Milky Momma

Cakes by Jodi (Allergy-friendly!)

2012-02-10T19:53:00.001-05:00

So, I was sitting here earlier, wondering why in the world I haven't posted about Cakes by Jodi. Jodi offers wonderful fondant cake/cupcake/cookie toppers along with cakes, cookies and pastries.
How did I find Jodi? It's actually a pretty funny story. When Logan was diagnosed with food allergies a month before his last birthday, I entered a state of full blown panic when he announced that he wanted a Barney cake. How could I tell this kid who is accustomed to getting whatever he wants on his birthday cakes that he could not have a Barney cake?!?!? His food allergies aren't his fault and I didn't think he'd understand that I wasn't being mean. I was determined to get him his Barney cake- even if I had to make it myself.
As his birthday approached, I searched for a bakery that would do an egg free cake. None of our grocery stores (or Walmart) will because their cakes are premade and shipped in frozen. I found ONE place that would do it and that's our local natural store- The House of Nutrition. I contacted the baker and she was going to make us a cake with Barney colored sugars.
My next task was to find something to decorate the cake with- and I'm not a baker or a cake decorator so it needed to be easy. I couldn't find any Barney cake decorations or small Barney toys. I checked Target, Toys R Us, Party City, and a handful of grocery stores and came up empty handed.
One day when we were driving home empty handed, I turned to DH and asked, "why haven't I checked Etsy? I'm SURE I can find a cake topper there!". When we got home, I set out to do exactly that. I found several but this one stood out the most:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/79360894/kai-lan-edible-fondant-cake-topper

I contacted the shop owner to ask if she could do a Barney topper. At some point, I happened to look at her shop location and my jaw just dropped. She's local to me! My next question was, "Are you really in Dallas? Could I possibly pick it up instead of having it shipped? I just looked at your Facebook and see that you do cakes too-do you do egg free cakes by chance?". Well it turns out that she too has a kid with food allergies so she's all too familiar with egg free cakes! Jodi saved the day at that point and created a Barney cake for Logan that he was very excited over.

To give you an idea of how talented she is, I provided a picture and asked for her to alter it a bit. I wanted Barney and BJ's hands to be closed and holding some balloons. This was the original image:

and here is her end result:

Her work is truly beautiful and the cake was delicious! Since August, I've tried some different cake recipes and found one that I like so I'll be making Xander's cake but I turned to Jodi again for our topper because I still haven't tried to work with fondant on my own (though I hope to soon). I gave her the birthday invitation that I created for her to use as inspiration and she did beautiful work again.
The invitation:

The cake topper:

I couldn't be happier with her work and I love that she's so close by so I don't have to worry about shipping costs. We hope to have her make Adam's cake topper too. She has made this journey through a life of food allergies easier.

Please go check out her Etsy and her Facebook.

Win a Beco

2012-02-07T07:20:00.000-05:00

I haven't hosted any giveaways myself lately but for all of my fellow babywearing parents, I wanted to share this Beco Giveaway that I found! There's 18 days left so there's still plenty of time to enter. Good luck!

(The button will be in my sidebar too incase this post gets lost.)

Don't sit by me!

2011-12-28T12:20:00.001-05:00

I'm often amazed at the lengths we go to to avoid other people. Dh needed some bloodwork done today so we are sitting in the hospital lab. When we first walked in, I noticed that there were quite a few people here....all with a chair or 2 between them.

This is something we see often but why? Why is it so awful to sit next to a stranger? I can almost see it in a hospital setting because people may be sick but I've witnessed this very thing in a variety of places so I'm going to assume that illness was not a deciding factor here.

Think about how much space is being lost by sitting like this. When more people enter the room, either they have to sit next to you anyway or they'll share your discomfort and have nowhere to sit. We, as a people, need to learn to coexist better with our neighbors. It's not going to kill you (in most cases) to sit next to someone so maybe we should try to break this trend. Take the chair right next to someone instead of sitting 2 chairs away (unless you know your sick, then avoiding the spread of illness is preferable). I'll try, will you?

Secret Shopping and the Scam Within

2011-10-15T23:15:00.001-04:00

Anyone who knows anything about me knows that I do not make huge decisions on a whim. I am the type of person who will research until I feel comfortable with a decision therefore, my choices are always informed ones. With that in mind, I am not perfect and recently fell victim to a horrible scam.

We all know there are scammers out there, so when I received a check for $1850 along with an "evaluation survey" from Djs Research Ltd., I was skeptical. I looked the check over for the usual "this is not a check" text because I assumed this was insane. It was nowhere to be found so I read through the enclosed letter.

I read about the opportunity for me to be a "secret shopper" and thought, "this can't be right, there is probably a catch". The letter stated that an official check was enclosed and that I was not required to spend any of my own funds on this evaluation. We are told that in most cases, any opportunity that requires you to spend your own money first (save for companies like Avon, MaryKay, etc.) is usually a scam so this was the first thing that made me feel good about Djs Research Ltd. I mean, the company was including the funds right?

Off to "Google" I went to research this company because I was not going to fall victim to some greedy person's scheme! 20+ pages of Google results produced absolutely no negative results whatsoever. I searched "Djs Research Ltd", "Djs research" (which produced results mostly about Disc-Jockies), "Djs Research Ltd scam", "'Djs Research Ltd' AND 'scam'", "Djs Research Ltd fake", "Djs Research Ltd my check bounced", etc. I was trying to find anything that would tell me to ignore this and I found nothing negative. I did find both the company's old website and their new one and I felt that they were well put together. Their website confirmed that they are a company that offers secret shopping so it appeared to be the same company.

I didn't stop there though! I needed to see if there were bad reports on the Better Business Bureau's website. Because my letter was sent by Canada post, I checked both the US and the Canadian BBB and found absolutely nothing. There wasn't even so much as a listing. The lack of listing wasn't a big deal to me since my husband's employer is not listed on the BBB either but the lack of negative reports was a good thing to me. I figured that if they had previously scammed someone then that person must have reported it right?

When you're not living paycheck to paycheck as we are, it may be hard to understand the following series of events but trust me, you can convince yourself of anything when money is tight. After being turned down for every job that I've applied to, it's not surprising that I am desperate for any opportunity to earn some extra money.

There was poor grammar in a few spots in the letter but nothing more than what I attributed to a typo or merely someone typing in their second language. That seemed possible since the letter was sent from Canada after all. Another red flag that I explained away was that I was requested to wire a large portion of the money ($1200) through Western Union, to evaluate the customer service of Western Union. Initially, I admit that this seemed "off" to me but "how else are they supposed to evaluate Western Union?" I thought. Anyway, this was their money I was sending back to them right? So what was it hurting me? The final red flag was that I was required to do all of this within 48 hours. I explained this away by reasoning that they must be requiring this in order to streamline the process so that everything was fast and efficient.

With the lack of negative feedback and the professionalism of their new site, I felt like this was a legitimate offer and off we went to deposit the check and then do as asked. The check was for $1850. My compensation was $300, $200 was provided to fund the evaluation of a retail store (Best Buy, Kmart, or Walmart), $1200 was provided to be wired via Western Union and $150 was even included to pay the Western Union fees.

We deposited my $300 compensation and took the rest of the money as cash as per my instructions. Our bank cashed the check with no questions asked whatsoever.

I wont bore you with the details of what we bought but after we shopped and wired the money I finished filling out my survey. At this point, I called the number I was given to speak with my "coordinator", so that he could provide me with my "rep ID" number to put on the survey before I faxed the information to him. I had corresponded with him previously via email and learned that his name was "Kevin". On the phone, he sounded like a very professional man and not once, during our conversation did I feel that I was being had. I informed him that it only cost $84 to process the Western Union transaction and he said that that was alright and to hold onto the extra funds for processing fees in future surveys. "Kevin" did tell me that after he received my fax, they would be sending me a new survey to complete so I was excited for more to come.

The next day, however, our world was turned upside down. My husband took a trip to the store to buy some tools for work and our debit card was declined. Naturally, his next step was to go to the bank and find out what was going on. As I was expecting him home, he called and gave me a heads up so I knew what was going on.

While he did this, I was at home in a panic. "Did that check bounce?", "Did I miss something?", "How could this happen when I was so careful?"- I needed to know so back to Google I went. I immediately realized that I had assumed "Googling" the company's name was sufficient. I hadn't thought to search for "secret shopping scams" so I went ahead and gave that a try. What I found made me worry. I felt like a fool- "how could I have fallen for this?". I found countless stories of people being scammed in exactly the same way but for different amounts and by different companies. I still have yet to find any mention of someone being scammed by Djs Research Ltd but the information I was faced with was enough to make my head spin.

Snopes had quite a bit to say on the subject. Some other information that I found was just as scary for me to read. Here are some links to the stuff I found:

About.com
ABC News
SecretShopper.com
The Consumerist
The Federal Trade Commission

I also found this video on YouTube:

I got in touch with my husband, told him what I had found and asked him if the check had bounced and he confirmed that the check- of which only $366 remained- had bounced and that our account was overdrawn. He immediately went to work trying to procure a loan from the bank. He had just deposited nearly his whole paycheck into the bank that morning so all of our money, save for approx $170, was GONE.

Hysterical and panicked, I called my father. Through tears, I managed to confess to him what I had done and that we now owed the bank all this money. He said that the only thing he would have done differently was wait for the check to clear first- and he's right. Had we done that, the check would have bounced and we would have been alright. As my dad pointed out, what would this company have done to us for waiting? It was a bogus check so they really couldn't have taken action against us and if it had been a legitimate offer- they more than likely would have been understanding of our suspicion. While I was talking to him, my dad did a search on Bing.com for the company and he didn't find anything either- it seems that to our knowledge, there is not currently any negative feedback available for Djs Research Ltd.

During my conversation with my dad, my husband phoned and told me that the bank issued him a loan for the entire amount of the bounced check. They pushed it through as he's been with them for 11 years and I'm sure, in part, because they know that if they had held the check (a common bank policy), none of this would have happened. The loan will no doubt help restore our bad credit but the sad truth of it is that we are still being held accountable for the funds while some bandit has $1200 that he does not deserve.

I have since filed reports with the BBB, the FTC.

I spoke with a representative from Western Union as well. He said that it's very unfortunate that this happened despite my research and that it sounds like the con artists are very good. The representative added that when a company is very good at conning, there are a few things you can look for to help you protect yourself- one of those things being that the email address being used should be from the company email account and not from a free email service like gmail like my coordinator had.

The rep said that they have contact information for the person who picked up the payment and that their policy is to forward all that information to the authorities. He advised that I contact my local authorities and my state attorney general.

Here is some more information from Western Union: Common Fraud Types and Tips to Protect Yourself

I also contacted Djs Research Ltd via the email address listed on their website. The managing director, Danny Smith, had this to say:

Hi Danielle, I’m really sorry about this. The survey and cheque has been sent to you by Criminals in the US who are using our company name as part of this fraud. We have reported the situation to the authorities here in the UK and I suggest you do the same in the US. Also, the UK authorities have asked me to tell any victims to contact them (Action Fraud) direct on email@actionfraud.org.uk or +44(0) 0300-123-2040 – they might be able to do something because apparently the money gets transferred to a UK person.
I hope this helps a little. Kind Regards, Danny

Sadly, if Djs Research is not involved, then this means that their good name is being smeared through the mud while some unrelated con artist is making off with people's money.

I filed a police report with my local authorities as well The officer did point out that the check said "Keneth Simmons"- something I had failed to notice. In all of my research, I completely overlooked that this was a personal check.

Please, please do not fall for this scam. From what I've read, these thieves operate under many different names and as I experienced, may not have negative feedback for all of the business names. The checks look real and the "coordinators" sound official. In fact, I received another one in the mail just a few days ago from a different company. The process is different but they're asking the same things. I may be desperate, but I'm not a fool.

I really want to crawl in a hole because of this horrible situation but my husband and I decided that I should share this experience with everyone in an effort to possibly protect someone else from falling victim to this.

Scammers Are NOT Full of Awesome

2011-10-11T14:21:00.001-04:00

There is much more information to come but long story short, we recently fell victim to a scam that will cost us $1850. Please check back for my post about this horrible con. It may take a couple of days yet while I am gathering necessary information and filing reports (which I'm sure you can understand have priority over my blog post). As soon as I can update, I will. I want to share all pertinent information so that you can all protect yourselves against these con artists.

Baby Magic Patty Cake Dustless Baby Powder giveaway

2011-04-08T01:22:00.000-04:00

The Cloth Diaper Report is giving FIVE winners some dustless baby powder by Baby Magic. This stuff looks pretty neat. Head on over to TCDR to read the review and enter the giveaway!

Bravado Nursing Tank giveaway

2011-04-07T21:10:00.000-04:00

I love the giveaways over at The Cloth Diaper Report. The reviews are always so helpful. I've never tried the Bravado products but so many people have bragged about them so I wanted to share this giveaway with everyone! One lucky reader will win a Bravado nursing tank!

Head on over to The Cloth Diaper Report to enter! :)

Signing Time

2011-02-09T02:20:00.000-05:00

Signing time has a great deal going on right now that I thought I'd pass along. :)

FREE Signing Time Onesie for your baby with $40 purchase. Limited time offer. Use promo code: romper
*disclosure, this is an affiliate link and I will receive compensation if you shop through this link- however, I am sharing the deal because I know a lot of people use this program for their babies. :) *

CoverGirl 50th Anniversary

2011-01-12T13:27:00.000-05:00

Come celebrate 50 golden years of easy, breezy, beautiful COVERGIRL and get the opportunity to win free samples and once-in-a-lifetime experiences for you and friends

My Sweetheart

2011-01-10T02:51:00.000-05:00

On the 23rd, we went out for some last minute Christmas shopping while my parents watched the kids. When we went to drop the kids off, Ed had me run inside ahead of him. I had no idea why- but took the kids inside anyway.

When we finally set off, he asked me what time Fashion Bug closed because I wanted to take care of their awesome B2G2 Free bra sale. We headed to Fashion Bug and then he surprised me by pulling into a Japanese restaurant that we've never been to. I argued that we shouldn't because "it's Christmas" and he persuaded me to go inside anyway. At the hibachi, he told me that our dinner was his Christmas gift to me and he gave me a box with locket inside and said that he was too excited to wait until Christmas to give me the necklace.

It's nothing too fancy but it's beautiful and the sweetness behind the gift brought tears to my eyes.

I will admit that I did jokingly ask him who he had to ask for help since he's never been good with stuff like that.. ;) He said he planned the whole thing himself but the place of dinner was chosen at the last minute because he wasn't sure where he wanted to take me. 8 years together and I'm still completely head over heels for him. <3

Christmas

2011-01-02T14:27:00.001-05:00

My parents came in for Christmas and requested that I make some homemade mac n cheese from the new recipe I've been using (from Stacy Makes Cents) for Christmas Eve dinner. I doubled it and after pouring half of it into a baking dish, I added bacon to the second half and poured it into a second dish. My oldest son won't touch bacon which is why I made a plain version. It went over VERY WELL and I got ONE serving before everyone else ate it on me lol. Check the recipe out- it's just amazing and very easy to follow!.

After dinner, my boys all took a bath and changed into their new jammies that my mom buys them every year as a Christmas Eve tradition.

Ed and I are horrible and usually wait until Christmas Eve to do our wrapping which meant we were up wrapping stuff until 7 a.m.. Talk about exhaustion! We fell asleep on the living room floor (to allow my parents to sleep in our bed if they wanted a nap) until the kids came running out excited for the days events.

Let me just say that between everything that we bought and everything my parents bought, we had an overwhelming amount of gifts here but it's good because a lot of their old stuff is getting donated and they've got so many new things to keep them busy that my little Logan man is staying out of trouble. Previously, I'd catch him in the bathroom squirting all of my conditioner down the drain, or in the kitchen scooping my sugar into the flour...now he's far too busy to care about being a mad scientist! Right now he's sitting at his new train table, playing quietly with some wooden blocks! So while it proved to be an overwhelming amount of stuff to wrap, I'm thankful that we got some great deals and were able to get them so much great stuff.

At times I feel guilty when they have so many Christmas gifts because I don't want them to grow up thinking that material possessions are important but I keep telling myself that it's alright because it's once a year and it's so much fun. We spend all year teaching them that things are not important so one day a year of watching their faces light up when they see all the neat stuff doesn't undermine that value, in my opinion.

Anyway, the older boys went crazy with each and every one of their gifts. Xander was completely confused. He unwrapped a few presents and then got bored and started ripping the paper enough to show the toy and then played with the toy while it was still partially wrapped. My dad got him a sing-a-ma-jig and Xander hated it. He kept picking it up and throwing it as far away from his as possible. He didn't cry or yell at it, he just kept making a weird face and throwing it away. *We did end up buying him two more later though b/c we were walking through Toys R Us and he pulled one off the rack and carried it through the whole store. Apparently they're cool now LOL. They were B1G1 so I figured why not?*

After presents were unwrapped, we headed to Ed's dad for a 2:00 dinner. After a great dinner, we went to visit Ed's grandfather and then we headed to my brothers for another (albeit late) dinner. It was a long, absolutely exhausting day but it was a blast!

Oh and for some cuteness- Logan is hugging his Dance Star Mickey right now. He loves that thing! Hehe, he's giving it eskimo kisses now! So cute!

I hope everyone had a great holiday!!

an

Dollar General Fresh Start Every Day Sweepstakes

2011-01-02T14:09:00.000-05:00

I found this great Dollar General sweepstakes and thought I'd pass it along! Good luck everyone.

Dollar General Fresh Start Every Day Sweepstakes

P.S. Christmas pictures are coming soon :)

Toys"R"Us Hot Holiday Toy Giveaway - Enter Now for Your Chance to Win!

2010-12-20T03:53:00.000-05:00

This is a great time to win a Toys R Us giveaway!! Good luck everyone!!

Toys"R"Us Hot Holiday Toy Giveaway - Enter Now for Your Chance to Win!: "We're giving away 400 instant win prizes valued at over $20,000! Come back each day for 10 days for your chance to win one of 40 prizes. For each daily play, you'll receive one extra entry into the Grand Prize drawing, a fabulous prize package of 15 toys valued at more than $1,500!"

Baby's First Birthday

2010-11-03T08:52:00.002-04:00

Creative Birthday Party Ideas for Your One-Year-Old

Themes, outings and decorations to make it a day to remember

It's been an exciting year– your infant has grown a lot, and that's something to celebrate! But while your one-year-old is moving and smiling and interacting with their surroundings, many details of their first birthday party will still be lost on them. Instead of choosing an all-encompassing cartoon theme or showy decorations for your baby's party, consider arranging the party around a creative and engaging activity that every guest can enjoy.

Take some helpful parenting tips for putting together a fantastic first birthday party, and add some personal touches to make it a truly special occasion to remember.

Three Lively and Imaginative Party Activities

1. A tea party for your little princess. This is a very versatile party theme, as you can either use it as a guideline for the beverages and snacks that you'll serve or get more specific and decorative with an Alice in Wonderland or Dress-up Garden tea party. The nice thing about a tea party is that it appeals to the little girl in everyone – your little one and her friends may not quite grasp the whole tea party idea, but the moms involved will likely appreciate a traditional tea service with dainty cups and delicate snacks like cucumber and watercress sandwiches or scones.

2. A trip to the zoo or farm. If the weather allows, take the party outside to a local zoo where the kids can look at all the captivating animals and the parents are treated to a pleasant stroll. If there's no zoo nearby or you're worried about navigating through throngs of visitors, check out something that's just as intriguing but may be less busy. Look into local farm sites or maps and ask around your local farmer's market if there are any alpaca farms or petting zoos within a short drive.

3. A teddy bear picnic. Whether it's in your own backyard or a neighborhood park, a picnic is always a nice idea to get some fresh air, stretch your legs and play in the grass. With a teddy bear theme, you can have fun with the food and decorations – cookies in the shape of teddy bears, cakes with honey as an ode to Winnie the Pooh, a big gingham blanket as the centerpiece and larger teddy bears for the babies to sit on and play with. Make it a potluck to cut down on the effort, or else consider firing up the barbecue to feed your group.

Whichever theme or party design you choose, keep in mind a few important points for a fun and happy celebration. To begin, try to arrange a familiar environment to help your baby stay calm and happy through the course of the day. Also, timing is everything when it comes to a one-year-old, so keep the party to an hour or two and be sure to kick it off after baby's naptime so she's bright-eyed and well-rested for the occasion.

Just as you had to plan your way through your pregnancy symptoms, you’re going to have to plan for your baby’s first birthday. Put a little elbow grease into this party and all will enjoy themselves.

Ear Infections, Teething, and School OH MY!

2010-10-23T11:15:00.000-04:00

The past few weeks have proved to be pretty darn tiring! Xander had ear infections in both of his ears. This is something that scared me pretty bad because of Logan's history with ear infections. Logan ended up having febrile seizures (the first of which was caused by an ear infection related fever) and needing tubes put in his ears! At the first sign of Xander tugging on his ears, I took him to the doctor to possibly prevent going through all of that all over again. A generous course of amoxicillian and he's much better!

He also cut two more teeth during this time and has his days and nights all messed up. Between Logan being up during the day and Xander keeping me up at night, I've been pretty zonked. I've been spending many a day lately caring for them, working on my mother's Halloween invitation, and focusing on school. Because Xander is better, I've been sleeping better and my moms invite is done, I think I'll be around more. I've said it before but look forward to more regular postings!

September's Pearista Winner!

2010-10-08T19:15:00.000-04:00

Our winner is Soggy Cereal Mom with comment # 2

Our winner said:

Soggy Cereal Mom said...: Great giveaway! I love pear tree greetings! mommieseatsoggycereal at gmail dot com; September 23, 2010 10:10 PM Congrats!!

September's Pearista Giveaway ends in 4 days!

2010-10-03T05:17:00.000-04:00

The Pear Tree Greetings Halloween sticker giveaway ends on 10/7 at 11:59 p.m. EST

GOOD LUCK!!

Undercover Mama winner!

2010-10-02T18:36:00.001-04:00

Our winner is Jen with comment #15!

Jen said:

Jen said...

I follow Undercover Mama on Facebook! jenstinson@hotmail.com www.lemongrassspa.com/jens

September 27, 2010 1:43 PM

Congratulations Jen! You'll be contacted by either myself or Undercover Mama shortly.

Undercover Mama giveaway ends this week!

2010-09-29T01:17:00.000-04:00

The Undercover Mama giveaway ends this friday, 10/1, at 11:59 p.m. EST. The winner will be drawn Saturday via Random.org.

GOOD LUCK!

Car Seat Safety

2010-09-28T06:14:00.001-04:00

This is a big and controversial issue but I have an opinion and I'd like share it. Hopefully, it won't scare anyone away!

Let me preface this by telling you that I am not perfect. I've made my fair share of mistakes. Also, let me apologize ahead of time should I sound like I'm on a soap-box. That is not my intention. My intention is to share my opinion as well as the reasoning behind my opinion.

When Adam was young, I turned him around in his car seat when he hit 20lbs and if I recall correctly, he was not a year old yet. The only people I talked to about parenting stuff at the time were my parents and things had changed so much from when I was a child that their advice was outdated so no longer the best advice. They meant well though and I'm grateful to have had their help.

I was 16 when I had him so I was completely clueless and thought that it was 20 lbs OR 1 year and that he was completely safe forward facing.

When he was about 3, I put him in a booster seat (with a back) because he exceeded the height and weight limits of his car seat.

I never thought he was unsafe. I trusted the products I bought and trusted that the ages listed on the box were safe ages for use. It wasn't until I was pregnant with Logan that I learned differently.

First and foremost, the law in a lot of states is that a child must remain rear-facing until they are 20 lbs AND 1 year old. Both criteria have to be met. After they are 20 lbs AND 1 year old, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) now recommends that you leave them rear-facing for as long as possible. The 20lbs and 1 year criteria are minimum requirements and do not mean that you must turn them around. When they are rear-facing, they are safest. During an accident, the rear-facing seat will essentially cocoon up against the seat and create a little protective bubble for your little one. As long as they haven't exceeded the height and weight limits, this is the safest place for them to be during an accident.

When you must turn them around, they should be in a 5 point harness until the time that they can move to a booster seat. You'll have to check your state laws but it is illegal in most circumstances to put a child under the age of 4 in a booster seat in the state of PA. Yes, you read that correctly, if they are not 4 years old, you cannot legally put them into a booster seat in PA. This is not up for debate. This is a legal fact. There are some exemptions but for most children, they must remain in a 5 point harness car seat until they are 4 years old.

Again, the law is a minimum guideline. You do not need to put them into a booster at 4 if they still fit in their car seat. A 5 point harness is going to offer far more protection than a standard lap/shoulder belt can. The current recommendation is to leave them in the car seat for as long as possible until they exceed the height/weight limits.

When you do move them to a booster, you must once again check your states laws. In PA, a child must remain in a booster seat until they are 8 years old.

The PA law reads as follows:

"§ 4581. Restraint systems.
(a) Occupant protection.--
(1) Any person who is operating a passenger car, Class I truck, Class II truck, classic motor vehicle, antique motor vehicle or motor home and who transports a child under four years of age anywhere in the motor vehicle, including the cargo area, shall fasten such child securely in a child passenger restraint system"

There is little room for argument as you can see because it does specifically say any child under four (4) years of age must be in a car seat.

"(1.1) Any person who is operating a passenger car, Class I truck, Class II truck, classic motor vehicle, antique motor vehicle or motor home and who transports a child four years of age or older but under eight years of age anywhere in the motor vehicle, including the cargo area, shall fasten such child securely in a fastened safety seat belt system and in an appropriately fitting child booster seat"

Again, very little room for debate here. The only questionable thing is the fact that it does leave room for one to interpret that you must legally switch your 4 year old to a booster seat. I, however; do not believe that it was meant to be interpreted that way as that is just nonsense. Again, a 5 point harness will obviously provide more protection.

Finally, the exemption:

"(g) Exemptions.--Exemptions will be allowed if it is determined, according to the rules and regulations of the department, that the use of a child passenger restraint system or child booster seat would be impractical for physical reasons including, but not limited to, medical reasons or size of the child."

Yes, this last bit quite literally means that if your child has a medical reason or is legitimately too big for a car seat, they can use a booster or if they are legitimately too big for a booster, they can use the standard lap/shoulder seat belt. This is probably not a judgment you will be able to make on your own as there are car seats out there that go to 70 lbs, 80lbs, convertibles that go to 65 lbs with the harness and 100lbs with the belt positioning booster, and boosters that go to 100lbs. I wouldn't be surprised if you were just required to get another seat if the child has outgrown their seat but is still within a size and age where a proper restraint system can be used. Can't afford one? Well that's fine too! The government often has programs for free seats! PA has a fund in place for our citizens just for that:

"§ 4582. Child Passenger Restraint Fund.
A Child Passenger Restraint Fund is established in the General Fund as a special restricted receipts account hereby earmarked for and appropriated to the department. This fund
shall consist of all fines deposited pursuant to section 4581(b) (relating to restraint systems), all Federal funds granted for said use and any moneys donated into the fund. All such funds shall be used solely for the purpose of purchasing Federally approved child restraint seats or appropriately fitting child booster seats and making such seats available to qualified loaner programs within the Commonwealth. A qualified loaner program shall be one determined by the department to loan Federally approved child restraint seats or appropriately fitting child booster seats to parents or legal guardians of children under eight years of age who, due to financial or economic hardship, are unable to comply with the provisions of this subchapter. The department shall adopt such regulations as are necessary to effectuate the purpose of this section.
(July 15, 2004, P.L.694, No.75, eff. 60 days)"

You can view the law here: http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/pdotforms/vehicle_code/chapter45.pdf

Do you think it's harsh? I don't. I look at it this way, being in a car seat for an extended period of time will in no way hurt your child (as long as they fit). Sure they'll whine that their friends don't have to use it but I would much rather have a whiny and safe child than have the horrible misfortune of getting into an accident and having them get hurt.

Xander is the only one of my boys who is still rear-facing but Logan was rear-facing for a long time and Xander will be too for as long as possible. Why? Again, the seat acts as a bubble during a collision.

Logan is still in his 5 point harness and will stay there despite being 4 years old and 40lbs. Why? It is my opinion, as well as many professionals, that a 5 point harness offers far more protection.

Adam is currently booster-seatless but this is not my choice. This is a battle that I lost. I still feel that he needs it but circumstances have risen (for example, people believing that I am both a know-it-all and a worry wart and I do tend to worry a lot, but, I find the former to be insulting.) that have basically led to him being without his seat. Believe-you-me, I am NOT a happy Danielle. We will be doing the 5 step check with Adam and if I am not satisfied, he will be returning to his booster. Why? I've read horror story after horror story about internal decapitation. Google it if you'd like (but it's really exactly what it sounds like and it's from the seat-belt hitting the neck with extreme force due to improper positioning)- but be warned, it is not pleasant. It is of the utmost importance to me that the shoulder belt properly fits Adam (and the other boys when they're older). His life is far more important to me than what his friends are doing.

This is such a huge thing that most people debate over but I can't really figure out why. It is just flat out illegal in a lot of states to turn your child forward facing before 1 year AND 20 lbs, put them in a booster before 4, and put them in the standard lap/shoulder belt before they're 7 or 8 so why are people debating it? It's against the law! It's not really open for argument. The only thing that is open for discussion is whether you should turn them around promptly at 1 year AND 20 lbs, put them in a booster promptly at 4, or into a seat-belt as soon as the law allows. Everything else is required by law. If you ask "should I turn my 22 lb, 9 month old dear child forward facing?" the answer should always be "No." because it's both unsafe and illegal.

So should you turn your child around even though they haven't exceeded the height/weight limits? In my opinion, no. Should you put your child in a booster even though they still fit in their car seat? Again, in my opinion, no. Should you let your 4 foot tall, 8 year old ride without his booster seat? Well, I don't think so.

Here's the bottom line folks- they're your kids. Ultimately it's your call to make but remember: you love them, you want them safe, and putting them into that seat is not hurting anything whereas not using the seat may result in someone being hurt. Sure, you could be the safest driver out there, but the legobucket* in the lane next to you may not be. If that LB comes swerving into your lane, there's not going to be much you can do to avoid the collision. At least drive knowing that your children are properly secured. That's my view anyway.

You don't have to follow my advice. I'm not some big professional person who is paid to know this stuff. I'm just some person, on the internet who's blog you're reading. I am, however, providing you with the links to reputable sources so that you can educate yourself on the matter and make an informed decision for your children and their safety.

Links:
AAP Recommendations:
http://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/on-the-go/pages/Car-Safety-Seats-Information-for-Families-2010.aspx
http://www.aap.org/healthtopics/carseatsafety.cfm

5 Step Check:
http://www.carseat.org/Boosters/630.htm
http://www.utmedicalcenter.org/cms/Emergency+and+Trauma+Services/Tools+and+Assessments/Booster+Seat+5-Step+Test/334.html

PA laws:
http://www.saferoads.org/state/boosterPCPSPennsylvania.pdf
http://www.buckleuppa.org/
http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/pdotforms/vehicle_code/chapter45.pdf

NY laws:
http://www.nydmv.state.ny.us/broch/c-1.htm

Please search for your states laws to find the most up to date and accurate information for your state but also remember- the laws are minimum requirements, the AAP policy reflects the current safety recommendations. I found my states laws by searching for "PA car seat laws" but "[your state]'s child restraint laws" should work as well.

I do apologize again if any of that came off soap-boxy. This is my opinion and you certainly are entitled to your own but I wanted to share mine and the sources of it. :)

*The term "Legobucket" arose when I was a child and my uncle swore at a passing car while driving. My mom asked him if he could find another word because I was in the car and he started calling people "Legobuckets" instead of bad names.

Best wishes, and as always, DFTBA.

Rockin' Baby Slings

2010-09-27T23:30:00.000-04:00

We loved our Rockin' Baby ring sling for when Xander was smaller and even now, at 26lbs, Ed can wear him in it without problems.

I bought it second hand from www.thebabywearer.com and instantly fell in love. I'm not new to babywearing but this is my favorite ring sling by far. The fabric slides nicely through the rings but not too easily that one needs to worry about the baby falling. It's super comfy and the pocket is just an awesome extra.

A friend of mine on Facebook asked "where did you get that sling?" so I directed her to both the Rockin' Baby site and to TBW. Sadly, she came back and said that Rockin' Baby was going out of business!

To anyone out there who has also noticed that they're closing, I have some TERRIFIC NEWS FOR YOU!

I received an e-mail from Rockin' Baby slings asking me to pass the following news along to my readers:

"Hi there!

We have a great deal we thought your readers would be interested in. We wanted to let you know that we are selling out of all of our stock at Rockin' Baby Sling, with all of our prices reduced up to 70%! Please pass on to your readers that all of slings and pouches are currently $40.00 each until they've sold out. Rockin' Baby will be re-born under new ownership in January, so look for great new fabrics and designs then!

Thank you!

Lisa and Natasha"

I am personally THRILLED to hear that they are not gone forever! While Xander has gotten a bit too heavy for a ring sling, my Rockin' Baby sling is still my favorite ring sling and I'm holding onto it for any potential future children. <3

So go and shop, enjoy the discounted prices and stay tuned for the re-opening in Jan! http://www.rockinbabysling.com/

Best Wishes and as always,
DFTBA!

1 Course Down!

2010-09-27T22:41:00.001-04:00

Saturday was the last day of my Computer Literacy course through The Art Institute of Pittsburgh (Online Division). My major is digital design and I've been using computers since I was knee-high to a grasshopper but it was recommended that I take the comp. lit. course because of the Adobe programs that were being taught.

I have to say, I am VERY glad that I took it! The Microsoft Office portion of the program pretty much went over stuff that I had already learned in high school but I had never used Adobe Illustrator and the information I learned from the course was extremely beneficial!

I've been playing with it ever since and I think I'm in love! Here's some stuff I've made (not for school assignments but in hopes of opening a small business so I apologize for the spam!):

Anyway, I thought my next courses started immediately after this one but it appears that they don't. When I was looking over the calendar, I noticed that I have a good week off before my course next starts! WOOHOO for an unexpected break! YAY!

So...I expect more blogging and more sleep to come in the next week lol!

BEST WISHES! oh and don't forget to be awesome!

The World is Full of Awesome.

2010-09-24T19:42:00.001-04:00

Because of the extremely kind actions of some people, James was able to get enough money to take Chomp-Chomp to the vet!!!

It is VERY comforting to me every time I see such wonderful acts of kindness!

FEEL BETTER CHOMP-CHOMP!!!

http://milkymomma.blogspot.com/2010/09/chomp-chomp-needs-your-help.html

Pear Tree Greetings giveaway

2010-09-24T18:26:00.000-04:00

The Pear Tree Greetings Halloween Sticker giveaway ends in 2 weeks on 10/7. GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

Undercover Mama giveaway ends next week!

2010-09-24T13:46:00.001-04:00

The Undercover Mama giveaway ends on 10/1 at 11:59 p.m. EST.

Good luck everyone!