http://callemami.com A Journey on Mom Street Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:04:29 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Copyright © Calle Mami 2011 erica@callemami.com (Erica) erica@callemami.com (Erica) 1440 Calle Chat A Mami's Journey on 'Mom Street' Erica Erica erica@callemami.com no no http://callemami.com/2012/02/toddler-talking-basics/ http://callemami.com/2012/02/toddler-talking-basics/#comments Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:04:29 +0000 Calle Mami http://callemami.com/?p=3180 25 words by age 2.  That's how many words researchers at Bryn Mawr College say toddlers should know by age 2.  This vocabularity marker, they say, may help pinpoint if a child may have developmental delays.  Here is the complete list of words on their list: hello bye-bye yes no Mommy Daddy baby milk juice [...]]]> 25 words by age 2.  That's how many words researchers at Bryn Mawr College say toddlers should know by age 2.  This vocabularity marker, they say, may help pinpoint if a child may have developmental delays.  Here is the complete list of words on their list:

• hello
• bye-bye
• yes
• no
• Mommy
• Daddy
• baby
• milk
• juice
• thank you
• all gone
• more
• dog
• cat
• nose
• eye
• hot
• bath
• shoe
• ball
• hat
• book
• banana
• car
• cookie

Experts say ditching the TV for more one-on-one conversations, may help boost your child's verbal IQ. Photo (c) Cathy K.    ]]> http://callemami.com/2012/02/toddler-talking-basics/feed/ 0 http://callemami.com/2012/02/making-asthma-worse/ http://callemami.com/2012/02/making-asthma-worse/#comments Mon, 20 Feb 2012 12:43:16 +0000 Calle Mami http://callemami.com/?p=3176 While some doctors say it's too early to tell, one Ohio doctor doesn't want parents to give their asthmatic child acetaminophen. The  pediatric pulmonologist believes there's a concrete link between asthma and the common painkiller most people know as Tylenol.  Read more about from National Public Radio. Photo (c) Kuhran]]> While some doctors say it's too early to tell, one Ohio doctor doesn't want parents to give their asthmatic child acetaminophen. The  pediatric pulmonologist believes there's a concrete link between asthma and the common painkiller most people know as Tylenol.  Read more about from National Public Radio. Photo (c) Kuhran]]> http://callemami.com/2012/02/making-asthma-worse/feed/ 0 http://callemami.com/2012/02/baby-coffee/ http://callemami.com/2012/02/baby-coffee/#comments Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:27:30 +0000 Calle Mami http://callemami.com/?p=3172 Okay, they are not the real thing but there's a business model in Brooklyn, NY that's creating a different kind of java buzz.  A family-friendly cafe there is selling a frothy beverage with toddlers in mind. It is calling the trendy menu item what else - babyccinos.  Learn more from the New York Daily News here. Photo (c) Brad [...]]]> Okay, they are not the real thing but there's a business model in Brooklyn, NY that's creating a different kind of java buzz.  A family-friendly cafe there is selling a frothy beverage with toddlers in mind. It is calling the trendy menu item what else - babyccinos.  Learn more from the New York Daily News here. Photo (c) Brad Calkins/Dreamstime via NY Daily News]]> http://callemami.com/2012/02/baby-coffee/feed/ 0 http://callemami.com/2012/02/brown-rice-concerns/ http://callemami.com/2012/02/brown-rice-concerns/#comments Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:38:37 +0000 Calle Mami http://callemami.com/?p=3168 When you think of brown rice, health risks may not immediately come to mind.  However, federal regulators are now looking into increased concerns regarding certain brown rice products.  Some of these products are consumed by children.  Read more from WebMD here. Photo (c) G. Megecas]]> When you think of brown rice, health risks may not immediately come to mind.  However, federal regulators are now looking into increased concerns regarding certain brown rice products.  Some of these products are consumed by children.  Read more from WebMD here. Photo (c) G. Megecas]]> http://callemami.com/2012/02/brown-rice-concerns/feed/ 0 http://callemami.com/2012/02/mindful-meditation-in-relationships/ http://callemami.com/2012/02/mindful-meditation-in-relationships/#comments Mon, 13 Feb 2012 22:58:50 +0000 Calle Mami http://callemami.com/?p=3161 By Jeff Cannon, Guest Author Relationships aren’t destroyed by cataclysmic arguments.  They are eroded by the little things that happen over time.  We’re all excited when a relationship starts.  We watch what we do.  We edit our actions and mind our words. We gloss over the details because we love the dream of what could [...]]]> By Jeff Cannon, Guest Author Relationships aren’t destroyed by cataclysmic arguments.  They are eroded by the little things that happen over time.  We’re all excited when a relationship starts.  We watch what we do.  We edit our actions and mind our words. We gloss over the details because we love the dream of what could be.  We sacrifice the now for what we want in the future. As our relationship grows, we get comfortable.  We stop editing ourselves and return to our old habits.  Sarcasm drips back into our words.  Those little side comments and the not so subtle glances that we once held back are now tossed out without a thought.  It’s not that we no longer love, it’s just that we are not quite as careful of our actions, and neither is your husband, wife, partner or lover. Trust that your partner will support you and respect you is eroded by the little comments that seem to slide out without a thought.  Respect is eroded through the forgetful actions that make you feel as if you don’t matter like you once did.  Yes, relationships usually end in a cataclysmic fight, but that is not where they are torn apart. This is exactly why just a little bit of meditation can be such an important tool in maintaining a healthy relationship.  It will not make you magically love each other more, but it will make you both mindful of the little things that can undermine a relationship, so that you can start taking an active part in your life, rather than watching it unravel from the sidelines as if you had no say in it.  Also, that means you can start living the life you love, with the person you want to love in it. The little things that you start to pick up on, and that your partner picks up on just as quickly, don’t seem important enough to bring to your partner’s attention, but they still chip away at you.  Even worse, they don’t go away.  They layer up, little by little, until one day you wake up feeling not so special anymore.  Then you do what we all do. You lash out.  Usually at some seemingly unrelated issue that acts as a release valve for how you’ve been feeling. We all do this.  It’s part of human nature.  It’s in our wiring.  We hold onto the little things until they become a big issue.  We wait until enough comments and asides build up before we register it as important enough to do something about it.  By then we’re not discussing the little issues at hand, but everything that has ever been said in the past. Without even thinking those little comments are able to elevate a remark about how a friend acted last night, into an all-out attack on everything that has ever been wrong in your relationship.  Remark by remark you both escalate until the two of you are at each other's throats without knowing why.  You stop discussing facts and start responding to whatever out of our innate desire to be on top.  You stop talking and start trying to get the last word in.  It’s no longer about understanding.  It’s about winning.  And that is the opposite of what love is about. Meditation is the key to breaking this cycle.  It will give you both the grounding you need to stop acting out of self-preservation and instinct, so that you can both start acting out of the love and compassion, with consideration of what you have, rather than what your internal wiring tells you to do, which is to get the last word no matter what. Now, when I say meditation, I don’t mean that you have to sit in contemplation for half a day before you speak to each other.  Nor do you have to burn incense before having a conversation.  Just by committing to meditate on your own for a few minutes a day is a start down the right path.  That alone will reduce the general level of your stress that you both bring into your relationship.  The less stress you have, the less defensive you become.  So that when you start a conversation with someone you are passionate about, or on a topic that you know is touchy, you are no longer going in with your guard up, but from a point of love and understanding. Let’s face it.  We all go into situations that we know are touchy with a preconceived notion of how it will turn out.  We tend to create movies in our own heads about how the discussion will go before a word is even spoken.  More than likely you’ve both probably run through endless scripts about on how something will end up before it’s even started. By taking a brief meditation break before you start a discussion about what you know could be a tense subject, you will have taken the first step to turning that home movie off and letting your life unroll all by itself, in the here and now, without your old issues from the past or preconceived notions of the future running the show. Meditation is not a cure-all. It will not turn your relationship into a bed of roses.  But it will help you to be aware of what you have.  It will help you turn off your automatic responses so that you can act out of love rather than habit.  So don’t be afraid to stop the argument before it happens.  Don’t wait to take a few deep breaths and casually point out the little things before they get out of hand, so that you can stay in a place of calm abiding again and again and again.  After all, that is what a lasting relationship is all about. Jeff Cannon is the author of The Simple Truth: Meditation for the Modern World. Learn more at www.jeff-cannon.com. Photo (c) Lania L.]]> http://callemami.com/2012/02/mindful-meditation-in-relationships/feed/ 0 http://callemami.com/2012/02/tx-sonogram-law-now-in-effect/ http://callemami.com/2012/02/tx-sonogram-law-now-in-effect/#comments Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:06:14 +0000 Calle Mami http://callemami.com/?p=3154 The Lone Star state has begun enforcing its controversial sonogram abortion law.  Legally, Texas doctors must now show a pregnant woman a sonogram picture of their unborn child before an abortion can be performed.  Read more here. Photo (c) Nathan W.]]> The Lone Star state has begun enforcing its controversial sonogram abortion law.  Legally, Texas doctors must now show a pregnant woman a sonogram picture of their unborn child before an abortion can be performed.  Read more here. Photo (c) Nathan W.]]> http://callemami.com/2012/02/tx-sonogram-law-now-in-effect/feed/ 0 http://callemami.com/2012/02/bottle-piggy-bank/ http://callemami.com/2012/02/bottle-piggy-bank/#comments Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:48:40 +0000 Calle Mami http://callemami.com/?p=3147 My kids force me to be crafty, so I tend to keep fun little projects on my radar.  Here's a darling DIY piggy bank idea from Martha Stewart.  It's a smart way to make use of pesky plastic bottles, as you kick off a lesson in savings.  It also makes a cute gift idea for their Abuelita, [...]]]> My kids force me to be crafty, so I tend to keep fun little projects on my radar.  Here's a darling DIY piggy bank idea from Martha Stewart.  It's a smart way to make use of pesky plastic bottles, as you kick off a lesson in savings.  It also makes a cute gift idea for their Abuelita, who just happens to love piggies!  Learn how here. Photo (c) Martha Stewart]]> http://callemami.com/2012/02/bottle-piggy-bank/feed/ 0 http://callemami.com/2012/02/wordless-wednesday-3/ http://callemami.com/2012/02/wordless-wednesday-3/#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:00:30 +0000 Calle Mami http://callemami.com/?p=3123 Actually, in a word: weeeeeeeeeeeeee!]]> Actually, in a word: weeeeeeeeeeeeee!]]> http://callemami.com/2012/02/wordless-wednesday-3/feed/ 0 http://callemami.com/2012/01/mami-spotlight/ http://callemami.com/2012/01/mami-spotlight/#comments Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:00:48 +0000 Calle Mami http://callemami.com/?p=3128 Mamipreneur Maia Haag has a pretty full plate with three kids: sons Austin 13 and Griffin 8 and daughter Logan 4.  She's also the creator of the I See Me  personalized children's books; celeb fans include Jessica Alba and Courtney Cox.  Get to know Maia, as she  shares some of her parenting know how.  Parenting Philosophy: Provide unconditional love with daily hugs. Build [...]]]> Mamipreneur Maia Haag has a pretty full plate with three kids: sons Austin 13 and Griffin 8 and daughter Logan 4.  She's also the creator of the I See Me  personalized children's books; celeb fans include Jessica Alba and Courtney Cox.  Get to know Maia, as she  shares some of her parenting know how.  Parenting Philosophy: Provide unconditional love with daily hugs. Build their self-esteem and confidence from any early age by telling them that you love them, and that they are smart and special. Parenting Pet Peeve: When I hear parents saying to their child, “How could you be so stupid?” rather than, “Why did you make that choice?” Your Mami Story:  I’ve loved being able to build a business while working from home. My office is in a loft in our house which means that can really hear what’s going on with our kids. The challenge with that set-up is that I’ve had many calls with Nordstrom buyers or other business people with one of my kids standing by me saying, “Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom….” If I explain to my child that I’m on the phone, my kids will respond by trying to whisper their burning question to me… Being a Mami Means...  Being a Mom means wrapping a child in love like a blanket so that they feel that warmth throughout their life, no matter where they go or what challenges they face. Best Lesson Your Children Have Taught You:  Doing something fun NOW is much better than doing something fun tomorrow. And sleep makes the world look a lot rosier. Best Advice From Other Mamis: Try to divide your day into different roles, in the effort to do each role well. During these hours you’re focused on being a business person, during these hours a mom, and during these hours a wife. I become so focused during the day on being a business person with a flood of ongoing work that I have a personal challenge of shutting off that role at the end of the day and switching gears. I’m trying to follow this advice myself. Advice To Other Mamis: Your advice to other moms: Carve out time to spend with friends and your husband. Kids take up a lot of our time, and business demands can be constant. It can be easy to feel as if there isn’t enough time to go have coffee with a friend or watch a movie with your husband. But your adult relationships are important and will make you a better, happier mom, not to mention a better wife and friend. Mamipreneur Words of Wisdom: If you have an idea for a business that you’d like to start, put your toe in the water by starting to do research and talking to potential customers. The goal is to develop momentum behind your idea because sometimes the hardest part is just starting. If you put your toe in the water and start wading in, you’ll soon find that you’re knee deep in your dream.]]> http://callemami.com/2012/01/mami-spotlight/feed/ 0 http://callemami.com/2012/01/lol-moments-2/ http://callemami.com/2012/01/lol-moments-2/#comments Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:00:03 +0000 Calle Mami http://callemami.com/?p=3132 Jesse's eye was a little swollen when he woke up in the morning. Me:  Jesse let me see your eye. I cover one eye Me: How many fingers do I have up? Jesse: Two. Me: How many fingers do I have up? Jesse: One. Me: Okay. Jesse: Why you do that Mami? Me: Your eye [...]]]> Jesse's eye was a little swollen when he woke up in the morning. Me:  Jesse let me see your eye. I cover one eye Me: How many fingers do I have up? Jesse: Two. Me: How many fingers do I have up? Jesse: One. Me: Okay. Jesse: Why you do that Mami? Me: Your eye is red. Jesse: No Mami. My eyes are brown. Priceless... Photo (c) Sigurd Decroos  ]]> http://callemami.com/2012/01/lol-moments-2/feed/ 0