Get Brushing with Orajel - a Review

If your kids are anything like mine, you have a hard time getting them to brush their teeth.  They either teeter from wanting to squeeze the toothpaste all the time to not wanting to brush at all.  As moms we struggle to make brushing fun and yet get the job done as painlessly as possible. 

Orajel^® Toddler My Way!™ Girls Fluoride-Free Toothpaste is a great way to put the fun back into the brushing routine.  It comes with over 100 stickers so kids can decorate their toothpaste however they want. The toothpaste is non abrasive and safe if swallowed.  It helps to remove plaque when brushing and helps to promote good oral hygiene at an early age.  SRP:  $3.79

Soothing Teething with Orajel - Review

While you all know that my children are long past the days of teething, I can honestly say when they were babes Orajel was my go to product to soothe their pain.  I liked that Orajel gave them fast pain relief without having to dose them with tylenol or advil constantly.  Orajel has come out with two great products.

Our First IEP Meeting

If you don't know what that means, don't worry neither did we until we discovered our daughter has multiple learning disabilities.

IEP = Individualized Education Plan

When E's learning support teacher suggested the meeting, I have to admit I was little nervous.  Mainly because at our autism parent support group they were less than encouraging about IEPs and most parents complained how difficult and frustrating they were.

It just goes to show how blessed we are and how far we have come with E this past year that our meeting went extremely well and only took half an hour.  We are so lucky to be at this school with these educators who just love our child for who she is.

What gets me is that they were full of praise for us, her parents.

Her teacher in particular went on how encouraging and inspiring it was to see parents put their child's education in the forefront and how we made her a priority.  They were just so amazed.

Really?  Cause to us it's like DUH!  Of course, we take her education seriously.  Of course, we sacrificed all year so we could get her the help she needed.  And you know what, our faithfulness was rewarded.  She's doing amazingly well.  Why wouldn't we do that for our child?  Who wouldn't do that for their child?

Apparently as educators they see a lot of parents not putting the effort in for their children and that just makes me sad.

How about you?  Wouldn't you do everything you could to help your child?

Zeemaid

Life is A Special Occasion with Hallmark

My most recent shipment from Hallmark is here and as usual my bag was full of delightful and fun gifts. June is the season for Grads, babies and weddings and Hallmark is the perfect choice for fun gift ideas.

One gift I appreciated when I was married was a beautiful album for my wedding photos.  Hallmark's Fabric Album Collection is romantic and luxurious featuring rich fabrics, embellishments and embroidery. The album in the photo is the Embroideried Large Post Bound which includes eight black magnetic photo pages deisigned end liners and a dediction page for wedding memories.  Need more photo pages?  It's simple to add more.  Of course the photo cannot do this album justice.  MSRP:  $59.99

Also in the photo is an adorable Lovebirds Salt and Pepper Set.  These two ceramic birds and a ceramic nest stand with glossy glaze are perfect for the newlywed's table.  MSRP: $19.99  

These are just a few of Hallmark's wedding gift ideas.  They also have his and hers travelling mug sets, wine glasses and his and hers aprons to name a few. 

My own nephew is graduating this year.  (How the time flies)  If you're like me, you're stumped at what to get the grad in your life. Why not a 2012 Photo Album to help them record the memories. MSRP: $9.95 with any $10.00 purchase of cards or gift wrap.  Regularly $14.95.  

Plus these 2012 flip flops are bright, colourful and a fun gift for any grad and are suitable for both the guys and the gals.  MSRP $14.95. 

Know someone who is turning one?  The "My First Birthday" cupcake is cuddly and plush and plays a festive Happy Birthday tune.  My kids were all delighted with it and they are way past one. ;) MSRP $23.99.   

Families getting ready for a new addition to the family with love the "What's that in Mommy's Tummy", a recordable storybook.  This story helps to answer soon-to-be older siblings' questions as they wait for the new baby to arrive.  Each page features one or two open-ended questions that a parent can ask their child to answer.  Play back the records with the push of a button.  


And, of course, it wouldn't be complete without some beautiful designs from Hallmark's Signature Greeting Card Collection.  These cards are stunning and perfect for any occasion.  Be sure to check out Hallmark.ca for more gift ideas. 


Well, I'm pretty covered for any special occasions this summer thanks to Hallmark.  How about you?  Any weddings or new arrivals on the way? 


Zeemaid

Mom of the Year Twitter Party

This year, Walmart is launching the Mom of the Year Award to celebrate all that Mom does and help recognize the huge contribution moms make as role models and integral members of the family and community. To rev up the award nominations of this exciting program, and to help drum up some excitement, Mom Central is hosting a Twitter Party!

We’ll be chatting about an array of topics during this fun-filled hour. Come tell us about your mothering style and share what you feel are the best rewards and the biggest challenges of being “Mommy”.  Plus, you’ll be given the opportunity to brag about the things that your little ones - or big ones - do that make you proud! So, whether you think you might be deserving of Mom of the Year, or you know a special lady who is, come join the conversation and take a moment to recognize all that we do as Mom!

PLUS, you’ll have a chance to win one of six Walmart gift cards valued at $100 each!  So tune in this Wednesday, June 20th at 8:30pm ET.  See you there!

Zeemaid

Group Support for Parents

We attended our first support group for parents of autistic children.  At first it felt a little odd for us to be there since we don't have an actual diagnosis. We suspect, and her health providers suspect, that she has aspergers at the very least but no official diagnosis.

However, like they said "no one was checking our credentials" at the door. What we found was a group of people that were incredibly welcoming and offered their help and support however they can give it.

It was refreshing to hear them talk about their children and how they initially fought the diagnosis and shared annoying things that well meaning people would say.  It made me feel not so guilty about not wanting to accept what the doctors were saying. One of the main reasons I haven't blogged very much about this whole process is I've been afraid of offending those moms out there who are living with special needs already. 

So it was freeing to listen to one mom say that she disagreed so much with the diagnosis she took her child to someone else for assessment.  She got me when I said we were so desperate for her to just be "normal" that the psychologist had to point out to us:  "you're going to talk yourself out of a diagnosis and help for your child".

The down side is we got to listen to how difficult it is to be in the school system with a special needs child despite having funding and how long it takes to get diagnosis.

Still we came away with some resources to look into for help with E and an email address of a mom whose child has written output disorder like E.  So it was a positive experience and we will definitely be going back next month.

This was big for me because I'm primarily a somewhat reserved person and find it difficult to project myself into new situations.  If hubs hadn't been pushing me, I probably would never have gone.  I'm glad I did.

Would you go to a support group?

Zeemaid