If you’re a new parent or wish to reuse or to sell or give away a crib, keep reading. Tougher new crib regulations from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) went into effect at the end of June 2011. These regulations make it illegal to sell or resell drop side and other types of dangerous cribs. For more information, here’s the official U.S. CPSC Crib Information Center.

Crib Safety and Product Recall Resources:

• A downloadable PDF poster with the 2011 CPSC crib rules.
• To learn whether your crib or other product has been recalled, you can search for recalled product information at Recalls.gov.
• You can also sign up for product recall information by email from Recalls.gov.

Source: Washington Post

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photo credit: Gilles San Martin

A few years ago, when my daughter was in elementary school and came home one day with a note from the school nurse, declaring a lice outbreak. No sharing of hairbrushes or of hats, all bookbags and coats needed to be stored in plastic bags at school. Not long after that note, I get a call from the nurse, my daughter had lice and she couldn’t come back to school until the lice and nits were removed.

I was horrified. Lice?!? Isn’t that a problem for other people? To other families whose kids don’t wash their hair? Or a dirty household? What does this say about me as a mom? As a kid growing up in suburbia in the 80s, my classmates and I got the cursory lice check but we never had an outbreak.

In fact, until my daughter had lice, I never even knew what a louse or a nit (louse eggs) even looked like, nevermind try to stop an infestation.

Since the school district had a no-nit policy, I ended up taking a few days off of work, but thankfully my then boss who had no kids was understanding. Let’s just say that my initial attempts to rid the lice were unsuccessful and I failed the no-nit check by the school nurse the first time I tried bringing my daughter back to school. I should also note that my daughter – at the time – had long hair and hated getting her hair combed. Trust me, I had more than a few fantasies of cutting her hair short.

The first lesson I learned about removing lice and nits and this, while there are all sorts of lice removal preparations on the market, the only way to remove an infestation is to soak the hair in olive oil or mayo (as the pediatrician’s office recommended) and comb the hair thoroughly. Soaking the hair overwhelms the lice and combing removes the attached nits. Comb comb comb. And comb some more. Procure a shower cap if you don’t have one already handy and let your child’s hair soak for an hour or so.

The other unsaid, but very very useful tip is to trash the commercial nitcombs that and go for dog flea comb. You’ll get over the ick factor quickly after you realize that these combs are not only sturdier, but they are easier to use.

I can’t say enough about Tea Tree Oil shampoo, which is a natural lice repellent. Once I heard about it’s use, I went straight to the natural foods store in town and got the biggest bottle and used it until it was gone. We didn’t have an re-infestation.

Also while vacuuming the house entirely 3 or 4 times may make you feel better, lice are unable to jump. You should wash in hot water any clothing, hats or linens that your child comes in contact with. It’s recommended that you purchase new hairbrushes and combs to stop a re-infestation.

And what reminded me of that now long ago lice outbreak? I just heard that my former boss, who was understanding (ok, a few nitpicking jokes) during those stressful few days, is now dealing with a lice outbreak at his child’s school.

Update 1: After we published our story, a representative from Lice Treatment Center LLC a company which provides in home and organizational lice removal services reached out to us via Twitter letting us know that they are here to help and are available nationwide in the US.

Update 2: Cozy Friedman CEO of Cozy’s Cuts For Kids reached out to via Twitter to let us know that Tea tree oil shampoo is available outside health food stores now. Brands like Boo! are in salons & drug stores.

Update 3: Wouldn’t you know it? A few months after writing this post, my daughter got lice again…this time from her summer sleepaway camp. Here we go again.

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Twitter helps you find deals and coupons

With inflation, uncertain gas prices and just about the cost of everything rising fast and furiously, it seems that moms like us are in need of a good deal or two. Couponing isn’t just something our mothers did. In fact, one of the most popular shows on TV right now is about the practice of Extreme Couponing.

In light of this, we’ve pulled together a list of some of the most prolific couponers on Twitter. So, take a few minutes and start finding those deals!

Coupon and Deal Finding Twitter Accounts
@mamacheaps
@frugalicioushow
@housewifehacks
@ILoveFreeThings
@frugalgirls
@retailmenot
@coupons
@dealsplus
@shopaneer
@savings
@tjoos
@momswhosave
@extremecoupon
@savethecoupon
@consumerqueen

Social shopping network for deals @getcheep
Twitter deal/coupon aggregator @cheaptweet

Do you know of any other couponing Twitter users? Let us know in the comments!

Using Twitter to find the best grocery coupons and deals

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Last month I was lucky enough to sit down with my son’s NICU Doctor, Mark Polak, MD, Chief of Neonatology at West Virginia Children’s Hospital in Morgantown, WV.  Since having a baby in the NICU, be it three or 30 days and beyond, can stressful, I wanted to ask him who parents will meet, what they can expect, and what as a NICU physician, he wishes parents knew.  Here is what he had to say.

1- Aside from NICU Doctors, who else can parents expect to meet during their child’s stay?

In the NICU there are NeoNatologists, and Fellows, these are doctors who have completed a residency in Pediatrics plus an extra three years in this specialty.  There are Pediatric Residents who are going through training, medicine residents, consulting services like neurology, ophthalmology, ENTs, Pulmonologists, Cardiologists, nephrology, GI, orthopedists, infectious diseases, endocrinology, radiology, Physical Therapists (they are not as common in our hospital), Occupational Therapists, Child Life Services, Counselors, Neonatal Nurse Practitioners, who are Masters Level trained Nurses, staff nurses who have additional training for NICU, respiratory therapists, dietitians who work on growth and weight gain, Pharmacists and Pharm D’s.  The Pharmacists and PharmD‘s are really important to us because were talking about babies weighing sometimes under 1000 grams and we need their skill when it comes to mixing medications, and IVs.   Here we also use counselors, for parents and families, and we have a parent support group.

2- As a NICU Doctor, what is it you wish parents knew?

I wish they knew the investment they need to make when their child enters the NICU.  In our view, the parents are patients too.  This is one thing we need to remember.  The one thing I think is essential is that we need to develop communication early on.  One thing we are now doing here is group based treatment where we as a team of physicians map out our plan of action based on the individual child’s needs and share that with the parents from beginning as best we can as we see issues that need or may need addressed.  This is currently being done at Children’s in Columbus, OH and this type of group based treatment has cut down some long-term stays for patients with BDP, a type of Chronic Lung Disease, from 300 to 200 days.  Here, we’re really beginning to focus more on micro preemies, (those babies born under 1000 grams) and their parents because their stays are usually longer, the babies are on the ventilators longer due to immature lungs.   One of the things Childrens in Ohio, is doing is working to help reduce noise, using a form of a stoplight to let parents and visitors know when noise needs to be cut down as these types of things can agitate the babies and its proving to be useful.

Another area where communication is important is our terminology.  In the case of Chronic Lung Disease, people hear chronic and think that its something that will go on forever as it is with adults.  Babies will eventually outgrow chronic lung, but its getting over that communication gap and keeping everyone on the same page thats important.

3- What can parents expect in the first few days in the NICU?

The first few days are not mapped out.  No matter whats going on, or how tough or how good, things can change.  Caution will never leave when your in the NICU.  Everything is uncertain.  When an adult goes into the ER, we can say, they’ve had a heart attack, here is what we need to do and we know thier medical history so we know what to look for.  When babies come to us, we don’t know what heath issues they face or what can arise.  I’m currently participating in a a Monoclomal Antibodies trial with our micropreemies, but they have to fall under a certain weight.

4- Is there anything you think parents should know about brining their child home from NICU?

Discharge needs to be reality based.  Is the baby ready for discharge?  Is it taking enough breastmilk or formula to continue to grow?  Are the parents comfortable with the medications thier baby might need, if they have an oxygen monitor and most importantly, without our staff?  Alot of parents get used to having us around when alarms go off and to give medications.  At home they need to address this.  Do other caregivers know what going on and what’s needed?  Parents need to remind themselves that the baby is in charge.  Our goal is ensure the baby will survive and be healthy and not just live.

5- What can women do to help prevent pre-term birth?

Do what your doctor says when pregnant.  Every day you stay pregnant or in the hospital as was your case, is three to four days less in the NICU for the baby.  Compliancy with your doctors orders is so important.

6- Why do you think pre-term birth is on the rise?

We see a lot of late pre-term births due to planned deliveries.  The economy is another big factor.  Lack of prenatal care and other public health issues.  Here in West Virginia, over 25% of women who are child-bearing age smoke.  Obesity, diabetes, and other health problems can also play a role.

For more information about West Virgina Children’s Hopsital and Dr. Mark Polak please visit: http://www.wvukids.com/healthcare-services/pediatric-neonatology.aspx

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• Once upon a time in the Intensive Care Unit … (eurekalert.org)
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The latest game among my group of friends?

Rating each other on a scale of zero, a pushover, to Tiger Mom, a fierce mom like Amy Chua, who sprung to fame via The Wall Street Journal about her new book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother.

“Oh yeah, she’s tough. She’s a tiger mom, we whisper.”

One friend was relieved to find another mother who she knew was tougher than her.

How do you rate your parenting style? Take the survey at SkinnyScoop.

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• Yolanda Reid Chassiakos: A Goal Worth Striving For (huffingtonpost.com)
• “Tiger Mother” Amy Chua Defends Herself to Stephen Colbert [Video] (tv.gawker.com)
• Tiger Mom Amy Chua spawns Tiger Mom meme (inquisitr.com)
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• Tiger mother or kitty mom? (shanny.wordpress.com)

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Because all mothers work!

Thanks for visiting MomstoWork. Our tagline is Because all mothers work! We want to make your work more enjoyable, easier and more rewarding. What can you find on our site?

• Tips on crafting a resume or a cover letter to help you find a new job or return to work after a gap.
• News and updates on issues affecting working moms
• Working mom stories, including those about nursing at work.
• Advice on what to feed your kid, the very popular toddler food pyramid and a few recipes, and
• Professional advice ranging from e-mail to what to wear with our fashion expert, Jackets to Jill.

Hey! What would you like us to write about? Would you like to write something for us? Drop us a line in the comments below.

Who are we? MomstoWork is three working moms, Joy Larkin, Julie Power and Renee Yarborough, who live and work in Philadelphia, Virginia and Maryland, and our great guest fashion blogger is Jill Mikols Etesse. She lives in the world of fashion.

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A bathroom is not the right place for nursing mothers. If your boss thinks it is okay, tell him or her to go eat their lunch in there.

A new fact sheet makes this clear. Employers are required to provide “a place, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from coworkers and the public, which may be used by an employee to express breast milk,” say new Department of Labor nursing guidelines.

Employers are required to provide “reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child for 1 year after the child’s birth each time such employee has need to express the milk,”  it says.

If you are returning to work after the birth of a baby, it may pay to take some time to get acquainted with a fact sheet on break times for nursing moms issued by the Department of Labor.

Breastfeeding/nursing/expressing at work …  know your rights

It addresses the new break time requirement for nursing/breastfeeding mothers mandated by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).

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If your kids aren’t back at school already (if that’s the case, you have my sympathy), they soon will be.

Today I am listening to the Go Back-to-school without the Back-to-Crazy Webinar presented by Laura Vanderkam of 168 hours book and blog fame and Current Mom’s Katherine Lewis.

And I am going to attempt to update this post as it happens, aka live blogging. A first for me so be kind and feel free to add corrections or comments below.

The hashtag if you want to follow the discussion is #168hours on Twitter.

Now for Laura Vanderkam’s presentation …

“Going back to school is a momentous time for all of us,” says Laura. “We often think of September as a return to craziness, but there are some real upsides to back to school,”  says Laura.

“It is a return to reliable schedules and a return to pursuing your professional goals. Others are going back to school yourself, and that’s very exciting, looking to balance class time and balance your life. Time management is a universal topic. By end of session, hope you’ll have more techniques to manage your time. Learn where the time goes, and decide as a family where to focus your attention: How to have bits of joy and other important things.

“Make space for the things that really matter.”

What is 168 hours?

What is 168 hours? It is what you get when you multiply 24 hours times seven.

It is a better way to think about time. It gives us a fuller picture. In any given day, we may not achieve balance … kids may miss bus, we may be late to work, but we do have other time during the week to make up.

If you work 40, and sleep X amount, you’ll still have 52 hours or more to do other things.

Why the disconnect? Who do we think we have so little time?

One narrative is the time crunch. That goes: Between two jobs, etc., we barely have time to sleep. When the National Sleep Federation calls to survey,  most people claim to sleep only six or seven hours a night.

When you probe deeper, the fundamental problem is people lie.

Oh do we lie!

Not on purpose. But I’ve found the American Time Use Survey, which required thousands of respondents to log data, paints a different picture of American life.

The average American sleeps over 8 hours a night.  Not just retirees. American moms sleep 8 hours.

The average work week is 35 to 40 hours. And the average person claiming to work 80 hours is really only working 60 hours.

Even when it comes to something as simple as estimates of h0w long we spend washing dishes, people exaggerate how much time it takes.

Most of us can’t even recall how we spent weekends. (Ain’t that the truth? something us folk at MomstoWork know.)

First step to understanding how you spend your time is tracking it.

You can download a time log from Laura’s website with instructions. Keep it with you and be specific.

You can write down “work” but more helpful to say, “email” or “meeting.”

Great idea:Think of yourself as a lawyer billing a client. Because time is a currency.

And break down time into categories … working, personal care, etc.

Later, tally it and ask, “Does this reflect my priorities?’

When I did it, I found checking email was taking up more of my time than I thought, and I wasn’t reading to my son as much as I wanted.  Why? I was bored with the books. Solution: I ordered prize winners.

Keeping a time log isn’t easy. It isn’t intuitive. Important to do it because it keeps you accountable.

I am hosting a 168- hour challenge. Posting my time log on my site and you can log with me, in the comments, on your own blog, on the 168 hours Facebook fanpage, or on twitter using the same hashtag #168hours.

Note: Vanderkam will  be doing a time makeover for someone.

Think of your 168 hours as a time makeover.

Quotes a mom of six children, including 8 year old twins, who runs her own business, who says: “Every minute I spend is my choice.”

I don’t do X,Y or Z because it is NOT a priority. Often, this is a perfectly adequate explanation.  For example, sewing Halloween costumes isn’t a priority.

But then you try it on other things, more important things …

I am  not going to read to you because it isn’t a priority … help you with college applications.  Try it  .. yikes ..

Here’s another reason to think of your time as a blank slate. Fill it only with things that deserve to be there.

Recommends doing a  list of 100 dreams exercise. An unedited list of anything you want to do or have in your life, places you want to go, things you can do with your family, etc.

Dreams you have for all of you.

I had on my list write a book, go on family safari, etc.

Suggests everyone get out a pencil and paper.

My list: Get my house better organized, spend more time with my husband without the kids, spend more time with each of the kids by themselves.

(They’re having some technical problems but it is still a good Webinar with good ideas.)

What did others say?

Nancy said: “More time volunteering and doing hospice care.”

Katie said: “I received a car from my dad and I want to get that restored.”

Katherine Lewis: “Wants to learn Chinese, and get down to her college weight and pay for college education, book proposal, etc.”

Stacy: “Learn to play polo and do (something?) crew.”

I’m quoted. Hey! I want to spend more time with each of my kid’s alone.

Laura says many people share my goal.

Denise: “Wants to be a better, more informed teacher with a philosophy I can believe in when I return to work after being a stay at home mom for nine year. ”

Charlotte: “Training for the army 10 miler.”

Back to Laura ..

Great recommendation: Do this 100 dreams exercise with your kids, your spouse, yourself.

One of the things which was on my list. I wanted fresh flowers and nice green plants on my desk. Didn’t take too long. Now I have that.

I also wanted to attend a concert. That didn’t take too long.

The point is to see what you like and who you don’t. And you may not even like the things on the list once you try them.

Start small, and then attack bigger things. I wanted to run longer races, like Big Sur marathon in April, so I broke it down. Now I’ve done it, it is off my list of 100 dreams.

You’ll discover more about yourself and your core competencies.

Companies do this … but core competences are things you do best that others don’t do as well. You want to be spending a lot of your time on those things that you do best, which others don’t do as well.

Usually they fit into three categories:

• Nurturing your career
• Nurturing family and close friends, such as spending one on one time with kids and building a solid marriage, and
• Nurturing yourself, such as a hobby.

If you focus most of your time on these things, you won’t feel busy. If you spend your time working on moving your career forward, or on going back to the workplace, you will be focusing on things you want to do. If you focus on nurturing your spouse or your kids …

Break down things on your list into doable chunks and block them into your schedule.

We live in a distracted world. And Twitter, email, pottering around the house, watching TV, will easily fill the time. So block the calendar, put in blocks of time.

For example:

• 6 to 8am could be great time to learn to row with another family member.
• 9 to 12 noon could be a great time for focused work, such as writing a book proposal, and
• in the afternoons, you could schedule things that can be interrupted such as writing a blog post or stopping by a language site to learn.
• 4 to 8 is often time with kids for many of us. You could carve out a time to spend some time alone with one of them.
• after dinner. Good time for studying, learning, time for working on a proposal, etc.

Ignore, minimize or outsource those things that aren’t your core competencies.

For example, I ignore emails! (Me too)

Great option for house work. It isn’t a core competency for many of us.
You can ignore, lower your standards, outsource (I do all of these and keep to my strength, cooking and yapping!) if you can afford it to laundry or house cleaning. Or ask your kids make lunch or buy twice a week and order groceries online.

Don’t over think dinner.

Buy up stocks of underwear so you don’t have to wash.

Get spouse and kids to be more self sufficient.

Sometimes we think we have to do everything.

Little boxes, little boxes, and they’re all made of minutes that turn into hours

Important thing is to free up blocks of time. We have time but we may think we have to do something else. Get those off your plate and honor your core competencies.

Many women want to spend less time organizing being the family social secretary, organizing home work, housework, getting husbands to control calendar.

Housework? Ignore, minimize or outsource.

Lessening the commute? In cases like this, you need to come up with other things to do during your commute. Making waiting a little less stressful or think about alignment, a special form of multitasking.

We have a fair amount of leisure time, but the problem is most of it comes in small chunks. And we can get better than that by carving out small chunks of times.

When you can’t get rid of small chunks, make two lists.

The homework:

Pick some  things that only take 30 to 60 minutes. Take a walk, etc.

And then make a list of things that only take 10 minutes.

For example, one woman had 10 minutes in the car between kids drop off times, so she read Hardy Boys books to her sons in the car.

Doesn’t sound like much, but over a week that added up to 50 minutes to an hour.

Which brings us to the end of the  Webinar  … and questions:

“If you are working somewhere until 6pm, you need to use weekday evenings, what are the strategies for that? ” Time during work where we can build things in. During commute, listen to audio books. Lunch break .. for learning Chinese, writing a book proposal.

Many of us tired at night … so we don’t think about what we want to achieve.

Think of how you want to spend that four-hour block.

For example, I want to do something active with my kids, ride a bike, and read a chapter of my book.  We need to be just as strategic about how we spend our nonworking hours as how we spend our working hours.

Wrapping up … check out Current Mom, etc.

What do you plan to do differently? What do you ignore?  I am notorious for ignoring my expenses. Crazy? Maybe, but they piss me off.

yes, you can do it all without going crazy

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Our guest blogger, Julie Cole, is a force! She runs Mabel’s Labels,has six kids and, somewhat remarkably, appeared sane and balanced in my short meeting with her at BlogHer2010.  We convinced her to debunk four common myths facing female entrepreneurs …

Maternity leave gives women the opportunity to step away — if only temporarily — from the traditional workforce. But suddenly, baby’s first birthday is around the corner and it’s time to start planning. The questions begin: Where will baby go to daycare? How will I transition from being a stay at home mom to being a working mom?

A strange phenomenon can occur at this point – Mama starts thinking about alternatives.

Julie Cole, mompreneur, with one of her six children, Clancy

Maybe she has an urge to stay-at-home or perhaps a small business idea, which has been nagging at her seems possible. This is where more questions arise. The timing is perfect, but can it happen? What would her family think? How could they afford to have her drop out of the workforce? Is she willing to take the risk? Where would she start?

Speaking as a weathered Mom Entrepreneur, I thought it appropriate to share some of my Mabel’s Labels experiences.

Over seven years ago, Mabel’s Labels was created when I got together with three other moms and we put our clever little business plan into action. Mabel has felt like another child we have nurtured along with our other children.

The 4 big myths

We belong to a huge network of Mama customers, friends and entrepreneurs — here are some of the thoughts that swirl around taking the plunge into becoming a Mom Entrepreneur.

MYTH No. 1: I am going to have more time to spend with my beautiful children. I will be able to talk to customers while the baby naps, breastfeed while reading reports, and go on play-dates around meetings. I may even volunteer at the nursery school co-op a couple of mornings a week!

REALITY: While you may have more time with the children, you don’t actually have more time. What you now have is flexibility. Flexibility is what allows you to drop the kids off at school or go to the park in the afternoon. What it doesn’t do is get your work done and tuck you into bed at a decent hour. Trading time for flexibility has its drawbacks. The play-date you do in the afternoon equals sitting at the computer til the wee hours. The result is a pretty exhausted Mom Entrepreneur, which can make that activity you do with the kids less enjoyable for everyone.

As for thinking you will make phone calls during nap time — you may need to re-consider that one. If your children are like mine, they have an internal sensor that notifies them when there is an important phone call being made. In my experience, this career path is best suited to those who are not too hung up on getting sleep and are very functional without it.

MYTH No. 2: It will be fantastic to be my own boss and set my own rules. I won’t be accountable to anyone or have to report what I’m doing or where I’m going. Bring on the freedom!

REALITY: It’s true you are not likely going to fire yourself, but that is where the job security ends. If you’re not accountable to everyone you have business dealings with, the business will fail. So while there may not be one single boss breathing down your neck, there will be numerous other “bosses” who hold even more power — the ability to make or break your business. At Mabel’s Labels, our list of “bosses” is endless and includes customers, staff, suppliers, business partners, just to name a few. Suddenly one nagging boss doesn’t sound so bad, does it?

MYTH 3: I don’t have the money to start a business

REALITY: Clearly this aspect will be different for every business plan, but don’t assume that because you want to start a business it’s going to cost a bomb. Many Mom Entrepreneurs have started successful businesses on buttons and pocket lint. Women are not inclined to go to banks and get big loans to start a business. We prefer to hit up the people close to us – parents, husbands, partners, neighbors, innocent by-standers. Many successful Mom Entrepreneur start-ups are the direct result of “love money.”

“Many successful Mom Entrepreneur start-ups are the direct result of love money,” says Julie Cole, founder of Mabel’s Labels.

So before writing yourself off as an Entrepreneur, sit down and budget what you need to start your business. You may be surprised by the resources you can tap.

MYTH 4: Working alone will be isolating. I’ll miss interacting with adults and the office social scene.

REALITY: You may not be attending power lunches or catching after work drinks on a Friday, but you are hardly alone. The Internet provides Mom Entrepreneurs endless opportunity to research, network, blog, message and Facebook. It allows you to communicate with customers, peers, colleagues, moms and experts. The best part is no one will ever know that you are doing it all from the comfort of your home while wearing pajamas soaked in sour milk. The Internet provides resources that never clock out. Once ensconced in the Mom Entrepreneur scene, you quickly discover the invaluable network the Internet provides both professionally and socially.

Is the Mom Entrepreneur lifestyle for you? That may be up for debate. It is certainly not for everyone and there is a lot to consider. For me the answer was clear — though you can often find me hunched over my computer well-past midnight, I wouldn’t trade foggy-brained afternoon playdates for anything.

Julie Cole is the Co-Founder of Mabel’s Labels Inc. and the mother of six. She blogs at Mabelhood and the BabyMachine. Find her on twitter: @juliecole

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