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These are the 20 “silly” things that you should never do to your baby… Never!!

(1) Never let your baby play with balloons or plastic bags — they could be a choking hazard.

(2) Never put stuffed animals or dolls that hold cassette tapes near your baby when she sleeps because if the tape unwinds it could cause strangulation.

(3) Never let your baby snack on crackers or other bread products all day. These can maker her less interested in more nutritious foods and can fill her up.

(4) Never leave your baby with someone you don’t know.

(5) Never put magnets on the refrigerator door because these magnets can break and the small spieces can cause a choking hazard.

(6) Never put off decorating your nursery because you might not have time after the baby arrives.

(7) Never put solid foods, like cereal, in your baby’s bottle since it may pose a choking hazard and it also adds unnecessary calories.

(8) Never put clothes that has loose ties or strings on your baby because these could cause strangulation.

(9) Never put too many large toys in the playpen with an older baby who can pull herself up. She might use these to climb out.

(10) Never give your infant any small, hard foods, such as nuts, popcorn or raisins.

(11) Never heat bottles in the microwave because the milk could get too hot and burn your baby.

(12) Never keep loose objects in the back seat of the car when baby is in the car seat. If the car suddenly stops, the objects can fall on your baby.

(13) Never leave a baby alone in a parked car for any reason.

(14) Never leave your newborn baby with a toddler, even if they seem to be getting along. Toddlers may endanger the baby without even knowing it because they are sometimes unpredictable.

(15) Never leave plastic dry cleaner bags near the baby’s room because your baby can pull off pieces and choke on them.

(16) Never leave your baby alone, except in a crib.

(17) Never leave your child in the bathtub alone.

(18) Never leave your window screens open.

(19) Never let your baby sleep or nap with a bottle of juice or even milk. This may cause tooth decay.

(20) Never use pressure gates at the top of stairs because your baby could lean against it, push it over and go tumbling.

If you have loved this article, what out for my next issue titled: “DON’T Do This If You Have A Baby! Here Are 18 Practical Tips”. You’ll definitely like it!

Copyright 2006. Jonathan Teng

Grab your FREE 5 Day Baby Caring Secrets Mini Course and learn 100s of surefire Tips and Tricks about how to take care of your newborn baby from A to Z. Visit: Caring For Baby Secrets TODAY!

So you want to have an exciting baby shower? How many times have you been to a baby shower where the shower games made you feel foolish or were impossible to win? There are web sites you can go to and find the coolest baby shower games around; ones where you don’t have to have your photo taken wearing a humiliating baby bonnet nor do you have to make fifty words out of the word pacifier in one minute.

Good baby shower games aren’t hard to find and have progressed beyond the days of “guess how many diaper pins are in the jar”. If you can spend a little bit on it, there are sites where you can purchase baby shower kits, some of which include quite a few games for baby showers including Baby Bingo, a twist on the original game or Baby Trivia where guests compete to see who can correctly answer the most questions about babies. These kits usually include invitations you can print out along with other baby shower needs.

Many people use games that simply aren’t fun instead of games that will help guests who may have never met mingle like old friends. The coolest baby shower games for that purpose are ones that make people laugh. People tend to want a good chuckle while playing baby shower games along with more sophistication than in days of old.

Steer away from baby shower games that could embarrass your guests or that physically tax them leaving them too tired to give the mom to be that attention she deserves. To leave everyone thinking yours was the best baby shower ever, use the coolest baby shower games. That will be remembered long after they forget about that awful pink punch you served.

Kelly Jezek is a successful Webmaster and publisher of mybabyshowerhelper.com. She provides more helpful tips on finding the coolest baby shower games at her site. Visit my baby shower helper today!

Trying to think of a fun and unique baby shower gift basket idea for your friends baby shower? There are so many ideas out there and so many things you can do. The important thing is to think about the person you are giving the gift to and what she likes!

One really unique gift shower basket that you can make on your own easily is a gift card basket. Why a gift card you might ask? Well, often is the baby is the first born the parents to be have no idea of the things they need. They also will often get duplicates of gifts and then be forced to exchange and return gifts. Therefore a fun and unique idea is to assemble a gift basket of gift cards.

Flexibility

By giving a few different gift cards you are allowing for a great deal of flexibility. They will be able to go shopping at their own leisure after the baby is born. They are not locked into purchasing a certain item or being stuck with a gift they will not use. The gift card can be a practical and easy way to say to someone go out and get whatever it is you need.

For example with our first born we registered one series of baby bottles that we decided later did not work for us. However, we had tons of them since they were on our registry list many people were kind and got them for us. However, it was all wrong and we did not know until after our baby was born. We were then stuck exchanging the bottles and trying to find something from that store that would work for us using store credit. We then had to go to another store to actually purchase the bottles that we wanted.

By giving a gift card you allow the couple to be some flexibility in their shopping and they can find items that will work for them.

No Returns

With a gift card you can be sure that the parents to be will not have to go and return the item you gave them. This saves them a great deal of time and the big hassle of a return. It also eliminates the gift receipt and trying to hold on and track all of the receipts for the different gifts they were given.

Fill In the Gaps

Often after the baby shower is completely over and the baby has been born there are inevitable other things the couple will find they need. At this point it would be nice to have a gift card and be able to fill in the missing items they need without having to worry about money.

Time

By giving a baby shower gift card basket the couple can use the gift cards at a time that works best for them. This is often after the baby has been born and they can make a great first outing. They can also hold on to the card for longer and decide to use it whenever they want.

A Random Sampling

If you are putting together a gift card baby shower basket it is nice to get what I call a random sampling of gift cards. While this is really not a random process it helps make sense of the idea. In fact this is an exact science. You will want to get a variety of gift cards so they can be used at different times when needed. For example a gift card to any of the following places would be very useful

Bookstore - This card can be used to purchase a parenting book or even leisure reading book. Or it might be used to purchase some books for the baby like the “Baby Einstein” series.

Food To Go - This is one that is a real life saver. After the birth of your first child and after you have been waking up every three hours throughout the first few nights you will find that you are way to tired to cook food and are in no shape to go out and eat. This is where a gift card from a local restaurant that offer order to go can be a very useful and in fact lifesaving gift. They can simply phone in an order and then let mom go and pick it up while dad takes care of the baby for a little while. This allows mom a little outing and dad a chance to spend time with the newborn while also feeding their hungry stomachs.

Baby Store - This one is kind of obvious but providing a gift card to the local Babies R Us or other baby items store can be a real life saver also. It will help to purchase formula, diapers or items that find they need like a bottle warmer or a different stroller.

By collecting cards from a few different places and assembling them together in a fun gift basket you can give a very practical gift and one that is a lot of fun. Try giving a baby shower gift card basket at your next shower and watch as people faces light up! It is definitely a unique baby shower gift basket idea and a useful one to boot.

***Free 5 day Baby Shower Planning email course***.
Free bonus included just for signing up check it out now before the offer is gone. Also learn more about how to make baby shower gift baskets.

The guests come to a baby shower party to shower the yet-to-be-born-baby and the would-be-mother with love, affection, good wishes and gifts. In return, it’s only a nice gesture on the part of the host/s to offer some gifts to the guests as a token of appreciation of their attending the party and making it a joyous occasion. It could be a little tricky for the hosts to find out something really sweet and unique to give away as favors.

Chocolate candy is the first choice that comes to the mind when planning for baby shower favors. Few can resist the temptation of a scrumptious bar of chocolate. It’s the sweetest thing to give away to the guests to remember that the little one is on its way. Personalized delectable chocolate candy bars are also available in flavors like dark chocolate, white chocolate and milk chocolate. A range of designs and messages could make really special chocolate candy baby shower favor.

However, when it comes to design and different flavors candies come second to none. Sweet candies could be of different flavors: mint, strawberry, chocolate center, champagne and you can name it. Sweet candies could taste like Jordan almonds that are typically given away during many occasions. Sweet candies are as colorful as varying in taste.

Instead of handing out cigars at the end of the baby shower party, hand out candy canes from boxes that resemble cigar boxes can be a unique gift. Candy canes may be decorated with babies made of delicate icing. Sweet candies can be given away in baby bottles, small candy bags and pillow packs. The containers for the candies can be found in craft shops or the candies in the containers can be purchased directly.

Creativity in making chocolate candy shapes has resulted in chocolate candies in the shapes of teddy bear, baby bottles, cigars and sleeping baby etc. While sweet candy in cigar shape can cause some laughter among the guests, cigars made up of chocolate could lead them to believe those to be real cigars.

Thanking the guests politely at the end of the baby shower party with sweet and unique favors is the perfect way to end a baby shower party. When popped in to the mouth, each sweet candy would remind the guests that the little one is on its way. As the chocolate melts in the mouth, the message of the baby “Thank you for coming to the shower to be with my mother” would be remembered by the guests.

Natalie Aranda writes about family, love and relationship. Instead of handing out cigars at the end of the baby shower party, hand out candy canes from boxes that resemble cigar boxes can be a unique gift. Candy canes may be decorated with babies made of delicate icing.

Pregnancy is always an exciting time. You are busy thinking about a thousand things - what sex the baby will be, what name to choose, how to decorate the nursery, etc. But, many of your friends probably have one thing at the top of their priority list - your baby shower. Baby showers are a great time to get together with friends and celebrate the upcoming birth and all the excitement that goes with that.

When the appropriate time comes, you will probably be approached by at least one friend about a baby shower. This may be your best friend from high school or the girlfriend you ran around with while still single. You may even be approached by relatives who want to throw a shower for you. Some people have multiple baby showers - one thrown by family members, one thrown by friends and one thrown by coworkers. No matter who throws the shower for you, you will need to think about whom to put on the guest list. Chances are, your aunt, best friend or coworker are not going to know everyone you would like to invite, so she is going to need a little help from you.

First, you will need to decide if you think you are going to have more than one shower. If you hear rumors of a family shower, you probably do not want to invite family members to your “friends” shower. If you have coworkers that are also close friends, you do not want to invite them to your “friends” shower only to find out you are having a work related shower as well. So keep your ears open to try to find out as much as possible to avoid duplicate invitations. You can even ask people you are close to if you feel comfortable enough and explain to them why you are asking. It will not be the worst thing if Aunt Silvia has to tell you to hold off on inviting your best friend to the family shower “just because.”

Be sure to ask the shower host how many people can attend the shower. It may depend on where the shower is being held. Some people have their showers at their church so there is plenty of room and seating, but many people have them in their homes, so there may be a limited amount of space. You also do not want to overload your shower host’s budget. She may be thinking you will invite fifteen people and you do not want to show up with a list of a hundred people. Remember that the shower invitations, decorations, and refreshments are going to cost your host money and you want to be respectful of her generosity in offering to throw you a shower.

Once you have an idea of what type of baby showers you are going to have, then you need to sit down and write out a list. You may want to jot down names on a sheet of paper before you start looking up addresses. You may even want to ask some other people whom you should invite. With all you have going on, chances are you may forget someone, so it will be useful to have another person helping you. You do not want to hurt anyone’s feelings by unintentionally leaving them off the guest list.

After you get your list set, you will need to start gathering addresses. Actually giving your names and addresses to the host may best be done on the computer if you are comfortable using it. Many people already keep names and addresses in online address books, so giving your host your shower list may be as simple as printing the address list and checking the names of those you want to invite. If you do not have your addresses online, you can type them into a spreadsheet to give to your shower host. An online copy of addresses may come in handy depending on whether she is going to have addresses printed on envelopes, print address labels for the envelopes, or hand write the addresses on each envelope. No matter how she is going to do it, having a nice, clear copy of all names and addresses will be beneficial.

Finally, if you forget someone important on your list and feel badly about it, invite them out to a special one-on-one lunch with you. It will not be the same as being at the shower, but can help mend hurt feelings from being left out.

Have fun determining your baby shower list. Call a few of your closest friends, grab your old address books and have a good time reminiscing as you jot down names.

Jennifer Barnett is a successful party planner providing valuable tips and advice on planning a baby shower that is inexpensive, fun for the guests with baby shower games, and choosing the perfect baby shower gift. Her numerous articles offer moneysaving tips and valuable insight. Print her “Baby Shower Checklist” to help you plan and organize the upcoming event!

Verchaix is amongst the greatest mountain resorts for much merriment and repose. Verchaix is an awesome place which provides the family group rambling, sailing, horseback riding, events and so much more for the whole group to savour. As the snow begins to engulf the tree tops and summits, and the ponds start to ice over, Verchaix switches its look from autumn colours to glistening white. Verchaix bristles with winter fun ” sledding, snowshoeing and telemarking and is easily accessible with airport ski transfers.

Verchaix was called the no. 1 ski resort in the French Alps year after year by skiing publications and keen snowboarders. It raises a majestic 3500 metres into the air, it with 57 pistes, the best is 4.75 km. kilometers, and there are 625.5 acres of ski able ground. There are slopes for novices and reasonable skiers, and 43 slopes for expert skiers. Verchaix’s lifts can take 24000 holiday makers per hr therefore there is no wasting of time queuing to catch a lift. One is able to choose the bubble for a fine overall view of the mountain range and the surrounding ski resorts. And for the peckish holiday maker, there are many cafeterias that provide warming hot chocolate and stews, snacks or sit down lunches.

Our skin absorbs everything that we eat; it is the biggest organ in the human body, and it is thus necessarily linked to our other bodily systems. So what we eat has its effect on the skin, and there are plenty of natural organic foods that will improve the skin. Water OK, let’s get the anomalous classification out of the way first. Of course water isn’t a food, but it’s importance to the skin can’t really be ignored, and of course water is involved in food. One sure thing is that skin cells need hydration, and drinking plenty of water will keep the skin fresh and moist; a real fundamental, but a bonus. Green Tea Fine, this is a second anomaly, but it’s another great boost for the skin. Green Tea is famous for aiding digestion, but it has plenty of anti-inflammatory attributes, making it good for the skin; keeping inflammations down, the acne prone should drink Green Tea for a good bit of natural organic help. Salmon Brings all the necessary fish oils to your skin to keep it nice and oily, presenting it as healthy and nutritious. rich in Omega 6 and the more famous Omega 3, Salmon is one of the more nutritious of the great tasting and brilliantly good for you fish family. Berries Strawberries are particularly good for the skin, but so are blackberries, blueberries, and plums. Superb little antioxidants, berries help keep the skin smooth, soft and healthy. Yoghurt Packed with Vitamin A, which the skin needs, wants, and loves. Yoghurt is cheap, and can be used as a base for a number of tasty meals just by adding a few other ingredients. Works real wonders. Cottage Cheese Antioxidants galore, selenium, present in all cottages cheeses, is backed up by the obvious boon of high calcium, which strengths bones but also makes skin lovely and resilient. Avocado Brimming with essential oils and Vitamin B, it is tasty and a good accompaniment to lots of meals. You can also use it to make guacamole for a tasty dip. Good for red, dry, or blotchy skin, avocados are cheap, easy, and tasty. Mango One of the tastiest fruits, its great for the skin. What a boon! Good for invigorating the skin cells, it will make it look fresh and young, which is a real bonus. Almonds Another perfect accompaniment to a number of foods, including curries, pastas, salads, and bakes, almonds are packed with Vitamin E, keeping the skin looking great and healthy. These 9 foods are just an introduction, but they’re all a great start, and it shows the power of natural organic ingredients. So go eat!

Have you found yourself frustrated trying to decide what to buy for a baby shower gift? By the time you have spent energy, money and time buying and wrapping the “perfect” gift, you find that someone else had the same idea. This scenario is the same embarrassment that you felt in Jr. High School when some girl wore the identical dress for the Spring Dance. I can reassure you that help is on the way for those who don’t find gift shopping a thrill a minute.

FRUSTRATIONS:

You may go on-line or to a local department store and check the mother-to-be’s registry. Unfortunately, the registry isn’t always up to date. For example, my sister-in-law, who was properly registered, received three identical changer/playpens. You may take the chance that the registry is current and buy something with no guarantees.

Buying a cute card and wrapping paper is the next step. You might figure that you can make up for your uncertainity about the gift by wrapping it beautifully. But keep in mind that there will come a time when the expensive paper and gorgeous bow needs to come off. Will it be the gift you hoped it to be? There is a solution to all your frustration and worry.

The SOLUTION:

One sure way make a positive impression at a baby shower is to bring a gift that specifically improves the mother or baby’s quality of life. You will be one step ahead of everyone else because no one is thinking of this. For example, a soothing organic spray for episiotomy relief, or an organic bottom balm for diaper rash healing or perhaps a hard to find breastfeeding pillow might be the answer. Gift shopping can be a pleasure when you purchase a special, thoughtful gift which will thrill any mother-to-be

Julie L. Johnson is a wife and mother of three who has experienced every pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum and breastfeeding situation there is and has lived to tell about. She is a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator, Certified Doula and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant practicing in Southern California. Her website http://www.birth-angel.com provides services and products to help ease the transition into motherhood.

Before you go looking at baby cribs you should determine your budget. A good idea is to have a price range to work with. This will allow for more choices in the long run.

The main concern you should have whether you are buying a new crib or a used one. The crib must meet government standards. When you put the crib together be sure to so following the manufacturer’s directions exactly to ensure the greatest amount of safety for your child. It should also be used properly.

Safety concerns include the mattress. The mattress must be firm and tight fitting and there should be no missing or broken hardware. There should be no missing or loose slats. The slats should not be any more than 2 3/8 inches apart - about the width of a soda can. There should be no cutouts in the foot or headboards. If there are corner posts they should be no more than a sixteenth of an inch above the foot or head bar.

Drop sides on a crib is very convenient and is probably the most used feature on any crib. Fixed sides do not have the drop down feature and is great for tall people or those who will only be occasionally using the crib.
Most parents opt for a single drop down sided crib that allows them to easily lift baby out of the crib and to place him in the crib. This is especially convenient if your crib is placed against the wall. Double drop down sided cribs are a popular option among those parents who have room to place the crib so it’s not against the wall.

There are several ways in which drop sides can be lowered. There is the knee push lever and all you have to do is lean your knee against the crib side and it will drop. This is convenient if you have your baby in your arms.
The knee push sides may be the most common type available. Another common type is the foot bar. You balance on one foot and push the bar down with the other to lower the side. There is the double trigger drop mechanism. There are levers on both ends of the crib and you need both hands free to use them. You squeeze the triggers and then the side will drop. The problem with this type is that if you have the baby in your arms it will be next to impossible to operate.

The wheels on a crib are a great asset because it makes the crib easier to move to clean under or retrieve dropped toys as well as changing bedding. Make sure the casters are strong and turn easily. If you don’t think you will need them you can put them aside in case you change your mind.
There are adjustable mattress heights available on all cribs with the exception of the cheapest models of cribs. The three position option is available and is the wisest choice. Two height position are acceptable. Single height mattress is not a safe choice because as your child grows the mattress should be lowered to prevent him from climbing out of the crib or toppling out of the crib.

You should look at the mattress supports as well. Some have vinyl straps that could wear out and break others have metal bar supports which is a better option. The best option however is a metal spring system where the entire mattress is supported and is the most durable of the three options.

About the Author

Martin Smith is a successful freelance writer providing advice for consumers on purchasing a variety of
Baby Crib Bedding
and more! His numerous articles provide a wonderfully researched resource of interesting and relevant information.

If you are worried about selling your house at the present when UK property prices are falling, then stop thinking about it. A proper combination of energy and marketing strategy will provide you with customers in a short time. You can sell house by following certain key points.

Try not to appoint any estate agents in order to sell your house quickly. This would cost you an extra expense of a good percentage of the asking price. You can cut that amount from the sale price. You can do the same task by equipping yourself with certain sales guides.

Renovate your house in a new form by adding furniture, well built portals and windows in place of the damaged ones.

Maintain the garden in your house by inserting a few more plants, managing a proper shape in hedges and grasses and installing a new water device in the garden. Painting the walls of a house can provide a new approach.

Make sure that your home is fully up to date; A1 brokers are recommended for their value and service

The most important places in a home are the kitchen and bathroom. Provide additional features like added ventilation, repair the door knobs and lights and clean the bath-tub to speed the selling of your house.

The above mentioned small changes would enable you to gain viewers for the sale of property.

Use the advantages of print media to advertise the sale of your house. You can take the examples from advertisements by agents to a create successful sales pitch