Mommy Brain

How often do you feel like you can't remember anything to save your life?
We've all been there and hell I'm lucky if I remember what I walked into the room for.

There's this thing and I like to call it mommy brain. Mommy brain is almost as bad as Alzheimer but not as dangerous.  You seem to remember every word to the song The Wiggles just sang but can't remember why you walked into the bathroom.  Mommy brain can cause you to be late to an appointment, simply because you can't remember where you placed your phone that you just had two minutes ago. Mommy brain comes with pregnancy and gets worse with each child after. Symptoms may include forgetfulness, confusion and frustration. Some parents experience forgetfulness of child's name. If you are experiencing these symptoms head to your local store and buy a journal. You might want to write that down now or you just might get a case of MB while shopping and come home with everything except a journal.

I would tell you the cure to MB but I don't remember. I do know that it will come back to me once I'm repeating "Don't forget the bread" over and over on the way to the store. Then I will forget I ever need bread.

Pregnancy Medication Saftey

When you are pregnant you want to make sure whatever you ingest is safe for baby, especially when it comes to medications. I have complied a list of safe medications to use during pregnancy. The sources of my list will be listed below. I have been pregnant twice also, so I know from first hand experience.

<3 Amanda

 

 Safe Medications to use during pregnancy

 

Cold/Flu

 Always check over-the-counter cold medications for alcohol, sugar, caffeine, or aspirin. Medications should be taken as directed and for no longer than seven days. If symptoms persist, call your doctors office.

•Actifed

•Allerest

•Allergy relief medicine (ARM)

•Benadryl (tablet, capsule, and liquid form), Benadryl Plus

•Chlor-Trimeton, Chlor-Trimeton LA

•Claritin

•Comtrex

•Robitussin DM

•Sine-Off (WITHOUT aspirin)

•Sinutab Extra Strength, Sinutab Maximum Strength (NOT Sinutab Allergy)

•Sudafed (tablet and liquid form), Sudafed Plus, Sudafed 12 Hour

•Throat lozenges

•Triaminic, Triaminic Cold, Triaminic Nite Lite, Triaminic PM, Triaminic 12 Hour

•Tylenol Sinus

 

Constipation

 The following medications can be taken for constipation relief:

•Colace 50mg (one or two, twice daily)

•Fibercon

•Metamucil

 

Other helpful suggestions:

•Increase water intake to 8-10 eight-ounce glasses daily

•Eat plenty of fresh fruits, green leafy vegetables, and fiber

•Get adequate exercise; walking is a good exercise during pregnancy

 

If constipation persists, call your doctors office for further instructions.

 

Diarrhea

 The following medications can be taken for relief of diarrhea:

•Immodium AD (use no longer than 48 hours and no more than four caplets or 8 teaspoons in a 24-hour period)

•Kaopectate

 You might also try the B.R.A.T. diet (banana, rice, applesauce, tea/toast). If diarrhea persists, call your  doctors office for further instructions.

 

Hemorrhoids

 The following medications can be taken for relief of hemorrhoids:

•Anusol

•Preparation H

•Tucks

 Other helpful suggestions:

•Soak in a warm bath

•Take a sitz bath

 

Aches/Pains

 The following medications can be taken for pain relief:

•Datril

•Exprin (by Giant)

•Panadol

•Tylenol, Extra Strength Tylenol, or generic acetaminophen

 

Heartburn/Indigestion/Upset Stomach

 The following over-the-counter medications can be taken for indigestion, heartburn, and upset stomach:

•Gaviscon

•Maalox

•Mylanta, Mylanta II

•Riopan

•Rolaids

•Tums

 

The following prescription medications may be used only on the advice of your physician:

•Pepcid

•Tagament

•Zantac

 

Nausea/Morning Sickness

 The following medications can be taken for relief of nausea:

•Vitamin B6 (50mg twice daily)

 

•Emetrol (don’t use if diabetic)

 

 Other helpful suggestions:

 

•Ginger Root (2 tablets, 2-4 times a day)

 

•Small frequent meals

 

•8-10 eight-ounce glasses of water a day

 

Rashes

The following medications can be used for relief of rashes.

• Benadryl cream

 

• Caladryl lotion or cream

 

• Hydrocortisone cream or ointment

 

• Oatmeal bath (Aveeno)

 

sources:

 

http://www.aboutwomenobgyn.com/page/medications_pregnancy
http://women.webmd.com/pharmacist-11/pregnancy-medicine

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SO Saturdays!

 

            Welcome to Another Significant Other Saturday!

 
This week I want to share the ways to keep your relationship hot!

•  Get out of the house and do something daring together!

Find something you normally wouldn't do. Something daring and full of excitement.When you get your adrenaline going with your SO, you automatically feel more passion towards each other.

• Get fixed up for your next date!

Just because your comfortable with your SO doesn't mean you should dress in jeans and a hoodie on every date! Try dressing up, put some make up on, jewelry and perfume! Your man will see you are smoking hot and want to show you off! Men, ladies like a man with style and CLEAN nails, I recommend a manicure before your next date!

 

•  Plan the date in advance

Everyone hates trying to decide what to do 10 minutes before heading out. Plan your next date night at least 24-48 hours in advanced so you know what to expect and wear.

 

•  Be open to new ideas

Try something new! Go to a sporting event, go wine tasting, go bungee jumping or anything you don't normally do.

 

• Share something silly your SO doesn't know.

Even if you have been together for 10 years and think you know every possible thing there's always something you can find. It can be a silly memory as a child, embarrassing moment, or something you did yesterday that would make them laugh. Opening up always brings couples closer.

 

• Leave your SO little notes

Leaving love notes or a simply good morning beautiful, enjoy your day really makes for a happy SO. With technology now a days people forget about hand written notes that have more meaning and power. It's something that can be kept longer.

 

• Try new things in the bedroom

New things are fun. Try role playing or simply buying a sexy new pair of underware. Don't limit yourself to just the bedroom either. Remember new relationships where you wanted to do it anywhere, well try it again! The more confidence you have the more fun you will have! Try visiting www.cosmopolitan.com for new techniques!

For more Significant Other questions, advice, tips and more visit Mama's Traumas < Click here and come back next week for more SO Saturdays with Amanda!

10 Great Finger Foods

We all have a hard time making those party favors, well if you are like me you do.  Some have a natural talent, however I have come up with a great list of 10 items that work great for finger food parties.  Impress your friends with a variety. Maybe you don't want finger foods for a party but, just for you and the kids!  It is always fun to make them, and eat them with the kids.


1. Spinach Dip and chips - This is a big hit at most parties, and with the kids.  Shhhh dont tell the kids they are eating spinach.  This is a pretty filling dish, with a bit of a kick.

2. Shrimp, Shrimp, Shrimp - Need I say more.  Shrimp can be created in many different ways, you could have a full finger food party only using shrimp I am sure....  A few ideas for shrimp Skewers, Grilled Shrimp, Fried Shrimp, Coconut Shrimp, Boiled Shrimp, Lemon Pepper Shrimp, Shrimp Cocktail.. Ok Ok... I know I'm starting to sound like Bubba Gump, but you get the idea.  Make a great dip that goes with the shrimp of choice.  This is one of my favorite finger foods.

3. Fruit or Veggie Tray -  Add a variety of veggies and fruits on trays, everyone loves the fresh fruit, and veggies.  There are lots of possibilities to include such as grape or cherry tomatoes, Carrots, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cucumber, Bell Pepper, Celery, Onion, etc.  Some more options include (which seem endless) Pineapple, Grapes, Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Apples, Pears, Oranges, etc.

4. Bean Salad - I love bean salad, and It is so easy to make.  Vinegar, Sugar, beans, onion, and bell pepper are my favorite ingredients.  This must sit over night so it must be made ahead of time.

5. Tortilla rolls -  Take a Torilla add some ham, or turkey (any meat you desire) Cheese, lettuce, maybe a little mayo and roll it up.  Cut it into dividing pieces, and it looks quite pretty.  These are also very yummy.  I like to put a little Italian dressing on them.

6. Salsa - Either open a jar of salsa and put it in a bowl, or make some homemade salsa either way it is usually a big hit at parties.  Some children like it and some don't  but It is a great snack!

7. Sliders -  Either Chicken, Veggie, Burger, or Turkey sliders are always a great idea for a finger food.  Everyone seems to love them.  Having a variety is also a great idea.  Since it is so small everyone has a choice of tasting multiple.

8. Subs - Sub Sandwiches are always a great idea, because not many people dislike them.  Just add meat and cheese to the sub, and let the guests pick their toppings.  I know the sub tray from Subway is an awesome way to go, but making your own is a great option as well.

9. Pizza - Pizza can easily be made into a finger food.  Cut a pizza up into little squares, and you got it finger food.  Pizza is a great idea because when feeding multiple people it is a more filling finger food, which will satisfy hungry guests.  Having light snacks and filling foods as a mixture is always a plus.

10. Wings -  Who doesn't love wings, well I am sure someone doesn't but they are a great party food.  Kids also love them.  Have a variety of flavors with some ranch or blue cheese (ranch is a good option since it can also be used for the veggies).

These are my ideas of this week.  Stay tuned for next week, always a different topic, but always about food on Friday!!!  If you have any questions or want to request a recipe for any of my food posts please write me at our Facebook page Mama's Traumas <<< Just click the link.

Thanks Everyone Hope you Enjoyed and have a fabulous weekend!!!  -Kristen-

This week I want to talk about the marriage and divorce rate in America and what we can do to keep our relationships intact.

Age has a lot to do with how we handle problems in our relationships.

 

It seems men and women who got married from age 20-24 had the highest rate of divorce in America. Why might this be? Well not speaking for everyone in this age group, but this age is usually when people are finding themselves and just discovering what they want in life. Many people change and if your relationship doesn't change to accommodate it you may just be closer to divorce than you think, as unfortunate as it may seem.

 

                                        5 Tips for surviving your marriage!

 

1) Always include your partner in any life altering decisions.

 

Discussing your plans show you are growing together and not on your own. Shows you are building a life with them not without them.

 

2) Never seek out another person to validate and coddle your hurt feeling.

 

As innocent as this may seem, do not do it. If you are having relationship problems the last thing you need is an emotional affair and or everyone knowing every problem in your relationship.

 

3) Always talk to your partner about your feelings

Yes ladies, we do like to talk about our feelings and our men want to run the opposite direction. Yet there are ways to talk without seeming crazy to our partners. Ease into things, try this for example

 "I feel as if we haven't spent as much time together, what about us having a date night next week just you and me."

 

4) Never compare your husband or wife to a relative

If you want to be married and stay married never ever compare a woman to their mother or your mother unless it is to say "wow, honey your peach cobbler is so much better than your/my moms." women and men are competitive and that's ok but no one wants to be less than someone else.

 

5) Always help with the house work

Whether you work outside the home or not, male or female. You live there and you should help. The stay at home partner is not your maid, butler, chef or secretary just because they choose to be at home. You would be doing everything yourself if it was just you, so do your part and NEVER complain about it! 

 

      Here are the statistics I found about marriage and divorce. According to http://www.divorcestatistics.org/



Age at marriage for those who divorce in America  

Age	Women	Men
Under 20 years old	27.6%	11.7%
20 to 24 years old	36.6%	38.8%
25 to 29 years old	16.4%	22.3%
30 to 34 years old	8.5%	11.6%
35 to 39 years old	5.1%	6.5%

Divorce Statistics in America for Marriage  

Marriage	Divorce statistics (in percent)
First Marriage	45% to 50% marriages end in divorce
Second Marriage	60% to 67% marriages end in divorce
Third Marriage	70% to 73% marriages end in divorce

  Children of Divorce Statistics
  According to discovery channel, couples with children have a slightly lower rate of divorce than childless couples. Sociologists also believe that childlessness is also a common cause of divorce. The absence of children leads to loneliness and weariness. In the United States, at least 66 per cent of all divorced couples are childless.

Divorcing Couples	Divorce Rate Statistics (in percent)
Couples With Children	40%
Couples Without Children	66%

 





Please take these things inconsideration and know these are just statistics and are not set in stone. I'll be back next Saturday with more relationship talk! Until then join us on www.facebook.com/mamastraumas

8 Ways to Use Leftovers

We have all been in a situation where we have leftovers, but we do not want to eat the same thing the next day.  I have a few ideas to turn leftovers into a whole new meal.  This is a fantastic way to save some money, and cut cooking time.


1.  Roast beef or Pot Roast-  You can take the meat potatoes and veggies from a roast and turn it into vegetable beef soup.  This is one of my favorite things to do with left over roast.  You dont want that expensive meat to go to waste.

2. Steak and Baked potatoes-  Sometimes we go out to dinner and we bring home lots of leftovers. If you take a little butter or olive oil, chop up the leftover steak and potatoes, and saute them together in a skillet.  It is just a heating process, and it tastes great for breakfast or lunch.  You could also serve the leftover steak over salad, or put it in a stir-fry.

3. Leftover Veggies-  You could do many things with leftover veggies, but one of my favorite things to do is make stir-fry...  In my home we never eat the full package of broccoli  and we all know that goes great in stir-fry.  Add a few more veggies to it, or have a broccoli and teriyaki chicken served over white rice.   

4. Chicken-  The possibilities are almost limitless.. One great idea with leftover chicken is chicken pot pie.  Just cut up the leftover chicken and make the pie.  Cheap and easy meal that the family will love.  We all love comfort foods.

5. BBQ Chicken-  If you make BBQ Chicken one night mane BBQ chicken sandwiches the next.  This goes great on just a regular hamburger bun or french bread, add a few pickles and sauce it up. If you have a chopper or food processor it makes for a great sandwich!

6. Baked Chicken Breasts-  We always bake a large amount of breast meat at a time.  Taking the leftovers to make chicken salad is amazing.  Add a little vinegar, mayo, mustard, salt, pepper, onion, bell peppers, diced pickles, celery and celery salt.  This is the way I love to make my chicken salad.. Usually with baked or grilled chicken breasts.  Each time it comes out different based on the seasoning used on the chicken itself the night before.  Teriyaki and Lemon Pepper Chicken are my two favorites to add to this recipe.

7. Mashed Potatoes-  You could bake them in little pies, or fry them in a pan.  Add a little onion and a little extra milk to loosen them up again.  Kids love these!!!

8. White rice-  If you have quite a bit of rice left over from the night before, cold rice is the best thing to use for fried rice, and it taste completely different.  Put some butter in a Wok or Frying pan, scramble two eggs, add rice and some veggies (onion, peas, carrots your choice), add soy sauce, onion powder, and a little garlic powder, salt and pepper, and it makes a great cheap fried rice.  I even make it without the veggies if I don't have them on hand.  Just make sure you don't overdo the soy sauce it will be very salty.

Technology Tuesday Tips

Everyone knows that in this day and age technology is a big role in our lives. So why not use technology to your advantage and make you life a little easier.

 

Here are Amanda's Technology Tips for the busy mama!

 

 

 

• Are you going to a new doctor for the first time?

 Many doctor offices now have websites. Go on to your doctors website and print out their new patient forms and fill out before you have your visit. This is so much easier than trying to contain a toddler and filling out paperwork with out scribbles all over the page. Some website's even offer the paperless route with Patient Portal. Just Create an account and fill out all the information they need before ever stepping into their office!

 

• Did you forget to write down in your check book the last thing you spent and now you can't find your recite?

No worries, most banks now have applications for your smartphone! With the banking app you can check your available balance, view recent transactions and transfer funds. This makes life a little less stressful knowing you have a back up incase you lose that recite!

 

• Do you run around to store after store pricing the same item?

Run around no more, there's an app for that! RedLaser has many features as I have displayed below. You can download the app for free. It's available for Iphone, Android and Windows Phones. http://redlaser.com/ 

Buy it!

Easy to buy! Buy directly from your phone, and our partner retailers can have your items waiting for you at a nearby store.

Find local prices

RedLaser knows what’s nearby. When you scan with us, we’ll share prices from stores right down the road.

Avoid allergens

RedLaser can help identify allergens! Scan a food with RedLaser, and we’ll let you know about many allergens.

Price Comparison

RedLaser can save you money! Scan a barcode (or search by voice or image), and then compare prices between thousands of online and offline retailers.

 

• Are you making trips to the grocery storing and realizing you forgot your list at home?

 

Don't fret there are many free apps for your phone that can make grocery list and you can check the items off as you shop. I personally use MobisleNotes and absolutely love it! Go to https://mobislenotes.com/ and download the app for free. Create an account and you can add to your notes from anywhere! Does the husband keep asking for a million things while you're at the store? He can simply log into the MobisleNotes account and add to the list and you have it instantly!

 

 

Next week I'll have more of my Technology must haves to make life simpler. In the meantime check us out on Facebook. www.facebok.com/mamastraumas