Cleanliness at Camp - ACA Tips

I was lucky enough to spend two great summers at a sleep away camp, Camp Bernadette, in New Hampshire. The summers were a blast, filled with nightly pranks, fun sports, funny camp songs and more. I left on the long bus ride back to NY with fond memories and millions of lessons learned - sharing a cabin, bathroom and mess hall with hundreds of others, taught me not only patience but offered a great reminder of the importance of cleanliness.

Recently the American Camp Association has released excellent "lessons learned" by campers this summer as our society continues to face a flu outbreak. Enjoy the fantastic tips:

• You can never have enough soap – Campers are practicing advanced and proper hand washing at camp this summer. They are learning to wash their hands in between activities, and not just before they eat. They are learning important lessons in personal sanitation. The camp experience is providing lots of practice and developing a habit of healthy hand washing.
• You can't lick your elbow, but you can sneeze in it – Camp is teaching millions of children how to practice "safe sneezing." By learning to sneeze into their sleeves, they are learning to keep germs away from their hands and out of the air. Many influenza-like illnesses are spread by contact with infected droplets. Keeping a sneeze to oneself teaches campers to avoid sharing unwanted germs with cabin-mates, classmates, and families.
• Looking for germs in all the right places – Campers are learning to think outside of the box when it comes to sanitizing and staying as germ free as possible. Some of the creative lessons learned at camp include using personal salad tongs and serving utensils and using alcohol wipes to sanitize high-contact activity areas. By identifying these "touch zones," campers are learning valuable lessons in how influenza-like illnesses spread and how they can be avoided.
• Everyone else is doing it, why can't I – Campers aren't the only ones getting an education in precautionary practices – their parents are, too. When families see the difference these health and wellness habits make, they begin to implement them as well.

Smiles,

Caroline

SmartyPantsMama.com

ThinkFirst Safety Tips from the Kessler Foundation!

As we're just about midway through the summer it's a great SMART MAMA move to be reminded of some life saving safety tips for our munchkins. Thank you to the Kessler Foundation, http://www.kesslerfoundation.org/, one of the largest nonprofits serving people with physical disabilities, for providing these great reminders!




Kessler Foundation ThinkFirst Safety Tips:

1. Check all outdoor toys that have been stored during the winter to insure no wheels are lose, no pieces are missing and there is no other wear that would make it unsafe for children.


2. Children should wear a helmet every time they ride their bike, skateboard or rollerblade. Studies have shown wearing a helmet can reduce the risk of a head injuries by as much as 85 percent.


3. When purchasing a helmet insure that it fits properly and meets or exceeds the safety standards developed by American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and/or the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).


4. It is recommended that young children do not dive. Older children should do so in at least eight feet of water with arms extended out in front.


5. Always require children to wear a seatbelt while riding in a car and check to insure the belt is snug across their hips.

Thank you to the Kessler Foundation for providing these great, useful tips for Smart Mamas!

Smiles,
Caroline

SmartyPantsMama.com

Smarty Tip - The Cheap Pedicure!

Who needs a pedicure??? Who doesn't??

I recently read some excellent CHEAP ways of pampering your feet.

Interested?

I'm sure you are!

Here's what NY podiatrist Dr. Oliver Zong, suggests:

Tea Relaxes the Mind, Body and Sore Feet

Emerge three to five bags of your favorite tea into a quart and a half of water. Bring the water to a boil. When the tea is steeping rapidly turn down the flame and add two cups of cool water to lower temperature. Now transfer the water into a more suited dish for you feet and begin soaking! Tannin, active ingredient in tea, works wonders to tighten skin and alleviate odor. Tea is an antioxidant that will help to revitalize feet, leaving feet feeling fresh and easing inflammation and swelling. After you are done soaking your feet and pampering them elevate your feet for 10 minutes to ease the stress on your circulatory system. Another at home tip is to use massage sandals which help rejuvenate your feet and legs which can comfort your feet and legs anywhere you go.

Beauty Secret for Feet: Vaseline

Tyra Banks recently revealed to InStyle Magazine her beauty secrets, which happens to include a $2.00 jar of Vaseline. Tyra told the magazine that she doesn’t believe in expensive products and her mother does not have any wrinkles around her eyes because she uses the Vaseline every night! However Vaseline does not only work wonders for your face. It’s also a great moisturizer for elbows, lips and feet. Dr. Zong suggests first purchasing a foot file and using it on heels after a long hot soak in warm, soapy water. Next file away dead cells and then lather on a layer of Vaseline before going to bed. Be sure to put a pair of white cotton socks on to lock in moisture and prevent Vaseline from getting on your sheets. Dr. Zong's guarantees your feet will feel baby soft in a week!

Smarty Tip - Alex McCord the Blogger

I know you're watching, or at least DVRing, the latest episode of The Real Housewives of NYC. I'm hooked, and I don't know why. Every time I watch I feel poor, un-stylish and uncharitable! Come on, these hoity toity women spend their days going from one designer to the next and then their power lunches orchestrating the next charity event. It's all good and all, but why not just put the $30K spent on the charity event gown and send it right to the charity, or even better, to me!

Anyway, as much as I can complain, I love it! I just learned that Alex, half of you hate her, while the other half aren't sure, has landed a gig, thanks to her eternal 15 minutes of fame, as a blogger for The Huffington Post. I guess it's worth a read! Check it out!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alex-mccord

Smarty Tip - PBS Kids Go! Online videos and games!

One thing has certainly been consistent my entire life...PBS! It's the one channel that has held true to its value of broadcasting good, wholesome television for everyone 0 - 100 years old! In my more than 30 years of regularly watching shows from Sesame Street to Antiques Roadshow, PBS has morphed into even more, especially for kids. We now have PBS Kids and PBS Sprout! We watch both regularly in this home! What about you? Do you watch Curious George, Dragon Tales or Super Why?

Now PBS Kids has morphed once more in providing a new inVideo feature on their very popular PBS Kids Go! (www.PBSKidsGo.org). The inVideo gaming feature now allows your munchkin to very easily toggle between viewing a show to playing an educational game. The format is very kid (and adult) friendly! Check it out and let me know what you think!

FREE Knitting Patterns - Smart Mamas, what will you make?

Who's a knitter out there?? My mother tries, my grandmother in-law is the champ...me, not so much! I wish I was.

I just learned this....

Throughout the month of February, Quamut.com, Barnes & Noble’s how-to site, is offering any of its popular knitting and crochet patterns for free. The handy, easy-to-use PDF format is normally priced at $2.95. Quamut.com welcomes any knitting and crochet enthusiasts and beginners alike to download the great variety of projects.

For knitting projects please follow the link: http://www.quamut.com/category/knitting_projects

And for crochet projects click here:

http://www.quamut.com/category/crochet_projects.

I guess with an offer like this, I might as well give it a stab, or should I say knit!

A spoonful of sugar...

We all learned from Mary Poppins that a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down! But what other ways do you know to get the medicine down? My little 2 year old munchkin is dealing with a nasty cold and absolutely to refuses to take her tiny teaspoon of Tylenol. Her doctor recommended putting it in chocolate syrup. This has worked like a charm but when I used the same trick at 11 PM, I couldn't help but wonder the impact of the 2 spoonfuls of chocolate syrup on a 2 year old - is that why she wouldn't fall asleep until 1 AM????

So, Smart Mamas, what are tricky, sly ways of getting the medicine down?