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Sep
3
My First Period Kit
Filed Under DVD, PBN, education, health, parenting | 2 Comments
I’ve been reviewing many products of late that have to do with puberty and sex but so far none have impressed me like the My First Period Kit & DVD that I recently reviewed for PBN.
This must-have for parents includes:
An informative, 99-minute DVD to view WITH your daughter featuring the Healthy Chats for Girls™ seminar with a sensitive-yet-fun presentation of the changes associated with puberty, basic pad and tampon demonstrations, and more.
The bonus DVD Extra: The Birds & the Bees with Ease!™ The comfortable, age-appropriate explanation you’ve been looking for!
Gifts for your special girl: A handy Butterfly Pad Purse to slip into her schoolbag and a fashionable Butterfly Wristband.
Added help for you: A detailed Parent Guide, a convenient Quick Reference Card, and 1-year Healthy Chats Online/Interactive Subscription with insightful newsletters and email access to Dr. de Freitas.
Dr. Freitas recommends that parents should view the DVD prior to watching it with their daughters but since I’ve already talked to my girls about the birds and the bees and all related already I figured I would be pretty comfortable with what is on the DVD.
Not only was I comfortable but quite impressed. The seminar with the doctor, mothers and their daughters is set up like a chat. Dr. Freitas uses slides and props to explain puberty and menstruation while asking for input from the girls and their mothers.
I liked how Dr. Freitas gives age appropriate information in a language that children understand. Some may balk at her using the word “potty” rather than toilet but I think her silliness and gift to speak like children adds to her charm. It definitely makes everything seem so less medical and more personal.
I also liked her use of props such as a balloon to represent the uterus and vagina and red dyed water to show how much bloody fluid is lost during an average period.
Dr. Freitas not only discusses the physiological aspects of puberty and menstruation but also the emotional. She also goes into great detail about how to wear a pad, dispose of a pad, make a pad out of toilet paper (what woman hasn’t had to do this at least once in her lifetime?), and used the balloon to show how to insert and remove a tampon. She also discussed how there can be a sudden gush with standing up, coughing, or sneezing. Early on I can remember worrying that I was going to bleed to death when that happened to me. These are all things I wish my mom had shared with me but probably never thought to. It certainly would have saved me a lot of embarrassment in my trial and errors.
During the entire “chat” I couldn’t help but to feel like my daughters and I were part of some exclusive female only club. Call me premenstrual but I couldn’t help to tear up when Dr. Freitas told the girls, “Welcome to the club.” She really had a great way of making the whole business of menstruation feel like an amazing thing that shouldn’t be feared but celebrated. When I was growing up menstruation was considered “the curse” and most of the women in my life treated it like it was a dirty secret that happened to women.
I teared up again (I swear I’m not premenstrual. I don’t even have a uterus anymore!) when she told a story about a girl whose father gave her a dozen roses when she got her period. How sweet is that? I’ve made a mental note to encourage my husband to do something special for our girls when their time comes.
The second part of the DVD features a chat just with the moms about talking to their girls about sex. It was interesting to hear about how the mothers felt about “the talk”. I couldn’t help but to laugh at the mom who told her daughter that she could get pregnant by shaking a boys hand. I realized that I’m much more open and comfortable about talking about sex with my girls than I thought.
The cool thing is Dr. Freitas never made any of the moms feel like their views were wrong however she did a great job of explaining that giving information doesn’t mean giving permission. I couldn’t agree more. I would rather my kids find out from me and to know my beliefs than hear the wrong information from a friend.
I also have to agree with Dr. Freitas that the earlier we tell our children the better. My oldest daughters were 7 and 9 when we had “the talk” and my 7 year old was much more intrigued and interested than my 9 year old who couldn’t get over her embarrassment.
The birds and bees chat is a separate segment on the DVD for those parents who aren’t comfortable yet with the topic or would like to save it for later. Either way I think at some point it should be viewed because Dr. Freitas does an excellent job of explaining it and getting her message across that sex is a big thing that can have big consequences such as pregnancy or diseases. She does talk in the traditional sense that you need to be married but at that point parents can elaborate on their values if they differ.
My First Period Kit & DVD is designed for girls ages 9-12 can be purchased here for $19.95.
Aug
28
Not all boo-boos bleed
Filed Under emotional health, gifts, health | 1 Comment
I have recently received a product for review that is so cute and ingenious that it has left me thinking Why didn’t I think of that?
An (oopdoo)™hug is an irresistibly soft fleece wrap in the shape of a bandage; the symbol of healing. With a pocket that can hold a hot or cold pack it is a perfect get-well gift for all ages, but for children and their everyday wounds it’s even more…
Kids seem to think that band-aids hold magical healing powers. My kids request band-aids for every boo-boo even if they don’t draw blood or break the skin. They can be screaming their head off in pain but be instantly soothed with the application of a band-aid.
My kids also love to put a heating pad on their upset tummies which also seems to hold the same magical powers of a band-aid.
The (oopdoo)™hug uses those same magical powers and contains them in the softest fleece that I have ever felt. The photo does not to do it justice. I am so impressed with the quality and cute factor of this product.My (oopdoo)™hug arrived wrapped in tulle and includes a free booklet for kids explaining the magical powers of the oopdoo. It is large enough to wrap around a child and has a pocket for a warm or cold pack.You can extend the magic of a bandage by using an (oopdoo)™hug:
- as a security blanket that soothes both at home and at childcare.
- as an alternative to medicine for minor aches; with a hot/cold pack for relief of pain in children
- to teach empathy in cases of a toddler hitting and biting.
- as a unique get well gift that’s light hearted and functional.
All (oopdoo)™hugs are made with the finest quality, softest fleece fabrics still proudly made in the USA and are machine washable and very durable.
I’m no longer at a loss for what to buy an ailing child. The (oopdoo)hug is a thoughtful gift for kids and adults that will uplift anyone’s spirit. Eight gift wrapping options are available and you can pair it with a pocket stuffer for an even more unique and useful gift.
~Kristie
Aug
26
Beyond The Bomb Giveaway
Filed Under bath/body products, beauty, contest/giveaway, for mom, gifts, health | 155 Comments
I love taking baths. Running a busy house and being a mom to four kids leaves me little time for pampering so bubble baths have become my favorite way to relax and unwind. I even have a standing date with a bubble bath and People magazine every Friday night.
The most important aspect of my bath ritual are the bath products. Calming scents, moisturizers, and a little fizz are a must. I’ve been known to spend a small fortune on bath products.
My most recent find of fabulous bath products is available online at beyondthebomb.com. If you aren’t familiar with bath bombs they are traditionally round or ball-shaped and are a popular spa product that are dropped into a tub of water where they fizz and dissolve away all while giving off a delicate aroma to relax you and relieve stress and muscle tension. They also moisturize your skin and leave you with a silky smooth feeling.
They are also a lot of fun. My kids come running for a bath if they know some bath bombing is involved.
Bath Bombs have a huge variety of health benefits as well. You can find a huge list if ingredients and their healing properties here. From skin conditions to respiratory conditions and everything in between there is a bath bomb to help soothe and rejuvenate.
Beyond the Bomb Bath Bombs enhance your bathtime by providing a soothing and unique experience to your bath! Whether you are looking to relax and soak your cares away, or present your child with a fun incentive that will have them running for the bath, their line looks and smells heavenly.
I especially love their specialty bombs that include adorable cupcakes and Bombsickles which also make really great gifts.
~Kristie
We have a set of two bath bombs to give away to someone in need of pampering. One lucky winner will receive one Pink Kisses and one Fashion Passion Cupcake bath bombs.
Visit Beyond The Bomb and browse their products then come back here and leave a comment on which product is your favorite.
Deadline to enter giveaway is Tuesday, September 2, 2008 at 11:59 pm central time. Be sure to include a valid email address. Winner will be randomly chosen via random.org.
Winner will be notified via email and announced on this post.
If the winner does not claim prize by September 6, 2008 they will forfeit their prize to alternate winner who will be drawn at random.
Giveaway only open to residents of the USA.
This giveaway has expired. Congratulations to our winner, Mama Zen!
May
23
The Mommy Makeover and the book to explain it to your little ones
Filed Under beauty, books, health | Leave a Comment
*Sigh* Such a sign of the times was my first thought when I saw this book detailed in Newsweek magazine. Browse your local bookstore’s parenting section and you will find books on potty training, how to tame the terrible twos, how to survive the first year and how to get your groove back when you have made it through and now next to Dr. Spock we have My Beautiful Mommy.Aimed at kids ages four to seven this picture book features a plastic surgeon named Dr. Michael and a girl whose mother gets a tummy tuck, a nose job and breast implants. Not surprising is that this book has recently been released. According to the latest numbers from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, breast augmentation was the most popular cosmetic surgery procedure last year, with 348,000 performed (up 6 percent over 2006). Of those, about one-third were for women over 40 who often opt for implants to restore lost volume in their breasts due to aging or pregnancy weight gain. Yep, I can relate. And the ads are everywhere- “mommy makeovers” (tummy tuck and breast implants performed together, usually after a woman has finished childbearing) described as almost a day at the spa. But how do you explain this to a child, after all it is major surgery and curious children will have questions. The author, Salzhauer got the idea for a book after noticing that women were coming into his office with their kids in tow. He says that mysterious doctor’s visits can be frightening for children. “Parents generally tend to go into this denial thing. They just try to ignore the kids’ questions completely.” But, he adds, children “fill in the blanks in their imagination” and then feel worse when they see “mommy with bandages,” he says. “With the tummy tucks, [the mothers] can’t lift anything. They’re in bed. The kids have questions.”
I am torn- I have not (yet) had any plastic surgery and cannot say for certain if I will ever go that route, but I feel if a woman needs that to feel better about herself, then go for it! But, I wish there was a way to tell our kids, especially our daughters, that how we look on the outside is not so important. But then I am lying to myself…. I long for the day when my too tight jeans do not bother me anymore.
What do you think? Should we explain to our kids about our surgery or just tell them some little white lie? Perhaps in this case, ignorance really is bliss.~Jennifer
