Will the Snow Days Every Stop?

With most of the country still under snow and schools being called off everywhere, we thought we'd give you an activity to keep everyone busy...and happy... this afternoon.

When we're cooped up, we love to do something out of the ordinary to make the snow day special. Even though it's not the time of year to color eggs and even if you don't celebrate Easter, this is a fun activity you can do to brighten up the boredom blues.

Colored Eggs

Materials

Coffee mugs or bowls, one for each color (We like styrofoam bowls for easy clean up.)

Water

White vinegar

Hardboiled eggs

Spoons

Measuring cup

Measuring spoon

Empty paper towel roll, if you have one

Newspapers

Crayons, rubber bands, stickers permanent markers, embellishments, glue (Optional)

1. Lay out the newspaper and place the bowls on top.
2. Fill each bowl with 2/3 cup of water, 1 teaspoon vinegar, and food coloring until you've achieved the color you want.
3. Cut the paper towel roll into 1" circles. Set the eggs in these to dry.
4. Place the eggs in the bowls and use the spoons to turn the egg. If you want, draw on the eggs with crayon, wrap with rubber bands or put stickers on the egg before dyeing them. Remove the rubber bands or stickers when the egg is dry.
5. After coloring the eggs, add other embellishments if desired.

Make deviled egg sailboats for lunch.

1. Peel the eggs and cut in half.
2. Scoop out the egg yolk and mix with mayo, mustard, relish, or any ingredients you use to make deviled eggs.
3. Cut a thin slice of egg white off the bottom so the "boats" will sit flat.
4. Put the yolk mixture back into the egg whites.
5. Cut a small triangle out of American cheese or peppers and weave it onto a toothpick for the sail. Stick the toothpick into the deviled egg.

Will the Snow Days Every Stop?

A Great Homemade Gift for Kids

I always love to give a gift to children that doesn't require batteries, provides opportunities for parents to spend with their children in addition to allowing kids time to be creative. This holiday I decided to make a boredom box for some of our smaller relatives that will provide days of fun.

I purchased a plastic storage box from Wal Mart that could hold all of the materials. Included in the box was: play dough, Oobleck, shaving cream art, drawing dough, slime, white mud, and weaving. All of the materials, except the small paints and shaving cream, were dry ingredients that would require a little help from a parent. The directions for each activity was listed on the sticker. I know the box was a hit with my kids because they asked me to make them one.

to reproduce this gift, visit our website, click here, on Monday. We will have the stickers and directions available for downloading

For birthdays, the holidays or any other time, a boredom box is the perfect gift.

Painting on an Unusual Canvas

Our Christmas countdown continues and today Peyton will demonstrate how to create a painted scene on a window.

Find a Little Time for Snuggling This Season

I love reading with my kids, especially in the winter. We cozy up on the couch or in bed with blankets, snuggle close together and share a story. This time of year, many of our book selections are about the holidays. It gives us the opportunity to share our thoughts, traditions and meaning of Christmas.

Below are a list books recommended by Alison Mc Donald at No Time For Flashcards. Her recommendations are always fantastic and sure to be a hit with your kids. Check out her creative crafts, too.

Bring out the blanket, make a cup of hot cocoa and enjoy a holiday book with your special little child before the holidays slip away.

The Twelve Days of Christmas by Jan Brett

It’s Christmas by Tina Burke

Ho, Ho, Ho, Tucker! by Leslie McGuirk

Albert’s Christmas by Leslie Tryon

It's Snowing!

I went to a friend's house yesterday and thought I had walked into a snowstorm! She had watched our video on how to make simple snowflakes and decided to make them with her seven year old daughter. My friend told me that she had made these as a child and had forgotten all about the craft. Now her seven year old can't get enough of them. Their entry way and living room ceilings are filled with snowflakes and there are strips of tape nearby waiting to hang more. Thanks for sharing this, Lisa!

Simple Paper Snowflakes

Add a Soldier to Your Holiday Card List

The holidays are such a busy time that we sometimes forget that there are many men and women serving our country in less than festive environments. They are far from their families and often enjoy the holiday season through their memories of traditions celebrated in years gone by. Your family can share your holiday spirit with a service person thousands of miles away by writing a simple letter. It only takes your thoughts and a 44 cent stamp.

Servicemen and women are stationed around the world in combat and non-combat situations and they all enjoy being remembered. There are two sites I like to use when my children write to service personnel. The first is through the USO (www.action.uso.org/action/sem-thank-you?sc=OM-gadw-p_Support-search_ThankyouLetter). This site allows you to simply send a general email to a service person, thanking them for their efforts.

If you would like to write a more personal letter or send a care package, using Any Soldier (www.anysoldier.com), is a great site to use. This is a non profit website and does ask for donations however, they are not required. Any Soldier allows you to select a military branch as well as request an address for a soldier serving around the world. The site offers a multitude of information about contacting soldiers and will answer any questions you may have. To send a holiday message, you will want to start this project right away because the mail can take a while to reach the service person.

Soldiers sometimes reply to letters they receive, depending upon where they are stationed. The children at our church sent letters and received handwritten replies from some soldiers they contacted. One soldier who responded was a mother, serving in Iraq, thousands of miles from her children. The children were thrilled to receive a reply, especially from Iraq, but, it was the mothers in the group who were moved to tears of gratitude for her sacrifice of service.

It doesn't take much to write a note of thanks to a brave soldier who voluntarily enlists in our country's military. We are blessed by their service which allows us the freedoms we enjoy this holiday season and everyday.

Send Your Letter to Santa

Now that you've decorated your stationery, it's time to write your letter to Santa. Your toddlers can dictate their letter to you. Your preschooler and early elementary kids may want to give it a try on their own, but be sure to "translate" it when they aren't watching. Let your older kids write their letter on their own; you'll be surprised by what they say.

Here are some great websites to receive replies from Santa...

Email Santa This is a free site that allows kids to email Santa and receive an immediate reply. There are also some additional fun activities that your child can customize for him/herself.

Free Letters From Santa This free site allows you to customize a letter for your child then print it or have it emailed. the letters are cute and simple.

Santa Claus House This is the original Santa letter begun in 1952. Santa's reply comes in the mail, is postmarked North Pole, Alaska and has other trinkets from Santa for a small fee . There are several ways to customize your child's letter on the site. Your letter needs to be sent by December 10th to receive a reply in time for Christmas.

Letters by Santa This is another site that offers a Santa reply and for a short time, includes Santa phone calls.You can include information that will customize the letter for your child.

You can always write your own letter from Santa or have a friend do it for you so your kids don't recognize your writing. These sites can give you cute ideas to include in your notes. Make sure that if you "send" letter to Santa that you keep the original. As a mom with older children it's always fun to look at their letters from years past.

Enjoy keeping the magic of the season alive by corresponding with Santa.

Stationery for Santa

In our house if you don't believe, you don't receive. So if you are 3 or 30, this "Santa" needs a wish list ASAP which is why it is the first activity in our stocking on the countdown tree.

To start, we gather some art supplies we have around the house and sit down together for a 30 minute creative session to make stationery for Santa's letter. There is only one way to make the stationery and that's your child's way. You can give them a few ideas, but they will most likely know exactly what they want to do. Making your own stationery with them will also give them ideas without telling them what to do.

If your child is too little to create a letter for Santa, a hand or foot print is always a wonderful reminder of the holidays. Gather a sponge, paint, tap, heavy piece of cardboard, paper, paper plate, and baby wipes. Tape the paper on the cardboard and squeeze some paint on the paper plate. It's easiest to make the print while your little one is in their car seat as it is a familiar place. Sponge paint their hand or foot and place it on the paper. Wipe their hand or foot with the baby wipes.

The toddler or preschooler just like to stick stuff on

things. Lay out several cut up pieces of construction paper, wrapping paper, holiday stickers, stamps and stamp pads. Give them a piece of paper and glue stick and let them go for it. You can write on the back or make it a folded card.

Want something a little more challenging? Draw a box in the center of the paper leaving a border that your child can decorate with crayons,markers, stickers, stamps, glitter, etc. If your little artist gets overly creative and decorates inside the box, don't worry. Write on the back or glue another piece of paper in the center of the paper.

Up for a little bigger challenge for your older kids? Honestly, it's not that hard so you may want to keep reading. Try some stencil sponge painting. Use a file folder or index card and cut out a simple stencil like those in the picture.

Tape the pencil on a piece of paper. Use a small piece of a moist kitchen sponge and dip it lightly in paint then dab it inside the stencil. Remove the stencil and let dry. Your child can decorate the painting with stickers, paper, ribbons, markers, glitter and much more.

Your child may only take 5 minutes or 1 hour to create their stationery. When the decorating is done, be sure to write the date on the card and set it aside until you're ready to write the note to Santa.

Have fun with this project!

Creating Family Traditions

I love the holidays! You can stop grumbling at me now because it's not the shopping, decorating, cooking, cards and everything that goes along with the holidays that I love. My favorite part of the holidays are our family traditions and how my children talk about them.

Even though we've lived in many different states, our traditions have stayed the same and the kids talk about them with a fondness in anticipation of the holidays. To me, this is the most heartwarming part of the holidays because there are many holiday traditions from my

childhood that I will always treasure. I remember how my mother always decorated the tree,

the homemade pajamas and a book we received every year, Christmas Eve with 60 of my relatives, dinner with my grandparents whom I loved dearly and many more. What I don't remember are the gifts that I thought were so important at the time but now, are meaningless.

If your children are young or old, you can always create family memories. Over the next several weeks, I will be sharing several ideas you may want to add to your holiday celebration. Please share your ideas so we can learn from each other.

Our kitchen is decorated as a kid-friendly space and our advent tree is the highlight for the kids. We have a small artificial tree that the children decorate with old Mardi Gras beads, lights, small stockings and homemade ornaments.

At the beginning of the season we hang 24 stockings on the tree. In each stocking is an activity for holidays. Each idea gives children a simple fun activity to do with you or for someone else.

The stockings are simple pieces of felt glued or sewn together. You can embellish them anyway you would like or not at all. Each stocking is labeled from 1-24.

On December 1st, the first stocking is "opened" to discover the holiday activity for the day. The stocking is replaced by a simple, kid-friendly ornament the kids have made or been given.

The following are some ideas that I include in the stockings.

1. Decorate stationery to write your letter to Santa

2. Write your letter to Santa

3. Bring cookies to a fire station and thank the firemen and women for all they do.

4. Paint a winter snow scene on a window in your house.

5. Make snowflakes.

6. Write a letter to a soldier overseas.

7. Bring a neighbor some cookies.

8. Make a Christmas ornament.

9. Read a story about Christmas.

10. Tell someone about your favorite holiday tradition.

11. Make a present for your mom.

12. Sell hot chocolate and donate the money to a cause.

13. Make a present for your dad.

14. Be extra helpful to your teacher or friend.

15. Make a present for a sibling.

16. Donate a gift to a child in need.

17. Make some decorations or color some holiday pictures to bring to an assisted living or nursing home.

18. Learn a new Christmas song.

19. Find out how Christmas is celebrated in another country.

20. Pack a lunch or two and give it to homeless people you pass on the street.

21. Ring the bell for the Salvation Army.

22. Visit a local animal shelter and spend some time playing with the animals.

23. Fill a stocking with a piece of candy or small toy for each child.

24. Do something nice for someone without telling them.

25. Make a paper chain to decorate your home.

26. String some pop corn and hang it on a tree for the birds.

Be sure to include your own ideas that work for your family, faith, and are age-appropriate for your kids. Most importantly, create a tradition that celebrates the real reason for the season.

Each day, we will share instructions and ideas for the activities listed above and sites you can visit for information on other activities on the list.

We hope this will help you create or add traditions to your families holidays.

Does Size Really Matter?

What do you say when your 9 year old daughter wants to play basketball? In our house, our mouths say, “Go for it!” but our hearts say, “Don’t you want to try something else?” Of all the sports she wants to try, basketball is definitely not the first sport we’d encourage her to try.

Let’s just say our daughter is no Lebron James or Yao Min when it comes to stature. She just reaches three and a half feet tall and the scale barely tips at 47 pounds. For those of you who don’t know how big a 4^th typical fourth grader is, let’s just say she is on the extreme petite side.

She’s always been small, but her personality, self perception and voice have always been huge and made her seem larger than life. Ever since she was a little girl she has been perceived by others to be several years younger than her chronological age and have treated her as such. This has been a source of many tears for her and heartache for us. Through all of this though, she has never doubted her abilities; but at times, we have and this is one of those times.

Over the years we have encouraged her to try dance, gymnastics, swimming, golf, musical instruments and tae kwon do; all activities where size doesn’t matter. She didn’t really take to any of them, but we had her continue tae kwon do for exercise, socialization and it was something she could do year round. As a parent, I would say she doesn’t put a lot of effort into her practice and it’s frustrating because I see dollar signs being wasted every time she works out.

So, when she said she wanted to take up basketball because she wanted to play basketball with the boys at recess, we considered her size and her lack of effort in other activities and we said, “Okay”. Yes, we said, “okay” and then for the next two months we began worrying how her self-esteem would be damaged from this experience and how it would be another waste of money. To provide her with a little head start, we enlisted our older children to play basketball with her at the neighbor’s hoop before she started on her new team.

Last night was her first practice. When I walked into the carpeted gym and saw the hoops hanging 9 feet off the ground and her teammates who were six to twelve inches taller than my daughter, my heart sank. She didn’t know any of these girls but, in her usual bigger-than-life style, she trotted over, basketball under her arm, to meet her new coach and teammates.

The practice started with running, high knees and sliding. So far, so good, from my point of view. In fact, she was more coordinated and some of the girls. Next, dribbling and passing. Her dribbling could use some work but her passing wasn’t too bad. Whew! Now it was time to shoot some baskets into the hoops hovering nine feet in the air. First shot…she made it! Not one, not two, but lots of shots! She could actually shoot the ball high enough to make a basket. I started to watch her more intently and I could see muscles that I never realized she had. One of the coaches even asked me if she was also a gymnast because she was so strong. I told him, “No, she does tae kwon do.” That was it! Although she appeared to be lackadaisical in her tae kwon do classes, she had been building strength, endurance and coordination I never knew she had!

After practice I told my daughter about my previous concerns and how proud I was of her effort, coordination and how strength. Her face beamed with a smile that reached from ear to ear and her little chest puffed out in pride. She never doubted herself or her abilities despite her small size. But I did.

My daughter taught me more about her in one hour than I could have learned in a week. I am so proud of her and I will never underestimate her abilities again. She taught me that it isn’t about size, but all about heart.

I've never been one to hide nutritional nuggets in my kids' food to improve their dietary intake ...until now.

Our nine year old daughter is very small for her size and is often asked if she is in kindergarten or first grade. Now, I'm no giant, but it's clear she is quite small and her height is a very sensitive subject with her. We have visited an endocrinologist, been through growth hormone testing and tried drinking milkshakes with every meal. So far, we've discovered that she does not have a growth hormone deficiency and that she really doesn't like milkshakes as much as I do. And, although we let her eat whenever and whatever she wants, as prescribed by her doctor, my husband and I decided to limit the sweet intake and try to get her to eat better. After six years, I think we're finally getting somewhere and it didn't take me hiding fruits and vegetables in her food.

I'm a firm believer in children knowing what they eat, what it's called and what it looks like. But now, I've broken my rule and have been hiding tofu in many of our family meals unbeknownst to my entire family. I've made tofu/fruit smoothies, added it to fried rice, sprinkled it in pasta sauce and any other way I can disguise it. The funny thing is, my family has been raving about my cooking lately! So why should I continue to keep this a secret? Why shouldn't I? My daughter is getting some needed lean proteins which I hope will benefit her medically, and my family is also eating healthier. Isn't that what a mom is supposed to do?

We will continue to monitor our daughter's growth and we'll see if the tofu makes a difference. Will I disguise other foods? Probably not because she has a pretty good intake of fruits and vegetables already.

Back-to-School Letters

My kids start school on Wednesday; a day we all look forward to after the first blissful week of summer vacation is over. It's not that we don't like being around each other, we all just love structure in our day even if it includes scheduled lazy time. It's just our personalities and we function better with a routine.

Now that the day is fast approaching and we've done the school shopping, the kids know who their teachers are going to be, we've decided what breakfast will be on the first day there's still one thing I like to do at the beginning of each school year...write a letter.

Because we moved so much when our children were young, it seemed as if they were in a new school every year so I began the tradition of writing a letter to their teacher on the first day of school. Now I know most of the teachers probably didn't even read the letter because they thought I was a pushy parent or they wanted to make their own assessment of my child, and I was okay with either reason. Since I had been a teacher for many years, I made certain that the letter was not pushy or caused the teacher to think that I had an agenda. However, the most interesting thing about the letter was that writing the words allowed me to get a clearer look at each of my children and their year-to-year accomplishments. It also turned out to be a wonderful way to see how each of my children grew each year and how our lives changed with new additions to the family, moves, and every day life.

Teachers do not expect, and may not even want, a letter from you on the first day of school. But, if done correctly, you will find the simple act of writing a letter to be one of the most rewarding acts of parenting.

My letter included paragraphs on the following information:

1. Welcome back to teacher
2. Information about where your child fits in the family and their personality
3. General information about your child's academic abilities (be honest, but don't go overboard)
4. Hobbies or activities that your child enjoys
5. Information about my husband and me (jobs, how we could help in or out of the classroom, our belief that the teacher is in charge and our expectations for our children's behavior in the classroom)
6. Wishes for a successful year and contact information

In the Beginning: Get Well Informed

It has taken me a long time to write this blog, and I think that's because it hits so close to home. Baby blues and postpartum depression are very real and something every expectant mom should know about before they delivering their baby.

When your baby finally arrives, everyone will be thrilled with the new addition to your family....except you. Don't let this bother you. Most mothers, and fathers, aren't instantly infatuated with their new child. The media has warped our sense of motherhood and the reality of new mothers' connections to their babies. However, it is important for all mothers to be aware of healthy and unhealthy signs of attachment after their child is born.

While researching this topic, I discovered that I actually suffered from baby blues after my first child and postpartum depression after my second child. My doctor gave me medicine after my first delivery but didn't really explain what the medicine was for and I discontinued using it after I "felt better". After delivering my second child, it took me five months and a lot of scary symptoms before I went looking for help. Once I found the help I needed, I finally got my life back to normal. However, until this blog I never knew that the symptoms I was exhibiting were actually signs of postpartum depression. I wish had learned more about this aspect of pregnancy before I delivered my babies.

Below I have listed several websites that have information about baby blues and postpartum depression. Not only is it important for you to review the information, it is important for your husband and a trusted friend to also know the symptoms. Make sure they understand that if you do suffer from baby blues or depression, you may not be able to make good choices about your medical needs to overcome the symptoms. Let them know that if you actually do suffer from BB or PPD that you will rely on them to help you receive the assistance you need from your obstetrician.

I am not a physician but a mom who thinks you ought to know. Hopefully you will never need this information and you will have a healthy mother/child bond. But just in case, you will have a head start on the knowledge you need to understand baby blues and postpartum depression.

www.womenshealth.gov/faq/depression-pregnancy.cfm

www.mayoclinic.com/health/postpartum-depression/DS00546

www.emedicinehealth.com/postpartum_depression/page2_em.htm

In the Beginning: Get Well Informed

The baby industry runs a close second to the wedding industry when it comes to over indulgence. Moms-to-be walk into a baby store and are inundated with all of these tiny, adorable "things"; most of which are absolutely useless but, what does and expectant mom know? The the clerk wants you to register and that product gun is so much fun and so easy to use. While the very hormonal and emotion driven mother walks around the store, she adds a "few" things to her cart. Does this sound familiar?

Luckily, when my first child was born they didn't have the product guns to register but I still made a huge dent in the store. Why did I buy all of this stuff? Because the books said I would need it and, I thought it was all so cute. I wish someone had told me that I didn't need it all, and certainly not all at once. My husband and I bought 10 pacifiers for $20 because the book said to buy five and we were worried we might loose some. Our babies NEVER took a pacifier! That's not the only thing we over purchased on but I'm too embarrassed to talk about the others.

So what are expectant mothers to do? Begin by talking to experienced moms and find out what the basic necessities are. During the first month or two your baby will not need much of anything out of the ordinary. Ask moms for suggestions on items they wished they had known about before their baby was born. Ask about products you should use that make parenting easier, for instance Sheet Savers. (This wonderful product lays over the crib sheet and ties on the posts so you don't have to take the whole crib apart to change the fitted sheet.) You can also email me and request my list of basic recommended products (www.mymomsupport.com).

All moms want what's best for our babies and it's hard to resist the cute baby items. But before you buy, get well informed about what your baby really needs.

In the Beginning: Get Well Informed

When I was pregnant with my first child, I had absolutely no experience with a baby. In fact, I had never even held a baby. Needless to say, I knew even less about being pregnant. Sure I read the popular book about expecting a baby but I must not have read it cover to cover because I was very poorly informed about the actual labor, delivery and postpartum experiences.

Even though every birthing experience is different for every woman and every child born, it's helpful to know what to expect from the labor, delivery and postpartum. Understanding accurate information about what you body will be going through before, during and after having your baby is key. Most importantly, you have to listen to the information with the understanding that your delivery may be different but there are commonalities in most births.

So, what do you really need to know? First, find a friend, relative or physician that you feel comfortable talking to about the details the books don't tell you. Then start asking questions.

The answers may scare you or confound you but most importantly, they should inform you. Discuss what you hear with your husband or doctor so that when it comes time for your baby's birth you are well informed and well prepared.

In the Beginning: Find Help

While discussing Momtourage with a friend the other day, she relayed the following story to me and I want to share it with you.

She noticed her new neighbor, who was also a new mom, seemed to always have a baby sitter at the house during the day while she went out. My friend assumed that this new mom wasn't ready to take on motherhood and continued to live her pre-baby lifestyle. At a bible study they both attend, my friend inquired as to whether this new mom was working and that is why she had so many babysitters. Instead, the new mom looked at her, with tears in her eyes, and said, "My husband works so much and travels all of the time and I don't have a network of friends yet, it's the only thing I can do to keep my sanity." At that, my friend was heartbroken that she had thought the worst when really all this new mom needed was someone to talk to or watch the baby for a little bit.

This is such a familiar story for new moms but, this woman at least helped herself by hiring someone who could help her. When you don't have an established network or relatives who can help you with your children, it's time to pay for some help. Consider what things have become very difficult for you to keep up with and resort to hiring someone to help you. Need to get out, hire a babysitter. The house is a disaster, hire a housekeeper once in a while. It's too hard to get a healthy meal ready for dinner, see how the grocery store can help you. The help is there and you need to find it; whether it's free or paid for.

By the way, those of you without children, think about how you can help a new mom. You never know how you could really be a blessing.

In the Beginning: Find Help

Mothering is a very rewarding job however, it can also be a very lonely job. Creating a network of people is the best way for expectant moms to find help and support but, not all expectant moms have a network.

When I was eight months pregnant with my first child my husband and I moved to a new location far away from anyone we knew. Luckily his job provided an instant network but, as with any new group of people, it takes time to get to know each other. By the time our baby was born, we had developed a small but great support network.

There are many reasons that expectant moms may not have support networks: they have moved recently, are shy, don't know how to meet people, and others. More importantly there are so many reasons why expectant moms need support networks. Here are just a few ideas of support networks can help you.

Child care: for date night, a night out with your friends, referrals for daycares/preschools, when you have the flu and your husband is traveling (I am speaking from experience)

Playgroups: great way for parents to interact and children to socialize, learn things from other moms, share experiences, provide help in times of need, support

Hobbies: get out of the house and let dad spend time with your baby, focus on something of interest to you, meet new people

Work (even part-time): talk with other adults, use your brain power, meet new people, earn some spending money

Church or other Spiritual House: provide help in times of need or counseling, peace, meet new people, provide classes usually with childcare, support

Expectant moms really don't know what kind of help they will until their baby actually arrives and then they are so busy with their new baby that it is difficult to find or start a network. If you know a new mom, introduce her to a network of people who could support her. Or, if you are expecting, it's time to start building your support network now. You may have to step outside of your comfort zone but every mom needs all of the support she can get.

In the Beginning: Find Help

Now that you are more inclined to seek out help, let's find another avenue for help.

Food and meal preparation seem to rank right up there as something we know is important and really need but, forget to find a way to make it easier. I've already blogged about how eating healthy during your pregnancy is important to the baby and your body but it also helps increase your energy. Now it's time to talk about how to make grocery shopping and meal preparation easier.

Call your local grocer and ask if they have home delivery or pick up capabilities. There is usually a small charge for this service but you can select your items on-line at your convenience. If you are very particular about your groceries, this may not be ideal for you. However, it can be incredibly helpful to someone who is bedridden or just doesn't feel up to a grocery trip. The difference between home delivery and pick up is very small. Home delivery brings your order directly to your home and most of the time delivers it right to your kitchen. A pick up order means that your groceries will be selected and bagged but you pick them up at the grocery store. Most major drug stores also have online shopping services available and the items are delivered to you through the postal system.

Food preparation assistance may also be needed especially if you are experiencing smell sensitivity, are bedridden or just too pregnant to move around. Begin preparing meals that can be stored in the freezer when you are still feeling comfortable to move around. When you prepare a daily meal, make twice as much and put the extra portion in the freezer. Invite friends over to help you prepare several meals for the freezer or have a baby shower and the gifts are meals you can place right in your freezer. (You will want to bring some coolers filled with ice to that shower.) There are many recipes online and cookbooks that can help you prepare meals for the freezer it's just a matter of looking for them.

Buy your grocery stores homemade meals that just need to be warmed up or from the salad bar. There are also business who create homemade meals for the freezer. Some of these businesses are owned by former restaurant chefs who want to work from home. Many of them also provide meals for special dietary needs. See what's available near you.

When you bring your little one home from the hospital you will want to continue eating healthy but it may not be so easy. Take some time now to discover how to make it easier for you and remember to ask others for help.