Momathon Blog

Adopting a Dog? Consider a Shelter Dog

Every year 5 million pets are killed simply because they are "unwanted." If the dogs and cats in shelters could talk, they would tell you they once had a family and a warm bed to sleep in. 

And they would ask you: 

Maybe you could give me a forever home. 

In return, I will be your friend always.

If you are considering adopting a dog, please visit your local animal shelter.

The video below by Jessica Hansen tells a story in photos of beautiful shelter dogs waiting to find forever homes.  

A dog doesn't care if you are rich or poor.
Give him your heart and he'll give you his.
--MARLEY & ME (The Movie and Book)

Doggie in the Shelter: Make a Difference and Donate to the Humane Society

Page re-recorded her classic hit, "How Much is that Doggie in the Window" to steer the public away from the cruelty of mass breeding places in puppy mills.

You can watch the The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) video featuring Patti Page on the You Tube clip below. 

If you are still deciding on your year-end donations, consider help stop animal cruelty by making a donation to HSUS. The HSUS is rated a four-star charity (the highest possible) by Charity Navigator, America's premier independent charity evaluator.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

Let's spend Hanukkah in Santa Monica.

I think singer-songwriter Tom Lehrer had the right idea way back in 1990 when he wrote the song Hanukkah in Santa Monica.

You can watch the Lehrer oldie turned into a YouTube video by a fan.

I'm spending Hanukkah in Santa Monica,
Wearing sandals, lighting candles by the sea.
I spent Shavuos in East St. Louis,
A charming spot, but clearly not the spot for me.
Whose eastern winters, I can't endure 'em,
So every year I pack my gear and come out here til Purim.

--Lyrics by Tom Lehrer

Kids Love Snow, But They Shouldn't Eat It

When I was a kid growing up in Minnesota we made "snow cones" with the fluffy white stuff and ate them. That is, until my seventh grade science teacher ruined all the fun. In science class we did a snow project with microscopes. When I  saw for myself all the "crud" swimming around in a droplet of melting snow, my snow cones no longer seemed so delicious.

Even a young toddler knows she shouldn't eat yellow snow, but did you realize that even the most pristine white snow that appears to be far, far away from anything harmful is not healthy for you to eat?

According to Chicago Tribune Meterologist Tom Skilling in an article posted this week in the ChicagoTribune.com, "Snow contains potentially harmful pollutants. It's not that snow is immediately toxic, but it can contain chemicals that you don't want to put into your body."

Evidentally airborne industrial pollutants are definitely earning their frequent flyer miles. Pollutants from as far away as India travel through the air and deposit chemicals in the snow in Canada according to the Chicago Tribune.

Argonne National Laboratory's Dr. Jeff Gaffney as reported in the  ChigagoTribune.com says, "Snowflakes can contain anything that floats in the air: the chemicals that fall in acid rain, bacteria, sulfates, nitrates, and even lead from areas in the world that still burn leaded gasoline."

(Photo: © Chris Olson)

Christmas Song: Alvin and the Chipmunks

All right you Chipmunks! Ready to sing your song?

Christmas, Christmas time is near,

Time for toys and time for cheer,

We've been good, but we can't last,

Hurry Christmas, hurry fast.

--The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)

The Chipmunks & David Seville

Merry Christmas to You!

xo Chris

Catch Marley Fever

A dog doesn't care if you are rich or poor.

Give him your heart and he'll give you his.

--MARLEY & ME (The Movie and Book)

'Tis the the season of giving and this makes it the perfect time to help needy animals by supporting your local Humane Society or other animal shelter. 

Remember, even though it is tempting to give a puppy as a gift this Christmas, unless you have done your homework, bringing home a new family member during this hectic season might not be the be the best idea. 

Instead think about purchasing a pet gift certificate from a local shelter. Then the person who will adopt the new pup will have a chance to go to the shelter and find the buddy she/he wants. 

Heel the Fun. 

Check out the MARLEY & ME movie website and 

• grab a Marley Fetch Widget, 
• adopt a virtual Marley, 
• create a Marley ecard 
• send a MOGREET.

The Best Gift for Your Kids

If you are like me, you've scoured the mall, shopped the net, and even gotten a little crafty this Christmas. Even after all the shopping, I still feel like I never found the perfect gifts. Finding the best gift for your kids just might be simpler than you ever dreamed.

How about a gift of TIME. Yep. This Christmas I'm giving my kiddos some of my undivided attention--a family craft activity or two, some jigsaw puzzle time, a game of Monopoly or Scrabble, and an afternoon baking cookies or candy. Kids crave our attention 365 days a year, so why not splurge this holiday and give them the gift of you.

Try making a gift coupon suggesting a fun activity you can do together. The clever folks at RealSimple.com and Blue Mountain have a printable coupon templates you can personalize and print at home.

Peppermint Bark Candy Recipe

I found one more holiday recipe you might enjoy--classic peppermint bark. Recently Chef Kathleen Daelemans made the peppermint bark with Matt and Meredith on the TODAY Show and the TODAY Show editors have the complete recipe on the website.

Peppermint bark can be expensive when you buy it in the store. At  Williams-Sonoma the The Original Peppermint Bark is $26.50 for a one-pound tin.

Why not make it at home? The inexpensive homemade version is the perfect thing to make for a gift. The candy recipe only has four ingredients:

• bittersweet chocolate wafers or chips
• white chocolate wafers or white chocolate
• canola oil
• peppermint candy

Go to the TODAY show link above for the complete recipe. You can also watch a short how-to video on making the peppermint candy below. (Note: The TODAY Show clip starts out talking about cookie swaps with homemade gingerbread and then the next item they discuss is the peppermint bark.)

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

(Video: TODAY Show segment on homemade cookies and candy.)

 

Time to Make Holiday Candy

I have a sweet tooth. This time of year it's almost impossible to resist "just one more piece" of fudge--especially homemade fudge. Thanks to cooking diva Martha Stewart the holidays are the perfect time to whip up delicious candy recipes with the kids.

Go to her website for yummy homemade holiday candy recipes including:

• chocolate fudge
• peppermint icicles
• easy peanut butter cups
• golden caramels
• easy chocolate truffles
• pistachio-honey torrone
• apricot gelt
• penuche fudge
• marona almonds and fleur de sel pralines
• earl grey-tea-infused truffles
• nut brittle
• nonpareils candies
• pecan clusters
• chocolate truffles
• winter bark
• opera fudge
• and much more!

Holiday Gifts for Middle School Teachers?

As my kids grow up even the traditional holiday gift for the teacher changes. A class gift for elementary school teachers, bookstore gift cards, and Starbucks cards all seem like a fun and festive treats for teachers. What should you do when your kids are in middle school? My daughter has 13 teachers and aides. Many of her classes are co-taught. Trying to find an appropriate way to show how much you appreciate a diverse group of teachers is not always easy. 

Because the list of middle school teachers is so much larger than in elementary school, are holiday teacher gifts appropriate at this age? Will I seem like Scrooge if I tell my daughter we aren't giving gifts to her teachers?

A teacher friend mentioned that some of the best holiday gifts are not gifts at all, but instead a card with a personal thank you note from the student or the parents.

If you have any thoughts on holiday gifts for middle school teachers, please share your ideas in the comments section.

Meanwhile, I am procrastinating just one more day on the teacher shopping list. 

The Mom Song

What do we tell our kids in a 24-hour period? The Mom Song sung by Patti Harshey at Northland Church says it all. Here's a few bits of wisdom from this delightful song, plus the complete video below. 

Did you hear a word I said? ... No texting at the table ... Your iPods my iPod if you don't listen up ... Don't shovel, chew slowly ... You'll appreciate my wisdom someday ... I'll thank you not to roll your eyes at me ... Get a grip ...  I don't care who started it, your grounded ... Your too old to act like this, it must be your father's DNA ... Don't forget I love you ... Because I said so, I said so, I said so ... I'm the mom, the mom, the mom, the mom!

(Thanks to my best bud Kathy for suggesting this video link.)

Let's Make Holiday Pop-Up Cards

I love making cards with my kids. We get out the jars of glitter, fancy papers, pens, and markers. We even recylce old cards and make them new again. When I saw the famous (and very talented) pop-up book illustrator Robert Sabuda making pop-up cards with Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford on the TODAY Show I had to share his ideas.

If you want to try making some cards yourself, you can find step-by-step instructions and templates for pop-up cards by Sabuda at RobertSabuda.com.

Robert Sabuda was on the TODAY Show today, but I couldn't find the video link for this segment. (I will keep looking, stay tuned.) However Sabuda and co-author Matthew Reinhart talked about their pop-up book "The 12 Days of Christmas" with Al Roker back in 2006. You can watch the TODAY Show clip below and find out how pop-up books are created.

Video: Jumping Off The Page with Robert and Matthew.

Is Your Bed Too High for Your Dog?

For the past decade mattresses have become thicker and thicker. Good news for finding a softer bed, but bad news for Fido who has to jump higher and fall farther getting on and off your bed.

Diving off beds which continue to reach new heights is causing injuries and degenerative problems with dogs that love to sleep with their humans.

Big and small dogs are ending up with elbow and shoulder arthritis, hip dysplasia and degenerative disk disease. But small dogs are facing the biggest troubles.

"For a little dog to take a flying leap off a bed that's five to six times higher than he stands is an act of courage and a recipe for injury," says veterinarian Stephan Crane according to an article by Kevin Helliker in the WSJ.com.

One of the solutions is to get a pet staircase that helps your pooch climb on and off your bed. From personal experience I recommend a pet staircase for dogs--especially older dogs--to get in and out of an SUV and other cars that keep getting higher.

Here are few suggestions for pet staircases/ramps according to the WSJ:

• PupSTEP +Plus indoor at Drs Foster and Smith, $39.99
  
• Ultra-Lite Pet Stairs at PetSmart, $69.99
• Dog Ramp, Lightweight Portable Pet Steps at Orvis, $189.00
• Puppy Stairs (for puppies or dogs) at Puppy Stairs, Prices vary

  

 Photo: Lightweight Portable Pet Steps at Orvis

Go Green: Digital Holiday Card Ideas

Are you considering sending a green holiday card? Country Living Magazine teams up with Smilebox to provide holiday digital greetings, invites and more.

Smilebox allows Mac and PC users to create slideshows, scrapbooks, and greetings using your photos, videos, and music. You can choose the free service that includes an ad in your email or post. Or you can choose a low-cost upgraded service that allows you to post or email without an ad.

The sample slideshow below is from their free service--so you will see a brief ad. Smilebox offers hundreds of designs and options to choose from and you personalize with photos, videos, or music. The designs offered by Smilebox are updated often so you will never run out of interesting options.

Make a Smilebox greeting

Snow Day

We  have had three major storms bringing snow in our area since Thanksgiving. Guess I better get my holiday shopping done before we get buried.

Momathon Fave: Sew Liberated blog

Thought you might enjoy checking out one of my favorite blogs--Sew Liberated by seamstress extraordinaire and former Montessori teacher Meg McElwee. Her blog is filled with lovely photos that inspire the craft diva inside all of us. 

Recently Meg blogged about a fun (and relatively easy) craft project: recycled magazine wallet. She includes a PDF link with step-by-step instructions on how to make her recycled magazine wallets. Sounds like the perfect stocking stuffer. Have fun.

  

(Photo: The blog Sew Liberated.) 

Can You Catch Happiness?

Is happiness viral? Happiness is contagious according to a recent study by James Fowler at the University of San Diego and Nicholas Christakis at Harvard University. The study followed a large group of people for 20 years.

If you want to be happy, consider spending more time with happy friends, neighbors, and even strangers.  Your well-being has an effect on people around you. Interestingly, a happy friend boosts your happiness more than a happy spouse according to the study. Happy friends can even help you stay healthier according to several recent medical studies.

Our ability to find peace and happiness rubs off on each other. That's why your proximity to happy friends is so important to achieving a happiness bump. The less direct contact you have with a happy friend, the less likely you are going to "catch" their happiness. According to the research, it seems you can't catch happiness over the phone.

"Your happiness depends not just on your choices and actions, but also on the choices and actions of people you don't even know who are one, two and three degrees removed from you," says study co-author Dr. Nicholas Christakis, a physician and social scientist at Harvard Medical School, according to an article in the NYTimes.com.

TODAY's David Gregory talks to NBC's chief medical editor Dr. Nancy Snyderman about the research in the video clip below.

New JK Rowling Book Flies off Bookstore Shelves

Okay, the books don't really have wings. But they seem to be flying off bookstore shelves. Harry Potter fans are snapping up copies of Rowling's "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" beginning today. 

Rowling's Book Supports Children's Charity

Rowling is donating all royalties from the book to a charity that helps children, the Children's High Level Group. She co-founded the group to help institutionalized children in Eastern Europe. "About 80,000 children, many disabled or from oppressed ethnic minorities such as the Roma, live in state institutions in Romania, Moldova, Georgia, the Czech republic and Armenia," says the charity's director, Georgette Mulheir in the Guardian.co.uk.

The Tales may sound a bit familiar to Harry Potter fans. "There was once a kindly old wizard who used his magic generously and wisely for the benefit of his neighbours" begins her first story in the book.

Some call the book the unofficial farewell to the adventures of the our favorite wizard Harry Potter. Rowling considers it a distillation of the themes from her previous Harry Potter books. The book is a collection of five fairy stories Rowling had written and illustrated as a gift for six close friends.

Shopping Bargains Online: Books

This year we all are trying to find a way to get more and spend less. Sounds impossible, but if you check your favorite retailer's website often you can find some great bargains. Even though I don't like to get loads of marketing emails from retailers--the online version of sales catalogs--these emails can offer tips on sales promos and coupons. 

I get several email savings alerts from retailers every day. For instance, today I got an email alert from Borders. (To recieve the email, all you need to do is sign up for Borders Rewards.) The email included a 25% off store coupon for any item at Borders. Plus links to promos savings on Dr. Seuss books, selected $9.99 DVDs, and half price books. 

I also like the fact that the email includes book blurbs and the fascinating Borders Backlot featuring behind-the-scenes book video clips and audio clips that help me determine if I would like to buy the book, CD, or other bookstore item. 

Trying to get your kids/tweens/teens interested in reading more? Have them check out Border's Backlot that feaures audio and video clips. One video clip my daughter loves is about the new movie based on the book by Kate DiCamillo, The Tale of Despereaux. According to the website, "The Tale of Despereaux is a fairy tale that's fairly different, in which life is for living, soup is for tasting, and rats are not to be trusted." The website also features coloring activities, games, and more videos including the "From Story to Screen" clip all about making of the new movie.

If you have older kids, check out the video clips and more from Borders Backlot all about the hit movie and book Twilight. The site includes author and cast interviews, trailers and more.

I loved John Grogan's book Marley and Me, so I enjoyed the Borders Backlot  feature all about the book and movie. 

Caffeine Vs. Naps

I am a napper. I am not one of those fearless nappers who can take naps in public. I need some peace and quiet. If I'm exhausted and I'm at home, then I'll take a short nap on the couch. Of course a cuppa joe always helps when I'm away at work or driving. However, I don't find caffeine nearly as refreshing as catching a few zzz's.

A recent study suggests my love of naps is a good idea. In fact, in the small study at the University of California, San Diego, assistant professor of psychiatry and lead author Sara C. Mednick found that an afternoon nap works better to improve physical and mental performance. However, even though the caffeine drinkers didn't perform as well on specified tasks, they felt less sleepy than the nappers. The research was published in the Nov. 3rd issue of Behavioral Brain Research.

Here are a few of the findings according to an article in the NYTimes.com:

• Motor Skills: "Those who had caffeine had worse motor skills than those who napped or had a placebo."
• Perceptual Skills: "In the perceptual task, the nappers did significantly better than either the caffeine or placebo group."
• Verbal Skills: "On the verbal test, nappers were best by a wide margin, and the caffeine consumers did not better than those given a placebo."

Drink to Your Health with Matcha Green Tea

Celebrate the holidays with the champagne of the tea world--Matcha Green Tea. Considered a healthy coffee alternative, this gourmet tea flavor is gaining a following. At Starbucks and other coffee shops you can even order the new trendy health tea in a Matcha frappe.

"One cup of Matcha will net you the antioxidant protection found in 10 cups of brewed green tea and up to 100 times the antioxidant power of vitamins C and E," says Suzy Cohen, RPh, according to an article in Health.com. For even more health benefits, the experts at Health Magazine suggest adding a dollop of honey to your tea because of the antibacterial powers.

Matcha is the oldest variety of shade-grown Japanese tea. During the three to four weeks before harvesting, the Matcha tea fields are covered in shade to allow the tea leaves to develop higher levels of amino acid and this helps mask the bitter flavor of the polyphenols. End result: Matcha tea tastes sweeter than regular green tea. Matcha tea has a long history, it has been used in Zen Buddhist ceremonies for over 800 years according to the Japanese gourmet tea producer Aiya.

Most green teas are infused and you only consume a fraction of the tea leaf because of the bitter taste. Matcha the tea leaves are ground into a powder so you are consuming nearly all of the tea leaf in your cup of tea.

Matcha green tea contains higher concentrations of green tea antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fibers because unlike regular green tea leaves that are brewed, ground-up Matcha tea leaves are whisked with water and consumed entirely. Other health benefits include increased energy and mental alertness due to high amounts of L-theanins (amino acids) and tea caffeine theophylline.

Does Too Much TV and Web Harm Kids?

Is it time to turn off the TV? Conflicting studies have interesting results.

First, the findings from a major study on the effect of heavy media exposure on kids was released today. The news is not good if the TV remote is permanently glued to your kid's hand. The researcher's findings don't surprise me--spending a lot of time watching TV, playing video games and surfing the web isn't good for kids. In fact, these activities can lead to a wide range of health problems including obesity and smoking according to the recent research by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), Yale University and California Pacific Medical Center. The researchers analyzed 173 studies since 1980 on the effects of media consumption in children.

"In a clear majority of those studies more time with television, films, video games, magazines, music and the Internet was linked to rises in childhood obesity, tobacco use and sexual behavior. A majority also showed strong correlations--what the researchers deemed 'statistically significant associations'--with drug and alcohol use and low academic achievement," according to an article in the NYTimes.com.

I am not a scientist, but I found it interesting that the studies as reported in Reuters found the quantity of time kids spend watching TV or on the Internet to be a bigger factor than the quality of the media they are watching. I'm waiting for the next study to tell us the dangers of FaceBook and MySpace.

Don't turn off the computer yet. Another study by the MacArthur Foundation says parents should "chill out" because most teenagers steer clear of dangerous sites. Instead teens are using the Internet to connect with peers.

"One of the main things we found is that it is highly motivating for kids to learn from peers, whether it's the everyday social stuff or learning about new technology or making videos or doing creative writing," says Mizuko Ito, a University of California, Irvine researcher and the reports lead author according to an article in the Houston Chronicle.

Gifts with Heart: Gingerbread House Kit

I love giving gifts that also support worthy nonprofits. Dancing Bear makes an adorable Sweet Home Gingerbread House Kit and 35% of the price goes directly to help homeless families find jobs and move into homes of their own. 

The kit contains gingerbread mix, icing mix, a piping bag for the icing, girl and boy cookie cutters, a special house cookie cutter and step-by-step instructions. After you mix up the dough, use the cute house-shaped box from the kit as the template for cutting the house pieces. Next just add the gingerbread pieces to the box to build the house. ($22.95)

The folks at Dancing Deer Baking Company have huge hearts. The bakery offers several Sweet Home options that benefit charities to help homeless mothers and children fund educations, find jobs, and move into homes of their own. Check out  Sweet Home, gourmet baked goods from Dancing Deer.

Ginger Bread House Kit by Dancing Deer Bakery

Scan Helps Detect Autism Earlier

Unique brain wave patterns that cause a slight delay--only a fraction of a second slower--in processing sounds offers insight into communication problems children with autism experience. Although the processing delay seems small, imagine if it took you just a bit longer to understand each and every syllable. By the end of a sentence, you probably would be pretty confused.

An imaging helmut resembling a salon hair dryer uses magnetoencephalography (MEG) to record minute magnetic fields in electrical brain activity and detect the slight delay in processing sounds. This scan test may eventually help diagnose children with autism at an earlier age--as young as one year old--and allow earlier intervention. Approximately one in every 150 American children is affected by autism. The findings of this new scan could be presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RNSA) in Chicago today.

"This delay in processing certain types and streams of sound may underpin the subsequent language processing and communication impairment seen in autistic children," says researcher Timothy Roberts, vice chair of research in the department of radiology at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia according to an article in the Washingtonpost.com.