$99 rates and other Thanksgiving hotel deals USAToday.com - Trying to avoid staying at Aunt Beverly's house on Thanksgiving night? A number of hotels across the USA are ready to accommodate, so it's worth shopping for discounts or value-added packages. In case you're headed to New York, Philly, Washington D.C. or San Diego, Hotel Check-In rounded up a few, select deals that haven't been widely publicized so you still stand a good chance of taking advantage. Philly: The most urgent of the deals is a $99 call-in rate at Philadelphia's Sofitel hotel is offering that you must book today by 8 p.m. The rate's a good 50% off what you might otherwise pay that night, and it also includes Wi-Fi. A hotel executive shared it with me via Twitter. The non-refundable rate's good for any night from Sunday, Nov. 20, through Monday, Nov. 28. Book it by calling (215) 569-8300. Continue reading for more deals: http://travel.usatoday.com/hotels/post/2011/11/sofitel-hotel-philadelphia-99-thanksgiving-deal/567871/1?loc=interstitialskip

Miss Lori thinks we are all responsible for the sexualization of children like Isabella Barrett from Toddlers and Tiaras .... I think this is a must read for everyone. http://www.misslori.tv/2012/02/07/miss-lori-thinks-we-are-responsible-for-sexualization-of-children-like-isabella-from-toddlers-and-tiaras/

I need some help. I took a bunch of videos of different playgrounds with my brand new Flip, while we were on vacation. I downloaded them and when I go to look at them, the sound and the video don't synchronize. As I am giving tours of the playgrounds this is a problem. Is there a way to fix this?

Originally Posted by brittemom in brittemom's Circle /audio/1233689384.38message.mp3

The White House's Big Earth Day Announcement by Josh Loposer http://www.greendaily.com/2010/04/22/the-white-houses-big-earth-day-announcement Want a a free home energy upgrade courtesy of the federal government? As part of the White House's official Earth Day festivities, Vice President Joe Biden unveiled the "Retrofit Ramp-Up," a plan to dole out $452M in energy retrofits to 25 communities across the country. Using funds set aside by the Recovery Act, contractors will literally be going door-to-door to offer Americans a chance at a free energy-saving upgrade. The only problem is that you have to live in one of these 25 privileged communities. Lucky for me, my town made the cut. Did yours? (mine didn't make the cut - bummer - but I think this is great! And I know we have lots of Michigan moms on here - the State of Michigan is listed so you'll have to let us know if you get to participate in this!)

More on the outcome of yesterday's election: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/04/us/politics/04elect.html

This is definitely true. My puppy is just like a person! He knows everything and definitely picks up all the emotions that my boyfriend and I give off! _____________ Dogs may pick up on human intent USAToday.com - Man's beloved four-legged friends not only respond to the words and ministrations of humans, dogs can understand and anticipate the intentions of their people, researchers are reporting. In a new study, dogs who were spoken to or who had direct eye contact with a person were more likely to follow that human's gaze as it moved across the room than if the person didn't make direct eye contact with them. The skills are equivalent to what is seen in 6-month-old human infants, say researchers, who published their findings online Jan. 5 in Current Biology. "These results support the notion that dogs are sensitive to the cues signaling humans' communicative intent in a way that is analogous to preverbal human infants," said study author Jozsef Topal. "Dogs were domesticated for the purpose of working with people, so it's essential that the two species are able to communicate," said Adam Goldfarb, director of pet care issues at The Humane Society of the United States. "Even though most dogs have transitioned away from their work of herding or hunting, they've retained their communication tools." More and more research is illuminating the uncanny human-like qualities of Canis lupus familiaris, better known as the domestic dog. Continue: http://yourlife.usatoday.com/parenting-family/pets/dogs/story/2012-01-05/Like-babies-dogs-pick-up-on-human-intent/52395162/1

We do things differently down here in the south at Christmastime. As a northern transplant, it took quite a few years for me to get used to this green Christmas thing. It certainly is odd to see Christmas lights in palm trees or wear my flip flops to the Mall shopping for sunscreen to stuff into stockings. But after a while, you start to get used to it. Sitting in the pool on Christmas Eve helps. Or not owning an ice scraper or looking for a single lost mitten. But it is different… Over the next couple of weeks, I’d like to share with you all how we do a Tropical Cool Yule here in the Sunshine State. We’ve got some strange--yet fun--traditions and activities that prove Christmas doesn’t have to be white in order to be merry.   This video is from our friend Michelle at Walt Disney World. She and her daughters meet with a pastry chef showing how Disney does gingerbread, and how you can make houses (on a smaller scale) at home. Enjoy!

awesome congrats to the winners! Philly Mama's ROCK!

Originally Posted by JennS in JennS's Circle Remember when I told you that I was working with Generation Huggies interviewing moms? They searched for 30 moms to feature in their 30th Anniversary ad campaign. Remember when I asked you to go vote for your favorite? Well, the winners have been chosen! Check out these videos out at Generation Huggies.com. Click the Winners Gallery Tab and see listen to what these women had to say about Motherhood. As I eagerly watched through the videos, I was thrilled to find one of the moms that I met at the Texas State Fair. Her name is Britt. She was so nice and so kind! I adored her immediately. Imagine my delight to see that she was one of the chosen winners of hundreds of entries. Britt will be featured in a national ad campaign for Huggies. Meet Britt from the Dallas area.

5 real, fast, delicious meals from around the U.S. Eatocracy - Rachael Ray, Robin Miller and Martha Stewart all whip up some quick-and-easy meals on TV, but for those of us who aren’t gifted in the culinary sense, they might not be that simple. Well folks, CNN iReport has answered your cooking prayers. We’ve collected real recipes from real people as part of the cultural census for CNN's Defining America. For each night of the busy workweek, we’ve selected five fast, delicious meals that won’t eat up too much time or leave you scratching your head. Arturo Navarro of Chula Vista, California, can make a meal of scrumptious salmon, brown rice, and spinach salad in 15 minutes flat. The salmon cooks in virgin olive oil for three minutes on each side. In the meantime, he washes and prepares the spinach, tomato, bell pepper, and avocado salad – a favorite he makes a few times a week. “I’ve changed my diet since last May, so I’ve been eating salmon; better nutrition than what I ate before,” he said. He now prepares fresh meals each day. Michelle Chu’s typical weekday dinners usually consist of a protein, veggies and of course, dessert! She and her boyfriend, who live in Richmond, Virginia, recently visited Omaha Steaks for the first time and were sold on the tender meat. “It’s something we eat frequently because it’s filling, easy to prepare and tastes great.” Chu’s meal of steak, asparagus and whipped sweet potatoes took about 30 minutes from start to finish. And, she ended the meal on a sweet note – angel food cake drizzled with raspberries and Biscoff spread. Are we in heaven yet? Keep reading: http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2011/07/06/ireport-5-real-fast-delicious-meals-from-around-the-u-s/?hpt=hp_bn8

It seems everything we need to know in life we learn in preschool. My 4 year old has been repeating, "Mommy, to have a good friend, you've got to be a good friend!" No doubt a piece of sage advice bestowed upon her by her wonderful preschool teacher.Anyways, Bella tends to like to share these words of wisdom with Mommy. Normally, I say ,"Yes, sweetie. That is right!" But, this time I actually took the advice to heart and examined some of my own relationships.I've come to the realization that you get out what you put in and if you don't then cut them lose. So many of us go through life making acquaintances that we let pass for friends, but there is definitely a difference, as one of my closest friends told me, " It's like coming home." It's the feeling of being safe and secure to be yourself and be accepted and loved unconditionally. I don't know about you but that's what I want out of a friend. I'm not one for superficial friendships, I don't have the time or energy to play that game at this point in my life.If I call you my friend, I genuinely think of you as my friend, as family. I know that acquaintances have a place and I do have those relationships but I don't call them my friends. I don't want to spend inordinate amounts of time with them or subject my family to them. I don't call them, text them, email them. I'm a Mommy, my time is precious and few, so I decided that I need to put in what I want to get out and if its not there I gotta cut it lose. It's always disappointing though when you put it all in, only to find out the other person is only half way in. It's actually very sad and you feel let down. I don't want to be responsible for doing that to someone, and I don't want to be that kind of an example for my daughters. I learned a lot of life lessons from my daughter and her wise preschool teacher, and those wonderful women in my life who are my friends. We have just recently moved home from spending time in a delightfully beautiful part of the country called Chesterfield, Virginia. I am convinced that it must be the closest thing to heaven on earth; it is gorgeous and the people there are amazing human beings. I don't know how they go there or why, but it works.Its like a vortex for goodness:) I hope I don't embarrass anyone but this has to be said. I don't want to spend my life wasting time and not telling people how important they are to me. When we first arrived, I was new and knew absolutely no one. The people I met there, were by far the most wonderful and genuine women I have ever met. They invited me into their lives, their hearts, their families.They were supportive and amazing. They made me feel like I was at home, even though I was hundreds of miles from where my "family" lived. I have never experienced anything like this before in my life. Who knew you could form true friendships and bonds with other women in such a short amount of time, especially as an adult. We left Virginia without a job but much richer people. I left with a heavy heart, and will miss these women and their amazing spirits . We may be geographically apart but they will always be in my heart.They took me in , extended friendship and sisterhood, when they didn't even know me. It wasn't for any reason other than to be kind to another human, but they will never know how much that kindness meant to me at that time and will always mean to me. I will miss our talks, long walks, saying hi in the hallways, sharing our childrens firsts in life, our laughter,prayers, the cocktails when we needed to decompress, but most of all I will miss their sisterhood. I don't need to mention names, but you all know who you are and you know how you touched my heart. You have taught me that to have a good friend, I need to be a good friend. I just hope I can live my life living up to the standard that you ladies have set. If all Mommies, women , could have that kind of bond that nurtured and supported one another like you did me...the world would be a better place. Thank you, my friends, all of you. I must be doing something right, to have all of you wonderful women as my friends! Just remember, as my 4 year old once told me, "To have a good friend, you've got to be a good friend!"

13-year-old Texas boy wins Nat'l Geographic Bee WASHINGTON – A 13-year-old boy from Texas won the National Geographic Bee on Wednesday by correctly identifying the country that is home to the Tungurahua volcano. Tine Valencic of Colleyville didn't miss a single question during the final round of the bee, defeating nine other boys and taking home a $25,000 scholarship and a trip to the Galapagos Islands. The answer that got him the win: Ecuador. "I'm just taking it all in," he said after winning and being lent tissues to dry his eyes by both the bee moderator, "Jeopardy!' game show host Alex Trebek, and the bee's second-place finisher. To get to the bee in Washington, students had to win their respective state-level competitions. The group of winners, all fourth through eighth graders, competed in a preliminary round Tuesday, narrowing the field to 10. In the final round Wednesday at National Geographic's headquarters, students answered questions ranging from identifying the flags of various countries to what country the "bandura" is the national instrument of: Ukraine. Anthropologist Jane Goodall and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton both asked taped video questions. To clinch the victory, Valencic won a best-of-five final round, which included a question asking for the Italian name for sediment deposits that connect a shoreline with an offshore island: tombolo. Valencic and his opponent, 11-year-old Nilai Sarda of Georgia, got that one right. But Sarda stumbled on the question about the Tungurahua volcano, believing incorrectly that it was in Peru. He takes home $15,000 for second place. Third-place finisher Stefan Petrovic of Lawrence, Kan., won $10,000. Aside from the three top-place finishers, the finalists competing Wednesday were: Alex Kimn of South Dakota, Kevin Mi of Indiana, Luke Hellum of Arizona, Tuvya Bergson-Michelson of California, Karthik Karnik of Massachusetts, Anthony Cheng of Utah and Andrew Hull of Alaska. The bee will be broadcast on National Geographic Channel over four nights in June and will also be broadcast on public TV stations. Read the article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_geography_bee

Hi my name is Jennifer, i am a mother to a 2 year old little girl named Kylie. I just left my previous parent forum due to all the drama and bashing, hopefully this place will be different. Although i liked being able to create your own topic over there so much more than having to search for somewhere to post.

Worth it or not: A shopping Guide SmartMoney.com - We've all been there, standing in the aisle of a store, spending way too much time weighing the small differences between two similar products. Will the more expensive umbrella really perform better? When it comes to a laptop bag, is $120 too much, too little, or just right? Here's some help. Each month, SmartMoney Magazine looks at sets of two similar consumer products, and assesses the better buy. This year, we looked at a wide variety of goods, including blenders, deep fryers and Digital SLR cameras. To aid in your holiday shopping, here are seven suggestions: http://www.smartmoney.com/spend/family-money/worth-it-or-not-a-shopping-guide/

Originally Posted by motherhoodadmin in DesignMomView the source http://www.designmom.com/uploaded_images/Picture-1-778108.png http://www.kirtsy.com/story.php?title=The_one_electoral_map_you_havent_seen : the best looking and http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/10/25/opinion/20081025_opart.html ever. ("Leaning weirded out by Joe Biden's hair" will make me smile all day.)Hey. I know the election is over, but if you're still feeling the urge to get your vote on, I suggest you head over to http://generationhuggies.com/ and vote for your favorite video. Moms from all over the country have submitted 60 second videos filled with their thoughts on Motherhood. They're super sweet and if I could, I would watch them all day. Seriously. I can't believe how much I like hearing mothers talk about their experiences.The videos with the most votes will be featured in a national ad campaign and recieve a cash prize. Best part: you (yes you!) can submit your own video as well. http://generationhuggies.com/ is accepting videos through November 20th. Go check it out.