Blog Posts by ModernMom

Just three little words can mean the whole world to someone. As a relationship matures, you may start to forget to say, "I love you" as you get stuck in the routines of daily life. Telling someone you love him often helps you maintain your close bonds over time. Use the words liberally.

1. Love

Of course, the best reason to say, "I love you" is because you really love the person. You may find there are times in your life when you're reminded of this for some particular reason and just want to blurt out the words.

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Hearing the words often allows the other person to feel reassured that you really do love him and are thinking about him, even though you may get caught up in other things. If a person goes too long without hearing that you love him, he may start to fear that you don't.

Express your love freely because you never know when you may not have the chance to do it again. Your world can change

Traveling can be exhausting, stressful and just plain uncomfortable. Top it all off with jet lag and you've got quite a miserable situation on your hands. If you've ever traveled to a different time zone with your children, you know how miserable they feel when they're jet lagged. Tired, cranky and whiny kids are no fun to take anywhere. Here are some coping strategies to deal with your kids' jet lag and make your vacation experience more relaxing.

See also 10 Things to Pack for a Trip to Europe

What is Jet Lag?

We all know jet lag occurs when we travel to a different time zone, but what exactly is making us feel so terrible? Our internal clock has gotten adjusted to a certain cycle of daylight hours, and jet lag occurs when that cycle has been disturbed. When our bodies are adjusting to our new time zone, our internal clocks are resetting, which is why we feel the common symptoms of jet lag, like tiredness, headache, diarrhea or constipation, irritability, and so on.

After you become a parent, it seems your Facebook personality can grow a new life as well. All of a sudden, you're faced with an unbeatable way to share pictures of your little one, join the cause of boycotting those unsafe sippy cups, and check out who else is up at the ungodly hours you're now intimately familiar with. And that's all fine and good. But certain common behaviors among new parents can spell trouble. Are you guilty of any?

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Paging Dr. Facebook:

It's one thing to ask if anyone in your friend circle has experience dealing with croup, or to survey some opinions on which vitamin brands go down best. It's quite another to treat your friend list like it's the American Academy of Pediatrics. (Unless, of course, your friend list actually is The American Academy of Pediatrics.) Let's repeat: Facebook doesn't wear a white lab coat. Quite simply, if your baby has symptoms you're concerned about, refer to a physician, not

In this record breaking hot summer, a number of children have been dying due to adults "forgetting" about them in the car. As we are parents of older children (the youngest being 9) we had to think back to those early days of waking every two hours to feed the baby…"Try to nap when your baby does" is what everyone says, but it rarely works (at least for us it didn't)...and being so physically, emotionally and mentally tired that you can barely see straight.

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Never Say Never

We remember those days. You are so tired you have to ask yourself: Did I shower today? Did I take my vitamin? Pill? When we think back to being that exhausted and we (Cherie and I) have to think that for a parent to "forget" their child - the most precious thing in the world …you must be tired beyond belief! We are asking ourselves could we have ever left our child in the car? Could that have happened to us? Ask yourself - could you do that? We would like to think

Whether you're going to a casual BBQ or an outdoor wedding this summer, it's all about the shoes! We picked our very favorite for the summer, and yes, they're all open toe because showing off those feet is what summer is all about. Don't forget the pedicure!

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White Espadrilles (main pic)

These white leather Paloma Barcelo espadrille sandals are great for any occasion. During the day, you can wear them with denim shorts and a flowy white top. At night, you can dress them up with a floral dress. They're the quintessential summery wedge to go with your entire season's wardrobe. These strappy wedges scream "look at my feet!" so be sure to get a polished pedi before you slip them on.

Cut-Out Booties

These leather Terra Incognita Booties from Anthropologie are definitely a show-stopper. They're unique, yet comfortable and versatile. The paisley and pedal swirl cut-outs and the thin laces add incredible detail that is sure to get attention. The

The only special treatment my young children get when we walk into a restaurant are the crayons and kiddie menu to doodle on. Why in the world would we punish them with chicken nuggets, hot dog, a reheated pizza, or whatnot, when they can be enjoying the fine Italian/ Thai/ French/ Vietnamese/ Californian cuisine that the adults are having? Does this surprise you? It shouldn't. There's this belief that children can't eat grown-up food. They won't like it. They don't eat veggies. They can't handle complex tastes, yadda yadda.

See also Do You REALLY Know Your Babysitter?

Products that Trick Us

Same thing happens when grocery shopping at the supermarket. Entire aisles, product lines, and companies are devoted to that beloved niche market - our kids. Granted, there are some products for babies that make sense - a jar of Gerber to keep in a diaper bag for those cases when baby's hungry and you're not near the kitchen. But have you had a look at your pantry and fridge to count up all the

Vacations are important for every member of the family. Going away for a few days or weeks can rejuvenate parents and kids, and strengthen the bonds between them. Unfortunately, vacations can also be very stressful to plan. But if you plan it right, you'll be (almost) stress-free before and during your vacation! Here are some tips to getting your family vacation organized today:

1. Decide Type of Vacation and Budget

Decide the type of vacation you want - one with focus on the kids, traveling, relaxing, or with something for every member of the family? Once you determine what everyone wants and needs, then you need to start your research and choose a destination. If you are on a budget (and who isn't) find out what the off season is for your location. Some travel spots drop prices right after Labor Day - if you can swing that time frame you could save some money.

See also 10 Things to Pack for a Family Camping Trip

Once you determine type of vacation and

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This article adapted by permission from modernmom.com

Think drowning involves screaming, gasping, and flailing? Think it's easy to notice someone drowning? Well, you're wrong. Drowning is a silent killer. There's no waving or calling for help of any kind. It's not like what you see on TV. Many people would not even notice another person drowning at just 30 yards away. Read on for tips on how to keep yourself and those you love safe from this silent killer whether at the beach or in your backyard pool.

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The Facts About this Silent Killer

The Instinctive Drowning Response, a term coined by Francesco A. Pia, Ph.D., is what people instinctively do to avoid suffocation when drowning. The responses to drowning are undramatic and surprisingly quiet. Drownings are the leading cause of injury death for young children ages 1 to 4. Even scarier is that in a small but significant percentage of kids' drownings, an adult will have watched the whole