Got a gamer in the family….awaiting the Playstation 4?

You don’t have to wait!!!

What would YOU do for a Playstation 4?

My little man turned 1 yesterday!  I can’t believe how fast his first year went.  I swear it was just the other day that I was jumping on the trampoline to induce labor.  (Don’t judge!  It worked!!)

In celebration of Beckham’s special day, Real Moms Real Views is hosting a birthday bash!  We have teamed up with several sponsors to help throw Beckham one killer Mickey Mouse Clubhouse birthday party!  It is going to be so fun, so colorful, and so cute!

Join us next week to learn about some wonderful companies that you can rely on for fast, quality, and wonderful products for all your celebrations!  The giveaways are going to be great!!

photography by Michelle Ashworth Photography

When most parents think of affordable childcare they think of a back alley, unlicensed daycare center where children are mistreated and conditions are less than tenable. With the economy the way it is, more and more parents are looking for cheaper care for their young children, but they don’t want to sacrifice quality in exchange for pinching a few pennies. Yet, there are a number of options for parents seeking affordable child care, provided that they are willing to get a little creative and resourceful. Here are some ways to find affordable child care without compromising quality.

One simple way to save money on child care is to reduce the hours that your nanny works during the week. For instance, if your children are in school during the day and only have a few hours during the afternoon where they are alone before you come home from work, why not only hire the nanny during those few hours? Many parents believe that they need their nanny on call all day long ¬- sometimes on the weekends – but if you think about it, your children are only alone for a few hours a day. Cutting down hours could save you a fortune on a nanny’s salary.

Another way to save on child care is to come up with a payment agreement with your nanny where a percentage of their salary is not monetary. For instance, instead of paying them their full salary, why not offer them medical insurance, a gym membership or you could even take care of their phone bills. The economy isn’t only effecting parents, but nannies too. Sometimes they would be willing to take a pay cut if some of their bills or other expenses are subsidized in some way.

There is also the option of having your nanny move into your home. Sometimes it can be more affordable for parents to have their nanny move in, because then the nanny won’t have as many large expenses and financial burdens that are included in their overall salary, like rent, mortgage, and car payments. If your nanny does move into your home, you could take rent out of their total salary, because they would have a perfectly fine roof over their heads Their living arrangements are completely taken care of and you get to enjoy round the clock child care. If you can’t fit a new person in your home, perhaps you can find a child care franchise where services are much cheaper than privately owned facilities or hiring a nanny.

Lastly, chances are that you have a few personal expenses you can sacrifice in order to get quality child care. Perhaps you can take down your shopping or restaurant budget in order to better afford child care. The best way to increase your ability to pay for the things you need is to cut out the things you want. When it comes to the peace of mind that comes with knowing that your children are safe while you are at work, that new purse or dress can definitely wait.

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Kids are simply awesome, aren’t they? They’re fun and energetic. They’re loving and inquisitive. And they’re also extreme busybodies. So much in fact that when it comes time for them to play outside or with their friends or with their toys, there’s absolutely no telling how dirty they will get. That’s why it’s important to make sure to not only keep them clean, but to sanitize their toys too.

Although there are a lot of people who resort to soaking their children’s play things in a half bleach/half water solution, the reality is that since bleach is such a strong chemical, it really is a good idea to try and find other methods that are much safer. If you’re curious to know about what some of those options are, we’ve enclosed five of them below:

Run them through the dishwasher. If you’re someone who is crammed for time, something that you can do in the mornings before leaving for work or to run errands is load up all of your children’s (plastic or metal) toys into the dishwasher. Not only will the wash cycle thoroughly clean them, but the rinse and dry cycles will help to sterilize them too.

Throw them into the washing machine. Speaking of a quick way to clean your child’s toys, another option is to place them into a mesh bag and put them in the washing machine on a delicate cycle. This is an especially good idea if you need to wash some toys made out of cloth. As a substitute for bleach, you can pour a half cup of hydrogen peroxide into the rinse cycle. Just remember that if you are washing plastic toys to not put them into the dryer. The temperature will probably melt them.

Try some grapefruit seed extract. Something that is just awesome for cleaning purposes is grapefruit seed extract. Not only can you use it in your kitchen to kill mold, clean food and your cutting boards, but by filling up a 32-ounce spray bottle with 40-60 drops, you can also use it as a multi-purpose cleaner for your bathroom, patio furniture and yes, even your kid’s toys.

Purchase some Medela sanitizing wipes. If you want to use a cleaning brand that is proven to have far less chemicals than a lot of the more popular ones, consider going with one known as Medela. Whether you’re going to use them on some homemade toys or ones that you purchased from Toybuzz or another store, just a couple of wipes should have them looking (and smelling) like new again. That’s because since they are sanitizing wipes, they are convenient to use. Plus they are fairly priced as well. (You can find them at Target for less than $9 per pack.)

Apply some white vinegar and water. Another safe household method is to create a solution of one-part vinegar and one-part water. Then you can wash the toys with a sponge in the solution. Initially, the smell might be a bit irritating, but it will wear off as the items dry. Besides, there’s a simple way to curb the scent. Simply add a couple of drops of your favorite essential oil into the bucket and you’ll have fresh-smelling sanitized toys in just a matter of moments!

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Summertime and children are an awesome mix. In the warm weather, kids can play outside with friends, go swimming and enjoy cool glasses of lemonade. As a matter of fact, if there is an actually “downside” to June, July and August, probably the only one would be that sometimes the heat and humidity are so high that you sometimes have to find really creative ways to keep your kids’ bodies cool.

As a matter of fact, that’s why we’re here: to provide you with five innovative ways for you and your kids to beat the heat this summer season.

Make your own ice cream, yogurt or popsicles. Hands down, one of the best things about summertime is being able to enjoy all of the cold treats that you can get at an ice cream shop, your local grocery store or that you can even make them at home. For popsicles, you can simply pour some juice into some plastic popsicle holders and place them inside of the freezer for a couple of hours. For ice cream and yogurt, you can purchase machines that make them at stores like Wal-Mart or Target. Or, you can go to websites such as Brown Eyed Baker (just put “homemade ice cream without an ice cream maker” in the search field) or Make Your Own Yogurt for step-by step instructions on how to make them by hand.

Have them help you with outdoor “chores”. If you’re outside doing a bit of gardening or even washing the car, why not make it fun for both you and your children by asking them to help you out? By putting them in charge of the water hose, they can help to water plants, rinse off your vehicle and then perhaps even engage with you in a friendly water fight once the chores are done.

Paint-by-ice. Do you have a couple of small artists-in-the-making living in your home? If so, another great thing to do is purchase a few paint-by-number coloring books. Only, rather than giving your children paint brushes, how about handing them some ice cubes instead? It will still produce the same results, but in a way that will keep them cool in the midst of summer’s heat.

Let them wash clothes (kind of). If you were to speak with an energy auditor about how to test air quality in your home, in the midst of the conversation, one of the things that they might recommend is that you make sure to keep your air filters changed and that you open some windows in order to let some natural air come through. Well, something that you can also do to keep your air cooler and your energy bills down is to opt to hang some of your freshly-washed clothes on a clothes line outside. While you are doing that, fill a couple of plastic tubes up with soap and water so that your kids can wash a few of their own T-shirts and shorts too (or at least so that they can pretend that they are).

Design your own “slip and slide”. If you don’t happen to have a pool in your backyard, that’s OK. You can always make a slip and slide that will prove to be just as much fun. All you need is a long piece of contractor drop cloth, some u-shaped garden stakes (to hold the cloth down) and several buckets of water. By pouring the water down the cloth, it makes a slippery surface for your children (and their friends) to slide down on. Or, you can put a running water hose at the top of the slide so that it will feel almost like one of the real water slides that are featured at amusement parks. Enjoy!

Happy Mother’s Day to all our mom readers!

We know what a blessing it is to be a called a Mother.

It’s the greatest job in the world (and the toughest)!

We hope your day is wonderful.

~ Hollie ~ Crissa ~ Amanda ~ Erin ~ Christina ~ Audrey

It’s truly surprising how many people never learn basic first aid procedures, including how to take a pulse, staunch bleeding, clean and disinfect a wound, treat burns, deliver CPR, and perform the Heimlich maneuver (amongst other things). This could be because people have no idea how often accidents actually occur in the home. Or maybe they’d rather rely on the pros to save a life. But knowing basic first aid can be invaluable in an emergency situation when every second counts, increasing the odds of survival exponentially. And when you have kids in the house you don’t want to have to sit by idly as they bleed, choke, or asphyxiate while you wait for the paramedics to show up. So here are just a few benefits of learning first aid, especially of the pediatric variety, that you may not have considered.

1. Immediate response. While your local emergency response time may be stellar, you’re probably going to have to wait at least a couple of minutes for help to arrive after you call 911 (if not longer), and that can seem like a lifetime when a child is unconscious, choking, or otherwise in need of medical assistance. When you take the time to get first aid training you should be able to take steps to help your child until the paramedics or other professionals arrive on scene. This could make the difference between life and death.
2. Spot potential hazards. When you’re trained to address common medical emergencies that can befall children, you’ll start to spot potential risks around the home. This can help you to anticipate accidents and stave them off by implementing rules and installing safety devices. Most parents already address known issues like locking away poisonous materials and installing gates around pool areas, just for example. But when you become aware of the many ways in which children can be harmed you’ll go above and beyond to make your home safer.
3. Prevent further injury. Parents that know little to nothing about pediatric first aid may make a terrible mistake during an emergency that could end up causing additional harm. Suppose, for example, that you’re in a car accident or your child takes a tumble from an upper-story window. With appropriate first aid training you’ll know not to move your child until paramedics arrive since it could increase trauma and lead to further injury.
4. Targeted training. In case you didn’t know, kids and adults require different care when it comes to first aid. By taking specific courses in pediatric first aid you’ll learn the proper techniques for offering medical assistance to children, such as covering their mouth and nose during CPR instead of pinching their nose with your fingers.
5. Peace of mind. There’s nothing better than knowing that you could assist your kids and potentially even save their lives in the case of an emergency. Even American or Australia wide first aid cannot respond as fast as someone who is present at the time of an accident. And the peace of mind you’ll get from having the ability to treat your children until paramedics arrive is worth every minute spent in a training course.

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Bringing home a baby is certainly cause for celebration, and you’ll no doubt feel overjoyed to finally have your newborn out of your body and in your arms. But if you’re being honest, there’s a pretty steep learning curve for motherhood, especially with your first baby – everything is new! And no matter how many books you read about what to expect, nothing can prepare you for the smell of a diaper, the adrenaline rush every time your baby’s high-pitched wail wakes you from a dead sleep, or the absolute frustration of trying to get a baby to latch on (luckily, there are coaches for this last one). Add in a decided lack of shut-eye and you can see why many new moms reach their wits end within days of bringing home their bundle of joy. But it does get better. You just have to find ways to hold out until you learn the ropes and get your newborn on a schedule that allows you some time to sleep. So here are a few techniques that should help you to get some R&R in the meantime.

1. Nap time with baby. The vast majority of new moms harbor a fear of napping with their newborn, thinking that in their heightened state of exhaustion they might roll over and crush their infant. But this is fairly unlikely. And napping in separate spaces can definitely decrease the amount of sleep that both you and your baby enjoy. So think about pairing feedings with nap time. A breastfeeding coach can show you how to lie on your side so that your baby can fall asleep feeding and you can catch a few winks along the way. It’s a great way to bond with your baby, increase the amount of rest you receive, and reduce stress all at the same time.
2. Shared responsibility. While you might think that the majority of feeding duty falls to you simply because you’re the food source, there are certainly ways to split the duty with your spouse. By expressing (i.e. pumping) breast milk before you go to bed you can prepare a bottle so that you and your partner can trade off on feedings throughout the night, potentially allowing both of you to double up on your current sleep time. This will help you to increase your state of relaxation and focus during your waking hours, which can only mean good things for the entire household.
3. Ask for help. Aside from your spouse, there are likely family and friends that would be more than happy to give you a break by taking over baby patrol for a while. This could allow you to get a full night’s rest here and there (a definite luxury for most new parents), run some errands, or (gasp) enjoy a date night. Your own mother and mother-in-law are great choices for this type of favor, although siblings, extended family, and your local support network of friends may also be tapped so that you can get some relief.
4. Diet and exercise. What you eat and your level of activity can have a marked impact on your stress level. Since you want to eat a balanced and nutritious diet for your baby’s sake anyway, sticking to healthy choices is practically a given (and this is good news for your own state of well-being). But you should also make an effort to get your baby in the stroller for a walk or jog on a daily basis. This can not only help you to shed baby weight more quickly, but it can also boost energy, reduce stress, and contribute to deeper sleep. And don’t forget about the benefits of mood-boosting serotonin.
5. Massage. If all else fails, hand the baby off to your spouse for a few hours and head to the best spa in Boston, New York, Los Angeles, or your local environs for a little tenderizing. You’ll come home relaxed, refreshed, and ready to resume your motherly duties.

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The main hormones responsible for facial hair growth are androgens, which are typically male hormones (although they are present in both men and women, albeit in different ranges). Women who suffer from facial hair almost certainly have higher-than-average levels of androgens or low levels of female hormones like estrogen and progesterone (or both). This can cause all kinds of problems, including weight gain, acne, and reduced libido, just for example – in other words, nothing good. But you may also experience issues with your hair that are normally reserved for men, including thinning and hair loss on your head and hair growth on your chest, chin, and upper lip. In extreme cases, this traditionally male hair growth in women is called hirsutism, and it is characterized by male patterns of hair growth.

However, most women won’t experience this level of hair growth. With age, a person’s hormone levels change, and it’s common for women to see an increase in facial fuzz, not to mention a few coarse, dark hairs here and there. In fact, this process begins for some women as early as their twenties or thirties, and it can even start at adolescence, depending on the person. But for most, hair growth is something that increases with age. So what can you do about it? For many women, birth control pills can help, but after a certain age it is not advisable to continue taking these hormones. Luckily, many women going through menopause begin taking estrogen pills to deal with issues like hot flashes and insomnia, and these can help to keep facial hair under control, as well.

In truth, there are all kinds of drugs that may help to control androgen levels, although you’ll have to talk to your doctor before taking any. Unfortunately, they tend to come with any number of unpleasant side effects. As an alternative, you could always consider waxing, plucking, or depilatory creams, depending on how sensitive your skin is. Shaving is generally considered a terrible idea since the bristly hair growth it promotes can cause your follicular problem to appear even worse. You might also consult a site like Epilator Central for a fast (if not pain-free) removal option, or you could go for something more permanent with laser hair removal treatments. Regardless of the cause of facial hair growth in women, you likely just want it gone. And whether you choose hormone treatments or removal options, you should know that there are plenty of ways to keep your face fuzz free and feminine.

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