Here’s a little more information about both events:

Birthday Pawties (For children 5 yrs. old and up)

Each Pawty includes: Click here for the Birthday Pawty Brochure

• Private Pawty Room for Two Hours
• Room Decorations
• Birthday Bone Lanyard for Honoree
• 1 year La/SPCA Membership for Honoree
• Educational Presentation
• Tour of the LA/SPCA’s Animal Rescue and Care Center
• Puppy/Kitty Playtime
• Choice of Two (2) Activities from the Activity List
• Goody Bags for all Guests

Critter Cinema

Second Friday Evening of the Month
6:30 – 9:30pm
For kids ages 5-10
Please bring sleeping bag and pillow (PJ’s are welcome)
COST
$25 per participant*

Please note: LA/SPCA cuddle critters provided. Please leave others at home.

2012 DATES
January 13th, February 10th, March 19th, April 13th, May 11th, June 8th, July 13th, August 10th, September 14th, October 12th, November 9th, December 14th

For further information about either even, please call Stephanie at 504-762-3314
or email Stephanie@la-spca.org
Space is limited.

Follow @NolaTricia

Here are some safety tips to consider before this New Year’s Eve:

• Check your local laws regarding shooting fireworks. More and more towns are making them illegal.
• Keep sparklers away from the face, clothing, and hair. Sparklers can reach almost 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit which is hot enough to melt metals!
• Always keep water in a place that is easy to access. Either from a bucket of water or a garden hose.
• Only use fireworks as intended. Don’t try to alter them or combine them.
• Never relight a “dud” firework. Wait 20 minutes and then soak it in a bucket of water.
• Use common sense. Spectators should keep a safe distance. Fireworks can backfire or shoot off in the wrong direction.
• Don’t hold fireworks in your hand or have any part of your body over them while lighting.
• Wear eye protection when lighting fireworks.
• Never carry fireworks in your pocket because the friction can cause them to light.
• Check your area for any burn notices or firework ban due to drought. The National Fire Protection Association estimated that
  local fire departments respond to more than 50,000 fires caused by fireworks each year!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

I can’t believe it’s already here!
Here is a little Christmas present Free Printable from Nola Mommy.

It’s a Merry Christmas cupcake topper.
They fit a 1.5 inch circle punch or just cut them out yourself.
In these pics, I attached them to a 2 inch scalloped punch in red & green. 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE MERRY CHRISTMAS CUPCAKE TOPPERS

It’s a win-win situation for mom and tween! They get products designed for them that they will WANT TO use and mom gets to hear a great report from the dentist at their next check-up! Let’s just say that the dentist is not my favorite place! I rank it right up there with being a contestant on Fear Factor. So in order to avoid anything more than a standard cleaning and check-up I choose to brush, floss as much as recommended and try to get my son to do the same. Not only am I protecting our smiles but I’m protecting the family’s pocket book because dental treatment can be costly and painful!

Included in the new Crest annd Oral-B Pro-Health FOR ME line is the Oral-B Pro-Health FOR ME CrossAction Toothbrush which is designed to clean in between those sensitive gaps that kids age 8 to 12 have. The handle is even designed for a hand their size! It’s got a comfort grip handle and comes in great colors like a bright blue, lime green, and a bright pink! To go with their toothbrush is the Crest Pro-health FOR ME Fluoride Anticavity Toothpaste in a minty flavor. It comes in with a unique art design on the tube that was chosen  by tweens.  The Crest Pro-Health FOR ME Anticavity Fluoride Rinse comes in kid-approved breezy mint and breezy berry bubblegum flavors. This step helps reach areas where your child may have missed and freshens breath without the burn of alcohol. It comes with a measuring cup for easy dispensing. Finally, my favorite product, the Oral-B Pro Health FOR ME Floss Picks in lime green! They are really easy to use and prevent the long string of floss still hanging around in the sink! That’s a mom pet-peeve of mine!

If your child is not yet eight, Oral-B has a line of products called Oral-B Stages that fit your child’s stage of development. Oral-B Stages is dentists’ #1 recommended toothbrush brand for a reason. In a study of over 800 children it was found that 69% of parents reported that compared to other brushes used, their child was motivated to brush longer with the Stages brush! Oral-B has 3 different stages. Stage 1 is from children 4-24 months old, Stage 2 is for 2-4 years old, and stage 3 is from 5-7 years old. Go to the Oral-B Stages pageto learn more about which products are appropriate for your child’s stage.

I love sharing great products with fellow moms and and thanks to Crest and Oral-B sponsoring a Mommy Party, I had the opportunityto share Crest and Oral-B ProHealth FOR ME with fellow moms and their kids! We had around 14 kids that were able to take home their own Crest and Oral-B Pro-Health FOR ME line of products. The little ones received an Oral-B Stages product. At first I thought that kids, especially older kids around 9-12 years old, would be like, “Oh, its just a toothbrush. Bummer.” But they were really excited about getting “Cool” “Awesome” Toothbrushes!  Those are their words, not mine! We also watched the new movie just out on DVD, Cars 2! It was a great time and Moms and tweens were excited about their new dental care products! I have heard back from a few moms and they are never going back to traditional floss… ever! Their kids all really liked their new toothbrushes and they do think that the fact that having a toothbrush that your child likes the design of motivates them to brush and to brush longer!

 

On the Crest Pro-Health page your child can play the online game Yuck Mouth and learn more about why dental hygiene is so important! Look to the Oral-B Stages Parent Guide for great information about dental health and tips for setting up a dental routine!

Disclosure: I received Crest and Oral-B products through a campaign sponsored by MomSelect. As always, all opinions are 100% my own. 

They are very, very simple to make!
I made North Pole Cupcakes for my son and his friends and they were a big hit!

Since the hardest part of making them was designing the North Pole signs,
I have decided to share them with you to save you the trouble!

These are on a standard 8.5″ x 11″ sheet of paper.
I printed the on cardstock, cut them out leaving a small white border, and attached them to
the candy cane with a small drop of icing. On top of the candy cane, I placed a little icing and a red M&M.

That’s it!

CLICK HERE TO GET YOU FREE NORTH POLE CUPCAKE  TOPPER PRINTABLES 

“When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that it’s the simplest things
,not the great occasions, that give off the greatest glow of happiness.”
~ Bob Hope, American film actor and comedian.

I hope when my boys think of Christmas time they remember
things like making gingerbread houses
and not what was (or was not) under the tree.

Happy Wordless Wednesday and Thank You for Linking up here at Nola Mommy!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A LETTER FROM YOUR ELF ON THE SHELF

Check out some very cute name ideas for your Elf on the Shelf and add your elf’s name to the list!

 NAME IDEAS FOR YOUR ELF ON THE SHELF

Merry Christmas! 

Follow @NolaTricia

Soon, our Elf on the Shelf will return for the third time.  Elves travel to and from the North Pole each night giving Santa Clause a report on whether your children have been naughty or nice. When your elf shows up, your first task is to give him or her a name. Our elf’s name is Zack and he has pulled some stunts since showing up.

Once, he took soap and wrote “Merry Christmas” on my son’s bathroom mirror. He hides in some interesting places such as hanging from our foyer chandelier or from a curtain rod. Sometimes he does really nice things, like bring toys from the North Pole back with him. The toys were still cold as if they were in the freezer all night (*wink *wink). He is responsible for bringing my sons letter to Santa to the North Pole with him and he usually returns with a return note from Santa.

Here are some cute name ideas for your elf:

• Bitsy

• Bliss

• Buzz

• Chip

• Dash

• Elvis

• Flash

• Fancy

• Ginger (short for Gingerbread)

• Gizmo

• Holly

• Izzie

• Jack

• Jax

• Jangle

• Jingle

• Jinx

• Max

• Nick

• Oscar

• Pepper (short for Peppermint)

• Pixie

• Sparkle

• Sparky

• Tinsel

• Twinkle

  Merry Christmas and please share your elf’s name and antics here at Nola Mommy!
  You might also like:
  A Letter from Elf Headquarters for your Child {Free Printable}

What does it mean now that you are turning 9?

It means that in 365 days your age will be represented by double digits!

In 2,555 days you will be asking to borrow the keys to the car!

In 2,920 days you will be starting school as a high school senior!

In 3,285 days I will be helping you move into your dorm in Baton Rouge!

Okay, I know my mommy heart is jumping into fast forward right now but every time I look at you, I see the little man that you are already becoming and I am so proud of you!

I love when you say your bedtime prayers and pray that God watches over me, your dad, your baby brother, your grandparents, and your friends and then as so not to be forgotten you throw in a “Oh, and me too!”

I love your thirst for knowledge and facts! Even when you tell me about the alligator turtle whose tongue looks like a worm to attract fish. But,  I do think that you are on a quest to see how much you can gross mom out. Hmmm….

I love your drive and ambition at only eight years old, like when you told your teacher that you would really like to learn more things about running a business and your plans for a MBA.  I know that if you set your mind to something that you will accomplish it and I really hope that one day you have your “pizza empire” that squashes Dominos. I remember when you told our hairdresser about your plans for your empire and she asked for free pizza and you told her, “Only on the first day and then maybe ten-percent, but I have to make a profit.” Then you asked her for a free haircut and she said, “It’s not my first day.” But you negotiated ten percent off and she told me that was the first time she has been haggled by an eight year old.

Your computer skills are better than many adults I know. When I was ready to scream because Photoshop refused to cooperate you walked over and reminded me that I had to select what I wanted to work on (i.e. layers). Um okay, which one of us attended school for the program?

Your compassion with your little brother is so touching. When I was pregnant so many people warned me that you would have a hard time adjusting because you had been an only child for so long but you took to the role of big brother like a fish to water and I hope your love and connection to him goes on beyond my time.

When you wrote a story for class and said, “My mom is a nurse. Nurses have to be smart, kind, and strong. My mom is all of those things,” I thought there would be a request for a new box of Legos but you just said, “It’s true mom, you are.” Little do you know that I have that story and am keeping it for when in the years to come I know nothing and am cruel for enforcing a curfew.

Know that I will always want the best for you, pray for you, and love you no matter what! I am so blessed to have you as my son and I wish you the happiest birthday a 9 year old could possibly have!  

From This:

To That:

Follow @NolaTricia

I can’t wait to go Trick-or-Treating. I like costume-watching, getting to see my neighbors and friends, and see my son having a great time with his friends. (and telling him to slow down and don’t run through the grass after every house!) But the nurse in me does tend to come out for things like this and so today I’m sharing some tips for Halloween safety. Have a spooky night full of tricks and treats!

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COSTUMES:

• Choose costumes that are bright and reflective. Make sure that costumes are short enough to prevent tripping, entanglement or contact with flame.
• Consider adding reflective tape or striping to costumes and Trick-or-Treat bags for greater visibility.
• Glow stick necklaces and bracelets are easy to see at night and most kids don’t mind adding them to their costumes. I purchase packs of them at our local dollar store and give them to our group before Trick-or-Treating.
• Because masks can limit or block eyesight, consider non-toxic makeup and decorative hats as safer alternatives. Hats should fit properly to prevent them from sliding over eyes.
• If a sword, cane, or stick is a part of your child’s costume, make sure it is not sharp or too long. A child may be easily hurt by these accessories if he stumbles or trips.
• Obtain flashlights with fresh batteries for all children and their escorts.

CARVING A NICHE:

• Small children should never carve pumpkins. Children can draw a face with markers. Then parents can do the cutting.
• Consider using a flashlight, glow stick, or battery operated LED light instead of a candle to light your pumpkin. If you do use a candle, a votive candle is safest.
• Candlelit pumpkins should be placed on a sturdy table, away from curtains and other flammable objects, and should never be left unattended.

HOME SAFE HOME:

• To keep homes safe for visiting trick-or-treaters, parents should remove from the porch and front yard anything a child could trip over such as garden hoses, toys, bikes and lawn decorations.
• Parents should check outdoor lights and replace burned-out bulbs.
• Wet leaves should be swept from sidewalks and steps.
• Restrain pets so they do not inadvertently jump on or bite a trick-or-treater.

ON THE TRICK-OR-TREAT TRAIL:

• A parent or responsible adult should always accompany young children on their neighborhood rounds.
• Only go to homes with a porch light on and never enter a home or car for a treat.
• Because pedestrian injuries are the most common injuries to children on Halloween, remind Trick-or Treaters:
  • Stay in a group and communicate where they will be going.
  • Carry a cell phone for quick communication.
  • Remain on well-lit streets and always use the sidewalk.
  • If no sidewalk is available, walk at the far edge of the roadway facing traffic.
  • Never cut across yards or use alleys.
  • Only cross the street as a group in established crosswalks. Never cross between parked cars or out driveways.
  • Don’t assume the right of way. Motorists may have trouble seeing Trick-or-Treaters. Just because one car stops, doesn’t mean others will!
  • Law enforcement authorities should be notified immediately of any suspicious or unlawful activity.

HEALTHY HALLOWEEN:

• A good meal prior to parties and trick-or-treating will discourage youngsters from filling up on Halloween treats.
• Consider purchasing non-food treats for those who visit your home, such as coloring books or pens and pencils.
• Wait until children are home to sort and check treats. Though tampering is rare, a responsible adult should closely examine all treats and throw away any spoiled, unwrapped or suspicious items.
• Try to ration treats for the days following Halloween.

Have a safe and Happy Halloween!

For these tips and more please visit the American Academy of Pediatrics.