Dads, if you’re looking for a way to bond with your new baby, this is it! It doesn’t take a lot of time but it provides many benefits for both you and baby. You can learn more about it in our new article:

Infant Massage – A bonding experience full of health benefits for you and your baby.

If you use infant massage on your baby or have in the past, please share your experiences in the comments!

The rules are simple.

Visit FabulousSavings.ca and answer the following question:

“Name a coupon listed in our Home & Garden category.”

Just leave a comment below with your answer and the winner will be chosen randomly on January 4, 2010 to receive a big fat $50 gift card.

You must be a Canadian resident to participate. Sorry to my dear readers outside of Canada. I’ll have something special for you soon!

Don’t forget to check out online coupons for Canada to save a few bucks!

A period calendar is a great way to keep track of your menstrual cycle, ovulation, and the side effects of your period. The simplest period calendar is just that; you write down your period every month and eventually can determine your cycle and predict when your period will be (usually within a day or so, depending on how regular you are).

Start by marking the first day of your period as day one and keep count from there. A standard cycle is 28 days with ovulation occurring on about day 14. As you keep track, you may find that your cycle is shorter or longer.

While most women have a cycle close to 28 days, it’s not uncommon to have a much longer cycle. You may also find that yours is not regular, meaning it varies in length from month to month. Many things, especially stress, can change your monthly cycle, but many women naturally have irregular cycles, especially when they first start menstruating.

Tracking your monthly cycle will not only help you know your period is coming ahead of time, it can also help you when it comes to birth control.

If you make some additions to your calendar, like pelvic discomfort and discharge, you can accurately predict when you’re going to be ovulating. That means you can use extra protection or abstain from sex during that time of the month.

This method, called the timing method, is not very effective in preventing pregnancy, but many times that is because it is not used properly. You must use extra protection or abstain from sex before and during your monthly ovulation. This method also isn’t effective if your cycle isn’t regular.

While many people use the period calendar to prevent pregnancy, it is also commonly used by those trying to conceive. By knowing when you’re going to ovulate, you can time your most fertile window more accurately. In this case, you may also want to use your calendar to track your core body temperature.

Just like with preventing pregnancy, this is not as effective if your cycle is not regular. If you have trouble getting pregnant while using this method, you may find it helpful to purchase fertility monitors.

Besides being able to predict your period and ovulation, a period calendar can also help you track the undesired side effects of your period like premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or the more serious disorder premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).

By tracking things like physical discomfort or pain, mood swings, anxiety, and other physical and emotional conditions, you may be able to identify one of these problems. With your help, your doctor can accurately identify and treat your specific problem.

By keeping a period calendar, you can not only be prepared for your period ahead of time, you can also start to take control of your cycle and everything associated with it.

My daughter started Kindergarten this year and my son is now in preschool. These were huge changes for the kids and a big change for me as well.

I was happy that my kids were getting a chance to play and interact with other children their age, but I was also sad when I realized how quickly it all happened.

My son is learning how to talk better every day and new words are always popping out of his mouth. The days of him saying things like “strawbies” instead of “strawberries” or “ladybuggy” instead of “ladybug” are over. My daughter can’t curl up in my lap like she used to because she’s getting so big.

They always say that “children grow up fast so you better enjoy them while you can”, but they were wrong. They don’t just grow up fast. They mature with lightning speed! Don’t just treasure each smile or each hug. Treasure every single second, even the ones where they’re screaming their heads off in the grocery store.

Take lots of pictures and videos. Save their drawings and crafts. Squeeze in as many hugs and kisses and cheek pinches as they’ll allow, even if they’re sleeping, because no matter how many you manage to get in each day, it’ll never be enough. And don’t ever let anyone tell you you’re spoiling your baby if you hold them too much. You can never hold them enough!

Every stage your baby goes through since they’re born has its ups and downs, but the ups always make the downs worth it.

I normally love Christmas because I really enjoy spending time with my family and eating lots of good food! I especially love how much my kids love it. But figuring out what to buy everyone and seeing the bank statements at the end of the month isn’t quite as enjoyable.

I’m typically a huge procrastinator but this year I am on the ball. I know what everyone is getting and I’ll have it all before the middle of December which is a record for me. It’s a great feeling and a huge stress relief so it’s definitely worth it to get the gift part out of the way as early as possible.

I always like to come up with gifts that are memorable and meaningful when it comes to babies and adults. If there are any babies in your family, I have some cute personalized baby gift ideas that will be meaningful for years to come.

For older kids, toys are always a winner and I happen to know of some discounts going on at Chapters.Indigo.ca where you can get up to 75% off. Check them out and save some money. That’s where I bought half of my gifts last year.

Once you get all your shopping done, the only thing you’ll have to worry about is where to hide the presents so prying eyes won’t find them!

Mommy “Growth” Time – Until recently, I haven’t had much interaction with other moms. I’m a work at home mom so I don’t get out much. Now that my kids are in preschool and kindergarten, I get to talk to other moms who have kids the same age as mine and I have to say that it’s a breath of fresh air! It’s amazing how it can make a positive impact.

Just Another Mommy Moment – Now I don’t feel so bad that my son farted in the drugstore and blamed it on me.

My son turned 3 in February and at the time, he didn’t have very many words in his vocabulary yet. I was worried because a lot of other kids his age that I know were speaking full sentences.

It’s been 7 months since then and now I can’t get him to stop talking! He seemed to develop a huge vocabulary overnight. My daughter (who is now 5 years old) was the same way. In fact, almost any baby I know is similar.

When it comes to development, it’s important to remember that each child develops at their own pace. Nobody is the same so it’s hard to judge when the right time is that they should be saying certain words or doing certain things.

As long as they’re healthy and continuing to grow and develop, everything should be fine.

To help your child learn how to communicate, speak to them all the time. When you’re out for a walk, talk about the things you see. When you’re at home, have conversations with them, even if it seems a bit one-sided.

Reading to your child often will also help them with their vocabulary skills. Dr. Seuss books have always been a favorite with my kids. They’re also recommended by teachers to help children learn how to speak and read.

Around 19-24 months, your child may be able to string a few words together to form short sentences. If they aren’t at that point yet, you can have your family doctor evaluate him. He may even be referred to a speech-language pathologist.

Just remember that if your child isn’t talking at the same level as another child who is the same age, it doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong. They may just need a bit more time like my own son did.

During my pregnancies, I had a lot of people coming up to me and rubbing my belly. Some people just love to touch a pregnant mommy’s tummy. Sometimes, those pregnancy mommies love it too. Other mommies, not so much. A lady I worked with said she used to freak out on anyone who touched her tummy without asking. If they did ask, she would say “no”.

I didn’t like it when strangers felt my tummy, but friends and family were always welcome. How about you?

Each Tuesday I’ll be posting a short but helpful tip that I’ve either learned myself through experience or through other parents. Parenting isn’t all about instinct. A lot of it involves trial and error. Something a lot of parents struggle with is sleep. I know I sure did. My babies slept really well but they both had stages where they would wake up extremely early.

If the sun comes up early and your child is up and ready to go even though you just got to bed, try using a timer on a nightlight in their room. Even if they’re very young, you can still explain to them each night that it’s only time to get up when the nightlight goes off. Eventually they will understand.

Many parents have had success with this and it has helped them add at least another blissful hour of sleep to their morning.

I mentioned in my last post that wraps were great to pack for lunch, and since Mondays will now be Recipe Mondays, I thought I’d kick it off with a delicious wrap recipe.

Enjoy!

Healthy Chicken Salad Wrap

Ingredients:
2 – 3 medium flour tortillas
2 cooked chicken breasts, diced
¼ cup red and yellow bell peppers, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp plain yogurt
¼ cup cheddar cheese cubed or shredded
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Add chicken, cheese, mayonnaise, yogurt, bell peppers and celery into a bowl and mix well. Add salt and pepper. Warm tortilla slightly to make it easier to fill. Place ½ – 1 cup of chicken filling on top of the tortilla and wrap.

A wrap is a nice break from boring sandwiches and there are lots of great flavors for tortillas like spinach, sundried tomatoes, pesto, etc. that you can choose from.