I get requests from guest bloggers often, and this one struck a chord. It’s important we are all informed. I feel very strongly about this as well. My husband works in Sports Television and especially with NFL games. We talk often about how scary it is today for our kids to play football as the consequences have grown so great. Please read blow from my guest blogger, John O’Connor. 

Keeping Kids Safe As They Play

“Participating in sports like lacrosse, soccer or football can instill invaluable life skills like leadership, teamwork and discipline in our children.  With all the fun and health benefits that come with playing sports, participation in these sports does not come without risks, unfortunately.  As parents it is our job to become fully educated on the potential risks that come with playing sports and ways in which we can help protect our children. 

The National Football League over the years has been working ways to improve the safety of players participating in these sports.  Injuries like concussions or ligament tears have become a common occurrence among football players.  The NFL has decided to make it a top priority to improve the safety of the NFL players to prevent these injuries.  Changes to certain rules like prohibiting players from using the helmet to hit others or not hitting quarterbacks below the knees are examples of how they are improving the safety of the sport.

While the NFL has implemented these rules, they are seeing how their efforts can improve the safety of athletes of all ages.  Educating people on the dangers of contacts sports has become a priority; they have launched the NFL Evolution to promote awareness about safety in youth sports.  As a parent of a young athlete, I appreciate the organization taking leadership on such an important subject.

Concussions

Each year, over 3 million children under the age of 14 participate in organized football, putting them at risk for concussions.  A concussion is a minor traumatic brain injury that can occur as a result of sudden contact with an object.  Symptoms of the condition include headache, nausea and confusion.  More severe symptoms can include memory loss and even hearing loss. If permanent hearing loss occurs, the use of hearing aid may be required to help increase hearing levels for better hearing.  Parents can protect their children in several ways.

•           Wearing the right protective headgear while playing
•           Ensuring that all protective gear is the right fit and size
•           Instruct kids on how best to use their bodies while playing
•           Seek immediate medical attention when injury is suspected

Ligament Tears

Ligament tears are another common sports injury among young athletes.  The ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury prevents the body from being able to stabilize the knee and protect it from improper movement or shifting.  Athletes feel this when they run, jump or land while doing certain sports.  Here are some ways that athletes can prevent ligament tears.

•           Athletes should complete specific training drills that teach them proper balance, power and agility
•           Strengthening the areas surrounding the knee and the muscles within the leg
•           Allotting proper time to warm up their muscles and loosen up

Heat injuries

Children who train during the summer months in certain sports face risks of heat exhaustion.  During these months, the extreme temperatures can cause injuries.  Luckily, most of these injuries can be prevented.  These are some extra precautions parents can take in protecting their children.

•           Children should be hydrated
•           Light clothing should always be worn
•           Sunscreen should always be worn

Sports are great way for children to have a good time, but as parents, we must make sure that our children are safe while they play.  Taking these extra precautions will ensure that your child remains safe while having fun.

Hi my name is John O’Connor, I am a father, outdoorsman, sports enthusiast and passionate about living a healthy lifestyle.  Check out my new blog at bloggingwjohno.blogspot.com!”

Thanks, John! Great post! 

TVM

This is a great blog that all of us Mommies could read and utilize! Enjoy!

HOUSEHOLD TIPS AND TRICKS

As a mom I’m always looking for new and creative ways to keep my house more organized – and quite simply – run more efficiently.  If you know me, you know I’m abnormally organized and efficient.  Between work, getting the kids off to school, after school activities, playdates, household chores and cleaning – there is just never enough time!   I wouldn’t be able to get as much done during the day if I wasn’t a little uptight about being organized.   With time being a luxury, my life revolves around the phrase “a place for everything and everything in its place”.  It would be total chaos otherwise.  I’m juggling multiple things at any given moment – probably just like most of you.  Over the last year I’ve found some really great tips (thank you Pinterest!) that have helped keep everything in order.  And at the end of this post I share with you one of the best cleaning inventions of all time.  Yes, that is how I am going to classify it!  It’s something every home should have.  Read on to find out what it is!

Narrow wire cd racks work well for keeping your Tupperware lids organized.

Use magazine racks to organize your canned goods. It’s a space saver and keeps items from knocking over as well.

Keep linen sets organized by placing folded items within one of the sets pillowcases.  This way you are never looking for all the pieces to each set and your linen closet stays organized.

Installing a small extendable tension bar under your sink can help keep your spray bottle cleaners organized.

We always have a ton of extra cords and cables in our house.  A great way to keep them organized and know what they are for is to use toilet paper rolls.  Roll the cord up inside and then write what cord it is on the outside of the roll.  Then store all the rolls in one box so all the cords are kept in the same place.

Empty disinfecting wipe cans are great to store plastic bags.  You can keep them everywhere – bathrooms to line your trash can, under the kitchen sink to discard unused food, and one of my favorite places is in the car!

At the holidays – or any other time of year – use a paper towel holder as a ribbon holder.  It makes wrapping your gifts so much easier and keeps the ribbon spools from getting tangled.

To get baked-on food off a glass pan or an oven rack, use dishwashing liquid and a ball of foil in place of a steel-wool soap pad.  It’s one way to recycle those used but perfectly good pieces of foil you hate to throw out.

To get your drain running again (without completely harmful chemicals) pour ½ cup soda, then ½ cup vinegar, down a clogged drain. Cover it with a wet cloth, wait 5 minutes, uncover, and flush with steaming-hot water.

Don’t have a scrub brush for that odd-shaped vase or decanter?  No problem! When residue clings to unreachable spots, fill the container with warm water and drop in one or two denture cleaning tablets for every eight ounces of warm water. Let the fizzy solution sit for the time specified on the product’s box, then rinse.

We’re always baking and the one ingredient I can never get to last long enough is my brown sugar.  It always hardens before I can use it all.  I finally found a solution that works – place one or two large marshmallows in the bag to help it last longer.

You can use empty Altoids containers as mini organizing units for so many things!  They are great for keeping small items in your car’s glove compartment or neatly organized in a bathroom drawer.  You can create mini kits that hold things such as sewing supplies for on the go, bobby pins and barrettes, business cards, ear buds and so much more.  Put labels on the outside using a label machine so you know what’s inside.

BONUS: I found this idea genius to help get kids involved in household duties.  Instead of arbitrarily giving them an allowance (or you can use in addition to an allowance), let them choose how they want to help around the house to earn extra money.

 BEST CLEANING INVENTION

And one of my favorite cleaning inventions ever?  Mr. Clean Magic Erasers! I absolutely cannot live without these in my house.  I always have a stash in my cabinet and they get plenty of use – especially if you have kids or pets like I do.  They clean everything.  And when I say everything I mean it!  They are inexpensive and have a multitude of uses.  Below is a list of some of the ways they clean!

• clean & polish gold jewelry
• remove soap scum in the tub and shower and from grout
• remove marks on walls
• clean splatters inside the microwave
• remove marks on vinyl siding
• clean mirrors in the bathroom (keeps shower mirrors from fogging)
• remove adhesive residue after removing stickers
• remove waterline mark around the pool
• remove black scuff marks from baseboards (where the vacuum cleaner hits)
• clean the outdoor side of window sills stained from leaves, dust and dirt
• clean plastic coolers inside and out
• remove rust spots & stains on countertop
• remove cooked-on stains in pots and pans
• remove soot off the walls near the fireplace
• clean sticky/dusty range hood over the stove
• remove nail polish spills or stains
• clean cookie sheets & bakeware (the kind with all those tiny grooves)
• clean oven shelves & the grates on the grill
• remove wet nose marks from pets on the windows (even car windows)
• remove toothpaste splashes from bathroom mirrors
• remove melted plastic on the side of the toaster oven
• remove green algae from cement (bird baths, steps, ponds, etc)
• remove green mildew from siding and gutters
• remove paint spills
• remove toilet bowl rings (just cut a piece off & let it set in your toilet overnight)
• remove built-up algae, water deposits, etc from ceramic flower pots
• clean dish drainers that are clogged with lime and build-up
• remove coffee & tea stains that remain inside a mug, carafe, thermos even after washing
• clean the plastic agitator inside your washing machine
• clean window screens (even when they are still in the window)
• remove melted plastic on a glass top stove
• clean swimming pool steps
• remove baked on brown spots on cookware
• clean car tires, including white walls
• clean pebbled surfaces like the outside of plastic coolers
• remove grass stains from shoes
• remove scuff marks from hangers/shoes in the walk-in closet
• clean oven door
• remove pollen from patio furniture, cars, etc.
• remove soap scum and gunk from around the bathroom faucets

Hope that helps some of you to either start to get organized or to complete some of your madness too!

by Tiffany Cohen, of “Erica And Tiffany”

also fellow The Valley Mom author

You can see more amazing blog posts by clicking HERE

xo

TVM

Another great read on that blog is HOME HEALTH REMEDIES … Love it!!!!! READ IT!!!

Hello my ever so loyal readers!

Well, I’m back … and not with only one child anymore! I am officially a Mom of 2 now. We had our baby girl on May 16th and I’m in love all over again! I have to admit though, pregnancy for me is so much harder than being Mom! Phew, my pregnancy is finally over. Maybe if I didn’t get as big as a whale during pregnancies, it wouldn’t be as hard? But .. looks like I have no control over that. Luckily, I’m done. And my reward is just so sweet. I’m sure many of you can relate.

My Babies

So, what will you find over these next few weeks? Oh … just a whole heck of a lot! Lots coming on health, beauty, fitness, and even a new section I am very excited about!!! Be sure to check back daily as I have a whole new slew of write ups that are AMAZING!!!

Hope everyone has been doing well and I can’t wait to write up a storm once more.

xo

TVM