay healthy, they can pass that information down to their children and reverse the childhood obesity statistics in the U.S.

Ms. Talbert is a featured health blogger at Wellsphere.com and her articles can also be found on ezinearticles.com. She also runs the Healthy Moms Social Network on Ning, manages Mom's Natural Health and Wellness Store, and is on the Social Media Advisory Board for America's Wellness Challenge.

Your kids can still enjoy yummy Christmas treats without all the added sugar and junk. Below are our favorite healthy and delicious Christmas cookie recipes that you and your family can enjoy this season.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup Grape-Nuts

Directions

In a large bowl, cream the butter, peanut butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, oats, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in Grape-Nuts.
Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 3 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Flatten slightly with a fork dipped in flour. Bake at 350° for 9-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Yield: 2-1/2 dozen.

Editor's Note: Reduced-fat peanut butter is not recommended for this recipe.

Nutrition Facts: 1 cookie equals 56 calories, 3 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 11 mg cholesterol, 54 mg sodium, 7 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 1 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1/2 fat.


Cranberry Cherry Pinwheels


Ingredients

1-1/2 cups dried cranberries
1 jar (10 ounces) cherry spreadable fruit
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

DOUGH:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1-1/4 cups sugar
3 egg whites
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons fat-free milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel
3-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

For filling, combine the first four ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat for 8 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and cranberries are softened. Remove from the heat; cool slightly. Transfer to a blender; cover and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl; cover and refrigerate until chilled.

For dough, in a large bowl, beat butter and sugar for 2 minutes or until crumbly. Beat in the egg whites, oil, milk, vanilla and orange peel. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and baking soda; gradually add to sugar mixture and mix well.

Divide dough in half. On a floured surface, roll one portion of dough into a 14-in. x 9-in. rectangle. Spread with half of the filling. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Wrap each roll in plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Unwrap dough; cut into 1/2-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned (do not overbake). Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 4-1/2 to 5 dozen.


Nutrition Facts: 1 cookie equals 83 calories, 2 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 2 mg cholesterol, 21 mg sodium, 16 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 1 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch, 1/2 fat.


White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Ingredients

1/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup white baking chips

Directions

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars until crumbly, about 2 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, salt and baking soda; gradually add to butter mixture and mix well. Stir in cranberries and chips.
Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 1 minute before removing to wire racks. Yield: 2 dozen.


Nutrition Facts: 1 cookie equals 113 calories, 4 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 16 mg cholesterol, 109 mg sodium, 18 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 1 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch, 1/2 fat.


Healthy Gingerbread Men

Ingredients

6 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons ground ginger
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Icing and candies of your choice

Directions

In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the molasses, egg, vanilla and lemon peel. Combine the flour, ginger, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and cloves; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Divide dough in half. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until easy to handle.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out each portion to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 4-in. gingerbread boy cookie cutter. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Reroll scraps.
Bake at 350° for 7-9 minutes or until edges are firm. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Decorate as desired. Yield: 2-1/2 dozen.


Nutrition Facts: 1 cookie (calculated without decorations) equals 99 calories, 2 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 12 mg cholesterol, 88 mg sodium, 18 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 1 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch, 1/2 fat.

Christmas Wreath Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
6 ounces white baking chocolate, melted
2 eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons water, divided
3 cups flaked coconut
6 to 8 drops green food coloring
1/4 cup red-hot candies

Directions

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the chocolate, eggs and vanilla. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 3-in. scalloped cookie cutter. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets; cut out centers using a floured 1-in. scalloped cookie cutter.
Bake at 350° for 10-14 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
For glaze, in a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and 1/4 cup water. Place coconut in a resealable plastic bag; add food coloring and remaining water. Seal bag and toss until coconut is tinted.
Spread cookies with glaze; sprinkle with coconut. Decorate with red-hots. Yield: 4 dozen.


Nutrition Facts: 1 cookie equals 177 calories, 7 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 20 mg cholesterol, 74 mg sodium, 26 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 starch, 1 fat.

The Healthy Moms Magazine wishes you and your family a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

As I write this I know that there is a mother sitting at her child's hospital bedside. I know most of you have read the story in Our Ordinary Life blog. If you haven't I will sum it up for you.

A young mother and fellow blogger was out Christmas shopping with her baby boy on Friday. When she was walking down the sidewalk with her young son in his umbrella stroller a semi truck turned the corner and ran over the stroller. The baby was thrown out of the stroller and pinned under one of the wheels. It is still a mystery as to how he got thrown out of the stroller and he must have had a guardian angel with him because he is still alive today.

The baby will be hospitalized for a few months but I am sure that his family is thanking God for the wonderful doctors and the Christmas miracle that he is still alive. I can not imagine the horror that mother went through. Please keep her and her young baby in your prayers this Christmas.

I wasn't planning on writing this article today as I am getting ready to leave to go home for Christmas. But when I read the story about the tragedy I believe that God whispered into my ear to share this with you.

Christmas is a time of giving and should also be a time to thank God for all his blessings and pray for those who need it most. Thousands of children in the US are hospitalized each day. Some of them are suffering from illness like childhood cancer or injuries due to accidents like the above story. I can not imagine what it is like to be a kid and have to celebrate Christmas from a hospital bed.

As many as 3.5 million people experience homelessness in a given year in the United States alone. 23% are families with children—the fastest growing segment of homelessness. How do you celebrate Christmas without a home? Can you imagine sitting outside in the cold without a warm fireplace and gifts under the tree on Christmas day? These people also need our prayers along with all the sick children in hospitals.

Our children need to learn that Christmas is not all about receiving gifts, but it is about giving. When was the last time you donated to a charity? Have you ever volunteered at a soup kitchen or homeless shelter? Have you ever thought about volunteering at your local Children's Hospital? These are just a few things that you can do to give this year.

If you are not blessed financially how has God blessed you? If your talent is hospitality and cooking why not volunteer at a soup kitchen or homeless shelter. You can teach your children how to give through your example.

Today I thank the Lord for blessing me with a warm home, food on the table, and my five healthy beautiful children. I will keep the less fortunate in my thoughts and prayers this Christmas and plan on giving more of myself in 2012.



Cascia Talbert is a busy blogger, publisher, freelance writer, online merchant and mother of five children, living in The Pacific Northwest. With a B.A. in history and law and a passion for writing and staying healthy, she started The Healthy Moms Magazine in 2007. The Healthy Moms Magazine is currently ranked the top health blog for moms and features several health expert writers and mom bloggers. Ms. Talbert believes that if mothers are well educated on health issues and how to stay healthy, they can pass that information down to their children and reverse the childhood obesity statistics in the U.S.

Ms. Talbert is a featured health blogger at Wellsphere.com and her articles can also be found on ezinearticles.com. She also runs the Healthy Moms Social Network on Ning, manages Mom's Natural Health and Wellness Store, and is on the Social Media Advisory Board for America's Wellness Challenge.

Having a child who was recently diagnosed with Asperger's; an autism related disorder, I thought I would be able to relate to the book, The Castle We Called Home, Our Living, Breathing and Emerging with Autism. I know how challenging life is taking care of a special needs child. However, I can not imagine what Simone Brenneman went through raising two children with Autism.

Her first book, Effervescence: A True Life Tale of Autism and Courage is about raising her autistic daughter, Genevieve. Having not read that book I wasn't aware of Simone's writing style. I was told that The Castle We Called Home is a novel about a mother's quest to connect with her Autistic son.

Most novels that I read are stories told in the third person point of view. Novelists are very descriptive and as you read you are able to picture the scenes in your head as if you are watching a movie. This is why I love novels so much. Simone Brenneman is not a novelist.

I had a difficult time connecting with the story she was trying to tell in The Castle We Called Home. It reads more like a diary than a novel. If she really wanted to tell the story about her Autistic son she should have presented this to a true novelist.

She writes in the first person point of view as if she were answering interview questions. I did not see any vivid descriptions throughout the book unless you think that repeating the same words over and over again is descriptive. In the first few chapters she uses the words, epic, bizarre, and magical repeatedly. Simone calls her story dealing with her son an "epic tale," which she also repeats over and over again. Even after reading the book I still don't see how raising an autistic boy can be an "epic tale," especially in the way that Simone writes it.

According to dictionary.com epic is, "noting or pertaining to a long poetic composition, usually centered upon a hero, in which a series of great achievements or events is narrated in elevated style: Homer's Iliad is an epic poem." I still don't understand how her son Hayden became a hero.

I also did not like the fact that she repeats the same stories and emotions over and over again. Her chapters are short and choppy averaging about 3-5 pages per chapter. Some chapters do not even cover a whole page. I found the book dry, repetitive and uninteresting.

The Castle We Called Home, Our Living, Breathing and Emerging with Autism should be more appropriately titled, The Castle We Called Home, A Mother's Diary About Raising a Son With Autism. That is what this book really is; a diary.

You can purchase The Castle We Called Home on Amazon.com or find it in your local bookstore.

*Disclosure: I received a copy of the book, The Castle We Called Home: Our Living, Breathing and Emerging with Autism in exchange for this review. All opinions are accurate and 100% mine.



Cascia Talbert is a busy blogger, publisher, freelance writer, online merchant and mother of five children, living in The Pacific Northwest. With a B.A. in history and law and a passion for writing and staying healthy, she started The Healthy Moms Magazine in 2007. The Healthy Moms Magazine is currently ranked the top health blog for moms and features several health expert writers and mom bloggers. Ms. Talbert believes that if mothers are well educated on health issues and how to stay healthy, they can pass that information down to their children and reverse the childhood obesity statistics in the U.S.

Ms. Talbert is a featured health blogger at Wellsphere.com and her articles can also be found on ezinearticles.com. She also runs the Healthy Moms Social Network on Ning, manages Mom's Natural Health and Wellness Store, and is on the Social Media Advisory Board for America's Wellness Challenge.

We all have high expectations around the holidays. The media is advertising good tidings and cheer and beautiful gifts. Images of happy families flood the television screen and the delighted faces of children unwrapping the very present they were hoping for is shown in commercial after commercial. Is it any wonder that our children expect non-stop happiness and excitement during the holiday season?

But we all live in the real world - not the fantasy world of movies and television. And it is possible that your child will be disappointed with some aspect of the holiday. A favorite and hoped for toy may be too expensive to buy this year. Perhaps the toy that looked so fantastic on television is not that terrific after all. Or maybe a favorite cousin was planning to visit and the plans were changed. There are a variety of reasons why children may feel disappointed during the holiday season - and for that matter - at any time of the year.

Learning to handle disappointment is an important lifelong skill. There are several things you can do to help your child learn to manage feelings of disappointment.

Be a role model
Demonstrate to your child how you handle disappointment. Let him know that you are sad or even frustrated, but then show him how you stay calm. this will help your child understand that even when we are disappointed, life goes on and we are fine.

Listen, listen, listen!
This might be the hardest thing to do with children. It is difficult to see our children upset and often parents try to talk their child out of his feelings. We often tell children not cry or feel angry. But staying with your child, letting him know that you are there and that you care, and then listening to him as he describes his disappointment can be very helpful to children. When you listen, you are showing your child that his feelings are important. Listening validates your child’s feelings and can be very comforting to children.

Brainstorm ideas for feeling better
As parents, when we see our children upset, we want to fix the problem and dry their tears. So it is very difficult to resist the temptation to make the disappointment go away. But when we try to solve our child’s problem, we are denying him the opportunity to learn how to handle his disappointed feelings. Instead, begin a discussion about things your child can do to help himself feel better. Can he get involved in a different and fun activity? Can he recognize that while he wanted a certain toy, he can be happy without it. Can he understand that he may get his wish fulfilled at a later time?

Recognize that he is still okay
Help your child understand that while he is disappointed and feeling sad or angry, he is still okay. Remind him of other times when he was disappointed and then later felt better. Share some of your experiences with disappointment and let him know how you did not stay sad for long. Understanding that disappointed feelings do not last forever and that he will feel happy again can help a child handle situations where he is disappointed.

Talk about feelings
At a later time, when your child is feeling calmer, talk about feelings. Name some feelings and brainstorm situations in which a child might feel a certain way. This will help your child understand that his feelings of disappointment are just part of a wide range of feelings that he will have.

Renee Abramovitz is a a former preschool and kindergarten teacher who retired in 2008 to become a "full-time grandma" to her four beautiful grandsons. She is passionate about the idea that all parents are their child's first and most important teacher and strives to give parents the tools and confidence they need to successfully work with their children at home. 

Visit Renee at www.schoolsparks.com for information on helping your child develop important school-readiness skills. On her site you'll find a free kindergarten readiness test plus hundreds of free kindergarten worksheets including Christmas math worksheets and Christmas worksheets!

Even though it may sound embarrassing, taking care of our most intimate needs is very important. Most women don't think about the health benefits of sex, or worry about urinary incontinence or vaginal dryness. If intimacy with your partner has decreased or you suffer from urinary incontinence or vaginal dryness most likely you are too embarrassed to discuss these issues with your doctor. Please keep in mind that you are not alone.

An estimated 51 million women (17 million of them in the U.S. alone) cope with urinary incontinence. Some are unable to prevent leaking urine when they cough, sneeze or exercise. Others experience a strong urge to urinate but are unable to make it to the bathroom in time. The leading cause of urinary incontinence is pregnancy and childbirth.

Pregnancy and childbirth can cause urinary incontinence in a number of different ways. A vaginal delivery puts strain on the pelvic floor. A woman's pelvic floor muscles can also get damaged from an episiotomies, tearing due to forceps or a large baby. Some studies have shown that the pressure of the baby during pregnancy can also lead to incontinence. Each time a woman gets pregnant she is putting more strain on her pelvic floor which causes the muscles to become weaker and weaker.

However, doing Kegel exercises regularly can prevent urinary incontinence. To do Kegel exercises first squeeze the muscles that you would normally use to stop urinating. Your belly and buttocks must remain still. Hold the squeeze for about three seconds, rest for three seconds and repeat ten to fifteen times. If you do this at least three or more times a day you should be able to regain strength in your pelvic floor to help prevent urinary incontinence.

When was the last time you had sex with your partner? In our crazy busy lives sometimes sex gets put on the back burner. Did you know that having regular sexual intercourse has several health benefits? Below are just a few:

• Relieves stress
• Boosts immunity
• Burns calories
• Boosts self-esteem
• Improves heart health
• Reduces pain

Vaginal dryness is a very common symptom of menopause and can lead to lower sexual desire. A lot of women who suffer from vaginal dryness find it to embarrassing to discuss with their doctor. The body naturally produces a lubrication for the vagina. During menopause estrogen levels drop which causes the body to produce less lubrication.

If your sexual desire has decreased or you are experiencing urinary incontinence or vaginal dryness you should discuss your symptoms with your OBGYN. If this makes you feel uncomfortable, Intimina by Lelo has recently launched a new line of feminine intimate well-being products suited for your intimate needs.

"Laselle Kegel Exercisers offer an easy and effective way of strengthening the muscles of the pelvic floor. Worn discreetly inside during daily activities, they give you the most complete intimate workout, helping you to locate your PC muscles (pelvic floor muscles) and providing a solid object for you to flex around for more effective strengthening. Within each exerciser is a weighted ball that responds to your body’s movements, causing gentle kinetic vibrations to help prompt your pelvic floor muscles to contract and relax as you walk around.

Made from the smoothest silicone for increased safety and comfort, our easy to clean Laselle Kegel Exercisers are available in three different weights. These three different weights provide different levels of resistance and can be combined and adapted to your routine as your pelvic floor becomes stronger, helping you to unlock the full potential that this muscle set offers.

• Weight: 28g / 1 oz: To experiment for the first time
• Weight: 38g / 1.3 oz: To increase resistance further
• Weight: 48g / 1.7 oz: For a more advanced routine"

"Intimina Feminine Moisturizer is a water-based solution fortified with Aloe Vera to supplement your body’s natural moisture. Glycerin-free, paraben-free and aligned with your body’s natural pH, it can be used daily for added comfort or to allow for more enjoyable intimate activities.

The water soluble formula is non-staining, non-greasy, and non-sticky, and instantly helps you maintain your natural feel whenever you need it most."

This Intimate Accessory Cleaner is an easy-on, alcohol-free spray for products intended for intimate use. The fast-acting formula works in seconds to cleanse the surface of the product, while the addition of zinc salts softens the solution to reduce the chances of irritation.

With an understanding of the delicate nature of a woman’s intimate areas, Intimina has formulated our pH-balanced cleansing spray to be strong on germs and bacteria, yet gentle enough to be used on intimate items before and after close contact with these areas.

Flax seeds are considered nature's super food and when incorporated into your family's diet you can enjoy a number of health benefits. Linwoods Super Foods carries a variety of ground organic flax seeds mixed with other ground seeds and berries. Adding these mixes to holiday desserts and other dishes will give you high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids, dietary fiber, and iron along with a low glycemic index, Linwoods Super Foods make filling nutritional gaps effortless.

Consuming Flax seeds ground instead of whole enhances the body's nutrient absorption. You can get the maximum health benefits from just 4 Tablespoons of Linwoods Super Foods a day.

Linwoods Nutritious Super Foods provides an easy and convenient way to include a wide range of nutrients, vitamins and minerals in your diet for optimum health. Omega 3, 6 and 9 are polyunsaturated fats that help maintain a healthy heart, healthy brain function and immune system support. The dietary fiber in flax seeds helps maintain regularity and Soluble Dietary Fiber is absorbed by the body and helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels that are already within normal range and maintain blood sugar levels It is important to include a number of high fiber foods in our everyday diet. Antioxidants found in Linwoods Super Foods help boost the immune system and maintain healthy hair, skin and nails. Co-Enzyme Q10 (Co-Q10) is one of the most important nutrients for your body because it contributes to the production of energy in every cell in the body and improves the way the body functions It is also a highly effect antioxidant. Linwoods Super Foods has added Co-Q10 to a flax seed, almonds, Brazil nuts and walnuts and Co-Q10 mix; making it easier and more convenient for you to get a daily intake of C0-Q10 in your diet.

Linwoods Super Foods Ground Flax Seeds come in these six varieties:

Ground Organic Flax seed
Ground Flax seed, Walnuts, Brazil Nuts, Almonds and Q10
Ground Flax seed, Sunflower, Pumpkin, and Sesame Seeds and Goji Berries
Ground Flax seed & Goji Berries
Ground Flax seed, Cocoa, Strawberries & Blueberries
Ground Organic Flax seed, Sunflower & Pumpkin Seeds


I love the variety of flavors and how versatile Linwoods Super Foods Ground Flax Seeds are. I added a couple of Tablespoons to oatmeal, smoothies, and my holiday baking. They also make a great topping for yogurt, ice cream, and salads. You can also add Linwoods Super Foods Ground Flax Seeds to hot dishes like casseroles, stews, soups and chili. Visit linwoodshealthfoods.com for more recipe ideas.

Linwoods Super Foods can be purchased in large independent grocery stores and some larger retail chains across the US. For more information please visit linwoodshealthfoods.com.

*Disclosure: I received a sample of Linwoods Super Foods Ground Flax Seeds in exchange for this review. All opinions are accurate and 100% mine.



Cascia Talbert is a busy blogger, publisher, freelance writer, online merchant and mother of five children, living in The Pacific Northwest. With a B.A. in history and law and a passion for writing and staying healthy, she started The Healthy Moms Magazine in 2007. The Healthy Moms Magazine is currently ranked the top health blog for moms and features several health expert writers and mom bloggers. Ms. Talbert believes that if mothers are well educated on health issues and how to stay healthy, they can pass that information down to their children and reverse the childhood obesity statistics in the U.S.

Ms. Talbert is a featured health blogger at Wellsphere.com and her articles can also be found on ezinearticles.com. She also runs the Healthy Moms Social Network on Ning, manages Mom's Natural Health and Wellness Store, and is on the Social Media Advisory Board for America's Wellness Challenge.

This is a very special time of year. The colder weather and shorter days are offset by the numerous holiday decorations seen in shopping areas around the country. Whether you live in cold winter climate or warmer area, the decorations abound.

Often the focus of holiday shopping seems to be on gifts - buying gifts, mailing gifts and receiving gifts. While this is fun and exciting, there are other aspects of holiday shopping that don’t cost and have the bonus of being educational, as well. Helping children keep their skills sharp over the break from school is always a goal of mine and can be accomplished in fun ways that utilize special parts of holiday shopping.

Fun activities Keep your child happily engaged during holiday shopping trips with these activities:

- Look at the store window decorations. Many stores take great care with their holiday decorations. Can your child recognize a particular theme? Perhaps the store is decorating with lots of candles, or with over-sized ornaments, or with extravagant gift boxes. Are there predominant colors used repeatedly in the decorations? Do all of the windows seem to follow the same theme? Are the windows telling a story? Ask your child to tell you what he sees when he looks carefully at the decorations. If your stores do not have large display windows, check out the decorations inside the store. If your child struggles to notice small differences in the various window decorations or in the store displays, you can use compare and contrast worksheets to help him hone these important skills.

- Play “I Spy” in stores. Ask your child to spot specific holiday items in the store. If the store has sent out a circular or magazine advertising a specific item, ask your child to see if he can find the display that showcases this item.

- Hunt for holiday-themed clothing. Many people (and salespeople) wear sweaters or shirts with a holiday decoration. This is the only time of year people can wear these items of clothing. Ask your child to be a “holiday sweater detective” and try to spot any shoppers or salespeople who are wearing special holiday clothing.

- Practice counting by asking your child to count some of the colored ornaments on the tree displays in the store. Can he take a guess about how many ornaments of a certain color are on a small tree?

- Play “Guess that Tune” by asking your child to listen to the music played over the store speakers. Often stores that do not have music during the rest of the year pipe holiday songs throughout the store during this season. Can your child recognize any of them?


Renee Abramovitz is a a former preschool and kindergarten teacher who retired in 2008 to become a "full-time grandma" to her four beautiful grandsons. She is passionate about the idea that all parents are their child's first and most important teacher and strives to give parents the tools and confidence they need to successfully work with their children at home. 


Visit Renee at www.schoolsparks.com for information on helping your child develop important school-readiness skills. On her site you'll find a free kindergarten readiness test plus hundreds of free kindergarten worksheets including Christmas math worksheets and Christmas worksheets!

Ever since women entered the workforce in droves during the 80s, women have wondered, Will I Be Happier if I Work? Or Should I Stay Home With my Kids? We may now have an answer. A new study published by Live Science reveals that women who work, either full time or part time, are healthier and have less depression than women who stay home with their young children. The study appears to be fairly extensive since it began in 1991 and followed women through every stage of their child's life.

The study reveals that the benefits of working don't exist once children enter school, possibly because the stress of being at home with little kids diminishes once the kids are gone at school all day.

As a working Mom, I am a little shocked by these results. I work because my husband isn't done with his surgical training yet so we need the money. I also work because I want to and because I truly like having a life outside my kids but I am often crippled with guilt when I leave my kids for the day. Every single day I wonder if my kids would be happier if Mom was staying home with them. Guilt is a powerful emotion and it makes me wonder whether this study researched guilt and how it relates to depression?

On the other hand, I am often home by the time kids wake up from naps in the afternoon, and I can very easily see why staying home with little children all day could make you a little crazy. The witching hour between 4 and 7 is crazy. The kids are often looking for ways to irritate each other or me, which means they cry and whine a lot, and sometimes everything I seem to try to entertain them ends in disaster.

Millions of women go to college and spend thousands getting a college education, only to quit working several years later to raise children. I say Kudos to them! This study only looks at the health and depression in the Moms, but what about the children? True, people often say that if Mom is happy the family is happy, but can kids ever really be truly happy at a daycare facility?

My hope is that women everywhere know that they have the choice and it's okay to reverse their decision. If staying at home is making you depressed, get a job. Often once a Mom chooses to stay home, she can't imagine going back to work and putting the kids in daycare, so a vicious cycle begins and that is how women get depressed.

At the same time, if a Mom works and she hates her job and wishes she could stay home with the kids, then she should take steps to make that happen. Get a smaller house, buy less stuff, figure out how to work part time.

I have heard that Stay At Home Moms are a dying breed. I hate to think that's true, but depression is a nasty disease, so for now, I'm happy to be a Working Mom.

Note: I published this article first on Technorati

Katie Mullen is the busy Mom to two toddlers, ages 3 and 1. She works full-time doing sales to support her husband through medical school and beyond. Katie’s husband is a surgeon in training, which means he is often gone and works grueling hours, leaving Katie to be a single Mom for much of the week. Despite this, Katie is a big believer in always looking for the positive in life and writes about how she does this in her blog, Mommy with Selective Memory Katie is a former athlete and is still active in running and training. Her husband is an orthopedic surgery resident and has a special interest in triathalons and is even doing clinical research on barefoot running. The happy but very busy family resides in the Mid-west where they enjoy being outdoors.

If you found the above article helpful take a look at:

"Supermoms" are More Likely to Develop Depression According to New Study

written by Cascia Talbert on August 23, 2011.

The holiday preparations can often seem overwhelming. But one way to make this time of year special for children - and more fun - is to include them in getting ready for the holiday. Baking cookies is a great way to get the season off to a sweet and tasty start. Besides filling the house with the aromas of the holiday, baking with children can also provide fun opportunities to practice skills.

Keep it simple
Most cookie dough recipes are pretty straight forward. The ingredients can be mixed in one bowl. Other than cracking the eggs, I generally allowed my children to do all the measuring and mixing. (I tried letting them have a go at the eggs, but it was frustrating and messy. You may have more luck, but in my experience, my children were happy to let me do that job.) So pick a recipe that is pretty easy to throw together.

Organize the workspace
The baking process seemed to go smoother when I took a little time to get things organized before I involved my kids. When I cleared the counter top of unnecessary clutter and brought out all the required baking ingredients and equipment before we got started, we all seemed to have a better time. On the few occasions when I tried to squeeze a baking session into an already busy day, my lack of organization and general state of frenzy rubbed off on my kids and the activity was just not as much fun.

Prep the kids as well as the kitchen
Before we started baking, I reviewed some of the key kitchen tools with my children. The baking process was always smoother when my young children were familiar with the equipment. We looked at the cup measure, half cup measure and quarter cup measure. Then we looked at the various sizes of measuring spoons. Sometimes it was easier for my little guys to use the smaller tools, so I even threw in a little “math lesson” by showing the kids the equivalents: two half cups = one whole cup, and so on.

Direct each step
I reinforced the importance of following the directions for the recipe. Creativity could come out in the decorating, but precision was needed while getting the dough mixed. To make baking educational, as well as fun, I stayed beside my children and called out the directions, step by step. As my children worked, I gave oral hints and tips to guide them. I directed them on how to measure and combine the ingredients. I also gave directions for (as I like to say) “cleaning up as we went along” to avoid a big mess at the end.

Following the directions for the recipe became a great chance for my children to hone their listening skills. I reminded them to listen closely to my instructions and wait for each step as I gave it.

Step back for the cookie decorating
My only directions during this part of the cookie making process was to remind my children to keep the sprinkles on the table! Otherwise, they were free to decorate any way they wished. And of course, eating cookies as you decorate is part of the fun.


Renee Abramovitz is a a former preschool and kindergarten teacher who retired in 2008 to become a "full-time grandma" to her four beautiful grandsons. She is passionate about the idea that all parents are their child's first and most important teacher and strives to give parents the tools and confidence they need to successfully work with their children at home. 


Visit Renee at www.schoolsparks.com for information on helping your child develop important school-readiness skills. On her site you'll find a free kindergarten readiness test plus hundreds of free kindergarten worksheets including Christmas math worksheets and Christmas worksheets!