 If you celebrate Christmas in your house and your children are super excited for Santa's arrival, you're going to love these websites: One will track Santa - in real time - as he makes his way south from the North Pole and around the world, another will enable you to take a photo of Santa placing presents under your Christmas tree in your living room, another will let you create a video of Santa talking about your child's status on his "Nice List," and the fourth website will send your little one (via your email address) a personalized email from Santa! Read more...
NoradSanta.org
Your children will be glued to this website on Christmas Eve as NORAD (yes, the North American Aerospace Defense Command) tracks Santa via radar and video "news" reports of Santa sightings. It's so well done that you'll be pulled in too and become just as excited as your children when Santa is nearing your area.
CaptureTheMagic.com
At CaptureTheMagic.com you can create "proof" that Santa was in your home! Their team of elves has made the process quick and easy -- simply upload a photo of your Christmas tree, select one of their Santas, and download the photo. At $9.95 it would make a sweet keepsake for your little one.
Family.Go.Com's Santa Nice List
I blogged about this website on Saturday but I thought it was worth mentioning again :) My niece's were thrilled when they saw they made Santa's "Nice List" and your little ones will be too.
 WriteToSantaClaus.com
Mailing letters to Santa is so 2007 :) This year, help your little one email Santa their wish list! You'll be happy to know Santa checks his email instantly so his response to your child's email arrives within moments. The website may not be the best but the email you receive will brighten everyone's day (and let you know if you need to run out to the mall again)!
Labels: Firsts, Freebies Deals and Sweepstakes, Fun Things To Do, Great Gift Ideas, Just for Fun, Video
 I love when Hanukkah and Christmas are so close together, don't you? Gideon and I are celebrating the holidays at my brother's house and, lucky us, they celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas. Since we only celebrate Christmas at home, I love that Gideon will learn about Hanukkah over the years. Tonight we'll light the first candles and my brother will recite the prayers in Hebrew. I know Gideon is way too young to know what's going on but maybe something will sink in :) I know I've learned a few things about Hanukkah including how much fun it can be for kids! They get a long vacation from school, their parents encourage you to eat doughnuts and chocolate coins, and there are a lot of fun things to do online! Read more...
Chabad.org
Visit Chabad.org to learn the story of Chanukah, sing songs, enjoy activities like building your own Menorah and playing games like I Shpy and Chanukah Connect the Dots!
Holidays.Kaboose.com/Chanukah
Learn why some people write Chanukah while others say Hanukkah, play with holiday word puzzles, print out Chanukah Coloring Books, and make fun and easy crafts like dreidel magnets and Egg Carton Menorahs!
Labels: Firsts, Freebies Deals and Sweepstakes, Fun Things To Do, Great Gift Ideas, Just for Fun
 Gideon and I have traveled south to Florida where most of my family will be celebrating the holidays. Spending time with my Mom, nieces, nephews, brothers, and sister-in-laws, is my favorite way to spend the holidays! It's always a treat coming down here because it's non-stop chaos when we all get-together. Fortunately, when it gets to be too much, my husband, Gideon and I can retreat to our room which, by the way, is about 100,000 times bigger than our apartment.  Before I even had our bags unpacked my brother showed me something that I HAVE to share with everyone: Family.go.com has created one of the coolest interactive tools I've seen in a long while. In less than a minute I was able to input Gideon's name and upload a photo to create a personalized video message to him from Santa! So, if you celebrate Christmas in your house, give your child a thrill by putting them on Santa's Nice List! Labels: Firsts, Great Gift Ideas, How To, Just for Fun, Traveling, Video
 We've all heard of Hello Kitty toasters, Hello Kitty watches and, I'll admit I own a Hello Kitty sandwich maker (every time I make a grilled cheese sandwich in it, I get giddy all over). But behold, there is yet another Hello Kitty-themed product and it's a doozy! The 30-bed Hau Sheng Maternity Hospital in Yuanlin in central Taiwan takes it to a whole new level.  Blankets, nightstands, examination rooms, linen, birth certificates, cots and staff uniforms are all designed with the Hello Kitty theme in mind. At the entrance there is even a Hello Kitty Statue dressed as a doctor - seriously cute - and the Hello Kitty elevator will take you to your destination. Read more...
Tsai Tsung-chi, director of the hospital gained permission from Sanrio to open up this unique and world's first Hello Kitty themed medical establishment. In a recent interview the director said, "I wish that everyone who comes here, mothers who suffer while giving birth and children who suffer from an illness, can get medical care while seeing these kitties and bring a smile to their faces, helping forget about discomfort and recover faster."
If you had a Hello Kitty themed hospital near you, would you go there? Me? I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I think I would.
Labels: Being Preggers, Delivery Details, Firsts, In the News, Just for Fun, New Mom Confessions
From the New York Times: Parents of newborn children sometimes notice an unusual phenomenon. Normal babies rarely close their eyes, except of course when sleeping. Read more...
Considering the world of visual stimuli to which infants are suddenly exposed, and the range of primitive reflexes they typically display - forcibly sucking on objects put in their mouths, grasping things put in their hands, and throwing out their arms when startled - frequent blinking may seem natural for an infant. But studies show that they blink spontaneously at a rate far below that of adults.
One study, published in The Annals of Neurology, measured spontaneous blinking in 269 children and 179 adults. They found that infants blink on average less than twice a minute, a rate that steadily increases up to the age of 14 or 15. Adults, on average, blink about 10 to 15 times a minute.
One theory is that infants, whose ability to see is incomplete, work hard to soak in visual information.
Blinking serves primarily to coat the eyes with tears and remove any dirt or debris from the surface of the cornea. So another theory is that infants, perhaps because their eyes are better protected by smaller openings or because they sleep so much, may require less eye lubrication.
THE BOTTOM LINE
For what seems to be a variety of reasons, babies tend to blink infrequently.
ANAHAD O'CONNOR - scitimes@nytimes.com Labels: In the News
Posted by JeanneSager of Babble: Cervical mucus tests skeev you out? Me too. Don't worry, BabyCenterhas stepped in to take the eww out of baby-making with ovulation text alerts sent straight to your cell phone. The Booty Caller will send three messages your way every month to let you know when it's time to get a little... and when it's not. Read more...
The service is free (your wireless company's standard texting fees
still apply), sponsored by First Response (who, wouldn't you know,
make ovulation and pregnancy tests). BabyCenter's building off survey
estimates that 19.3 million moms text as it makes the bid for a few
more of their mobile minutes.
As one of those one-and-done Moms, I've got to say I can see the booty
caller becoming Dad's worst enemy. Sorry honey - checked with my
phone, and I'm too fertile for words. On the other hand, they do say
you can enter his cell phone number into the mix too - so at least he
can be prepared to be jumped when he walks in the door.
At the very least, it's cheaper than calling the psychic hotline again
to find out when you're finally going to get that second baby.Labels: Becoming Preggers
 I'll admit it: I'm a shower stealer. If I'm out of shampoo, I'll use my husband's. My razor has dulled? I'll "borrow" his. But, now, I've sunk to all-time low: I'm stealing from my baby. I love all of the Johnson's bath and body products, but I've found that I use the Head-To-Toe Body Wash and Bedtime Moisture Wash on me more than my son! They are ultra-mild cleansers that sud beautifully and smell amazing. Like my baby. Is that wrong? Have you commandeered any of your child's products? It's OK, I won't judge :) Labels: New Mom Confessions, Products I Love or Loathe
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* Groovy Interlocking Plate and Bowl Set
* Groovy Interlocking Plate and Bowl Set
