Mickelsontrailcoalition.com

I love it when a product comes around that actually makes my life easier. This time, it’s an idea that has been in use for thousands of years in other cultures: baby slings and carriers. I have no idea why it took the West so long to catch on. Baby Bjorn makes a wonderful baby carrier inspired by traditional cultures.

The idea is simple: instead of stuffing your baby into a stroller, which isolates the baby and clogs the aisle, keep your baby close to your heart instead. Baby carriers are safe and even have good back support. They free your arms to open doors and go shopping, all while your baby watches from his new protected perch. Baby carriers: win-win!

A great lesson to teach your kids when they are young is to keep in touch with their family and friends. Too many of us let important relationships go because we don’t have enough time to keep in touch but if you get in the habit young then it’s easy to do and so worthwhile. A fun way to instill this in your kids is to teach them to send ecards to friends and family. They’ll have a really good time doing it and will likely figure out how to do it faster than you will! Once they learn how they can start sending ecards for holidays, birthdays, thank yous and just to say hi.

It’s the middle of flu season, which is exactly when children become more at risk for getting sick. Why? Because our life patterns were disrupted from all that holiday travel, sugary food and not enough sleep.

Now is the time to make sure your kids are bundled up for the bad weather. If your gradeschooler is grumpy about wearing good outwear (or hiding her galooshes in the bushes like I used to do!) then check out the innovative and kid-friendly ladybug rainboots by Kidorable.

These adorable rainboots are designed with kids in mind, and they’ll stay on their feet after leaving mom and dad’s watchful eyes. Don’t let style get in the way of keeping your kids healthy and safe - think Kidorable.