From our very first e-mail -- back when I was just starting out and she was very much established already -- Asha Dornfest of Parent Hacks has always amazed me with her warmth and openness. Asha is funny and smart and clever and I just adore her; I only regret that neither of our scheduled in real life event meet ups this year have worked out. The good news is that Asha is so effective at translating her warmth and smarts online, which is what makes Parent Hacks so great (and gives me my Asha fix in absentia). I’m thrilled that today, for the eighth installment of my Simplifying the Holidays guest blog series, Asha shares her favorite holiday hacks; a useful mantra plus tips for maintaining your merry and bright this holiday season.

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From Asha:

I'll put this out there right up front: I'm perplexed by "holiday stress." Stress? Because of a holiday? Now I'm not 100% Pollyanna; I get that this time of year is fraught with family politics and time/money pressures, but I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about the stress caused by too many party invitations, or sub-par decorations, or last-minute shopping, or getting just the right tree, or cooking just the right food, or wearing just the right outfit. Are these things really worthy of your stress?

I submit to you my number one holiday hack: Be kind to yourself. You and your family deserve this time to rejoice. You have worked hard all year -- in your jobs, in your homes, raising your kids -- and you deserve a break. Go only to those parties filled with the people you want to see, and politely decline the rest. Keep the decor and the food simple, and let the company make it special. Do those things -- and only those things -- that make the holidays happy for you and your family. Then sit back and relax with some egg nog.

And now for some of my favorite holiday hacks, all submitted by the very smart readers of Parent Hacks:

How to buy gifts for young kids when they're always with you at the store.

How to organize a holiday gift for your kid's teacher.

Simplify shopping with kids by taking pictures for the "wish list."

Number the gifts under the tree to keep the kids guessing which ones are theirs.

On Christmas Eve, let Santa take away the old toys, too.

How to involve your kids in Christmas tree cleanup.

Skip time-consuming return lines; donate unwanted gifts instead.

Have a wonderful holiday. You've earned it!

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Asha Dornfest is the founder and editor of Parent Hacks, a site that has been described as "McGyver meets parenting." She's also one of the moms of Momversation -- the twice-weekly video show that brings together outspoken mom bloggers to talk about what matters most to them. You can follow Asha on Twitter at @parenthacks.

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Image credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

A few weeks ago I experienced a rather unusual night of party hopping that included seeing John Ondrasik (aka. Five for Fighting) live at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston. In addition to being utterly moved by the musical experience itself, I also was touched by John’s clear love for his family (exemplified when he explained the inspiration for various songs). Thanks to the lovely Barbara Jones, I met John after the show, at which time he kindly offered to pen a guest blog post on Boston Mamas. In particular, I was curious about John’s best strategies for staying connected with his family while on the road; an issue I discuss with many parents who travel for work. Read on for John's advice on this topic:

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From John Ondrasik:

I have the two best jobs in the world. Around 8pm every night I realize my childhood dream as a touring singer/songwriter. The gig takes me to venues across the country and allows me to share a common experience with old fans and new. When it works, there's nothing better. Well, there's one thing better, and that's my other job...Daddy.

As a father to a nine-year-old son and eight-year-old daughter, I'm smack in the parental golden age and I know it! And here's the rub: with two amazing, inquisitive, competitive, and (mostly) innocent no longer babies, it's rough being on the road, again.

Many families face this reality, especially our troops, who are away from home for months on end. We mom’s and dad’s learn to treasure every car pool wait line, soccer net take down, and late night burger run. I was asked if I have any tips for my fellow parental road warriors. Here are a few:

1. Believe the Skype! Video conferencing is as crucial to the traveling parent as the babysitter is to the work-at-homer. Being able to see as well as talk to Daddy is huge for my kids’ psyches. I try to call around the same time each night and spend both group and one-on-one time. My daughter enjoys a tour of my hotel room and my son digs the up close eyeball-in-the-camera gag. Skype also is free once you have an Internet connection, so set up the monopoly board and buy some houses!

2. Pen Pals. Exchange the written word! I get more insight into my children’s lives through their letters than any conversation. It’s cathartic for both sides and sneaky bonus writing practice. E-mails are fine but throw in some handwritten letters as well. They can be re-read when needed, and age better than your favorite Amarone.

3. Stay Engaged. When I’m out for weeks at a time I have my wife send me the kids’ homework and art projects. With technology I can get same day video files of the kids’ games and recitals. Though it’s not the same as being there it brings me closer to home and helps them focus on times tables and piano practice.

4. Bring ‘Em! On short trips sometimes I’ll bring one of my kids, even pulling them out of school if it’s just a day jaunt. Not only do they get a sense of Daddy’s job and see a bit of the world, it’s an adventure and treasured alone time. (And make sure Mommy gets her turn too!)

Whatever the tech or the trick, there’s no perfect answer for road dogs with puppies. We’re like anyone else and just miss our kids! For me, I don’t tour as much these days. I’m lucky to have that choice, because these golden ages are only gold, once.

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John Ondrasik is the singer/songwriter behind the multi-platinum Five for Fighting. His new album Slice is good for kids of all ages.

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I am grateful to Barbara Jones for coordinating this guest blog and to friend and fellow concert attendee Jodi Grundig for providing the photo of me and John.

I adore Melissa Massello, not only because she’s super creative and fun (plus, we share bonds over figure skating, fashion, shredding, and all things writerly), but because I’ve seen her jump from traditional employment to fulfilling her dream of launching the online magazine Shoestring Magazine, which focuses on tips for achieving the good life for less. As the first in my Simplifying the Holidays guest blog series, today Melissa shares a strategy for prioritizing and planning holiday gifting that can result in major bargains, meaningful finds, and less stress.

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From Melisssa:

As much as it pains me to see the displays on store shelves, the white snowflakes printed on red Starbucks cups, and the wintry wonderland of Overstock.com TV commercials in late October/early November, the truth is, I've always done my holiday shopping before Thanksgiving. The hard part is keeping my finds a secret until December.

Why? Well, for a bunch of reasons, some of which might only make sense to me, but they save me time, money, and most of all, stress -- that is, when I can contain my enthusiasm for my finds. Here’s how I go about my shopping:

The Bucket List

Whether due to being sentimental or simply caught up in the spirit of the season, I tend to completely overdo it this time of year. That is, unless I make a concerted effort to distance myself, setting realistic expectations about events and making an objective, uber-organized list for gift-giving -- which I review at least three or four times over a period of weeks. I use a practice my dad calls Rocks in a Jar:

Put the Rocks (family members) in first, the Pebbles (friends, close colleagues, extended family) in second, and the Sand in last (co-workers, obligatory nice gestures). If you take the hour or two to do this, you'll absolutely have room for everything -- both financially and emotionally -- no matter your budget or busy schedule. Assign realistic dollar values for each of the three buckets and then make each of those dollars count.

A wise editor friend in NYC once told me to actually take out the cash for my entire holiday shopping budget, then stash a few notes for each present in separate, labeled envelopes, then spend no more than that amount – for example, one envelope marked Mom with $50, one for Husband with $100, etc. This tactic works incredibly well for mall shopping, but for online shopping or a combination of resources, my secret weapon is a $1 iPhone app called Better Christmas List. A good, old-fashioned list (in whatever form lists work best for you) will do, too.

If you start early enough, you can focus on finding one or two "perfect" presents each week until the holidays, as well as hunt down the best deals and best value products through a combination of sales, customer reviews, and retail coupons. It all feels a lot less overwhelming mentally, and a much smaller burden on the weekly paycheck, to break it up over time. You might even find, as I do, that you ENJOY it and get to share in the magic of the season, not just the materialism of it. You might even find you have time to bake cookies and pet treats from scratch, the byproduct of being organized that I found most memorable last year -- and which make great, cost-effective gifts for the people on your list in any Bucket.

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Melissa Massello is co-founder and Stealfinder-in-Chief at Shoestring Magazine, where she brings bargainista tips with new media tricks to the masses online. You can follow Shoestring on Twitter at @shoestring or fan Shoestring on Facebook.

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Image credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Today, Paige shares a review of locally based IdeaPaint, a brilliant solution for inspiring creativity in the vertical direction, whether at home, work, or school. Read on for Paige’s review, as well as to learn how to win an IdeaPaint kit (entry closes November 19):

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From Paige:

“This summer, in a classic public radio “driveway moment,” I found myself totally engrossed in an interview with children’s author and cartoonist Mo Willems. The crux of the interview was that although we all start out as artists, somewhere along the way, we (grown-ups) lose interest in drawing and doodling because we decide we’re not any good at it (sing it, Mo…that’s me). Mo went on to say that many kids stop drawing, or just never pick it up to begin with, because they don’t see Mom and Dad draw. One solution? The Willems family painted their dining room walls with chalkboard paint, inspiring “group draws” with family and friends.

Brilliant! Off I went to the hardware store, returning home with a big can of chalkboard paint and the drive of a mother not wanting her kids to grow up creatively-challenged.

And then I thought about what this chalkboard paint scenario really meant -- chalk, dust, and worst of all, nails down a chalkboard. Needless to say, the chalkboard paint is still sitting in my hall cabinet.

So when I received the opportunity to test IdeaPaint, the brilliant invention of three Babson undergrads, I was thrilled. With this dry-erase paint, I could turn a kitchen wall into a space for raw creativity, minus the bone-chilling squeak.

According the directions, it looked like application would be a cinch (not for nothin’, IdeaPaint’s packaging is totally clever and fun to read). Two coats of primer, a pour of this into that, mix, and apply within an hour. Easy peasy. (Note: as a devotee of latex paint, I wasn’t prepared for the overwhelming stink-fest that ensued, but within four hours or so, the smell had pretty much disappeared.)

After applying, we had to wait for seven days for the paint to cure (no small task for my five-year-old who couldn’t wait to draw on the wall). And then, on day eight, we had at it. With dry-erase markers we had on hand, we started drawing (him) and writing to-dos (me) and generally reveling in the experience of writing all over our kitchen wall (it felt so naughty!). However, a swipe of the eraser to start again, and…whoops…what’s this? Ghosting. Everywhere. Everything we had just written and drawn was still there -- at about a 10% shade of its former self, but still there. Hoping it was a fluke, and that the paint just didn’t like my old markers (even though we use them with no problem on our two other whiteboards), I bought a new set and tried again. This time, it was perfect…the markers erased with no ghosting, and I was able to get rid of the other ghosting with some dry-erase board cleaner.

The paint is pricey ($99 to cover 25 square feet and $175 to cover 50 square feet), but worth it. We’re going to be painting our kids’ rooms in the next couple of months, and I’m considering using IdeaPaint on a wall or two in these rooms as well. ‘Cause no kid of mine is going to grow up creatively-challenged.”

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THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED
Congrats to winner Judy!
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Now, want to win an IdeaPaint kit? Here’s how:

Visit the IdeaPaint shop, then email contests@bostonmamas.com (with ‘IdeaPaint’ in the subject), and name a cool IdeaPaint color you’d love to apply to your walls.

One entry permitted per person; US residents welcome to enter.

Entry period closes at midnight EST, Thursday, November 19, 2009.

*One lucky winner (drawn using Random.org) will receive a 25 square-foot kit of IdeaPaint (value: $99).

Last week I attended a media event hosted by Stop & Shop and similar to last year, where I came away with lovely ideas for easy and green holiday décor, I left with some good ideas related to holiday gifting and decor. Specifically, I was reminded of the beauty and ease of prettily packaged food gifts and was introduced to a couple of floral tricks that no doubt will come in handy when I host Thanksgiving later this month.
Food Gifts:

Given my minimalist mantra, I refuse to give random stuff during the holidays; instead opting for the usable and edible, such as lovely handmade soaps, yummy food, etc. In the past I have made layered cookie and muffin mixes in glass jars with ribbon and paper labels, and Stop & Shop reminded me of this idea (with a chocolate chip cookie jar recipe) and also planted the seed to take the idea to a savory level (with a country soup jar recipe). I didn’t assemble a soup jar, but I did assemble and take home a cookie jar (which, by the way, is blissfully easy even if you don’t consider yourself crafty) and Laurel and I ended up using it this week in the midst of a bad mojo emergency. Though I love baking from scratch with Laurel (she adores all of the steps of measuring and adding ingredients), I must say that given our moods, it was pretty excellent to have a fast project with quick rewards. Simply dump the dry ingredients in a bowl, add a few wet ingredients, and bake; the end result is delicious.

Floral Tricks:

Regretfully, I didn’t manage to snap pictures of the flower arrangement I created, but I came away with two terrific takeaway tips that will make a basic arrangement (mine was of mums, gerbers, and alstromeria) look super special. First, add an unusual adornment, such as a few stems of wheat or cattail (procure from floral department or craft store). Second, add fresh cranberries to the water for an awesome visual and to keep the stems in place while you arrange the flowers. Even my mom complimented my arrangement (and she's actually taken flower arranging courses).

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On a total aside, this event took place at Upstairs on the Square, where a truly spectacular caramel apple bread pudding with cinnamon ice cream dessert was served. If anyone has the capability to procure this recipe – or one like it – for me, I will forever be indebted to you.

Last month I guest posted about baby activities in Boston for the lovely ladies behind Rookie Moms. And today I’m thrilled to share some clever craft ideas from Rookie Moms co-founder Whitney Moss. Whitney offers three easy ideas to help you reinvent stained, outgrown, or simply worn out t-shirts. These solutions are perfect for breathing new life into old faves. Make it work.

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1. Make a Quick Newborn Hat

This is a great, fast project, well suited to novice sewers. Select a soft solid or striped t-shirt. Fold shirt in half length-wise. Outline then cut out half of a bunny head shape along the fold, using the bottom hem of the shirt as the hem of your hat. Pin the right sides of the two pieces together and sew along the outline (except for the hat opening). Turn inside out and tie the “ears” together in a top knot. See step by step with photos here.

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2. Stretch the Life of a Favorite Toddler T-Shirt Motif

A well-loved kid’s t-shirt doesn’t last forever, but if your child can’t bear to part with the shirt’s motif – whether it’s a Star Wars logo or a quirky kitty cat -- perform a transplant surgery and preserve the design on a larger shirt. Simply cut out the desired image from the outgrown t-shirt, cut a matching sized piece of fusible webbing, iron your image to the fusible webbing and let it cool, then peel off the paper backing of the fusible webbing and iron the image to your t-shirt. See step by step with photos here.

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3. Embellish Shirt with Shapes and Colors

Felt, contrasting thread, and buttons can transform a plain (or stained) shirt into a charming, personalized shirt. You don’t have to do anything intricate; simply cut desired shapes and sew on with contrasting embroidery thread to create a purposely handmade aesthetic with visible stitching. Try three circles of different colors, each with a button in the center (use a sippy cup held upside down to trace the circle shapes). For a preschooler, the child’s first initial or age is always a hit. When laundering, turn the garment inside out to reduce pilling of the felt.

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For more fun ideas from the Rookie Moms, check out their book, The Rookie Mom's Handbook. And you can read about why I loved this book here.

If you're like us, you're overrun with Halloween candy. I subsequently was thrilled to read Fairly Odd Mother's post about ways to put the candy to good use; namely, by donating the loot to troops overseas. Check out the leads Christina culled, as well as those by Cool Mom Picks. And if you're looking for local drop offs, bring your Halloween candy to Magic Beans (all 3 locations) through November 10 and trade it for 25% off a toy, or to Wellesley Dental Group where they'll buy back paper lunch bags full of candy for $1 then donate the candy to the troops (through November 13).
Laurel is totally on board with this plan and already has set aside candy for donation and made a card (pictured below) to include. I also offered to the other families in Laurel's kindergarten class to coordinate a shipment from the class, such that I'll be collecting candy and cards from families this week and will ship it all out over the weekend.

Image credits: 1 (Wellesley Dental Group); 2 (Christine Koh)

Today, April shares her two favorite plastic bag alternatives: snackTAXIs and Lunch Skins. Read on for more information about these fabulously stylish and eco-friendly lunch and snack packing solutions, as well as to learn how to win a trio of snackTAXI and Lunch Skins products (entry closes at midnight, October 21):

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From April:

“Before I had my daughter, I didn't use many Ziploc bags. I had always been conscious of the plastic waste before parenthood. But the pacifiers that must be kept clean, the tidbits and snacks for every trip out of the house, and the sandwiches and munchies that can overrun the life of a family with a child are staggering. I simply had no clue that we would contribute such a hefty amount to the 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags discarded globally every year. I cringe thinking about it. I had always been so careful before, but when I had my daughter I didn't feel I had options that let me curtail our usage while still doing what we needed to get out of the house.

When I came out of the fog after her first year, my more alert self was beyond a little horrified and we did some quick changing to more reusable containers. Thinking ahead a few years, we'll be staring daily school lunches in the face and after-school snacks on the go. Even now, our every outing requires a bag of snacks. That would be a lot of plastic if we didn't have an alternate plan. Thankfully it was easy to reign it in right away, especially since there are the wonderful reusable bag products by snackTAXI and Lunch Skins. Reusable containers are nice, but sometimes you need a bag -- something that folds flat and takes up no room when empty, something that fits the space you have available. And, as I found out, sometimes you need several kinds and sizes.

I still use plastic bags on occasion, but not without thinking if a snackTAXI, Lunch Skin, or reusable container would work better. It's really cut back on our use of disposable bags. It may not feel like a dent in the 500 billion, but at least we're contributing to the problem less than we were, and that makes a difference. As it is, we have several of each brand, so we usually have the right combo for what we need. I save the plastic bags for when I need their benefits the most—like transporting spill-y, gooey shampoo in my luggage. The rest of the time I go for the reusable as often as possible. Even if it's not 100 percent, it's an easy improvement on a huge global problem.

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Here are our two go-to reusable bag brands:

snackTAXI

This hand sewn bag (made in nearby Plainfield, MA) has a vertical Velcro closure, so you can fasten it tighter or looser, depending on the contents. I like it for all kinds of things, but especially for Cheerios and Rice Krispies and other little foods, since I can fasten it tighter and there's no gap for the contents to rain all over the inside of my bag. The outside of the bag is 100% cotton and the inside has a polyurethane coated nylon that is free from heavy metals and pthalates and other bad things. They have plenty of different designs, so each person can pick their own lunch or snack bag for the day.

Snack Taxis come in 6" x 4.5" (snack-sacks) and 7.5 "x 6" (sandwich-sacks).

Lunch Skins

This stylized bag is made from a printed white fabric that feels like smooth sail cloth. The white makes it easy to see if it's really clean or not. It has a horizontal Velcro closure. You can't change how loose or tight it is, but it's a very sturdy hold with a structured shape. It's not so great for tiny items (the aforementioned Rice Krispies that are a favorite for my daughter) that might want to sneak out of the fold-over top, but most food stays put. It's ideal for sandwiches because it fits them so well, a bit better than the snackTAXI. It's a snug but easy fit, so the sandwich is held together by the shape of the bag. No more sliding ham and cheese, or half-opened PB&J.

Best of all from Lunch Skins is their new snack size bag. It's the same size as the plastic Ziploc snack bags—a size we use often for quick trips and little munchies. This bag alone makes a major play in our lives. When you have 2 cheese sticks and a handful of crackers, you don't want to have to use a big bag. Or perhaps two chocolate chip cookies? They don't look so lonely in this small bag. These smaller bags are the perfect complement to their larger size.

Lunch Skins come in two sizes: 6.5" x 6", 6.5" x 3.5"

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A couple of final comments:

First, regarding food quality, one thing that I have always hated about plastic bags is the general smoosh factor. You can have a gorgeous sandwich and in a plastic bag it's completely unprotected from its surroundings. The only thing it does is protect the surrounding from the inevitable mess. Both the snackTAXIs and Lunch Skins are slightly thicker and add a bit of armor to the food, without adding bulk or weight. The food is more intact. The cookies are less crumbled. And the sandwich? Well, it's far less demolished and dense, and therefore far tastier.

Second, the question I get the most from other parents and babysitters is how to clean them. It's the same for both: EASY. Reusable is nice as long as it doesn't get disgusting, right? Most of the time, a rinse out at the sink with warm water will be all they need. Every now and then, they need s little scrub to get a spot of melted chocolate off. When it's really bad, like after a fully loaded PB&J has stuck to the edges a bit or chocolate chips have melted from a cookie all over it, I just rinse it once or twice and put it on the top shelf of the dishwasher, opened over the spokes like a glass. Easy breezy. I do it without even thinking about it.”

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THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED
Congrats to winner Amy!
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Now, want to win a trio of snackTAXI and Lunch Skins products? Here's how:

Rules:

Leave a comment below about this giveaway to enter to win. Be sure to include your name and email in the appropriate fields so we can contact you if you win (including just first name or first name + last initial is OK).

One comment permitted per person; US entrants welcome.

Anonymous or SPAM-like comments will be discarded.

Entry period closes at midnight EST, Wednesday, October 21, 2009.

*One lucky winner (drawn using Random.org) will receive one snackTAXI sandwich-sack + snack-sack, and one Lunch Skins snack sized sack (set gender neutral patterns; $24 value).

Per my role as a March of Dimes mom (through which I will donate one post per month to pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, newborn, or general family topics), this month I wanted to share some tips on safeguarding your home; these tips are important to consider before bringing a baby home and while you have small children in the house. I extracted and adapted these ten tips from a home safety checklist guide prepared by the March of Dimes with the assistance of Dr. Ruth Etzel (Director, Division of Epidemiology and Risk Assessment, Food Safety and Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and editor of the Handbook of Pediatric Environmental Health).
1. Stop smoking.

Children’s homes should be smoke-free -- both before and after birth. Smoking during pregnancy can cause premature birth, low birth weight (less than 5-1/2 pounds), poor growth in the womb, and subtle learning and behavioral problems -- as well as health problems -- in children. It also increases your risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, placental problems, and having a baby who dies of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Even if you don't smoke yourself, regular exposure to second-hand smoke during your pregnancy puts you at greater risk of these serious complications.

2. Check for lead paint.

The older your home, the more likely it is to contain lead-based paint, which poses special health risks for pregnant women and children (e.g., miscarriage, preterm labor, or having a baby with developmental delays). Newer homes are less likely to contain lead paint, which has been almost eliminated since 1977. The greatest risk lies in homes built before 1950; they are most likely to have deteriorating surfaces covered with paint containing high levels of lead. When paint peels, chips, or is released into the air as dust (when opening or closing windows, for example), lead can be inhaled or ingested if a baby puts paint chips or dusty fingers into its mouth.

3. Consider renovations carefully.

If you're pregnant and live in a pre-1950 home, you probably don't need to be overly concerned about lead exposure if all painted surfaces are in good shape. But if you are planning any renovations, this could expose you, your baby, and any young children in your home to high levels of lead. Before renovating, test the paint for lead (your local health department can recommend experts). If lead is found, stay elsewhere while professionals handle lead paint removal.

4. Check for water damage.

Water damage from flooding, roof, or plumbing leaks can lead to the growth of molds. Some molds are very dangerous to newborns, so it’s very important to take care of water damaged areas before your baby comes home. Mold spores can get into the air and cause health problems when inhaled. One of the deadliest types of mold (Stachybotrys atra) looks black and slimy and grows mainly on water-damaged wood, ceiling tiles, carpets, and paper products. Indoor exposure to this mold has been linked to lung bleeding and sudden death among young infants. Older children may suffer allergy symptoms including nasal stuffiness, sneezing, coughing and eye irritation.

5. Check appliances.

Most homes have fuel-burning appliances, such as gas stoves, gas water heaters, gas-powered clothes dryers, wood-burning stoves, space heaters, and gas or oil furnaces. If these are not correctly installed and maintained, they can emit carbon monoxide (CO) during use. CO is a colorless, odorless gas that accounts for hundreds of poisoning deaths each year in the United States. Pregnant women, their unborn babies, and children are most vulnerable to its life-threatening effects. Be sure to get all fuel-burning appliances, chimneys, and furnaces checked by a professional once a year or as recommended by the manufacturer. And install a CO detector outside your sleeping area.

6. Check your basement.

In certain areas of the U.S., Americans are exposed to radon, another colorless, odorless gas. It comes from the decay of radium in rocks and soil and enters the home through cracks in the foundations, porous cinderblocks, and granite walls, so exposures are generally higher in basements than on the first floor. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that all homes be tested for radon. You can buy an inexpensive kit that measures the amount of radon in the air in your home. If the radon level is found to be higher than 4 picocuries per liter (4 pCi/L), make repairs where necessary, including sealing cracks in the foundation. You also can reduce radon exposure with good ventilation.

7. Check your well water.

If you use well water, check it for levels of nitrogen-containing substances called nitrates. Infants fed formula made with well water containing nitrates are at risk of developing a potentially life-threatening blood disorder called methemoglobinemia. Babies with this disorder suffer changes in their blood that make it unable to carry enough oxygen to their vital organs. Call your local health department for water testing help and information.

Note that it's safe to breastfeed your baby, even if you have been drinking nitrate-contaminated water. Babies do not appear to be affected by nitrates their mothers may drink, nor is there any proven risk to your fetus from nitrates you consume during pregnancy.

8. Check your tap water.

Tap water may contain lead, a special risk to pregnant women, babies, and young children. Most large municipal water supplies now are lead-free, but some homes still have high lead levels in their water because it passes through lead pipes that connect water mains to homes, or through lead solder used to connect the pipes. If you're planning to use tap water to make formula, you can have your water tested for lead before your baby is born; contact your local health department or the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791 or on the web.

Also, to minimize exposure to lead, let your faucet run for two minutes first thing in the morning, to flush out water that has been standing in pipes overnight.

9. Home crafters, beware!

Many artists work in home studios, which can be problematic given that many arts and crafts materials commonly used in painting, drawing, silk-screening, shellacking, ceramics, paper mache, and stained glass contain ingredients that are dangerous to fetuses, babies, and children. Pregnant women and babies should not inhale fumes from art materials and should avoid skin contact because the material may be absorbed through the skin, or get into the eyes or mouth.

When buying or using arts and crafts materials, read the labels and carefully follow instructions for all materials. Also make sure the product has been evaluated by a toxicologist; buy only products labeled "conforms to ASTM D4236," and bearing the seal of the Art and Creative Materials Institute (ACMI). When working on arts and crafts projects, ventilate the work area, wear protective gloves if you're pregnant, store materials in original, fully labeled containers out of the reach of children, and never eat or drink in your work area.

10. Avoid home and yard pesticides.

Try to avoid pesticide use if you're pregnant or have a baby or young children in the home. While there is little evidence that common low-level exposure to pesticides harms the fetus, some studies suggest that higher levels may increase the risk of birth defects. Because these substances are poisons, they pose a risk to babies who touch or crawl on treated surfaces such as carpets, floors, or grass.

If your home must be treated, use bait stations instead of spraying whenever possible. If indoor spraying must be done, stay out of the home, and keep babies and children out, while it's being treated and for several hours afterward. Clear away all food, dishes, and utensils from areas to be treated, including cabinets or drawers. Be sure the home is well ventilated during and after treatment. After the treatment, have someone else wash off any surfaces on which food is prepared or served, and make sure treated areas are well vacuumed or mopped.

If your property must be treated, have someone else apply pesticides or herbicides (weed killers). If chemicals are sprayed outdoors, close the windows and turn off the air conditioning so fumes won't be drawn into the home. Cover children's sandboxes and outdoor play equipment before such spraying. And wear protective gloves when gardening to avoid skin contact with chemicals.

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Image credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net