Designed by a Pediatrician and parent, iEarnedThat is an amazingly simple motivational tool to help children develop desirable behaviors by working towards tangible goals. $1.99.

First-Then visual schedule application is designed for caregivers to provide positive behavior support. For individuals with communication needs, developmental delays, Autism or those who benefit from a structured environment; visual schedules serve to increase independence and lower anxiety during transitions through different activities. $9.99.

The primary purpose of MY CHOICE BOARD is to present a visual display of “choices” to those with limited communication skills. This gives individuals with Autism, communication delays or learning differences the opportunity to be independent and express their own specific needs and wants.$9.99.

Make every moment count with this visual Timer App – it gives you three timers in one!   Time Timer for iPhone depicts time using a bright red disc that slowly disappears as time elapses. You can set it three different ways to help you improve productivity. $1.99.

These apps were recommended by By Your Side | An Autism Learning Center.

What Behavior Tool Apps do you use with your kids?

This Valentine’s Day, love and friendship are wrapped up in a delightful, perfect box!

About the book
One day Ollie’s mother tells him that he is “a beautiful gift.”  Delighted with this new “identity,” Ollie invites his friend Benjamin to guess what it is.  When poor Benjamin cannot guess, despite many hints, Ollie refuses to play with him.  Seeing that he’s hurt his friend’s feelings, Ollie realizes that he best gift of all is friendship.  Rohan Henry has wonderfully captured the interactions of young friends as they come to learn how to play together.

The Gift Box is a picture book that is suitable for all ages.

About the author
Rohan Henry is a writer and illustrator of Jamaican origin who studied writing at the University of Massachusetts and New York University.  He is the author of The Perfect Gift and Good Night, Baby Ruby.  He lives in Maine with his wife and their two young children.

Each February, the American Dental Association (ADA) sponsors National Children’s Dental Health Month to raise awareness about the importance of oral health.Developing good habits at an early age and scheduling regular dental visits helps children get a good start on a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums.  This year’s theme is “Rock Your Smile.”

To help you and your children “Rock Your Smile,” The Jim Henson Company is partnering with Sunstar Americas, Inc., who has just launched brand new Dinosaur Train themed toothbrushes!  With the emphasis on making brushing fun for young children, Sunstar Americas, Inc. is featuring Buddy and Tiny on a new GUM® twin pack toothbrush set, available this spring at Meijer, H-E-B, and online at Gumbrand.com.

“5 Terrific T. Rex Teeth Tips” from your buddies at Dinosaur Train!

Just like Buddy loses his teeth on Dinosaur Train, kids lose primary teeth to make way for permanent teeth. Tyrannosaurus Rex replaced their teeth throughout their lives but you only get two sets so it is especially important to practice good dental care.

Follow these helpful tips for strong teeth and a healthy smile!

1.       Twice a day: Brush your teeth when you wake up and before you go to bed.
2.       Take your time: Brush your teeth for 2 minutes and be sure to include your tongue!
3.       Be kind to your gums: Brush with a soft bristle toothbrush.
4.       Get the hard to reach places: Floss your teeth every day.
5.       See your dentist twice a year!

And if you want to see Buddy learning about his teeth, please tune into Dinosaur Train on March 1 on PBS KIDS  to watch the “T-Rex Teeth” episode (check your local listings) Both sharks and Tyrannosaurus’ lose their teeth, but those teeth are always replaced by new teeth.  Humans only get two sets of teeth, so it’s important to take good care of them!

T.rex Teeth

When Buddy loses a tooth, Mom takes him to Rexville to ask his Tyrannosaurus friends all about T. rex teeth. They explain that he’ll grow new teeth to replace the old ones.

Fun Fact

T. rex’s teeth were the size and shape of big bananas! By carefully observing the shape of a dinosaur’s teeth, you can make predictions about what that dinosaur probably ate, which in this case is meat.

For more tips on how to “Rock Your Smile,” you might enjoy the FREE activity sheets for kids at the American Dental Association’s website, www.ada.org.

And now you have super clean teeth, you can “Rock Your Smile” as you hand out FREE Valentine’s Day Cards from Dinosaur Train.  Click on the picture to visit the site to print them off.

Want to win some toothbrushes for your children?

Two readers will win a set of Dinosaur Train Toothbrushes.

To enter the giveaway visit Dinosaur Train and tell me what your children like best about the website in the Rafflecopter form below.

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Contains no wheat, gluten, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy, dairy or shellfish.

ingredients:

1 package (10 oz.) Enjoy Life Snickerdoodle cookies
3 large marshmallows
1 Enjoy Life boom CHOCO boom chocolate bar (rice milk or dark chocolate)

directions:

1) Cut the marshmallows in half, so you have a total of six pieces.  Set aside.
2) Break the chocolate bar into four sections.  Then break each section in half for a total of eight pieces.  Set aside.
3) Slightly flatten two Snickerdoodle cookies.  Use a heart shaped cookie cutter or a knife to cut out your “sweetheart cookie”.  Place one piece of chocolate in center.
4) Slightly flatten a marshmallow piece and place it on top of the chocolate.  Cover with remaining cookie.  Assemble more s’mores with remaining ingredients.
5) Place s’mores on a microwavable plate.  Microwave for 10-20 seconds or until the chocolate starts to melt and the marshmallow softens.
6) Remove and enjoy!

Yield: 6 Sweetheart S’mores

I received an advanced copy of his book The Hypothyroid Diet for review and was very impressed with what I read.

Hypothyroidism is a devastating epidemic affecting 10 to 27 million Americans, often caused by an autoimmune disorder, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. Most sufferers are women, and many are misdiagnosed, undiagnosed, or mistreated. When she was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and subsequently thyroid cancer, Dr. Dobrzynski’s wife Amy did not get better despite medication and surgery. Her husband was determined to help her lose weight, fight fatigue and feel normal again, and their success is documented in The Hypothyroid Diet.

A licensed practitioner of natural medicine, Dr. Kevin Dobrzynski has a thriving practice helping people use exercise and nutrition for a happier, healthier life. “Combining alternative medicine with exercise creates a healthy option and balance to give you the freedom while staying in control of your own healthcare,” he explains. Driven by a desire to help his wife, he studied the effects of the immune system, thyroid function and the interplay of nutrition and exercise.

I recommend reading this book if you are battling thyroid disease (or think you might have it even if you haven’t ‘officially’ been diagnosed with it) and/or are looking to lose weight.

Dr. Dobrzynski shares many of the factors that affect the inability of those suffering from thyroid disease to lose weight.  One of things I found most helpful in the book was his chart of “functional” test results of those that are affected.  Many people who think they may have thyroid disease come out of the doctor’s office being told their levels are within a normal range.  But Dr. Dobrzynski tells you how exactly labs and doctors come to those conclusions, and how you might just be on the verge of having thyroid disease and gives you the levels of those that are “on the fence” so to speak.  I took out my last tests for these, and lone behold…My levels land on his chart!  But this is a good thing, because now I know to go back to the doctor’s with this information in hand and ask the questions I didn’t know to ask before.  Plus knowing what I now know, will allow me to lose weight more easily.

With many ideas of food choices that will boost your metabolism, and foods to stay away from, Dr. Dobrzynski gives you a plan that is feasible to live with daily.  He knows you’ll have occasions where you’re going to indulge, and that’s okay too!  It’s about making it fit your life so that you can lose weight and feel great.  Along those lines he gives sample menus so you can get a strong start, and gives options to substitute so you don’t get tired of eating the same thing all the time.

I REALLY THINK THIS IS A KEY BOOK FOR INFORMATION ON WEIGHT LOSS FOR THOSE WITH THYROID DISEASE.

You can learn more about Dr. Dobrzynski and The Hypothyroid Diet at http://thehypothyroiddiet.com/.   The book will be released in May of this year and is available  for pre-order on Amazon.com as well as other online book retailers.

How do you prepare to handle a child that isn’t typical. One that has special needs, physical limitations, autism or sensory processing disorder?

Singer/Songwriter Jennifer Shaw had to come to terms with the fact that their son Toby was not typical. He would not run across grass or walk on sand. The wind hurt him and water seemed to burn him. These symptoms of sensory processing disorder threw typical out the window in their family and they had to implement major changes in their daily lifestyle.

In her new book Life Not Typical: How Special Needs Parenting Changed My Faith and My Song, Jennifer shares the life-altering events that seemed to snowball from the start of an ectopic pregnancy to the diagnosis and therapy of Toby’s SPD.

If your child has SPD, this book is sure to encourage you. If you think your child might have SPD it might allow you to recognize the symptoms. Jennifer also cites many potential options for therapy and assistance. While Toby’s case of SPD was quite severe (especially the issues he had for many years with food), there are varying degrees of SPD. Regardless of whether your child is “typical” or not – every mother can be encouraged by the message Jennifer writes about as she shares the positive influences in Toby’s life, her faith in God and knowing that there was a plan for Toby and their family amid it all.

Life Not Typical: How Special Needs Parenting Changed My Faith and My Song is available for purchase in paperback and Kindle on Amazon.com.

I received a copy of this book for review purposes.

Giveaway

One reader will win a copy of Life Not Typical.

To enter the giveaway just fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

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Jake Taylor (Randy Wayne) is a good-natured 16 year old all-star athlete who seems to have everything going for him. Despite trouble at home, he is self-assured and has found comfort in the insular world of American high school life from the perspective of being “the popular kid.” Bound by his place in the high school caste system, Jake grows apart from his childhood friend Roger (Robert Bailey, Jr.), who doesn’t fit in. When the school’s social scene drives a final wedge between them, an unexpected tragedy strikes. Forced to come to terms with things that he has long taken for granted, Jake reflects on his priorities and begins his journey on a new path that threatens everything his world is built on- his friends, his girlfriend Amy (Deja Kreutzberg), his basketball scholarship and his reputation.

Visit GMC to learn more about To Save a Life.

Just a week before her sixth wedding anniversary her husband was killed in a snowmobile accident. Not long after that she had to give away the Doberman that they had. After much thought, she decided to get another dog.

After much looking and researching she chose to get a smaller dog. It’s amazing how that little dog helped her grieve.

It’s an interesting story on how that dog got his name. When she first brought the puppy home, she had a short list of names, and she asked me, my niece, nephews and some friends for some name ideas. But ultimately it came down to a fun memoriam to my brother-in-law when it came time to deciding the dog’s name.

My sister’s husband was quite the stylish guy. He was always into the latest fashions and loyal to certain brand names. One of the brands he liked the best was Tommy Hilfiger. Most of the clothing he wore had that ‘flag’ emblazoned on it. After my sister and he started dating, her closet started having more and more of the navy, red and white hues of Tommy Hilfiger as well.

From Tommy Hilfiger shirts, jeans, cologne, perfume, bed sheets and bath towels, their home was like a fashion warehouse!

And that’s how my sister’s new puppy got his name ‘Tommy’.

Tommy helped heal my sister’s grief, and became her ‘baby’, having had no children from her first marriage. Tommy endeared everyone who met him. My sister’s boss even let her take Tommy to work with her in a laundry basket when he was a puppy!

Caring for Tommy gave her a purpose and let her remember the good memories of her husband. Through the years Tommy became a big part of our extended family too, we all expected him to be at gatherings and the kids all loved him.

Eventually my sister found love again, re-married and had a couple of children. Tommy was much loved by my nephews. Unfortunately there came a day when Tommy’s purpose in my sister’s life came to an end, but his life and what he did for her will always be remembered.

I am blogging about my canine companion as a part of the “What’s in a Name?” Campaign hosted by DogFenceDiy, the invisible fence alternative. No matter what you choose to name your pooch DogFenceDiy wants to keep them safe and warm.

My two favorite strategies that Brooks and Goldstein discuss to nurture a “social resilient mindset” in your child are

Teach your child to learn from mistakes rather than feel defeated by them
Cultivate and foster your child’s creativity and growth in the face of adversity

The book features dozens of stories and its easy to follow narrative demonstrates how to apply techniques to foster resilience to every parenting practice when raising children with autism spectrum disorders, and helping them develop essential social skills. They provide specific, practical strategies for nurturing social skills and resilience in children.

One of the strategies that I was most impressed with was the concept of “bubble talk”. It’s a positive way to reach children that have a difficult connection as to know what is acceptable to say out loud and what can be vocalized. Using the image of a cartoon and a thought ‘bubble’ over the character’s head, the child is engaged at home with scenarios in which they can decide in a safe environment what they should keep in “bubble talk” and what they can say aloud.

Children love to help and receive praise, and Brooks and Goldstein illustrate how we can build upon those feelings of worth and introduce resilience in our children by uplifting them in areas that they are competent in. This is even more true in families where there may only be one autistic child, and the siblings all feel unequally pressured to live up to expectations that they feel unfair – even if the parents are unaware of it.

What’s interesting about this book is, although it is written to parents and caregivers of children on the autism spectrum, its advice and techniques can be used just as effectively for children who aren’t on the spectrum. Many of the challenges that are illustrated in the book are not exclusive to any one child or diagnoses.

Testimonials of the families will show that parenting a child with autism on a good day can be frustrating and on a bad day it can feel like sheer hopelessness. It’s not about being a bad parent, it’s about understanding where your child is at – and through this book, Drs Brooks and Goldstein will help you be the empathic parent your child needs, whether they’re on or off the spectrum.

Raising Resilient Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder by Dr. Robert Brooks and Dr. Sam Goldstein is available at book retailers and online.

I received a copy of this book to review.