How To Breastfeed Your Baby For One Year

Research about the benefits of breastfeeding - both for mom and baby as well as the world - continue mounting. As a result, more moms than ever are choosing to breastfeed their new babies once they leave the hospital. The numbers of women still nursing at 6 months and one year, however, takes a sharp decline.

photo credit: Tim & Selena Middleton
The World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends at least one year of nursing. Here are a few of the most important things a mom can do if she wants to breastfeed to that one year mark - and beyond.

1. Find support early on - this means during pregnancy if possible. Attend a breastfeeding support group meeting like La Leche League, or meet with a lactation consultant. Don’t wait too long to get the help you need if you start experiencing problems. Remember that pain means something is going wrong, and that most problems can be remedied with small adjustments in latch on and positioning.

2. Remember early and often - try to nurse the baby in the first two hours after birth if at all possible. Babies are in a “quiet, alert” state during this time and then fall often will asleep for several hours. If that first relaxed nursing session can happen early on, mom and baby will have an easier time later.

3. Be strict about positioning - don’t be afraid to unlatch baby and latch him back on if you’re uncomfortable. Get cozy and use lots of pillows if you need to so that baby is lifted up so you don’t have to lean over and don’t have to hunch your shoulders. Remember to keep baby facing you, tummy to tummy.

4. Listen to the baby - don’t limit the baby’s time at the breast in the early days. Frequent nursing in the early weeks does a lot to ensure a healthy milk supply.

5. Avoid “triple nipple syndrome” - don’t introduce a pacifier or bottle early on. While some babies can switch back and forth easily, some can’t and will refuse the breast.

6. Learn how to nurse in public - A baby sling carrier and a nursing bra can make this easier. Practice latching baby on in front of a mirror so you can be comfortable getting baby arranged discreetly.

7. Remember Dad - get Dad on your side and get him involved in baby’s care. Sometimes Dads or other people who will be caring for the baby can be a little jealous that you’re the only one who feeds him. Make sure he knows how important he is to you and the baby, and help him appreciate the many things he can do to comfort and care for your little one.

8. Relax and enjoy your baby - enjoy nursing sessions with your baby and take the time to really savor your baby. These moments pass so fast, even though feeding him sometimes seems to take forever! The secret to breastfeeding is to trust yourself and your baby and commit to the experience.

How to find and use online crafting communities

Crafting is better when shared. At least that’s the sentiment behind numerous crafting communities available online. They provide a place to connect, collaborate, learn, and educate. Crafting communities enable like minded artists, designers, and crafters the ability to communicate and share their joy for their work. Here are three top online crafting communities: Read more

The Memory Page Elements

Scrapbooking provides a means to beautifully preserve our memories. Rather than tossing our treasured photos into a shoebox or randomly storing them in a photo album, scrapbooking gives a way to display them with the beauty true treasures deserve. There’s no time like the present to try something new if you have never tried scrapbooking.
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Plum Basted Sesame Tenderloin

Ingredients:

1/4 C orange juice
2 TBSP soy sauce
1 TBSP sesame oil + extra to brush meat
1 TBSP orange zest, grated
1 TBSP ginger
2 tsp chili peppers, minced
2 tsp garlic, minced
1 (4 lb) beef tenderloin
4 plums, pitted and quartered
1 C pineapple juice
1/4 C dry sherry
1/4 C dark brown sugar, firmly packed
2 TBSP red wine vinegar
2 TBSP soy sauce
1 tsp mustard powder
Kosher salt

Directions for preparing:

Pour the orange juice, soy sauce and 1 TBSP sesame oil into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the orange zest, ginger, chili peppers and garlic mixing well.

Place the tenderloin in a zip lock bag and pour the marinade into the bag. Seal and turn several times to coat the meat and place in the refrigerator overnight.

In a large saucepan over high heat bring the plums, pineapple juice, sherry, brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce and mustard powder to a rapid boil.

Place the heat on low and allow to simmer about 45 minutes or until the plums are falling apart. Sauce will also thicken while simmering.

Remove the plum skins from the mixture and allow to cook until you only have 1 C of liquid left about 10 minutes.

Allow the tenderloin to stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

Brush the tenderloin with the remaining sesame oil and sprinkle with the salt.

Heat the grill to medium heat.

Grill the tenderloin over direct heat for 20 minutes turning every 5 minutes. Place over indirect heat and continue to grill 25 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 135 degrees.

Baste the tenderloin with the plum sauce occasionally and turn after each basting.

Allow the tenderloin to rest 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

Reheat the sauce and serve on the side or over the top of each slice.

Let Go of the Super Mom Myth

I’m sure you will agree with me that you want to be the best mom you can be, I certainly do. But with all the responsibilites that come along with being “mom” and just life in general can be quite overwhelming can’t it? I’m sure you’ve seen those moms that just seem to have it all tgether. Does it make you push yourself harder? It’s a normal reaction. I think we all do that at times.

In our efforts to be that Super Mom we saw, we tend to sacrifice ourselves. We don’t care for ourselves like we should. We develop poor eating and sleeping habits, we may not exercise as much as we should and we just get plain get stressed out.

But did you know this doesn’t just affect us?

We pass on all those bad habits onto our children which defeats our attempts at being that Super Mom.

Don’t do this to yourself and unravel all that great work you’ve done with your kids thus far. Forget the Super Mom Trap ad grab Aurelia Williams’ “Real Life Guidance to Getting out of the Super Mom Trap”. Aurelia is a Certified Life Coach, the mother of 3 children herself and she specializes in helping moms just like us.

In this concise and actionable 29-page guide, she shows you:

- How various media portrays the Super Mom, making you feel guilt for our perfectly natural imperfections.
- Easily saying no and without the guilt.
- Stories of real moms who are breaking free from the Super Mom Trap and how you can too.
- Learning to delegate (no, YOU don’t have to do it ALL) and getting more done.

If you’ve had enough of trying to be everything to everyone, but still want to ensure your family and personal happiness, grab a copy of the guide now. You can download it instantly, plus you’ll get a bonus 25-minute “Stress Less” audio recording making it even easier to unload all that is bogging you down.

Learn more and instantly access your guide at Getting Out of the SuperMom Trap

Stop Seeking Approval and Go for What YOU Want

photo credit: Bert Heymans

Somewhere in time, women became known as “the weaker sex.” Tell that to Joan of Arc, Cleopatra, Annie Oakley or Susan B. Anthony. Obviously those women, an entire tribe of Amazons and possibly many of your friends would fiercely disagree. Read more

IlluStory Make Your Own Story Kit

Want to get your kids’ creative juices flowing? The IlluStory Make Your Own Story Kit winner of multiple awards, including Family Life’s Best Learning Toy Award and the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award is sure to do it!
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Balsamic Glazed Grilled Scallops

These little treats make a great appetizer and you’ll need less than a handful of ingredients to make them.

What You Need:

1 C balsamic vinegar
20 (1 oz each) scallops
Olive oil
Pepper to taste

How to Make It:

Place the vinegar in a saucepan over high heat. Bring the vinegar to a boil then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for approximately 3 minutes. Keep an eye on the glaze as it simmers.

You will want to reduce the vinegar to about 3 TBSP and the vinegar will begin to glaze on the bottom of the pan. By tipping the saucepan you can see the glaze start to form as the vinegar simmers.

Do not over cook or the vinegar will burn. Remove and allow to cool to room temperature.

Place the scallops on skewers 4 to each skewer.

Brush the scallops with the olive oil and sprinkle with pepper to taste.

Heat the grill to high temperature.

Grill the scallops 4 minutes turning once. Scallops are done when opaque in the center.

Remove from the grill and drizzle with the glaze.

Mending Minor Rips and Tears

Mending can be fun if you treat it as an art and work for careful, durable, flat finishes. Study the weave of the fabric and try to duplicate it. Try to get as invisible a finish as possible except where you are making a decorative mend.

In order to mend, you must have a basic knowledge of the hand stitches, although you will find that the running stitch is the one you will use most often. Stitches are usually short and fine. Rows of stitching are uneven to prevent definite lines from showing and to insure an invisible finish. Work from the right side most often to blend in your work.

Your work box contains much of the same equipment as for regular sewing, plus a darning egg, a hoop for machine darning, mending liquid, mending tape, rubber tissue, darning threads and needles, a crochet hook, buttons, snaps, hooks and eyes, tapes, and scraps.

Inspect your clothes regularly. These are likely spots to check:

1. Seams. Narrow seams may have to be stitched a little deeper to make them hold. If the edges fray, stitch a line near the edges and overcast them. Two rows of stitching prevent fraying and stretching.

2. Stitching. Rip out and resew broken or drawn stitching.

3. Hems. Re-hem when necessary if threads catch or seem unusually loose. Check and re-stitch hems on household linens also.

4. Dangling threads. Catch and fasten off such threads before further damage occurs.

5. Bindings and facings. See if they are sewed on securely and re-stitch if necessary.

6. Pocket corners and placket edges. Reinforce with tape or stitching if they seem weakened by wear.

7. Fastenings. Check and re-sew buttons, snaps and hooks and eyes. Rework raveled buttonholes.

Patches are used where a hole has been made. Cut a patch on the straight of the goods and match it to the lengthwise and crosswise yarns in the garment. Match design and pattern in the fabric very carefully or the patch will stand out like a sore thumb. When inserting a patch into a washable garment, wash new material until color is the same as the color of the garment. The washing will also shrink the patch.

Hemmed patch: This is a strong mend used primarily for washable garments. Trim the tear to a rectangle. Clip diagonally at corners from 1/4 to 1/2 inch, and turn edges under slightly beyond the ends of the clips. Crease sharply or press. Cut the patch about one inch larger than the hole, making sure to match the design.

Baste the patch in place and slip stitch in place from the right side, catching the stitches in the very edge of the crease. Turn to the wrong side and turn the edges of the patch under 1/4 inch, snipping a little off at the corners to prevent excess bulk. Slip stitch to place seeing that stitches do not show on the right side.

Catch-stitched hemmed patch: This is a variation of the hemmed patch and is used for heavy, less firmly woven materials, such as some drapery and slip-cover fabrics, bedspreads, and thin blankets. Cut the patch and machine stitch twice around the outside. Baste the patch in place and slip stitch on the right side. On the wrong side, catch stitch the raw edge of the patch to the article being repaired.

Lapped or under laid patch: This patch is used when sturdiness is more important than appearance. Make hole rectangular or round, round for greatest amount of stretch as in knit goods and elastic garments. Cut away ragged edges and baste matched patch to position. Darn by hand, working the stitches in over the edges even beyond the joining, or stitch by machine where a stiffer and stronger mend is desirable.

Thermoplastic or pressed on patches: Straighten edges of hole, put in patch cut from hem, and from wrong side, press on mending tape over patch. Use another piece of mending tape in place from which patch was taken, as the hem. Follow exact directions given with the tape.

Now you can keep your clothes neat and mended all the time!

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What kid doesn’t love a 3D virtual world? Put that together with a learning environment for your preschoolers and you have the Jump Start Advanced Preschool World. Read more

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