Spring Allergy Symptoms in Children and What to Do About It

Spring has sprung and so has the pollen.  Seasonal allergies affect millions of children each year.  Find out the symptoms and what you can do to relieve them.

The substances that cause allergies are called allergens.  Allergens can be anything from pollen to molds and fungi to dust.  These allergens are carried through the air until they land on your child.  Pollen is the reproductive spores of plants.  Allergy symptoms can occur from the pollen of weeds, grasses, trees, and mold. 

Sensitivity to these allergies is what brings on the histamine response.  This is the body’s reaction to the allergens being present in the child’s system.  Allergens enter the body through the mouth, the eyes, and the nasal passages.  Your child may experience:  sneezing, itchy, watery eyes, nasal congestion, chest congestion, coughing, and/or sore throat.  A child suffering from allergies may display one or more of these symptoms at a time. 

Allergies are often confused with colds and therefore misdiagnosed.  Cold symptoms usually include fatigue, fever, and body aches.  If any of these symptoms are also present, then your child is probably not suffering from seasonal allergies.

Pediatricians can run tests to find out the exact type of allergen your child is allergic to.  Blood work can be done to ferret out the offending allergen.  More commonly a skin-prick test is performed.

The spin-prick test is not painful to the child.  It involves lightly scratching the skin with different types of allergens.  This test is usually done on the back.  If the skin becomes red and swollen in certain areas, the doctor can determine what allergen is attacking your child.

Once the allergen is identified, the doctor will come up with a course of treatment. Prescribing medication such as Singulair, Allegra, and Advair, will block the reactions in the body that cause allergy symptoms.  It will take a week or two for the medications to fully circulate throughout the body.

There are practical things that you can do at home to safeguard against allergies.  Keep windows closed.  A good breeze will fill your home with pollen from the outside.  Use the air conditioning in the spring and summer if it gets warm inside.

Take a bath at night during allergy season.  The water will wash off any pollen spores and other allergens accumulated during the day.  Also make sure to use allergen proof covers on mattresses and pillows.

Allergies are a nuisance, but they don’t have to ruin your life.  Follow a few guidelines to keep your home safe from offending allergens.  Take your child to the doctor to properly diagnose his/her allergy condition and receive treatment options.

For more help raising happy and healthy kids, be sure to claim your free subscription of  Health & Fun tips.

If you are a mom, more than likely you know the feeling of having a full schedule.  Rushing around, taking a kid to soccer, another to dance class, rush to pick up the dry cleaning and then running home to get cookies baked for the youngest child’s snack day. As moms we have full schedules, usually too full. Our days are full of work, errands and children’s activities. In most mom’s schedules there is one thing missing. Time for mom.

Visit How To Look After Number One for your free report all about taking time out for yourself.

Create a Cleaning Routine to Make Housecleaning Easier

Cleaning house is a never-ending job.  There is an endless supply of dishes and clothes to wash, and that pesky dust never stays away for long.  Sometimes it seems that there are just not enough hours in the day to keep the house clean and get everything else done too.

In order to stay on top of housecleaning, it is essential for us to have a routine.  Every situation is different, so the routine that works for your mother, sister, or friend may or may not work for you.  But we can all create our own routines to make housecleaning easier.

* Tackle one room at a time.  Many of us don’t have an entire day to dedicate to house cleaning every week.  Doing one room at a time allows us to break the work up into smaller chunks while still accomplishing something noticeable.  One or two rooms each day should allow us to get the whole house clean in a week’s time.

* Do one task at a time, but do it for the whole house.  This is another effective way to break the work up.  For example, you could dust the entire house from end to end and be done with it.  Then you could move on to sweeping or vacuuming.  Doing things this way will save time by eliminating a lot of the “stop and go” as well.

* Try grouping certain tasks together to multitask.  Chores like doing the laundry do not require constant attention, so we can do other things while we’re waiting for the clothes to be washed and dried.  Associating another task with it that is more labor-intensive, like dusting or cleaning the kitchen, can increase our productivity.  Once the first load is finished, we can fold or iron clothes while waiting for the next load.

* Break larger tasks up into smaller ones if they become too monotonous.  Some of us have rooms that it seems to take forever to clean, or certain chores that we just hate to do.  Breaking them up into smaller, more manageable parts might help us get them done.  For example, if you despise cleaning the bathroom, you could clean the shower and then go work on something more enjoyable for a while.  Then you can come back later and tackle something else, and repeat until the whole bathroom is clean.

* Put on some upbeat music to keep yourself motivated.  Listening to music you love can make any task more pleasant, and something with a good beat will keep you moving.  You might even find yourself dancing as you clean.

Having a routine is a great way to do anything more efficiently.  This is especially true for housecleaning.  You may have to experiment a little at first, but finding a routine that works for you will pay off.  You’ll be able to get your house clean in less time, and you might even start enjoying it more.

Throwing a Graduation Party without Going into Debt

Unlike years ago, when we graduated and simply had a small gathering at our home or invited close family members out for dinner, today, the sky’s the limit, when it comes to graduation parties.  But it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg to give your child the best graduation party ever!  Throwing a graduation party, without going into debt, is the subject of this discussion.

Instead of hiring a catering hall and having to invite the immediate world, think of having an open house graduation party at your home.  Work out a budget that is reasonable, and then send out invitations to friends and family.  You can easily arrange a buffet, which is not only affordable, but allows the guests to come; offer their congratulations, and have a bite to eat.  This way, there would be less work for you afterwards.  All you would need to buy is, paper plates, napkins, paper cups, sturdy plastic spoons, forks, and knives; a few decorations, and the party can go into full swing.  

If you have a large family, your invitation list may be quite long.  For large groups, you may want to consider renting a hall for the occasion.  When renting a hall, research local community centers to determine the cost factor.  You can also use the buffet style in these types of places.  Furthermore, if your son or daughter has a close friend who is graduating with them, you may want to approach their parents, and decide if a joint party is feasible.  In this way, the costs can be decreased.  Both families can work out the details, and split the cost down the middle.

With college tuition, boarding, and all of the peripherals needed for college life; your funds may be a bit low.  If this is your case, the last thing you need is to give an extravagant party that will put you in debt. Instead, consider having a dinner party at a local restaurant for immediate family members only.  In this way, you are saving quite a bit of money, yet still celebrating this important event.  Most kids would appreciate this gesture, especially if they understand you can’t afford a grand affair.  Have a conversation with your son or daughter; you may be surprised at their response.

You can listen to the new Parenting My Teen show by visiting http://www.parentingmyteen.com and clicking on the arrow or by downloading the audio mp3.

If you have a student who is in the midst of submitting college applications or even if your student is just starting high school, parents should NOT miss this very informative show about what attributes colleges are looking for in their applicants!

My guest this week is Suzanne Luse, a certified educational consultant from College Expert, and she helps us understand what role parents should play in the college application process, how to encourage your children to make decisions and take initiative when speaking to college representatives, and why your high school student should take four years of math and English classes.

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I’d Love To Hear From You
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Don’t forget that the website is now interactive. Feel free to post your comments about the show directly onto the website. Also let me know if you have any topic ideas or if you would like to be a guest on the show.

Every mom deserves a break. You can’t always take a day off just for you. However, you can pamper yourself any day of the week, right at home. These quick pampering tips for moms are sure to give you a quick boost!

Listen to your favorite music - When was the last time you bought yourself a new CD of your favorite artist? Turn on some motivating music for yourself. Listen to music to relax or pump up the volume and dance while you do the laundry.

Light some candles - Gather a few scented candles and light them for a soothing effect. Be sure to keep a few of the scents you like best on hand so you never run out.

Bubble bath - Fill your bath tub with hot water. Squirt in some nice-smelling bubble bath. Scents like lavender, mint and vanilla contribute a calming aroma.

Rose petal soak - Instead of using bubble bath or bath salts, drop some rose petals in your water just before you get ready to soak.

Rose petal foot soak - Soak your feet for twenty minutes in warm water with rose petals. The smell from the rose petals have a calming effect and the foot soak is sure to be a treat for mom’s tired feet.

Manicure and pedicure - What mom doesn’t deserve a nice pampering manicure and pedicure! Plan a special day out alone for this special treat. If you can’t afford to pay for this, invite a girlfriend and take turns pampering each other.

Save face - Buy an inexpensive tube of facial mask and soothing cream. Give yourself a facial while relaxing in the tub or soaking your feet in a rose petal foot soak.

Mother-daughter pampering - All moms need special pampering, but don’t forget to include your daughters from time to time. If you have a younger daughter, use some of these pampering tips we’ve provided for a fun mother-daughter night. Take turns giving each other facials and manicures, rubbing lotion on your feet or combing your hair. If you have an older daughter, save and plan for a special mother-daughter pampering day at the spa.

For more ideas on taking a break and giving back to yourself - visit Journey To Joy

Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:

Why did God make mothers?
1. She’s the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of ?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men’s bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?
1. We’re related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people’s moms like me.

What kind of little girl was your mom?
1. My Mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don’t know because I wasn’t there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs an d YES to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn’t have her thinking cap on.

Who’s the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn’t want to be boss, but she has to because dad’s such a goof ball.
2. Mom . You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What’s the difference between moms & dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power ’cause that’s who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend’s.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don’t do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she’s already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I’d diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I’d get rid of that.
2. I’d make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

I am passing this on to you because it definitely works, and we could all use a little more calmness in our lives.

By following simple advice heard on the Dr. Phil show, you too can find inner peace. Dr. Phil proclaimed, ‘The way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you have started and have never finished.’

So, I looked around my house to see all the things I started and hadn’t finished, and before the morning was over I finished off a bottle of Zinfandel, a bottle of Bailey’s Irish Cream, a package of Oreo’s, the remainder of my old Prozac prescription, the rest of the cheesecake, some Doritos, and a box of chocolates.

You have no idea how freaking good I feel right now.

Pass this on to those whom you think might be in need of inner peace.

A Very Close friend of mine Cara From The Household Helper is raising money for a great cause.  Please read below to see what Cara has to say.

March of Dimes

The March of Dimes champions the needs of moms and babies in our community and across the nation. The money raised for March for Babies event will support lifesaving research, services, education and advocacy that help babies get a healthy start.

A Cause Near and Dear To My Heart

My son Joey was born 12 weeks premature due to a placental abruption, a result of preeclampsia. He weighed just 2 pounds 9 ounces and was only 14 inches long (see picture in the left sidebar). While in the NICU, one of the nurses passed on some literature from The March of Dimes. From that day on, I knew I would champion this organization anyway I could.

Make A Donation - Win Some Goodies!

Joey and I are participating in The March for Babies this month (formerly known as Walk America). If you would like to sponsor us, just click on Joey’s picture in the left sidebar or click here to visit our fundraising page. All sponsors will be eligible for a random drawing to win some lovely goodies from my fellow WAHM Community.

List of Prizes and Sponsors

A premium make your own stuffed animal kit donated by Annette from CrittersWhoCare.com, an organization dedicated to show children love by sharing cuddly friends!

$15 Gift certificate from Penny for Simply Fun products–games, puzzles, puppets and more. Penny’s site is www.pennyschoenke.simplyfun.com.

$25 Gift Certificate from www.CarasCafe.com.

Choice of one ebook from www.TheHouseholdhelper.com

$20 Tupperware gift certificate from Netta D’Andrea

A year long membership to www.wigglegigglelearn.com

A copy of www.FullTimeWahm.com

eBook of choice from www.JustAddSweat.com

eBook of choice from www.PartybyMom.com

A 3 month subscription to www.DineWithoutWhine.com

A subscription to www.MenuPlanningCentral.com

A Summer Fun Tote Bag filled with summer getaway related accessories such as towels, sun glasses, flip flops, and water bottle from www.AboveAllTravel.com

This is a random drawing - the amount of the donation DOES NOT effect your chances of winning. The drawing will be held Monday, April 28th. Winners will be notified via email.

Special Thanks to www.JalapenoDesigns.com for hooking our team up with t-shirts!

Last week we posted a great contest asking for suggestions for a “tag line” that would be used for Real Life Guidance. We received TONS of great suggestions and honestly, Tricia and I had a hard time choosing a winner.  Check out all of the entries here.

Well, as hard as it was to do, we had to choose a winner and the winner and the winning tag line is……..

Real Moms … Real Guidance … Really Easy

This suggest came from Tiffany of NatureMomsBlog.  For her winning suggestion,Tiffany will receive:

1. A button on this site for a full month

2. A free report of her choice from www.reallifeguidance.com  

3. $5 Cold Hard Cash into her paypal account

We’d like to thank ALL of you for participating! Your suggestions were greatly appreciate and keep your eyes peeled out for more fun contests like this!

Note: Tiffany - Contrats and please email me at at info@reallifesolutions.net as soon as you can