The Mom Crowd

Sponsor Saturdays is a new feature on The Mom Crowd. Each Saturday we will be highlighting one of our six sponsors.

* Read through to the end for a special 20% off discount code for readers of The Mom Crowd!

Baby Cakes is a long time sponsor of The Mom Crowd. Sara, the owner, is a mom to 3 children. When she was shopping with 2 small children and one on the way she realized that hopping from store to store was no longer a convenient option for her. So Sara created an online store with all her favorite products so moms would not have to leave their home to shop for baby items and gifts.

Baby Cakes features many baby products for bath time, bed time, meal time, and for your nursery. The store also features apparel for kids and moms. There is also an accessories section for moms that contains agendas that will make the lives of moms a little more organized.

I asked Sara what is her favorite product. She loves the California Baby bath & skin care products. Sara said, “I love that they are organic and they all smell so good.  My kids are fans of the bubble bath….it comes with a bubble wand. ”

Finally, as a mother of 3 children I asked Sara what her advice is  for new moms.

My advice to new mothers……..don’t be afraid to ask for help or accept help when offered. When my first child was born, I thought if I asked for help it meant that I was not doing a good job. I wanted to everything by myself, which I soon realized was not good for me or the baby.

I agree! We certainly to need to ask for help when we need it. We are being good moms by asking for help!

If you need a gift or a treat for yourself, check out Baby Cakes!

Discount Code

Sara has graciously offered the readers of The Mom Crowd a 20% discount off entire purchase (not gift cards).  Just enter “momcrowd” in the promotional code field to use the discount.

Should you keep your child in a rear facing car seat past the minimum requirement? The American Academy of Pediatrics currently recommends that “children should face the rear of the vehicle until they are at least 1 year of age and weigh at least 20 lb to decrease the risk of cervical spine injury in the event of a crash.”

Last month the British Medical Journal published an article stating that  “rear facing seats are safer than forward facing seats for children under 4 years old.” So parents should keep young children in rear facing seats as long as possible. The report goes on to say that “excessive stretching or even transection of the spinal cord can result if a child is involved in a head-on crash while in a forward facing car seat.”

Car-safety.org explains that “rear-facing car seats spread frontal crash forces over the whole area of a child’s back, head and neck; they also prevent the head from snapping relative to the body in a frontal crash.”

In an article for ABC News Sharon Munns, injury prevention coordinator at the Mayo Clinic Trauma Center in Rochester, Minn. explains the benefits in more detail,  “The rear harness works in a way that allows the head, neck, and spine to move all straight up and down, so the body moves with the restraint of the seat, preventing crash-related injuries,” she said. “In a front-facing seating, all of the body weight is going forward on the harness, which can cause injury to the head, neck and spine for children under 35 pounds. There are documents of spinal cord injuries because of children facing frontward at such an early age.”

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Sponsor Saturdays is a new feature on The Mom Crowd. Each Saturday we will be highlighting one of our six sponsors.

*Keep reading all the way to the end to find out how you can win a free soy candle!

Maddison Avenue Soy Candles is owned by Jeanette Combs. I first got to know Jeanette through my husband when he built her website. She is one of the nicest and most generous people I have ever met on the web, so I wanted to do a Q & A with her about who she is and her company. I have several Maddison Avenue candles in my home and I love the way they smell and look.

Amanda: Why did you choose to sell soy candles and how long have you been selling candles?
Jeanette: It started as a hobby in 2003.  My husband has bad allergies and asthma which never allowed me to burn candles.  Because paraffin candles contained toxins and carcinogens, it affected his breathing.  I had come across some research telling that soy candles were clean burning and if you previously had breathing difficulties with paraffin candles, to give soy a try.  I wanted to do just that but found they were very hard to find.  So, I bought all of the ingredients and made them myself.  After my friends and family found out the benefits of soy wax, they were hooked and started buying from me.  And the business grew from there!  Maddison Avenue soy candles can now be found in every state and abroad.

A: I know your company is based in Illinois where there is a lot of farm land. Does your company grow your own soy beans?
J: No, but our factory is surrounded by soybean fields.  We are thrilled to watch them grow each year knowing we are helping to support the American farmers.

A: What are the benefits of burning soy candles, instead of other candles you can find at the store?
J: Most of this was answered in the first question.  The benefits of soy wax is unbelievable!

• made from 100% soybean wax
• does not emit toxins while burning
• emits an incredibly small amount of soot
• biodegradable
• water-soluble
• burns cooler and slower
• renewable resource
• supports US farmers and our own economic growth

A: How do you choose the fragrances?
J: Most are from requests from customers, but some we put together by trial and error.  It’s a fun process.

A: What is your favorite scent?
J: It changes with the season.  Right now I love summer scents (beach house, pomegranate passion, and meadow), in the fall it changes (spiced cranberry, pumpkin crunch, and orange clove).  I always burn one of these in my bathroom (que, tuxedo, or lavender fields).

A: Have you ever sold a scent that you thought would be popular, but it didn’t do well? Is there a scent that you thought would make a good candle, but it ended up smelling horribly?
J: I was certain that Chocolate Kisses would rock, but in fact it barely sells.   As for a horrible fragrance – that is the funny thing with our noses.  What smells wonderful to one is aweful to another.  For example, I took Gardenia Blossoms off the site because I thought it was horrible and didn’t like being in the factory on the days they poured that aroma.  Then I was contacted by a client wanting to know why she couldn’t buy it any more as all of hers had been bought by Richard Gere’s publicist.  She said it was his favorite candle and he used it while meditating.  Obviously, we brought it back and it has remained a great seller!!  Just a note… I still don’t like it, yuck

A: If your business didn’t sell soy candles, what else would you like to do for a living?
J: I used to want to write.  I wrote and published our church newsletter for years.  Writing is a lot of work though.  I would like to learn how to use Adobe Illistrator like a pro and then do some designing for cards, and such.  I love creative people and love learning to be more creative myself.

A: I know you are a mom and a grandma. What advice would you give a new mom?
J: Easy.  Relax and keep it simple.  Enjoy the small things.  I was always told that my kids would grow up fast, and that was such an understatement!  I am much more relaxed with my grand daughters, and I have finally learned how to enjoy even the small things, like being there to kiss a skinned knee. I wish I had worried less and enjoyed more with my own kids.

A: What is your favorite quote?
J: Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

***WIN A FREE CANDLE!***

Jeanette has generously offered to giveaway a soy candle to 2 winners! All you have to do to enter is go to Maddison Avenue’s website, pick your favorite fragrance, and come back here and write in the comments of this post which is your favorite fragrance! Winners will be chosen at random and announced next Saturday morning on the 25th. Good luck!

UPDATE

This giveaway is now closed and we have 2 winners, Erika and Denise!  The winners were chosen by random.org. Thank you so much to everyone who entered.

This weekend one of my closest friends accidentally locked her 21-month old daughter in her Jeep Liberty. Thankfully after the police and a fire truck came they were able to bust out the back window and get into the vehicle. Her daughter was red and upset, but she eventually calmed down and was fine. My friend had to the endure the embarrassment of the situation. This happens to a lot of moms. We don’t intentionally lock our kids in the car, it happens.

I accidentally locked my daughter in the car when she was 18 months old at the grocery store. I set my keys down on the back seat next to her car seat and turned to put the diaper bag on the top of my trunk. Just as I was placing the bag down a gust of wind blew my car door shut. I immediately asked myself how long is she safe in the car with no AC. Thankfully my phone was in the diaper bag and I called my husband. He didn’t answer and I texted the words “call me now!” He had an extra key and was only 3 minutes away at home. While waiting for husband to come I knocked on the window and smiled at her and tried to show her that everything was okay.

Since locking my girl in the car I have started to put the keys on top of my car or in my pocket when I am getting them out. Another way to prevent the situation is to carry an extra key hidden on the car under the license plate or taped under the car somewhere. Pop A Lock will also open your car for free. You can program the number of your local dispatch in your phone. (I just programmed mine. It took less than 60 seconds.)

In this summer heat the temperature of the inside of the car can rise significantly in just a few minutes. Here is an excellent post on Baby Tool Kit about what do when an infant or child is accidentally locked in a car with the keys. The first thing is not to panic and then call for help. If you don’t have a phone then ask someone nearby to call 911. Then note the time, because sometimes 5 minutes can seem like an eternity.

Locking your child in the car can totally shake you up. Hug your child and get something to drink to hydrate everyone. Be sure you are calm before you drive again. Know that you haven’t lost your card to The World’s Best Moms Club. You are still a great mom!

Have you ever accidentally locked you children in the car? How do you get them out? Where you shaken up?

- photo courtesy of crowdive

Have you thought about running as a way to workout? As a way to lose that postpartum muffin top? If you want to run, you can do it! It is just a matter of wanting to do it and carving out the time in your schedule. Even if you have never ran a day in your life – you CAN run! You just need to be sure that you don’t have joint problems or any other condition where running would make your condition worse.

Myself, McKenna, Dawn and a few other friends are gearing up to run a Half Marathon in San Antonio, TX in November. My friend, Natalie, asked me what she needed to know before she started running. I pointed her to a few of our older posts here on The Mom Crowd.

McKenna ran a 5K (3.1 miles) first and she then encouraged Dawn to run her first 5K. Then Dawn took it to the next level and ran a half marathon (13.1 miles).  Here is how she prepared her for her first half marathon and her results.

I ran a 5K with McKenna the week I found out I was pregnant with my second baby. I also had the opportunity to interview my friend Kristin who lost 90 POUNDS from running. Kristin ran a half marathon last year and is planning on running another one with her husband in November.  You can check out the video below.

Here are 8 tips if you are brand new to running.

1. Know the lingo and set a goal.
In McKenna’s first 5K post she recommends to find a Fun Run in your area and register for the race. Because the race fees are usually non-refundable, you are more likely to do the race.

Here are the types of most races:
5K = 3.1 miles
10K = 6.2 miles
10 Mile Race
Half Marathon = 13.1 miles
Marathon = 26.2 miles

2. Have a good pair of running shoes.
Your feet and your joints will thank you! Saving your body is worth the price of a new pair of shoes. An article for beginners on RunnersWorld.com says, “Cross-trainers, aerobics shoes, and other athletic foot–wear don’t have enough cushioning to handle running’s impact–nor does the pair of running shoes you wore two years ago. Buy new running shoes, or you risk getting injured.”

3. Stretch, Stretch, Stretch before and after your run.
Set a stretching routine that you can follow every day. Don’t ever skip stretching, unless you want to pull a muscle. Additionally, stretching after you run will help with soreness. I really dislike stretching after I run, because I just want to be done. So I only do three stretches when I am done: touch my toes, stretch my quads and my calves. For me, these are the 3 areas that I will most likely be sore later. Here is great post with stretching suggestions! (Thanks TimeOutMom.)

4. Start small and build up your strength and endurance.
You can start running in intervals while running and walking. Go for 30 minutes by doing a 1:4. This means that you run for 1 minute, then walk for 4 minutes. You do that same pattern 6 times until you have completed 30 minutes. Then the next week you can do 2:3. Running for 2 minutes and walking 3 for 30 minutes. You keep up this pattern until you can run 30 minutes straight.

If you decide that you want to start running without any walking, then you can start with a short distance. Only do a quarter of a mile until that quarter of mile gets easy. Then, do a half mile until a half mile gets easy. And so forth. Eventually doing 3 miles will be easy!

5. Take rest days.
You need rest days! Sometimes we want to come out of the gate fast and workout every day, but your body needs recovery days. While you should maintain a minimum of 3 runs a week, you also shouldn’t run every single day. MarathonRookie.com says:

You should not run every day. Your body needs to rest between runs so it can recover from one run to the next, getting stronger between each run. Nutrition and eating the right foods at the right time also play a vital role in recovery. Take recovery days equally as serious as your running days.

6. Have accountability and support.
Doing a race with friends will help you stay accountable. You can cheer each other on during the training weeks. Text your friend and see if they ran that day. You also need the support of a spouse or friend to help you watch the kids when you go on runs. You can also join a training or running group.

7. Run for a cause.
Need some inspiration to run? Run for a cause. If you run a half marathon or a full marathon you can sign up with an organization and help raise money to support their cause. Angie ran a marathon and raised 4,536 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in honor of her father. She claims that she is not a runner. If you need some inspiration for running read her Gonna Run a Marathon Blog.

8.  Brag!
There is nothing wrong with getting on your blog, Facebook, Twitter or texting a friend to tell people that you ran that day! Knowing that I will get to update my Facebook status and Tweet my run gets me out of bed. (If you do tweet about running you can use the hashtag #momsrunning.) My friend, Dawn, also set up a blog just for the 4 of us running together to cheer each other on.

Now it is time to get out there and run!

More Articles About Running
Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Runner
Training For Your First Half Marathon
Six Simple Rules for Safe Runs
RunningMoms.com
Train Before Your 5K Goal

Do you like to run? Have you thought about running? Have you ever completed a Half or Full Marathon? What advice would you give someone just starting to run?

- photo courtesy of justin_a_glass