Condoms With Teeth (Ouch!) Awesome Invention

There is one topic that is hard for anyone to talk about and that is rape. It is such a violent and senseless crime and having a line of defense is always a welcomed thing. This is one of those things that made me say “now that is a great idea!”

It reminds me of the ink on stolen money concept but this might hurt a little more!  Talk about getting caught with your pants down!

A South African doctor has invented a female condom with teeth. Yes, you read that right, it has teeth. How it works is, the woman inserts the latex condom like a tampon. Rows of jagged (ouch!) teeth-like hooks line the inside and attach on a man’s apparatus and well you can imagine.  The thing looks like something out of science fiction  lol.

Once those teeth like things get in there, only a doctor can take it out. It certainly says, here is the guilty party, but I can see where this may have some down sides. The main idea behind this specialized condom is that a woman can wear this out on a date with a new person or when she is in an area she isn’t familiar with. There have been many times where I have felt leary about my surroundings and felt unsafe. The world isn’t as safe anymore, so I can see why you would want to protect yourself.

I can see a few minor drawbacks and how it could be abused in some ways.

How bout the angry girlfriend or wife getting back at the cheating husband? I can only imagine the story here. Wild thoughts are swirling through my head now.

Or what if you forgot you put it in there and then well the innocent one night stand?

It might have it’s downsides but for the most part it is a really awesome invention.

I would love to hear your thoughts!

More on the female condom with teeth can be read here.

Sick Sick Sick

Well we are getting sick again, and I am never leaving the house.  I told my husband that the parties we went to over the weekend were prime breeding grounds for some kung foo goo, I knew the boys would get something.  I know we can’t live our lives in a bubble, and I am not a paranoid person.  But I just hate that almost every time we go out to gatherings one of them comes home sick and then we are all sick.

The scariest part about this time, is that one of my boys has a high fever and he is under tons of blankets and still shivering.  I always worry especially since when he gets sick his asthma kicks in.  With all of these swine flu cases it always concerns you as a parent.  I’m praying this is just a passing virus.   Off to take care of my babies!

Pom Wonderful *review*

I recently was given the opportunity to try Pom wonderful juice.  I had always walked by the refrigerated beverage aisle and often saw those fancy looking shaped bottles of pomegranate juice but never actually picked on up.

I was really excited to try this juice because I am always hearing about the antioxidants in pomegranates and benefits of them in your diet.  I don’t know if its all true, but I thought I would give it a try to see if I actually like the flavor of it.  I vaguely remember trying the actual pomegranate fruit when I was younger and just remember it being these little tiny bead like fruits that came from it, that you could eat.

The juice itself was a little tart for my liking and is probably meant to drink in smaller amounts.  It isn’t a beverage that I would just guzzle down on a hot day, I don’t think.  They have some flavor combinations such as pomegranate blueberry and one with tangerine too.  I actually really lliked the pomegranate tangerine and had no trouble finishing off the bottle.  The tangerine in it seems to negate some of the tartness making it something I might readily go to if it was in the fridge.

All in all I would say the juice is good in small amounts but it is definitely a little tart, but if you are one that likes a little of that than Pom Wonderful may be something you might like to try!  Even in moderation you can still get some of the health benefits from drinking it without downing an entire bottle.

Sick Again

Today was a beautiful day but all of us are sick. It never seems to fail that when the weather changes we all get sick. I am hoping to get some much needed sleep tonight so I can actually function in the morning. When the boys are sick it seems like I am waking anywhere from 6-7 times in the night. My poor little bubs can’t seem to get comfy and when you can’t breathe through your nose, it just makes matters worse. The boys were a little crankier than usual but they still wanted to play outside.  I lnow that when I am miserable, all I want is my bed.  I never know if I should be keeping them sort of quiet or let them just play. We decided to let them go out but I think the boys overdid it. I just hope that this crud  goes away soon so we can enjoy the warmer weather!

Advanced Maternal Age: The Age Of The Dinosaur So It Seems

That big phrase, that nasty sounding, I am doomed phrase that lingers in women’s ears who are heading on their journey to have their first child or maybe thinking about having another.  I am one of those moms that would really like to have just one more little bundle to complete our family.

I just turned 36 last month and I cringe when I say the number, simply because I have been preconditioned to think that the eggs in my ovaries have suddenly become fossilized.  I hear about all the chances of having a baby with downs, I think it is like 1 in 400.  I hear that I may not have any eggs left, or my chances of having twins is greater (been there done that!).   As a patient, I am now viewed as high risk, and feel like if I set up an appointment I should have my knee highs on, my dentures in, and walking with a cane.

I will definitely be considered high risk because of my pregnancy with the boys.  I survived many scares, 16 weeks of bed rest, 8 of those weeks in the hospital, 18 days of the the boys being in the NICU, and still livedto tell about it, so I think that being 36 is really no big deal or is it?

I know that there are some risks, but seriously are they so much greater than some of the normal risks that come along with pregnancy.  I can remember a my Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist who I nicknamed the spaz, because I thought that it was his job to scare the babies out of me, rather than keep them in.  In retrospect I know that he was just covering his butt.

The fact is, I am probably at some risk due to my age, but I still have the energy to run after my twin 2.5 yr old spitfires, get my house cleaned (well sort of), manage the meals, and eventually I may have be cheerleader at the local sports field.  And despite all the nay sayers, I really would like one more sweet baby (hoping for a girl), so I can experience the wonder of it all just one more time.

So ill leave the archeologist to find the fossils and hope that my eggs aren’t among them!

Daylight Savings Are You Ready?

As an adult Daylight Savings has just always been just a minor nuisance and I would always get caught up with my sleep at some point.  But since having children it has taken on a whole new meaning.    Not only so you lose more sleep but it seems like kids have an even harder time adjusting to the time change.   Everyone is in a cranky mood, including mommy and it just isn’t much fun.

There is one good thing about the up coming time change and that is that daylight sticks around longer so the kids can be outside playing.   I can hardly wait for the warmer weather that comes along with it so we can be outside taking evening walks as a family.   The boys have always  slept a million times better when they can get out and have a huge energy release.   I have had enough of the freezing cold, dreary skies, and brown grass.

This weekend we Spring forward, so now what?   I have found one very good method to helping the boys adjust to the time change.  It seems like the week leading up to it their sleep gets out of whack.   Just last night they were up at 4 am, so it is pretty obvious that their sleep rhythms are already sort of shifting.  Its weird, but I swear that the upcoming time change is to blame for this.  My two are on a very regular schedule so a big change can just have drastic effects.  My husband and I in the light of losing and hour have developed a 10 min a day move back.  Every night the week leading up to the time change we move them forward or back 10 minutes each day (in this case back 10 min).  Not only has this worked great, it is such a gradual change that the boys don’t even notice the difference.  Then by the time Sunday evening rolls around we are already adjusted.

You may experience some mild crankiness the first day or two in the week of the time change, but it is nothing compared to just moving them an hour all at once.

So, get ready to move your clocks forward!  I have my favorites about moving back (the obvious extra hour of sleep!) and my favorites about moving forward (warmer weather is coming!).  Cmon Spring!

Did You Know?

Analyzing 20 years of data, scientists in Sweden found that the number of heart attacks typically rises 6 to 10 percent for the three days after clocks jump forward; the day after the clocks are set back each fall, heart attacks fall by 5 percent. A lack of sleep may be to blame for the danger. Other studies have shown that chronic sleep deprivation is hard on the heart. This year, hit the sack early after resetting your clock. But you may not have to fret about your bedtime forever. The Swedish statistics suggest that people over 65 are less apt to be harmed by the time change — perhaps because retired folks are less tied to the clock.

This is a convincing reason to sleep in!

Big G Kid Cereals and Giveaway

Being a first time parent, I am almost always concerned about my two little guys and their health.  From a very early age, I have tried to influence healthy food choices and make sure that they are getting a fairly balanced diet.   If I buy something at the grocery store, I am always reading the labels, to see what they are getting in their food.  We are a cereal loving family here, because it is something that is simple to make and the kids just love it.   It is a perfect snack too in the afternoon after naps, and it doesn’t have to be served with milk.  My two love to have their own bowl, their cup of juice, and watch one of their favorite shows.

Recently the importance of Vitamin D in the diet has been in the news, and the importance of calcium is so important in bone growth and development.  Vitamin D is also important in bone growth and is now suggested to be a key factor in healthy lung function.   Approximately 75% of kids today don’t even get the required amount of Calcium and Vitamin D in their diets, and that is an astounding figure!   The American Academy of Pediatrics has even upped the amount of Vitamin D your child should be getting to 400IU.

The good news is, that it isn’t that hard to incorporate these nutrients in your child’s diet.  Parents can easily get both vitamin D and Calcium in milk and many juices and now in fortified cereals.  All General Mills Big G kid cereals including Kix, Lucky Charms, Cocoa Puffs, Trix, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and more.

This is great news for our family because we are huge Lucky Charms, and Cocoa Puffs fans.  The boys think they have gone to heaven when I give them these cereals in their snack bowls!  Additionally, a recent report in a leading consumer magazine ranked kid cereals by nutritional content, and all nine General Mills Big G kid cereals included in the report were ranked in the top half. All Big G kid cereals have at least eight grams of whole grain per serving (at least 48 grams are recommended daily), and all have 12 grams or less of sugar per serving.  This is awesome, and you can feel good about giving them something they love and not worry about them getting a ton of sugar.

Cereal is one of the most nutritious breakfast options a kid can eat. Most cereals have about 100 – 130 calories per serving and provide at least 10 key nutrients. And, ready-to-eat cereal is the number one source of whole grain in American diets.  If there is one food that your child would eat than at least you know that it has nutritional value.

This Giveaway Is Now Closed

As part of a healthy diet and the love of  Big G cereal (especially Cocoa Puffs), DoubleBugs  is giving away these totally adorable and way cool Cocoa Puffs vintage ringer Ts (child’s sz large) to 9 lucky winners.

Here’s all you gotta do!

• Leave me a comment on what your child’s favorite Big G cereal is, and yours too.
• Please leave me an email so I can contact you if you win

• Winners are chosen at random via Random.org.
• If Winner Does Not Respond Within 2 Days the prize is forfeited and donated!

For Additional Entries (please leave as an additional comment):

• Tweet about this post
• Follow me on Twitter
• Blog about my contest and give me the link!
• Put my badge on your sidebar

That’s all you gotta do!

Contest Starts February 25, 2009 and Ends March 11, 2009

Good Luck!

Potty Training

Potty training will be our next big hurdle. Both of the bubbas are just now showing some interest in the potty.  Since I have two of them to potty train, I am a little nervous about jumping right in.  It is hard to say if they will sort of watch and learn from each other or if each one will sort of move at their own pace.

It has been fun around the house lately with two boys running around.  Their newest thing is to take off their diapers and run naked as a jaybird through the house.  If you’re lucky and super fast.  you might catch one of them!  This is where being a mommy can get a little hairy.  One afternoon I was going to the bathroom and usually I have one or both in the bathroom with me, because we all know mommy can’t pee alone.  Anyway, I just went in the bathroom for a minute.  I hear the two of them laughing and playing and bubs goes driving by on his trike.  I think nothing of it because he had his shirt on.  I didn’t notice that the diaper was off till he came around the corner.  I’m thinking about grabbing the duct tape next.

I am thinking that they are getting close, but the pediatrician and my sister-in-law told us to look closer to three years of age before they are potty trained.  My husband and I aren’t really pushing the issue, but we have a potty chair in each bathroom.  If they ask to sit on it, we just say ok. and let them sit their with a book.  Sometimes we get lucky with the timing and raise a ruckus and clap and praise them if they do something.  I am praying for it all to be easy. But we shall see!  I will keep you updated as we move along, it is so hard when you have two at one time and you are a first time parent learning as you go.

Time Outs For Mom

Ever wonder what you did with your time before you had kids? Since having my two, I often wonder exactly that. It seems that there aren’t enough hours in my day anymore, and I find myself wishing for a spare eight on days like today.

You need a time out:

When you have a safety gate in place at the bottom of the stairs and your toddler has made it up the stairs (in spite of your preventative efforts) and has managed to climb on the outside spindles and is dangling at the top. In turn giving mom a heart attack.

When you are stuck in the bathroom with no toilet paper trying to describe to your toddlers exactly where to find it. They brought me a diaper instead. I suppose if it were my size it would do the trick! I later got a soggy roll, that had been dropped in the other toilet, but it made me smile.

But seriously, you need to take some “me” moments when you are at home with your children all day. It will make you a much better mom in the long run. I am slowly beginning to understand that it doesn’t make me a bad person for wanting or taking a moment for myself. I have also come to the conclusion that going to the grocery store, is not a time out for me. It is a chore to go to the store, but for some, that may be a good thing to do.

Tonight, when my dear husband got home, I let him play with the boys, and I went into our bedroom, locked the door, and watched 30 min of a tv show in the dark on my laptop, then I took a hot shower. That 45 min to myself made a huge difference in how I handled the rest of the evening. I was much less crabby, the boys weren’t crabby and both my husband and I got to enjoy their bath and bedtime because, I wasn’t running around to get a million things done plus my shower. Everything was done, and I got to enjoy our family time.

Sometimes I just close the door and sit in the dark and cry, but even crying has its benefits. The best time out I have ever had was in a dark room where I cried because I loved my boys so much and couldn’t imagine life without them, and how truly thankful I was for all the stress, all the laughs and how much they have changed my life. Hormonal I guess lol.

This is why time outs are so important. And what you do for a tim eout is strictly up to you. They make you a better mommy, they make you more thankful for your life and your family, and give you a chance to reconnect with yourself and motivate you to get through the next day. Take a deep breath and take a moment for you!