Sunny days are here again and it's time to hit the outdoors! Head to the park and let the little ones run around and burn out their energy. Pack some snacks, a blanket and you're done!

If you're in the market for a blanket, check out ChicTots' Chic & Cozy Blanket Bag, a convenient travel bag that
converts into a blanket in seconds. How cool is that? This water-resistant bag has lots of pockets for baby's items—toys, snacks, diapers, bottles... you know how it is with babies! It also has two pop-out pockets, that are ideal making bottles accessible.

It also comes in stylish prints and you can carry it as a shoulder bag, tote, backpack or stroller bag. When you've chose your spot, simply pull it open and use it as a blanket, play mat or even changing pad! Really convenient! The bags cum mats retail from $39.95 to $60 each at Target stores nationwide or online at ChicTots.com.

My son is truly enjoying first grade. It has been 2 weeks and he is already having a blast.

Though we both have to adjust to waking up early (classes are from 710 to 1130 in the mornings and 1 to 4 in the afternoons), we have slowly gotten there. I don't just rely on one alarm clock, I have two! Then by the time I am out of the bathroom (around 5 am), then it's time to wake up my son.

We live 30-minutes away from where the school is. We take the public transpo - something that isn't reliable in my part of the world. So to make sure we get to school on time, we have to wait for our ride starting 6 am. Tough I know, but we don't have our own car.

That's my son in the photo above, donning is uniform and school bag. He's got 7 books and 9 notebooks that he's got to bring daily, a backpack will not suffice.

As you rattle off yet another reminder for your son to turn off the tv in 10 minutes, or for your daughter to "get off the phone, or else...", do you wonder whether other parents have it easier? If it's any consolation, you're not alone. millions of mothers all over the world say pretty much the same things!

This video clip was forwarded to me by email and though Mothers' Day is over, I thought to share it with all you moms out there. Those who have very young kids might not be able to relate yet (wait a few more years, and you'll remember this post!), but if you're like me who has a kid of around 5 years or older, watch this and see if you don't hear yourself:

Here's a hot new website that you can checkout for free: Mamapedia.

Mamapedia is changing the way mom get insights and advice on parenting.

Mamapedia is a one-stop-shop where moms can tap into the wisdom of other moms on an array of topics - everything from potty training to weight loss.

At Mampedia, you can ask even an embarrassing question without getting any judgement. Whether it is something you are ashamed of asking your own mother or the other playgroup moms.

This Mother's Day - Sunday, May 10, 2009 - the first Mother's Day Rally for Moms' Mental Health will be held online, featuring 24 open letters to new mothers on the importance of maternal mental health.

All of the letters will be written by survivors of and experts on perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, including postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis, as well as others who care about the emotional well-being of moms and moms-to-be. The event will be hosted at Postpartum Progress, the most widely-read blog in the United States on perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.

Each hour, on the hour, for 24 hours straight, Postpartum Progress will post a different "Letter to New Moms." Participants in the Mother's Day Rally for Moms' Mental Health include:

• Rita Arens, editor of "Sleep Is For the Weak: The Best of the Mommybloggers" and author of the blog Surrender, Dorothy


• Vicki Glembocki, author of "The Second Nine Months: One Woman Tells the Real Truth About Becoming A Mom … Finally" and featured blogger on Oprah.com with Blunt Force Mama


• Catherine Connors, author of the very popular mommy blog Her Bad Mother and contributing editor at BlogHer


• Therese Borchard, author of the hit daily blog "Beyond Blue" on Beliefnet, which is featured regularly on the Huffington Post, and editor of "The Imperfect Mom: Candid Confessions of Mothers Living in the Real World"


• Stefanie Wilder-Taylor, author of "Sippy Cups Are Not For Chardonnay" and "Naptime is the New Happy Hour" and a regular on NBC's "The Today Show"


• Ruta Nonacs, MD, PhD, Harvard Medical School psychiatry professor and author of "A Deeper Shade of Blue: A Woman's Guide to Recognizing & Treating Depression in Her Childbearing Years"

The letter writers were given a blank canvas to share their humor, experience, tips and ideas focusing on mental health during pregnancy and postpartum.

Postpartum Progress, founded in 2004, is a blog written for sufferers, survivors and healthcare providers in the perinatal mood and anxiety disorder arena. In both 2007 and 2008 it was selected as one of the top 10 depression blogs on the web by Psych Central. Its author, Katherine Stone, was selected by WebMD as one of its 2008 Health Heroes for her work on the site. Stone serves on the board of Postpartum Support International, the world's largest non-profit dedicated to helping women with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.

With more and more people being suspected of having contracted the swine flu that has already killed 68 as of writing in Mexico City, the levels of anxiety and yes, fear, is steadily increasing, not only in the United States, but well throughout the world. It is much too reminiscent of the Bird Flu Pandemic just a few years ago. This time, the flu virus is a mongrel with genes from North American swine and avian influenza, human influenza, and swine influenza normally found in Asia and Europe, according to CDC officials.

As of today, there are 91 confirmed swine flu cases, including one death in the US. The first two cases were children in San Diego, and 75 students in Queens School in New York are suspected but not yet confirmed to have also fallen ill due to swine flu.

How do we protect ourselves and our children? Here's a good primer on what you need to know about swine flu.

The last few days, we have been busy making a mess out of painting Easter eggs! Loads of fun for the kids (although the clean-up afterwards is less exciting)!

What doe eggs have to do with Easter anyway? And why do we paint them? Well, here's an explanation you can offer in case the kiddos ask:

Eggs are traditionally connected with rebirth, rejuvenation and immortality. This is why they are often associated with Easter. On a more practical level? In the early Christian calendar eggs were forbidden during Lent. This made them bountiful and exciting forty days later. Easter eggs are sometimes decorated with bright colors to honor this celebration. Russian pysanki is one of the most elaborate forms. Conversely, the abstinence of eggs is associated with Lent.

"Eggs were colored, blessed, exchanged and eaten as part of the rites of spring long before Christian times. Even the earliest civilizations held springtime festivals to welcome the sun's rising from its long winter sleep. They thought of the sun's return from darkness as an annual miracle and regarded the egg as a natural wonder and a proof of the renewal of life. As Christianity spread, the egg was adopted as a symbol of Christ's Resurrection from the tomb. For centuries, eggs were among the foods forbidden by the church during Lent, so it was a special treat to have them again at Easter.

It is likely this is just one of the many theories to the advent of colorful egg. Now, does anyone knows a plausible explanation to the Easter bunnies bringing the Easter eggs?!?

I know from experience how challenging it can be to prepare an older sibling for the arrival of a new baby. How do you tell? How do you reassure? How do you allay the fears and jealousy?

If your older child is into books, you might want to consider giving him a personalized book from Frecklebox titled "New Baby"

The "New Baby" book is the perfect gift for the soon-to-be older sibling. This book highlights the important role that the child plays in being excited for the new baby, helping their parents prepare, and knowing that they will always be loved as well!

The book can be personalized to display the child's name on the cover, and includes options to add an image and special dedications. The book also features illustrations of mommy's belly and a new nursery for the baby. See a preview here.

Have you ever thought of growing your own veggies like the First Lady? You don't need an expansive lawn to start with, although if you so wanted, you could re-create the Obama's 1,100-square-foot White House vegetable garden using the online vegetable-garden design from Plangarden. Neat if you have experience and green thumbs, but if you're just starting out, and also for those who simply lack the space, you might want to start with a few herbs and spices on your window box first. Salad greens are also manageable, and grow especially well in cool weather.

Engage the kids for a nice spring-time activity for the whole family, not to mention all the messages on self-reliance, responsibility and healthy eating you'll be able to impart to the kids!

Photo Credit: woodsy

With the recent peanut butter recalls, guess which find itself more often now in kids snackboxes? Cheese! It is estimated that nearly 21 percent of Americans eat grilled cheese at least twice a month. But fatty fillings and white toast can make it a diet disaster. How can you make grilled cheese sandwiches healthier?

SELF recommends 5 tasty tricks to give the gooey treat a healthful makeover:

• serve it on sprouted-grain bread instead of plain white


• insert slices of pear or apples


• go for lower fat goat or feta cheese


• stuff it with some greens


• if you want to add meat, choose ham over bacon

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Enjoy!