If you live in the US: you MUST DO this

My friend Gloria has just alerted me to this and I believe that stopping child exploitation and sexual abuse is a very important issue. There is a bill called the Protect Our Children Act that will help fund the technology that already exists that will aid in finding and arresting these criminals who are profiting and abusing children.

This is the testimony of Grier Weeks, Executive Director, National Association to Protect Children before the US Senate Committee on the Judiciary on April 16, 2008:

The maps you are seeing today of domestic child pornography trafficking are not simply visuals depicting illegal Internet activity. Nor do they simply tell us where the criminals are. These are rescue maps. Law enforcement is now providing you with information that can lead authorities, very predictably, to tens of thousands of locations within the United States where children are in immediate danger and waiting for help.

That is because while all of these suspects are contributing to a massive black market that commissions the rape of children, a certain percentage are also directly sexually assaulting children themselves. Law enforcement has consistently estimated that somewhere between 30-40% of arrests for child pornography possession turn up evidence of local child victims.

We all need to come together and let your Senator know that you support this bill. Write or call your Senator NOW. To find out where to write or call follow the link below:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

And if you don't know what to write Oprah has a great form letter you can personalize here:
http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20080911_tows_predators

Hurry -they are voting on it this month!

Soothing your Mysophobia

Hello everyone! My name is Alex and I'm a germaphobe. I just got great news in my inbox from a company that has a GREAT hand sanitizer -Cleanwell. I've blogged about them before here. Their product does not have any alcohol nor does it have anything toxic and it has a pleasant scent. I've used their product and I swear by it -it works wonders even on a trip to the local vet office yesterday. The vet office had a "veterinary grade hand sanitizer" that was so bad that the nervous dog smell remained on my hands (yuck!). I pulled out my last remaining drops of Cleanwell and the smell and grime was all gone! It is safe around babies and pets with no worries of toxicity or intoxication.

You could win a one year supply just go to their sweepstakes page here and sign up!
By the way you know I won't steer you wrong because I will tell you what is NOT worth the money. Cleanwell is well worth it. Check out their site they will also email you a $1 coupon!

Manners and the Little Man

My Little Man has all sorts of books from travel, art, things that go 'vroom,' to things that go 'moo.' One of the things that has been missing from this collection is an etiquette book and I don't think he would take to well to an Emily Post book --unless he used it to reach the chocolates on the kitchen counter. 

I recently found this really cool book, Mind Your Manners, B.B. Wolf by Judy Sierra, while browsing in a local children's store. Turns out the Big Bad Wolf has retired and left his sinister life behind. It is a really neat book with lots humor for the adults reading it and cool colorful drawings. I give it 4 sleepy bears out of 5. Get a copy through my Amazon link (it is free to use the link).

Wise words to live by -no matter the age.

Food Faces

Helping to encourage a toddler to eat isn't always the easiest thing. I've never understood the idea of fun food. To me food is a necessity and at the best of times a wonderful celebration of taste, texture, fragrance and talent. But fun?

Well, I've turned over a new leaf and here I am in 'mommy-hood' trying to make food fun. Imagine my delight when I get an email from my friend Gloria with this wonderful photo:

She has used a Japanese rice shaper and then used a Nori cutter for the faces -how ingenious! I suppose you could also use one of those crafting cutters too. How cute are these? Thanks for the idea Glo!

To All My Jewish Friends

Better late than never right?

Weekend Air Travel?

While traveling by air in Europe and America I've been a little frustrated. In Europe children under two years sit on your lap with a seat belt extender wrapped around your seatbelt and the baby's waist (or whatever else you can wrangle). In the US they don't offer you that option and instead you simply hold your baby in your lap or buy an extra full fare seat AND bring a car seat -either not safe or not affordable. 

Some clever person has invented this little vest, Baby B'air, has saved my friend a lot of grief. It is soft, foldable, washable and metal free. As you can see from the photo Little Ms. M doesn't mind the vest at all and it gives her mum a piece of mind -and who can deny it that when it comes to turbulence.

Here is a little video from the company:

P.S. Happy Birthday to Little Ms. M -the model!

N.B. For an older child I've used this with great success -beats taking along the car seat!

Half Wrong?!

I thought I was pretty nutritionally savvy until I took the Washington Post's nutrition quiz (here). Take the quiz and let me know how you do. I'm avoiding giving away any of the answers but some were very surprising. Good luck!