Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone!

My six-year-old could not fall asleep last night. He usually goes to bed at 7:30p.m. By 10:00p.m. he was crying in his room because he was worried Santa would miss our house because he was still awake. It was actually really sweet. He was VERY excited and grateful this morning!

Our two-year-old wanted to choo choo tracks. He was pretty pumped when he got Mickey's Magical Choo Choo. However, it doesn't work. So we have to take it back to the store. Still, I luckily had the Flip out and got a great video of him opening the gift. It is a truly wonderful and blessed Christmas so far! How is your family?

-NewsAnchorMomJen

Not sure what to get your loved ones? Give a Skin Dimensions gift card! Surprise your loved ones with the choice of massages, facials, bareMinerals makeup, manicures, pedicures or let them choose products from a selection of over 25 national and international brands of skincare. Gift cards available in any denomination. Purchase at Skin Dimensions Day Spa, Skin Dimensions Boutique or online.

Best Booster Seats

FROM CNN: Some highway safety experts are giving their take on the best child booster seats available on the market today. And several manufacturers ended up with seats on both the 'recommended' or 'not recommended' lists.

Studies show four to eight year old children are 45-percent less likely to suffer serious injury in accidents if they're in a booster seat. And if that booster is properly belted. Dr. Kristy Arbogast/Children's Hospital of Philadelphia :"Make sure those belts are in the right place so that the restraint can do its job if the child is in a crash." That's what the Insurance Institute for Highway safety focused on for its latest ratings on booster seats and came up with this list of the best:

Best bets for booster seats
-combi dakota backless/clip
-recaro young sport
-recaro vivo
-maxi-cosi rodi xr
-evenflo big kid amp backless/clip
-eddie bauer auto booster
-cosco juvenile pronto
-britax frontier
-clek oobr

But these eleven booster seats did not fare that well in the Institute's testing:

Booster seats not recommended:
-harmony secure comfort deluxe backless/clip
-combi kobuk
-evenflo express
-eddie bauer deluxe
-safety 1st alpha omega elite
-evenflo sightseer
-alpha omega elite
-eddie bauer deluxe 3-in-1 -safety 1st all-in-one
-alpha omega luxe echelon
-alpha omega

Anne Mccartt/ Insurance Institute for Highway Safety "Parents should avoid buying the 11 boosters on our "not recommended" list. These seats do not provide good belt fit." The Institute's Anne Mccartt was on the today show talking about these eleven and what constitutes improper belting. "...the shoulder belt you can see if falling off the shoulder. It should be fitting snuggly on the center of the shoulder."

Seven of the eleven come from one manufacturer Dorel Juvenile group-that offers the Eddie Bauer, Safety 1st and Alpha Omega brands. Dorel says the Institute's "Test simulates only one size child in one position" And says all of its seats meet or exceed government regulations.

Evenflo said the same thing when contacted. It, too, had seats that tested well, but two fell under "not recommended." Harmony strongly defended its secure comfort deluxe and questioned the Institute's testing procedures. While the makers of the Combi Kobuk are curious because they say its seat has passed previous institute testing. Most safety experts say poorer performing seats still protect children in crashes.

Of course, the booster seat we have isn't on either list. However, when I get a booster for my 3 year-old (when he's big enough) I will go back and check this list. What kind do you have? Are you surprised that some popular brands are on the not-recommended list?

-NewsAnchorMomJen

Not sure what to get your loved ones? Give a Skin Dimensions gift card! Surprise your loved ones with the choice of massages, facials, bareMinerals makeup, manicures, pedicures or let them choose products from a selection of over 25 national and international brands of skincare. Gift cards available in any denomination. Purchase at Skin Dimensions Day Spa, Skin Dimensions Boutique or online.

Toys that promote communication

Here are some tips for buying gifts for kids with autism. I think they are good toys for kids who are not on the autism spectrum too!

FROM NBC: It's getting down to the wire -- is your shopping done? Perhaps you just don't know what to get -- especially if you have an autistic child on your list. Reporter Candace Lee has some great gift ideas to encourage communication and motor skills. Like most kids, children with autism know what they want for Christmas. "I've always wanted a Nintendo Wii."

"They're called warheads, very sour." But for many children on the autism spectrum verbalizing those wants and desires are difficult. So how do you chose and where do you go to buy that toy?

Here's what you need to know first. children with autism often have difficulty with fine motor, gross motor and sensory skills. (sot: Samantha Steffensmeier, autism expert) "We want to look at the interaction piece as well. so not only do we target fine motor skills, but also we target socialization."

Fine motor skill toys include puzzles with words to encourage communication and stackable blocks and rings. Gross motor skill toys such as this crawl tunnel or a yoga ball make a great gift. And something as simple as this koosh ball helps a child with autism develop their sensory skills. And at Toys R Us. com, there is a toy guide for differently abled kids. just click on the skill set you want to address to find the perfect toy.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Not sure what to get your loved ones? Give a Skin Dimensions gift card! Surprise your loved ones with the choice of massages, facials, bareMinerals makeup, manicures, pedicures or let them choose products from a selection of over 25 national and international brands of skincare. Gift cards available in any denomination. Purchase at Skin Dimensions Day Spa, Skin Dimensions Boutique or online.

Kids need one dose of H1N1

This really annoys me. A study just came down last week saying kids definitely need two doses of the vaccine. So which is it? I don't think anyone wants to give their child an immunization he/she doesn't need-especially a controversial one like the swine flu vaccine. Here's the new contradicting story!

FROM NBC: A new study on the h1n1 vaccine suggests children may only need one dose instead of the recommended two. But experts say -- don't cancel that second appointment for your kids just yet. The research from Australia finds a single 15-microgram dose of the h1n1 vaccine gives strong protection to more than 92-percent of children between the ages of 6-months and 9-years old. Current U.S. recommendations call for two doses for kids 10 and younger. And the dosage given to kids under age 3 in this study was 15-micrograms. That's double the 7.5-microgram dosage licensed for children in that age group in this country. Experts say it's much too soon to change guidelines based on this one study.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Not sure what to get your loved ones? Give a Skin Dimensions gift card! Surprise your loved ones with the choice of massages, facials, bareMinerals makeup, manicures, pedicures or let them choose products from a selection of over 25 national and international brands of skincare. Gift cards available in any denomination. Purchase at Skin Dimensions Day Spa, Skin Dimensions Boutique or online.

Baby Carrier Recall

My new little one is already 15 pounds! I do get nervous about carrying him around in the baby carrier. I feel like he could get really hurt if the handle broke. I basically have to swing him up in the minivan to get the thing inside because it is so heavy. So this story made me worry a little. I usually take my kids out of the baby carrier by six months. So I only have two more months of this. I don't like switching them to the other car seat either. Then you have to wake them up every time you go somewhere. I guess it's a trade off. Although, it seems a little ridiculous that we would have to worry about the handle of the car seat breaking off!

Here's the recall:

(this link has the model numbers) FROM CPSC: WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of product: Dorel Infant Car Seat/Carriers

Units: About 447,000

Manufacturer: Dorel Juvenile Group Inc., of Columbus, Ind.

Hazard: When used as an infant carrier, the child restraint handle to the seat can loosen and come off, posing a fall hazard to infants.

Incidents/Injuries: Dorel has received 77 reports of the child restraint handle fully or partially coming off the car seat/carrier resulting in at least three injuries to infants including bumps, bruises and a head injury.

Description: This recall involves Safety 1st, Cosco, Eddie Bauer and Disney branded infant car seat/carriers with the following model numbers and that were manufactured from January 6, 2008 through April 6, 2009. The model number and manufacture date are located on a label on the side of the car seat/carrier. They were sold with Travel Systems. The stroller portion of the travel system is not affected by this recall.

Sold at: Department and juvenile product stores nationwide from January 2008 through December 2009 for between $120 and $220.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should not use the handle of the car seat/carrier until the repair kit has been installed. The product can continue to be used as a car seat when properly installed in the vehicle. Contact Dorel Juvenile Group to receive a free repair kit.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Dorel Juvenile Group at (866) 762-3316 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s Web site at www.djgusa.com/safety_notice

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Not sure what to get your loved ones? Give a Skin Dimensions gift card! Surprise your loved ones with the choice of massages, facials, bareMinerals makeup, manicures, pedicures or let them choose products from a selection of over 25 national and international brands of skincare. Gift cards available in any denomination. Purchase at Skin Dimensions Day Spa, Skin Dimensions Boutique or online.

Motherhood is good for you

There are certainly days where I just wish I could take a hot bath and relax without a little one barging in and screaming about something. But overall, motherhood is a blessing. I wonder what impact this study will have on adoption. In a way, it confirms that you do not have to bare a child to be a good mom! I guess we already knew that, but still!

FROM FOX NEWS: The act of mothering may trigger the development of maternal neurons, at least in rats, according to a new study.

The mommy neurons could help a nurturer to recognize her little ones, though the scientists aren't sure of their function. And the rats didn't have to be pregnant or have ever nursed an infant to get the neuron boost. They just had to show motherly behaviors.

Rat brains are thought to be good analogues of the human brain for research like this.

In the study, virgin rats were exposed to foster pups each day until they began to exhibit maternal behavior, including crouching over the young, grouping them, or carrying them back to the nest. The researchers found that the virgin rats exposed to pups had increased numbers of new neurons.

Previous studies have suggested interacting with young can stimulate maternal behavior in many animals, including mice, hamsters, monkeys and even humans. Rodents that are pregnant or lactating have also been shown to have increased formation of neurons. But this study was the first to look at neuron growth in virgin animals exhibiting maternal behavior.

The study focused on a specific part of the brain, called the subventricular region, which is involved in the production of cells that affect odor recognition, and possibly recognition of young. Virgin adult rats that behaved maternally were found to have more neurons in this region compared with rats that had never interacted with pups. Also, the nurturing rats had more neurons in this region than rats that had been exposed to young but didn't act maternally, suggesting such neurons are linked with maternal behaviors.

The scientists still don't know what triggers the increased production of new neurons in the virgin rats. One possibility is that the hormone prolactin, which stimulates the onset of maternal behavior and the formation of neurons during pregnancy, may play a role. Additionally, exposure to the pups themselves could promote the production of more neurons in the virgin rats.

The findings raise many questions that the scientists plan to investigate in future studies, said Robert Bridges, a researcher at Tufts University's Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. For instance, "Where do these new cells migrate to within the brain and what do they do?" Bridges said; and "Do they affect how a female subsequently perceives her young through recognition of baby odors?"

The study was published in the Dec. 16 issue of the journal Brain Research Bulletin, and funded by a National Institutes of Health grant.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Not sure what to get your loved ones? Give a Skin Dimensions gift card! Surprise your loved ones with the choice of massages, facials, bareMinerals makeup, manicures, pedicures or let them choose products from a selection of over 25 national and international brands of skincare. Gift cards available in any denomination. Purchase at Skin Dimensions Day Spa, Skin Dimensions Boutique or online.