There are soooo many exciting things happening at Real Savvy Moms these days! We've been hard at work producing a series of super informative WebCasts just for you. We're giving you access to some of the country's top docs who'll be sharing the latest information on pregnancy and parenting topics. To top it off, all of our WebCasts are free! On Aug. 26th we've got "5 Powerhouse Nutrients for Pregnancy" featuring Dr. Ashley Roman, an ob/gyn and maternal fetal specialist from New York University. Then, on Sept. 7 we'll have nutritionist Christina Meyer-Jax here to talk about "Back-to-School Nutrition: What's Been Missing?" Click here to register:

http://www.realsavvymoms.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=955

We've also just started production for the fifth season of our award-winning parenting series on PBS, "Real Moms, Real Stories, Real Savvy." We've been so honored to feature the stories of some of the most inspiring moms you'd ever want to meet, and to hear from the country's top experts on everything from disabled moms, vaccines, post-baby fitness, nutrition, pregnancy and delivery and breastfeeding. And now we've got an amazing lineup of celebrity moms guest hosting for the new season, including Olympic medalist figure skater Nancy Kerrigan, CNN Anchor Heidi Collins, Actress and Comedian Lisa Ann Walter, and NY Boutique Owner Evin Cosby (daughter of Bill Cosby).

Stay tuned!

Maureen Connolly
Editor, Real Savvy Moms.com

Study Warns About Danger of Exposing Children to the "Background Noise" of Television
By Dana Sullivan

Your instincts probably tell you that putting your infant or toddler in front of the television isn’t a good idea. You might not have realized, however, that just having the TV on -- even when you think your little one isn’t paying attention to the evening news or the baseball game -- isn’t healthy either. But that’s the conclusion of a new study, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

The study, published in the July/Agust issue of the journal Child Development, found that television disrupts young children while they play, even if the TV is tuned to “adult” shows. Researchers worry that the distraction might affect children’s early cognitive development. The study involved 50 children, ages one to three years, who came with a parent to a lab at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. At the lab, the children were invited to play for an hour with age-appropriate toys. For 30 minutes, a television showing the game show Jeopardy! was on. For the other half-hour, the TV was off. Researchers wondered whether the children would be distracted by the television. Indeed, they found that the television distracted the play of the children at every age. When the television was on, the children played for significantly shorter periods of time than and weren’t as focused on their play as they were when the television was off. “Background TV, as an ever-changing audiovisual distractor, disrupts children’s efforts to sustain attention to ongoing play behaviors,” says Marie Evans Schmidt, who is now a research associate at the Center on Media and Child Health at Children’s Hospital Boston, and is the lead author on the study. “It is a chronic environmental risk factor affecting most American children,” she says.

Even though pediatricians routinely recommend that parents not allow children who are younger than two years old to watch television, it’s not always advice that is heeded: The NSF says that three quarters of very young children live in homes where the television is on “most of the time.” The bottom line: parents and caregivers should avoid exposing infants and toddlers to television even if the adults think their kids are not paying attention to it.

Notes From The Motherground: A Reality Check In The Produce Aisle...Or, I Really Do Love My Kids

Hiya Moms –

I’d like to take this moment to formally apologize to my sons Asher and Zane for their not-so-flattering introduction in my previous blog. I believe I described Asher as a classic middle child and attributed Zane’s continued membership in our family to fetching features.

That wasn’t the original wording, but I had mere minutes to make revisions. Let’s just say I don’t do my best thinking with a toddler hanging from the bathroom sink sucking on an open tube of toothpaste.

However, Zane really is damn cute. His head of flaming red curls and goofy buck-toothed grin draw comments from total strangers on a daily basis. So it was no surprise the other day in Shop Rite when an older woman marveled at his beauty and had the gall to insist I stop and look at a picture of her son, who also had red hair.

Right in front of the bananas, she pulled out a photo of a grown man and said staring at the picture that he had died a few months earlier. My annoyance disappeared on the spot. Her voice cracked as she whispered how hard it was. She said what everyone says, “Enjoy it. It goes by so fast. So fast.” I promised I would and continued my shopping, on the verge of tears at every new aisle.

As the cashier was scanning the groceries, a voice on the intercom casually announced “Code Adam” and my heart stopped. No one batted an eyelash, but I grew up in Miami when Adam Walsh disappeared from a Hollywood, FL mall. I was only a few years older. I remember his name, that adorable Little League photo, and the abject terror that I, too, could be snatched and never seen again.

Now, I fear in triplicate. We say don’t talk to strangers, but that is such a nebulous concept. We introduce our children to co-workers and old friends, berating them later for not looking that Stranger in the eye and saying “hello!” with a smile.

No one said parenting would be easy, but come on! We’ve got to raise our children with enough confidence to navigate foreign cities, but not run into the street. To embrace the Internet as the powerful research tool that it is, but not attract perverts on Facebook. What were we thinking obsessing over the perfect crib and bumper set?

The grocery store doors were never locked, so I suppose the child was found immediately. (Either that, or don’t lose your kid in Shop Rite!) I loaded bags of food into the car with wet eyes and renewed conviction. I will take ingratitude, tantrums, bites, even doody-decorated walls. I will take it all, 24 hours a day for years on end. And though I may gripe (I am only human), I will never forget to cherish it.

Welcome to Real Savvy Moms' Newest Expert: Denise Spatafora, Childbirth Educator and Coach


Real Savvy Moms is thrilled to add childbirth educator and life coach Denise Spatafora to our panel of experts. Denise is a renowned motivational speaker who has developed a unique childbirth preparation course -- called BornClear – which she says is a philosophy based on the mind-body connection that some of the more traditional programs don't address. (Her next workshop is at the Chopra Center in New York City on Sept. 27. For registration info, call 917-279-0742 or go to www.bornclear.com).

We sat down with Denise recently and chatted about her work and being a mom:

Q: What does BornClear offer that women don’t learn from the other programs such as Lamaze and Bradley?
A: Women learn to really understand the mind-body connection, and to be responsible for how their thoughts and their energy connect to their baby. Your thoughts definitely do affect your body, and BornClear teaches the physiology of labor so that you can learn to work with your body instead of against what is going to happen naturally. BornClear also encourages women to take some time to educate themselves about their options, in terms of pain medications and even birthing locations, so they can decide what would work best for them, and make them feel safe.

Q: How do you help women prepare physically and mentally for childbirth?
A: I teach them how to relax and go inward and feel the signals of their body—it’s a priceless gift. Anything you can do to nurture and connect you with you and with your baby will help prepare you for the big event. Besides a childbirth education class, I recommend prenatal yoga, relaxation techniques, and any practice that helps quiet the mind and allow endorphins to be released into the body.

Q: What are some of the things that women have told you about their experiences with BornClear?
A: The one universal thing I hear is that they learn to let go. Some women are ‘control freaks’ and they get upset every time things don’t go their way. This course helps you look at yourself and see if there are some areas in your life that you need to surrender.

Q: How do you deal with the fact that sometimes even after a ‘normal’ pregnancy women have c-sections? Might your philosophy make them feel like they have failed, or done something wrong along the way?
A: There is not one right way to have a baby! And one key to my philosophy is surrendering. Women learn to stay very relaxed during labor, and they also learn that sometimes you can be totally committed to one type of birth but it might not work out that way. I have had women who planned for a totally natural birth and ended up having c-sections, but in the end realized it had to go that way. One woman told me that she learned all of her life lessons when she had to have a c-section.

Denise Spatafora will answer reader questions about labor and delivery each week. Please email her with questions: denisespatafora@realsavvymoms.com.

Corporate Makeovers
By Real Savvy Moms' Celebrity Makeup and Hair Stylist Rita Ragone

I hope you have found my articles useful so far! In this, my third installment of Corporate Makeovers, we will conquer the proper use of makeup. This is a very important topic, as we are bombarded by pictures of vampy runway models with black eyeliner out-to-there; long false lashes, sparkly eyeshadows and very strong lips. The trick here is to not wear it all together. As we know, the first impression is the most important and reflection of who we are, you really need to put your best face forward and do it in a classy way, while integrating some of the newest colors into your makeup wardrobe.

The first general rules are—be subtle with the amount of makeup you use, be polished-looking, and have a fresh faced glow. That always gives a youthful impression no matter what your age.

The way to achieve this look is to use a concealer to hide any under eye dark circles and discolorations. Use this sparingly so as not to look “cakey”. Improper use can make you look older, not younger, so apply with a nylon brush and blend with a sponge.

Next, apply a powder foundation that matches your skintone. The reason for this is that if you get nervous or the weather is warm, you are less likely to show a great deal of shine with a powder foundation than you are with a crème or liquid. It also makes touch-ups easier. Powder foundations lay on top of the skin, instead of absorbing into your pores. Some great choices are any of the mineral makeup lines, Neutrogena powder foundation, and Maybelline, to name a few.

Make sure your brows are groomed, as they frame your face. Next, apply two coats of mascara, a light smudge of liner on the upper lash line, a glow of blush on the apples of your cheeks, and either nude or lip-matching gloss, or a lipstick that compliments your skintone. Good choices are red-browns, plums, pink-browns. They look professional enough without going overboard. And please forego the use of anything too sparkly whether it’s shadow, blush or gloss. Save those for after work or on the weekends.

'Til next time!

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