Text4Baby Offers Health Information to Expectant Mothers

May 14, 2012 by 4 Comments

Another Mother’s Day is nearly upon us, and what most new mothers (or mothers-
to-be) could use more than flowers, cards, and even jewelry is the helpful information
provided by the Text4Baby program (okay, go ahead and throw in the jewelry if you
must). In truth, this program is 100% free for anyone with a cell phone; provided you
have coverage with one of the 18 carriers listed on the website, the text messages they
send you will not count against your plan limits. But what is this program and what can it
do for expectant moms?

If knowledge is power, then this program can give pregnant women the diadem
and scepter of parenthood. Every mother’s fondest wish is that her child be healthy
and happy, and by providing you with frequent and targeted health updates, advice,
and reminders (sent to your mobile phone), this program will help you to make the
choices that are best for your health and that of your unborn child. It was developed
in conjunction with Johnson & Johnson (a founding sponsor), the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, or CDC (which provided pertinent information for updates), and
CTIA – The Wireless Foundation, a nonprofit organization acting on behalf of members
in the wireless community (bringing technology to the table). And with these strange
bedfellows working in concert, a program was created to bring important knowledge to
moms that could use a little help on the health front.


The program works quite simply by sending out text messages containing helpful
health information to expectant and new mothers. All you need is a phone that can
receive text messages to get started and you can sign up via the Text4Baby website or
by texting BABY (or BEBE, para [Read more…]

Filed Under: baby, family, health

Enjoy Every Moment At #VirginiaBeach

May 10, 2012 by 5 Comments

What family can’t use a little more together time? This time of the year, everyone is thinking about travel, and one of the coolest places to be is Virginia Beach. Virginia Beach is a fun place to be for the whole family- close, exciting, and won’t cost you an arm and a leg to spend some time on a family-friendly beach.
There are so many things to do in Virginia Beach that your time will just fly by, leaving you wishing for “just one more day” of vacation.

There is a wonderful aquarium with a great Imax theater, the Virgina Aquarium and Marine Science Center. There are several shows available daily, including “Born To Be Wild” (which just sounds adorable). Coming up shortly is the “Sensible Seafood Fest”., which begins Thursday, May 24th 6-9PM. There you can sample food and wine from local vendors and learn about sensible seafood. Fun and environmentally friendly!

On a sunny day, you know you want to hit the beach, the pool, and all things water-related. Virginia beach has amazing water activities available, like sailing, fishing, and of course- Pirate Adventures! Yes, you read that right. Your kids will love Captain Jack’s Pirate Ship Adventures, where they will hop aboard and search the high seas for treasures.

Better not miss [Read more…]

Filed Under: family, travel

Teaching Kids How to Respond to Medical Emergencies

May 8, 2012 by 7 Comments

When we have children, it’s our responsibility to mentor and mold them—to teach them all of the things
that they need to know to thrive as adolescents and young adults. In the midst of teaching them about
manners, hygiene and life values, sometimes other things are inadvertently overlooked; things that are just
as important, like how to respond to medical emergencies.

If this is not something that you’ve given a lot of thought to, but you know that it’s vital to your child’s
personal development, here are three things to teach them about what to do should an unfortunate
circumstance like a medical emergency present itself.

Teach them some important phone numbers. Every day, the news features heart-wrenching stories of
children that witnessed a parent, grandparent or babysitter that was hurt in the home, but they didn’t know
what to do. Depending upon the age of the child and the situation at hand, their ability to assist may be
limited, but they can always call someone. Make sure they know how to dial 9-1-1, along with a couple
of other numbers, including a neighbor and your cell number if you happen to be away at the time. In this
cell phone age, a lot of people do not have home phones. However, if you have a child living with you,
[Read more…]

Filed Under: education, family, health, kids

7 Tips to Prepare Your Family for International Travel

May 6, 2012 by 12 Comments
Travelling the world isn’t just an activity for single people, or for those without kids. There’s no reason that you can’t take your family with you to London, for example, or still have a wonderful time in Paris with three kids in tow. Travelling internationally will be a memory that lasts them for a lifetime, and one that you’ll want to share.Yet, travelling as a family is different in many ways than travelling alone, or without kids. In addition to the normal types of preparation, there are some things you need to do to get ready for a family jaunt across the ocean, including:

  1. Get your passports. You might not realize it, but it can take quite a while to get a passport today. While the stated wait time is six to eight weeks, it can arrive much sooner. Still, if you’re going to be travelling in the next two months, you’ll want to consider getting an expedited passport. It will cost more, but you can get your passport in less than a week using expedited service. (Sometimes, you can even have it in hand in just a couple of days).
  2. Get your vaccinations. When you’re traveling overseas, you’re going to be exposed to a number of different types of illnesses, viruses, germs, and more. You’ll want to make sure you have both yourself and your children in for a well visit to your doctor within about two months of departure. You’ll need to make sure you get the recommended immunizations. Your doctor should have access to a list of which immunizations are recommended for which overseas destinations.
  3. Talk to your kids about cultural differences. If you’re travelling to Sydney, things might not seem all that different to [Read more…]
Filed Under: family, travel

Budget Travel is picking the cutest zoo babies in America

May 4, 2012 by 9 Comments

It’s that time of year again—spring has sprung, and zoos around the country are celebrating a baby boom! One of the annual traditions at Budget Travel is picking the cutest zoo babies in America, and it’s no easy task. We couldn’t choose between these three adorable newborns. So please help determine a winner and Vote Now for 2012’s Cutest Zoo Baby!!

Take a look at the 35 Cutest Zoo Babies of 2012. They were all born within the [Read more…]

Filed Under: animals, family

Bronx Zoo Animal Tales Extravaganza

May 2, 2012 by 7 Comments
Animal Tales Extravaganza returns to the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo for the third year, on weekends from Saturday, April 21 through Sunday, June 30. And Animal Tales Extravaganza is included with your zoo admission!
Each weekend of Animal Tales Extravaganza includes an array of activities for families and children. The zoo’s Dancing Crane Pavilion will be transformed into an intimate story time corner, presented by Plum Organics. Zoo-goers can take a break and read from a wide variety of animal-themed books from Simon & Schuster, Candlewick Press, and Hyperion. Children can then stage their own animal tale with a puppet they create at the Bright Horizons Early Education & Preschools crafts area.

In addition, this year features a special production – Avenue ZOO – featuring a guest appearance by Kate Monster, the beloved puppet star of the Tony Award-winning musical AVENUE Q.
Running each weekend on the zoo’s Asia Plaza Stage, Avenue ZOO highlights the importance of wildlife conservation in a fun, entertaining way. It is a musical tale in which Kate Monster meets exotic animals and discovers that though they may seem strange and different, they are not as scary as she thought. Avenue ZOO performances will be at 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. each weekend from Saturday, April 21 through Sunday, Sept. 9.
Also, the main stage has something for everyone throughout the spring season. Highlights of this season’s main stage entertainment include:

Filed Under: family, kids

Phineas and Ferb: The Best Live Show Ever

April 30, 2012 by 8 Comments

Disney’s new Phineas and Ferb, The Best Live Show Ever was a fun, lively experience for the entire audience. The ages in the audience ranged from the very small to tweens (and of course their parents), and focused on the brothers’ adventures with friends trying to experience every drop of summer. On the last day of summer vacation, Phineas and Ferb find themselves in front of a live audience, and slide down from the TV screen (where you can watch them daily) onto the stage.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: entertainment, family, kids, review, theater

Avengers At the Bronx Zoo!

April 28, 2012 by 7 Comments

The Bronx Zoo will be the only place in the US that will have the 4 costumed characters appearing from the new film Avengers Assemble prior to the film release of Avengers Assemble (Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and the HULK)!

Filed Under: family, kids