Ten Great Uses for Vaseline Petroleum Jelly

Did you know that Vaseline Petroleum Jelly has been with us for almost one century and a half? It has been one of the few "must-haves" in my family since I was a little girl. Created by a blend of mineral oils, paraffin and microcrystalline waxes, Vaseline Petroleum Jelly effectively moisturizes and protects dry skin. It's fragrance- and alcohol free, and therefore non-irritating and safe to use for sensitive skin.

To celebrate its 140th anniversary, Vaseline Petroleum Jelly has teamed up with TwitterMoms for a new blogging program, which aims to gather 140 great uses for Vaseline from mommy bloggers. There are, of course, chances to win prizes for those who contribute to the conversation. The first 50 qualified participants will each receive a $25 Drugstore.com gift card!

Now let me tell you about my favorite ways to use Vaseline Petroleum Jelly

1. Hand Cream
People with dry skin, like myself, is particularly in need of Vaseline Petroleum Jelly to protect their hands from the effects of harsh weather or exposure to irritants. Simply apply some each time after you wash your hands and it will keep your hands moisturized for hours. It's important to take Vaseline Petroleum Jelly with you during winter.

2. Foot Cream
Vaseline Petroleum Jelly can heal not only dry hands, but also dry feet. It's a great remedy for chapped heels. Keep applying it to your feet after shower or bath and you will see gradual change to your skin condition. It will help soften your skin and restore your skin's ability to build up moisture naturally.

3. Lip Balm
Vaseline Petroleum Jelly works great for chapped lips. You can use it alone or together with your favorite lipstick. Your lips will stay soft and moisturized, with some desirable glowing effects.

4. Diaper Rash Ointment
Would you like your baby to stop being bothered by diaper rash? Vaseline Petroleum Jelly can help! Applying a tiny amount after each diaper change helps prevent diaper rash from recurring.

5. Bleeding Stopper
Your nose may bleed when it gets too dry inside. If that has happened to you before, it's good idea to apply a thin layer of Vaseline Petroleum Jelly inside your nose on a chilly day, to prevent your nose from bleeding. Vaseline can also help stop bleeding when it happens. It's a handy bleed stopper for minor cuts as well.

6. Runny Nose Protector
It's common to have a red nose when you're suffering from a bad cold and a stuffy runny nose. Applying some Vaseline Petroleum Jelly along the edge of your nostrils will protect your nose from getting miserably red due to frequent blowing.

7. Pain Reliever
If you've got some minor burns on your skin, you may use Vaseline Petroleum Jelly for temporary pain relief. But please remember to cool down any fresh burns with running water before applying Vaseline, because trapping heat inside would actually worsen burns.

8. Stain Remover
Because of the chemical properties of its ingredients, Vaseline Petroleum Jelly is capable of removing stains from furniture. It's great for spot cleaning as well as polishing wooden furniture.

9. Rust Preventer
Vaseline Petroleum Jelly also helps protect corrosion-prone machinery in and outside your home. Coat corrosion-prone items with Vaseline before storage will prevent them from getting rusty.

10. Lubricant
Last but not least, Vaseline Petroleum Jelly is a highly versatile lubricant. It may help your baby get a smooth rectal temperature reading, help you take better care of your car, help you and your partner spice things up in the bedroom, help those suffering from hemorrhoids have a less painful visit to the restroom...just to name a few.

Are you now convinced that Vaseline would come in handy in many aspects of your life? The magic jar of jelly costs only a few bucks, with a size so easy to fit in your pocket. It's probably the most affordable AND most useful skin care product you could ever get! If you love Vaseline as much as I do, feel free to shout it out loud. Don't forget to share your creative use of Vaseline and help us complet the list of 140.

Disclosure: I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Vaseline blogging program, making me eligible to get a $25 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Ten Ideas for Incorporating Fun and Play into Your Child’s Daily Activities

TwitterMoms has teamed up with The Hub, a newly launched TV channel for kids and families for an awesome blog contest, in which the first 50 participants will receive a $50 Target.com gift card! To participate, you will need to write a thoughtful quality post sharing 10 ideas for incorporating fun and play into your child’s daily activities.

Here are some of my favorites that have been working great for my son.

Brushing Fun: Getting your child to brush her teeth twice a day can be a boring chore for both of you. What I do to make brushing a fun activity is to brush with my son and compete for richer foams, louder rinsing and ultimately whiter teeth. Choosing a cute toothbrush and changing brushes regularly is also an effective way to make my child like brushing better. I also encourage him to count his teeth as he brushes or humming his favorite songs.

Eating Fun: Eating healthy food is a top priority for my family, but it's not always easy to get kids to eat what's good for them. I find making colorful and nice-looking dishes a fun way to introduce a good variety of vegetables to my son. Diversifying the ways to cook the same ingredients also makes eating more enjoyable. Have you ever tried incorporating games into eating? For instance, when my son asks for his favorite sweet treat--M&M, I'll ask him to guess the color of the next candy coming out of the bag. Only a correct guess will win him a sweet chocolate candy. And he needs to drink up a small cup of water before he can take another guess.

Outdoor Fun: My son's favorite time of the day is to play outside in the playground at the park. He will happily drink a lot of water and eat plenty of fruits while he's having fun going down the slides or riding in the swing. By playing outside, he gets sunshine, fresh air and good physical exercise that are all necessary for his growth.

Music Fun: Both my son and I love to have music in the background for any daily activity: playing, reading, learning, eating, and even sleeping. It's a great way to cultivate his love for music, help him learn new songs, and increase his interest in the activity he's engaged in. Cheerful music will frequently get him to dance around in excitement.

Book Fun: Reading is an important part of my son's daily routine. He loves it more when we read out aloud together, when I use funny tones, or when we take different roles to act out the story.

Potty Fun: My son is undergoing potty training. What sounds like a headache has turned out to be quite smooth and painless for us. A cute, colorful potty chair is a good starting point. Lovely charts and stickers also do the trick. My son takes great pride in becoming a big boy and going potty on his own.

Shopping Fun: Taking the kids to grocery shopping makes the kids feel that they are an important part of the family. They get to know a lot of things we use in daily life and learn to make choices and decisions, no matter how trivial they may seem.

Cooking Fun: My son loves to watch me cooking for the entire family. He's a bit too young to help out in the kitchen, but he's very enthusiastic about doing what he can, like handing mommy a plate or putting trash into the trash can. He also learns about vegetables and ways to turn them into different shapes.

Bathing Fun: What's better than a warm bath before going to bed? My son loves playing with his water toys in the tub and making bubbles from time to time. I encourage him to clean up his body on his own. He's happily taken that as a sign of growing up.

Bedtime Fun: It's been quite a challenge to put a toddler to sleep. I've experimented with various props: cuddly toys, soothing music, and sleep-related stories. Sometimes they work, but sometimes they don't. We've recently developed a new game to help my son go to sleep on his own. Daddy and son will be competing to see who can keep his eyes shut for a longer time and mommy will be the judge. The winner will be awarded his favorite snack for the next day. My son amazed me with his memory when he asked for his prize after waking up in the morning.

Do you have any unique tips for making daily routines more fun for your kid? Please don't keep them to yourself. Share them with the TwitterMoms community and you could win a nice prize!

Disclosure: I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and The Hub blogging program, making me eligible to get a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Five Simple Things You Can Do to Keep Your Child's Smiles Healthy and Bright

What can be more precious than your child's happy, healthy smile? But it is no easy task to keep that healthy smile for life. Tooth decay, as the most common chronic childhood disease, has posed a real threat to children's oral health. Studies have shown that each year, more than 51 million school hours are lost as a result of problems related to tooth decay and that tooth decay affects approximately half of all second graders and nearly 80 percent of 17-year-olds!

As a parent, you need to know the importance of caring for your child's oral health and to take active steps to help her establish good oral care habits in order to reduce the risk of oral diseases. Trident and TwitterMoms have teamed up for a new blogging program about oral care for kids. Share five simple things you can do for your child to keep their smiles healthy and bright on your blog.  The first 100 qualified participants will get a $25 Target gift card and one random qualifying participant will win a grand prize of $100 Target gift card!

Clinical studies have shown that chewing sugar free gum, like Trident®, for 20 minutes after a meal helps fight cavities. Xylitol, a sugar free sweetener in Trident, has been shown to loosen plaque. I didn't know these until I read them on TwitterMoms. Trident® has also partnered with Smiles Across America® to help underprivileged children get the dental care they need. More information about Trident and Smiles Across America can be found at the end of this post.

Here are the top five simple things I do to help my child take care of his teeth:
1. No candies before bed.
    This is a rule that has been strictly enforced in our house. Candies are one of the major culprits for tooth decay. The hours when a child is asleep is the best time for germs and bacteria to feast and thrive. To convince my son of the harmful effects, I show him board books with humorous illustrations about what the "bad guys" would do in his mouth if he eats a candy bar at night.

2. Choose low-sugar or sugar-free snacks.
    Sugary snacks, like candies, cookies and cakes, are popular among kids, but they are known to cause tooth decay, especially when eaten several times a day between meals. Many sugary foods are also rich in fat and likely to cause child obesity. So it's really important for parents to choose healthy snacks that are nutritious and not loaded with sugar. Low-sugar, low-fat snack choices include fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain bread and crackers, and  low or non-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese. These snacks are tasty, filling, but less harmful to our teeth.

3. Brush teeth at least twice a day. Brush together with your kid to increase her interest and to show her the right way to brush. 
    Parents are their child's initial role models. Children love to imitate adult behavior. Children are more likely to get excited about brushing their teeth if they see their parents do the same. It was when he saw me brushing my teeth in the bathroom that my son first showed interest in brushing his own. I love the picture of us brushing our teeth side by side in front of our big vanity mirror. It has been recommended that children brush at least twice a day for two or three minutes each time. The most effective way to help establish healthy brushing habits is to brush together with your child every time you ask her to follow the routine. It's also a good time to demonstrate the right way to brush.

4. Play the "Whose teeth are whiter?" game with your kid to encourage her to take good care of her teeth.
    The game is real simple. Stand side by side with your kid in front of a mirror, and make a big grin showing your teeth after counting 1-2-3. Whoever gets the whiter teeth and nicer smile wins. Just a fun way to remind your kid to take good care of her teeth. It's likely to work better for younger kids than older ones.

5. Replace toothbrushes at least every 3 months.
    Oral care professionals recommend that we change our toothbrushes at least every three months because studies have shown that after three months of normal wear and tear, toothbrushes become much less effective at cleaning your teeth or gum. Old toothbrushes also tend to harbor a lot of germs and bacteria. Changing toothbrushes often and choosing fun-looking ones can also increase your child's interest in brushing. There are quite a few kid toothbrushes with cute, colorful designs on the market, so you're good to go.

Do you have any tips for taking caring of your child's oral health? Feel free to share with us in a comment or a blog post.

About Trident® Sugar Free Gum
Trident gum has long been a pioneer in providing oral health benefits to consumers. Trident was the first gum brand of its kind to undergo testing in 1967 with studies showing that people who chewed Trident experienced significantly fewer cavities. Trident is available in 11 great-tasting flavors: Original Flavor, Bubble Gum, Spearmint, Tropical Twist, Watermelon Twist, Wild Blueberry Twist, Minty Sweet Twist, Passionberry Twist, Wintergreen, Strawberry Twist and Cinnamon. All flavors can be purchased in 18-piece packs and 54-piece multi-packs (three 18-piece packages).

About Smiles Across America® (SAA)
SAA is a signature program created by Oral Health America, a national non-profit organization dedicated to changing lives by connecting communities with resources to increase access to care, education and advocacy around oral health. SAA improves the health of elementary school students by supporting oral disease prevention services in school-based or school-linked settings, and demonstrating to communities that healthy mouths are integral to overall health. For more information, visit http://www.oralhealthamerica.org.

Disclosure: I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Trident blogging program, making me eligible to get a $25 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Five Favorite Family Time Ideas

LEGO® and TwitterMoms have teamed up for a fun new blogging program! Share five of your favorite family time ideas in a blog post and the first 30 qualified participants will get a LEGO prize pack that includes 2 games for your next family game night! In addition, 10 random winners will get a complete set of LEGO games! Woot! Woot!

Here are five of my favorite family time ideas:

1. Game Night
Playing games together is a great way to spend quality family time. Time usually flies super fast during a game night. I'm often reluctant to say "Let's call it a night". Our favorite games include Monopoly, Clue and Charades.

2. Movie Night
Everyone in our family loves watching movies. During a movie night, we eat snacks, chat and enjoy the show. We usually have a lot to discuss even after the movie. It's a fun way for us to bond and communicate.

3. Book Night
I've stressed more that once that it's important for parents to spend time reading with their kids. One way to make reading more entertaining is to have a book night party. We pick an interesting book and read it together with cheerful music playing in the background. After familiarizing ourselves with the story, we act the story out by taking different roles.

4. Picnic
We love to eat together and to stay close to nature. Picnic is the perfect activity to meet both of our preferences. Preparing food and gear for the picnic is part of family fun too. It's simply marvelous to savor tasty food and admire natural landscape at the same time!

5. Fishing Trip
One of our favorite family outings is to go fishing together. Although hubby is the only one who knows how to fish, my son and I love to watch him and be busy helpers. We make a good team! My son is still too young to learn fishing, but he learns about different kinds of fish and he's mainly responsible for counting the fish in the bucket. Fishing is an awesome way to get everyone in the family involved and to create lifelong memories.

About LEGO®:
The LEGO Group is a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company is still owned by the Kirk Kristiansen family who founded it in 1932.

The LEGO Group is engaged in the development of childrens creativity through playing and learning. Based on the world-famous LEGO brick, the company today provides toys, experiences and teaching materials for children in more than 130 countries. The LEGO Group has approximately 8,000 employees, and it is the worlds fifth largest manufacturer of play materials.

Join LEGO® on Facebook and take the LEGO Games Challenge!

Disclosure: I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and LEGO blogging program, making me eligible to get a prize pack. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Ten Tips for Saving Money During The Back-to-School Season

In honor of the 3rd Annual Staples Do Something 101 School Supply Drive, Staples and TwitterMoms have teamed up to bring you a fun new blogging program. The first 50 qualified participants to share 10 tips for saving money during the back-to-school season will get a $50 Staples gift card to help you get your kids prepared for back-to-school! In addition, one lucky random winner will get a grand prize of a $150 Staples gift card!

Through its Annual Do Something 101 School Supply Drive, Staples is helping to get school supplies into the hands of those in need. The first two Do Something 101 school supply drives raised nearly $1 million for local charities to purchase back-to-school supplies for students who need them. In addition, Staples stores donated thousands of school supplies to its recipient organizations.

Here are my tips:
1. Inventory your current supplies to see what items you can reuse from previous years.

2. Make a shopping list of things that are absolutely necessary.

3. Use comparison shopping sites to get the best price when shopping online.

4. Stock up on items on sale that can use throughout the entire school year.

5. Postpone purchases like winter clothes.

6.  Use price match wherever possible to get the best deals.

7.  Shop at stores that accept competitor coupons (like Staples)

8.  Combine coupons and store promotions to get the most for your money.

9.  Shop through various cash back programs to maximize your savings.


10. Get more saving ideas from coupon and deals forums.

From now through 8/14, Staples is offering a special discount to the TwitterMoms community. Print out this coupon and bring it to any Staples to get 25% off their collection of Sustainable Earth by StaplesTM notebooks and writing pads. These eco-friendly notepads are made from 80% sugarcane so fewer trees are used!

Disclosure: I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Staples blogging program, making me eligible to get a $50 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Ten Tips for Ensuring a Healthy, Safe and Successful School Year

It's hard to believe how fast time goes by. Back to school is now drawing close. TwitterMoms and Airwear want to know how you ensure a healthy, safe and successful school year for your kids! The first 50 qualified participants in this fun blogging program will receive a $25 Amazon.com gift card and 3 randomly selected bloggers will receive an Airwear voucher with a redeemable value of up to $400!

But that's not all. Airwear and your fellow TwitterMom, Beth Aldrich, are sponsoring an essay contest, which encourages parents and care-givers to share how they plan to help their kids live a healthy, safe and successful school year on www.LighterSaferGreener.com. One grand prize winner will be awarded $1,000, while 10 first prize winners will receive vouchers for Airwear lenses valued up to $400! You can learn more about Airwear’s eco-friendly practices by visiting www.LighterSaferGreener.com and check out Aldrich’s tips to ensure kids have a healthy, safe and successful school year.

Here are my 10 tips:

1. Get your kid physically and psychologically prepared for school before school even starts. We all know how inertia works against getting in the mood to study. Back to school shopping can be an effective way to help your kid overcome that inertia and get excited about school life. It's also important to make sure your kid get all the medical attention he needs, such as flu shots and necessary immunizations.

2. Go over the class schedule together with you kid. It's a great way to get to know your kid's school life better and assist her to make feasible plans about the new school year.

3. Give your kid necessary safety precautions. No matter how nagging your kid might feel about you, you need to constantly remind her of safety on the road, on campus or when she's alone with strangers. Tell her, for instance, about tips or tricks to get rid of a stalker.

4. Prepare healthy meals and snacks for your kid. Carefully choose foods that are low in fat and high in fiber. Eating healthy is essential for your kid's growth and overall health.

5. Communicate with you kid's teacher on a regular basis. It's important to stay on top of how your kid performs academically and socially at school. Besides your kid, her teacher would be the best point of contact for that information.

6. Encourage your kid to take part in after school programs. This would help your kid develop her own interests and hobbies. Extracurricular activities may also broaden her scope of knowledge and turn her into a more sociable and responsible person.

7. Remind your kid to have enough water and daily servings of fruits and veggies. Kids and adults alike need to stay hydrated. Let your kid use a water bottle to monitor her water intake. Pack plenty of fruits and veggies in her lunchbox. Making her dessert colorful and cutely shaped could greatly increase her appetite for healthy food.

8. Encourage your kid to take part in team sports. Team sports may help cultivate your kid's ability to cooperate and coordinate--important skills that she will need when she enters the workforce. If she plays as the head of the team, she will also acquire considerable leadership skills and hands-on experience.

9. Establish a reading ritual and follow it with your kid. Most parents would love their kids to become little book lovers. As I said in an earlier post about summer reading tips, it's important to build a reading routine for your kid and stick to it. Synchronizing your reading time with that of your kid would significantly increase your kid's likelihood of faithfully following her reading schedule.

10. Let the kid play and relax during weekends. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Setting aside time for free play could in fact enhance your kid's performance at school and benefit her in the long run.

Now it's your turn to share tips and tricks with the rest of us!

Disclosure: I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Airwear blogging program, making me eligible to get a $25 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, visit http://airwear.twittermoms.com/about

Glue Dots Summer Bonding Project

A few weeks ago I signed up for the Summer Bonding Project initiated by Glue Dots Adhesives and TwitterMoms. As part of the project, I received an assortment of Glue Dots products to use for our summer bonding project. This is the first time I'm introduced to Glue Dots and I'm deeply impressed by their nice quality and ease of use. These acid-free adhesives bond fast and firmly, leaving no mess behind. My favorite Glue Dots products are the Dot N Go series. Their dispensers are compact and convenient to use. I also like that they can be applied to a wide variety of dry, clean surfaces, including but not limited to paper, plastic, metal, wood and foam. They are a great helper for those who love scrapbooking, decorating, crafting and DIY projects. You may get some inspirations from the Glue Dots Facebook page.

I tried a couple simple paper crafts using Glue Dots. Since my son is too young to do any crafts on his own, I was doing most of the work while he was watching. But wait, he did actively contribute to the project by handing me stuff that I needed, including Glue Dots Adhensives. That's the whole point of a bonding project, right? Here's a brief description of the two things we made.

Window Photo Frame
Supplies: pencil, thick card, thin card, clear plastic sheet, Glue Dots, crayons, and sissors.
Step 1: Make a sketch of a window and a backrest on the thick card, cut out the window frame and backrest. Color them as you like.
Step 2: Cut out a piece of clear plastic and stick it to the back of the frame with Glue Dots. Cut out a piece of thin card and stick it to the back to sandwich the plastic.
Step 3: Attach the backrest to the back of the frame in the center. Slide your favorite picture in between the plastic and board. Voilà! You now have a pretty handmade photo frame.

 Monkey Desk Tidy
Supplies: crayons, pencil, scissors, thin card, glue, and an empty jar or tin
Step 1:  Wrap a piece of thin card around an empty jar or tin (I used an empty pickle jar). Leave an overlap and draw a line, where Glue Dots will be applied.
Step 2: Draw a picture of a tree on the card and color it.
Step 3: Carefully cut out the tree and wrap around the jar or tin. Apply Glue Dots along the tab line.
Step 4: Draw and cut out a monkey. Color it and then stick it to the back of the tree. Now you have turned an otherwise useless jar into a handy desk accessory!

I also used Glue Dots to fix our paper growth chart onto the door and made it easier to track my child's height. I strongly encourage you to visit the TwitterMoms Summer Bonding Project page and read all the fun projects posted there. I admire those creative minds!

Disclosure: I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Glue Dots blogging contest to be eligible to receive a $30 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Celebrating Things That Are Better Than Ever

TwitterMoms and Dove® gofresh™ have teamed up to bring us a fun blogging contest! If you haven't heard already, Dove® gofresh™ just got a boost of NutriumMoisture™. Feeling that this has taken Dove® gofresh™ from good to great, the folks at Dove® would really like to know what in your life has gone from good to great... what in your life is better than ever?

The first 50 bloggers who write a qualifying post answering the question "How Are You Better Than Ever?" will get a $25 Amazon.com e-gift card and bottle of Dove® gofresh™ Revive body wash with NutriumMoisture™. Please follow the rules and submit your entry by July 21, 2010.

Dove® gofresh™ is also sponsoring a photo contest on Facebook. By sharing your photos about what's "better than ever" on the Facebook contest page, you'll be entered to win a spa weekend getaway in Sedona, AZ, and thousands of dollars worth of great prize packages from Dove® gofresh™! Don't miss out!

For me, becoming a mom has been the most transforming event in my life and being a mom has made my life better than ever. I feel so happy when I see my son grow fast and learn new things every day. I was overjoyed when he first uttered the word "ma-ma". I jumped up and down when he walked on his own for the first time. I was amused when he tried to feed me baby food. I was in tears when he handed me his water bottle after hearing me cough. There are simply so much more fun in life now that I am a mother!

Being a mom has also turned me into a better person. I've become more patient, more considerate, and more creative. Motherhood has given me power, vigor, and courage. I feel stronger, happier, and younger when I'm with my kid. I can go on and on chattering about the things that are better than ever since the birth of my child. I bet you have many interesting stories to tell too. Don't keep them to yourself.  Share them with your blog readers, Twitter followers or Facebook friends and you could win nice prizes!

Disclosure:I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Dove® gofresh™ blogging program, making me eligible to get a $25 gift card and some product. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Summer Reading Tips

Summer is officially here. TwitterMoms and HarperCollins would like to know "How do you get your kids to embrace summer reading?" The first 100 qualified participants in this “I Can Read - Summer Reading” blogging program will receive an "I Can Read!" paperback book while 5 random qualified participants will receive an "I Can Read!" book set consisting of twelve "I Can Read!" featured titles. Got tips and tricks for raising a little book lover? Please share them with your fellow parents, who are eager to foster a love of reading in their children. If you're interested in joining the blogging contest, please follow the instructions outlined here and get your entry in by July 23rd.

Here are a few things I do to encourage my toddler to read:

1. Make a feasible reading list.
It's important to choose the right books for your child--books that are age-appropriate and captivating. For example, babies and toddlers love books with colorful pictures and cute characters. Words in the books should be simple and in large, bold print. Pop-up or touch and feel features are a big plus. You may also want to keep the reading list to a reasonable length. In my opinion, reading a few good books is better than reading tons of mediocre ones.

2. Set up a reading schedule.
If you would like reading to become an indispensable part of your child's life, you may incorporate reading into her daily routine by setting aside 1-2 hours a day for reading. Over time, she'll read not only out of interest but also out of habit. It can be really hard to establish a schedule at the beginning, but your efforts will pay off in the long run (isn't this true for feeding, sleeping and many other aspects of baby raising?).

3. Read to or with your child
Parents are a child's first teachers. Children love to imitate whatever their parents do. You may take advantage of this to cultivate your child's passion for books. For younger kids, read the book aloud slowly and preferably in funny, different voices, point at corresponding pictures, and ask them to read along. You may also turn words into lyrics and sing the book instead (My son does that a lot). For kids old enough to read independently, I think it a good idea to sync your reading schedule with theirs. How would you expect your child to read while you're watching TV or playing video games? She'll be easily distracted and tempted to do things that appear to be more entertaining than reading. Reading to or with your kid is also a great way to bond with her.

4. Encourage role play and storytelling
To make story books even more appealing, let your kid play the story out with you or with other kids. Encourage her to take different roles in the story and perform the way she thinks is right. Show interest in the books she read alone by asking her to retell the story to you. This will help polish her language skills and boost her confidence. My son is too young to tell a full story, so I keep asking him questions like "What happens next?", "Who comes?" "What does he do?" and "Why does he do that?" to help the story flow. Although I already know the story well, I never correct him if he changes any details, and let his imagination reign instead. He always looks very proud of himself after telling mommy an interesting story (OS: Mommy and I read the book together, but she's so forgetful. I know better!)

Please keep in mind that every child is unique. You've got to know your kid's special traits and cater your strategies and techniques to her needs.

Looking for more tips and tricks for summer reading? Check out the widget in my sidebar and see what other moms are doing to get their kids to embrace summer reading.

Disclosure: I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms blogging program to be eligible to get an "I Can Read!" book. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Five Must-have Fashionable Pieces to Pack for Every Weekend Trip

Have you got plans for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend? How about a road trip with your family? TwitterMoms and Gap Outlet are interested in learning about your 5 must-have fashionable pieces to pack for every weekend trip. The first 50 qualified entrants in this fun blogging contest will be each rewarded with a $20 Gap gift card. Sounds great? Learn how you can enter to win here.

Now here's my list of 5 must-haves:

1. A roomy and nice-looking handbag. It's necessary to hold all the stuff I need to carry while on the go, napkins, lip balm, snack for my son, water bottle, mini first-aid kit, etc.
2. A pair of sunglasses. It's important to protect my eyes from intense sunlight and look cool and happy in the pictures.
3. A set of cotton tees or shirts. Cotton has been my number one choice of fabric for clothing. It's most comfortable and breathable.
4. A pair of flare jeans. My figure looks best in flare jeans, so I wear them wherever appropriate.
5. A pair of comfortable shoes. No high heels for a trip unless a special occasion is involved. Sneakers are my all time favorite. Sandals and flip-flops work well too if not a lot of walking is involved.

Plus, you don't want to miss these hot deals:

Gap Outlet is offering a doorbuster sale with up to 40% off all adult items and 30% off all kids items from May 25-31, 2010! THEN, Gap Outlet extends the sale with up to 50% off select styles! Also, Gap Outlet is offering an exclusive coupon code to the TwitterMoms community for an additional 15% discount on all purchases, with a minimum spend of $75. This exclusive additional discount is available to all TwitterMoms friends and family from May 25 - June 7, 2010!

Banana Republic Factory Store is offering 40% off the ENTIRE STORE from Wednesday 5/26/10 – Monday 5/31/10 ONLY! In addition, Banana Republic Factory Store is offering an exclusive coupon code to the TwitterMoms community for an additional 15% discount on all purchases, with a minimum spend of $75. This exclusive additional discount is available to all TwitterMoms friends and family from May 25 through June 7, 2010, so hurry to your closest location today.

Get your coupons today at http://gap.twittermoms.com and happy shopping!

Disclosure: I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Gap Outlet blogging program to be eligible to win a $20 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Ten Little Things that Lead to a Happier, Healthier Me

TwitterMoms has partnered with Tropicana Trop50 on a "Spring Renewal" blogging program, calling for blog posts about the "10 Little Things that Lead to a Happier, Healthier You." One hundred qualified participants will receive a $30 AmEx gift card and 6 Tropicana Juicy Rewards points worth up to $30 in savings. As a valued reader of my blog, each of you are invited to use this exclusive code TWMOM-READR worth 1 Juicy Rewards point (This one-time use code is valid for new accounts ONLY. Must be entered within 6 hours of creating your account. Limit one new account bonus code per new account. All accounts must be created and all codes entered by May 7, 2010 at 11:59 PM EST.) New to the Tropicana Juicy Rewards program? Make sure you visit their website to find out what your reward points may turn into and to enter their monthly sweepstakes.

Here are the 10 little things that lead to a happier, healthier me:
1. Every morning, smile into the mirror and tell myself that I will be having a wonderful day. It's an effective way to boost my confidence and keep a light heart.

2. Start the day with a healthy breakfast. I prefer cereals that are high in fiber and low in sugar. Multigrain Cheerios are a great choice for kids.

3. Drink plenty of water and cut back on soda intake. I use a water bottle with clear measurements, so it's easier to monitor my water intake and stay hydrated.

4. An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Apple happens to be my favorite fruit. It's an excellent source of fiber and vitamins. I'm happily following the old saying.

5. Include veggies in every meals. Either as the main course or a side dish, vegetables are a must-have in my everyday diet.

6. Substitute sweet snacks with fresh fruits and yogurt. I take at least 1 cup of yogurt a day and 3-4 servings of fresh fruit.

7. Take a 30-minute walk outside every day. It makes me feel refreshed and energized. It also helps me lose weight at a steady pace.

8. Put aside at least one hour a day for leisure reading. It can be anything I like: fictions, essays, biographies, or even jokes. It feels so good to have some "ME" time.

9. Take a warm bath before bedtime to relax and rewind. And have some quality beauty sleep!

10. Last but not least, kiss and hug your beloved ones often ^_^!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Tropicana Trop50 blogging program to be eligible to win 6 free Juicy Rewards points and a $30 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

New TwitterMoms Contest

TwitterMoms has partnered with Horizon Little Blends on a fun blogging contest. The first 100 moms who blog about how they sneak fruits and veggies into their child’s diet will win a Thermos snack jar and a coupon off Horizon’s new Little Blends yogurt as well as a second prize pack to give away to one of their readers. Doesn't that sound wonderful? The offer expires on 10/3, but I'd suggest you enter as early as possible. I bet 100 spots will get filled fairly quickly.

My son loves eating fruits and veggies, so I don't really need to sneak them into his food. But I do make great efforts to diversify his diet by offering him different ways of eating fruits and veggies. For instance, I make fruit smoothies, mix fruits in cereal or yogurt, use finely chopped veggies as dumpling fillings, or add veggie soup as a side dish. I also encourage my toddler to touch and feel fresh fruits and vegetables and ask him to compare the real objects with pictures on his flash cards or in his books. This seems to have greatly boosted his interest in eating fruits and veggies.

Now start sharing your story and be entered to win here.

Fall Fashion Must Haves

TwitterMoms and TLC’s “What Not To Wear” have teamed up to bring us another great blogging contest to celebrate the Shop Smart Look Fab mall event taking place at over 140 General Growth Properties (GGP) Malls nationwide from September 17-20. Fifty bloggers who write about their 5 fashion must haves for fall will be randomly selected to receive a $25 GGP mall gift card. The contest ends on 9/20/2009. There are less than 50 entries so far, so the odds of winning are really great.

Here're my 5 fall fashion must haves:
1. A nice scarf

2. A lovely hat

3. A cute bag

4. A warm jacket

5. Comfortable shoes


(Items 1-4 can be found at chickdowntown.com. The shoes are from Crocs)

When you visit Shop Smart Look Fab, you may also want to enter the sweepstakes to win a What Not to Wear Experience. Good luck!

The Heart of My Home

Twittermoms has partnered with Samsung Home Appliances for a great blogging contest, in which the qualifying blog post that gets the most comments will win a brand new Samsung Washer (WF448AAP) and Dryer (DV448AEP)! The topic of the post is "Where Is the Heart of Your Home?" I've never had any luck in this type of contest. I'd really love you to comment and help me win. Thank you in advance! The deadline to enter and to comment is 10/2/2009.

The Heart of My Home is definitely the living room. The living room is where our son runs and plays, where we meet with our friends, where we watch TV or DVDs, where we surf the Internet, where we play Karaoke, where we hold game nights, and... in a word, where most of our family activities occur. The room gathers a lot of our sweet memories. I can't imagine my home without the living room.

Where is the heart of your home? I'd love to know:)

When Style Meets Savings

Gap Outlet - Semi-Annual Baby SaleTwitterMoms Exclusive: Gap Outlet Semi-Annual Baby Sale Savings!
One of the fun parts of being a mom is to dress up your baby. I love shopping for baby clothes and shoes both online and offline. What I found over the past year is that you don't have to break your bank to keep your child in style if you shop at the right place and at the right time.

For instance, Gap Outlet is having their Semi-Annual Baby Sale for newborns to 5 year olds between September 11-24, 2009. And thanks to TwitterMoms, each of us can receive an exclusive 10% off coupon to shop at the Gap Outlet sale. So the next two weeks would be the best time to collect your favorite Gap baby gear!

Want to stay on top of all sale events and get exclusive savings for your favorite brands? It's pretty easy. Set up a dedicated free email account and sign up for store newsletters. You may also opt in to receive coupons and sale alerts via postal mail.Major brands like Gap offer store brand credit cards or rewards cards, which give additional discounts or cash back to loyal customers.It's also a good idea to shop at factory outlets and discount stores, where everyday prices are often lower than elsewhere. Oh, don't forget to size up when you stock up!

Well, I'm still new at this and there's a lot to learn from more seasoned frugal moms like you. Twittermoms and Gap are interested in knowing your tip on value shopping for children. The first 50 bloggers to participate in the conversation will win a $20 Gap Gift Card! What are you waiting for?

Free 500 My Coke Rewards Points & Cash Giveaways

TwitterMoms has partnered with Sprite to give away 500 My Coke Rewards Points to everyone who installs the Sprite/TwitterMoms Back to School widget and blog about their back-to-school tips. In addition, Sprite is giving away up to $100 cash every 10 minutes until 8/31. You may use code 100876829464 to get one free entry into the instant win sweepstakes. The code is limited to one use per person, but can be used by different people. Alternate entry method is also available in the official rules.

I don't have many great Back to School tips to share, but I do recommend comparison shopping on line before you hit any physical store. Personally I prefer to purchase based on necessity rather than sales. I found it saves more money that way. It's also a good idea to prepare yourself or your kid into the "study" mode at least a week ahead of the first day of school. For college students, buy used books in good condition to save big! I had very positive experience with Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com.

Momfinitions

Every mom has a set of definitions that can't be looked up in Webster. ParentsConnect.com is calling all moms to help them compile their dictionary of funny Momfinitions.

Here are my top five entries:

Laptod noun.-A toddler who makes every effort to take over mommy's laptop. Tricks my little monkey loves include rapid blind typing on the keyboard, dragging the external mouse and pulling off the AC adapter.

Armplane noun.-The world's safest plane constructed with mommy's arms. This is my son's favorite personal aircraft, which gives him the thrill of flying! I, the pilot, am always rewarded with hearty giggles.

Tublet noun.-A bathtub that is accidentally yet conveniently turned into a toilet. The bathtub just came in handy when my toddler wanted to use the toilet towards the end of a warm bath. Tublet usually means an extra round of rinsing!

Peek-A-Poop noun.-A commonly used technique to detect the need for a diaper change. Whenever I'm hit by a strong and familiar odor, my first reaction will be to take a peek into my son's diaper to see if the bombs are dropped.

Finger Food noun. -Itsy bitsy chubby fingers that are self-served as a popular snack good for all occasions. "Luckily" for my son, he can always turn to his fingers when he runs out of things to chew on. He does less of it now than when he was an infant. Hopefully, his exclusive finger food will fall out of favor soon.

What do you think of my momfinitions? I'd love to read yours too!

Responsible Sports Parenting

Liberty Mutual has recently put together a Responsible Sports program, which provides resources for parents and coaches to help young athletes to reap the full benefits of playing sports. My son is still little, but I can envision him take part in such team sports as basketball, baseball or soccer when he is old enough.

Team sports can be beneficial to children's development both physically and psychologically. When the time is right, I'll definitely encourage my son to play on a school team. It'll be a great way to help him become more cooperative, confident, persevere and productive. As a parent, I'm obligated to reinforce the positive aspects of youth sports and help my child apply life lessons from sports on and off the field. I'll tell him what sportsmanship means and that cooperation and team work is valued more than winning the game. I'll be happy to host a house party to treat his fellow players. I'll also encourage him to be a leading member on the team. Even when he doesn't play well, I'll assure him that he has nothing to regret if he has done his best.

All my attempts to be a responsible sports parent are hypothetical at this stage. I'm sure some of you are experienced in parenting a young athlete. I'd love to hear your tips for helping your kid get the most out of playing sports.

If fact, if you share your tips in a blog post by July 7th, you could win an American Express gift card. See details here.

Home Sweet Home

Twitter Moms is having an Away We Go Contest. The first 40 bloggers to enter will win an Away We Go prize back. All you have to do is to blog about what "home" means to you.

To me, home means a place to rest, relax and rewind, a place to stay with the most important persons in my life, and a place to savor all my sweet memories. It's the ultimate stop of every journey I make. It's the only haven I can count on even when I'm deserted by the rest of the world. It's where I'm always loved and cared about for simply being my genuine self. No doubt there's no place better than home!

TwitterMoms Cinco De Mama Twitter Party

TwitterMoms is having a “Cinco de Mama!” Margarita Twitter Party on May 5th at 5:00 p.m. PST. Please join in the fun by adding #cuervo in your tweets. For the first 2,500 retweets from 5p.m.-7p.m. PST under the #cuervo hashtag on the party day, Jose Cuervo will donate $1 to RADD (Recording Artists, Actors and Athletes Against Drunk Driving).

I'd like to celebrate "Cinco de Mama" by sharing my favorite margarita recipe--Kiwi Margarita.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Jose Cuervo Especial
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 Kiwi fruit
1 teaspoon suger or sweetner

Directions:
Blend all ingredients with ice and serve.

Jose Cuervo is looking for the best margarita recipes for the party. You could win $50 or $250 Chili's GC by blogging about your original recipe and commenting here by 5/1/09.