BRUSH, BRUSH, BRUSH THOSE TEETH!

...on our next visits, we asked more questions and got more information on ways to care for our childrens' teeth. Here are some of the helpful tips we've learned. I've included their phone number and information below and also a link to a great resource on teeth.

1) Sippy cups should only be used for water. Using them for milk is like coating your child's teeth with milk all day, rinsing of teeth should be done with water only.

2) Use of a sippy cup all day with milk or juice in it can lead to cavaties. The liquid, sugars, etc. sit on the teeth all day and eat them. The darkish spots on your child's teeth you may see are where potential cavaties will be and this is caused by the daily sipping.

3) If possible stay away from sticky treats. Almost impossible to do in this day and age, but the fruit bars and snacks and peanut butter love to sit on the teeth and eat away. So, if your children are having them, brush afterwards or get your child to drink water to swoosh it away.

4) SO IMPORTANT to start brushing teeth when they first appear, and go for at least 2 times per day, the night one being the most important!

Click the link below to get tips on brushing and some great information.

Great Teeth Resource - Kid Smile

Pediatric Dental Clinic
604-946-8975

There are many locations, just call and ask for the one closest to you.

AND KEEP BRUSHING

NURSING STRIKE

...expressing and bottle your milk because you may not be nursing again and may get engorged because of the sudden stop. However, according to Jack Newman in his "Guide To Breastfeeeding" babies may go back to nursing after a few days, in a few weeks, or never.

This new phase in development, while sudden, has given me both ups and downs. I don't have my little baby boy attached to me any longer, but I have more freedom and he is completely enjoying his time with his big brother without having to stop to nurse.

A few things to watch for according to public health:

Dehydration: make sure your baby is getting plenty of fluids and is having regular diapers. If not, contact public health
Teething: the nursing strike could be occurring because of teething (in my case, quite possible), watch for fevers, rashes, etc. Also contact public health for information on what you can do to lessen any painful areas.

If you need additional support for breasfeeding, an excellent source is Guide to Breastfeeding by Jack Newman (there are several versions available). This book can be found in most book stores or on-line of course. As well, go to Newman articles to print off some great articles on breastfeeding topics. Good luck! Call the BCNurseLine at 604-215-4700 for additional information or check out the BCHealth Guide

SENSATIONAL SUPPERS

...sold. I checked out the website first, of course, before committing. I'm pretty conscience of food, buying, preparing, etc. and I like to save money and cook, but being a parent of two gets a bit harry around the witching hour (4:30-5:00pm), so this might be a solution afterall. I signed up and carpooled down to West 4th. Cooler in one hand to store the meals and a Starbucks in the other. Myself and 15 other Moms descended upon Sensational Suppers. What a riot! Basically, the ingredients are laid out for you, the recipe is in front of you, the portions are measured and you put it into either a ziploc for freezing or a tin foil container depending on the item. Each meal feeds 4-6people, so you can split the mean into 2 or have leftovers and each meal also comes with either a rice, a pasta, or vegetables. It's brilliant, absolutely brilliant. Once you get home, you freeze the meals with the cooking instructions (very simply laid out for you) and you're off to the races. No prep, no mess, no eating out the same foods each week (you know the typical - "what do you want to order hon?" "sushi, chinese, or indian?" always the same. Anyways, the last two weeks I've experienced some tastes I've never had and my husband is up next to go, he's planning a night out with the boys. Best of all, you can bring your own beer and/or wine to drink and they have very lovely massage chairs, coffee, tea and water. SO, check them out and I'll keep you posted what night my husband will be going. Bon appetite!

Visit us online at:
Sensational Suppers

FIRE SAFETY (Written by Michelle)

...check the batteries in your smoke detectors 2-4 times a year. Most people do it when we "Spring Ahead" in the Spring and "Fall Back" in the Fall. Firehalls, however, do recommend 2 additional checks during the year as it is difficult to predict the energy left in a battery. Our family knew about the 2 times a year and always check, but we are now putting 2 addition check times on our calendar!
And everyone should know by now that you're supposed to have a smoke detector on each floor of your house in order for the smoke detector closest to the fire to detect the smoke first. This way your entire house isn't engulfed in flames when the one and only smoke detector furthest from the fire finally gets a whiff of smoke!
So that's all good, because we all know that smoke detectors with dead batteries are the same thing as no smoke detector at all and every year we hear about tragedies in our own communities and around the world from cases where there is no smoke detector or one with dead batteries.
What our family didn't know is that you are supposed to change THE ENTIRE SMOKE DETECTOR EVERY 10 YEARS. Apparently, that is the "shelf-life" on these things and after 10 years the entire smoke detector is no longer 100% reliable. When we moved into our house 7 years ago we changed 2 of the detectors because we didn't like how the old ones looked - we had no idea that we should have changed all 3 of the detectors to ensure the SAFETY of my husband, me and our 2 cats!
Needless to say we have bought a third one to exchange for the final oldy. We have marked the year we replaced them and the year when they will need to be replaced again on the inside of the battery cover so that it can be checked every time we check and change the batteries.
Canadian Tire carries a very kid-friendly smoke detector that features "Sparky the fire dog". It features a 6 hour night-time glow and comes complete with the battery, 5-year warrenty and safety tips for the kids. It is recommended to be PLACED IN YOUR CHILD'S BEDROOM. Sometimes they do not have them stocked on the shelf, but the Fireman who told me about them said to just ask if they have any in the back.
We found all this great information out at a Firehall open house in our community. My little guy is firetruck obsessed so we thought we would go for a photo-op. We were thrilled to come away with such great, potentially life-saving information as well!

SAFETY PLUGS

To order: email: Love Bug

BEEF FAJITAS

Beef Fajitas

6 steaks. They do not need to be expensive cuts.
2 packets of Taco Seasoning
1 tbsp White Vinegar
1 small tin of green chilies
1 medium onion chopped

Coat steaks in taco seasoning and pop into a crock pot.
Pour excess seasoning into pot.
Add vinegar, onion and chilies.

Cook on high for 5-6 hours.

Serve with tortillas, sour cream, salsa, chopped tomatoes and cheese.

YUMMY! Submitted by Ellen
http://www.lipstickpowdernpaint.blogspot.com/

TORTILLINI SPINACH SOUP ****

ONE-POT DISH

LARGE SOUP POT ADD IN:
6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
3 cloves garlic minced
1 can bean/pean of choice (white, navy, chick, etc)
6 sun-dried tomatoes minced or chopped
1 large package cheese or beef tortillini (not cooked)
2 cups spinach (add after torillini is cooked)
pepper/salt to taste
sprinkle with parmesan or mozza cheese and serve

1/2 hour tops to prepare
Great for left-overs too