A recall was recently issued for Hyland’s Teething Tablets, an over-the-counter homeopathic product that provides temporary relief of teething symptoms. The tablets contain a small amount of belladonna, a substance that can cause serious harm at larger doses. The tablets were recalled because FDA has found Hyland’s Teething Tablets contain inconsistent amounts of belladonna. For more information, visit the FDA’s article about the recall.
As a mom, I tend to have numerous tasks vying for my attention at any one time. This means that many tasks often get set aside to do later. Sometimes, by the time I get around to doing a task, it takes much longer than it would have to do it originally. So I’m trying to implement a strategy I recently read about called “the 30 second rule.” The rule states that if a tasks takes 30 seconds or less to do, you are supposed to do it immediately. This means taking time to hang up the jacket rather than throwing it over the chair, fill out the permission slip as soon as it comes home rather than setting it on the counter, and rinse that plate rather than setting it in the sink. The idea is that this 30 second technique is supposed to stop little tasks from piling up, clogging up your life, and eating up more of your time than they need to. I have to admit, I’m not always perfect about doing my 30 second jobs. At times, I have to tend to a child or leave the house immediately and leave these little jobs undone. But, as I try to do more of these little jobs as they present themselves, I do find that my life seems to run smoother. There are less things to go back and tend to and more ability to focus longer periods of attention on the jobs that require it. So I will continue to strive to follow the 30 second rule. Here’s to streamlining my daily life!
If you’re like me, you have some Halloween decorations that aren’t quite perfect for your current set up. In my case, I bought decorations for one house, but now have moved to another house that has a completely different structure and yard. And, I have to admit, I also have a tendency to buy decorations when I find them 90% after the holidays. They are just too good a deal to pass up, but sometimes I’m not exactly sure how I’m going to use them. So this year I focused on finding creative ways to make some of the things we already had work in our current set up. Check out some of our creative solutions. They just might spark some of your own!
This cat was originally mean to be wrapped around a mailbox using the attached straps. Since we don’t have a mailbox, I used the straps to attach him to our front gate. The straps were much too long, but I wrapped them around multiple times and the cat is now attached firmly to the gate.
Some of the posts that hold our gravestones upright were broken off in the hard, semi-frozen ground when we tried to take the graves out after Halloween. Instead of getting rid of them, we leaned them against the wall.
The kids thought we would make it more realistic by turning one of the gravestones on its side.
I have 3 large banner flags, but no flagpole. We attached one of them to our door using tacks.
We nailed one of the flags to the wood strips above a window. Hanging it in front of the window makes it more visible during the night, helping me get more mileage from the decor.
To hang the third flag, we strung rope through the hole meant for the flagpole and suspended the flag over another window.
Since the kids wanted more decorations, we used the kids’ dress-up costumes to make some spooky figures.
I hope seeing these ideas has sparked your own creativity to tackle your Halloween decorating by making the most of the decorations you already own!
A new recall has just been issued for older Model Graco Quattro Tour™ and MetroLite™ Strollers and Travel Systems. The stroller I bought when my first child was born was part of the recall, so I’m glad I checked it out. Got to keep those babies safe! To see if your stroller is part of the recall, visit Graco’s recall page.
I love to make photo books for Christmas gifts and especially love getting some of my shopping done early. And I can do both with this fabulous offer from Snapfish. Right now, when you buy one 8″ x 11″ Linen Classic Photo Book, you get one FREE! Just use coupon FALLBOGOBK at checkout before October 28.
Remember when planning art that the younger the child, the bigger drawing paper they need. When babies and young toddlers first start drawing and painting, art is a whole arm (or even whole body) experience. Because they use these gross motor muscles, the youngest children need the largest drawing paper. As children grow, their muscle movements become more controlled. They gradually transition from gross motor movements to fine motor movements, going from large arm motions to small hand motions. As kids gain this fine motor control and start to make smaller motions, they are able to use smaller drawing paper. So choose large paper for small kids!
