50 Holiday Gifts for Host Moms...

After writing my 50 Holiday Gifts for Au Pairs, my current Au Pair thought it would be great if I could publish a Holiday Gift Guide for Host Moms and Dads. She told me it is very stressful buying for host parents, especially when they seem to have “everything” they want. Here is my 50 Holiday Gifts for Host Moms.   This is for all those Au Pairs that are not quite sure what to buy for us Host Moms. Click on the picture on the right hand side and it will open the 50 Holiday Gifts for Host Moms pdf.  The pdf has hyperlinks, so scroll over the item you are interested in and click through to the website where you can purchase the gift. The 50 Holiday Gifts for Host Moms gifts range from under $25 – under $100.  You can also find more gift ideas under my Gift Ideas for Host Moms on Pinterest. Here is a selection of 10 gifts out of the 50 Holiday Gifts for Host Moms. Stay tune for the Holiday Gifts for Host Dads.   Pinterest Boards Dedicated to 50 Holiday Gift Lists Pinterest: Gifts for Au Pairs Pinterest: Gifts for Host Dads Pinterest: Gifts for Host Moms Pinterest: DIY Gifts From...

50 Holiday Gifts for Au Pairs...

Buying for an Au Pair, nanny, and/or child care provider can sometimes be difficult and for most parents more stressful than buying for their significant others. Your child’s care giver is watching your most precious asset(s) everyday and you want to ensure they feel appreciated.  The questions that go through my mind when shopping for my Au Pair are: How much do I spend? How much is too much? Do I buy multiple presents or just one? Is cash OK? Do I give gift cards? I have an Au Pair that lives in our house and is our adopted daughter, so I budget for her gifts like I do my other two children. She will be spending the holidays with us and waking up on Christmas morning with just as much anticipation and excitement as my three year old. Most Au Pairs have never experienced Christmas and/or other seasonal holidays American style, so in my experience all of our Au Pair’s are just as or more excited than my children. Because it can be challenging to come up with some ideas, here is a list with 50 Holiday Gifts for Au Pairs with gifts ranging from under $25 – under $200.  You can also find more gift ideas under my Gift Ideas for Au Pairs on Pinterest. Pinterest Boards Dedicated to 50 Holiday Gift Lists Pinterest: Gifts for Au Pairs Pinterest: Gifts for Host Dads Pinterest: Gifts for Host Moms Pinterest: DIY Gifts From Kids Here are eight gift ideas out of the 50 Holiday Gifts for Au Pairs.  ...

Thank You Cards

Thank you! These two little words mean so much. I was taught early on when you receive a gift, you send a hand written thank you card. As a kid, I thought this was a major pain in the bum, especially when you rather play with your toys instead of writing hand written thank you notes. But, we did it because it was required. As an adult, I have tried to maintain this practice and instill the importance of thank you cards with my kids. Yes, sometimes life gets in the way and I do not always get hand written thank you cards out, but I try. Even though my kids are 3 years old and 12 months old, they have been required to participate in creating their own thank you cards. My son has colored on each card that goes out since he has been 15 months old – putting his own touches on it.  For my daughter, she painted her own thank you cards for her first birthday.  Here is how we did it and how you can recreate them for your own family. Supplies Needed 1 Roll of Painter’s tape 1 Box of plain cards and/or paper (card stock) 1 paint brush or the kids can use their fingers 1 washable paint (colors of your choice) 1 paper plate for the paints Directions Get out your blank cards out. If you are using card stock paper, cut the paper down the middle; leaving two pieces of paper. Then fold each paper in half making two cards. Make your child’s first initial of their name with Painter’s tape on the front of the card. Have your child paint the front of the card over the tape. Depending on the age of your...

Flying the Stroller Friendly Skies...

By Cheryl Rushing It is nearly travel season and if you’re reading this you’re probably traveling with an infant or toddler, which brings its own set of challenges; flying the stroller friendly skies. We’re here to focus on a big one: traveling via air with a jogging stroller. Each major air carrier has their own set of rules when it comes to strollers, but some basic guidelines apply: The stroller can usually be checked at the gate.  Check with your airline if it is not listed below. Most airlines will allow an umbrella stroller as a carry on, space permitting. Most airlines check the stroller free of charge as long as the child is traveling with you, but please check the website or call the reservations number to verify before traveling. The stroller must fold down/collapse (strollers that do not collapse must be checked at the ticket counter and may incur a baggage fee). The stroller must be bagged and tagged (we recommend tagging inside and out). Label it with your name everywhere; like they tell you when you bring your toddler to preschool or day care, Label, Label, Label. The airline is not responsible for damage to the stroller and damage waiver coverage cannot be purchased. If you are planning on flying the stroller friendly skies; here is a breakdown of stroller guidelines for major US airlines when traveling domestically: AirTran Reservations/Information: 1-800-247-8726 You may bring a stroller to the gate for ease of travel through the airport. The stroller may be gate checked just before boarding the plane and will be returned to the aircraft jet way upon arrival at your destination. Car seats and strollers may be checked free of charge; any other items are subject to standard baggage fees (i.e.,...

Just breathe!

“Just breathe. Take three deep breaths because you are three years old.”  This is what I say to my son when he is angry, frustrated or just plain too excited.  Usually after he takes his third deep breaths (properly), he has either calmed down enough to have a conversation or is ready to go onto the next activity. Like any three year old, he repeats back to me what I say to him. So one day my husband and I were having a heated discussion and he turned to us and said, “Calm down. There are other ways to handle this situation. Just breathe.”  At that moment, my husband and I were no longer fighting because we were laughing too hard. But, my son has a point. So the next time I got angry and needed to calm myself, I thought to myself just breathe. Except, I decided to take 38 deep breaths for 38 years old; take the number of breaths based on your age. Low and behold by the time I got to 20 breaths I was calmed down; 38 deep breaths takes a hell of a long time.  No, I do not do this every time; some times I cannot think that fast. But I realized when I do, the “situation” is not as bad as I thought or I am able to handle myself and my emotions better. In light of everything going on around us, I wonder if we all took the number of breaths that is equivalent to our age, if perhaps, we would have far less angry people in the world.  Or if nothing else, we learn a new technique to control our immediate impulses. Seriously, try it!  You will find in most circumstances you will have...

Positive Impact of Healthy Touch...

By Stephanie Maziejka I have been discussing health and wellness as it relates to the individual and I would like to branch out and focus on why healthy touch can have a much larger positive impact on not only the family unit but the community as well. My previous articles discuss the physiological benefits of massage; relief from musculoskeletal aches and pains, stimulation of body systems, and a decrease in stress/increase in relaxation via accessing the parasympathetic nervous system and kicking our bodies out of the fight or flight stress stage, where many of us spend our daily lives.  In a world where individuals sustain heightened stress levels, more and more preventable pathologies are popping up (a discussion for a different day) and the emotional and psychological connectedness that used to be prominent among families and communities has suffered.  Physiologically, touch improves health. When individuals are healthier they tend to be happier and psychological studies* have shown this to have a tremendous affect on the happy individual’s interpersonal relationships, work ethic and productivity, and their connectedness to the world around them. In addition to the physiological benefits and the increased levels of happy that massage and healthy touch can provide, its strongest attribute is to promote and establish trust.  One reason that touch has become such a taboo subject in our society is because of the horrendous stories told on the media about physical and sexual abuse among adults.  Even more atrocious are the stories of physical or sexual abuse of children by adults.  As a new mother, I am affected by these stories more so than before I had my son. Now upon hearing these stories I get a visceral reaction of panic, disgust, and overwhelming sadness. I realize that upon hearing these...

Prenatal Massage Is the Foundation for a Healthy Lifestyle...

By Stephanie Maziejka Last month I introduced the idea of healthy touch and creating a foundation for a healthy lifestyle through Infant Massage, but if you want to set the groundwork, you need to begin while the baby is in utero with a prenatal massage. Newborns are just that, new! It’s up to us as parents and guardians to nurture and guide these little babies towards healthy growth and development. A baby is born with up to 40 weeks of development in the womb already behind them; therefore, Mamas treat yourself and your body to a healthy, therapeutic, and relaxing prenatal massage. Pregnancy can be a scary time, it’s a whole new world and there are a lot of physical and emotional changes that occur on a daily basis. Aside from the hormones, part of the emotional roller coaster of pregnancy comes from the utter discomfort that can be caused by our changing, growing, and leaking bodies. Pregnancy remains a wonderful and beautiful experience because of the miracle of life growing inside, HOWEVER getting to that bundle of joy is not always 9 months of sunshine and rainbows. The first trimester (and for some unfortunate individuals all three trimesters) offers retching sickness and fatigue. Trimester two is a bit of a reprieve from both sickness and fatigue and it’s when the first real positive signs of pregnancy begin, the first signs of the baby bump, the first sounds of heartbeat, the first flutter of little feet. Towards the end of the second trimester into the third trimester there is tremendous growth-of everything. As the body grows, the center of gravity changes and so that we don’t face plant every time we stand up the body’s lordotic curve increases, that lower back arch that is...

Importance of Touch – the Benefits of Infant Massage...

  By Stephanie Maziejka Touch. It means something different to each of us. It is nearly impossible to live life without touch. We touch and are touched every day. We hug when we are happy and we hug when we are sad. The same action can convey very different emotions. Yet in today’s society touch is almost taboo. The media covers stories of negative touch so frequently that in our minds touch is a bad thing. Touch has the power to transfer emotion and intent and we must learn when and what kind of touch is acceptable. My mission as a Massage Therapist is to educate about touch and its amazing benefits for the mind, body, and spirit. In my monthly posts, I will be discussing touch as it relates to different demographics and giving you tips on how to use and introduce touch to your family! Infant Massage is a great place to start talking about touch since the best way to ensure a healthy lifestyle is to introduce healthy habits at a young age! Infant Massage focuses on providing nurturing touch to promote bonding and attachment between you and your baby. An Infant Massage class or session is facilitated by a Certified Educator of Infant Massage (that’s me!) with parents being the ones to administer the massage strokes to baby.  The massage itself is compiled of techniques taken from Swedish massage, Indian Massage, Reflexology, and Yoga. In addition to the strokes Infant Massage teaches baby behavioral states and body cues to help parent’s better respond to their newborns. It is a lot more empowering as a parent to look at your little one and know he’s sleepy than to run through a checklist of a thousand possibilities as to why your sweet...

New Topic: Benefits of Infant Massage...

Since becoming a mom in 2010, starting this blog and Run Stroller Run (a stroller friendly race site), I’ve continually yearn to lead a healthy, happy, fit life not only for myself, but for my family.  I connected with Stephanie Maziejka, a NCBTMB certified and a CEIM under Infant Massage USA and a new mom herself, to learn more about the benefits of infant massage. The more and more I learn, the more and more I like to share with other parents. On a monthly basis, Stephanie will be contributing to LaraCoffee.com and Run Stroller Run, discussing touch as it relates to different demographics and giving parents tips on how to use and introduce touch to their family.  Stephanie’s first article will be the Importance of Touch; the Benefits of Infant Massage. Introducing Stephanie Maziejka Stephanie Maziejka is a massage enthusiast. She provides clinical massage at a gym during the week and teaches the art and science of massage therapy on the weekend at the National Massage Therapy Institute in Falls Church, VA. Believing it is never too early to begin a healthy lifestyle, she teaches infant massage and enjoys helping families to bond and benefit from nurturing healthy touch. Stephanie has recently become a mother herself and is getting to experience firsthand the joys and benefits of motherhood and massage. Stephanie has her BA in history and literature, her MS in Psychology and is National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB) certified and a CEIM under Infant Massage USA. She is looking forward to writing about massage and wellness as it pertains to babies and families. She would love to hear from you, contact her directly. If you live in Northern Virginia, you can also stop by the Lifetime Fitness in...

Top 5 Important Reads for Au Pairs & Child Care Providers...

Au Pairs live in our house and care for our children and I want to ensure they are as equipped with the most knowledge to protect themselves and my children from harm’s way. In addition, I want to provide an environment that is fun, healthy and presents the best experience for the Au Pair and my children.  Here are my top 5 important reads for Au Pairs & Child Care Providers. Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning.  Now that summer is here, most Au Pairs are frequenting the pool with their host kids. Please read this article because what you think a drowning person should do, they won’t be able to do.     Child Care Emergency Check List.  As an Au Pair, if you do not have this information at your finger tips, please ensure you ask for immediately.  We have this information located in kitchen on the wall by the phone and phone chargers, in the diaper bag (you can put it in the kids pool or school bags), and a few more strategic places in the house.       Mom, you told everyone! Kids Privacy Online.  We have social media guidelines in our house.  Most Au Pairs we know us Facebook to communicate with one another or another form of social media. Please ensure they know what your rules are about posting photos of your kids, home, etc. or using your children’s real names.     Who Did Your Au Pair Bring Home?!?! “Sleep tight; don’t let the bedbugs bite.” This is no longer just a phrase. According to Orkin Pest Control, they have seen a 33% rise in bed bugs since 2011.  As of 2012, New York (ranked 10th in the country) and Washington, DC (ranked 7th in the county),...