Mom To The Power Of Three

How To Read A Grown-Up's Mind

2010-06-29T12:20:00.004-04:00

My son has a book entitled The Encyclopedia of Immaturity and there is a trick in it which children can play on grown-ups. My son did the trick on both my husband and I and it worked both times.

Here is what you do:

Ask a grown-up the following questions. Tell them its part of an important nationwide survey and thank them for participating.

1. Think of some country that starts with D. Don't tell me what it is. (A typical grown-up will think it is Denmark).

2. Take the last letter of that country and think of any animal that starts with it. Again, don't tell me what it is. (A typical grown-up will think kangaroo).

3. Take the last letter of that animal and think of a fruit that starts with it. Don't say anything, just think. (A typical grown-up will think orange).

Finally put your hand on their forehead, close your eyes, and say the following: "Orange...you're thinking of an orange."

Try it out and let me know if it works on others!

Treating Insect Bites and Stings

2010-06-10T09:50:00.009-04:00

Do you know the signs of an allergic reaction to an insect bite or sting? Kids are always playing outside and they will get bitten or stung at some point. Mosquitoes, blackflies, and deerflies or horseflies are the most common bugs to get bitten by in the summer. There is also a chance that your child will get stung by a bee or wasp or get bitten by a spider and you have to keep an eye on them after they have been stung because you never know how they will react to it.

If they happen to get stung by a bee, you must get the stinger out as quickly as possible. You can do this by scraping it with a credit card or carefully picking it out with tweezers if you have a pair handy. Its important to get the stinger out because it contains a poison sac from the bee. If you spread the venom around the wound, the skin will become more irritated. After you have removed the stinger, you can apply some ice to the wound and give your child an antihistamine such as Reactine or Benadryl. If a wasp or any other type of fly, spider or bug bites your child, there will be no stinger left behind. Simply put some ice on the bite and give your child an antihistamine.

There are certain signs to look for to determine if your child is having an allergic reaction:

1. Wheezing or difficulty breathing;
2. Swelling of the lips, tongue or face;
3. Tightness in throat or chest;
4. Dizziness or fainting;
5. Nausea or vomiting.

Your child should seek urgent medical attention if the above symptoms occur.

Your child may have a mild allergic reaction if his/her skin develops red bumps, is itchy, and swells mildly. Itchiness can be treated with calomine lotion.

I have found an instruction sheet for the treatment of insect stings and bites and you can print it off at the link below. This would be a great item to display on your fridge for the summer months.

Insect Stings Help Sheet

How To Coverup Scratches On Dark Hardwood

2010-06-09T12:30:00.002-04:00

I noticed this morning that there are some noticeable scratches on my hardwood around an armchair that sits in my livingroom. It was really bugging me because I don't want to show the house with these visible scratches. So I did some research and came across a great tip on ehow.com. All you need to do is mix a couple of teaspoons of coffee grinds with a small amount of water until it forms into a thick paste. Then carefully rub the paste into the scratches and voila, the scratches are covered up.

This is only a temporary fix however but will do the trick in an emergency. The coffee makes the floor somewhat sticky on the area that I covered but this does not matter because it is under a chair where nobody steps. I will properly fix it when I get some wood stain that matches the colour of my hardwood. Please also remember that coffee only works on dark shades of hardwood.

Favourite Smells Of Summer

2010-06-07T07:58:00.007-04:00

I was sitting on my front porch one afternoon and was surrounded by the smell of freshly cut grass. One of my neighbours had just finished cutting his lawn. This is one of the most invigorating smells after enduring a long cold winter. Some of my other favourite smells of summer are:

Tomato plants
Strawberries
Coconut Suntan Oil/Lotion
Roses
The rain at night
Clothes that have dried in the sunshine
Waffle cones at a fair or carnival
Sweet smell of hay sitting in a farmer's field
Anything being barbequed
Citronella
Campfires
The breeze coming off the lake
Pine trees in the hot sun

Another smell that I will always remember is when I used to sit on my grandma's porch and I could smell the lilacs growing nearby. Such a wonderful memory.

I wish I could bottle these scents to help me get through the long, cold winter.

What's your favourite scent of summer?

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

2010-06-04T18:30:00.004-04:00

I was reading the local paper this afternoon and I was shocked to find out that an older man who I just spoke with about 2 weeks ago passed away. I would always see him when I picked up my sons from school. He would pick up his grandson, who was in my son's class. I distinctly remember my last conversation with him. He was talking about his grandchildren and seemed very happy and healthy. He was a very nice man and died at the age of 63. I believe he died from a sudden heart attack at his home. He was very close with his grandchildren and I know they will miss him very much. This is just a reminder that there is no guarantee that there will be a tomorrow.

Announcement

2010-06-03T09:16:00.003-04:00

I am excited to announce that I have bought a domain name for Mom To The Power Of Three and my new web address is www.momtothepowerofthree.net. My blog may still be in transition but I am advised by Blogger that all traffic will be redirected automatically to my new address. I am also playing around with a new look so there may be some construction dust. Please let me know if you have any problems.

Loathe The Speakerphone

2010-06-02T08:36:00.006-04:00

I am the type of person who normally does not like to talk on the phone. I get very agitated when I make a one on one phone call to someone and they put me on speakerphone. For one thing, you cannot hear someone clearly when they use the speakerphone and it picks up a lot of background noise. Also, the conversation can be heard by anyone near the person you are talking to. I don't like that invasion of privacy. I used to work in an office where lawyers close to my desk would have conversations with their client on the speakerphone. You could listen to the whole conversation and I don't think that is appropriate.

As soon as someone answers their phone, I immediately know when I am on speakerphone and I will always ask that they take me off it. I don't care who I am talking to. My sister-in-law used to always call me on speakerphone until one day I said to take me off it. Maybe that's why she doesn't call me much anymore. The only time that I will talk on speakerphone is when there is a need for the conversation to be heard by more than one person like in a business meeting. Otherwise, I think that if a person wants to speak with you on the speakerphone that they should ask for your permission to do so out of courtesy.

Win $25 Paypal Cash!

2010-05-31T16:17:00.002-04:00

I am hosting a contest where you can win $25 Paypal cash! Enter by filling in the form on the top right of my blog. You must have a valid Paypal account. Contest ends June 14, 2010 at 11:55 p.m. when a winner will be randomly drawn by Contest Marchine. I will notify the winner on June 15, 2010 and the winner will have 24 hours to claim his/her prize. If the prize is not claimed, I will redraw the winner's name.

Facebook Lists

2010-05-31T07:11:00.003-04:00

I have become familiar with a relatively new feature on Facebook where you can arrange your friends into lists. You can create the names of the lists such as family, acquaintances, old school friends, current friends, co-workers, and so on. You can access this feature by going to your facebook profile and clicking on the friends listed on the left hand side of the screen. Once you click on it your list of friends will appear. At the top of the screen there will be a tab labelled "Create List". Click on that, name the list you want to create, then add your friend's name to that list. Once you are done adding names to the list, click create list. You can edit or delete your list at any time. I find the lists helpful if I only want to share a certain status update or photo with a particular group of people. You may not be as personal with friends in your acquaintance list or co-worker list so you can control what they see without blocking them from your wall. I think this is a great privacy feature.

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Dental Surgery - Stainless Steel Crowns

2010-05-28T16:16:00.003-04:00

My son had his dental surgery today and it went very well. He did not complain about any part of it and recovered quickly from the anasthetic. He had to have a couple of steel crowns placed on his molars so he had to have general anasthetic. The surgery took about 1 hour in total and then it took about 15 minutes for him to wake up. He was very unsteady and woozy at first and slept most of the way home. He had lots of freezing in his mouth so it was hard for him to talk at first. After a couple of hours he was back to normal and was able to eat again. He is now trying to get used to having the steel caps on his teeth. The molars will fall out when he is 9 to 12 years old and his permanent ones will grow in. He will not be able to eat candies such as ju jubes, jawbreakers, fruit roll ups, or anything else really sticky for risk of pulling off the steel cap. The dental surgeon was great and I think the day was more stressful for me than for my son who was such a trooper. I am just glad that it is all over.

Frozen Grapes - A Cool Summer Snack

2010-05-23T06:49:00.006-04:00

I was at my mother-in-laws on a hot summer day and she brought out some frozen red seedless grapes. I thought this was very strange at first but the kids loved them! Grapes taste sweeter when they are frozen. I'm not a big fan of freezies or popsicles because they are loaded with sugar and they are messy if they get dripped on the floor. They also create a lot of garbage. The frozen grapes are a great alternative. To freeze grapes simply pick them off of the vine and thoroughly wash them. Then place them in a plastic container with a lid and put them in the freezer. Discard any mushy or discoloured grapes. It will take about 3 or 4 hours for them to freeze. The grapes will not drip as they thaw so there is no sticky mess to clean up. I made these for my kids yesterday and they quickly vanished!

Growing Pains

2010-05-18T08:47:00.003-04:00

For the past few months my 5 year old is sometimes awakened at night with pains in his legs. It happened again last night. The pains occur in his calf muscles and thigh muscles. My older son also complains of leg pains occasionally, but they rarely wake him up at night. Apparently growing pains affect children until their teenage years. It seems if they have an overactive day their tired muscles will start aching once they settle down in the evening or when they are asleep. I remember that I had them as a child as well. To ease the pain I massage his leg muscles and put a hot pack on it. If he is really uncomfortable with the pain, I will also give him an Advil to settle him down so he can go back to sleep. I wish I could get back to sleep as easily.

Growing pains will not be accompanied by any other symptoms so if your child has a fever, swelling, limping, rashes, loss of appetite or weakness, or uncharacteristic behaviour then you should go to the doctor.

Cleaning for Showings

2010-05-14T06:29:00.004-04:00

I just listed my house for sale a few days ago and now I must keep the house neat, tidy, and spotless on a daily basis in case I have a showing. This is a great challenge for me because I don't like to be stuck inside the house cleaning all day. Also, whenever I clean or tidy up an area, the kids come in and make another mess which is very frustrating. We have rented a storage unit where we have put a lot of clutter that was in our house. I cleaned out all of our closets, gave away clothes that no longer fit, and packed away winter clothing. I also got rid of the clutter on my countertops. Yesterday, I cleaned windows and trim and today I will be wiping down my cupboards.

I don't like showing my house because I feel that it is an invasion of my privacy. People will look in your closets, vanities, kitchen cupboards and even your fridge. I have been through this many times before and realize that people are very picky. My biggest pet peeve is when I have to rush around to get ready for a showing and then find out that the people were just comparison shopping and really had no interest in the house. They just wanted to see what they could get at the price range.

The outside of the house also has to be kept tidy and presentable because that is the first impression a potential purchaser has of the home. I have to tidy up the kids toys, pick up any garbage, mow the lawn, and weed the flower garden. It is supposed to be nice and sunny today so I think I will do some work outside and enjoy the sunshine.

Battling Tooth Decay in Children

2010-05-11T08:38:00.004-04:00

My two youngest children have weak tooth enamel and they develop cavities easily. My daughter had dental surgery at age 18 months to fix her front teeth and my son is scheduled for surgery in June. I feel guilty that they are having dental problems and feel that it is my fault. They brush their teeth once a day but what I haven't done is floss their teeth everyday. The dentist has told me that I must floss their teeth to prevent tooth decay. I do not have dental coverage so I have to pay for their checkups and cleanings. Luckily the Canadian government has a program called CINOT (Children In Need Of Treatment) which covers the cost of their surgery and fillings. It is recommended now that children start going to the dentist as soon as their teeth appear. I know that as a child, we never went to the dentist unless we were in pain. My parents did not have a dental plan either. My teeth are relatively healthy and I have not had major decay. It is believed that weak teeth are hereditary and they could get this from my mother because she lost most of her upper teeth in her mid twenties and had to get dentures. I didn't even realize that a child could be born with weak tooth enamel until my daughter's teeth rapidly started decaying.

As a preventative measure I now floss my kids' teeth everyday and limit their sugar intake. I do not buy pop so they rarely drink that but they do drink juice and they do have candy like any normal child. I am also giving them more raw vegetables to eat because this also strengthens their teeth. It is an ongoing battle and hopefully their adult teeth will be stronger. My oldest son does not seem to have weak enamel but he will need braces in a couple of years. If you have young children, please take them to the dentist early on so that any decay can be detected early. I think I should have become a dentist or married one! Dental care is so costly.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

2010-05-08T11:34:00.002-04:00

Here is a short video to celebrate Mother's Day. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Mother's Day - The best free videos are right here

Open Casket - Dead Guy On Bike

2010-05-06T09:36:00.003-04:00

I came across this photo which was posted on a local radio station's blog and I just had to share it. This is from a funeral of a man in San Yuan who wished to be buried with his motorbike. The undertakers presented him in this fashion at his funeral. I'm not sure how I would react to this. Its definitely unique and personal but it may be too creepy for some to actually view in person. I couldn't imagine going to my grandma's funeral and seeing her sitting at a table quilting (which she loved to do) or going to my grandfather's funeral and seeing him playing cards which was his favourite hobby. I do however believe that people should be dressed in whatever was comfortable for them. We feel the need to dress up our loved ones for the viewing even though that person may have hated wearing suits or dressing up. For me, I would be happy to be buried in my favourite jeans and t-shirt. When you see your loved one in a casket, its peaceful and it gives you a sense of closure. I just don't know if viewing someone situated like this would do that.

10 Ways To Help A New Mom

2010-05-02T10:52:00.009-04:00

Mother's Day is next Sunday and I thought I would post about ways that you can help out a new mom. Bringing a new baby home is a very exciting time but it is also stressful and exhausting. Here are some things you can do to take some of the stress away from a new mom:

1. Prepare some casseroles and freeze them so that she will have a quick and healthy meal at her fingertips on those really hectic days.

2. If you are going to visit the new baby, ask the new mom if she needs you to pick up milk, bread, or any other staple. Trying to get out the door with a newborn is a challenge and I am sure she would appreciate this gesture.

3. Help out with laundry and cleaning. It is difficult to find time to do household chores especially if a new mom is trying to rest when the baby sleeps. I remember when my kids were newborn that I didn't rest when they slept because I felt I had to cook and clean. I didn't have any help and I soon became exhausted.

4. Bring a basket full of healthy snacks, bottles of water and herbal tea. If she is breastfeeding, it is important that the foods she eat are easy to prepare and packed with good nutrition. Its also important to drink lots of fluids.

5. Offer to look after the baby while mom has a bath or shower or to allow her to go for a quick walk. It is amazing what a 30 minute to 1 hour break can do to give you an energy boost. This will also give you some bonding time with baby.

6. Give her a gift certificate to a cleaning service. Who wouldn't want their house professionally cleaned a couple of times?

7. Give her a gift certificate to a popular pizza place or other restaurant that delivers for those nights that she just simply doesn't feel like cooking. Its also helpful if you include a menu with it.

8. Help her write thank you cards to those who attended her baby shower, dropped off baby gifts, or sent gifts while she was in the hospital.

9. Bring a basket full of things to make her feel good like her favourite bubble bath, a great book, magazine or movie, lotion, facial masque, nail polish, hair care products, and so on. If you look good, you feel good.

10. Have friends and family write babycare tips and advice on index cards and arrange them into a card container. Sometimes people have valuable tips that you don't come across in books. This will also make a great keepsake that she may pass down to her baby.

Before the baby arrived, all the attention was on how mom to be was doing. Once the baby is born, most of the attention is shifted to the baby. Its nice to do something thoughtful just for the new mom to make her feel special and less stressed.

People Get Ready - Crystal Bowersox Top 7

2010-04-23T08:50:00.003-04:00

I didn't watch American Idol this week but I did look up a few of the performances on youtube. I just had to blog about Crystal's performance. The theme this week was songs of inpiration and Crystal really nailed it this time. Her performance actually brought tears to my eyes. Such an emotional song and she sang it straight from the heart. She has so much natural personality in all of her performances and I think she will be the winner of American Idol.

Watch the video here.

The Legend of the Sand Dollar

2010-04-20T06:43:00.006-04:00

My mother-in-law just returned from a trip to Florida and she brought back some sand dollars for all of the grandchildren. She is a deeply religious person and was thrilled to present this to the kids. With the sand dollars came a little legend which is very interesting. Here is the legend:

There's a lovely little legend
That I would like to tell,
Of the birth and death of Jesus
Found in this lowly shell

If you examine closely
You'll see that you find here,
Four nail holes and a fifth one
Made by a Roman's spear

On one side the Easter Lily
Its center is the star,
That appeared unto the shepherds
And led them from afar.

The Christmas Poinsettia
Etched on the other side
Reminds us of His birthday
Our Happy Christmastide.

Now break the center open
And here you will release,
The five white doves awaiting
To spread Good Will and Peace.

This simple little symbol
Christ left for you and me,
To help us spread His Gospel
Through all Eternity.

The sand dollar is an amazing little sea creature. I never knew that they had so many intricate details and whether you are religious or not, the legend really makes you think. When they are alive, they are velvety in texture and after they die, their body hardens and is bleached white by the sun. They like to burrow in the sand and feed on the tiny organic particles they filter from the water. They do not have arms or legs but move along by using many spines on the bottom of their shell. Below is a video of a live sand dollar.

The Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai

2010-04-12T09:04:00.005-04:00

Another thing that I would add to my Bucket List is to stay one night at the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai. This magnificent structure resembles a sailboat which is situated atop an artificial island off the desert coast. There are 202 suites, the smallest one being 1820 sq. ft and the largest being 8,400 sq. ft! The structure stands 1053 ft. I would like to visit this unique hotel just to say that I have been there. It is definitely not the desert heat that would attract me to this location or the fact that I have to fly there (I hate to fly). It would probably be too hot to even sit on the beach. Out of curiousity, I searched this hotel to find some rates for a room and if I went there today I could get a deluxe king one bedroom suite for just $2,046! You can check out the amenities here. This is a room for just 2 adults. Sorry, but I would not be taking the kids here. I can't imagine what it would cost to eat in one of the restaurants. There is also a helipad at the top of the building, if that is how you would rather arrive.

If you would like to see some pictures of the inside of the hotel, please click here. The decor is very flashy but what else would you expect?

Casey James - Jealous Guy

2010-04-08T09:05:00.005-04:00

I don't watch a lot of tv so I don't follow American Idol religiously but I did happen to see this one when my husband was watching it. It is one of my favourite performances by an American Idol contestant. This performance aired on April 6, 2010and it is such a beautiful song that was written by John Lennon called Jealous Guy. It must be wonderful to be given a musical talent such as this.

The Frog Song

2010-04-03T06:29:00.004-04:00

Last night I heard the sound of frogs chirping for the first time this year. I love to listen to them while I fall asleep. They can get quite loud at times and they seem to be the loudest before sunset. People either love the peeping or they hate it. Over the years I have welcomed the sound because its a sign of new life in the spring.

The type of frog that I hear at this time of year is the Spring Peeper. Click here to listen to a sample from www.naturesound.com. You can also hear other types of frogs on this site.

Homemade Foot Scrub

2010-04-02T15:44:00.006-04:00

Today is the first day that I have worn flip flops since last summer and I have noticed that my feet have been neglected over the winter. I came to the conclusion that I needed to exfoliate and moisturize them and I was thinking of trying a foot scrub made from brown sugar and olive oil. I took about 1/4 cup regular brown sugar that I use for baking and added an equal amount of olive oil. I then set up a basin with warm water and soaked my feet then applied the foot scrub. I massaged the scrub into my feet and I could instantly feel it moisturize my skin. This homemade treatment worked wonders and now my feet look and feel soft. I think next time I will add some lavender oil to it just to give it a nice calm, relaxing smell. Now I just have to pick out some pretty nail polish. I think a bright pink will do.

PS This scrub is great for men's feet too!

Easter Egg Hunting Tips

2010-03-28T11:21:00.003-04:00

Easter is fast approaching and I thought I would re-post my post on Easter Egg Hunting Tips from last year. I am excited that all of the snow has melted where I live and we will be able to have our Easter egg hunt outside this year.

Easter Egg Hunting Tips

Phantom Phone Call

2010-03-24T09:50:00.002-04:00

Have you ever had someone accidentally call you on their cell phone without knowing that they called you? My boss used to do this to me all of the time on my office phone. Somehow he would accidentally dial my number (I guess on speed dial) and my voicemail would pick it up but all I could hear was background noise like the radio in his car or his conversation with players on the golf course. He didn't realize that his phone didn't hang up so I would have several minutes of this background noise. Out of curiousity I would listen for a minute or so but I never heard anything interesting or funny. How embarassing it would be to have someone hear a conversation that you didn't want others to know about! Yesterday I was listening to the radio and someone actually called the radio station by accident and you could hear what was going on in the background. It sounded like a family trying to get ready in the morning. I definitely wouldn't want that heard on the radio!