Are you yard saling tomorrow? If you’re not hosting, will you be scouring the neighbourhood for treasure? Tomorrow is the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation’s Yard Sale for the Cure.

Volunteers across the country will be up bright and early, hosting homegrown yard sales with proceeds going to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Since 2005, the annual national event has raised over $1-million for CBCF initiatives, which fund, support and advocate for breast cancer research, along with education and awareness programs, early diagnosis and treatment.

It’s easy to find a Yard Sale for the Cure—look for pink shirts, pink signs and pink balloons. But you can save yourself some driving and check out the Find a Sale page which maps out the locations of registered yard sales across the country.  The site also highlights Featured Yard Sales in your area, where you’ll find big community yard sales, along with those hosted by corporate sponsors ReMax and 1-800-Got-Junk.

Whatever you pay for your yard sale treasure yields a triple return: you score a deal, the host gets rid of something they don’t need, and the money goes straight to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

Bargain hunting can be an elbows-out enterprise, but we’ve got great tips for scoring at your local yard sale:

Go early. No sleeping in allowed. Be prepared to hit the street by 7:30 at the latest. (Seriously, die-hards start circling the block before posted sales are open for business.)

Grab cash. At yard sales, cash is king. Bring lots of it, in small bills and coins of all denominations. It’s a pain to make change for a $20, and if you leave to get money, your find might belong to someone else by the time you return.

Go with a plan. Keep your eyes peeled for items you’ve been searching for—you never know when you’ll spot a super kids’ toy or could-be-valuable brooch.

Troll for treasures. We’ve all heard stories of long-lost art stored in an attic and going for a song at a yard sale. Keep your eyes peeled for costume jewelry, original art, old books, or other collectibles. If it doesn’t turn out to be Antiques Roadshow material, you can sell it at next year’s yard sale.

Bring Your Own Bag. We know your trunk is crammed with reusable bags. Tote a few with you so you can carry all your bargain loot.

Make an offer they can’t refuse. Yard salers take their best guess at pricing. Make a fair offer, and you might score that item for less. Even better, make them a deal they can’t refuse by buying a bunch of stuff. You score, they get rid of junk, and the money goes to a good cause. Win-win-win.

As reported by Fox News 25, Anthony Smith, a sweet four-year-old comic book fan from New Hampshire, was born with a chromosomal disorder that’s left him with no hearing on his right side and only partial hearing in his left ear. When he recently refused to wear his hearing aid, nicknamed “blue ear,” insisting that “superheroes don’t wear blue ears,” his mum sent an email to Marvel Comics to ask for help. And help they did.

First, Marvel sent Anthony a picture of Hawkeye, a superhero with hearing loss who wears a hearing aid. Then, they sent a custom illustration of Hawkeye and a special sidekick—a superhero version of little Anthony. Finally, they sent a cover featuring a brand-new superhero, called The Blue Ear.

Watch the clip below for the full story. And if you’ve got little comic book fans at home, be sure to check out Marvel Kids for lots of fun superhero games and activities.

Photography via iStock Photo.

What Is Diaper Rash?
Diaper rash appears as reddened skin in your baby’s diaper area. Skin may appear red, warm and puffy, or have raised bumps, blisters, or even raw lesions.

The combination of moisture and creases and skin folds makes this spot a prime area for irritation to thrive. Wetness, chafing and prolonged contact with urine or feces are the main culprits, but it’s also not unusual for a rash to flare up when your little one starts teething or tries a new food. Development of thrush (yeast) or bacterial infections in the diaper area are also a possibility if basic diaper rash isn’t treated properly.

How Do I Treat It?
A clean, dry bum and a good diaper cream is the best way to fight diaper rash.

• Gently clean the diaper area with plain water and a soft washcloth. Cotton balls and a squirt bottle work well, too. Avoid scented or alcohol-containing wipes and harsh soaps, which can have irritants that can sting and even make the rash worse.
• Pat—don’t rub!—your babe’s bum dry with a soft cloth. Friction can further irritate already-sensitive skin.
• At every change, apply a thin coat of good diaper cream. The cream forms a protective layer, helping to protect it from urine and stool. Try the pediatrician-recommended AVEENO® Baby Fragrance-Free Diaper Rash Cream with zinc oxide and moisturizing oat extract.

How To Prevent Diaper Rash
You can avoid another rash by following these steps.

• Change diapers frequently (even during the night) and clean the diaper area thoroughly with plain water and a soft washcloth or cotton balls.
• Use a good barrier cream applied in a thin layer on clean, dry skin.
• Air out your babe’s bum and go diaper-free when you can. Put down a towel, head outside, or put a waterproof sheet on the bed during naptime to absorb accidents.
• Use the right size of diaper, and stay away from scented diapers and wipes if your babe seems sensitive. If you use disposable diapers, try a different brand. If you use cloth diapers, skip the rubber pants until the rash clears up. Diapers should be snug enough to prevent leaks, but not cause chafing, so try out a different brand or size of diaper for a better fit.
• If you think food sensitivity might be the culprit, make sure you introduce one new food at a time, and eliminate any that you think might be causing the rash reaction. If you’re breastfeeding, keep an eye on your own diet, which may also cause a rashy reaction in your little one.

Don’t ignore severe rashes, or redness that won’t go away. Call your doctor if the rash develops with a fever, or blisters, open sores, or oozing yellow patches, which might require a topical antibiotic or antifungal treatment. You should also call your doctor if the rash lasts more than 72 hours, or if your babe develops a fever.

Our finished card, starring KING KONG BUDGIE

This is a little something my kids and I made a couple of years ago. It’s still on display, that’s how much we love it. It’s a portrait of our house (and the people in it!), that was given as a gift to a special someone.

What you’ll need:
• One piece of 8 1/2 x 11″ card stock trimmed to fit an 8×10 frame
• Pencil
• Photos
• X-acto knife
• Sticky tape
• A ruler
• Pencil crayons
• An inexpensive frame (we got ours at Ikea)

Directions:

1. Get one of the kids to draw a picture of your house on the card stock. For maximum impact, colour in the entire page: add sky, grass, sun—use your imagination!

2. Work with your child to measure a window opening for everyone in your family (you may have to improvise a little), working with your child to figure out how big the openings should be. We thought the windows should be a tiny bit bigger than the faces in the photo to give the effect of people peeking out. (I just realized that the photo I chose of myself is one in which my eyes follow you everywhere. But I guess those kind of eyes are typical for a mom, eh?)

Don’t forget to include your pets in your house portrait. They are part of the family too! (Although Pixie, our budgie, is a little out of scale in our house portrait above. She looks like she’s attacking the house.)

3. Use the X-acto knife to cut the windows. You can make a window that opens and closes (like a chocolate advent calendar) by cutting out only three sides of the square, but we were intent on framing ours we skipped this step.

4. Measure and cut your photos to fit. Working on the back side of your house, carefully tape each photo to the window holes (faces looking outward of course).

That’s it! You can frame your art like we did or leave it as is. Maybe you can make one for grandma and grandpa, with a portrait of their house, or like we did, for Dad on Father’s Day.

Andrea Tomkins is a mother of two imps, and wife of one. She’s a freelance writer who is often found with camera in hand or scribbling madly in her notebook. She is passionate about arts and culture, travel and healthy living, and gets an extra big thrill out of helping parents and kids discover all the hidden treasures Ottawa has to offer. You can follow her adventures on her blog, a peek inside the fishbowl, where she’s been writing about family life since 1999. She’ll be sharing a great new craft idea here at CF.ca every Friday.

Does your little one have a fear of dogs? Here’s how you can help them overcome them. And if you’re not sure if your kids are ready for the responsibility of a pet, read our story to find out!

Photography from iStockphoto.com

Bath time is great for de-griming little kids, but it’s also the simple secret trick that every parent uses to wind kids down at the end of a busy day. Warm water and soapy bubbles will sooth even the crankiest kid. As part of a relaxing bedtime routine, a bath helps signal that the day is done and it’s time for bed.

Ready, Set, Splash
Before your start, make sure your child is in the mood for a bath and not overtired or hungry. To make bath time simple, make sure you have everything you’ll need on hand before you start so you’re not hunting for supplies with a wriggling soapy babe tucked under your arm. You’ll need soap, bubble bath and shampoo, a washcloth, towels, and a clean diaper and sleeper or pajamas. If you’re bathing an infant, you’ll also need a baby bath or tub support, plus a kneepad or folded towel to cushion your knees and absorb tub side splashes. Always stay with your child in the bath. If you must leave to answer the door or phone, wrap her up in a towel and take her with you.

Perfect Temperature
Before you slip your wee one into the water, make sure to test the temperature with your wrist or elbow, or even a bathtub thermometer to be extra sure. The water should be just warmer than body temperature, about 37°C (or 98°F). For newborns to six-month-old infants, fill the bath with about 13 cm (5 inches) of water. Fill the bath just to waist-height for older babies who can sit by themselves. To keep your bathing babe from getting chilly, make sure the room is warm and there are no draughts.

Splashy Fun
Bath time is a sweet way to connect with your wee babe, and a great time for gentle play. Keep a few bathtub toys on hand such as simple plastic cups to fill and pour, bubbles to blow, or a boat to float. Read a story from a waterproof bath book, or make up a silly splashy tale off the top of your head. Lullabies or other quiet songs are a nice way to inject a sense of calm into bath time, too.

Scrub-a-Dub
Kids don’t need a thorough scrub-down every day, but while they’re in the tub, take a soft cloth and wipe down little faces, hands and diaper areas. Make it fun by reciting a little rhyme or naming each body part as you wash from top to bottom, and front to back. When rinsing shampoo from your child’s hair, lean your child back slightly, supporting their head with your hand, to keep soap and water out of their eyes. Older children might prefer to cover their eyes with a folded washcloth, instead.

After the Bath
At the end of the bath, gently lift your little one from the water and bundle up in a hooded towel. Now is a good time to give your little one an infant massage with a soothing cream, before dressing them in a clean diaper and sleeper. Your babe should be warm and sleepy, and ready for a story, a feed and a kiss before tucking into bed.

Photography by Pacifier Place

My babies are soother babies. I held off with my eldest daughter until she was 10 days old to give her a soother because I was a young first-time mom who listened to all advice and people kept yelling “NIPPLE CONFUSION!” at me. My younger two, though, had a soother in their mouths as we left the hospital, without a hint of nipple confusion. If they were hungry, that soother flew across the room.

I didn’t wean my first baby off her soother until she was about three and my second until around her second birthday. My son still has his, seeing as he’s still a baby. (Call him a toddler and I’ll cry.)

Here’s the thing about soothers, though: they are little and they get lost easily. I use a soother string (this one from Bink Link, to be exact) when we are out, but at home my son pretty much only uses his soother in his bed. He uses it to fall asleep and then it disappears into the Neverland of soothers. I’d love to tie it to him while he’s in his bed, but I’m a paranoid sort of mama and I can’t justify it. I kind of wish there was some sort of bungee cord that would attach to the crib and to the soother, so that when he finished, it would not get lost—but that is quite the choking hazard if I’ve ever heard of one.

We keep about half a dozen soothers on hand, so you’d think we’d always be able to find one, but no. I was keeping them in a corner of his bumper-padded crib, but he went and vomited on the bumper pad and now there is nothing to keep the soothers corralled. But wait! Maybe there is.

Enter The Pacifier Place. It holds two soothers (any type) and straps to two crib bars. It saves you from having to turn the light on in the middle of the night, which would only further wake your child. The best thing is that your child can take the soother out of the holder himself. Independence! This can be a pro and a con, if you have a baby like mine whose hobby it is to empty things of their contents, but the way I see it, if you keep one Pacifier Place on the inside of the crib for your baby, and one on the outside for you, you can’t go wrong.

The Pacifier Place, US$13, is available from pacifierplace.com.

How do you keep track of all those soothers?

Jen Wilson is a married mother of three super-awesome children—two girls and a boy—who range in age from 0-10. She enjoys photography, organizing, reading, TV, and sarcasm. She drinks her coffee black and dreams of one day owning a dishwasher. You can also find her on her blog, Hey Mrs. Wilson, where she has been writing about life in Saskatchewan since 2004.

Photography by Juhan Sonin, via Flickr (CC)

Q: Why do so many more kids have allergies these days, and why does my doctor recommend waiting until my kids are five to test them?

A: There are a number of theories as to why the rate of allergies and allergy-related problems (e.g., asthma) seem to be increasing in prevalence. My favourite theory is the hygiene hypothesis. If you grew up on a farm as one of 10 snotty-nosed children, and not too much attention was paid to keeping things scrupulously clean, versus your friend who was an only child living in a spotless condo, who do you think would land up with more allergies? Well, it’s not the farm kid. In fact, your exposure to germs and irritants from early on is thought to be protective in terms of developing allergies; so the very clean, sterile environment found in much of the developed world may be responsible for this phenomenon. Perhaps extending the five-second rule on food dropped on the floor to the 15-second rule may be worth considering?

Timing of testing depends on what you are testing for and how you are testing. There are different types of allergy tests, but perhaps the most popular is the skin “scratch” test. Testing for food allergies can be done at any age, but most docs would agree that testing for environmental allergies such as pollens and grasses should be delayed until later. This is because it may take years to become sensitized to allergens in the air and you may get a negative test even if allergic in the early years. A word of caution: just because you test positive for something does not necessarily mean you will have symptoms when exposed. So the tests have to be interpreted very carefully.

Looking for more? Be sure to read Dr. Friedman’s response to “Does my child need more sleep?”

Illustration by Deana Halsall

At seven months of age, Alexandra Pearce’s son loved mom-and-tot swim class. “He enjoyed splashing, chasing rubber duckies with my help, even putting his entire head underwater! I thought for sure he would be a water baby (forever),” says the Toronto mom of two. Everything changed when he hit preschool age, however. “At four, he took his first swim class without me and was very hesitant. He didn’t like it when the other children splashed and he certainly had no intention of getting his face wet,” recalls Pearce.

Out of Their Depth
Such complaints are fairly common for this age group, say experts. But overcoming them is key. “Every three- to five-year-old should take swimming lessons. It’s a more important life skill than some other sports—it could save their life. It takes 30 seconds for a child to drown; swimming lessons can help prevent this,” says Maryam Mohseni, aquatics coordinator at the YMCA of Cape Breton, in Nova Scotia. But what can you do if your kid refuses to take a dip?

First, relax. Most pool-averse preschoolers overcome their misgivings at their own pace. There are few instances of aquaphobia in children, says Dr. Susan Hunt, a registered psychologist who works with children and adults in Maple Ridge, B.C. “Aquaphobia is an intense fear that would be outside their voluntary control, and a parent would likely notice. Children with a normal fear of swimming say things like ‘I don’t want to go swimming,’ or they may cry, while a child with aquaphobia may have panic attacks around water, which can include excessive crying or tantrums, freezing, clinging and avoiding all pools,” says Hunt. They may or may not also fear bathing. Common pool fears can be conquered and treated, adds Hunt, who recommends aquaphobic children see a psychologist or pediatrician to learn various tools to cope with their fear.

Coping with Complaints
Kids can pick up on a parent’s anxiety around water. So parents should model positive verbal and nonverbal behaviour to their child regarding pool activity, says Hunt. Take your preschooler to the rec centre for family swims (they’re less hectic than open swims) and get in the water together. “Just focus on fun, not skills,” says Hunt. “Don’t push them. Encourage a slow, gradual, positive exposure to water.” Additionally, here are tips for dealing with common fears:

Fear of entering the water

• Be patient, and sign him up for swimming lessons.
• Have fun in the water. Stand in the shallow end, sit your child on the pool ledge—wearing a personal flotation device (PFD), if he prefers—and float a ball or boat back and forth until he’s ready to get wet.
• Offer specific praise, says Mohseni: “For example, as your child starts entering the pool, stair by stair, congratulate him on each step.”

Fear of getting his face wet

• Use lots of praise and stick with swimming lessons.
• Try distraction, suggests Mohseni: “One game we play is ‘shampoo.’ Pat some water on your cheeks and then get him to copy you. Next, scoop water over your head to wet it, and then pretend to lather it. Finally, to ‘rinse,’ duck your head underwater and see if he’ll do it too. Or you can use a plastic watering can or cup to ‘shower.’”

Fear of being in deep water

• Again, be patient, offer praise and continue swimming lessons.
• “See if he’ll swim with you while wearing a life jacket,” says Mohseni. Tread water a few metres from the edge of the pool, and get your child to kick off the wall toward you. “Initially, he may get scared because he’ll sink a little after that initial boost, so offer lots of praise,” advises Mohseni. Make sure your child knows the importance of wearing a PFD until he is able to swim in deep water independently.

Wade It Out
Pearce’s son, now five, lives for his Friday-night swim class. A cottage getaway last summer sealed the deal. “He experimented with floaty dinosaurs, rings and life jackets and just puttered around in the water. By the third or fourth day, he was doggy paddling around the floating dock,” reports Pearce. “Having a solid week of swimming with no pressure really helped him build his confidence.”

Looking for more information about swimming? Check this out:
• Infant Swimming Resource: What You Should Know
• 5 Tips for Keeping Kids Safe at the Water Park
• Preventing Accidents in the Water

Photography from iStockphoto.com

Worrying about having a miscarriage is a common fear for expectant moms, especially in the first trimester. You should consult with your OB, midwife or doctor if you’re concerned that you’re experiencing a miscarriage, but follow the links below for basic information on signs and symptoms of miscarriage, why they happen, how to move on after a miscarriage and more.

• Symptoms of a Miscarriage

• Bleeding During Pregnancy: What You Need to Know

• What to Do if You Think You’re Having a Miscarriage

• Why Do Miscarriages Happen?

• Moving on After a Miscarriage