• A structured baby carrier is the modern norm of babywearing. Here the wearing is done using a backpack like structure that has adjustable straps and a soft pouch. Baby carriers put the concerns in babywearing to rest. They secure, easy to use, and suitable for new mothers.
• Baby wraps are a babywearing technique where the child is enveloped around the mother using a long stretchy or woven fabric. In other words, a wrap is just a long piece of fabric with tapered ends. Baby wraps offer different carrying positions and can be held on the front, back, and even hip.
• Baby slings are similar to baby wraps. However, in this technique, the cloth is not wrapped around the caregiver but over two sewn rings. Additionally, they differ from wraps since they go over one shoulder compared to wraps, which go over your two shoulders. In baby slings, the child sits on the resulting pouch and buckled in place using the two rings.

All in all, babywearing practices such as slings and wraps are crowded with numerous controversies and mixed reviews. Luckily enough, none of these claims are evident, nor do they have enough reasons to state otherwise. We do think that slings and wraps are a great way to wear children and spare that extra hand.

Factors to consider when selecting a baby carrier

Choosing a baby carrier is not as easy as shopping for a t-shirt, paying for it, and you are good to go. It’s about factoring numerous factors such as:

1. Baby security:Your carrier should have adjustable straps that will not squish your baby but keep them buckled in. As if that is not enough, the carrier should allow your child to sit in an M shaped position. As such, this will ensure that they won’t suffer from Hip Dysplasia.
2. Ease of use:Using a baby carrier is never as easy as some might think. It’s not like taking a backpack and throwing it on your back, and you are good to go-it can be more challenging than you think. A good carrier should allow you to make adjustments, minus having to put your child down.
3. Next, comfort: A good carrier should be comfortable for you and your child. It should have paddings that are comfortable on your back or torso. These paddings should be soft and gentle on your delicate child.
4. Other considerations: Does your carrier have pockets? Is it easy to clean? Is it versatile, and can it allow you to carry your child in different positions? Lastly, is the carrier well priced?

Pros of babywearing

• Babywearing creates a skin to skin contact between the baby and the mother. As such, this builds the bond between the caregiver and the child.
• Babywearing is a great way to soothe a child.
• Babywearing allows you to continue with your chores while still nursing your child.

Cons of babywearing

• Babywearing is not easy, especially if you are new to the practice.

Did you know that becoming a parent can change your entire life? If you don’t know, then get it right. Let that not scare you as you only need to focus on how that can happen. Absolutely nothing can wholly prepare you for the blisses and encounters of parenthood but learning the basics of what to expect may lessen the sum of enormous shocks ahead.

The arrival of a newborn may change your bond with your spouse, your self-esteem, your sleep, and even your sex life so you need to be ready for the big day.

Before having a baby, you together with your spouse had extra time for each other’s desires plus reciprocated gratification. Having a child will automatically alter your main concern and will even give you less freedom.

The moment you turn out to be parents, you may get lost in your new responsibility as a mother or daddy. You need to remember that you first became couples even before the arrival of a newborn. Just by putting your baby in the baby seat, you realize how wonderful it is. So instead of inspecting your baby as the core of your family, you should view the arrival as an event that augments your lifetime with your spouse.

It’s undeniable that both males and females are faced with similar issues related to parenthood, nevertheless, males tend to effort more on money-related responsibilities. And you both know nothing can work minus the financial support and being that dad has to provide, the joy of having a baby can be mixed with constant worry and anxiety.

You may sometimes feel weak over the new environment as you struggle to stabilize the new child-raising responsibilities with profession goals. Don’t take this as a personal thing as you are not alone. Many people are faced with emotional mixed up. So what you need to do is sharing ideas with your partner and you will be fine.

As a mother, you need to learn more about your baby’s sleep pattern, how you should feed him or even whether to apply diapers or clothes. If you aren’t familiar with the above, you need to seek help from elder mothers or you can stay a bit shorter in hospital after delivery to learn the basics. Most babies especially the preterm babies need to be monitored. So you need to learn the technique of monitoring your baby to avoid any crisis.

If you are a working mum, you may not give your baby complete attention and you will be guilty of that. To ensure the utmost care to your baby, you need to get yourself a house girl to take care of your kid.

Being healthy in general is influenced by what you eat. Healthy eating habits are the best ways to stay healthy. It is not about refusing to eat and becoming too thin.It is also not about denying yourself your favourite food. Healthy dieting is about making you feel good about yourself but also improving your health. You also need to make sure you have energy o go about your day right. healthy dieting is not supposed to be complicated all a person need to ensure is that they eat all nutrients including vitamin rich foods. Most people just ignore juices but they are very necessary.

Why add juices into your diets.

Picking the right diet for you can be hard but that is a common problem. Experts will give each person different dieting strategies but not all will work for you. Eating vegetables and fruits is said to directly affect a person lifespan. Juicing is a good trick for people seeking to increase their nutrient intake however you cannot only take in juices and expect to be healthy. There are some juices that will lose the fibre but the fibre is also important in order to stay healthy, there are ways to retain them.

All you need to know about juices.

Eating fruits can be very beneficial to your health. Fruits have different ways of serving and preparing from smoothies to salads fruits are so versatile. If you are not so much into fruits and vegetables juices are a good way to get them in. Making juices, perhaps with a green star elite, in the house is fun and very healthy. Juices will help you stay hydrated you do not have to drink pure water all the time. Add in some juice to the meals and also during snack times. You can learn to make your juices more delicious by trying some different recipes. Experts advise on the use of sweeteners that are noncaloric.

Some people have used juices to lose weight but juices are more than that. Including it in your meals is more effective and healthier. Juicing can make a person lose weight but it is better to consult with a nutritionist first. Drinking juices can be a very great way to detox. Blending the cucumbers, kales and what other fruit or vegetables you want will help you still get the vitamins without having to chew them down or cook them. Eating a balanced diet is the most important way of staying healthy and even improving your mood as a person.

This site is intended for the author JK Rowlings fictional wizard Harry Potter will show a bit of Google magic when it debuts later this year in the United States, according to the Internet titan. Rowlings Potters beloved titles will be available on the platform at the Google eBooks Pottermore. com and Google Checkout payment system will be preferred, in accordance with Googles new business development Books Larissa Fontaine. “When you buy a Harry Potter ebook from Pottermore, you will be able to choose to remain in the library you Google Books-in-clouds, and e-reading platform,” Fontaine said in a blog posting Wednesday. Pottermore team reportedly plans to use the Google-owned video sharing service YouTube to broadcast online.

“Pottermore and Google worked together to integrate Pottermore with a number of Google products,” said Fontaine. “Stay tuned for more and magic Pottermore Google on the web. ” In June, Rowling has launched an interactive website featuring new material aboutboy wizard world, while his adventures will also now be sold as an e-book for the first time. Free sites, www. pottermore.

com, will be aired from July 31 to one million fans who graduated Potter special online challenges, and the general public from October. Seven e-books will be available through the website from October in partnership with Sony. Rowling says Potter fans will be able to register on the website for free using one of the young wizard books as their online identities, and then play games and interact with elements of the fictional world. This site will also have a previously unpublished material that he has written about the background of the characters and their lives at Hogwarts Academy, a fictional school for young wizards. The author puts pen and Harrys wand when he finished the seventh book in 2007, with an amazing record of 400 million copies of the series sold around the world.

In Busy But Balanced, author Mimi Doe says, “A lack of presentness colors most of our lives. We are managing our children instead of enjoying their companionship. We are getting ahead in our jobs rather than relishing what we do each day. We seem to be running a race we didn’t realize we signed up for, with no finish line in sight.”

Does this sound familiar? Most of us have yet to create the time and space in our lives to examine, slow down, enjoy and be in touch with the presence of each moment. We have the potential to live a balanced life but without reminders and tips, it’s something we will pursue tomorrow, the next day, next month, next year, and finally… when the kids are grown.

Mimi Doe guides us back into the rhythm of life, offering us a rich treasure of suggestions that will create a deeper connection with our family and with our own beings. Busy But Balanced is a year-long balance guide with monthly ideas, insight quizzes, balancing tips, articles, resources, and inspirational quotes to help us calmly through our parenting journey.

The book is divided into seasons and then months, with holiday ideas and weather-appropriate suggestions, so that readers can follow along through the year and easily incorporate favorite ideas into their lifestyle.

Part 1, for instance, begins with Winter and January, the beginning of the year when appropriately, most people “start fresh.” Mimi suggests, “Let go of old definitions you might have of your children and see them as the vast spiritual beings they are today. Be open to knowing your family, day by day, in this new year.”

She follows up with an abundance of tools with which we may put her message into motion. Her parenting tips can be adapted to children of all ages. My favorites are: “Brew up a pot of tea when you reconnect with your child at the end of the day. Pour a cup for each of you in special mugs or china tea cups. Sit at the kitchen table and listen to your child until your cups are empty.” And, “Look deeply into your child’s eyes right now. Pause in whatever you are doing and grab that sweet soul by the shoulders, spin him around, and tell him how very much you adore him, whether he is two or twenty-two.”

As I write this, I open the book to March and see parenting chants, prayers or affirmations, all of which are inspirational, calming and healing. My favorite topic for this month is the section on celebrating Spring’s arrival. One tip suggests, “Let tonight’s meal be the first picnic of the season–even if you’re dining on a blanket in the living room.” What fun! Since we still have cooler weather here, our picnic just may be indoors, but I’m looking now for a flowery table cloth and some spring recipes to help us welcome in the new season!

I encourage parents to buy the book any time of the year and get started. There is no need to start in January… Do it now, not next week or next year! Mindful parenting is easy and fun, and its effects last forever.

From the back jacket:
“The ideas in Busy But Balanced are for the people who need them the most-those
of us out in the world putting our longings, goals, and ideas
into action and balancing that with creating a nourishing home
and deeply connecting with our children. It’s not about giving
up desire, but instead, creating a relationship with all aspects
of ourselves and our world. Rather than breathlessly grasping
at the shards of our lives, we can boldly and calmly expand
to embrace all aspects of it-alert and relaxed.”

 

Its been more than 10 years, but I still remember how I felt the day I left Sweden for my big adventure. I was going to spend a year working as an au pair in a Swedish family in a suburb to Paris, and I was standing at the airport in Sweden saying goodbye to my parents. I was happy, excited and slightly petrified. This was my first time going away on my own and even though I had met the family briefly in Sweden, I still didnt know them that well and I was a bit nervous as how it would be to live in a family that wasnt my own.

Looking back now I want to pat my 19-year old self on the back and say; ”dont worry. Youre much stronger than you think you are and you will have a great time.” Because I did. The best of times. Ok, it wasnt always fun and games when the children refused to do their homework, go to school or was just missing their parents and took it out on the new au pair, but over all it was amazing. I got to meet some great people, a few of them I still have good contact with and are proud to call my friends, and others whom I cant remember the name of now, but they still have a place in my memory. I got to know and enjoy one of the greatest cities in the world, Paris, the city of light and love.

One of my first days in France, my new family took me into Paris to show me around. I remember walking in to the Notre Dame where a choir practiced and I got goose bumps on my arms as the ethereal atmosphere moved me in a way Id never experienced before. That was the beginning of an intense love affair between Paris and I. Im so grateful that I got to walk along the Seine, eat crêpes in many of the countless stalls around the city, acquiring a student pass at the Louvre which meant I could oogle at the magnificent art as much as I wanted to, going up the Eiffel tower seven times, discovering the best markets, eat baguettes and chocolate bread and just enjoy life the parisian way. A memory for life, thats for sure.

Paris was my first adventure, but not my last. After that I studied in Sweden, moved to England, back to Sweden, then Germany and now in England again. To me, Sweden is always my home, but I enjoy getting to see other places and experiencing other cultures. It may seem like all European cultures are the same, after all were in the EU together, but my experience tells me we are very different, and thats a good thing! I might be annoyed by some things, but living in other countries has taught me tolerance and patience when it comes to new things. I know I will get used to them, eventually.

My advice to anyone who is thinking of moving abroad and experience something new is to go for it. You wont regret it. Ok, you will probably regret it many times as there will always be something to annoy you, but you will get over it and experience something great too. The memories you create will be with you forever.

This weekends family friendly events in Cork. Click the event title for further information. Have a great weekend!

• 25th:Charity Cycle for Ballincolligs Little Heroes, Raising money for the Clodagh Daly Trust and Darraghs Trust. Anglers Rest Bar, Ballincollig
• 25th:Supermacs 10th Anniversary, Mallow Open day 2-5pm
• 25th: Rock n’ Roll Camp for Kids. Designed for all boys and girls with an interest in music or just a curiosity for sharing music, aims to boost self-esteem and collaboration. The workshop will encompass performance, singing, percussion, guitar, and piano with popular music. The workshop will end with a performance for friends and family. Part of The Skibbereen Arts Festival.
• 25th:Get Your Snout Out BBQ, Anglers Rest Bar & Garden see image below for details.
• 26th: Schull Agricultural Show  Includes horses and ponies, pets corner of young animals from local farms, local food market.
• 26th: Kevins’ Day, in aid of Crumlin Childrens Hospital & Ronald McDonald House, Crumlin. Family Day Carousel, DJ, Duck Race, Tea & Cakes, Toys, Burger Stall, Dog Show, Pony Rides, Egg & Spoon Race, Alvin & The Chipmunks on Stage, Mickey & Minnie Mouse, Childrens Games, to name but a few. Douglas Community Park. 1-5pm
• 26th:5km Fun Run, Dripsey  €10 entry fee. This fun run is raising funds for Marymount Hospice and Dripsey Community Association. Includes a fun day afterwards with BBQ, face painting, outdoor music, bouncy castle and also kids and adults races.
• 25th-26th: Cork Cycling Festival Highlights for the weekend include the Vintage Velo Run 1pm Saturday and the Traditional Music Cycle at 4.30pm Sunday. The full programme can be downloaded here.
• 26th: Mad Pride, Free Family Fun Day Arts and Crafts, puppetry, circus performers. Town Park, Skibbereen. Part of the Skibbereen Arts Festival.
• 26th: Summer Moves An Exciting Night of Dance and Acrobatics. Firkin Crane Theatre, Shandon.

Happy weekend everyone,

Seafood & Shanty Open Air Ceili and family entertainment Firework finale!

Where: Ballycotton National School
When: Friday 21st August, 19:00
Admission: Free

There will be a live Ceile Band and Irish set dancers to encourage children (and adult!!) participation. There will be food stalls but picnics are actively encouraged with picnic tables and seating available. As the sun goes down, there will be an amazing fireworks display over Ballycotton Bay! This will be the last of the Summer Series of events so lets celebrate before we go back to school!

Ahiohill Community Festival

Where: Ahiohill
When: Friday 21st- Sunday 23rd August
See details below.

Corks Annual Bulb Day

Where: Griffins Garden Centre, Dripsey
When: Saturday 22nd August
Admission: Free

There will be free workshops all day to encourage children to start planting. The kids get to carry home their pots filled with bulbs to nurture over the months and admire in spring.

Through out the day there is Free Face Painting, prize draws and lots of fun. Also at Griffins this year there will be the coolest Toy Tractor Derby on all Day. Kids that love fun will love Griffins Annual Bulb Day

National Heritage Week 2015

Where: All over the county
When: Saturday 22nd August Sunday 30th August 
Admission: Varies

There are too many events to list here but we’ll try! The unveiling of a new fairy trail in the woods at Ballincollig Regional Park, a children’s tour of Charles Fort in Kinsale, Nature Walk and Willow Weaving in Glengarriff Woods. Plus loads more definitely check out the programmes below.

For the Cork City programme click the link here: http://www.heritageweek.ie/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/hw-corkcity.pdf
For the Cork County programme click the link here: http://www.heritageweek.ie/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/hw-corkcounty.pdf

Goldilocks & The Three Bears Sing-Along

Where: Briery Gap Theatre, Macroom
When: Sunday 23rd August, 15:00
Admission: €10

Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Ruff the Dog and Mr. Bunny, perform live on stage, right before your eyes in this exciting and fun-filled musical production.

Throughout the show there are interactive moments that children and parents alike can enjoy. Watch your kids take part in action songs like the “Heads shoulders knees and toes” “If you happy and you know it” and “Im a little teapot” as well as many other all time children’s favourites.

The Story Bus 

Where: St Patrick’s Quay
When: Sunday 23rd August, 14:00-18:00
Admission: from €17.00

HOP ON THE STORY BUS WHICH WILL TAKE YOU INTO THE FAIRY STORY. Come and learn about the fairies, their habits and life! Discover your own calling and how to follow it. Suitable for all-weather. Bring umbrellas and wellies, just in case!

Youghal Medieval Festival

Where: The College Gardens, Emmet Place, Youghal
When: Sunday 23rd August, 12:00–18:00
Admission: Free

Now in its 9th year, this event has become a must-visit for all families of all ages. The annual free event takes place in the stunning surrounds of St. Marys College Gardens within the 13th Century Town Walls, showcasing Youghals unique history and heritage – bringing Youghals history to life.
This years event will feature battle re-enactments, medieval cookery displays, archery, and birds of prey. The kids kingdom will feature bouncy castles, traditional arts and crafts making (including make your own shield), face painting, balloon modelling and much more.

Shanagarry Kids Day Out

Where: Shanagarry Design Centre
When: 23rd August, 14:00-17:00
Admission: Free

With face and nail painting, colouring competitions and kiddie discos, the Shanagarry Design Centre will be bursting with activity for kids of all ages!!

Leahy’s Open Farm will bring plenty of furry friends on the day, including alpacas, rabbits, pygmy goats and a mouse roulette wheel! Perky Bear will also come along thanks to Perks Family Entertainment Centre and will be joined by Nelly the Elephant from Go Safari Activity Centre, as well as Russell Rover and Billy the Bumble Bee! Local dance group, Studio D, are sure to be one of the entertainment highlights of the day with an exclusive performance during the afternoon!

The Shanagarry Design Studios, located downstairs in the Centre, will be buzzing with activity with live demos and classes for kids with the resident craftspeople, including pottery with Ann O’Riordan, painting with Phil Davis, jewellery making with Annemarie Foley and live demos by Belinda Northcote, Kieran Stack, Egle Dami and Janet Turra!

Note: If you know of any family friendly events in Cork that we may have missed please email us on [email protected] or let us know on Facebook.

Visit the Facebook page

Use the Internet to help your child learn! Listed here are virtual schools which can offer a great learning experience in the comfort of your home.

What we have heard:

At the last ICDL conf. a mother from Wisconsin spoke about her sons great success. He had some speaking issues ( a voice no could understand), but at age 9 he was already doing high school level work. He was able to be part of a class, go on field trips and find a great community. He has great self-esteem as result. In a traditional school setting he would have had a very difficult time due to his voice/speaking issues.

Virtual School http://www.k12.com

SFGate Radio Online Radio Debuts as the First Solely Designed to Promote the SF Bay Area and Music Artists Coming to the Gulf AreaLos Angeles, CA July 20, 2011 Earbits, a leading online radio and music marketing services, today announced the debut of Radio SFGate powering at SFGate. com, home of the San Francisco Chronicle. The new, commercial-free radio online services make it easy and fun for listeners to quickly find life, featuring Bay Area music and to discover and share new music with their friends on Facebook and Twitter. Accessed on the Entertainment SFGate.

com s, Music Nightlife, and Attractions, SFGate Radio listeners can peruse a variety of channels, see band photos, read artist bios, and access links to buy concert tickets and music all the interfaces, a simple one. SFGate Radio will launch with about 235 Bay Area bands and performers coming to the Bay Area, including Slightly Stoopid, Toxic Holocaust and many others. Consumers also can access SFGate Radio directly by visiting: http://sfgate. earbits. com/.

Before Earbits powered radio online, the steps to find new music and to find and buy tickets for local events time-consuming and complicated. Previously, consumers could only find the information very rarely ribbon bounded by reading the list and have to hunt to another site to listen to the songs of artists and buy tickets. In the end, most consumers are artists judged by their name recognition, rather than their actual music. With Earbits, consumers can listen to and share new songs while getting a deeper understanding of the artist. Among many other live shows, SFGate users can listen to the radio and buy tickets for bands to play Summer Tour seedless at the Greek Theater in Berkeley on Friday, July 29, 2011.

Slightly Stoopid show features special guest with Don Carlos, Karl Denson and Del The funky Homosapien and opened with Rebelution, Shwayze and Cisco. “Our partnership with the San Francisco Chronicle continue our momentum and expand our audience to the website of the Bay Areas most visited, “said Joey Flores, CEO Earbits. ” In addition to airtime only, band and promoter responded well to the promotional value we provide to our rapidly growing audience, excited. Our goal is to continue to build a scalable solution that removes the burden of promoting the artists and lets them focus on what they do best -. Making Music “For many artists, particularly independent and smaller labels, relying on traditional leaflets, posters, radio promotions, text and image ads instead of the most effective ways to promote their music Earbits provide.

The alternative is more cost effective to promote artists and concert music by putting himself in the midst of the experience of online radio listeners. The company sells broadcast package for bands, labels and promoters. This model effectively eliminates the need for traditional advertising or subscription fees. Earbits integrate the online radio experience with prize giveaways, contests, social media sharing features, the radio station affiliated partners and sponsors events to provide a powerful marketing platform for artists, labels and promoters. The company already has a label 170 and 2000 musicians including a number of Grammy-winning artist and platinum using the online radio is guaranteed exposure to market and sell new releases, concert tickets, and merchandise.

And unlike Pandora, listeners can skip songs Earbits more freely in more than 90 channels and not have to pay to listen without ads. Earbits is the first commercial-free, online radio designed specifically for the marketing of music products and live events. Earbits allows labels, bands and concert promoters to buy radio airtime online. The company already has a label 170, 2000 artists and 90 music channels are growing fast, online services. Founded in January 2010 with headquarters in Venice, CA, is funded by the famous EarbitsY Combinator and Charles River Ventures.

For more information, visit http://www. earbits. com. With nearly 12 million unique visitors per month who have been audited by the ABC, SFGate. com is the leading news and information site for the San Francisco Bay Area.

Reflecting the diverse spirit of the region, SFGate. com give the story the most up-to-the-minute, edge entertainment-depth special reports, unbeatable local sports coverage, a list of the best coverage and cut. SFGate. com is also home to the San Francisco Chronicle, the leading newspaper in Northern California, and Web-only features by SFGates own editorial team.