Kalmia Records Blog

There’s no doubt about it — having a baby changes your life. New parents often find that they have to give up some aspects of their lifestyle and may have trouble fitting in all their activities. Jogging, however, is one activity that can be continued after baby is born. Thanks to baby jogging strollers Mom and Dad can fit in their exercise routine by combining their jogging with an outing with baby.

A baby jogging stroller is instantly recognizable by its 3-wheel design. This makes it suitable for jogging over a wide variety of terrain while providing a comfortable ride for your child.

There are 2 basic styles of jogging strollers - swivel front wheel or fixed front wheel. A fixed wheel is easier for jogging. Less effort is needed for steering the stroller and more attention can be paid to the road and your child. On the other hand, strollers with swivel front wheels are much easier to manoeuvre in tight spots. If you want to take your jogging stroller to the shopping mall a swivel front wheel is more convenient.

Many companies offer strollers that allow the swivel front wheel to be locked in position. This offer the best of both worlds - when jogging the wheel can be fixed and when manoeuvring is important the wheel can be unlocked.

Jogging strollers are available in either single or double models. If you have twins or two toddlers the double models are ideal. Again there are 2 styles of double strollers - the seats can be positioned side-by-side or front and back. Some parents find that the front-back arrangement invites hair-pulling, kicking, and other bad behaviour so keep this in mind when choosing a stroller.

In either double or single strollers look for models with a reclining seat. If the seat fully reclines the stroller can be used with newborns although remember that you should not jog with children under the age of 6 months.

Other features to look for are storage areas (either underseat trays or pockets), parking brakes, folding mechanisms, and detachable wheels.

There are many jogging strollers to choose from, so consider your needs and you are sure to find a model that suits you and your child exactly!

Linda, mother of two is an inspired author of the
http://www.baby-strollers-guide.com/ and the
http://www.baby-product-guides.com/

Along with proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle, one of the most important things you can do to benefit yourself and your baby during pregnancy is exercise. Women who exercise regularly while pregnant have easier labor, deliveries, and recovery time. The majority of pregnant women are able to exercise at a level appropriate to their stage of pregnancy, but you should always check with your doctor to make sure you have no risks or conditions that would prevent you from exercising safely.

Working out at home during pregnancy is fun and convenient when you use pregnancy workout videos as a part of your routine.

Through the use of one of the many excellent exercise videos that are available to you, you can exercise during all stages of your pregnancy in the comfort of your own home. The videos are fun and effective and you are sure to love the challenging yet pregnancy-oriented routines that will help keep you toned and fit throughout your pregnancy. Included in the many benefits of exercising during pregnancy are less fatigue, reduced lower back pain, stress relief, weight management, and a quicker return to your pre-pregnancy weight after delivery. Some forms of exercise are better than others for moms-to-be. Low-impact, low-risk exercises include walking, stretching, yoga, swimming, specialized prenatal aerobics, and Pilates.

Exercise during pregnancy is beneficial to both you and your baby. The wrong exercises however, can cause actually cause harm so it is important to do only those exercises that are known to be safe for both mom and baby. Pregnancy exercise videos will give you a safe, manageable workout routine that is appropriate for your stage of pregnancy. You can order pregnancy exercise videos featuring well-known exercise personalities or your favorite celebrities.

By exercising throughout your pregnancy you will help avoid many of the discomforts associated with pregnancy including constant feelings of exhaustion and lower back pain. An added bonus of regular exercise during your pregnancy is a faster recovery time after delivery and a quicker return to your pre-pregnancy weight.

Pregnancy exercise videos are a great way to keep fit and healthy during your pregnancy. Fun, easy to follow exercise routines designed especially for expectant mothers will give you to opportunity to keep your mind and body fit during your pregnancy and make it much easier for you to regain your pre-pregnancy shape after the birth of your child. You can be healthy and experience significantly less discomfort when you take the time to exercise regularly throughout your entire pregnancy. Pregnancy exercise videos can help you stay fit and will allow you to perform your workout in your own home at your convenience.

If you are an expectant mother or are planning to become pregnant, the importance of regular exercise cannot be overstated. You will make labor and delivery easier for both you and your baby and the benefits will extend after the birth of your child. You will lose that extra pregnancy weight faster and your body will be considerably more resilient if you have a regular workout routine that you continue throughout your entire pregnancy.

Tina Titas is a columnist for http://www.FunExerciseVideos.com From pregnancy pilates videos to pregnancy yoga videos, you’ll find an affordable option that you’ll enjoy.

Several fun science experiments can be conducted with basic materials that you already have in your home. These little experiments will keep your children entertained while enhancing and reinforcing their science knowledge.

The first easy experiment will teach your child how sound is caused by vibration.
Gather a small empty box such as a match box or a child’s shoe box, some
rubber bands, a few small drinking glasses, a spoon, and some water. First, fill
the drinking glasses with different amounts of water. Have your child tap on the
glasses using the spoon and point out how the amount of water inside the glass
affects the sound that is produced. Next, wrap the rubber bands around the box.
Make sure they are all facing the same way. The box should look similar to a guitar
if done correctly. Let your child pluck the strings to make sound. There are additional
ways to produce sound as well. For example, you can put wax paper over a comb
and blow on it like a harmonica. Kazoos are also a fun way to produce sound. If
you live near a school supply store you might also consider purchasing a tuning
fork to enhance this experiment.

Static electricity is something else that can easily be taught. For this experiment
you will need a balloon, a comb, a plate, and some small bits of scrap paper.
This experiment works best in the winter. First, tear the scrap paper up into
tiny bits and place it on the plate. Next, let your child run the comb through
his/her hair. The comb will now chase the bits of paper about the plate. After
you are done with that phase of the experiment, blow up and tie the balloon. Vigorously
rub it on your child’s hair or let them rub it through yours. The balloon
should now stick to the wall because of the static electricity.

Another simple science experiment involves learning how plants grow. Gather paper cups, water, dirt, seeds, carnations,
food coloring, a spoon, leaves, paper, and a pencil. First, let your child add
some dirt and a little water to two paper cups. Next, plant some seeds into each
cup. Place one cup in a window or a sunny spot. Place the other plant in a shady
spot that rarely sees the sun such as a closet. Water each plant regularly. As
time passes your child will notice how the plant that receives sun thrives and
how the other plants do not. This experiment proves that plants need sunshine
to grow. There are some related experiments that you can also do. Pour some water
into several cups and add different hues of food coloring to the cups and stir.
Add a carnation to each cup. By the next day, the carnations should have changed
to the color of the water. This demonstrates how plants absorb water. You might
also have your child do leaf rubbings using paper and pencil to show how the plant
food is produced.

As you can see, there are many simple science experiments that can be done with
your child. Gather those materials and let the fun and the learning begin!

So often, we parents get caught in a cycle of reactive parenting. A situation comes up and we react, and that seems to be the only way we parent. We go along, moment to moment and day to day and simply react to the circumstances around us. Taking a moment to step out of this cycle to look at the long-term big picture is a great way to get some perspective and begin to head your family in the right direction.

We’re so busy. Frantic. Hectic. We wait for the weekends (or the vacation) to have fun with our families. We’re on the go, from morning ’til night and by the time evening does come we’re often so exhausted that we only have enough energy to sit in front of the TV and zone out.

No wonder we are being reactive parents, flying by the seat of our pants! We’re all doing the best we can every day for our families. But there’s another way to parent our children: a positive, loving, long-term view of them and their lives that lends itself to possibility and joy.

By taking just a few minutes today to realign yourself with your goal for your family, you can make a positive change that will rapidly diffuse to every person in your household. If you are married, do this exercise with your spouse. Get on the same page and begin today to work for the same goals. If you are co-parenting with a non-resident parent, get together and spend just a small amount of time that will make a huge difference in the lives of your children. If you are a single parent it is even more important that you take the time to be proactive now, so you’re not chasing your tail later!

Being a proactive parent means that you think about what you want for your children in the long run and take every parenting moment that comes to help them towards that goal. I’ll show you what I mean.

One of the things that I want for my children is for them to be financially independent. I want them to know how to use their money to create passive income. I want them to know that they can live their passions in life and make money, too. I want them to know how to save, invest, tithe and spend their money wisely. So, keeping that goal in mind, how can I parent them in a way that will work towards this goal? Here’s what I do:

One of the most important things we do to help our children be financially secure is to talk about money matters with them. We are very careful about the vocabulary we use: always using empowering “choice” words, not “lack” words. If John wants something that we can’t or don’t choose to afford, it’s always “we’re choosing to use our money in a different way right now” never “that’s too expensive” or “we can’t afford that.” We do point out the difference between products and prices, but we don’t make judgment calls. These discussions happen naturally and are a constant part of our parenting. We are positive that we want our children to grow up with prosperity consciousness, not poverty consciousness. How we talk today about money is how they will think about money tomorrow.

That is one small goal that Michael and I have for our children. We keep that goal in mind every single day, in every parenting moment. Sometimes its hard work: maybe I think that the toy John wants is a total waste of money and it’s its hard to resist talking him out of it. But how will he ever learn how to make smart choices if he’s never allowed to choose for himself? Freedom is empowering, though it may be a little scary.

Now it’s time to sit down and do the following exercise. You may be able to do it in a few minutes or you might want to think about it for a few days and then sit down with your partner and put your answers to paper. As Steven Covey says in The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, begin with the end in mind! Begin today to parent with the end in mind: happy, successful children who grow into fully empowered adults.

Step 1: Sit down, relax, get a cup of tea or a glass of water, and just be for a few minutes. If you pray, ask for guidance and a Knowing of the best goals for your family. If you like, you can simply close your eyes for a few minutes and get centered and still. The best parenting comes from that place of Stillness and Knowing that is deep within.

Step 2: Write down these six phrases, leaving room between them to write:

1. Financial Security
2. Physical Health
3. Emotional/Spiritual Health

4. Creative Freedom
5. Relationships
6. Other Goals

Step 3: Begin to brainstorm and write down any goal or desires for your children that come to mind. Most goals will fit into one of the first five categories. Imagine your children as adults. What skills do you want them to have? Are they happy, successful, empowered individuals? What do their relationships look like? Just keep writing and imagining until you have filled one sheet of paper.

Step 4: On another sheet of paper, re-write your 6 topics and put down your most important five goals for each area of development. It’s okay if you and your spouse have different priorities. Pick one that is very important to you both and each pick two more to add to the list.

Step 5: Choose one area of development to begin working on right away and add the others in as you can. Keep your goals in mind as you parent you children and remember that modeling the behaviors that you wish to see is the most effective way to teach your children. Emerson said, “Your actions speak so loudly that I cannot hear what you are saying.”

Keep your goals handy and update them as necessary. Remember to celebrate your children’s successes with them and let them celebrate yours.

Straight talk from the mom who’s been where you are and knows how to help your family: Shelly Walker is the mother of two beautiful children and the author of Awakened Power and the upcoming book Parenting Keys. Shelly is passionate about children and believes that every child deserves healthy, happy parents. For more information, go to http://www.parentingkeys.com