The MomTini Lounge^SM

The statistics* regarding fireworks injuries are really shocking:

– There were 9,200 people treated for fireworks-related injuries in emergency departments in 2006 (the latest data available).

– Some 33% of the injured were children under age 15.

– 60% of fireworks injuries occur in the month surrounding July 4th.

– Sparklers alone, which may burn at temperatures higher than 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit, were responsible for more than 20% of fireworks injuries.

– More than half of fireworks injuries were burns.

The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) and the Alliance to Stop Consumer Fireworks have started a public safety awareness campaign. You can view their public service announcements below - one more adult-oriented, one a cartoon:

A while back, I posted some burn tips, provided courtesy of the folks who represent Burn Jel Plus. Their tips really catch my eye, because I recently picked up a serving dish I left on what I thought was a cool burner, and the pain was so excrutiating, that I was in the drugstore debating between this actual product and a trip to the ER, and I will say, it really helped (and saved me what could have been an excrutiating wait in the ER)! They just sent me some very timely safety tips for fireworks so there’s more BOOM and less Read the rest of this entry »

Spring allergies can be miserable, and with summertime, comes the buzzing annoyance of bees to worry about. I remember the first time my son was stung by bees. We were at a friend’s house; I heard screaming; and something in the tone told me he was in danger. I rushed over to the swingset, and as I grabbed him, arms waving everywhere, I could hardly feel the 3 stings I was getting myself in the recovery effort. I just remember feeling terrible that my then 3-year-old had multiple bee stings. Dr. Mom tip: Plain Colgate toothpaste or a mixture of baking soda and water did help the sting.

But far more serious than a sting like this is a more severe allergic reaction. I saw this news from the American College of Emergency Physicians, and thought it was particularly timely with summer upon us, and kids in camp situations. There are some great tips in recognizing and responding to severe allergic reactions.

Anaphylaxis: Nothing to Sneeze At
Learn to identify the signs of severe allergic reactions and how to help someone
having a potentially life-threatening emergency

Springtime brings heightened allergy and asthma concerns. And while for most people these conditions may be mildly uncomfortable, for others, Read the rest of this entry »

Ah, springtime - the birds are buzzing; the bees are buzzing. And I’m not just talking about the outdoors! Having recently survived (barely) “Family Life,” the new term for what we knew as “Sex Ed,” I’m more conscious than ever about finding good resources for talking to kids about this very awkward subject. So, when this crossed my Business of Motherhood desk - I was all ears.

Psychologist Sharon Maxwell, Mom Since 1989 (MS’89) has a new book - The Talk: What Your Kids Need to Hear from You about Sex - recently added to our Mom-Tastic bookshelf, and she has written some great tips for The MomTini Lounge to help you to help your kids navigate this area of life. She talks not only about sex, but sexuality as well - subtle connections.

“We live in a hypersexualized, high-tech culture in which kids come of age in the sexual Read the rest of this entry »

Editor’s Note: As an optometrist’s daughter, I was raised to be constantly thinking about eye safety. This, from the California Optometric Association (COA) caught my eye (punny) - but brings up some good tips for summer sports. Enjoy, and wear your shades! - Amy

What do David Beckham, Michael Jordan, and Lance Armstrong all have in common besides being superstar athletes? They all keep their eyes from harm with protective eyewear. The arrival of spring and longer days bring more participation in outdoor sports and with them, the increased danger of eye injuries. The California Optometric Association (COA) urges Read the rest of this entry »

With Father’s Day Sunday, it’s time to start thinking! Click here to check out my recent feature on CBS News about Last-Minute Mother’s Day gifts - there are lots of quick, homemade treats that would apply to Dad’s, too, and you can still do them this weekend. One - a garden stone (available at arts & crafts stores) is fun to do as a family & creates a great keepsake. This news crossed my desk and seemed especially timely for Father’s Day, with sensitivity to the stinkin’ economy and ridiculous gas prices! Enjoy.

Recession-Proof Father’s Day: 5 Ways to Celebrate on a Budget
Submitted by Dr. Susan Orenstein, StayHappilyMarried.com

It’s always hard to find dad the perfect gift, Read the rest of this entry »

Editor’s Note: This new book caught my eye since I’m a huge fan of modeling positive behavior on all fronts - including fitness - for my kids. I always joke that unless I continue exercising, I won’t be able to chase them around, which is a required survival tactic for mothering 3 young boys. Health & nutrition is something learned, not naturally acquired, and with today’s video games, technology invading our homes (which do have a place, of course), we don’t want to raise couch potatoes. This overview of the book by its author includes some great tips for fellow moms.

Living Not-So-Large:
15 Ways to Combat Childhood Obesity by Making Fitness a Family Affair

Kids live what they learn, says fitness expert and author Tom Gilliam. Here, he offers some simple yet powerful ideas for Read the rest of this entry »

This photo, shared by Karen K., a great friend and Mom Since 1991 (MS’91), is hysterical. It probably makes many of us reach for the Lysol, quickly!

Titled, “Chicks Relaxing in a Jacuzzi,” I think we realize everyone can use a warm bath once in a while!

How do you busy moms sneak in rest & relaxation between all of the routine?

These burn tips caught my eye, especially having been through this many times.

I don’t think I’ll ever forget carrying a paper plate with steaming corn when I was 7 years old, on a Father-Daughter Indian Princess cooking trip. The plate caved, along with the boiling water, and I’ll never wear a bikini again. Ok, fine, there are other reasons I won’t wear a bikini, like being 40 and having had 3 kids, but it sounds good, huh?

Also, rushing to get dressed for a best friend (Lesley)’s wedding, I learned never, ever to use a hair straightener without also wearing a shirt. Burning your shoulder right before walking down the aisle in a strapless dress is far from ideal.

And, when I was ironing bead art for my then 4-year-old, and he touched the hot iron to see if it was hot enough, that was all confirmed shortly after in the ER, along with emergency burn treatment. [For the record, all he remembers is the popsicle at the end and frequently asked me if we could revisit the “hop-stital.”]

And my friend Liz R., Mom Since 2000 (MS’00) who juggles three kids under the age of 9 plus her job in product development, had a very recent burn experience. She had a cup of very hot tea on the counter, shifted into phone and 2 kids needing her mode, which we all do. Her curious 2-year-old moved the stepstool to see what was on the island, and ended up with 2nd and 3rd degree burns and 3 days in ICU at the hospital. Luckily, a few scars later, her son is fine, but pretty scared of hot things now and asks if everything is hot.

War stories aside, how should you react when your child gets burned? Visit our Dr. Mom page for some ideas, including a critical tip for moms — Always keep a well-stocked First Aid kit in your car and kitchen. And restock frequently. Read the rest of this entry »

In the spirit of Father’s Day on the horizon, let’s talk Dads!

A while back, I posted Anita Renfroe’s Momsense video, thanks to Lauren S., Mom Since 1996 (MS’96), for alerting me to this eye-opening comedy. According to Renfroe, it’s been viewed 15 million times, and you’ll see why! She just put together a sequel - Dadsense - a little anti-climactic, but I’ll sit in her audience anytime! Check it out -

I was thinking about reposting Momsense — if you haven’t yet seen it, check out my former blog post, or click below - this will be the best 3 minutes you spend today - get ready to laugh & cry:

This Guest Post, courtesy of Joan Rooney of Tutor.com, has some great ideas for year-end school success:

Tip Sheet for Finals
By Joan Rooney

Final exams aren’t just any tests: they’re the ultimate test of what a student’s learned during the year. Creating a strategy will help your student sail through finals—hopefully without the all-night cram session.

Create a schedule. Breaking the studying process down into manageable chunks will help Read the rest of this entry »

Amy & Lesley by The Today Show studio

On a recent trip to NYC with a best friend, Lesley, Mom Since 2006 (MS’06), at her urging, we walked over to Rockefeller Center on the off chance that we’d be spotted in the crowd wearing our pink “Meet me at the MomTini Lounge” hats. I thought our chances were remote at best, but when we arrived at 8:20 a.m., the front row was ours for the taking. We were up close & personal with Meredith, Al & Ann, true celebs in my book.

Today Show Anchors

However, the camera kept panning JUST shy of the MomTinis. Then, Carly Smithson, recent American Idol castoff came out, and we Read the rest of this entry »

Amy with WUSA Anchor Lesli Foster

I had a very special Business of Motherhood Mother’s Day Gift — a spot on the local WUSA (CBS) News on the Friday before Mother’s Day.

Anchor and Consumer Reporter Lesli Foster, a fellow Mom, interviewed me about last-minute Mother’s Day gift ideas, with the holiday 40 hours (a full-time work week) away. Click here to see online highlights from the piece. Click here to get straight to the video segment. We had a full show-and-tell of my personal favorites - painted plates, sidewalk stones, bookmarks, and lots more. It was a thrill & lots of fun to “talk Mom” on TV.

Lesli, who had been the lead blogger at DVM Moms, is active in the local Mom dialogue, and has a great sense of humor about our job. I enjoyed seeing her Read the rest of this entry »

FYI — The U.S. Postal Service raised First Class Postage for Letters to 42 cents today. They cite rising fuel costs for the increase: “A one-cent increase in fuel costs USPS more than $8 million in higher fuel costs per year.” So, buy your make-up stamps at the post office or online. For a full description of the increase and a chart outlining costs, Click Here. Also, I’ve found their website to be very helpful in calculating postage for small packages. They’re also offering a new form of “buyer protection” Read the rest of this entry »

Happy Mother’s Day! I found this photo & loved it so much, it’s the Business of Motherhood greeting card to you! I hope today brings all Moms some rest & relaxation, some great homemade cards from the kids (the best kind), a chance to be waited on instead of the waitress, and a break from the “business” of motherhood.

What are some of your best Mother’s Day memories?

Editor’s Note: With Mother’s Day coming up, I thought I’d share a little history on how this great holiday came about, along with some recent statistics on Moms. I didn’t realize the background, and that one woman lobbied congress in the early 1900’s. See what a difference one woman can make! Released on PRNewswire-USNewswire, here are excerpts from their press release. - Amy

The driving force behind Mother’s Day was Anna Jarvis, who organized observances in Grafton, W.Va., and Philadelphia on May 10, 1908. As the annual celebration became
popular around the Read the rest of this entry »

Editor’s Note: I’ll be an in studio guest with WUSA-TV Anchor Lesli Foster on the Consumer Segment tomorrow, Friday May 9th at 5:15 p.m. EST. We’ll have a fun show-and-tell of last-minute, creative Mother’s Day gift ideas that are sure to warm Mom’s heart. And yes, you still have time to make them by Sunday! Tune in to Channel 9, our local CBS affiliate Friday for some inside tips that Mom is sure to love! Lesli, also a local Mom and DVM Moms Celeb, has a great blog with lots of food for Mommy thought - check it out! — Amy

Moms definitely work 24/7/364. And on the 365th day, hopefully many of us get a break! That day is Sunday May 11th this year – Mother’s Day. So ladies, take your aprons off; give your kids or husband kitchen duty; and celebrate the one day a year that is centered exclusively around…you!

Take a long walk; put your feet up; take a long bubble bath; indulge. For any Dads looking for last-minute Mother’s Day presents, here are some quick suggestions that Read the rest of this entry »

Mother’s Day is around the corner, and while Moms around the world kick their feet up & take the day off (right?), here’s something that crossed my desk as an online freebie:

Free Homework Help on Mother’s Day. Sunday has become synonymous with solving math problems and cramming for quizzes, but on Sunday, May 11th, every mom in America can get a breather, thanks to Tutor.com, an online tutoring company. Tutor.com’s instant access homework help gives kids an easy way to give mom a stress-free Mother’s Day by offering free 24-hour access to professional tutors on Mother’s Day.

Tutor.com conducts about 3,500 homework help sessions every Sunday night, making it one of the busiest homework nights of the week, so moms everywhere will certainly appreciate the extra time they can take to smell the roses, without fielding questions or worrying if a child is struggling with homework.

How to redeem this gift: Visit Tutor.com and sign up on or before May 11th, and get free tutoring all day long on Mother’s Day.

Editor’s Note: Hands down, the biggest perk of my new blogging/website job is meeting other Mompreneurs who share the passion. This guest post, from a friend of a friend, is a perfect example. Thanks to a fabulous friend, Lee G., Mom Since 1996 (MS’96), I met this local author in passing, through e-mails, and finally sat down for coffee recently. If to-do lists hadn’t ushered us out after 2 hours, I honestly think we could have closed the joint. Meredith Jacobs, Mom Since 1996 (MS’96), author of The Modern Jewish Mom’s Guide to Shabbat, has tons of ideas about bringing faith home in creative, modern ways, and is ultra-energized on so many fronts. Here, she shares some thoughts on a recent controversy about drinking and mothering. Love how she brought the “momtini” in! Read on…

Mother’s Little Helper
By Meredith Jacobs, MS’96

While I understand that the idea of moms drinking at a playdate (or moms drinking at all) is the controversial topic of many recent news features, what truly hit home for me, was the comment made by a young mom in one of these articles that the alternative to her “momtini” playgroup is the one “where it seems Read the rest of this entry »

Local Nutritionist, Karen Schachter, MSW LLC, and Mom Since ‘01, offers more mealtime magic here for the picky eater in your house. -Amy
One of the most common complaints I hear from parents about their children is, “He (or she) is such a picky eater!” Unfortunately, in today’s world of processed food and intense marketing of “kid” foods, more and more children are considered “picky,” as the more subtle flavors of natural foods are much less stimulating - and therefore often less desirable - than the intense flavors of processed foods. In addition, it is very normal for young children to prefer a narrow range of food choices, and to have their own sense of what textures, tastes and smells they prefer.
However, there are several things we can do to ensure that our children are Read the rest of this entry »

To celebrate Earth Day (today - April 22) Business of Motherhood-style, here are some great and fun ways to go green with the kids from author and child expert Virginia Bentz, PhD, Mom Since 1979 (MS’79). I love how the author empowers parents in a fun & very do-able way to love Mother Earth. — Amy

Let the Eco-Friendly Fun Begin: 10 Great Ways to Get Green with Your Kids!

Spring is here and trees, flowers, and even those bothersome weeds will be in full bloom. As the planet experiences its annual rebirth, and as Earth Day approaches, many of us are thinking about how we can protect the environment. But there’s one group of citizens who are especially receptive to the “go green” message, says Virginia Bentz, Ph.D. Kids. If you have any of them living under your roof, you have the perfect opportunity Read the rest of this entry »