Baby Products ? Essential Baby Products, Which Ones Do I Really Need?-Toddler
Baby Products ? Essential Baby Products, Which Ones Do I Really Need?
There are many essential baby products a new parent must purchase. Cribs, car seats, baby monitors, baby strollers, high chairs and clothing are all necessary to ensure your child's safety and comfort. However, there are many baby products out there that are not worth wasting your money on, but are marketed to parents as being vital for a baby's growth and development. Parents always want the best for their child and therefore purchase these items that do not serve a great function. This guide reveals the important baby products a parent must obtain to properly care for their child.Baby StrollersThe baby stroller is an item every parent must have for his or her child. Before you purchase a stroller, however, consider how you are going to use it and the money you are willing to spend. This makes the process of buying a stroller much easier. There are many types of strollers to choose from including: full-size, mid-size, lightweight, umbrella, jogger, double and triple baby strollers. Parents who do a lot walking should consider purchasing a full or mid size stroller, while active parents are better suited for the jogger stroller. Lightweight and umbrella strollers are appropriate for parents who travel around frequently because they are easy to stow away. Finally, double and triple strollers are made for parents who need to transport two or three young children in one stroller.Baby CribsBabies spend the majority of their time in the crib. Therefore, every parent should invest a significant amount of energy in selecting a safe baby crib and mattress. Safe baby cribs must always have adjustable sides, the space between the crib bars must not exceed 2 and 3/8 of an inch, and the crib must be sturdy. The crib mattress has to be firm and fit properly into the crib because the baby can suffocate if this protocol is not followed. Baby bedding ought to be kept to a minimum-one cotton fitted bed sheet and a light blanket will suffice. Never place pillows, toys or heavy blankets in your child's crib.Baby Car SeatsA baby car seat is one of the essential baby products to purchase for your new child. The car seat protects the child against injury in the event of an accident. There are three main types of car seats available:
Rearward-facing infant car seats
Forward-facing baby car seats
Booster car seats
The rearward facing baby car seats are used mostly for infants who do not exceed 29 pounds to support their neck, back and spine. The forward-facing car seats are perfect for children between 20 and 40 pounds and should be secured with a tether strap on the car frame. Lastly, booster seats are made for children who can no longer fit into a normal child car seat. The booster seat basically lifts the child so they can use a regular seat belt properly. In addition, always remember all child car seats must be placed in the rear of the car away from airbags.Baby High ChairsA high chair is one of the baby products a parent doesn't need right after the infant arrives home from the hospital. Although, once your child can independently sit upright a baby high chair becomes a necessity at mealtimes. Wooden, conventional, adjustable and booster high chairs are just some of the styles on the market. Regardless of the model you choose make sure your highchair has the following features:
The high chair must have two support straps-one should be around the waist and the other must be between the child's legs.
All baby high chairs must have trays that lock firmly into the chair.
The legs of the high chair should be spaced apart in order to properly anchor it to the ground and prevent tipping.
Baby ClothesBaby clothes are one of the obvious baby products a parent must buy. Keep in mind when shopping for clothes to purchase outfits that are functional for you and the baby. For instance, try to choose clothes that are not complicated to get off come changing time. Also, purchase clothing that is appropriate for the season your child is going to be born in. This step prevents you from buying clothing that is not necessary for your baby's immediate needs. When selecting baby clothes hand me downs are a good way to go because babies grow at such a rapid pace. Hand me downs save you a lot of money and usually come in very good condition. Never buy second hand clothing that is worn out because it could potentially rip posing a safety hazard to your baby.Baby MonitorsBaby monitors help parents keep a watchful eye on their little one without having to be in the same room all the time. This enables parents to multi-task without jeopardizing their child's safety. Over the years there have been many technological advances in the baby monitor realm. Sound monitors are still the most extensively used ones, but now visual, temperature, movement and breathing monitors are becoming more common. Visual (or TV) monitors are great for parents who want to see what baby is up to at all times. These monitors are quite expensive, but can later be converted into a security system. Temperature and breathing monitors are useful for parents who are concerned about their child's health. These monitors inform parents of the temperature in the baby's room and whether it is too hot or cold.Other Useful ItemsBesides the aforementioned baby products there are many other small items a new parent needs to purchase for their child. Diapers, pacifiers, bottles, shampoo, soap, bottle warmers, a diaper pail and travel bags are just some of the baby products required. When purchasing baby products always stick to these basic items - do not get sidetracked by gimmicks. Before buying a product always ask yourself the question: "Do I really need this for my baby's well-being?" Good luck with all the shopping!About the AuthorDorothy Smith is a freelance writer, mother and self-confessed bargain hunter who loves to provide tips to consumers shopping for baby products, best baby cribs and best baby strollers.
Perseverance and Success: Essential to Reaching Your Goals – Goal-Setting
Perseverance and Success: Essential to Reaching Your Goals
"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all." ? Dale CarnegieI'll venture to say that perseverance is one of the most valuable qualities you have to obtain success in any field. And the really great thing about perseverance is that you don't need a university degree, or any complex training to make use if this tool. You HAVE the requirements to reach success using this tool.Perseverance rarely does not result in success. No matter in what area you have goals, if you keep "keep on trying" as Mr Carnegie suggests you will reach success.In reality, perseverance is something you were born with. Learning to walk, to talk, to write required perseverance. And the result was success.It's worthwhile to consider that you can be active, but not move forward. When you don't move forward, you will not reach success. Think back to when you learned to ride a bicycle. For most of us, it took more than one attempt to get the hang of it, but we persevered, and that resulted in success, in that we could ride the bicycle.The key in developing perseverance means taking small steps, resulting in small achievements, ultimately resulting in success with your objective. Think of building a jigsaw puzzle, one piece is added at a time, and eventually you have the finished picture.Perseverance often means learning something new, in order to reach your ultimate goal, which is great. Why? Investing in your knowledge is never a waste - you may be able to utilize your new skills and knowledge to enable you to advance in some new area.If you want to make more sales, you get out and see more prospects, one at a time.Perseverance will not be without setbacks. The key is to learn from the setback, then continue forward. Do not dwell on it. Take the lesson, and move forward, and on to success.As Mr Carnegie said, "people who have kept on trying" ? that is the key to achieving success in any area you want.About the AuthorJust because you're a mom or dad, doesn't mean you don't have a dream. You can now reach it using 11 essential goal setting tools. Colin Dunbar is a dad and husband, and has spent 25+ years investigating and researching goal setting and motivation. He has achieved many goals in his lifetime. You can now own his ultimate goal setting program, and get what you want. Full details available here: eaziGOAL.com
Essential Oils and Our Pets
Essential Oils and Our Pets
Before we talk about using the essential oils, we first should define what is an essential oil in the first place.An essential oil is a bioavailable nutritive liquid. This liquid is derived from flowers, plants, trees, etc., through a special distillation process. Essential oils (when left in their purest, non-diluted state with no synthetics added) have a 100% kill factor on harmful viruses, bacteria, funguses, mold and tumors.*The key to using an essential oil in the ways I will describe here though is to make sure you 1) know your source 2) because you'll want the oils derived from certified organic plants not grown with pesticides in order to have the full effect of the oil.Aromatherapy is often a word you'll find associated with the essential oils. The phrase was first "coined" by French chemist Dr. Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, Ph.D., in 1920. One day while he was working in his laboratory he had an accident that caused a third-degree thermal burn to his arm and hand. His immediate reaction was to plunge his arm into what he thought was a vat of water but rather it was a vat of lavender oil. So, he continued to use the lavender oil to treat his burn which eventually healed completely and left absolutely no scar!Now please keep in mind that most of the essential oils on the market today have synthetics added to them as they're basically made for the cosmetic industry and are not nutritional. However, there are some excellent therapeutic grade oils on the market that are pure, unadulterated oils that can be used internally, topically and inhaled as powerful immune system builders.While these essential oils for the most part have been created with humans in mind, many people are using these essential oils in their pet care successfully, and I'm one of them.The essential oils work synergistically with the body to maintain, help, repair, and renew it right down to our DNA. The "oil" from the plants is similar to our blood and immune system so they work very harmoniously within our bodies. They go in and oxygenate and detoxify our blood simulatenously and create an environment where pathogens cannot live! Even more exciting is when the oils are either directly inhaled or diffused (using a cold air diffuser) they will cross the blood-brain barrier and clean out the petrochemicals. Due to their adaptagenic qualities they go into our blood streams, cells, etc., and seek out where they are needed like little therapeutic agents.You might be thinking, well but I don't have any petrochemicals in my brain or blood and even if I do, my pets don't. Think again. Dr. David Stewart, PhD, wrote in his article Essential Oils for Things That Bug You Around the House the following "Among the many chemicals in our industrial environment that get into our systems and make us sick are the pesticides we use in our homes. We use them because we they are toxic to the creatures that bug us, but they are also toxic to us. Sometimes the toxicity is immediately apparent: we get a headache, get sick or feel nausea from the fumes or other contact.Sometimes the toxicity is subtle and can accumulate resulting in chronic complaints and disorder (including allergies, cancer and miscarriages) that can be serious and even deadly over time. Sometimes we even put poisons on our pets to deal with ticks and fleas, not realizing that these substances are not healthy for us nor our animals."Pesticides normally include some kind of petrochemical. Meaning if we don't take responsibilty for our health and the health of our pets, we can become sicker and sicker through the use of all these pesticides, herbacides, and chemical cleaning products in our homes. What affects us can affect our pets even faster and more readily because they are lying on our chemically cleaned floors and in our chemically treated and fertilized yards.There is hope though! By using therapeutic grade essential oils, we can eliminate much (if not all) of the poisons from our homes and in our bodies -and that includes our pets too! While I can't go into depth in one single article I can leave you with some links to follow up on and a few of the essential oils you may want to get immediately to start implementing the change in your lives and the lives in your pets.When using therapeutic grade oils, you can use them "neat" (undiluted) on skin, inhaled, or even internally with some oils. To apply any to your pets, you may choose to diffuse them in a diffuser until your pets become more used to the oils. With cats it is always a good idea to err on the side of caution and either diffuse them or apply diluted to their hind feet (using more mixing oil than essential oil) or tips of their ears. I only use one brand of oil and do not use any others. I know my source and these oils and trust them. Do your homework before embarking on the oils for your pets, especially your cats.Lavender oil has so many uses benefits including the one at the beginning of this article: for burns, cuts, scrapes, sunburns it is an all-purpose oil. Add to that the calming effect and wonderful smell, you can't go wrong with this oil. It can be used on bee stings and insect bites also and is a good oil (when diluted with a organic mixing oil such as olive or almond) for cleaning your dog and cats ears (VERY diluted on a cat!). When you use any of the oils (neat or straight undiluted) the oils act an insect repellant. When you mix them with water they act as a natural pesticide. This oil is a good repellant to chiggers, fleas, flies, mosquitoes, and ticks!Peppermint oil: this oil is great for relieving doggy flatulence (and human!), diarrhea, indigestion, as an anti-inflammatory, and can reduce fevers. You can also use it before or during a workout to boost your mood and reduce fatigue -I do daily! Oh and the best part -it can curb your appetite! This oil is also good at getting rid of the following bugs: Ants, aphids, beetles, catepillars, fleas, flies, lice, moths, plant lice, and spiders.There are many many more oils to help you for nearly every single medical protocol for you and your pets. Here are some articles you can read along with Dr. Stewart's above which can all be found on my dog's blog Bark 'N' Blog (see bio):"Aromatherapy Research and Education: What is AFNOR?"
"How Do Essential Oils Work?"
"The Healing Power of a Rose"
"Important Facts Regarding Toxins in our Environment"*All information presented here is intended for educational purposes only. It is not provided in order to diagnose, prescribe or treat any disease, illness or injured condition of the body or pets and the author, publisher, and contributors accept no responsibility for such use. Anyone suffering or their pets from any disease, illness or injury should consult with their physician or veterinarian.Originally published for Suite101.com Holistic Pet Care TopicAbout the Author:
Kim Bloomer is a natural pet care educator helping pet owners learn to care for their pets through natural, holistic means. Disease prevention is her goal to help pet owners lower their pet care costs and extend the lives of their pets. Visit her website Aspenbloom Pet Care and her dog's blog barkin' about natural pet care from a canine perspective Bark 'N' Blog