I bet you clicked on this post expecting to read something fun and simple like, “10 Easy Ways to Prepare for New Motherhood!” Sorry, you won’t find that here, not really.

Because nothing—I mean nothing—can truly prepare you for the excruciating love you feel for this new, tiny human. For the sleepless nights, the overwhelming worry, the completely abnormal fascination and pride that comes with every. Single. Thing. Your. Baby. Does.

But here are a few things you can try.

1. Stop showering for several days at a time.

2. Set your alarm randomly through the night, anywhere between five-minute and two-hour increments. Each time it goes off, take a lap around the house while holding something fragile, like your grandmother’s crystal—without collapsing. Repeat.

3. Dirty dishes. Prep for motherhood and all the “letting go” that comes with it by allowing your sink to sit full of dirty dishes for multiple days. Better yet, do those dishes and find a way to magic them dirty again within 30 minutes of washing. (I’m sure your hubs can help with that.)

4. Color the walls with a marker. The walls, the couch, your favorite yoga pants. Research different ways to remove marker ink from various surfaces around your house. (Helpful hint: dry erase markers are not friendly to walls. Don’t ask me how I know.)

5. Borrow someone’s sick kid (it’s flu season, you’ll find them) and wear a little vomit on the shoulder of your shirt. Forget it’s there and continue to wonder where that smell is coming from as you sanitize every surface of your home, but one: you.

6. Sit for hours at a time snuggling a small creature and smelling its head, completely blissed out. Do this for long after you’ve had to pee and your legs have fallen asleep.

7. Get into yoga. You’ll need those stretches to reach halfway across the bed with your pinky toe to grab your phone because the baby fell asleep on your boob again and you can’t reach it.

8. Go into your closet and place at least 10 articles of unworn clothing into the laundry pile every day.

9. Buy a Roomba. Smear peanut butter on the bottom of it and set it to run all day. Try to clean up after it. (Side note/epiphany: every mom should add a Roomba to their baby shower registry.)

10. Allow barn animals into your home. Try to retain sanity.

11. Get yourself a drink in a green cup. No, now a red cup. Try a blue cup now. Just kidding, you’re not thirsty anymore.

12. Decide you need to eat mac and cheese. Realize you don’t have any. Go to the store, come home, fix mac and cheese. Decide you hate mac and cheese.

13. Analyze and Doctor Google everything. Every bath product in your home, every red bump on your arm, why you didn’t sleep well last night. Don’t sleep because you are worried about the toxicity level of your sheets and the LED light in your bedroom and convince yourself they’re the reason you aren’t getting any rest.

I’d like to tell you that these steps will completely help you prepare for what it’s like to become a parent.

But it won’t.

As a former nanny who had helped raise several babies, I thought I would have this motherhood gig in the bag. I could change diapers with the best of them and swaddle with ease. Every book, sleep bible, and baby terminology manual was read and practiced…

I was going to be the Best Freaking Mother Ever.

But the second the doctors laid that warm, cheese-covered ball of mush on my chest, it occurred to me: I have no freaking clue what I’m doing.

And I didn’t. (Maybe I still don’t.) Some days, I’m completely failing. I yell, then I hide from them, then I cry for a moment of peace (or sanity), then I hug the crap out of them because I can’t believe I got to grow these amazing, kind, brilliant, hilarious little humans.

I wish I could tell you the secret to rocking motherhood. I wish I knew the secret to rocking motherhood. But, here is what I can tell you, what I know deep down in my bones.

Do your research. Ask questions. Know this too shall pass. Let go of the worry. Throw your books out the window (after reading them) and do what works for you, your family, and your kids.

No mom ever went wrong by trusting her gut.

Sending love to you, new mom.

You got this.

With over 10 years in childcare experience, Lauren's passion for lifting up moms and advocating for children pours through her work with Breastfeeding World and her daycare. Her life is full of busy, crazy and LOUD. Oh, and coffee—always lots of coffee—but she wouldn't have it any other way.

Keeping it all clean can feel like a full-time job, and the pay is not great, um, non-existent. But the payoff is enormous: The soft scent of fresh laundry, sparkling clean bathroom countertops, couches and rugs that don’t stink like your pet…ahh! Besides just looking good and smelling fresh, you want to know that the surfaces in your home are clean clean. Pause: When you hear the words “disinfecting and sanitizing,” do you envision hours of scrubbing and deep cleaning? Us too, but good news: Sanitizing your laundry and disinfecting bathroom countertops is, like, a million times easier than that, thanks to our clean-freak pals at OxiClean™! Read on to learn why their new OxiClean™ Laundry & Home Sanitizer is the stuff of sweet-smelling dreams.

Your clean + sanitary oasis awaits—shop now and get things clean clean with OxiClean™ Laundry & Home Sanitizer.

From Beds to Tubs, They Have it Covered!

Wanna disinfect your tile? Yep. Sanitize your rug? Got it. Gym bag? Sure. A favorite tee that’s seen better days? A-OK! Oh, and laundry, of course, too, and your carpet, couch, bathroom countertop… OxiClean™ Laundry & Home Sanitizer 3-in-1 removes germs, odors and stains from multiple surfaces in your home. “Is this real life?!” Yes. Yes, it is.

Get rid of that cleaning product clutter with OxiClean™ 3-in-1 Laundry & Home Sanitizer.

It's Multi-Purpose

This 3-in-1 sanitizer packs a punch, killing 99.9% of bacteria and viruses* (*when used as directed) in addition to providing stain and odor removal benefits on both hard and soft surfaces. It’s not just a laundry product. It’s a life product.

Make your life a little easier (and better smelling)—try it today and get things clean clean with OxiClean™ Laundry & Home Sanitizer.

Keep Your Things Clean Clean

Our favorite things tend to be the dirtiest (looking at you, Mr. Fluffy Bunny, who literally gets dragged everywhere) and this product easily keeps them clean. Pro tip: The baggage we carry in our lives, again, literally, can get gross without our even knowing. OxiClean™ Laundry & Home Sanitizer 3-in-1 is excellent for keeping your backpacks, shopping bags and totes fresh and way less germy!

Shop now and get things clean clean with OxiClean™ Laundry & Home Sanitizer.

 

 

—Jamie Aderski

Finally, we’ve got something to look forward to! Mark your calendars for June 14 as the LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Bay Area is opening to the public. The ultimate indoor LEGO® playground for families will take up residence at the Great Mall in Milpitas and we’ve got the full scoop on what you can expect when you visit (including some awesome Bay Area-specific builds that you can check out!).

As the first of its kind in California, the long awaited LEGOLAND Discovery Center Bay Area originally delayed its April 2020 opening due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following local and state capacity and safety regulations, LEGOLAND Discovery Center Bay Area will have enhanced cleaning measures implemented throughout the day to clean and sanitize the attraction, including high-frequency touchpoints, play areas, and LEGO® bricks.

California’s first LEGOLAND Discovery Center is comprised of more than 31,000-square-feet of interactive and educational attraction space geared towards children ages 3–10 and their families. Dubbed the ultimate indoor playground, its range of educational and interactive experiences includes themed build stations, master classes, an Imagination Express train ride, an earthquake table, a 4D cinema, special party rooms for birthdays and other celebrations, a café and a LEGO retail shop.

In MINILAND you can explore and interact in miniature LEGO replicas of the Bay Area’s most loved landmarks built from over 1.5 million LEGO bricks. Mischievous mini-figures can be found hiding throughout MINILAND, as guests spot the ghosts at the Winchester Mystery House, take in the views of the Golden Gate Bridge, or score a touchdown at the local football stadium.

Get Your Tickets: Single-Day Admission Passes are available for purchase online starting at $23 per person. Annual Passes are also available for purchase through the LEGOLAND Discovery Center’s website. Annual Pass holders receive unlimited access to the attraction for 12 months and benefits including café, LEGO® Shop and birthday party discounts and invites to exclusive events. The Annual Passes pay for themselves in less than three visits.

LEGOLAND Discovery Center Bay Area
870 Great Mall Drive
Milpitas, CA
Online: legolanddiscoverycenter.com/bayarea

—Kate Loweth

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The pandemic has been challenging for everyone. With a sudden stop of everything normal, people young and old have had to adjust to the new normal. One of the most challenging things for parents may have been trying to explain COVID-19 to their children.

It’s a confusing time, and there’s no easy way to tell your kids they can no longer see their friends or family. You’ve had to explain that they have to wear a mask, wash their hands often and sanitize. The new normal really isn’t normal at all. However, to stay safe and healthy, your kids have to adjust to pandemic life.

Once people began to learn more about the virus, companies developed toys, books and other items to help children better understand everything that was going on. Now, there are so many incredible products helping kids adjust to pandemic life.

If you’re still trying to find ways to teach your children about COVID-19 and help them adjust, then take a look at these items.

“COVID-19 Helpers”

Many authors wrote books for children to teach them about the pandemic through a story. Age-appropriate books are a great way to provide information to children about a challenging topic. The book “COVID-19 Helpers” quickly became one of the more popular ones. The story is written by Beth Bacon and illustrated by Kary Lee.

“COVID-19 Helpers” won the grand prize for a contest that invited writers and illustrators to write an eBook. The book had to provide accurate information, and it had to be age-appropriate for kids six to nine years old. Additionally, it had to assure the reader that they would be safe thanks to medical professionals and other workers and that it is okay to feel upset.

The winning book describes what COVID-19 is, how it spreads through populations, and what people are doing to keep everyone safe. Plus, it reminds children that they, too, are part of the fight against the pandemic.

WelloBeez

Another great product to help children get used to pandemic life is WelloBeez. Wearing masks is necessary for mitigating the spread of the coronavirus. It’s a healthy habit, but just like with any other healthy habit, kids aren’t always on board, or they don’t understand why something like wearing a mask is essential for their health.

WelloBeez are plush animals made out of antimicrobial materials that are durable and resist both odors and stains. They maintain their freshness and cleanliness for a while after you wash them. Besides their antimicrobial material, WelloBeez are a great companion for your kids.

One of the types of WelloBeez are Mask Mates. Mask Mates come wearing a mask, and they also provide a child-sized mask for your kid. It makes wearing masks less frightening. Plus, your child will want to match the WelloBeez animal!

“Together: Living Life During COVID-19”

Another excellent book that has helped kids adjust to life during a pandemic is “Together: Living Life During COVID-19.” It was part of the same contest where “COVID-19 Helpers” won. Although this illustrated book didn’t win the prize, it still has been impactful in helping children understand the global outbreak of coronavirus.

The story is from the perspective of a young girl named Olivia. She learns what the coronavirus is and how she can protect others from getting it, like wearing a mask and washing her hands. Olivia also learns why her life seemed to flip upside down overnight.

The book was written by Kevin Poplawski, who is a healthcare provider. He got the inspiration to write this book from the millions of questions asked by his children. It’s a safe space to deal with emotions and helps other children know that everyone is going through the same thing—otherwise known as pandemic life.

My Home Office Set

Almost every business went to remote work once the pandemic hit. People were left at home without office equipment. Maybe you were one of those parents who had to scramble for a desk and a chair! In addition to having to work from home, you’ve had to take care of your children.

Your children were probably wondering why you couldn’t go to work anymore. Through observations, they noticed you taking Zoom calls, wearing a headset, having to work on your laptop and never failed to have a cup of coffee. As you know, kids take after adult actions.

Fisher-Price developed My Home Office set, which includes all of those items! Your child can “work from home” right beside you. This product has allowed children to better understand that you have work to do and can’t always play when you’re home. Through pretend office work, your child can stay busy!

How Have Your Kids Adjusted to Pandemic Life?

You’ve done a great job at helping your children understand what it means to be part of a pandemic. This event will surely make history, and it’s essential to guide your children into healthy and safe practices during this time of their life.

Many other products, like fun face masks and shields and sanitizer dispensers, allow children to build healthy habits that are also enjoyable. Use these products as ways to help your kids further!

Kara Reynolds is the Editor-in-Chief and founder of Momish Magazine.  A mom of four and matriarch to her big blended family, Kara wants nothing more than to normalize differences in family structures.  She enjoys peeing alone, pancakes, and pinot noir - but not at the same time. 

‘Tis the season and all-natural eco-friendly brand for skin and body products, Green Goo, is sharing the joy. The company has announced its Season of Goodness, which involves $100,000 worth of giveaways!

For the next eight weeks until Jan. 6 2021, Green Goo will give one winner a $500 gift basket of products. The randomly selected winner will then pay it forward by choosing an organization such as a hospital, school, restaurant, fire station, shelter or other group to receive a large allotment of Green Goo’s FDA-compliant hand sanitizer.

photo: Green Goo

In addition, Green Goo will also select its own hand sanitizer recipients to meet their 100 gallon donation of hand sanitize per week commitment. So, do you want to win one of those $500 baskets?

You can visit the entry form page on the Green Goo website. You’ll also be able to nominate a worthy organization for donation consideration without entering the giveaway by completing the alternate submission form. It’s time to pay it forward!

––Karly Wood

 

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Let summertime fun begin with the much-anticipated reopening of Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad, located only four miles from the south gate of Yosemite National Park. Starting Jun 12, visitors can once again ride the open-air “logger” on a one-hour excursion through the Sierra Nevada. The Thornberry Museum, onsite gold panning, and Kids Depot Toy Store make it the perfect destination for your family.

Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad

This year significant aspects of the operation have been updated to ensure safety for everyone. The guidelines from the CDC, State of California, and Madera County are followed strictly at this world-class attraction.

“We have reduced the number of touchpoints,” explains Scott McGhee, General Manager of Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad. “Whether it’s your first time visiting us, or you make it a regular outing, we have the staff and the safety procedures in place to help people feel confident to venture out. We’re excited to welcome everyone back as Yosemite reopens!” 

The following safety protocols will be in effect at Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad:

  • Reservations are now required to limit the number of guests and assure safe social distancing. Trains depart daily at 9:30 A.M. and 11:00 A.M., and you can book online.  
  • There will be health screening questions for all visitors.
  • Capacity is limited to 50%.
  • Recommending all guests wear masks.
  • Inside of buildings, people will be limited for safe social distancing space.
  • Box lunches are available to purchase online in advance.
  • Outdoor picnic tables allow space for social distancing or take your lunch to go.
  • Access to touchless hand sanitizing stations located throughout the property.
  • Boarding groups will receive wristbands, rather than paper tickets.
  • Safety barriers installed at transaction points.
  • Gold panning water will be treated and gold pans sanitized after each use.
  • There are extra cleaning and sanitization crews on-hand to ensure safety for everyone.
  • An air purifier will sanitize the museum displays, nightly.
  • Daily employee health and temperature checks.
  • All employees will wear masks.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Yosemite National Park & Yosemite Sugar Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad 


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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released a Food Safety Alert for ready-made hard-boiled eggs due to Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Following the initial alert, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an expansion of the recall to include additional products manufactured by Almark Foods at the company’s Gainesville, Georgia facility.

According to the CDC stats, the outbreak initially caused seven cases of Listeria in five states. According to the FDA’s website, “A more recent FDA sample from the facility also matched the outbreak strain, suggesting the possibility that the strain may have remained present in the facility.”

The eggs, produced by Almark Foods of Gainesville, Georgia were packaged in plastic pails for use by food service operators. The eggs were sold to retailers, and not directly to consumers. This means consumers may not know if the eggs in products they’ve purchased are contaminated. Given the new information from the FDA, Almark voluntarily expanded the recall to include all hard-boiled egg products packaged for retail made by the Gainesville plant.

The current recall includes all eggs with “Best If Used By” dates through Mar. 2, 2020. The product used by dates have a “G” prefix, indicating that the eggs were packaged in the Gainesville, Georgia facility. For a full list of recalled products, visit the FDA’s website here. The FDA has also issued additional recall alerts for retailers, such as Trader Joe’s, for products that may contain the affected eggs.

Listeria can cause fever and flu-like symptoms in pregnant women. The bacteria can also lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery or a potentially life-threatening infection in newborns. It can also cause headache, stiff neck, loss of balance, convulsions, fever, muscle aches or confusion in otherwise healthy children and adults. Symptoms often appear within one to four weeks after eating the contaminated food. This infection is treatable with antibiotics—making it important to contact your medical provider immediately.

The CDC had advised retailers and food service operators to stop using the peeled, hard-boiled eggs and wash/sanitize surfaces that may have come into contact with the eggs. If you have concerns about where a product’s hard-boiled eggs came from, ask the retailer to verify they were not produced by Almark Foods. If the retailer doesn’t know, skip the egg-containing product entirely.

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: Mona Sabha Cabrera via Pexels

 

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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently issued a food safety alert for Fresh Express Sunflower Crisp Chopped Salad Kits related to a multi-state E. coli O157:H7 outbreak. The CDC is investigating the outbreak and isn’t sure if it’s connected to the current Salinas, California romaine lettuce recall.

The affected salad kits have a lot code beginning with Z, “best before” dates up to and including Dec. 7, 2019 and the UPC code 0 71279 30906 4. You can find this information printed on the upper right corner of the bag.

What should you do if you have the salad? To start with, don’t eat it. Throw the salad away and sanitize anything that touched it. This means you need to thoroughly clean your fridge, countertop or anything else that may have come in contact with the salad.

As of now, there are eight diagnosed E. coli infections related to this outbreak across three states. Three of the eight people infected have been hospitalized, one with hemolytic uremic syndrome—a type of kidney failure related to this type of infection.

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 

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If romaine is on your Thanksgiving menu, you may need to pick a substitute, pronto. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently issued a food safety alert for romaine lettuce after 40 reported cases of E. coli O157:H7 infections across 16 states.

The lettuce, harvested from the Salinas, California growing region, has caused 28 hospitalizations so far.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s website, “At this time, romaine lettuce that was harvested outside of the Salinas region has not been implicated in this outbreak investigation. Hydroponically- and greenhouse-grown romaine, which is voluntarily labeled as “indoor grown,” from any region does not appear to be related to the current outbreak.”

How can you tell if your romaine is unsafe to eat? The CDC recommends that consumers look at the label for the harvest location. All types of romaine, including hearts of romaine, whole heads, packages of pre-cut lettuce and salad mixes, could contain the affected lettuce. The recalled romaine products have “use by” dates between Oct. 20 and Nov. 1, 2019 and the establishment number EST. 18502B inside the USDA mark of inspection.

Do not consume lettuce labeled Salinas or those with no marked growing region. Throw the lettuce away and thoroughly wash and sanitize all surfaces the lettuce came in contact with.

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: Liz Muir via Flickr

 

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Photo: Huy Doan via Doctor On Demand

For many parents, all they want for Christmas is the gift of health. Or to put it another way, parents are trying to find ways to prevent their family from getting the cold or flu over the holidays. That really would make it ‘the most wonderful time of the year, wouldn’t it?

After all, who wants to spend the holidays in a doctor’s office? For example, did you know that the clipboard pen at a doctor’s office has 46,000 more germs than the inside of a toilet bowl? Not only that, but according to a 2017 survey by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, waiting room surfaces aren’t cleaned 94.2 percent of the time. Do you really want to take a 6.8 percent chance with your health?

If you’re a parent and you want to protect your family from the cold and flu, going to a doctor’s office is the last place you want to go. Even though it might sound counter-intuitive, you run the risk of exposing your children and those with compromised immune systems to more germs and making mild cold symptoms go from from bad to worse.

So as a doctor treating thousands of patients during cold and flu season: what’s my advice? Don’t fret—there is a solution to the threat of the waiting room.

Avoid the waiting room (if you can).

Given all the germs lurking in the furniture, toys and doorknobs of the doctor’s waiting room, the best option for germ prevention this cold and flu season is to avoid the waiting room. Instead, opt for a virtual care visit with a telemedicine provider. Within five minutes, you and your children can be seen by a board-certified physician without even having to leave the comfort of your own home.

Wash your hands and sanitize often.

When it comes to washing your hands, you can never have too much of a good thing. Whether it’s in a waiting room, or at any time when you or your child are sick, it’s a best practice to wash your hands or use hand sanitizer after sneezing, touching your face, or after touching surfaces in communal areas like playgrounds. Parents should also be sure to sanitize their hands after holding their child to prevent the spread of germs from skin on skin contact.

What to do if you STILL get sick?

So let’s say that even after you take all of the proper precautions to keep your kids and your family healthy, you still get sick. What can you do to prevent your family from getting even sicker?

Wear a mask.

It might sound like overkill, but wearing a surgical mask can help prevent the spread of germs, especially when you’re surrounded by other patients who are contagious. If you have to visit a doctor’s office, I recommend bringing your own mask or asking for a mask at the reception desk to help cover your mouth and nose. Without it, it’s easy to inhale the germ droplets around you from other people’s coughs and sneezes.

Keep your kids off the floor.

Even with regular vacuuming and spot cleaning, commercial carpeting in healthcare settings can easily trap allergens, dust, and even germs from the staff, patients, and visitors. If your medical reception area contains carpeting, rugs, or floor mats, be sure that your children are waiting on the chairs or in their stroller versus sitting on the floor with their toys to avoid the germs trapped in the carpet.

Bring your own reading material and toys.

Hard surfaces like tables and chairs in the waiting room are usually wiped down on a regular basis but the magazines, books and toys on those tables tend to be lifted up and not wiped down in the cleaning process. To avoid the dog-eared magazine pages and used toys, we suggest bringing your own reading material and toys for your children to help make the wait go by faster.

This year, the healthcare industry has seen 36,000 people die and more than 200,000 people hospitalized because of the flu. But preventing the cold and flu is totally manageable. Remember that it’s best to avoid waiting rooms, sanitize your hands and surfaces you come into contact with regularly, wear a mask if you can, and avoid touching surfaces and items in communal areas. Thankfully with the advent of health technology and the ability to see your family from home through a virtual care visit, you don’t have to risk picking up germs in the waiting room, and you’re empowered to take your health in your hands.

My name is Dr. Tony Yuan and I am a physician at Doctor On Demand, the nation’s leading virtual care provider. Over the course of my career, I've treated tens of thousands of patients as an emergency physician and have been practicing emergency medicine in California for over 17 years.