InvitingSmiles Blog

We all know that teaching our children healthy eating habits is very important, but as the saying goes, easier said than done!

My teenage children are constantly complaining, “There is nothing to eat in this house”. As a parent, let me translate that statement, “There is no junk food to eat in this house”.
We have plenty of food, just not the easy grab-it-and-go junk food that they want me to provide for them.

#1 suggestion for healthy eating: Do not bring junk food into your home.

#2 suggestion: Educate your family on how to read labels. First rule, “you can’t judge a food by its label”. What may scream HEALTHY, NO FAT, LOW FAT, and/or 100% NUTRITIONAL, may not be all that.

#3 suggestion: If your life is so fast, that fast food is your main food source, slow your life down. While many fast food venues are offering more healthy choices, the temptations are still there, especially for a young developing child’s mind. Teaching your child to make good choices when visiting a fast food restaurant is a great lesson, but this should not be a daily lifestyle.

#4 suggestion: Make healthy living a family event. Cook together, exercise together, and learn together. Make menu planning fun family time. Let your children choose their healthy options and be proud of their choices.

Click here to learn more about Childhood Obesity:
http://blog.invitingsmiles.com/?p=199

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After reading about the 19 pound baby born last week, we can’t help but wonder what future affects the mother’s gestational diabetes will have on this very large baby. While many women with gestational diabetes (diabetes that only happens during pregnancy) deliver healthy babies, there are complications that may be of concern.
o As with this ‘toddler-sized’ newborn, excess growth is a possibility for the unborn baby. Delivering a very large baby is a problem of its own. Even though this baby was delivered via c-section, the doctor is noted as saying it was complicated because the baby’s body and legs were so large.
o Jaundice becomes a bigger threat as well. While this is manageable, the baby will be closely watched.
o The newborn’s blood sugar level will be closely monitored. Soon after birth, some of these baby’s blood sugar levels drop, causing hypoglycemia. This is usually controlled, or prevented, by prompt feedings, and if necessary glucose can be given intravenously.
o As with the mother, Type 2 Diabetes will be a concern for the baby later in life. It will be very important to teach this baby how to live a healthy lifestyle with exercise and good eating habits.
o Respiratory and future developmental problems are also concerns. 
We are happy to hear that this mommy and her baby boy are doing well. We wish them and their family the very best.
Click here for information on teaching your children to exercise http://blog.invitingsmiles.com/?p=601

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A woman in Indonesia has given birth to a 19 pound baby. While this is the largest baby born in Indonesia, it is not the world record. That record is held by a 23 pound baby born in 1879.

This new 19.2 pound baby is the size of a typical 1 year old with a length of 24 inches. The doctor states that the baby’s cry is more like a roar, and feeding is nonstop. The doctor feels the size of the baby was due to the mother’s gestational diabetes.

Gestational diabetes occurs only during pregnancy. It affects the way the mom’s body uses sugar. It can cause high blood sugar levels that may, or may not, cause problems for the mom, but definitely threatens the health of the baby. In this case, they believe the baby received too much glucose while in the womb.
When pregnant, a woman produces high levels of hormones. These hormones affect the action of insulin in her body. A small elevation of blood sugar is normal in most pregnancies. However, some women (doctors are not sure why) develop gestational diabetes during the last part of their pregnancy.
The dangers for the mom are:
o Future diabetes: Not only gestational diabetes with future pregnancies, but also Type 2 diabetes is a threat for the mom later in life.
o Urinary tract infections: Double the number of UTI’s during pregnancy than normal pregnancies.   
o Preeclampsia: We will discuss more about this next Monday.
While heredity, being overweight, and/or over the age of 25 when pregnant are all risk factors for gestational diabetes, healthy living is your best bet to prevent, or control, diabetes. Exercise on a regular basis, eat healthy and have regular doctor visits.
Tomorrow we will discuss the possible affects of gestational diabetes on the newborn baby.
Click here for information about exercising while pregnant: http://blog.invitingsmiles.com/?p=707

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Create a school carnival that is out of this world by using an Outer Space theme. Planets, stars, the moon and sun are just some of the decorations you may want to use. Space ships, astronauts, aliens and rockets will be fun to have around as well.

This carnival will not only be a ‘blast’, but will be a great learning experience. You may be able to coordinate the carnival around classroom activities of our solar system. This way the children can learn about our great solar system in class, and display some of their artistic classroom activities during the carnival as decorations.

Ask your volunteers to dress up as astronauts and aliens. Rent a bounce house and call it the Moon Walk. Instead of throwing balls, or tossing beanbags through holes in a board, cut the holes in a piece of plywood large enough to accommodate a Frisbee. Decorate your board like the solar system, or simply black with stars painted on it. You could wrap the Frisbees in foil to make them your UFO Invasion!

Research the internet for more out of this world ideas and make your carnival the best party of the year!

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If someone were to ask you, “Do bicycle helmets really save lives”, what would your answer be? Most adults would answer, yes. However, every year there are deaths reported that could have be prevented if the rider was wearing a helmet.

Have you noticed an adult bicycle rider wearing all the bicycle gear: the padded bike shorts, the gloves, the reflective clothing, but no helmet? I always wonder what their reasoning would be if confronted.

Here are a few statistics:

• In 2007, 698 bicyclists died on US roads (Florida had 119 of these bike fatalities).

• Emergency rooms are visited by an average of 540,000 bicyclists every year. 67,000 of these are head injuries.

• A crash with a person not wearing a helmet is 14 times more likely to be fatal than a crash with a helmeted rider.
• The leading cause of bicycle-related deaths is head injury. More than 1/3 of these have traumatic brain injury.
• Wearing a helmet reduces the risk of a brain injury by 88 percent.

If you think the actions of others does not affect you, think again. The estimated costs of injuries resulting from non-helmet cyclists is $81million each year; no wonder our health costs are rising!

Teach your children that wearing a bike helmet is a must. There is no other option. Just like wearing a safety belt when riding in a car, a helmet is the smart thing to do and an absolute necessity.

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Once again, the holidays are approaching. Are you ready? If you are expecting a baby close to the holidays, we want to remind you that our holiday cards are easily made into holiday birth announcements.

Every year we have some of the cutest birth announcements created from our holiday card selection to serve the dual purpose of expressing your holiday wishes and announcing your new bundle of joy. 

We have some of the best prices for high quality cards that you will find. Check out our holiday card selection and remember, your can order your cards now to hold the price and send your photo later after the baby is born!

 http://www.invitingsmiles.com/holiday-announcements2.html

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Many women who are on their first pregnancy wonder, “How big will my belly grow”? In fact, many wonder if they are too big, or too small for their baby’s health.
The size of your ‘baby bump’ during your pregnancy is mostly decided on your natural body size. If you are short-waisted you will probably show earlier than a person who has a longer abdomen. Tall women with good muscle tone may not show a baby bump for a while.
Later in pregnancy, if you are carrying a large baby and you are a tall woman, your baby bump will still probably be smaller than a shorter woman carrying the same size baby. 

This is a good example why regular doctor visits are very important. The doctor will measure your tummy from the bottom of the uterus to the top of the uterus. He can determine from this measurement whether you are growing as expected.  If he has any concerns, he may suggest a sonogram. With the wonderful, detailed sonograms, we are able to have today; the growth of the baby can be monitored closely and accurately.

Click this link for information on Pregnancy and Gaining Weight:  http://blog.invitingsmiles.com/?p=318

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Wedding flowers can be quite costly, but if you plan well, you can buy wedding flowers on any budget. Budgets are tighter than ever before and the way to stick to a budget is research and planning. The same applies to acquiring flowers for your wedding.

Use the seasons (or avoid them) to your advantage:

o Flowers will be more expensive around Valentines Day and Mother’s Day, avoid these times. 

o Flowers, like fruit have their seasons. The same type of flowers can be expensive at certain times of the year and inexpensive at other times. Speak to your florist.

o If your wedding is during the spring, or summer, an outdoor ceremony can provide all the natural greenery and floral decorations that you may need. If outdoors is not an option, choose a venue with plenty of windows and beautiful landscaping to view.

o If your wedding is during the winter, say around the holidays, many venues will already be decorated for the season. You can coordinate with the current decorations and your costs will be less.

o Mix artificial and real flowers. Use artificial flowers for arrangements that are viewed from a distance and real for the arrangements that will be truly noticed.

Let your creativity flourish and you can have an elegant and meaningful wedding without spending a fortune.
Click for more wedding flower tips: http://www.invitingsmiles.com/wedding-flowers.html

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Here is a great idea for a Bridal Shower! I have attended an old-fashioned pounding before where guests bring items to help stock the couple’s pantry, but now I have heard of a new ‘twist’.

The guests bring their favorite recipe along with the items it takes to create that recipe.

Non-perishables: Flour, salt, vinegar, sugar, etc.

Utensils: Measuring cups, mixing bowls, whisk, etc.

The new bride has new recipes, and the whole kitchen is stocked, not just the pantry.

While I find this to be a great idea, I do have some concern over duplicates. Most recipes will need measuring cups, and how many sets of these does one couple need. Therefore, planning and communication will be necessary. This may be a good idea for a small bridal shower of close friends.

Another idea is to designate some guests to bring a dessert recipe, others to bring a snack recipe, others may bring a main dish recipe and even a grilling recipe.

This is a fun idea for all of those creative hosts out there!

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Once your children lose their primary teeth, it is important to teach your children to take good care of their teeth. In fact, you should start teaching good dental hygiene when their baby teeth come in. This way brushing and flossing will be a good habit from the start.

•  Visit a dentist who will show your child the proper way to brush and care for teeth. Then  schedule regular dental checkups for cleaning and fluoride treatments. There are  pediatric dentists available that specialize in children’s dentistry.
•  Brush teeth at least twice a day. Supervise your child’s brushing until you feel  comfortable that he will brush correctly without supervision.
•  Replace a toothbrush every 3-4 months. Take your child shopping for the toothbrush.  Explain why you are buying a new one. Later, when your child is grown, he will know why it is important to replace his toothbrush.
•  Floss teeth before bedtime. The dentist will show you how to floss teeth properly.

Taking care of teeth does not begin and end with a toothbrush and floss. The foods and drinks that you consume are also considered. Limit sugary foods and drinks. Rinse teeth and mouth with water after consuming these sugars. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables to provide vitamins and minerals that will strengthen teeth. This will lead your child to good dental hygiene and healthy eating habits!

Click here to learn more about losing baby teeth: http://blog.invitingsmiles.com/?p=794

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