Blog Posts by The_Stir

Turn your head for one second and your toddler might be eating the cat food. My friend's daughter has eaten from a pile of dust waiting to be swept up. Kids eat weird things.

A discussion on CafeMom revealed that kids have eaten poop (their own), dog food, wallpaper, bugs, and chewed gum.

Other notables included:

-- Strawberry shampoo. Don't worry, a doctor was called and Ipecac was given. Pink bubbles were thrown up all day.

-- A Hershey Kiss...wrapper and all.

-- Deodorant, right off the stick.

-- The dried umbilical cord.

And of course there are the moms that eat the placenta.

Read on to see all the other interesting things our kids have ingested.

What's the weirdest thing your child has eaten?

Written by Kim Conte for CafeMom's Food & Party Buzz.

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Yes, tweens still want Easter baskets. Kids in those in-between years are maturing, absolutely, but apparently they are not too grown up for a chocolate bunny, a sweet little note, and some, um, "special love" (read: gifts) from mom.

In fact, when one CafeMom user asked other mothers for suggestions as to what she should put in her tweens (ages 9 and 12) Easter basket, she got a cool list of ideas I'd never even thought about.

Who knew chocolate Kisses weren't enough?!

Should you be wondering the same thing -- What do I get my tween for Easter? -- here are 10 things moms suggested (Warning: some of this cost$!):

1. bible

2. lipgloss

3. religious jewelry (cross, angel)

4. perfume

5. CD's

6. cologne

7. wallet

8. small gift certificates (for a movies, CD, Walmart or iTunes for example)

9. spring outfit

10. sports accessories

Will your tween be getting an Easter basket this year? Will it contain a small gift?

Written by

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April is Earth Month, and I sure want to make the Earth better for my kids. So I'm applying some green ideas into all parts of my life.

As you prepare ideas for your precious bunny's Easter basket, stop and think how you can make it greener this year.

-- Use naturally dyed Easter eggs.

-- Reuse last year's Easter basket. No matter how cute the new ones are at Target.

-- Make an Easter basket: Make a basket out of recycled paper, newspaper, a paper bag, a berry basket, or other household items.

-- Repurpose an Easter basket. Roll down a canvas bag. Have the kids decorate shoe boxes. Use your child's sand bucket.

-- Thrift for Easter baskets: If thrift stores have nothing else, they always have a gazillion decent baskets.

-- Skip the Easter plastics: Use shredded paper, cloth, or even real grass or clover instead of the plastic grassy stuff. If you have plastic eggs, reuse away. If you want them, thrift for them rather than buying new.

-- Fill the Easter basket with Read More »from How to make an eco-friendly Easter basket

I was pickpocketed the other day. When I hit the rewind button, I know exactly who did it and when she did it, and I feel so dumb. I was in Bloomingdale's in New York City, shopping for an Easter outfit for my baby. I had just finished talking to my husband on my cell phone and slipped it into the outer pocket of my huge shoulder bag. I was pushing my baby in her stroller when she started gesturing toward some really cute, girlie pink ballet slippers, so we went over to look at them.

A woman came up beside me with a lot of clothes over one arm-she leaned over my stroller to try to look at clothing on a rack next to us, so I said, "Oh, I'm sorry, excuse me," and moved the stroller over so she would have room to shop. "Oh, no problem," she said. A few seconds later she was gone. Mmm hmm, that's right, Nancy Drew.

I walked over to the register because of course I had to buy the adorable ballet slippers for my daughter. Then I reached into my bag to get my phone. It was gone. I

Read More »from Baby mamas beware: pickpockets are watching you

Government researchers tested 15 different brands of baby formula and found something really unusual: perchlorate (an ingredient used to make rocket fuel). Many CafeMom groups are buzzing about the news and members are understandably anxious.

And get this-perchlorate has also been found in breast milk. Yikes! We obviously can't stop feeding our babies formula or breast milk, but there's no need to panic. There are some steps you can take to reduce your baby's exposure to this chemical.

What will happen if I feed my baby formula or breast milk containing rocket fuel?

Don't worry. The Environmental Protection Agency says there's not enough perchlorate in formula to do your baby any harm. But some health advocates disagree. They're worried because perchlorate is also found in other places-the drinking water in some states, for example.

And if you use that water to mix your baby's formula, the amount of perchlorate your baby is getting from the formula and the water

Read More »from Worried about rocket fuel in formula? It's in breast milk, too

Question: Are your kids more likely to eat a meal if it's mini?

I'm not exactly sure why, but kids seem to go gagga for meals that are bite-sized and that they can pick up with their fingers.

I know I love appetizers, but when I get two at a restaurant instead of a full meal I somehow feel I am cutting back on larger portions. Kids aren't thinking that way or counting calories, of course.

If you have a picky eater, perhaps some mini meals could help.

Here is a round-up of kid-approved mini meals from CafeMom and beyond...

• Meatloaf Cupcakes
• Mini Calzones with cheese and pepperoni
• Sloppy Joe Sliders
  
• Cupcake Tin Dinners From Cookie (including Potato-Chip Frittatas, Pizza Pouches, and Gorditas)
• Mini Pizzas from Pillsbury.com
• Chicken Sliders from Annabel Karmel

What is your family's favorite mini meal?


Written by Kim Conte for CafeMom's Food & Party Buzz
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The Princess and The Frog, set for release late this year, will be Disney's first animation starring an African American princess . I want to jump up and down on my bed for all the little girls who look as I did as a child, but unlike the girl me, will have a chance to actually see themselves reflected in a fairy tale. Yay for Princess Tiana! Go on, girl!

There is a controversy surrounding this movie, however.

Prince Naveen, the dashing guy who eventually scoops the beautiful princess off of her feet, isn't black. He's apparently white or Middle Eastern. In response to this, some people are charging Disney with being uncomfortable with idea of a black prince, and by extension, "black love" to represent a fairy tale.

Most CafeMoms applaud Disney's move, as are their princess-obsessed daughters, who can look forward to another doll in their collection -- ie the Princess Tiana doll from Mattel, above.

"WOO-HOO!!! I am so glad they finally heard America!" one CafeMom says.

Read More »from Controversy over Disney's first black princess

I just saw the coolest thing. I was out pushing my baby in her stroller while listening to my Walkman (I've been playing Madonna 's new hit "Like a Virgin" over and over). As we walked through a parking lot, I noticed a yellow sign that said Baby on Board (like the one shown here) on a blue Ford Pinto. The owner of the car , who kind of looked like the mom on the Cosby Show , was just getting into it so I asked her what the sign was all about.

She told me the sign was created by this guy Michael Lerner, who had heard about similar stickers Europeans put on their cars. I wonder if Princess Diana put one on her car since she just had little Harry? Anyway, the sign is a way of reminding other drivers to be careful when they're on the road since there are so many cars carrying babies (including mine). The sign is about five inches and it has a little suction cup so you can attach it to your window. The best place for it is in the corner of your rear windshield.

I saw ten more Baby on

Read More »from New car safety rage: Baby on Board signs