Age: AnyTime: 15 minutesType of Activity: ArtMaterials needed: What to do Ready, set, go and clean all the dirty bits off of your rocks and let them dry. Now decide what you are going to create (a picture, an animal, a funky paper weight) It’s all up to you! Super, now begin painting your rock with the designs and colors of your choice. If you like, you can draw some lovely pictures using magic markers instead of paint....

There is a special paper you can buy for origami, but you can substitute other common papers you might have on hand. The traditional paper used for origami is brightly colored on one side and white on the other. Gift wrap often has a pattern or solid color on one side only, so it makes a nice pinch-hitter. It’s great for origami because it makes a nice, crisp edge. And usually, the cheaper the wrap, the thinner the paper, and the crisper the edge....

As parents raising our kids in the Information Age, we struggle with how to embrace technology and all its amazing capabilities to make our lives easier; to keep our kids entertained and prepared for the connected world they’re entering. Yet at the same time, we’re faced with warnings of too much “screen time” and how it can affect children’s health and development. How do we navigate these unchartered waters with our kids?...

Effort: Easy - no sewing required Materials: Pillowcase 4-5 large bags of colored feathers Glue gun Glue sticks Plastic bird beak Yellow tights Black high tops (optional) Instructions: Find the center of the pillowcase on the end opposite the open end. Cut a hole here for your child’s head to go through. Cut holes in the sides for his arms. Hot glue 3-4 rows of red feathers, followed by 3-4 rows of yellow feathers, 3-4 rows of blue feathers, and 3-4 rows of green feathers, until you reach the bottom of the pillowcase....

You may be wondering what your role will be in all of this, what the most vital things to know about pregnancy are, and whether you will know how to be the supportive partner you want to be. After that, it’s all about learning as much as you can about pregnancy and birth, participating in the process as much as possible, being a good listener—and of course, always being willing to run out to get your partner whatever strange food they’re craving, whatever time of day it is....

Extras for Insurance I don’t think of making more food than you need for one night as creating leftovers. That word has a negative connotation. I think of it instead as dinner insurance—and everyone should have a few of these policies in his or her freezer! Strategy for Success If you’ve decided in advance that part of a batch of soup is destined for the freezer, two things are important to consider: the ingredients used (some hold up better than others when frozen) and timing....

Garlic clove Potting soil Small pot Directions

Level: Moderately difficult Time involved: Three to four hours Materials: Four 7 x 3 1/2 inch pieces of muslin or cotton material Two 5 1/2 x 3 inch pieces of muslin or cotton material Scissors Straight pins Sewing machine and thread Rub-on faces (You can find these in a craft store.) Popsicle stick Polyester fill Three 6 x 5 inch pieces of pastel-colored felt White glue or glue gun Ribbon or rickrack Cord 4-inch clay pot Pastel-colored craft paint Paintbrush White pom-poms Wooden robin’s eggs painted pastel colors (optional)

The exception to nutritional foods that should not be eaten in pregnancy includes foods that can become easily colonized with listeria. This is a bacteria that can lead to gastrointestinal, intrauterine, and cervical infections either with or without fever, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. It can also cause meningitis. In pregnant women, it is particularly dangerous, as listeria can cause miscarriages and stillbirths. Foods at risk of contamination with listeria include soft cheeses (brie, feta, Mexican cheese), unpasteurized dairy products, poorly stored deli meats that have not been heated to steaming, raw poultry, raw fish, raw meats, and smoked fish....

Premature birth remains a leading cause of newborn death, so it is important to reduce any factors that could contribute to early delivery. Fortunately, HPV is preventable. A safe and effective vaccine can be administered before a person becomes sexually active, and it will protect the person against the virus. What Is HPV? HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection. “HPV is so common that nearly every sexually active person will have an infection with HPV at some point,” says Kelly Culwell, MD, a fellowship-trained OB/GYN who specializes in women’s health and contraceptive research....

Effort: Fairly easy - some sewing Materials: Foam poster board (as many sheets as there are participants) Material for straps Markers/pencils Scissors Friends Velcro? Instructions: Decide how many people you want in the costume. Lightly, in pencil, draw the outlines of the puzzle pieces you want. On the pieces of poster board, draw a continuous Halloween scene and color it in. Cut along the poster board edges to make interlocking puzzle pieces....

But how do you know what your values are? Have you ever thought about them? Have you ever put them in words? This following little quiz might help clarify the issues. Don’t worry—there are no failing grades or scoring system. Just be honest with your answers. The function of this quiz is simply to open your eyes to exactly what you value in relation to money matters. Values are defined by certain concepts you stand behind....

The safety risks to mother and baby can be greater with a cesarean than a vaginal delivery, which has led medical organizations such as the Society of Maternal Fetal Medicine (SMFM) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) to create guidance for safely reducing the number of first cesareans. Why would you need a scheduled cesarean section? What are the most common reasons for this to be decided even before labor begins?...

Any sudden and unexpected death of a baby under one year old, in which the cause was not obvious, is considered SUID. These deaths often happen while babies are sleeping or in the area where they sleep. Despite the success of the Safe to Sleep campaign, which has greatly reduced the death rate, SIDS remains the leading cause of sudden death in infants and the fourth leading cause of overall infant mortality in the United States....

Understanding the risks of a twin pregnancy before you conceive can help you make decisions regarding your fertility treatment. For example, if your doctor offers a choice of transferring multiple embryos versus a single embryo during IVF treatment, you might be more willing to try a single embryo transfer (SET) if you know your risks. Or, if your doctor doesn’t even mention SET, you can ask if you’re a good candidate for it, but only if you know your options....

First, observe these general rules: Read directions thoroughly before beginning any project. That includes both the directions for the project and any labels on products you may be using. Always read labels! Check expiration dates, too. Make sure you have all the materials you need in one place. Accidents can occur when you’re hurriedly looking for something or leave the room to get something you’ve forgotten. Arrange all your tools near you....