Momathon Blog

B&N "Meet the Author" Podcast with Carl Hiaasen

Carl Hiaasen writes about the connection kids have with animals and wildlife in his books for young adults: Hoot, Flush, and now his newest novel, Scat.

In a Barnes & Noble Meet the Writers interview, Hiaasen talks about writing Scat, a book about a fearsome biology teacher who never returned from a field trip to Black Vine Swamp and the endangered elusive panther in the Florida Everglades. (384 pp, Hardcover, $16.99)

Buy Scat on SALE

Barnes & Noble is currently running a special 40% discounted price on this book in their Great Kids' Book discount coupon. If you are a B&N member you can get the book at 50% with the coupon.

Podcast link

Want to listen to the Hiaasen interview podcast? Just click on this B&N link and then click on the "Meet the Writer" audio player.

Social Petworking Saves the Life of Homeless Pet

Twitter a critter. Blog a dog. Chat a cat. You can help a homeless pet find a home through Social PETworking.

To see how you can help a shelter pet by posting their info onto your Facebook, MySpace or Twitter page watch the video below.

Spread the Word and Help Shelter Dogs

Pet adoption and
rescue powered by

To help find homes for millions of shelter dogs waiting to be adopted, Shepard Farley, the artist who made Barack Obama's face an icon on posters and stickers, has made an icon out of an American mutt. Are you looking for a pet? Click on Farley's and Adopt-a-Pet.com’s image above to find a shelter pet near you.

You can download the "Mutts Like Me ADOPT" image for creating posters, stickers, T-shirt, badges and more at this link.

Creative fun for your family

Spread the word about adopting shelter dogs and have fun doing an artsy family activity. Click on this link for printable PDFs, a coloring page for kids, and much more. You can post your Mutts Like Me artwork at home, work and school. Of course, ask permission before posting your the Mutts poster because posting this image where it is not welcome will only hurt homeless pets.

Pretty and Prickly Trailside

Teaching my kids (and pets) to avoid cactus plants hiding trailside is no easy task. Fortunately at this time of year the colorful cactus blooms make the not so kid-friendly plants easier to spot while hiking. 

Just a Thought

Utterly Love Clarice Bean Books

I am reading Lauren Child's "Utterly Me, Clarice Bean" with my daughter. We both love her books about Clarice, a fictional character who, like so many real girls, is tired of her normal life and her very annoying family. Clarice likes to read and she is inspired by a girl spy in one of her favorite books named Ruby Redfort. The whimsical illustrations and artistic type make this a delightful read.

ABC's of Summer Skin Health

Summer is the time when we might think more about getting a tan than checking our skin for problem spots. And UV rays are the strongest in the summer. Even when it's overcast.

So how can learning the ABCDE's help? You can follow the ABCDE detection tips below for skin cancer detection of a suspected mole lesion. NOTE: Remember to always consult your doctor if you are concerned about your skin. Do not rely on this tip list as medical advice.

ABCDE's of detection:

A: Assymetrical mole or lesion shape. The two sides of a suspected lesion or mole do not match.

B: Borders are jagged, irregular, uneven or blurred.

C: Color is suspicious or varies.

D: Diameter is greater than 6mm (approx. the size of a pencil eraser).

E:  Evolving, elevated, or unEven. If your mole or lesion looks different from others or is changing in shape, size or color.

For more information on detecting skin cancer: 

• The ABCDE's of Skin Cancer, this site offers photo examples of what to look for in moles and lesions
• Skin cancer prevention — knowing your ABCDE’s, Dayton Daily News
• What Your Body Is Telling You - WSJ.com

Remember, if you have any questions about a mole or lesion, contact your doctor. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S. with approximately 1 million cases diagnosed yearly.

Garden Quilt

Flowers make me smile. This garden of pink peonies and giant red poppies reminds me of a colorful crazy quilt. I want to sit on my deck and wrap the flower quilt around me

Pet Safety: Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants

My dogs have always enjoyed sitting on my deck. Outdoors on a deck or near the garden might seem like a great place for pets, but their human friends need to make sure the plants nearby are not toxic. 

The ASPCA website has a great list with photos of Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants

You can also search the plant database using common or scientific names or even symptoms. The list includes categories for plants toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Remember the "common name" of a plant in one part of the country or world might refer to a completely different plant someplace else. Make sure to check the scientific name of the plant to get the most accurate plant information. Using the scientific name is important because some regional plants with common names might not appear on the poisonous plant list.

Please note that I am not a vet or an animal health expert. According to the ASPCA, the information contained on the ASPCA "plant list is not meant to be all-inclusive, but rather a compilation of the most frequently encountered plants."

Concerned about a potential poisoning? 

If you think that your animal is ill or may have ingested a poisonous substance, 

contact your local veterinarian or the ASPCA 24-hour emergency poison hotline 

directly at 1-888-426-4435.

You might be surprised to find out that some of the plants you thought were safe are dangerous to pets. Did you know Aloe Vera is toxic to dogs and cats?

(Photo above: ASPCA website)

Use NonToxic Gardening Products

Keep your garden safe by also using nontoxic gardening products. Certain toxic products like slug and snail bait might seem tasty to pets but they can cause life-threatening side-effects within minutes! Always contact your vet or an animal emergency hotline poison hotline for the best advice to treat your pet. You need a vet's expertise because methods that work on humans are not meant to be used on pets.

Other resources:

Common Poisonous Plants | The Humane Society of the United States

Common Plants Are Toxic to Pets | NBC New York

Go Green: Grow Sweet Peppers

Cubanelle sweet peppers are easy to grow in a garden or a container pot. When the yellow, red, or green peppers are 4 to 6 inches long they are ripe. They are similar to banana peppers. Mild and sweet, the "Sweet Italian Frying Pepper" is more flavorful than Bell peppers. Because of their lower water content they are great for frying and cooking.

Fresh Strawberries

I can already taste the juicy red berries from this plant even though technically they haven't ripened yet. 

It's hard to be patient in the garden.

Go Green: Grow a Sweet Plant

This herb smells like a peppermint patty. My sweet Chocolate Mint plant flavors teas, adds a unique chocolate flavor to desserts or sweet breads, or makes a yummy potpourri.

An easy-to-grow plant, it grows well in an area with morning sun and shade after 2 p.m.  

Sidewalk Art

 

Often nature creates the most magical artwork. 

All we need to do is slow down and look around us. 

Real-Life Positive Parenting Ideas Online

 

Parenting is a time of rewards, laughter, and love. But we all know it can also be a time of challenges. It's one tough job.

OneToughJob.org sponsored by the Children's Trust Fund of Massachusetts has been an online source of positive parenting advice since 2006.

The CTFs OneToughJob.org  offers parents information on a variety of parenting topics from birth to age 18 including:

• positive parenting
• school and child care
• nurturing your family
• health and safety
• growth and development
• parenting tips  

Summer fun

Many of the OTJ articles focus on summer topics such as selecting a summer day camp, getting your kids to help out around the house, age-specific personal safety tips, and creative activites to do with your kids.
  

Internet safety

If your kids love technology, then check out the OTJ Technology Articles including:

• helpful internet safety websites
• how to report an incident of internet crime
• internet safety--what parents should know
• internet safety--what parents can do
• my teen and myspace
• television and video games
• the cell phone dilemma
• TV and your tot

Sleeping Baby Bluebirds

I opened the side panel and peeked into the bluebird house today.

Bluebirds build their nests in holes in dead trees or in bluebird houses built just for them. The chicks are fed several times a day by their parents. Gradually the chicks develop feathers and can see. The chicks stay in their house until they are old enough to fly.

Love and Romance in Colorado

I love Colorado. It's my home partly because the Rockies are also home to some amazing animals. This time of year the majestic elk are looking for love in Estes Park, Colorado.

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

Summer Vacation: Packing Your Bags (And Baggies)

If you travel by air, then you probably know what it's like to have the neatly organized contents of your checked bags or even your carry-on bags disorganized during security checks. I won't complain about the minor inconvenience due to security checks because I support TSA security efforts at airports. 

The good news is you can minimize the disruption to your bag by placing related items such as clothing (folded), toys, and gadgets in quart, gallon and larger baggies. When your bag is examined, the baggies make it easier to keep related items together. If you travel with kids, placing toys and clothes in baggies makes it easy to control clutter when they pack. On a recent trip when we forgot to use the baggies system, my son's carry-on bag was so "overloaded" that when he was asked to remove all items at a security checkpoint he was unable to get all his things back into his bag! Since we have adopted using the baggie packing system, it's much easier to keep the bags organized. Remember to recycle your baggies on your next trip.

Happy travels!

Geeky Mom: Cool Travel Apps for iPhone

Planning a trip this summer? With an iPhone of iPod touch planning and making the trip keeps getting easier.  Here are a few of my personal faves and some recommended by The New York Times

Trip planning apps

Expedia Itinerary Viewer (free) View your saved and booked Expedia itineraries with the itinerary viewer application.

Travelocity (free) Check flight schedules, gate numbers, security wait times and -- if you booked through Travelocity -- your itinerary. Also lets you search for "Hotels Near Me" 

AAA Discounts (free) Uses GPS technology to instantly identify nearby businesses offering deals for AAA members.

Are we there yet apps

Flight Status ($3.99) Flight status, arrival gates and baggage carousels.

Google Earth (free) Show this app to your kids and ask them to figure out when you'll arrive at your destination.

FlightTrack ($4.99) Real-time flight tracking and weather reports. (See photo above.)

Getting around town apps

Mass transit and subway maps for major cities:

CityTransit (for New York City, $2.99), 

Tube London City ($9.99) 

iBart(for the San Francisco area, free).

Taxi! (free)  finds taxi services throughout the US based on your location. 

Where to eat apps

Zagat to Go '09 ($9.99) Kinda spendy for an app, but it's just like a book with lots of suggestions for where to eat. Uses GPS. Photos of restaurants. Lets you make reservations with a click. 

Open  Table (free) Incredibly easy restaurant reservations.

Yelp (free) Helps you find a nearby restaurant, coffee shop--tips for finding really almost anything.

Urban Spoon (free) recommends restaurants in more than 50 cities 

Local Eats (99 cents), an iPhone version of the guidebook series "Where the Locals Eat" -- uses the the top 100 restaurants in 50 American cities. 

Tipulator  ($1.99) No need to think after finishing a delicious meal--this app figures out your tip for you.

Find almost anything apps

Where (free) Lets you scroll through different services (coffee shops, gas stations and restaurants) and shows you where they are on a Google Map, along with your location.

International travel apps

Truphone (free) Think Skype for the iPhone. This app lets you make cheap international phone calls over Wi-Fi (about 6 cents a minute to landlines and 30 cents to mobile phones),

MOMPF Currency Converter (free), which has a funny-looking cartoon for a mascot, allows you to easily switch among currencies and to store favorites.

Lonely Planet ($9.99) helps you say it with phrasebook apps in 10 languages including Czech, Italian and Vietnamese. 

Babelingo ($5.99), this "no talking required" app makes it almost impossible to screw up the pronunciation of foreign phrases--just choose a phrase like "Where is the bathroom?" and it displays the translation in big bold type. 

Looking for more info on apps?

You can also check out more iPhone apps at the  iPhone App Store. On this link Apple makes it super easy to browse top iPhone apps in specific categories like travel, news, social networking, reference, music, sports, etc.

Go Green: Eco-Friendly Pots for New Plants

Whenever I transplant new plants in my garden, I end up with a pile of discarded plastic pots the plants are sold in. Some of the temporary pots are recyclable, but many are not. 

This year I discovered  eco-friendly peat pots. Love them. Easy to plant. Better for your plants. My new herbs for the garden came in biodegradable Bonnie Peat Pots. The green peat pots make it super simple to garden with kids. Here's how: 

• remove the narrow band of  shrink wrap with planting instructions around the top edge of the pot
• tear away the top of the peat pot so that the rim is not exposed after planting
• remove the bottom half of the pot before planting to help roots
• compost any pieces of peat pot or turn them into the ground
• make a hole in the ground the size of the peat pot and place the plant in the hole
• the peat pot keeps the plant intact and makes the planting process great for kids