Isn’t it strange how Wills and old age seem to go together? But a Will can do much more then instruct successors on who gets grandma’s fine china. Estate planning is particularly useful and arguably more important for parents with young children. Through proper estate planning you can appoint a guardian to raise your kids in your absence and to provide the financial means to support their health care, education, and day-to-day needs.
This estate planning primer is not meant to take the place of legal advice from your attorney. Rather, we hope that by providing you with some of the basics of estate planning, you can remove a lot of the intimidation factor that may have hindered you from taking this all-important step in preparing for the future.
There are three tools every estate plan should include: a Will, Health Care Directives, and a Durable Power of Attorney for Finances. Depending on the size of your estate and your personal preferences there are some other tools that may be incorporated as well. read more
You feel unstoppable in your favorite red shirt. You wear that little black dress to parties so you can fit in. Many of us are already practicing the principles of Color Therapy without even knowing it.
Scientists acknowledge that colors bring about emotional reactions in individuals, but that reaction and attitudes towards colors differ from person to person. Therapists trained in Color Therapy, or Chromotherapy, believe an attraction to certain colors may signal areas where a person is deficient or imbalanced. One famous example, in the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy’s ruby red slippers (the color red represents courage and power) gave her something she was lacking — the strength to endure her journey home.
You can influence your mood by incorporating colors that help you feel the desired emotions. Below is a Color Key with all the essentials to help you add the right color to your life. As you look at each color, you may want to notice your own reaction and compare those feelings to the color’s general meaning.
Simple Ways You can use Color Therapy. While it is wise to keep these philosophies in mind when decorating, you don’t have to repaint the walls to bring in a color’s influence. You can infuse a bit of color into your rooms with pillows, bedding, towels, candles and other accessories. Your wardrobe is also a relatively easy place to integrate a color you’re lacking. (What a great excuse to buy that gorgeous new handbag you’ve been wanting!)
Color Key
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Red Uses – Red is believed to escalate the body’s metabolism and aid with overcoming depression. |
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Blue Emotions – Peace, Harmony, Serenity, Honesty, Loyalty, Sincerity Uses – Blue soothes the mind and brings you to a place of calm and serenity. |
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White Emotions – Innocence, Renewal, Rejuvenation, Restoration, Purity Uses – Helps you feel refreshed and renewed. It is said that White purifies the mind on the highest level. We like it because it feels like life is handing us a clean slate to start anew. |
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Green Emotions – Refreshing, Balance, Encouraging, Nurturing, Wealthy, Jealous Overdose – Too much green can create negative energy as in “Green with Envy.” |
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Yellow Emotions – Warm, Cheerful, Innovative, Happy, Intelligence Overdose – Too much yellow is said to cause exhaustion from too much mental activity. |
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Purple Emotions – Serenity, Uniqueness, Stability, Tranquility, Calmness, Individuality, Spiritual Uses – Purple is said to allow a clearer path to the spiritual self. Good for mental and nervous problems. Overdose – Too much purple is said to bring negative thoughts. |
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Orange Emotions – Energy, Fun, Creativity, Optimism, Imagination, Pleasure Uses – Orange has as gentle warming effect on the body and is believed to increase immunity. Overdose – Too much orange may increase anxiety. |
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Pink Emotions – Open-Hearted, Feminine, Approachable, Friendly, Flirty Uses – Pink helps you feel more feminine and open hearted, as in more approachable and capable of loving others. Overdose – Too much pink can bring on a tired or disoriented state. |
– Bettijo B. Hirschi
Diaper Doody. I have only one child, but I have been around many babies in my time, and have changed plenty of diapers. My husband, bless his heart, had never held a newborn let alone changed a diaper. So the day after my little girl was born, I was in the process of teaching my clueless husband how to change her diaper, when just as I went to wipe her bum, she pooped in my hand. I don’t think my husband has ever laughed so hard. He then asked if that was normal procedure for diaper changes, and left the room giggling. – Layton, UT
Good Grandma. My poor mom… at my son’s baby shower (he was two weeks old she was holding him when his diaper needed to be changed. Well, as she was changing the diaper he began to pee. So she covered him up with a diaper until he was done. Well, that wasn’t good enough because he began to squirt out the other end, all over her pants and shirt. Needless to say, we didn’t see her for the rest of the shower! – Fort Bragg, NC
Should’ve Ducked. When my first daughter was about 6 months old, our family was traveling with my two younger sisters. We were stopped for dinner at a fairly nice restaurant when we noticed a certain odor emanating from the baby’s general direction. My sister volunteered to help me change the dirty diaper. We were in the restroom and I had the baby on one of those portable changing tables where the rear end was facing me. All of a sudden, I heard a funny noise and wasn’t sure what it was, and then it happened again. This time I felt something. I looked down to see a mess on the front of my shirt… Yuck!! Well my sister was absolutely no help as she crumpled to her knees with laughter and left me to clean up the big mess. – San Francisco, CA
There is a certain kind of embarrassment that only a Mom can truly understand. Our MomMoments column is filled with these war stories of motherhood. We’d love to hear your stories so please share with us!
A recent study from the Mayo Clinic will have you jumping for joy. The study, which was recently published in Science magazine, focused on the weight-loss benefits of non-exercise activities — such as walking in from the parking lot at the store or tapping your foot to music — those activities we do everyday without even thinking about it.
The study involved 16 volunteers whose weight was normal — both men and women in their twenties and thirties. For eight weeks, the volunteers consumed a thousand calories above what they needed each day.
Some people in the experiment gained almost no weight, and some gained as much as 10 pounds. The weight-gain correlated almost perfectly with Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, called NEAT. The greater the NEAT, the less the weight gain.
This is wonderfully good news to the natural fidgeter, but it can be just as encouraging to anyone looking to shed a few pounds. The Mayo researchers suggested that boosting your NEAT level is pretty easy to do. Any movement you can add to your regular routine will help boost your NEAT level and burn more calories. Next time you’re chatting on the phone try pacing around the room rather then sitting. Or when you’re reading your email try bouncing your leg or tapping a toe. Even the smallest movements can add up to burn more calories.
The conclusions from this study also helped to explain the increasing obesity rates in the United States. The researchers suggested that in affluent, industrialized countries high-NEAT jobs have given way to lower-NEAT jobs driving up the obesity rates. Even more then that, the obesity problem is starting younger and younger as children now participate in lower-NEAT activities during playtime. Help your kids to naturally keep their weight in check by encouraging them to play outdoors and be more active. Also, watch out for TV and computer games where kids may spend a lot of time completely motionless.
We know it’s hard to juggle, but when your life is in balance you’ll feel more in control. That means you need to have some regular “Me” time. Our 7-Minutes in Heaven column is designed to give you pampering ideas that will fit into your busy Mommy routine.
You stand on them all day long. Squeeze them into high heels and pointy toes and they rarely complain. This week treat your feet to some much deserved TLC. Our editors came up with a list of three ways to pamper your feet in under 10 minutes. You can pick one or better yet do all three!
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SOOTHING SOAK. To Use: Fill a basin with warm water and add 2 to 3 scoops of this refreshing tonic for a revitalizing foot soak. Contains enough for 30 soaks. |
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MOISTURIZING WRAP. To Use: Smooth on a generous amount of cream onto each foot and then slip on the therapy socks. Sit back and relax (but if you must you can continue about with whatever’s on your to do list.) |
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RELAXING MASSAGE. |
We’ve heard it said that a woman’s shoes say a lot about her, but we think a woman’s bag is even more telling. So what’s a modern mom to do? With so much stuff (diapers, wipes, bottles, baby tylenol, etc) to tote around, it’s hard to find a bag that can contain the clutter let alone look great at the same time.
Our mommy editor’s scoured the web to find the best fashionable and functional bags. Here are those that made the cut.
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Posh Handbag’s Messenger Diaper Bag. |
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Lorelei’s Campbell Tote Bag. This chic bag is so glam you’d want to carry it even if you didn’t have a motherload to haul around. The NYC-based designer offers her popular tote in a wide range of suedes and leathers. The vibrant suedes (in rich colors from chocolate and burgundy to orange and green) are to die for, but our motherly instincts tend to push us towards the more functional but equally fabulous metallic leathers which promise to look good longer because they’re easier to wipe clean. $368 at www.loreleinyc.com |
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Skip Hop Duo Diaper Bag. This highly versatile diaper bag comes with a changing pad and has about a million pockets… including a handy one at the front for Mommy’s keys and wallet. We loved the denim version but it also comes in a fun camo print. Our favorite part? It is sporty enough that Dad won’t mind taking a turn carrying it. $82 for denim or $56 for camo-print canvas at www.skiphop.com |
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Petunia Pickle Bottom Boxy Backpack. These diaper bags have been seen on a host of celebrity mamas, but a much more practical reason why we love this bag is its ingenious built-in diapering station. The ultra-long changing pad zips out from the front of the bag and there is also a handy, detachable dirty diaper pouch. You can wear it over your shoulder or as a backpack. $155 at www.poshtots.com |
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EDE for Paulina Quintana Diaper Bag. This diaper bag is the ultimate splurge for rockstar moms. It is made from amazingly soft, metallic leather with studded grommets on the outside. The interior has a ton of pockets for baby and mom essentials. With the steep price tag you’ll be grateful that the washable lining snaps out for easy cleaning and to give this bag a new life when diaper changing days are done. $430 at www.duematernity.com |
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Ben by Sarah Mullins. Low maintenance is the best way to describe this stunningly simple diaper bag. It’s made of super-tough Cordura nylon (water and stain resistant) with complementary leather piping in the most fetching color combinations (our favorite is the licorice and wine). Interior pockets are aplenty, and the bag comes with the most adorable matching changing pad, with embroidery helping you keep straight where to put the baby’s head and toes. Replace the changing pad with your laptop and your Ben bag has a whole new purpose so watch out, your husband might try to steal this one! $125 at www.sarahmullinsdesign.com |
– Bettijo B. Hirschi
There is a certain kind of embarrassment that only a Mom can truly understand. We’ve been collecting these war stories of motherhood and are delighted to bring your the first installment of our “MomMoments” column. And of course, if you have a story to share with us, we’d love to hear it!
Preemie Parents. We took our newborn to the doctor for the first time when he was only four days old. When the nurse asked us to undress our baby, we realized we had no diapers! This was the first outing we had taken with our baby and since we were going to the doctor’s office we didn’t think about a diaper bag. When we took off his diaper, he had pooped. Then while I was getting some paper towels wet to clean him, he peed! It was going all over his face so my husband blocked it with his hand. I quickly cleaned the baby off and left my poor husband with pee and pooh all over himself. The nurse walked in the room and saw all the pee and pooh everywhere! She weighed the baby quickly and said she’d get the doctor. Before she left she gave us a diaper to use, the only kind they had was size 2 and it totally covered the baby’s body. When she shut the door we could hear her laughing! – West Hills, CA
Milk Momma. My 2-year-old daughter who was never breastfed a day in her life had recently been watching my best friend breastfeed her 2 month old. The other day my darling daughter decided to try and latch onto my boob. When I ask what she was doing she said, “I want milk Momma!” We had a talk about how mommy doesn’t have milk but she still from time to time asks for Momma’s milk. – Red Bluff, CA
Careful Kisser. My then 3 year old was going through one of those stages where every little hurt needed a kiss; however, the kiss had to be exactly on the ouch. One day I was in the supermarket with her when all of the sudden she started screaming her head off. Her wiggling around in the cart had produced a hurt spot, but where I wasn’t sure. In an effort to quickly calm her screams of “Kiss it! Kiss it!” I asked, “Where?” To which she replied at the top of her lungs, “Kiss my butt!” – Star Valley, WY
It’s probably the most perplexing question a mother ever hears. Our editors are compiling favorite recipes in a searchable database. Start searching now!
We’d love to see some of your family’s favorites. Do you make a mean Double Fudge Brownie? Or perhaps you have a great 20-minute casserole? Come on… Share your recipes with us!
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